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Stray Awakening: A First-Time Gay Small Town MM Romance (Rainbow Rescue Cat Café Book 1) by F.A. Ray: RB, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

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I fled my hometown seven years ago. I never planned to come back. I never planned to give up my city life for a small town. And I definitely never planned to fall for another man.

Henry
Tripp Lake, the place I love the most. Working at a cat café on Main Street gives me a chance to get some deserving cats their forever homes.

But when a blast from the past walks into my café, I’m not sure what to feel. Alex was always hot and popular in high school – and straight.

So it’s a shock when he keeps accepting my invitations to hang out. I don’t think I’m imagining the spark between us, but is Alex actually interested in me, or am I letting this straight boy break my heart?

Alex
Tripp Lake, the place I hate the most. I’m only here because of my father’s heart attack. But the second I return home, I remember all the reasons I ran away.

My parents are overbearing. This town is small and boring. And I want nothing more than to flee back to my new life in San Francisco – a life that doesn’t come packed with any surprising new feelings about a guy I went to high school with.

Henry is a ray of sunshine amid this bleak journey home. But I’ve never been interested in a guy before. When a relaxing hike results in my first timid kiss with another man, I start questioning a lot more than just my decision to leave Tripp Lake. Is Henry worth staying in this crappy town for?

Stray Awakening is a small-town MM romance with first-time gay experiences, a sweet ray of sunshine winning over a jaded grumpy, spicy open-door scenes, and, of course, lots of cats. Go to linktr.ee/faraywrites for CWs.

Title: Stray Awakening
Authors: F.A. Ray
Length: 68k
Series: Rainbow Rescue Cat Café, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Henry said the door would be open, but I knock anyway before turning the knob. I find Henry bustling toward me as I open the door to let myself in. I have only a second to drop my laptop bag on the ground.

Is he that excited to see me?

Shit, I’m that excited to see him, especially when I spot that easy smile of his. All of the stress from work and my family vanishes like a puff of smoke blown away by the wind.

I didn’t have a plan when I asked if I could come over here. My thought process was simple: Away. Away from work. Away from my family. Away from all of it. But seeing Henry, seeing him in his slim jeans and casual T-shirt, smiling at me, blue eyes bright with eagerness, changes my plan on the spot.

I bundle him into my arms the moment he reaches me and kiss him hard.

Henry murmurs in surprise before his arms slide around my neck. I hug his body against me and tilt my head to kiss him more deeply. The taste of his lips has become a familiar balm in the weeks I’ve spent in Tripp Lake. I melt against him, tension draining out of me as the warmth of his mouth eases my worries. Merely touching him makes all the nonsense drift away. It’s like I’m rising in a hot air balloon, my worries becoming smaller and smaller as I float away.

Eventually, I need air, but I don’t let Henry out of my arms.

“It’s good to see you,” I say.

His smile widens, joy crinkling the corners of his eyes. My chest tightens with the knowledge that it’s me pressing that happiness into his face. Maybe twenty years from now those little lines will be permanent, and I’ll have had a hand in placing them there.

F. A. Ray started writing fiction as a child and has never stopped. When they aren’t writing, they enjoy rock climbing and hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where they live with their partner and cat.

Visit linktr.ee/faraywrites to find out more. You can also sign up for my Patreon, where I post WIPs, updates, bonus scenes, deleted scenes and short stories that don’t appear anywhere else.


Catch up with F.A. Ray:
linktr.ee/faraywrites

https://patreon.com/user?u=95880046

https://sendfox.com/faraywrites (newsletter)

https://bsky.app/profile/faray.bsky.social

https://www.instagram.com/faray_author/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085890955881

https://twitter.com/FARayWrites

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Raising Wayne: A Single Dad LGBTQIA Biker Romance (Oh, Baby!) by MZ Arthur: Release Day Review

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FROM EXCITING AUTHOR OF LGBTQIA ROMANCE M.Z. ARTHUR

An Oh, Baby! story

Book one in the Knights in Ink series

A little miracle leads to true love.

In need of a quick cash infusion to pay off a loan shark, tattoo artist Doug “Zim” Zimmer gives of himself, literally, with plasma and sperm donations. He’s happy to help whoever needs either or both, and when the bills are paid he thinks nothing more of it.

Two years later, a handsome redhead holding an infant with Zim’s eyes shows up at the studio. Architect Clive Mulcahy, having assumed custody of his nephew after his sister’s death, wants a clearer picture of Wayne’s parentage in order to be a good father. The acquaintance he hopes to strike with Zim for the sake of Wayne’s happiness soon grows into a relationship neither expected, but both are willing to embrace.

Amazon – All Regions

Brand new author alert! Unless they are another author with a new pen name, but I don’t think so. It wasn’t glaringly obvious, but I could tell it was probably a first time author.

I liked the premise and the story didn’t disappoint. Nice twist on a traditional MF romance when the mother shows up on a guy’s doorstep with a baby and says surprise.

It was still a surprise for Zim, just a different kind of surprise. A baby from his sperm donation and a hot guy uncle raising the baby.

Zim and Clive have good chemistry even though they have pretty much nothing in common. Zim came off as way more genuine, with Clive being a bit stiff and formal. I expect that formal talk from the lawyer types, but he was an architect.

I was left a bit disappointed in the lack of mourning that Clive seemed to do. Or even freaking out that he all of a sudden has a baby. Very clinical.

As a whole, not bad for a first shot. Short and sweet, didn’t rely on sex as a page filler with a happily for now. Good quick beach read.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

The Keeper (Redemption Ridge Book Five) by Aimee Nicole Walker: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Sabotaged brakes didn’t kill Rueben Sanchez, but waiting for his assailants’ trial to start just might. A potential witness for the prosecution can’t explore his lusty feelings for the hunky sheriff who saved him, but that doesn’t stop his imagination from running wild. Rueben has already shaped his traumatic mountainside meet cute with Seth Burke into a happily ever after to tell their future grandkids. When the delay threatens to stretch on for years, Rueben feels his dreams slipping out of reach. Should he surrender gracefully or fight for his man?

Pressure and scrutiny are nothing new to Seth, but shouldering his duties has never felt like a burden until they keep him from the man he wants most. Cracking an unsolved murder, safeguarding a high-profile trial, and winning re-election should be enough to keep him busy. But he can’t stop thinking about the perfect weekend he shared with Rueben before everything careened off course. Are they as good together as Seth remembers, or is his memory swayed by the allure of the forbidden? And does he dare to find out?

Late-night phone calls and shared secrets lead to stolen kisses and a lakeside cabin rendezvous. But one encounter isn’t enough, and the two men will risk everything to explore their deepening bond. When a series of chilling events rock the county, Rueben and Seth must put more than their hearts on the line because one misstep could prove fatal.

The Keeper is book five in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. The Keeper contains mature themes and is intended for adults.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Pleasure still curled his toes, and he was already jonesing for more. “Christ, Rue. I can’t get enough of you.”

“I know.” A hint of melancholy tinged his voice. “But I’d rather have this than nothing at all.”

But how long would Rueben be willing to settle for phone sex? If Seth were a better man, he’d encourage Rueben to find someone better suited for him. He was selfish, so instead of saying something to push Rue away, Seth uttered a truth guaranteed to pull him closer. “I’d rather have these stolen hours with you than unlimited time with anyone else.”

“You fucking charmer.” The grin in Rueben’s voice made the risk all worth it.

Seth leaned over and grabbed his discarded T-shirt from the night before and cleaned off his chest and stomach. He heard a s

imilar rustling from Ruben’s end and knew he was tidying up too. A glance at the clock revealed he didn’t need to hit the shower for another hour, which made him glad they’d been too horny to sleep. Seth tucked his free arm under his head and stared at the thin rectangles of pale blue light on his ceiling that hinted at encroaching daybreak on the other side of the curtains. “Scooby Doo or Inspector Gadget?”

Rueben sucked in a sharp breath. “Dude, that’s too tough to answer.”

“Hey, you made me choose between Justified and Animal Kingdom.”

Rueben huffed again. “Scooby, but only by a hair.”

“Cartoon or live-action film?” Seth asked.

“Definitely the cartoon, but I love Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers.”

They continued talking about any random thing they could think of, laughing and needling one another as time stretched on. Seth watched the thin blue rectangles on the ceiling spread to meet in the middle and turn soft pink with dawn. “I need to hit the shower and head to the station.”

“I need to clean up and go to breakfast with the crew.”

That prompted another playful debate about the proper way to cook bacon. When they moved on to discussing waffles versus pancakes, Seth knew he was screwed in more ways than one. He was hungry, running late, and teetering precariously on the edge of love with Rueben.

 

Alone, Seth and Reuben were always interesting characters. I especially loved that Reuben took Keegan under his wing and the two quickly became inseparable bffs. Seth always came off as serious but also down to earth. He didn’t play games and this book shows us that well.

We all know by now that both “get it out of our systems” and “it’ll be a secret” never work out. The “get it out of our systems” is a hold over from a previous book, which leads to “it’ll be a secret”. They had good reason to keep their relationship a secret, not your normal someone is in the closet thing.

It is pretty funny with Rueben trying to keep it on the down low. Not just that he was messing with Seth, but that he was with anyone at all. All of the guys, and Harry, at the ranch are way too gossipy to not try to get more info out of him.

Seth is up for re-election as sheriff, the crazy cult is still on the fringes awaiting trial. There’s a juicy story there that I won’t divulge but it kept me turning the pages.

I really liked these guys together and I liked that we were taken off of the ranch for different interactions and scenes. They had a maturity about them that just really solidified the relationship for me.

4 pieces of eye candy

Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day.

I’d love to hear from you.

You can reach me at:
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/aimee-nicole-walker
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AimeeNWalker
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/aimeenicole.walker
Instagram – http://instagram.com/aimeenicolewalker
Blog – AimeeNicoleWalker.blogspot.com

Want to be the first to know about my book releases and have access to extra content? You can sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/dlhPYj

My favorite place to hang out and chat with my readers is my Facebook group. Would you like to be a member of Aimee’s Dye Hards? We’d love to have you! Click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AimeesDyeHards/

Connect with Aimee:
https://linktr.ee/AimeeNicoleWalker
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Fractured Hope (Hope’s Ridge Book 1) by Kady Cordova: Blog Tour, Exclusive Book Excerpt, New Release Book Review and Giveaway

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Can I really escape hell to find all I’ve ever longed for?

Bodhi
Finding yourself is hard. Finding someone you can truly trust is harder.

I have never known what it was like to have a true home or family, let alone real love.

After almost a year of planning, I finally escaped my abusive ex and ran as far away as I could with just the clothes on my back and a handful of cash. When I arrive in the quaint town of Hope’s Ridge, I’m ready to start over and reclaim my life.

When I painfully crash into Atticus’s life, something about him puts me at ease. I’ve never been one to trust, but now I’m in a situation where I have no choice. He might be what I’ve been longing for my whole life.

Atticus
I love my tight-knit town, my big Greek family, and the life I’ve built. I have a successful garage with my brothers and love my job. I have it good, but every now and then I long for a connection. Someone to chase away the loneliness that’s been creeping in. As my brothers like to point out, I am set in my ways and not one for flings, bar hopping, or one-night stands.

When a beautiful man stumbles into my life, I’m blown away. He’s skittish and afraid, but all I want to do is take care of him.

When Bodhi’s ex starts making threats, danger gets ever closer and threatens everything I hold dear. Can I keep Bodhi safe and prove to him he is worthy of love? Or will he run and take my heart with him?

Fractured Hope is a small-town, hurt/comfort, age-gap MM Romance with a broken boy looking for a safe place, a lonely man longing to find his person, and a family full of love, mischief, and colorful characters ready to step in and protect each other no matter the costs.

Title: Fractured Hope
Authors: Kady Cordova
Length: 71k
Series: Hope’s Ridge, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Exclusive excerpt Fractured Hope

I rose to greet him with a hug.

“You really are okay,” he said with relief. “So, who do we have here?” He turned toward Bodhi. “You must be the injured party I’ve heard nothing about.” He winked in Bodhi’s direction and elbowed me to introduce him.

“This is Bodhi—” I waved my hand at Bodhi. “—and this is my brother Sebastian, or Seb, as we call him.”

“The best-looking brother,” Seb added with his patented look at me dashing smile. Bodhi sat frozen as Seb approached and took Doc’s seat by the couch. Seb was the tallest and bulkiest of us. He and I did look similar; although, his nearly black hair was long and wavy. His beard was also longer and thicker than mine. Bodhi’s reaction seemed to be about more than just Seb’s presence. He’d been tensed up since my brother was in the doorway. Was he scared of Seb?

Punching my brother on the shoulder, I growled. “Leave him alone, jackass.” I gestured for Seb to follow me out so I could explain everything and get going as soon as possible. “Just give me a sec,” I said over my shoulder to a stoic and frozen Bodhi as I pushed Seb through to the office and closed the door behind us.

“He’s just your type. An injured stray,” Seb said, waggling his eyebrows.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I flicked my hair out of my eyes and ignored his comment. “Just come on. I need to go through the day’s customers with you real quick. Oh, and sleeping beauty agreed to come in, so keep an eye out for him.”

Seb chuckled, gathering his thick hair up into his customary bun, ready to get to work. I went through the schedule and told him about the accident and how Bodhi was injured. I also made a note to investigate getting that storm drain fixed and the garage door greased. Seb offered to make a few calls.

What a way to start the day.

This book caught me right from the start. A guy literally escaping an abusive relationship. I love following a character overcoming adversity. Rising from the ashes, so to speak.

And so Bohdi runs. Gets on a bus and goes as far as it will take him. Which is Hope’s Ridge, Montana. A small town where everyone knows everyone and all of their business. Not a place to blend in and get lost. Especially after he gets startled and injures himself in front of the mechanics shop Atticus runs with his brothers.

Atticus is that guy. The big teddy bear type who will always help whomever, wherever with whatever. It’s just in his nature. And he gets to demonstrate that with Bodhi.

I will say that Bodhi and Atticus moved quickly. Yes, it’s a book. But I was still surprised that Bodhi wasn’t really apprehensive at all. But he was also getting taken care of which is not something he has ever had. But he is also incredibly vulnerable.

Of course Bodhi’s ex comes looking for him which leads to some intense scenes. I would have liked to see him earlier in the story. It would have added a lot to the story instead of just Bodhi and Atticus getting together.

We get to know Atticus’ brothers, mother and grandmother as well as a few people in town. Getting the lay of the land as it were for more books in the series. There are definitely more stories to be told.

If hurt/comfort is your catnip, dive right in. For a first book, not bad.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Kady Cordova is a queer author from Australia.

They survive on coffee and chaos. She has always been a hopeless romantic at heart even though they grow a little cynical and sarcastic with age.

Love is love and everyone deserves a happily ever after.

Kady is an advocate for Mental Health, Invisible Illnesses, and Protecting Trans Kids.

Fractured Hope is Kady’s debut novel.

Connect with Kady:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kadycordova/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kadycordovaauthor
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kadycordovaauthor1
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kadycordova
Amazon: amazon.com/author/kadycordova
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/kadycordova_romance/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KadyCordova
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The Linebacker : The Portland Protectors – EHM Security Series Book 2: An MM Best Friends-to-Lovers Romance (Package Deal World) by Emerson Beckett and Rheland Richmond: New Release Review

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Is it wrong for me to want the world to know I’m in love with Patrick Griffin and have been since we were eight-years-old?

Patrick Griffin

I hurt him. I didn’t mean to.

Now he’s gone, and I deserve it.

As a linebacker in the NFL, I’ve never found the right time to come out of the closet. Not even when I promised Cole I would.

But now, with Cole’s band, Fallen Angel, in the spotlight along with my team, the pressure is mounting. Everyone thinks we’re just best friends, but the weight of my secret is tearing us apart.

And it just might be too late to save us when I can.

Cole Bradley

Is it wrong for me to want the world to know I’m in love with Patrick Griffin and have been since we were eight-years-old?

He is the love of my life, but it’s been years of waiting and excuses.

All our friends, even his teammates, have a public life. So why can’t we?

He promised it would be different in Portland.

But then he tells yet another reporter he’s single. I need a break. It’s perfect timing since our band is heading out on tour.

I don’t know if I can live without him. But I don’t think I can do forever in the closet.

It’s always been Patrick for me, but is it too much to ask for the world to know he’s mine too?

The Linebacker is a secret romance and childhood best friends-to-lovers MM Romance. It is book two in the Portland Protectors-EHM Security Series and the eleventh book in the Package Deal World.

To maximize reader enjoyment, it is highly recommended to read the other books in the Package Deal Series, as well as book one, The Rockstar. Series reading order can be found at the beginning of each book.

Content Warning: Referenced off the page homophobic violence toward an off the page character, and an automobile accident.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

New to me authors, which means I didn’t heed the recommendation to read all of the previous books in the Package Deal Series. But besides a big party scene with a lot of people who were obviously featured in other books, I didn’t feel like I missed anything there.

What I did miss was the love story. As far as I can tell, Patrick and Cole haven’t had a book until now. And their whole love story being missing kind of took me out of the emotion of the story. The book starts with them as an established couple- albeit in the closet from all but their closest friends. Not only that, but almost immediately, they break up. Or take a break. Or some space. Or however you want to put it.

Maybe in previous books there was enough of their love story in the background. Maybe I did miss that. Can’t say I’ll know for sure because I wasn’t nearly invested enough to go back and find out.

From my perspective the book was fine. Nothing too exciting, the sex scenes were fine, I liked the friendships they had and the ending was kind of…meh. Like it more faded out than came to a definitive conclusion.

3 pieces of eye candy

Fen by Barbara Elsborg: Release Day Review

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An indecent proposal leads to a future neither guy expected.

Fen is broken but does his best to hide the cracks. His life-changing condition might have stolen his first love—ballet, but he’s kind to old ladies, good at his job, and his mum loves him, even if his famous father refuses to acknowledge he exists.

Ripley’s a top flight barrister who’s used to winning. Mostly by fair means, occasionally not. He’s horrified when he learns his manipulative mother has sent family possessions to an auction house. On his way to retrieve them, he encounters Fen.

Cold, rain-soaked and hungry, struggling with his crutch and auction acquisitions, Fen just wants to get home. What he doesn’t want is to be drenched by a car and minutes later, confronted by the bad-tempered driver demanding he hand over his purchases. Hell no!
Ripley gets back his belongings but finds he wants more. Blue-eyed Fen has sparked something to life. Even as his barrister’s brain screams at him to be careful, he makes Fen an outrageous offer. Sleep with me for money. Fen should say no. Yet as he weighs his options, he realises turning Ripley down could be the biggest regret of his life.

In a tale where the pieces don’t always fit, can two imperfect men mend what’s broken in each other?

Warning
Main character with a life-limiting illness. Suicide of a character before story starts. Brief mention of rape and suicide of a man not in the story.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

This story started with a short. Although it isn’t necessary to read the short, it’s still worth the short time it takes.

This book starts a few years after the short. And really, I liked that there was a lot of time between. The whole “omg my new boss was my hookup last night” thing gets old. (FTR, Ripley is not Fen’s boss)

Fen hasn’t had the easiest time. And while he could very easily throw a pity party for himself for several reasons, he doesn’t. He isn’t overly sunshiney though either. No compensating for him. Mostly he just wants to do his job and live his life for as long as he can. He does seem to have a black cloud that follows him though.

Ripley is a grouch. Cranky, short tempered, he finds no joy in life really. He’s been dealt a few bad cards in life as well. Ripley and Fen almost can’t be more different, not even including the age difference. But they are drawn to each other, as much as they both fight it.

But then, an offer Fen can’t refuse. Especially after being accused of something he didn’t do.

With an agreement between them, they both play their roles well. Both still keeping secrets. Both protecting themselves for different reasons.

Fen has a bit of the humor you can expect from Barbara Elsborg (Jonty anyone?) but it doesn’t go overboard. The more humor he brings, the more comfortable he is with Ripley.

There are a couple of stories running through the romance. None of them were rushed or forced, although one of them was pretty obvious, They all came to satisfying conclusions as well. No forgotten plot points here. It made for quite a long book, but it didn’t drag at all and was easy to read.

It sounds like I am skirting the edges but I just don’t want to give away anything. I thoroughly enjoyed discovering each piece of this story as it came up and my hope is that you do the same.

4 pieces of eye candy