Quick Reviews

Threepeat by K.C. Wells & Parker Williams: Exclusive Guest Post and New Release Review

August 29, 2018 by Denise

Can two Doms open their hearts again for a young man desperately in need of their help?

Two years ago, Aaron Greene and Sam Thompson were devastated when their submissive broke the contract that bound the three of them together. They still wonder what happened and whether they can find a way to move forward. When Aaron finds a sick young man by the curbside, his protective instincts kick in, and after consulting Sam, he takes Tim home.

After being thrown out of his home, Tim Waterman finds himself on the street, doing whatever he needs to survive. Until a bear of a Good Samaritan scoops him up and saves him. Then one bear becomes two, and a chance discovery gets him thinking about what might be, if he’s bold enough to make a move.

So what happens when Aaron and Sam wake up one morning to find Tim naked in their bed? Will they get a new chance at life, or will history Threepeat itself?

Title: Threepeat
Series: Secrets: Book Three
Authors: K.C. Wells and Parker Williams
Release Date: August 21, 2018
Category: BDSM, Contemporary
Pages: 330

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Vic Prentiss

What is the best gift you ever gave?

After Sebastian broke the contract he had with Aaron and Sam, the two men sunk into a deep funk. They stopped going out, stopping having friends in. It was like they just stopped existing. While I was out of town working on a project, I saw a painting in a shop. It was a young man, facing the sea, looking for something. It called to me, and I knew I had to get it for Aaron and Sam, because they needed to find someone who would complete them. They loved the picture, and it led them to finding a new young man.

Rob Daniels

What was your favorite subject in school?

You’re kidding, right? I hated school. They always wanted you to do things a certain way. I…had issues following rules. Jamie and I would get up into trouble all the time. To be honest, I wish I had paid more attention, especially in Maths class. It might have helped when I got the new job.

Ellis Mann

What’s the last thing you tell your partner before bed?

What do you mean you can’t go again? LOL. Just kidding. Rob told me he said that to Vic, which got him corner time. I thought it was hilarious. When Wayne and I go to bed, emotions I’ve suppressed for so long rattle around in my head. Wayne brings them out, and helps me to find out who I am and how badly I need his guidance. Of course, the only thing I can possibly say is ‘I love you, Sir.’

Maggie Pierce

What is your motto?

My motto is simple. Love your family with your whole heart, because they’re the ones who will take care of you when you’re old. And one day, when I’m old, I hope Jarod remembers the good things I did for him, and not some of the… not so good things. (If you read Threepeat, you’ll see what I mean.)

Wayne Dwyer

What is your biggest strength?

Believe it or not, my biggest strength is Ellis. I know people tend to think of the submissive as the weaker partner, but that’s never the truth. In fact, Ellis has far more strength than I do. When he got shot, I fell apart. All I could see was him on the ground, bleeding out. My heart could have stopped in that moment, because if he’d died, I wouldn’t have wanted to go on without him. He’s doing his best to handle what happened. Sometimes I’m the one with the issues, because he’s my sub, and I want to take care of him. What happens when you have no power to fix his problems, though?

The house we based Aaron and Sam’s home on. Check out that theater!

I usually don’t read menage romance. I think it’s because my brain has a hard time wrapping around how three people can be in a relationship and there isn’t any jealousy or conflict from the aspect of a triad relationship. I really had a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea of two Doms with one sub, after those two Doms had been alone together in a relationship for several years. However, sometimes as a reader it’s good to challenge yourself, and read outside your box. I also had read and loved Books 1 and 2 in the series (as well as the previous series by these two authors). So, I decided to give this one a go. In the case of Threepeat, I am glad I did.

One of the things that I appreciated about the beginning of this book was that it focused on Aaron and Sam, before they ever meet Tim. The story begins by showing how the two men were still grieving the loss of the sub that had left them two years prior with no explanation. They were still partners, still had some types of sex, and still went about their daily routines, but it was obvious that the strain between them was there, and it needed a good strong kick from an outsider to bring them out of that grief.

Tim had everything ripped away from him, and had spent a few months on the streets getting sicker and sicker, until he couldn’t take care of himself. He had resigned himself to not living. What a sad, tragic mindset he was in. When Aaron found Tim, it was as if he needed Tim as much in that moment as Tim needed Aaron and Sam. He needed something to focus on, someone to bring him out of his grief, and out of his own personal hell, and taking care of an ill person will do just that.

The fact that Aaron and Sam never once brought up BDSM, or even the dynamics of their relationship was so important to the relevance of this story. If any of that had happened, it would have felt as if they were pushing Tim into a relationship, and even into a BDSM relationship, when he was young, vulnerable and had nowhere else to turn. Instead Aaron and Sam both declared that there was no need for a relationship, that they wanted Tim healthy, and happy, and they would do whatever was necessary to assist with that. They asked what he had wanted to do with his life, offered to help him with classes, finding friends, etc. All of that outside of the boundaries of any sort of romantic and/or BDSM relationship. This is exactly as it should have been, and as a reader, it made the book so much better for me.

This book wasn’t about the sex, or the BDSM, although there was plenty of it…including things I hadn’t ever thought of from a BDSM perspective, but most of all it was about taking a young man who had once had a family (loving or not) and showing him he could have a new one, even outside their home, and still be important to himself. It was truly heartwarming from that perspective. Just like Maggie, I wanted to wrap up Tim and keep him as he worked through his pain.

There had to be a big conflict, and there was. The reader could see it coming. However, I will say I was pretty shocked at how Aaron and Sam reacted in the moment. That I DID NOT see coming. But it reinforced the reality of life that you never know how someone is going to act in a given situation. And their repentance after the fact was perfect. Doms are not perfect, they are human beings and they eff up, and they acknowledged that right away.

All in all, so much better than this “no, thank you, I don’t really read menage” reader was expecting. (Side note…at the time I was reading this one, I happened to be listening to an Audible book that was also an mmm book…that’s never happened!).

Highly recommended.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

K.C. Wells started writing in 2012, although the idea of writing a novel had been in her head since she was a child. But after reading that first gay romance in 2009, she was hooked.

She now writes full time, and the line of men in her head, clamouring to tell their story, is getting longer and longer. If the frequent visits by plot bunnies are anything to go by, that’s not about to change anytime soon.

If you want to follow her exploits, you can sign up for her monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cNKHlT

You can stalk – er, find – her in the following places:

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

https://www.facebook.com/kcwells.WildWickedWonderful/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6576876.K_C_Wells

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B00AECQ1LQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.c.wells/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/K_C_Wells

Blog: http://kcwellsworld.blogspot.co.uk/

Website: http://www.kcwellsworld.com/

Parker Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that come with melding lives together.

Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to move on and try new things. He’s enjoying his new life as a stay-at-home author because work always frowned on naps.

Connect with Parker on:

Twitter: @ParkerWAuthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parker.williams.75641

Or you can visit his website: www.ParkerWilliamsAuthor.com

* Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review – nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. *

Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride by Eli Easton: Audio Book Tour, Review and Giveaway

August 28, 2018 by Denise

Being a fugitive in the Old West shouldn’t be this much fun. The year is 1860. Robby Riverton is a rising star on the New York stage. But he witnesses a murder by a famous crime boss and is forced to go on the run – all the way to Santa Fe.

When he still can’t seem to ditch his pursuers, he disguises himself as a mail-order bride he meets on the wagon train. Caught between gangsters who want to kill him and the crazy, uncouth family of his “intended”, Robby’s only ally is a lazy sheriff who sees exactly who Robby is – and can’t resist him.

Trace Crabtree took the job as sheriff of Flat Bottom because there was never a thing going on. And then Robby Riverton showed up disguised as a woman and betrothed to Trace’s brother. If that wasn’t complicated enough, Trace finds the man as appealing as blueberry pie. He urges Robby to stay undercover until the danger has passed.

But a few weeks of having Robby-Rowena at the ranch and the Crabtree family will never be the same again.

Length: 7hrs 34 mins

Narrated by: Matthew Shaw

Cover Design: Dar Albert @ Wicked Smart Design

Audible US

Audible UK

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Okay, I will start this review by being completely honest. I didn’t read the ebook initially for this, despite how much I love Eli’s writing, because the cover seemed odd to me. I am definitely a cover person, it draws me, and this one, this one did not do it for me. However, when I got the chance to listen to the audiobook, I went for it, because I liked the premise of the book, and I’ve always loved historical novels.

This one has Robby seeing a murder, and traveling all the way to the Wild West to escape the men following him. Once he assumes the identity of a mail order bride who left the coach when she found “the man of her dreams”, he ends up in Flat Bottom, New Mexico. There he meets his “intended” husband’s family, and the real man of his dreams, Trace.

I ended up skimming a bit in the initial chapters, as I got the gist of what was happening and where the story was headed. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the book, and thought I might stop several chapters in. Then somehow the story ramped up and I was glued to it, wanting to see what was happening in the story. I wanted to know how two men in the mid 1800’s were able to “find each other”, as well as how Trace’s family ended up with the bruises they did (hilarious story!), and how a family like that could be redeemed. The author did it for me, without question.

I found myself laughing along with Robby’s manipulations of Trace’s father who “paid $200” for Rowena, as well as his complaints about the trappings of women’s clothing. Robby was such a refreshing character, and brought life into the Crabtree household where until then there wasn’t anything but a gray day after day. Meanwhile the killers were closing in, about to take Robby back to their boss to deal with appropriately. What a great ending to that portion of the storyline. I could see that in my head, as if it was a movie.

The narrator was new to me, and did a good job of keeping the character’s voices distinct, and adding accents where appropriate. He even kept Robby and “Rowena”‘s voices separate.

I loved how Tracy and Robby got their HEA, it was exactly how I would have envisioned Robby’s HEA. I’m not sure I had a vision of how Trace would keep himself busy, but it worked out so well, and made me laugh. 🙂

Story: 3.5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 3 pieces of eye candy

Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, and organic farmer, Eli has been a m/m romance author since 2013. She has over 30 books published.

Eli has loved romance since her teens and she particulary admires writers who can combine literary merit, genuine humor, melting hotness, and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, bulldogs, cows, a cat, and lots of groundhogs.

In romance, Eli is best known for her Christmas stories because she’s a total Christmas sap. These include “Blame it on the Mistletoe”, “Unwrapping Hank” and “Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles”. Her “Howl at the Moon” series of paranormal romances featuring the town of Mad Creek and its dog shifters has been popular with readers. And her series of Amish-themed romances, Men of Lancaster County, has won genre awards.

In 2018 Eli hopes to do more of the same, assuming they reschedule the apocalypse.

Her website is www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review – nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. *

On Davis Row by N.R. Walker; Narration by Joel Leslie: New Release Audio Book Review

August 28, 2018 by Denise

Nearing the end of a suspended jail sentence should unlock a brighter future for CJ Davis, only the chip on his shoulder is as hard to shift as his bad reputation. Born into a family of career criminals who live down Davis Road, an address the cops have dubbed Davis Row, his name alone is like a rap sheet that makes optimism impossible.

Brand-new parole officer Noah Huxley is determined to see the good in men like CJ. After all, he knows firsthand that bad things can happen to good people. His colleagues mock his doe-eyed optimism, but Noah soon sees CJ’s bad attitude and bravado are weapons he uses to keep people at a distance.

Both men know one simple mistake can change a life forever. At first glance, they might seem to be polar opposites. Yet underneath, they’re not that different at all.

Contains mature themes.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Audible

I don’t give out 5 pieces of eye candy ratings often. I think I have given 2 this year so far. It has to be a book I absolutely loved AND one I would read again. That is hard to do, because even books I absolutely LOVE, some I wouldn’t read again (I hate ugly crying…). But this one received the 5 pieces of eye candy rating for just that reason. I loved this book, and I definitely want to read it again.

I’m not sure where I even can start. This was a tough book to read, not because it wasn’t well written, or even because I didn’t like any of the book. What was tough was that I kept feeling like the other shoe was going to drop and CJ was going to have something happen, end up back in prison, or in the hospital or something equally appalling. But, of course, with any book by Walker, there is always an HEA, so why I was concerned, I don’t know. She wrote these characters so well, with just the right amount of personality for each of them, that I couldn’t help but be concerned for them. I would hurt for CJ when his father was awful to him. I would hurt for Noah who knew he could only do so much for a man as independent as CJ, but wanted to do all he could anyway. I even hurt for Pops every single time he was breathing heavy (Thanks to Joel for making sure that was the case as he narrated the book!) I felt the pain, concern and even impatience that these men felt as I listened to this book.

**side note** I can’t listen to audiobooks before bed, but I was at the very end of the book, and had to know what happened, so I pulled out my ebook and finished it up by reading. Then went and listened to the narration of the end the next day. lol

One of the things I enjoyed so much about this book was the fact that the author didn’t just make it a book about the pain of all that CJ and Noah were dealing with. It was about every day life. And even when you are in pain, and fearful for what’s coming next, there are moments in days where humor comes in, where you just have to laugh.

He took his license from his wallet and showed it to me. “This is a crap photo.”

I took it and inspected it, trying not to smile, then, trying not to laugh. “Jesus, did you pay the homeless man to stand in for ya?”

Joel Leslie is so very talented, able to create the accents needed for all the books he narrates, this one being set in Australia. He even did a great Italian accent for Noah’s boss at the mechanic shop. He laughs when it’s needed, and slows down his breathing for emphasis when the intensity of the book demands it. What he does best, though? It is obvious he is not just reading the book, he is narrating from the place of someone who is enjoying the book, and wants to ensure that others do as well.

Story: 5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 5 pieces of eye candy

* Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review – nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. *

Promises by Ruby Moone: Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

August 27, 2018 by Denise

Captain Charles Hawkins has returned from the Napoleonic wars desperate for solitude. When the man who saved his life asks a favour, he feels honour bound to agree, but the request fills him with horror.

Sebastian Farrah knows the only useful thing he can do with his life is join Wellington’s army. He has tried everything else and failed. He agrees to his brother’s ridiculous request to spend a month in the country because it is the only way his brother will agree to purchase him a commission.

Charles and Sebastian clash but quickly form a bond that deepens into much more. However, they are running out of time. Charles begs Sebastian to stay, but Sebastian knows to do so he will be forced to reveal what it is that stopped him from succeeding in everything. The shameful secret he carries from the schoolroom.

Length: 32,000 words approx.

Publisher: JMS Books

Amazon

JMS Books

Another week passed, and Farrah had become an integral part of the household. He was everywhere. Working in the garden, eating with him, accompanying him when he left the house to tour around the estate, working with him with the shipping company, although he was still curiously resistant about that. Charles watched him apply himself to his evening meal with gusto. The man ate like a horse but hadn’t a spare inch on his frame. All the physical work meant that he had arrived in reasonable shape for someone who did nothing but gamble and drink, but now, now he was bursting with good health, humour, and a physique that made Charles want to weep with envy as he thought about his own skeletal frame. There was a warmth to his companionship that made getting up in a morning easier. He realised just how much he was enjoying having him in the house. As they talked, he hoped that he was helping Farrah to see that there were options open to him that didn’t involve him risking his life on the continent. To see that there were a whole host of things that he was good at. Farrah’s comment about the army being all he was good for had stayed with him and it surprised him how annoyed it made him that his family had allowed him to feel that way, and constantly surprised that Farrah seemed to believe it.

Coulson arrived with the tea tray and Charles smiled as he realised Farrah had lost that slightly frantic look he’d had on realising there was no port or brandy on his arrival. When Coulson had retreated, Charles raised his cup in a toast.

“Congratulations on another sterling week Mr Farrah.”

Farrah laughed and raised his cup in response. “Congratulations on putting up with me for another week. You deserve a medal, Captain Hawkins.”

“Nonsense. No medals required.”

Farrah tilted his head on one side and observed him. “You really are the best of men. I know I’m not easy to have around. Too loud, too … much.” He laughed again.

And there he went again. He really seemed to believe that his company would not be valued. That he would be some sort of burden. Charles was stunned when he realised that in that moment he wanted nothing more than to take him in his arms and tell him in no uncertain terms that having him in the house was no hardship, and not only that, he discovered he wanted to hunt down the people who had told him that he was a burden, or a nuisance, and hurt them. It was a disconcerting.

He had to fight to retain his composure and answer in kind. “Piffle. You’ve brightened the place up no end. Once you’d sobered up, that is.” He kept his tone light, but his heart was thumping.

“Really?”

For a big, handsome, seemingly confident man sometimes there was a hint of such wistfulness about him, and it was there full force in that softly spoken word. It was filled with such fragile hope it hurt something inside Charles.

“Really.” Charles spoke softly and something in Farrah brightened. “Now, stop fishing for compliments and tell me what the plan for tomorrow is.” He had to resume his usual brisk tone because if he didn’t, he would have … Charles’ heart stopped in his chest. Oh God. Oh God.

He wanted to kiss him.

Charles is a war veteran and while he was saved by fellow officer Edward, most of the men under him perished. Charles owes Edward a lot and feels compelled to do him a favor even though it makes him exceedingly uncomfortable: put Edward’s wastrel younger brother up for a month at his country home. Edward hopes the time spent with upstanding Charles will help straighten out his brother, Sebastian, while dissuading him from wanting to join the army.

Sebastian has spent his life not succeeding in anything he tries: school, the clergy, business. Instead he spends his time drinking, gambling and generally wasting away. But now he’s decided the thing for him is to join that army, something his brother is adamantly opposed to after losing two other brothers in the war. Sebastian agrees to spend a month with a friend of his brother and if he can go a whole 30 days without making a nuisance of himself, his father will purchase him a commission.

This was a story where the two MCs have issues that hurt my heart. Charles suffers from PTSD and survivors guilty and prefers to spend his life as a recluse. If you don’t care about people, they can’t hurt you. Sebastian has been told his whole life what a mess he makes of everything, and we learn eventually (spoiler, though you can kind of guess this) he has dyslexia and never learned to read properly. Charles and Sebastian get off on a wrong foot initially, but they quickly form a bond and something more. I love when the MCs help the other recover from childhood and adult hurts as no other person can. I want to hug Sebastian for all the rejection he went through his whole life because no one understood that he wasn’t stupid, he needed special help learning to read. It’s so interesting to me to see historicals address what we today label PTSD and how it was thought of and dealt with in the past. My guess is not very well and it was widely misunderstood and for that Charles gets a hug from me, too.

I love historicals. This was a lovely read with secondary characters I wouldn’t mind seeing more of. I did think it was a little farfetched that one MC would be so open about his preference for other men to near strangers, but I was able to overlook it and overall, I liked it.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

August 25 – My Fiction Nook, Xtreme Delusions, August 27 – Two Chicks Obsessed, August 29 – Making It Happen, August 31 – Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, September 3 – Mirrigold, Sexy Erotic Xciting, Valerie Ullmer, Bayou Book Junkie, Lillian Francis

My name is Ruby Moone and I love books. All kinds of books. My weakness is for romance, and that can be any kind, but I am particularly fond of historical and paranormal. I decided to write gay romance after reading some fantastic books and falling in love with the genre, so am really thrilled to have my work published here. The day job takes up a lot of my time, but every other spare moment finds me writing or reading. I live in the north west of England with my husband who thinks that I live in two worlds. The real world and in the world in my head…he probably has a point!

Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/RubyMoone/?ref=bookmarks

Twitter – @RubyMooneWriter

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

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* Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review – nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. *

Rocking the Cowboy by Skylar M. Cates: Exclusive Guest Post and Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

August 24, 2018 by Denise

Opposites who go together like country and rock ’n’ roll.

Long before he was a superstar, Remy Sean had a secret crush on Jed Riley. But Jed sees Remy as a spoiled pop rocker and an extension of his father’s control. Still, Jed is willing to let Remy hide from the press on his ranch—but only as a way to get his father out of his life and business for good.

Used to being admired and fawned over, Remy keenly feels the sting of Jed’s dismissal. Can he make Jed see him as more than a pain in the ass? Or is Jed too tangled up in his ranch to see past his old hurt?

Jed doesn’t believe someone desired by so many fans could want him, a simple cowboy. But Remy is determined to change Jed’s mind and steal his heart….

Title: Rocking the Cowboy
Author: Skylar M. Cates
Release Date: August 21, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 222

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Hello! Skylar, here. Thanks for hosting me!

I’m excited to share my thoughts on cowboys, my writing news, and a giveaway for you. I’m thrilled about the August release of Rocking the Cowboy. Who said a pop star and a cowboy can’t find HEA? Not me! I love Jed and Remy for their chemistry together as well as their generous hearts.

My writing news:

I’ll be self-publishing a Christmas book in December 2018. It’s about two neighbors who feud over a Christmas lights competition (look for it on Amazon)!

Finally, my newsletter is releasing in late August/early September with some great giveaways and exclusive content. If interested, you can sign up for it here:

http://eepurl.com/cxODzT

Jed and Remy had some swoon worthy moments in Rocking the Cowboy. Remy is a total flirt, but he is vulnerable underneath it, whereas Jed is not used to flirting (or even conversation, lol). Here is an early scene from the book. Enjoy!

He fixed Remy his dessert of grilled pineapple and melted dark chocolate, with fresh whipped cream on top.

Remy groaned. “You’re right. If there is a dessert on earth better, I sure as hell don’t know what it is. Thanks. For bringing me here….”

“Welcome.” Remy could see the curve of Jed’s lips in the firelight.

“Is this a date?” Remy teased with a wink.

Jed looked away. “This is us just getting to know each other.”

“I’m calling it a date. Fuck, I like being out here, and I like sharing this delicious concoction. Man, you could have been a chef.”

Jed shook his head. “No such thing as a bonfire chef.”

“You’d be the first, then. An original.”

“I’m just a rancher. That’s all I am.”

“Why do you keep doing that?” Remy asked.

“Doing what?”

“Dismissing yourself. I’m a simple guy. I’m a rancher. As if those things aren’t valuable, when they are. Don’t sell yourself short. You have a lot to offer the world. You made this whole night possible, and you were really kind about my songwriting thing a minute ago.”

“Anybody would do that—”

“No, they wouldn’t. People aren’t always kind. They’re assholes mostly. And I think you’re a lot more than you let on.”

Jed’s eyes met his. The soft expression suddenly made Remy uncomfortable before Jed looked away, a slight flush on his cheeks.

I want him.

God, how Remy did. He was drowning in all the want. He wanted Jed to pin him down, climb on top of him, and kiss him senseless.

Jed stood up and brushed off some dirt. “We should go back. It’s getting late.”

“Sure.” Remy couldn’t read him. Just a second ago, he had been sure that Jed was about to kiss him…. Fuck, maybe he was wrong. He was a mess these days. Was he only seeing what he wanted?

SOME THOUGHTS ON COWBOYS

These two men were a ton of fun to write, especially Jed. I love cowboys. Maybe it’s because I spent my childhood on the Jersey Shore, where cowboys were a total mystery, but I always found cowboys sexy.

In my twenties, I moved out to Arizona, and I frequented the cowboy bars. Those guys, however, were more like city wannabe-cowboys. When I created Jed in Rocking the Cowboy, I wanted my guy to truly love his land, animals, and the quiet. A loud city would never be for Jed.

Some of my favorite cowboy crushes have been from the movies or television. Here are four movies at the top of my list:

Legends of the Fall

Besides the beautiful scenery of Brad Pitt, this film also boasted beautiful scenery of the river. It is the saga of three brothers. My favorite part was actually Aiden Quinn’s storyline because he was so sad and unable to get the girl.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

I loved this film so hard! A young Paul Newman and Robert Redford? Swoon! In the film, the two leads go on the run. Along the way, they share their fears and dreams. It’s a total bromance. The girl? What girl?

Giant

If you never saw this saga about Texas oilmen, rent it. James Dean is so tortured, you want to cry for him even as he does all the wrong actions, and Rock Hudson is stunning and very alpha. My favorite scene, however, is when Rock’s character finally changes his world view and defends his grandbaby. It always makes me cry and gives me hope that we can all change and grow.

Brokeback Mountain:

Do I really need to explain it? Heath and Jake = perfection

Who doesn’t love a good opposites attract romance? This one fits the bill nicely, with a cowboy who spends his time on his ranch, not seeing anyone else for days, and a rock star who is beloved by people young and old.

As Remy finally has to give in and allow himself to overcome the trauma he suffered while touring, he returns to a positive place from his teenage years, one that got him through a different painful period in his past. Meanwhile, Jed’s reasons for allowing Remy to stay at the ranch are convoluted to say the least, but come back to “Daddy issues”. Jed’s father abandoned his family which led to a huge hole in his life, and layers and layers of anger.

However, what I really loved about the story is it wasn’t a huge part of their romance or falling in love. Yes, Buddy is who brought them together (both times as it happens), but it just isn’t part of their day to day life on the ranch. They learn to love each other outside the trappings of the wealth and circumstance of Remy, and the strong personality and angst that Buddy brings into Jed’s life.

They were opposites who found that they wanted many of the same things in life, and discovered how to work their way to their HEA, with passion as well as compassion. Both Jed and Remy showed such compassion for others, but especially for each other. Both had to live with traumas that changed their lives, and finding what the right path for that was, wasn’t each. Yet they walked through that together.

A good solid HEA, and a low angst book. Recommended.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Skylar M. Cates loves a good romance, especially ones that are both steamy and emotionally satisfying. She is quite happy to drink coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Her best-selling novels feature strong, passionate men. Skylar loves to craft stories where realistic men are challenged with emotional situations. Skylar’s character-driven series will often feature close-knit families, animals, and loyal friendships being tested.

Skylar dreams about spending her days writing novels, walking along the beach, and listening to good live music. She also dreams of eating dessert without weight gain and robots cleaning her house. But she knows she can’t have it all… yet. Although lately the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar still loves to chat with people from all around the globe.

What is your favorite cowboy from a movie or from a television show? One lucky commenter will get a $15 dollar credit at Dreamspinner.

Confessions: Priest by Ella Frank: Blog Tour, Excerpt and New Release Review

August 21, 2018 by Denise

I am complex.

My love is all-encompassing.

And when it comes to my heart, there is only one rule:

Don’t mess with what’s mine.

Until the age of seven, I was Joel Alexander Donovan, son of Jimmy.

The man who terrorized a town and made its citizens fear

the very ground he walked on. Including me, the day I realized that ground ran red with blood.

At age eighteen, I became Priest.

A man without a past.

A man determined to right the wrongs of my father.

A man who never believed anyone could love the son of such a monster.

But then a thief stole my heart.

A sweetheart lit up my world.

And I forgot for a moment you should never turn your back on your enemy.

And thus begins a lesson to those who would seek to harm: Never underestimate what the Priest will do to protect the Princess and the Prick.

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CHAPTER ONE

CONFESSION

My name is not Joel Priestley.

My name is Joel Alexander Donovan.

And a long time ago, I was taught that things aren’t always what they appear to be—and neither are people.

JOEL PRIESTLEY, A.K.A Priest, sat behind the wheel of his Aston Martin with his hands at the ten and two positions and his seatbelt fastened. He’d been sitting like that for the past thirty minutes or so. Ever since he’d pulled the vehicle into its designated parking spot alongside his and Julien’s—his husband’s—black Range Rover.

Sinatra had been keeping him company, as Priest tried to block out the phone call he’d made back in his office to Henri. But no matter how loud he played the charismatic crooner, nothing seemed to lessen the impact of Henri’s words and the way they had made Priest’s stomach coil.

“Nice to know you can at least follow an order if it’s to keep those you love safe… Be careful; keep an eye out…”

And that was what he’d been doing for the past thirty minutes or so. Sitting in his car, with his eyes trained on the rearview and side mirrors, as his paranoia over what used to only exist in the shadows began to slowly creep back out into the light of day.

Priest gritted his teeth and reminded himself that Jimmy wasn’t out of prison just yet and likely wouldn’t be for some time. He wasn’t about to appear out of thin air to exact absolution for what he believed was Priest’s biggest crime—abandonment. But that didn’t mean Jimmy hadn’t reached out to the others to find him. To track down the son who had turned his back on his family if, and when, he walked free.

Priest cursed and slammed the heel of his palm against the steering wheel, then he reached for the seatbelt’s release, and as it retracted across his chest, he reached up and shoved it off his shoulder where it caught. As it snapped into place, Priest pulled the handle of the door and got out of the car. He needed to get upstairs. To get inside a locked lobby, where a security guard walked the halls, and his condo had a deadbolt on the front door. It was one of the main reasons he’d been interested in Logan’s place to begin with. The additional barriers between him and those he loved—and anyone who may want to hurt them.

Julien had already texted to let Priest know he and Robbie arrived home safely. But as of yet, Priest hadn’t heard anything from Robbie, their boyfriend. Not that he’d expected to. The last image Priest had of their princess was an ashen face and betrayal in those usually bright blue eyes, and Christ, Priest wished he could erase that picture from his mind.

The three of them had been making such headway lately. They had moved past the getting-to-know-you, comfortable stage of their relationship, and had been thisclose to slipping into that space where the heart and soul of the one whose body you were worshiping was coveted.

But that had all changed now. The truth about his father having wiped out any trust he may have built with Robbie, judging by the expression on his face before Priest had left the brewhouse.

All the joy, and all the happiness, the closeness the three of them had been reveling in, had been smothered by the dark cloud that descended on them, and Priest had a feeling it was going to take a lot of explaining on his behalf before they could get out from under it—if they ever could.

Priest jabbed the button of the garage elevator, and when the doors slid open, he ran his key fob over the panel and hit the floor button. He leaned against the back wall and shut his eyes, and as the elevator ascended, he wondered how he was going to explain all of this to Robbie.

He’d only ever had to do it once before. Only ever found one other he deemed important enough to share this side of himself with. And he’d been just as apprehensive, just as sick to his stomach, at the thought of revealing all to Julien, as he was heading up to face Robert Bianchi.

Priest walked down the hallway toward their condo like a man heading toward his execution—or the execution of their new relationship—and when he got to the front door, he paused before entering.

Scanning the hallway, he looked to his left, where their neighbor lived on the other side of the corridor, before he took a final glance back in the direction he’d come. Once he was satisfied there was no one about, he unlocked the door and headed inside.

The first thing he noticed upon entry was how quiet it was. Lately, when he’d arrived home from work, the TV was on and there was the sound of someone doing something or other in the living room or kitchen. But not this afternoon.

Right now, the place felt more like a library. The kind of space where you should tiptoe and whisper in case you offended whoever was inside—provided there was someone there to offend in the first place.

But that was just his paranoia creeping in again. Of course someone was inside—two someone’s, in fact. Julien had told him so, and when Priest stepped out of the short hallway, he spotted his husband immediately.

Julien was curled up on the couch with a blanket over his legs and his phone in hand, and the second Priest moved into view, Julien’s legs came out from under him and he got to his feet. He dropped the phone on the cushion beside him, and as the blanket fell from his lap, it crumpled to the soft rug without a sound.

Julien rushed around the couch and hurried over to Priest, and when he reached him, Julien took his face between his hands and pressed a hard kiss to his lips.

“Mon Dieu, Joel,” Julien said. “I’ve been a mess worrying over you. I’m so glad you’re home.”

Priest wound his arms around Julien’s waist, anchoring himself to the man who understood him in ways Priest had never imagined possible. “You don’t know how much I needed to hear that.”

Julien trailed his fingers down the scruff on Priest’s cheek and frowned. “Was there really any doubt?”

Priest shut his eyes and let Julien soothe him in the way that only he could. His touch, his words, this man’s mere presence—they were all vital to Priest’s survival. Priest let go of Julien’s waist to cover the hand still cradling his cheek.

There were so many things he needed to say: “I’m sorry”or “You were right.I should’ve told Robert about this the second I found out.”But right then, all Priest could manage was: “There was no doubt. Not about you. Never about you.”

Julien’s eyes softened as Priest’s shifted over his husband’s shoulder to the closed door of their bedroom. “Is he still here?”

“Oui.”

“I…” Priest paused as he searched for the words. “I wasn’t sure that he would be.”

“I wasn’t either,” Julien admitted, and when Priest locked eyes with him again, Julien added, “He’s been in there since we got home. Hasn’t said a word.”

“That was more than an hour ago.”

Julien nodded. “I know. But he made it very clear he wasn’t ready to talk about things yet.”

Not knowing what to say to that, Priest put his keys on the coffee table, and Julien placed a hand on his back.

“Listen, he’s processing right now. What he found out about Jimmy… It’s a lot, mon amour.”

“It’s more than that, Julien. You saw his face when he found out.”

“Oui, I did. I also spoke to him in the car on the way home.”

“He thinks I lied to him. Doesn’t he?” When Julien didn’t reply, Priest ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck,” he said. “Fuck. I should’ve told him about all of this before he moved in.”

“And when should you have done that? At CRUSH? On our first date with him? Or maybe the second, when he had dinner here? I’m surethat would’ve made him feel right at home. There hasn’t been a good opportunity. You know that,” Julien reminded him, and touched his fingers to the sleeve of Priest’s jacket. “He just needs time to—”

“No,” Priest said, shaking his head. “Time gives people a chance to distort things. To make them doubt what they once believed. You and I know that better than anyone. I won’t have him doubting this. Doubting us, Julien. Not because of fucking Jimmy. I’m going to go and talk to Robert, and he’s going to listen, and then the three of us are going to sit down and discuss this.”

Something flashed in Julien’s expression, but instead of saying what was on his mind, he let go of Priest’s arm and said, “Okay.”

Priest narrowed his eyes in question, but Julien remained quiet. So Priest turned on his heel and headed toward their bedroom to track down their boyfriend and try to make things right again.

I was eagerly awaiting book 3 in the Confessions series. Priest seemed to be the one with the most demons, the most secrets. And while I enjoyed it, it was my least favorite of the three. There as no moment of gasping out loud. That moment of “omg that is why he is the way he is…”. We found out in a previous book about his father- the source of his anguish. This story gave more details.

There was a part of the story that gave me pause. Like wow. But the rest just seemed fairly formulaic.

Of course we still have Robbie, Julien and Priest navigating this still new triad of a relationship. Moving beyond sex and getting into real feelings. As with the 2 previous books, I feel like this was really well done. No one person or couple seems to be more important than the other. Care is taken to make sure it is known that their love for each other is equal- even though Priest and Julien had a relationship first and are married.

I was happy to see that there will be a fourth book. One that seems to focus on their relationship and not their individual issues. A happily ever after perhaps?

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite contemporary romance, Sex Addict. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”

Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Phillips.

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