New Release Review

Bounce (Outback Boys Book 2) by Becca Seymour: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

March 29, 2021 by Denise

Standoffish Aiden is content keeping people at a distance and ensuring his boundaries are impenetrable. There’s safety in not opening up, but there’s also a loneliness he doesn’t realise exists until he meets Riley, a new member of the LGBTQI+ adventure group Outback Boys.

Fascinated by the new guy, Aiden is quick to discover his flirtation skills are rusty and his sweet-talking is cringeworthy. But sweet and clumsy Riley doesn’t seem to mind so much.

Even though Riley doesn’t quite know how to handle Aiden’s intensity, he’s willing to step out of his comfort zone and see how their tentative friendship unravels.

Between a surf lesson that resembles a kangaroo on acid and paddle boarding that is trickier than walking a tightrope, Aiden and Riley discover love may be a possibility after all.

Happiness relies on honesty and openness, though. And with both men holding on tightly to past struggles, their future together is at risk. Can the two Aussies bounce back and heal themselves and each other, or are some wounds too raw to recover from?

Outback Boys is a sweet and sexy M/M romance series complete with bruised butts, rope burn, and overworked muscles… all in the pursuit of adventure, of course!

Trigger Warning: Contains themes (discussions) of mental illness and suicide.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Stumble (Outback Boys Book 1)

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I turned to head towards Pete, only to catch my foot and stumble. I felt myself tumbling forwards, slow motion beginning to play out as I tried to move my hands to protect my face. Not even halfway down, I jerked abruptly, coming to a stop.

“Whoa there.” Aiden’s firm hands were on me, one arm wrapped around my chest. “You okay?”

Wide-eyed, I nodded, angling to face him. With Aiden wrapped around me, it was impossible not to see the green flecks in his grey eyes. “Yeah, thanks.”

He shifted, helping me get myself upright. With my face on fire, I was eager to escape, to hide behind Pete or perhaps jump in the river I could hear in the distance.

“I can be such a klutz.” I forced humour into my words, trying to overcome my mortification. “My parents used to legit carry a first aid kit with them everywhere we went, even if just to the supermarket as a kid. I once broke my little finger playing hopscotch.” My eyes swept over Aiden’s face, still so close his breath brushed against my skin. “Yeah, I know. Hopscotch. How’s that even possible, right?” I seriously needed to stop talking, else I’d end up telling him how I got circumcised after a devastating encounter with a zipper.

That thought had me stepping out of Aiden’s grasp. “Thank you,” I managed again. “For preventing me from bouncing on my arse or my face.” I turned abruptly, giving an awkward over-the-shoulder wave while trying not to spend too much time contemplating how strong Aiden must really be to prevent my backside from meeting dirt.

One thing I could be sure of, between him being untouchable and me being my usual charming, awkward self, it wouldn’t take long for Aiden to forget this encounter as well as my name.

I jumped into the second one without having read the first one first, but I’ve already got it and I cant wait to jump into it. If this one was any indication, I won’t be disappointed.

Okay, so, first things first… this story features Riley and Aiden, who meet at a weekend camping retreat or something like that. I forget what they called it but it was a weekend of adventures, like rock climbing, hiking, kayaking and outdoorsy stuff. I could sense that Riley wasn’t really much of the adventurous type normally but he’d gone with his friend Pete, who I was unsure of at first but grew to love, especially with the hard time he’s having, and I definitely filled out the survey at the end so we can hopefully get his story next… but I digress lol

So, at this adventurous weekend, Riley meets Aiden, who is a guide on said adventure, and he’s gorgeous and stacked and easy-going and though he’s the center of a lot of folks attention with his easy smile and friendly attitude, no one has captured his attention since he lost his partner a few years prior. I didn’t feel like it followed him around like a black cloud, but he definitely kept a part of himself back from people …..until Riley, that is.

The two had instant chemistry, and how could you not be completely smitten over Riley. He’s shy, clumsy, non-confrontational to a fault and there’s just this thing about him that you want to wrap him up in a little bubble and put him in your pocket… he’s so cute, I didn’t blame Aiden for taking an interest.

After the weekend is over, the two exchange numbers and though they live a good distance apart for driving every day and Aiden was living with his Pops (who is very outspoken and hilarious and cares about Aiden and soon after meeting him, Riley as well) but he’s running their cow farm or whatever it is cows do on farms or ranches or whatever… so it isn’t like the two can just pop out and meet up just anytime, but they do make an effort to spend time together through the week and get to know one another.

It’s easy-going for the most part, though both men do have some hang-ups that do cause a little hiccup… not a bump per se, but something they needed to work out before things progressed.

As I’ve noticed with any story I’ve ever read by this author, she does not disappoint. It of course, gets worked out and in the most perfectly swoon-worthy way possible.

Again, I was not disappointed… I adored this story. I adored Riley and Aiden, and I cannot wait to see what happens with Pete. He deserves some happy. <3

5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Becca Seymour lives and breathes all things book related. Usually with at least three books being read and two WiPs being written at the same time, life is merrily hectic. She tends to do nothing by halves so happily seeks the craziness and busyness life offers.

Living on her small property in Queensland with her human family as well as her animal family of cows, chooks, and dogs, Becca appreciates the beauty of the world around her and is a believer that love truly is love.

Connect with Becca:
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Facebook Group: RoMMance with Becca & Louisa
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18745264.Becca_Seymour
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/becca-seymour
https://www.amazon.com/Becca-Seymour/e/B07NYXX6JP
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Finding His Boy (An MM Age Gap Daddy Romance) by K. D. Ryan: Blog Tour, Excerpt and New Release Review

March 26, 2021 by Denise

A lonely Daddy. An innocent boy. A twenty-year age gap. Whatever happens next is in Daddy’s hands.

Finding his way in life all on his own hadn’t been easy for eighteen-year-old Elliot Hedrick, but he’d managed to hold it all together so far.

Even though it was just by the skin of his teeth.

Between his warehouse job and pursuing a career as a professional ballet dancer, he’d been working sixteen-hour days and was still barely making ends meet.

He was fraying at the seams. And he was so damn lonely.

There was nobody for him to lean on, nobody to come to his rescue when things fell apart—it was all up to him to achieve his dreams.

Then suddenly Grant Weston charged into Elliot’s life, his knight in shining armor—literally and figuratively—and despite their twenty-year age gap, Grant couldn’t seem to leave the boy alone. Even though Grant knew he should.

There were too many obstacles between them—and not just their ages. Grant had secrets of his own, ghosts from his past that made him hold back from taking what he really wanted from Elliot.

And what Grant wanted was to make Elliot his boy.

To have a true partner.

But Grant was afraid to trust himself—afraid that history would repeat itself and leave him with a broken heart yet again.

Is age really just a number, or will the years between them end their relationship before it can even start?

Finding His Boy is the first book in a duet taking place in the Safe Harbor universe but can be read as a stand-alone and has an HFN ending. This book is a 90+K word slow burn, steamy romance that features a Daddy/boy relationship between two consenting adult men. No age play. Dual POV. There are explicit descriptions of sexual acts, so this book is intended for a mature audience (18+).

Trigger Warning: On-page physical assault (not between MCs), mention of sexual assault.

Book Title: Finding His Boy (An MM Age Gap Daddy Romance)

Author: K. D. Ryan

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: K. D. Ryan

Release Date: March 25, 2021

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Age Gap, Slow Burn, Daddy Kink

Themes: Self-confidence, Trust, Exploring Sexuality

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length: 96 000 words

It is the first book in the series – Safe Harbor #1

Add on Goodreads

Amazon US – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon AUS – Kindle Unlimited

Grant knew he should pull back, he should close the door—that would be the smart thing to do. He should be respectful of Elliot’s privacy.

Because if he crossed this line, there would be no going back—all of his noble rationalizing about not taking advantage of Elliot’s vulnerability would be out the window.

But fuck, the boy was incredibly gorgeous—the planes of his slim muscular body highlighted in a soft blue glow from the moon, his face a study in shadow and light. He looked so young, so vulnerable, and so ripe for the taking. Exposed, ready for Grant to sink his teeth into the pale expanse of flesh on display, to mark Elliot as his.

If Grant stepped further into the room now—and he wanted to, oh he’d never wanted anything so badly in his life, he could taste the wanting like metal on his tongue—where would that choice bring them?

Because the boy had no clue what Grant wanted to do to him.

He couldn’t know how Grant wanted to use him. To flay him wide open with word and action and touch, and pick apart the soft tender insides of him, to leave him wanting and vulnerable and his. To deliver the safety and comfort and pleasure that his boy craved and that only he—Grant—could give.

Grant’s own possession.

His boy.

Those words—his boy—they acted like a bucket of cold water—a wave of uncertainty and apprehension to temporarily subdue his lust. Was this just history repeating itself? Would Elliot realize a year down the line that Grant couldn’t give him what he wanted, and Grant would be left high and dry once again?

Could Grant risk his heart like that again? The thought of sharing that experience with someone, only for his heart to be trampled, handled carelessly, and discarded…

He should leave now, back out and pretend he’d never been here. Just leave and act like nothing had changed the next day. Leave this beautiful boy whole and innocent and let someone else break him in gently, softly, like he deserved. Someone he could grow with, change with, learn with.

Fuck, he was a coward.

But then.

But then Elliot opened his eyes. And he parted his lips. And he kept on pumping his hand up and down as he locked his eyes with Grant’s, his heated gaze burning with open desire.

Desire for Grant.

And Grant knew he couldn’t walk away.

Former high school Language Arts teacher turned professor, Grant, has to use the student gym showers if he wants to make it to his class on time after a workout…. Hoping to hurry through a quick shower, his plans are thwarted when he runs into someone dangerously close to being sexually assaulted in the showers, he never dreamed it would be two former students that he taught in high school. Elliot’s been trying to ignore the dumb jock that been creepin’ on him at the gym, but sometimes ignorance is bliss, right? Until it isn’t.

On his own since he was 16, Elliot is just doing the best he can to survive until he gains a little bit more experience on stage and can be free from the debt his father left having unexpectedly passing away when Elliot was a teenager.
I have to say, I loved Elliot. Yes, he was immature at times, but he’s 18, what do you expect? He’s also very sweet, stronger than anyone gives him credit for and his shy innocence is only half the reason Grant feels so attracted to him.

It’s a slow burn type of read, where both men go slow, even though their attraction for each other is immediate and page-scortching. Grant having been burnt by a younger man once before and Elliot just not knowing how to navigate a relationship because he’d never been in one before….but it was sweet and real and well worth the wait, especially when we get to Grants kink and how effortlessly Elliot falls into it.

I did spend half the book wondering why this assaulter seemed to get away with what he did and intended to do in the showers, but fear not… the bad guy does not get away with being a bad guy, although I do wish we’d have gotten to see those consequences!

Overall though, once I picked this book up, I did not put it down. I enjoyed watching these two navigate a new relationship and work through such normal and everyday problems, as well as some pretty heavy stuff that they worked out together. I feel like there was a few things I would’ve liked to have been resolved, like what was going on with Grants brother? Does he ever come around? What about Elliot’s dad’s lawyer stuff? Something seemed way fishy about that. Will Aerick and Kyle get a story? I’d be intrigued by that…. Will Elliot meet Grant’s family? I feel like his mom could love Elliot and give him the mom he never had…

So, okay… I wouldn’t mind another book or two about these two, or really anyone (aside from creepy shower guy, unless his is from prison and we get to see all the terrible, awful things that happen to people who do what shower guy tried to do)…

It’s a great read and if you like slow burns with dirty talking Daddy’s and shy, sweet, innocent boys… well, this one is definitely for you. I’ll be (im)patiently waiting to see who’s next!

4 pieces of eye candy

Just a dreamer fueled by coffee who’s been writing about love that comes in all forms since she got her first word processor. Passionate bibliophile and lover of science, caretaker of humans and friend to dogs.

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Pretty Wild (Boys in Makeup Book 3) by Christina Lee and Riley Hart: New Release Review

March 22, 2021 by Denise

Clark
I see myself as mature and responsible for a twenty-four-year-old—I have a steady job, a comfortable apartment, and eventually I’ll find the right guy to settle down with. Some might find this boring, but at least I know what I want. That is, until reconnecting with a childhood companion flips my preconceived notions upside down. Skylar was my first real friend—my first crush too—and twelve years later, he’s still the same gorgeous and charismatic free spirit. I’m easily sucked back into his orbit, my protests futile when it comes to his amusingly harebrained ideas. I can’t let myself fall for him, though, because I’m searching for forever and he only wants casual.

Skylar
If you’re looking for a good time, I’m your guy. I love hookups, shaking my booty at the club, and having fun. I’ve seen how love can hurt and have mended too many broken hearts to risk my own.

Still, having Clark back in my life makes me feel grounded…and sort of mushy inside. It’s not only because his chunky glasses turn him into an adorably hot Clark Kent. It’s also how he makes me feel like I can be more. Which is why hooking up with him is a bad idea. But resisting him becomes impossible, and before I know it, each touch, kiss, and night spent together only makes me crave more.

We want different things, so there’s no way this will last. But Clark makes me consider breaking my rules and trying this boyfriend stuff for real. What’s a guy to do when his best friend steals the heart he’s afraid to give? I guess it comes down to potentially hurting him, or losing the only guy I’ve ever really wanted. Pretty wild, right?

Amazon – KIndle Unlimited

This is a fun series that revolves around a local gay club and they guys that work there. This time we get Skylar, a dancer at the club, and Clark, a friend from his preteen years. And probably definitely his first real crush.

Skylar is kind of the typical only child of a single mom who is always getting her heartbroken by men but then jumps right back in. So Skylar has decided that he won’t be like that. One night stands are his jam, no hearts involved.

Clark wants nothing more than a relationship. He is all about monogamy and living together and having kids and a dog.

Skylar and Clark know each other from gymnastics class when they are around 12. They became fast friends and had crushes on each other, but Clark’s mom would never let them hang out together and eventually pulled Clark from gymnastics without explanation. Through the magic of social media, they reconnect.

Skylar is very sex positive and even though they said they are only friends, things take a turn. So what will the become? How will they move forward?

Both men experienced personal growth during the story. I feel like Skylar grew up and Clark matured. Both with emotions and feelings, their mothers and their jobs. But they also grew together, encouraging each other. I wish we had seen more AFTER that growth.

I did like their relationship and their story. We did get to revisit with the other two couples which was really fun. The book overall had some things that were meh for me, but I still recommend it for the story.

3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Coaching the Nerd Authors (Nerds Vs Jocks, Book 2) by Eli Easton & Tara Lain: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

March 22, 2021 by Denise

Super-bod meets super-brain

What happens when marshmallow-bodied supernerd Sean volunteers to be on the jocks’ flag-football team? It screws Bubba’s fraternity’s chances at the coveted flag football title, that’s what.

Bubba is drafted to be Sean’s personal trainer. He has to whip Sean into shape and make sure he doesn’t F up their team.

Sean may be a supernerd, but to Bubba he’s funny, and wise, and kinda cute. He’s also the one person on campus who doesn’t see Bubba as a big, stupid jock.

One BIG problem. Sean’s motivation for getting into shape is to lose his virginity — and Bubba isn’t happy when guys start sniffing around.

But Bubba’s straight. Isn’t he?

Can a big, dumb jock from Nowhere, Wisconsin change his whole life for a genius who just wants to get laid?

COACHING THE NERD is a total makeover, opposites attract, My Fair Lady trope, bi awakening, campus romance – that grabs your flag.

Coaching the Nerd (Nerds Vs Jocks, Book 2)

By Eli Easton & Tara Lain

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Bubba put his arm around the back of the leather couch in the student union and shifted closer to me. I froze and stared up at his face. He’d told me this alcove was his secret place at the union where nobody ever came, so I wasn’t really worried about somebody walking in on us, but I was still unaccountably nervous.

I was accustomed to being around Bubba by now, and I trusted him. I did. But being this close to him with him looking at me with that half-lidded sexy face? I was most certainly not accustomed to that.

My heart pounded in my chest like a metronome, and my belly swirled like I was on the high seas.

I was on the high seas. Of love. Or fake love. Or at least fake flirting.

We’re merely role-playing, I reminded myself. I cleared my throat and sat up straighter.

“Hey, I don’t think we’ve met,” Bubba said in a sultry voice.

I frowned. “What do you mean? We’ve been training together for four weeks.”

Bubba bit back a laugh. “Sean, I’m pretending. In this pretend game, I just saw you at a party.”

Oh, yes. How foolish of me. It was hard to think clearly when he looked at me like that. I put on a cautiously seductive expression.

Bubba blinked. “What are you doing with your face?”

“Nothing!” I shifted in my seat, and the leather couch squeaked. I settled my hands awkwardly in my lap and tried a simple smile. “Better?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“Um…a little? Just relax and act natural.”

“You’re not acting natural,” I pointed out. “You’re flirting with me. That’s unnatural in and of itself.”

Bubba rolled his eyes. He tried again. “Hey, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Bubba.”

“Hi, Bubba. I’m Sean.” I stuck out my hand for a handshake, but because we were sitting so close, I ended up poking my fingers right into his groin. He yelped and jumped back a few inches on the couch.

“Sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Bubba rubbed the crotch of his jeans for a moment and shook his head. “Probably try not to poke your prospective date in the balls.”

“God, I suck at this!” I wailed. “Disaster zone, thy name is Sean McKinney!”

Bubba laughed. “Come on. We’re just getting started. No harm, no foul. Let’s try again.” He settled back into place with his arm behind me on the couch, though perhaps a mite more warily than before. “Hey! You’re kinda cute. I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Bubba.”

This time, he leaned even closer. and I gazed into his eyes. They were just brown eyes, dark in the dim light of the little alcove. But there was something in them that was hot and sexy and probably had the unique property of being able to melt underwear. No wonder he had no difficulty getting girls. I dropped my gaze so I wouldn’t get any stupid ideas from those eyes—like hoping this wasn’t entirely role-playing. But from so close, I could see the texture of his beard, which he kept short. It was shiny and looked so appealing. I wanted to rub my cheek against it to discern the precise texture. His lips were red and full.

For a heat-stopping moment, I wondered, in a visceral way, what it would be like to kiss a mouth like that. Or that mouth specifically. Bubba’s mouth. I could picture it happening so clearly. I swallowed.

“Very good,” Bubba said softly. “Not talking works for you.” He reached up a thumb and stroked my jaw.

“You want me to not speak?” I asked doubtfully.

“If you look at the guy like that, you don’t have to say a word.” His gaze was on my lips now. The swirls in my belly exploded, and my skin got hot.

“I should say something though,” I said with a nervous titter. “Wouldn’t want him thinking I’m not paying attention. So, um…. Hi. I’m Sean. I like your beard.”

Shit. I shouldn’t have said beard. That obviously applied to Bubba and not a general guy at a party.

But Bubba went with it. “Yeah?” He took my hand and placed it on his face, then sort of rubbed his beard against it.

I got erect so fast, my head swam. Oh dear. Oh fuck. Was that supposed to happen during role-playing? I was pretty sure the answer was a resounding no.

My fingers curled around his jaw and rubbed. It was as if they had a mind of their own. “Soft,” I whispered.

He moved his large hand to my shoulder and stroked my collarbone through my T-shirt with his thumb—back and forth. Oh my God. It was different from his massage touch. Somehow that simple movement was so sensual. No one had ever touched me like that. I’d thought having the shampoo felt good. But this…this sent waves of fire through me unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. My palm moved to his throat. His pulse beat fast under my hand. I wanted to lick there.

“Mmm. I like that,” he said in that sexy rumbly voice. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Hmm?” My gaze was fixed on his mouth.

“Can I get you something from the bar? Sean?”

“Bar?” I couldn’t help it. I leaned forward. His mouth was so close. I closed my eyes. He exhaled, and his breath tickled my lips. Goosebumps erupted on my arms while heat pooled thickly in my groin.

“Sean,” he whispered, but his voice was soft and strangled and part of this lovely dream.

Then his lips pressed against mine.

A mixed review from me on this one.

This is book 2 and you should probably read book 1 to know what exactly is going on between the two fraternities. Also, the stories happen concurrently.

Anyway, from book 1 it was evident that Sean and Bubba would be the focus of book 2. Since Sean was the nerdiest of the nerds with zero muscle mass and was now playing flag football and Bubba was the physical education major… opposites attract and all of that.

I did really enjoy the following Sean and Bubba as they kind of stumbled through a tentative friendship and into a relationship. Working out together, playing flag football together and even Bubba helping Sean with a make over from drab to fab. They were just really adorable.

My biggest issue was the way Sean was portrayed. It was REALLY stereotypical. So much that he sounded like Spock in the way he spoke. Sorry, but even genius level college students are still college students. They just don’t talk like that. It was like they wrote dialogue for Sean, then went to the thesaurus to make it as “smart” as possible. It was just silly.

The big conflict involving Sean’s parents also wasn’t a surprise at all. Ho hum.

FAVORITE LINE: Even though I mostly disliked how Sea spoke, the following made me laugh out loud as I read it.

She folded her arms over her chest and gave me a smug look. “I fucked him, you know.”

“Congratulations,” I said calmly. “Lucky you, getting your shopping done before the store closed.”

3 pieces of eye candy

About Eli:

Coming from a background in computer game design, Eli has written over 35 books in m/m romance since 2013. The Mating of Michael (2014) and A Second Harvest (2016) both won The William Neale Award for Best Gay Contemporary Romance, and Eli’s books have won many awards from the Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s Reader’s Choice Awards. She is best known for her Christmas romances, the Howl at the Moon series of rom coms featuring dog shifters, and her Sex in Seattle series, which revolves around a sex clinic in Seattle.

Connect with Eli:
www.elieaston.com
Facebook: Eli Easton
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/164054884188096
Twitter: @elieaston

About the Author:

Tara Lain believes in happy ever afters – and magic. Same thing. In fact, she says, she doesn’t believe, she knows. Tara shares this passion in her stories that star her unique, charismatic heroes and adventurous heroines. Quarterbacks and cops, werewolves and witches, blue collar or billionaires, Tara’s characters, readers say, love deeply, resolve seemingly insurmountable differences, and ultimately live their lives authentically. After many years living in southern California, Tara, her soulmate honey and her soulmate dog decided they wanted less cars and more trees, prompting a move to Ashland, Oregon where Tara’s creating new stories and loving living in a small town with big culture. Tara loves animals of all kinds (even snakes), diversity, open minds, coconut crunch ice cream from Zoeys, and her readers.

She has around 57 books published or scheduled for publication.

Connect with Tara:
Website: https://taralain.com/
Facebook Reader’s Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/255111391312743
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taralain/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/taralain
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taralainauthor/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/tara-lain

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Shift Work (Night Shift, Book 1) by TA Moore: Blog Tour, Exclusive Short Story, Release Day Review and Giveaway

March 18, 2021 by Denise

You’d think the werewolves would be the worst thing about the Night Shift; you’d be wrong.

All Officer Kit Marlow wanted was a cup of coffee and some downtime before his next night shift. Instead, he got a naked man in the elevator and an unaccounted-for dead girl in the morgue. He’s going to need to deal with both before he can head for his bed.

Or anyone else’s. Although not much chance of that.

Reluctantly partnered with the acerbic security consultant Cade Deacon—last seen naked in the elevator—Marlow delves into the dead girl’s life. Between them, they uncover a new crime scene with the whiff of old corruption. A corruption that, five years ago, nearly took Marlow’s life and ended his career.

Finding out who killed the dead girl on the slab might only be the start of this investigation. Oh, and it’s the second night of the full moon. So 80% of the city, including Cade, will turn into werewolves in the middle of the case.

So, there’s that.

Title: Shift Work

Publisher: Rogue Firebird Press

Release: March 19

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Coming April 19, 2021

Split Shift: Night Shift: Book Two

First of all, thank you so much for having me! I’m thrilled to be here with my new release, Shift Work by TA Moore. It’s a novella. It’s a longish novella, but still a novella. It’s the first book in a three book series that will be coming out over the next….three months. So that’s easy! Well, for you. I’m going to have no nails left.

For the blog tour I’ve written a short story set in the Night Shift world. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Five

She was blind.

Temporarily at least. As Marlow watched, the blisters were absorbed back into the skin, and the burned tissue stitched itself into shiny scar tissue.

Home-made flamethrower probably—it was a popular self-defense for nulls that had to be out. It didn’t work well, and they’d been lucky she was young. Once someone shifted, they weren’t a person anymore, but they weren’t a dumb animal either. Werewolves were smart enough; they just didn’t think like people. Werewolves were smart enough; they just didn’t think like people or want what people wanted. Annie would forget her blistered eyes when she woke up. The wolf wouldn’t. This wouldn’t work again.

Drool splattered on the floor as Annie swung her head around and snorted at the air. Her ears twitched on top of her head, first one way and then back toward Marlow. She took a step forward, down on all fours, so the muscles bulked in her heavy shoulders, and licked the air.

Marlow didn’t try to hold his breath. It just made your heart beat faster, louder, and eventually you’d have to suck in some air. He just kept his breathing slow and steady, his heart rate calm, as he slid backward on his ass.

The stack of boxes at the end of the aisle were old-fashioned scales. $50 a pop. Marlow hoped he wasn’t going to have to pay for damages. He kicked them over on top of Annie. As the wolf reared back in surprise, he used the time the distraction had bought to scramble to his feet.

“There’s a whole city out there, Annie,” he said as he jogged backward ahead of her. “Deer. I heard they released some pigs.”

She crushed the boxes underfoot as he stalked him. Her eyes were gunked with pus, but the glaze of cataracts had faded. When he shifted direction, she turned her head to track him.

One step back.

Another.

Marlow mentally plotted his route through the department. He needed to keep her away from Beth. They might have been friends in the daylight, but the wolf wouldn’t care if she smelled blood.

Suddenly something crashed against the floor on the far side of the store. Three men, backpacks on their shoulders and kitted out in half-assed body armor, kicked over some of the shelves and stitched a spray of bullets down the aisle. The tiles splintered and shattered in divots and chunks until one of the projectiles caught Annie in the shoulder.

She threw her head back and roared in pain as the metal punched through flesh and bone. The next bullet docked her ear, the point shredded off in a spray of bloody hair, and then Annie threw herself out of the way and disappeared into the darkness.

“Idiots,” Marlow snarled. He gestured back the way he’d came—toward Beth—but hopefully, they’d more sense than to indulge a grudge now. “Get out of here.Go.”

One of them shot at him. It missed, punched into the shelves behind him, and then they ran.

Annie snarled, a low, wet sound, and then lunged out of the darkness.

Read the rest of the story on https://bit.ly/2Ojm6jQ!

This novella is set in a new world, and I had a bit of a time trying to understand what a few of the words meant initially (still not sure I understand what a null is 🙂 ) However, it is easy to catch up and figure out where things were headed.

I’m glad to see there is a second book with these MC’s, because I definitely want to know more about Kit and his past. That was piece that was revealed very slowly, in little chunks, and I want to know more!

There’s a bit of a murder mystery that sneaks into a lot of TA Moore’s books, and to give you a heads up there are definitely a few gory details that you might expect along with a murder among werewolves, but it definitely keeps you guessing.

I enjoyed the interactions between Marlow and Cade, but in many ways, I enjoyed their internal conversations with themselves almost as much. They kept trying to talk themselves out of their crush on the other, and it was such a back and forth it made me laugh.

I am looking forward to seeing how these things play out in the next book.

4 pieces of eye candy

TA Moore is a Northern Irish writer of romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and contemporary romance novels. A childhood in a rural, seaside town fostered in her a suspicious nature, a love of mystery, and a streak of black humour a mile wide. As her grandmother always said, ‘she’d laugh at a bad thing that one’, mind you, that was the pot calling the kettle black. TA Moore studied History, Irish mythology, English at University, mostly because she has always loved a good story. She has worked as a journalist, a finance manager, and in the arts sectors before she finally gave in to a lifelong desire to write.

Coffee, Doc Marten boots, and good friends are the essential things in life. Spiders, mayo, and heels are to be avoided.

Website: www.tamoorewrites.com

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

Twitter: @tamoorewrites

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The Last of the Mousakkas: RB, Exclusive Author Guest Post, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

March 10, 2021 by Denise

Max Bergmann is Europe’s hottest drum and bass DJ. From the outside, his life is a whirl of glamorous vodka-fueled parties and casual hook-ups, whilst inside he craves the one thing he can’t have – his Greek childhood friend, Georgios Manolas.

Following a disastrous PR stunt and one drunken hook-up too many, Max realises the time has come to reassess his life choices. Returning to his childhood home on the Greek island of Aegina, if he wants any chance of having Georgios permanently in his life, he has to delve into the mystery of the longstanding hatred of the Bergmann’s by Georgios’s family.

Georgios is a chef and has spent his whole life on the tiny Greek island of Aegina. He has held the family restaurant together since he left school, with very little reward, and dreams of one day running a restaurant of his own on the island. Yet if he acknowledges his feelings for Max, he runs the risk of losing not just his traditional Greek family but also his livelihood.

As Max slowly uncovers the secrets of the past, he is left wondering whether a little Greek girl’s heart-breaking wartime diary could not only hold the key to his family’s history, but could it also unlock his and Georgios’s future together?

The Last of the Moussaka’s is a light-hearted, warm romance about two men’s quest for the truth about the past and unlocking a path to a future together.

Title: The Last of the Moussakas

Author: Fearne Hill

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 03/08/2021

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 74900

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, contemporary, gay, Greek island setting, Greek culture, celebrity Friends to lovers, In-the-closet/coming out, soulmates, humorous, chefs, musician, chef, second cousins, family drama

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Nine Star Press

Goodreads

Most of this story takes place in Aegina, an island just off the coast of mainland Greece. It’s still largely undiscovered by international tourism – certainly compared to islands such as Santorini and Mykonos, and has maintained its rustic, simple charm.

I have visited the island many times and my inspiration for this book came from coming across frequent reminders, such as the abandoned lookout posts, of its German occupation during WW2. In addition, the decrepit old civic building mentioned in the book does indeed stand on the waterfront and has been for sale for years.

I can’t mention Aegina without mentioning the colours – Greece has shades of blue unlike any blues anywhere else in the world. Secondly, the food. Oh my goodness, the food. Visit Mykonos or Santorini or Corfu, and yeah, you’ll taste some traditional Greek dishes. But travel to Aegina and you’ll never want to eat anywhere else again.

Towards the end of the meal, a tinkling but insistent bell rings from inside the house, and I groan inwardly. I swear that woman can smell visitors. Either that or she has hidden CCTV installed.

“Go and say hello to Noni, Maxi,” says my mother, giving him a tired smile. “She’s been looking forward to your visit.”

We all know that’s a blatant lie, but obediently, Max rises from the table, and I go with him, like a pair of lambs to the slaughter. He’s probably wishing he’d downed a few more glasses of red wine when he had the chance. How can a defenceless wrinkly old woman instil such fear in two grown men?

Noni pretends she hasn’t heard us as we open the door, even though I know full well there is nothing wrong with her hearing. She commandeered the front parlour about twenty years ago and hasn’t budged since. Considering how long she’s lived in this room, she has very little clutter and very few possessions apart from the necessary, such as the commode chair and a low table holding an assortment of medicines and a small fan. There is the huge old telly, of course, permanently switched on, but no photographs and only one book—a tatty old black atlas that is falling apart and that we’ve never been allowed to touch. The hot fug of the room is cloying, a mixture of stale wee and dead flowers. I try to take shallow breaths.

She’s in her usual pose, bundled up under hideous crocheted blankets and propped on a pile of cushions, with the TV remote, a little brass bell, and a jug of water within reach next to the bed. Her thin white hair fans out on the flowery pillow behind her, two bony hands neatly lie across her chest. A grubby tissue pokes out of one of the tiny clenched fists. Max hovers nervously at my shoulder, and not for the first time as I tiptoe over, I wonder whether she’s dead—the frail skin drawn across her face is so chalky, her thin lips so bloodless. Two watery eyes stare sightlessly at the silent episode of Lampsi playing out on the television.

“Noni, it’s me, Georgios,” I say tentatively and will myself to cover one of those clawlike hands with my own.

The suddenness of her gaze jerking in my direction takes me by surprise, and I involuntarily pull my hand away. “I’ve brought Max to say hello. You remember Max, don’t you?”

Painfully, she inches her head in Max’s direction. (There’s not much wrong with her neck either, but from the way she hams it up, you would think her head is about to drop off). Finally, her eyes take in the handsome specimen of masculinity standing at my shoulder. She stares at him coldly for a few uncomfortable seconds before bringing the tissue up to her mouth and spitting into it with elegant disdain.

“I see him” is all she says in a hoarse whisper, but the hand holding the tissue trembles.

“Hello, Noni,” offers Max gamely, shuffling forwards. “How are you? You’re looking well.”

I had no idea he was such a good liar; she looks like she’s been sleeping in a coffin for the last hundred years. One of the claws darts out and seizes him by the wrist, and she pulls him down so that his face is closer to hers, making no attempt to hide a look of intense dislike. “You are more like him every time I see you,” she hisses, not letting him go.

Oh God, not this again.

When I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to read it. I was excited to read a book based in Greece and I love the childhood friends to lovers trope. However, I was not prepared for the history and the crying (not a lot, but enough for a couple tissues). I was very happy though to read this and enjoyed it from beginning to end. I loved the descriptions of the island, the people on it, as well as the history behind the island and the Nazi occupation.

Little spoiler…if you have a trigger warning for suicide you may want to avoid this book (it’s sort of off page, but still could be shocking to some).

That being said it was well written. I loved having two narratives…the main characters as well as a surprise about a quarter of the way into the book. Max and Georgios, the two MC’s, were friends from childhood and their families had bad history dating back generations. Yet, they had always been in love with each other.

It took an event that could have been tragic for Max to finally figure out that what he needed in his life was Georgios.

There isn’t much drama between the two main characters. In fact I was expecting some because Georgios was not out of the closet but that never really materialized. But there was definitely a lot to be said for the history between the two as well as the family. I loved how easy Max and Georgios were with each other once they got past the initial issue of Max saying he was in love with Georgios. They had been in love and just never acted on it. So when they decided to act on it, they just loved each other, as simple as that.

I would definitely recommend this book. I would also recommend having a tissue or two handy for a couple of parts. But in the end a happy ending for the two main characters who found their lives with each other and the place they both wanted to be.

4 pieces of eye candy

Fearne Hill lives deep in the southern British countryside with three untamed sons, varying numbers of hens, a few tortoises, and a beautiful cocker spaniel.

When she is not overseeing her small menagerie, she enjoys writing contemporary romantic fiction. And when she is not doing either of those things, she works as an anaesthesiologist.

Author Links

Website: http://www.fearnehill.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fearne.hill.50/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/FearneHill

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearnehill_author/

Email: fearne.hill@fearnehill.com

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