Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Quick Reviews

Saddle Up (Clean Slate Rach book 3) by AM Arthur: New Release Review

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Reyes Caldero keeps his past buried deep and his emotions buried deeper. But what he doesn’t say he always makes up for with his actions. When the hot chef he once saved from an abusive ex turns up at Clean Slate Ranch, the quiet cowboy is happy to act on their sizzling chemistry, even if he’s not ready to share his secrets—or his heart.

Miles Arlington needs to get the hell out of San Francisco, and heading north for a job near Clean Slate Ranch seems like just the thing. It doesn’t hurt that his secret crush slash onetime rescuer happens to work at the ranch. Miles has never been one for the outdoors, but the superhot Reyes has him ready to saddle up.

Reyes is happy to keep things casual, even though his heart has other ideas. And when Miles is forced to confront his past again, Reyes and Miles will have to put all their trust in each other if they want any chance at building a future together.

Amazon

Carina Press

Please read the first two books in the series. It isn’t 100% necessary, but it will make this one all the more enjoyable.

That being said, I couldn’t wait for Reyes and his story. Always quiet, never with much to say, but always there for his friends. Reyes and Miles have been avoiding flirting since book 1. Avoiding it so much that it was obvious to everyone. And when Miles gets a job at the ghost town and the only available bed is in the 2 man cabin with Reyes, it won’t be easy to avoid each other.

But they do. Their relationship really grows as friends. Miles is up front in that he doesn’t want a relationship but he does want to be friends. Reyes readily agrees because he doesn’t feel worthy of love.

So while this isn’t really a friends to lovers trope, they definitely grow their friendship. And I loved that.

Reyes and Miles have big secrets. Secrets that even their best friends don’t know. And when they finally tell each other- it is painful. Especially Reyes’ secret. I wasn’t expecting that.

OF COURSE A.M. Arthur made me cry. The tears of her readers feed her. But don’t worry, there is a happily ever after.

4 Pieces of Candy

The Heights by Amy Aislin: Exclusive Guest Post, Blog Tour and Giveaway

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Twenty-one years ago, a four-year old child was kidnapped from his front yard. He was never found. Until now.

All Nat Walker wants is to make his late father’s dream of running a father/son woodworking shop come true. And he had the perfect building in mind—until the new guy in town came in and bought the place right out from under him. The fact that the new guy is adorable means nothing. For all Nat cares, he can take his new dance studio and waltz back to New York City.

Professional dancer Quinn Carroll couldn’t be happier that he made the move to the small town of Lakeshore, Oregon. Sure, it’s not New York, but now he’ll be living closer to his adoptive brother. And since his studio will be the only one in the area, he should get enough business to keep him busy. Besides, there’s something about this place that seems familiar…

He doesn’t expect to fall hard for the local, grumpy woodworker who won’t even smile at him.

Or find out that his entire life is a lie.

The Heights by Amy Aislin

Series: Lakeshore #1

Publisher: self-published

Release Date (Print & Ebook): September 20, 2018

Length (Print & Ebook): approx. 75,000 words, or 320 pages

Subgenre: m/m contemporary romance

Reader warnings: one of the main characters suffers from panic attacks

Cover artist: Stacey Blake @ Champagne Book Design

 

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iBooks

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Thank you for joining me to celebrate the release of my newest m/m contemporary romance, The Heights, and thank you to Two Chicks Obsessed for having me! Today I’m sharing a sexy excerpt. Check it out below!

Yes.

Yes, yes, yes.

Had Quinn known that all he needed to do was bait Nat into kissing him, he would’ve done it weeks ago.

This was no soft, tentative first kiss. Nat’s mouth was hard on his. Demanding. Combative even, daring Quinn on.

Oh, it was on.

The music changed from Thirty Seconds to Mars to “Sail” by AWOLNATION. It thrummed in his veins, made his pulse beat as he attempted to climb Nat’s body. Nat cupped his butt and hoisted him up to sit on the counter. Their eyes met, briefly, heat and lust and anger clashing before their mouths met again.

Bad idea. This was such a bad idea. It’d no doubt fuck up their friendship, especially since Quinn was sure Nat was only doing this out of pity or maybe out of some protective need to stop Quinn from having a one-night stand. Whatever the reason, things would end badly between them.

But Nat’s tongue was in his mouth and Nat’s hands were yanking Quinn’s shirt up, bunching it under Quinn’s armpits. Quinn’s legs tightened around Nat’s hips, hands up the back of Nat’s sweater to trail over warm, naked skin.

Yeah, Quinn didn’t particularly give a shit about good idea versus bad. Only that this was happening, it was happening now, and the only way he’d put a stop to it was if a bomb went off.

And maybe not even then.

Pity fuck or not, he was all in.

He gave Nat a push, sending him into the fridge behind him. Fridge magnets fell, clattering onto the floor. Nat’s mouth quirked up on one side and he stripped out of his sweater, eyes locked on Quinn. After the sweater came the T-shirt. Quinn ran his gaze over Nat’s bared chest as Nat took a step back. Another.

Quinn slid off the counter and followed, breathing hard, blood rushing south. He wanted his hands on all that skin and reached out for Nat’s cock, outlined by Nat’s jeans. But Nat kept his pace steady, heading for the bedroom, Quinn shadowing him step for step less than two feet behind. He tore his own shirt off, dropping it onto the floor.

In the bedroom, they came together with a crash, teeth clacking and biting, hands fighting for dominance. Nat picked him up and threw him on the bed, coming down on top of him in the next instant.

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek of The Heights. The Heights comes out tomorrow, September 20, and is available for pre-order at Amazon, iBooks, B&N, and Kobo.

 

 

Amy started writing on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class was forced to stay inside for recess. Tales of adventures with her classmates quickly morphed into tales of adventures with the characters in her head. Based in the suburbs of Toronto, Amy is a marketer/fundraiser at a large environmental non-profit in Toronto by day, and a writer by night. Book enthusiast, animal lover and (very) amateur photographer, her interests are many and varied, including travelling, astronomy, ecology, and baking. She binge watches too much anime, and loves musical theater, Julie Andrews, the Backstreet Boys, and her hometown of Oakville, Ontario.

Connect with Amy Aislin:

Website: https://amyaislin.com/

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QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/amy-aislin/

LoveRomanceReads: https://www.loveromancereads.com/amyaislin.html

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/amy-aislin

Win a fantastic The Heights prize pack: signed paperback, one of a kind art print, and a set of wooden star ornaments.

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Love Spell by Mia Kerick: Blog Tour, New Release Review, Excerpt and Giveaway

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Chance César is fabulously gay, but his gender identity—or, as he phrases it, “being stuck in the gray area between girl and boy”—remains confusing. Nonetheless, he struts his stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug-in-all-the-right (wrong)-places orange tuxedo as the winner of this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon Festival. He rules supreme at the local Beans and Greens Farm’s annual fall celebration, serenaded by the enthusiastic catcalls of his BFF, Emily Benson.

Although he refuses to visually fade into the background of his rural New Hampshire town, Chance is socially invisible—except when being tormented by familiar bullies. But sparks fly when Chance, Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper (Jazz) Donahue, winner of the Pumpkin Carving King contest. Chance wants to be noticed and admired and romantically embraced by Jazz, in all of his neon-orange-haired glory.

And so at a sleepover, Chance and Emily conduct intense, late-night research, and find an online article: “Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love With You.” Along with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure, it becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.

But will this “no-fail” plan work? Can Chance and Jazz fall under the fickle spell of love?

Title:  Love Spell

Author: Mia Kerick

Publisher:  NineStar Press, LLC

Release Date: September 17, 2018

Heat Level: 1 – No Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 43300

Genre: Contemporary YA, contemporary, YA, non-binary, bullying, homophobia, coming-of-age, humorous

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NineStar Press, LLC  

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Just call me brazen.

It occurs to me that brazen—unabashedly bold and without an inkling of shame—is the perfectly appropriate word to describe moi right about now. It is, however, the only perfectly appropriate part of this evening. Which is perfectly appropriate, in my humble opinion. So get over it.

I lift my chin just enough to stop the stiff orange spikes of glitter-gelled hair from flopping forward onto my forehead. Who can blame me? These spikes are razor sharp—best they stay upright on my head where they belong. And gravity can only do so much to that end.

Okaaaayyyy…sidetracked much? Forces rebellious thoughts on business at hand.

Chance César is a brazen B.

I stare ’em down, but only after I pop the collar of the blinding “Orange Crush” tuxedo I’m rockin’ and shrug my shoulders in a sort of what-the-fuck fashion. Rule of thumb in this queen’s life—first things must always come first.

Pop, shrug, and only then is it kosher to stare. I clear my throat.

“Eat your ginger-haired heart out, Ed Sheeran.”

Based on the buzz of scandalized chatter blowing about in the crisp evening breeze, I’m reasonably certain that nobody in the crowd heard me speak. And although several of the girls currently gawking at me may do double backflips over my red-haired counterpart across the pond, they don’t give a rat’s ass about Chance César. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that they view my atomic tangerine locks as more reminiscent of Bozo the Clown than of the smexy singer-songwriter.

They are, however, completely unaware that this carrot top is going to make Harvest Moon Festival history tonight.

Refusing to succumb to the impulse to duck my head, I take a single shaky step forward onto the stage that’s been set up on the dusty ground beside a vast—by New England standards—cornfield. The stage doesn’t wobble, but my knees sure as shit do. Okay, I’m an honest diva and I tell it like it is. And I’m what you might call a freaking wreck.

Nonetheless, this brazen B takes a deep breath, blows it out in a single gush, and starts to strut. This boy’s werkin’ it.

Smi-zeee!! Yeah, my smile is painted on, just like my trousers.

Chance, you are by far the edgiest Miss Harvest Moon this ramshackle town has ever had the good fortune to gaze upon. I am a major fan of positive self-talk.

Using the feigned British accent I’ve perfected—thanks to long hours of tedious practice in my bathroom—I dish out my next thought aloud. “I wish I’d put in a tad more practice walking in these bloody heels before going public in ’em.” And despite one slight stumble—a close call to be sure—the clicking sound my pumps make is crisp and confident. I saunter out onto the catwalk.

#TrueConfessions: Faking foreign accents is a hobby of mine. I can yammer it up in improvised French, German, Mexican, Russian, and plenty more accents, but I don’t mimic Asian languages, as it seems too close to ridicule. My plan for the rest of the night is to continue vocalizing my abundant thoughts in Standard British, with a hint of Cockney thrown in for charm. After all, New Hampshire is the “Live Free or Die” state, and I’ll do what I laaaa-like. Yaaasss!

First: Teenagers are ridiculous.
Second: It makes me feel incredibly old to say that.
Third: Chance is exhausting but in the cutest ways

Chance is voted Miss something or other in his towns Miss Something or other pageant, cuz kids are mean, and they thought it would be funny for the boy to be queen… didn’t they realize he’d own it?! If they didn’t, they got schooled….cuz he owned it.

I couldn’t imagine being an openly gay, genderfluid teenager, confused about his gender identity and having to navigate high school in today’s world. People are so intolerant, and ignorant, that it had my heart hurting for the things that he had to put up with. And if we know anything about my rants, its when people get away with being terrible, and those A-holes made high school hard for him, and I hated reading that… Thankfully, Chance has his bestie Emily, and she’s more than just a bestie, she’s the family he doesn’t have. His parents are awful too…. They’re not abusive in any typical sense of the word, but there’s no love there, and that made me sad for him too.

Now, at the miss whatever pageant (it was a cute and clever name, I just don’t remember what it was called), he meets Jasper, who he aptly nicknames Jazz… Jazz is sweet and shy and about fifteen kinds of adorable. His mom works any spare second she can, and Jasper is left juggling school, a job and helping raise his little sister…. Is that not just the cutest?! Chance is quite smitten with him at first site, even though they’ve been going to the same school together, forever.

Unfortunately, two things happen…. One, Jazz already likes Chance but doesn’t just come out and tell him…and two… Chance and Emily come up with the most ridiculous list of ways to make Jazz fall in love with him. Now, some of these were downright stupid, and I couldn’t believe that they A. believed it would work, or B. attempted to try them. No wonder Jazz got the wrong idea, the suggestions were terrible and terribly executed lol though it was entertaining (at times) (other times, exhausting)

So, when the list is almost finished, the only two things left are the only suggestions that he’d have needed all along, it was too late…. Or was it? There are a couple really good lessons in this story, and it would be one I’d let my newly “out” thirteen year old read…. If he could understand the lingo… I’ll admit, there were a couple times I had to be like…what in the world does that mean?!…. You’ll get there though.

If you enjoy YA, overly dramatic, sarcastic and sassy, gender-confused and charming…..or the quiet and shy, simple boy…. Give this one a chance, <wink wink>

4 pieces of eye candy from me

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—one in law school, another at a dance conservatory, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son still in high school. She has published more than twenty books of LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing English papers. Her husband of twenty-five years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships. She has a great affinity for the tortured hero in literature, and as a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of tortured heroes and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to NineStar Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.

Her books have been featured in Kirkus Reviews magazine, and have won Rainbow Awards for Best Transgender Contemporary Romance and Best YA Lesbian Fiction, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, and a Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, among other awards.

Mia Kerick is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology. Contact Mia at miakerick@gmail.com or visit at www.miakerickya.com to see what is going on in Mia’s world.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

http://www.miakerick.com/

https://www.facebook.com/mia.kerick

 

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Savior (415 Ink book 2) by Rhys Ford: Release Day Review

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415 Ink: Book Two

A savior lies in the heart of every good man, but sometimes only love can awaken the man inside the savior.

The world’s had it out for San Francisco firefighter Mace Crawford from the moment he was born. Rescued from a horrific home life and dragged through an uncaring foster system, he’s dedicated his life to saving people, including the men he calls his brothers. As second-in-command of their knitted-together clan, Mace guides his younger siblings, helps out at 415 Ink, the family tattoo shop, and most of all, makes sure the brothers don’t discover his darkest secrets.

It’s a lonely life with one big problem—he’s sworn off love, and Rob Claussen, one of 415 Ink’s tattoo artists, has gotten under his skin in the worst way possible.

Mace’s world is too tight, too controlled to let Rob into his life, much less his heart, but the brash Filipino inker is there every time Mace turns around. He can’t let Rob in without shaking the foundations of the life he’s built, but when an evil from his past resurfaces, Mace is forced to choose between protecting his lies and saving the man he’s too scared to love.

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I love books that are set in San Francisco. That is what drew me to book 1 in this series. And while I liked that one, it was very cluttered with getting to know these five “brothers”. But now that that has all been established, the romance and love story between Rob and Mace were the focus.

Mace is one of the brothers who doesn’t work at 415 Ink, although he is one of the owners. Instead he is a firefighter in China town and also lives in the neighborhood. Instead of falling back on stereotypes, the author offers some insight into the neighborhood without it being a history lesson.

Rob is a newer artist at 415 Ink and he and Mace have been doing that strange dance around each other where they act like they hate each other but they really want to rip each other’s clothes off.

Which they finally do in the aftermath of an earthquake.

*Quick note. After the earthquake IT WAS NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN! Like, what? If you go through an earthquake no matter how big or small, you talk about it. With everyone. But nope, just a tool to get Mace and Rob naked together.

Back to the story. Mace broke my heart with his entire backstory. Ugh, gutted. And while I sort of understand Rob’s situation, I don’t completely. But maybe I just misread something.

All of the other brothers are included in the story without taking it over, which I always enjoy. That is one of the great things about reading a series.

Overall, I liked this one a lot more than the first and I am glad I kept reading. And now bring on book 3!

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Flash Me by K.M. Neuhold: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Liam

I was kicked out at sixteen for being transgender, but it turned out to be one of the best things to ever happen to me. At twenty-one, I have a fantastic new family made up of my brother and a handful of wonderful friends, I own my own photography business, and I’m happier than I imagined possible. There’s just one thing missing… Okay, maybe two…

Wyatt

When I took the position volunteering as a therapist at Rainbow House, I knew I’d found my place in the world: helping teens who had been rejected by their families. What I didn’t expect was the friendship I formed with Liam or how it would grow over the years into a crush I just couldn’t shake. I’m happy to see him finally opening himself up to dating with someone he trusts like Owen. But when he comes to me and asks if I can help his boyfriend, I feel like there’s more to the request than just a few therapy sessions. The more I get to know Owen, the more I like him, too.

Owen

I’m not sure why I believe so much in fate when she’s dealt me nothing but crappy hands—a stint in prison and enough childhood horrors to fuel all my adult nightmares. But I still hold on to the idea that everything happens for a reason. What I can’t figure out is why fate would plop me naked into Liam’s bed under the pretext of helping him with a photo series for a gallery showing. Or why my stomach goes funny every time he smiles at me. Liam is too sweet to be exposed to my demons, but I don’t know how to protect him…Maybe that’s why fate gave us Wyatt.

***This is the seventh book in the Heathens Ink series. Each book in the series CAN be read as a stand-alone, but characters do re-occur so it’s more fun to read them all!

FLASH ME

A Heathens Ink Novel

K.M. NEUHOLD

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 09.03.18

 

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

AMAZON CA

Why I Love Writing MMM

My latest release, Flash Me (Heathens Ink, 7) is a MMM romance between a sassy, transgender man, a mysterious tattoo artist, and the bowtie wearing therapist who completes them. This is the third MMM story I’ve written so far, and there will DEFINITELY be more to come because MMM is by far my favorite trope to write. So, why do I love MMM so much? Buckle up because I’m about to tell you.

Ménage was something I stumbled upon quite by accident. At the time, I was strictly reading MF it wasn’t very common to find. I almost stopped reading the first time, assuming it would be similar to a love triangle, which is one of my main reading turn-offs. I suppose to explain what I truly love about ménage, I have to explain what I personally don’t enjoy about love triangles.

Love triangles seem to be extremely common in hetero romance, at least at last I’d read. Even more prominent in YA romance stories, almost a requirement it felt at times. I came to detest the trope through my hours of reading YA and adult romance because I loved romance for the LOVE, and love triangles always left my heart feeling bruised for the poor soul who didn’t get the girl in the end. And how often was it so clearly the wrong boy chosen by the flighty woman?! I could hardly keep myself from throwing my Kindle across the room at times with the injustice of it all. And truly, how much can you love a person if it was so difficult to choose between the two?

Needless to say, I’d gotten to the point that love triangles were automatic DNF stories for me (and still are). So, when I first stumbled upon a ménage, I was wary. I was worried it would be little more than another way of presenting a love triangle- one unfortunate character always fighting for crumbs of love while the other two rode of into the sunset. What I discovered was something else all together.

As I said, what I love about romance is…well….LOVE! Nothing in the world makes me happier than the fuzzy, sweet, happiness of love. And as I came to discover, poly romances were all about love being multiplied rather than divided! A well written poly romance sees partners who find everything they need and more in partners who also need each other. It’s not all about the bedroom fun (although poly sex scenes are VERY interesting). But the way these characters love and care for each other, strengthen each other, and complete each other is truly beautiful.

If you’ve never read a ménage or poly romance, check one out and see why I fell so in love with the trope!

If you want to check out the MMM stories I’ve written, here’s a quick list (the books in my series CAN be read out of order, but I very much recommend reading Going Commando before Flash Me):

Going Commando (Heathens Ink, 2)

Flash Me (Heathens Ink, 7)

Heart (Ballsy Boys, 3)

And many more to come!

Alright…. sooooo, again… I am not a fan of m/m/m… I am far too psycho to share. I know this about myself, and I don’t ever understand how there can be no jealousy and whatnot… In saying that… I adored both triad’s in this series, and i have been looking forward to Owen and Liam for what feels like, so long! I didn’t feel like they were missing anything together until I met Wyatt. He fit with them perfectly, and my heart hurt for him so bad when he was on the outside looking in, crushing on them both, but being too good of a friend to do anything about it. I loved Wyatt, plain and simple. I was so glad he got his HEA.

With Liam, I was so incredibly impressed with the way he was handled. While I can think of the obvious ways in which a trans man or woman would feel, or think… I was so clueless about so much. I loved the realness of him and his insecurities. I loved the way he viewed himself and the way he let the guys in. It was a little exhausting in the beginning, jumping from POV to POV to POV… and I thought it took them all a while to get “there”….. but it was so worth it, once they did.

Owen… broody at first, secretive, hardend, convict, Owen… you wouldn’t believe his transformation in this story. He’s like a different person than he was in the beginning, but in the best way, because he’s accepted the fact that he has feelings for Royal’s little brother….who he suddenly stopped seeing as Royal’s little brother and the confident, flirty and sometimes shy and vulnerable man that he is. …. I loved his progression and the person he came to be with the help of his men.
Knowing what he’d been through was tough… especially not getting justice for what he was imprisioned for and why…. that gutted. I hate when people get away with being terrible, especially to their family…. in Owen’s case, it was his dad.
I hated that he got away with what he did and Owen paid for it, and he got no consequenses. That isn’t fair and it makes me a little sick to think about. That’s really the only problem I had with this one….it might even be one of my favorites of the series. I’m really hoping to see Kyle next!!

And lastly… the growing of everyone’s family. Madden and Thane and their babies, Gage and Adam getting a piece of preciousness…. I’m just loving it all over. I really hope this isn’t the end for these guys. I could read about them forever!

5 pieces of eye candy from me!

Holy fuck.

My eyes greedily memorize the way Owen’s soaked shirt clings to his muscles. The colorful skin of his arms glisten under the fluorescent lights of the coffee shop, and the scent of his sweat tickles my nose. I can’t say I’ve ever found anything particularly sexy about a sweaty man. Sex sweat is fine, but not something that revved my engine. Consider me a convert, because it’s taking all my willpower to keep myself from flattening my body against Owen’s and drenching myself in his sweat, licking it off his neck, and rubbing against his slick body until sweat isn’t the only thing he’s drenched in.

Fuck, I’m such a bad person. His date with Liam was last night and here I am imagining humping him like an unneutered dog.

“Out for an early run?” I guess, looking down at his running shoes.

“Yeah,” he answers without any further elaboration.

I’ve known all the guys from Heathens Ink for years now but Owen is the only one I’ve hardly  talked to, and I’m not sure why. Maybe because he’s always come off as more standoffish than the other guys? That doesn’t usually stop me with people, but I don’t have any other explanation. It feels like an oversight I should rectify. If Liam’s going to be dating him, I should get to know him better.

My stomach clenches, hot with jealousy knowing I was too late. Not that I was even too late, that I never had a shot with Liam to begin with. How can it hurt this much to know I can’t have him, when I only just realized I wanted him?

“How was your date with Liam?” I ask conversationally as the line inches slowly forward. Owen looks surprised by my question. “Liam and I are close,” I explain.

“Oh, yeah, I guess I should’ve realized. I’ve seen you two together a lot. It was great, Liam is…” Owen trails off, seeming to try to think of an adjective to describe Liam. I could help him out with that— Smart, funny, adorably shy at times, flirty and playful others, sexy, perfect.

“Yeah, he is,” I agree with his unfinished sentence, knowing he must be thinking the same things I am based on the smile tilting the corners of his lips.

I’m an author of m/m and new adult romance. I have a strong passion for writing characters with a lot of heart and soul, and a bit of humor as well.

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Professor Adorkable by Edie Danford: Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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What happens when a star-gazing professor falls for his hot young housekeeper? One heck of an earthy explosion…

Professor Marek Janos’s genius at analyzing stellar explosions doesn’t apply to his own disordered world. Forgetting to eat, sleep, and leave his lab has triggered some epic personal disasters. When his family insists he hire live-in help, he discovers home life has awesome benefits. His new housekeeper’s smile sparks more energy than a supernova. And the way he moves? It rocks Marek’s galaxy.

Pete Schulz took a tough fall from his high-flying life in Hollywood. But how does a guy whose best skill is getting dirty clean up his act? His new gig with Domesticated Inc seems like a great first step. Keeping house for a nerdy young astrophysics professor is exactly the low-key, no-chance-for-trouble job he needs, right?

Living together is surprisingly easy for both men. And fun. And more than a little hot. It’s when they’re faced with the idea of living apart that the truly messy work begins…

Title:  Professor Adorkable

Series: Domesticated Inc, Book One

Author: Edie Danford

Publisher: Edie Danford

Release Date: September 18, 2018

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 90,000 words

Genre: Romance, Boss, Housekeeper, Best Friends, Nerd

Goodreads

Amazon

“I made the mess,” I tell my housekeeper. “So I will clean it up.”

“Yeah, I know you can clean it up if given several hours,” Pete responds, his smile crooked. There are no signs of exasperation on his face or in his tone. No signs that he’s upset I’ve woken him up with the sound of breaking glass, and that his once-pristine kitchen floor is now covered with a mess I could have easily avoided if I’d been paying attention. “But it’s my job. Tomorrow morning your job is to go teach a class. You’ll sleep until eight, eat a good breakfast, and then be off.”

I raise my eyebrows. “That is exactly how it will happen?”

“I’ll make sure of it.”

“What if I want to negotiate?”

“Negotiate?”

“Yes. Things can be negotiated in a democratic household, yes?”

“Democratic?”

I smile. “We have no dictators here. Or kings or queens.”

“Well.” He snorts. “There is that matter of your uncle signing my paycheck. But I get what you’re saying, I guess. What were you interested in negotiating?”

“Tonight I feel…antsy? Unable to relax.” I move my shoulders up and down to show him all this tension I’m experiencing. “I’ll go upstairs and sleep, but first I would like company. To hang out with you. For a while.”

His mouth droops as he folds his arms across his bare chest and stares at me. “So you’re saying you’ll let me do my job. But only if I give up my free time for you?”

“Um.” It’s cool in the kitchen, but my face suddenly becomes steam-burn hot.

Damn. I’m incredibly bad at talking to him—or any guy—I find attractive. Doesn’t matter where I am—Prague, Pasadena, Chicago. My language barrier isn’t about Czech versus English. It’s about my head versus my tongue.

What I want with Pete is complicated, not simple. But, as usual, I’ve said words that could be construed as—

God, I don’t even know what.

“You suck at negotiating, Marek.” He says it with a kind note in his voice.

“Yes.” I clear my throat. “I do.”

He sighs and runs his hand over his short hair—hair I want so fucking badly to touch. Is it bristly, soft? Would it sift through my fingers easily, or would it be like my hair and cling to my skin?

“I suppose we could listen to one Harry Potter chapter,” he says, lacking his usual enthusiasm for the idea. “But just one. And if you fall asleep or if I fall asleep or if we both fall asleep, it will be your job to wake up and go back to bed. No sleepovers. That’s a rule that’s not allowed to change.”

I swallow. Ordinarily I would give him shit about the unreasonableness of his request—if we’re asleep, how will we know we’re asleep and thus breaking his rules?

But I keep quiet tonight. I know I’m pushing him. I know he’s beginning to figure out I want more than just his company. So much more.

If this were a work-related matter, I would get my way with a few basic words. Logic applies in my lab. When it comes to my personal life, however, logic rarely applies. Basic words never seem to work.

If I tell Pete what I really want—to take him into his room, to put him on his comfortable bed, to kiss his clever mouth over and over and over, to blow him until his sweet hotness spills down my throat, to hold him tightly and use friction to excellent effect (inside or outside our bodies, I don’t care) until we both come—then he would say “no” quickly and firmly, and quietly shut that detestable door in my face. And I’ll be lucky if he’s still around in the morning.

The situation between us is confusing. I hope this is more than just his workplace. We are friends. He’s my best friend, actually. And he’s the one who makes this place a home.

Occasionally, I have a hard time understanding…what had my language tutor called it? Nuance. Nuanced meanings. Pete and I have a lot of nuances happening between us.

“One chapter would be good,” I tell him. “Chapter Twelve. ‘The Tri-wizard Tournament.’ I need to know all about it.”

He nods and tips his head toward the open door to his suite. “I’ll meet you in there.”

My heart bounces around in my chest—more zaps from that ionizer—but my head doesn’t like the take-care-of-business look on Pete’s face. No smile, no teasing, no dancing notes to the way his boots clap against the tile floor. He checks the locks and the deadbolts on the back door and walks toward his room.

He glances at his doorway and then me, his eyebrows rising. He looks as though he’s holding his breath, maybe holding back a sigh.

Maybe it would be better to give him space tonight. Better for me to be apart from what I want so much, but can’t have. I should walk away, go back to my room without bothering Pete.

My damp toes stick to the cold floor. I want to be more than a job for him. I want to be more than some guy he feels sorry for, some guy who can’t even say what he wants.

I walk over to the sink and retrieve a glass from the nearby cabinet. I fill the glass half full at the tap and then drink. I set it down carefully. The water is cold, but my skin feels hot. I can feel Pete watching me, waiting.

My eyes shift to the hallway. But my feet carry me toward Pete.

Sigh……

This book was adorable. I’m was so charmed by both characters, I’m not sure which one I adored more. See, Professor Marek, simply put…. Is a genius. His mind is a beautiful thing, as are the things that come out of his mouth. He might be a little socially awkward, being that he speaks facts, because that’s just the way his mega brain works. He may seem enept in other ways, socially especially, but it’s the most charming thing about him, I feel like. He’s just so…. adorable. He’s the kind of guy you want to put in your pocket and just hug him whenever you think about how precious he is…

Having achieved so much in his short life, he’s got everything a person could need, but no need for it…. As a new professor, and studier of the astrophysics, it takes up a lot of his time; all of it really, that is, until his uncle hires him a housekeeper named Pete… Pete keeps him alive in every way. He takes care of him, but not just in the way he was hired to, but in all the ways that Marek needed.

Unfortunately, Pete is hiding his past, not only from Marek, but from everyone, even himself. He was complex in the way that, he cared about Marek, but didn’t want to. He wanted to take care of him, no matter how hard he tried to keep things professional, he couldn’t stop his feelings in check, but honestly…. You’d love him too! And in the way that he tried to put rules in place so that the past wouldn’t repeat itself for him. I’ll admit, he hadn’t made the best decisions in his previous line of work… but honestly, he was young….and when you’re young is the time for making mistakes. He learned from them, I truly believe that he did; he just wouldn’t let himself recognize that. He was a better person, he didn’t have to try, he just was. The way he was with Marek was proof of that.

Of course, with every happily ever after, there has to be bumps in the road; and their was…and there was a time when both men needed to prove that they could stand on their own two feet, but together, Marek had said that they could fix anything, as long as they did it together…. I loved that. He knew he loved Pete and he never stopped fighting for him, even when it hurt him to step back and give Pete his space to work things out for himself.

Other than Marek’s uncle…. I loved the secondary character’s and all of the friends and family. I love the family that’s unwaveringly supportive, and the friends, even the unlikely seventeen year old girl that taught them some amazeballs new words… they were all just so sweet. I’m definitely going back to read about Josh and Nick. I hope to see more of these two in the future as well….

Sigh….. did I do that already? It was just cute. Perfectly adorkable. I loved it. Great ending <3

5 stars from me.

 

Edie lives in Vermont with her husband, two sons, and random creatures that might or might not be pets. She loves libraries (where she’s found play, work, and love since she was a kid), long walks (unless ice is involved), lewd language (in the right context), luscious romance (of any variety), and alliteration.

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