Release Day Review

Love Can’t Conquer by Kim Fielding : Release Day Review

June 3, 2016 by Denise

Bullied as a child in small-town Kansas, Jeremy Cox ultimately escaped to Portland, Oregon. Now in his forties, he’s an urban park ranger who does his best to rescue runaways and other street people. His ex-boyfriend, Donny—lost to drinking and drugs six years earlier—appears on his doorstep and inadvertently drags Jeremy into danger. As if dealing with Donny’s issues doesn’t cause enough turmoil, Jeremy meets a fascinating but enigmatic man who carries more than his fair share of problems.

Qayin Hill has almost nothing but skeletons in his closet and demons in his head. A former addict who struggles with anxiety and depression, Qay doesn’t know which of his secrets to reveal to Jeremy—or how to react when Jeremy wants to save him from himself.

Despite the pasts that continue to haunt them, Jeremy and Qay find passion, friendship, and a tentative hope for the future. Now they need to decide whether love is truly a powerful thing or if, despite the old adage, love can’t conquer all.

Title: Love Can’t Conquer
Author: Kim Fielding
Release Date: June 3, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 260

I feel like I just got off of a roller coaster! I need something light and fluffy Stat!

Being bullied in small-town Kansas growing up was the stuff of nightmares, and as soon as he could Jeremy Cox left town. A college scholarship took him to Oregon, about as far away from Kansas as he could get.

Jeremy’s ex-boyfriend shows up one night beaten and bloody leaving Jeremy no choice but to help him out, but helping him opens Jeremy up to a world of danger he doesn’t see coming.

Qayin Hill is struggling with anxiety, depression and addiction but he’s still fighting. Meeting Jeremy at a coffee shop is a stroke of luck in Qay’s otherwise unlucky existence. The two hit it off, but Qay is torn about what if anything he should reveal about his past. Sometimes skeletons are best left in the closet.

Together the two will have to battle past demons and a torrent of trouble Jeremy’s ex has left in his wake to come out whole on the other side.

Holy Shit! I need a Xanax after this book. Every time something would happen I would think to myself, ok it can’t get any worse things have to get better, but oh my God they spiraled down so far. If there is a rock bottom these poor guys hit every rock, stick and stone on the way down.

The characters were well developed, the back story was amazingly believable and much like real life.

The story was gripping and emotional and I had a hard time putting it down, but all of the plot lines were answered before the book ended. I wasn’t left wanting for anything except a cathartic cry and maybe a glass of scotch.

4 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

ARe

Dreamspinner Press

Reckless by Caitlin Ricci : Release Day Review

June 3, 2016 by Denise

When his best friend, Lee, offered him his sub as part of a bet, Colton Prier never expected more than a clean condo from the boy. But Tate Nicholson is well-trained, eager , and he likes rope play as much as Colton enjoys tying him up. It should have ended after one night, but they begin meeting in secret, and Colton can’t stop thinking about Tate. It’s a betrayal of his friendship with Lee to fall in love with Tate, but Colton can’t help wanting the sub for himself.

He’s not alone in his feelings, either. Tate thought he was happy with Lee. Not completely fulfilled, but happy enough. But as he spends more time with Colton, he realizes Lee isn’t capable of giving him what he wants anyway. Lee demands his full submission, but Tate doesn’t want to be a lifestyle sub. Colton expects his obedience at times but gives him his freedom more often than not, which is more in line with what Tate wants.

When Tate really needs his Dom and Lee isn’t around to help him, he reaches the tipping point and needs to choose who he wants to give his submission to, and to accept the consequences of his choice when he does.

Title: Reckless
Author: Caitlin Ricci
Release Date: June 3, 2016
Category: Contemporary, BDSM
Pages: 200

A book about BDSM that was well written and not so overly crowded with sex scenes that the story was lost.

Colton wins Tate, his best friends sub for the weekend after a lucky bet. Colton is sure Tate will just be cooking and cleaning for him, he doesn’t have the time or want for a sub at the moment. Tate walks in and rocks his world, he may be young but he knows what he wants.

Both Tate and Colt know one weekend won’t be enough. After a few stolen nights Tate is forced to choose between Lee and Colt. Will Colt and Lee’s friendship survive? Can Colt live with the choice Tate makes either way?

I really enjoyed this story. For me, this is one of those “I’ll never be in a relationship like this but I so enjoy reading about it” subjects.

The sharp contrast between Lee and Colton was interesting, completely different while neither was painted in a negative light.

I loved that Tate knew enough about himself to know what he wanted and ask about what he didn’t understand. The care Colton took with his was so soft and tender compared to their hot passionate moments.

I loved that the story didn’t stop when Tate made his decision. I really enjoyed seeing the relationship progress.

4 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

ARe

Dreamspinner Press

Stained by Chris T. Kat: Release Day Review, Excerpt and Giveaway

June 1, 2016 by Denise

Blair Clark has reached his breaking point. Forced to leave one job because of sexual harassment, he’s having difficulty finding another. Since no one believes what happened, Blair’s left with a stain on his employment record that he can’t get rid of. He’s had to move back home with his mother. As if that’s not bad enough, he realizes his crush, Travis, is simply using him. His romantic life looks as hopeless as his job search.

Jack Ross is sure he’ll never find anyone who’ll love him for who he is. All anyone sees is the port-wine stain on his left cheek—not the man behind it. Even his mother thinks he should get rid of it. But the procedure is difficult and painful.

When Blair applies for a secretarial position with Jack’s firm, both men learn that beauty is, indeed, in the eye of the beholder. It’ll take a lot of trust to chase away their insecurities, but if they take a chance on one another, love will find a way.

Author Name: Chris T. Kat

Book Name: Stained

Release Date: June 1^st, 2016

Pages or Words: 119 pages

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Bree Archer

From Chapter One

“Can’t I?” I gazed into Travis’s brown eyes, the same eyes I dreamed about at night. In those dreams they were filled with love, but when I looked now, I only saw cruelty, arrogance, and something more, something darker I didn’t want to think about.

“No.” Travis snatched my chin, held it tightly between his big fingers and forced me to keep perfectly still. “No, you can’t. Choose a manly job and they’ll stop. Keep flaunting your sexuality and that’s what they’ll do.”

“Flaunting my sexuality? What’s that got to do with my job?”

“You’re a secretary, for fuck’s sake. It’s a woman’s job. Now stop adding fuel to the fire and cowboy up.” Travis’s voice remained low but it held an angry edge to it, one I recognized well.

I dropped my gaze, and a moment later Travis let go of my chin. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I winced when another guy asked, “Having trouble keeping the fairy in line?”

“Are you kidding?” Travis replied, puffing up his chest.

Enough was enough. I bolted up, ready to leave, when a big hand clamped on my arm. I tugged, but the grip tightened. Anxiety blossomed into fear, especially when the table dropped into sudden silence.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Travis hissed.

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, making it impossible for me to answer. What the hell was wrong with me? Why had I pursued Travis for so many months? Just because of his looks? Sure, he was hot, and exactly how I liked my men—big, fair-haired, and brown-eyed. But there was no love lost between us. Travis would never come out as gay, even though he liked to fool around with me whenever it was convenient for him.

“Blair, sit your ass down again, you’re attracting attention.”

When Travis pulled at my arm with more force, I planted my feet. I didn’t anticipate Travis letting go all of a sudden, leaving me to stumble backward. I crashed into someone behind me, taking us both to the ground.

Rolling to my knees and away from whomever I’d thrown, I apologized, “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”

Heat flooded my cheeks as embarrassment swept over me. Holding out a hand for the guy I’d tripped, I recoiled when the man sat up, revealing his face. A gasp tumbled over my lips and I stared openmouthed. The skin of the man’s left side was stained in red, giving him a slightly scary appearance, as if he’d been badly burnt.

“I’m fine,” the man said, his brows creasing in a frown. Obviously he’d seen my reaction and wasn’t too thrilled about it.

I couldn’t help but stare even more. The man’s dark blue eyes bore right into me, daring me to say anything. The stained skin drew my attention, no matter how hard I tried to look elsewhere. It looked so painful, a large blotch of red that started below the man’s eye, covered his whole cheek, and tapered out at his jawline.

“It’s not contagious, if that’s what you’re afraid of,” the man said in an icy tone. He rose in one fluid motion, holding out his hand for me to… to what? Help me up? Why would he do that?

I eyed the outstretched hand, hating myself for the fear coursing through me. Just when I was about to take the man up on the offer, two big hands grabbed my waist and hoisted me to my feet.

Stained was my first read by Chris T. Kat. This was a novella with two things you don’t often see in books. An issue with a disfigurement on one MC’s face, along with issues of domestic violence and abuse. It made me curious to see how the author would handle both issues.

I was slightly confused at the blurb discussing the port wine stain on Jack’s face, as if he was considering having it removed. He was not. He had dealt with it in his life, and didn’t have any desire to change it. I thought how Jack handled the ongoing situation of people’s horror and thoughtlessness was so well done. He knew he wasn’t going to change it, and just allowed people to think what they would, and tried not to feel uncomfortable about it.

Blair’s ongoing lack of self-confidence, allowing himself to be used, and abused was somewhat confusing to me, as a reader. I couldn’t pinpoint why he felt that way, other than having been picked on his entire life, for his size and effeminate qualities. His family was supportive and encouraging of him, to be followed by Jack quite quickly. However, I could see with those feelings how he would have been able to be abused by Travis, who was a bully, as well as an abuser. Although I thought that the situation wrapped up just a bit too quickly and neatly, I was happy to see Travis get what he deserved.

Lastly, the writing style on this one was a bit stiff for my tastes. I felt sometimes as if an editor went through and replaced words with longer synonyms. I could see how it might be somewhat stiff with the narrator being the type of personality he was, but it still felt forced in some places.

3 pieces of eye candy

Blair is currently having a string of bad luck. He lost his job due to a sexual harassment claim, had to move back in with his mother, and his boyfriend is a controlling jerk. A wrong step at a bar has Blair coming face to face with Jack who has a port wine stained birthmark on his face. A gaping Blair doesn’t handle the situation well partly because his boyfriend is a jerk and partly because he is taken off guard.

Go figure, Blair’s last ditch effort for a job comes with an interview with Jack. After the two get over the initial awkwardness of the situation they work really well together. As the weeks go by a mutual attraction develops which Blair is much to scared to pursue because of the way the last job ended.

Blair finally realizes what a jerk his boyfriend is and decides that he needs to end things. The boyfriend doesn’t take it well, manhandling Blair and trying to blackmail him into staying. Jack rushes in to the rescue and as they say, the rest is history.

I have to say once I picked this book up I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what Blair’s jerk of a boyfriend was up to. Damn, I’m not really sure their has been a character I’ve hated more.

The characters were well developed and endearing, most of them. The plot was well developed and moved at a steady pace. This is definitely a book I would re-read.

4 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

ARe

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat

Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Alpha Book Club, Gay Media Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, V’s Reads,

Kirsty Loves Books, MM Good Book Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, The Jena Wade,

A.M. Leibowitz, Making It Happen, BFD Book Blog, The Blogger Girls, 3 Chicks After Dark, Jessie G. Books,

Man2ManTastic, Nephy Hart, Open Skye Book Reviews, Butterfly-O-Meter, Inked Rainbow Reads, Velvet Panic,

Molly Lolly, The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Havan Fellows, Oh My Shelves,

Book Lovers 4Ever, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Outrageous Heroes

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Resurrection by S. Davidson: Release Day Review and Book Blast

June 1, 2016 by Denise

Two men with painful, complicated pasts who have shut themselves down from ever loving again. Complete opposites of one another, one raised in a strict military household, who grew up with the sole purpose of becoming a soldier and defending his country, only to have that cut short by an IED; and the other raised in the rodeo, small town and ranch life his safe haven; and their chance meeting.

How the two of them end up in some small town diner can only be credited to divine intervention. But are both men too damaged? They say God works in mysterious ways. Well, he certainly had his hands full when he chose these two for saving.

Is it too late?

TITLE: RESURRECTION
AUTHOR: S. DAVIDSON
GENRE: M/M MILITARY ROMANCE 18+
PUBLISHER: ENCOMPASS INK
COVER ARTIST: RUE VOLLEY
LENGTH: 296 PAGES
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 1, 2016

This was unlike any book I have ever read. The way the whole story was layed out was something I haven’t seen before and for me it worked perfectly. The characters were so well developed. I really enjoyed the way the author gave so much back story. It was enough to explain the life of each character without going overboard. I got to know each one so well I fell in love and cried and laughed right along with them. All of the scenes in this story were written so clearly that I felt like I was really there. I could picture everything and felt like I was seeing through the characters eyes.

For it to cover the type of subject matter that it did, the author pulls it off beautifully. Coming from a military family where my Grandfather and Uncle fought in Vietnam, WWII and Korea, this book touched a special place in my heart. She told a very believably story and it helped me to understand more about some of the things my own family members go through on a daily basis. Having grown up listening to war stories from both of them, the author paints a very accurate picture.

Going into the story and not knowing a thing about the Rodeo circuit or bull riding didn’t matter. She explained everything and I had no trouble following. It actually made me curious and want to learn more.

This story will stick with me. When I get done reading something and all I can do is sit there and stare into space while it consumes my brain definitely makes it a fantastic story in my opinion. It was heart wrenching and at times incredibly violent. Not for the faint of heart for sure but a wonderful read for me.

5 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

Who is Shelly Davidson? Shelly is someone who has been writing literally her entire life (and that’s a LONG time) and has always written M/M. Her first story was back in high school and she hasn’t stopped since. Of course, Shelly never dreamed of getting published, so needless to say, she’s in heaven! Shelly loves her characters. Her writing focus is real people, flaws and all, who are hurting or damaged, but deserve a little joy in their lives. Shelly was born and raised in Arizona, but currently lives in California because that is where the money is! She is currently single, but has a grown daughter and an adorable grandson both of whom she loves dearly. While she usually stays pretty much to herself, she does have a Bachelor’s in Social Services and a diverse background that ranges from theater to health care and currently works in accounting, she swears it’s not as boring as it sounds. While this is her first publication, it is by far not the last! She plans on being around for quite some time! You’ve been warned!

https://sdavidsonauthor.org/

https://www.facebook.com/sdavidsonauthor/

https://twitter.com/sdavidsonauthor

If you want, you can write her at: sdavidsonauthor@earthlink.net

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Test Drive by Riley Hart : Pre-Release Day Review

May 29, 2016 by Denise

A double shot of devastating news turns Justin Evanson’s life upside down. When he learns his father has cancer, and he has siblings he never knew existed, he leaves everything behind and moves to Virginia to support his dad as he tries to make amends with his family—a family Justin’s not sure he has a place in. Things go from bad to worse when he discovers his recent hookup is his newfound sister’s brother-in-law.

Drew Sinclair never expected to see Justin after their night at the club or to discover their family connection. If anyone found out, it would give Drew’s brother another reason to hate him. But there’s something about Justin that draws him in, and it’s not only because they burn up the sheets together.

One meeting leads to another, and before Justin realizes it, Drew has become the only thing in his world he feels is his. And for the first time in his life, Drew knows what it means to be needed. Being there for Justin and supporting him when things spiral out of control feels right. But with so much happening so quickly, it’s hard to trust their feelings. Is this thing between them real? Or just a test drive before life forces them down two separate roads?

I am in love with this series so I was eager to read this one and at the same time hesitant to read it because I knew this one was going to be more emotional than the other books. I’m so glad I pulled up my big girl panties and dove in!

Justin has uprooted his whole life to move to Virginia with his terminally ill father so that he can help him reconnect to his other two children that Justin knew nothing about. So, not only is Justin caring for his Dad but he’s trying to navigate new relationships with a sister and brother he’s never known.

Drew is just starting to own his bi-sexuality. He isn’t in the closet, however no one in his family knows. He has a strained relationship with his brother and he isn’t close to his parents, there isn’t any animosity it’s more like indifference.

Justin and Drew come together at a bar for an anonymous hookup, immediately after Drew runs. At a birthday party for Justin’s Dad, Drew and Justin meet again and realize how entwined their lives are. Justin’s sister is married to Drew’s brother.

The two start hanging out together, becoming friends and exploring the sexual side of their friendship. Drew is the should Justin desperately needs to lean on with his father becoming sicker and not knowing where he fits in his new family dynamic.

Once things are settled with his Dad, Justin plans on returning home, but meeting Drew has him redefining what home means.

This book made me feel so many different emotions. You could feel the stress and helplessness that was strangling Justin just jump right off the pages at you, but when Drew was with him there was a calm that settled over everything.

I felt so sad for all the time that Justin’s dad lost with his family, but I love how his love for Joy was still so strong after all those years. What a woman she is! Taking care of the man she has loved forever while he’s terminally ill even though he just came back into her life.

I love how all the characters from the previous two books made appearances. I love the friendly dynamic they all have together. Reading the last chapter I was a little sad thinking the series was over and the Shazam Riley hits you with a glimpse at the next one.

5 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

Bad Dogs and Drag Queens by Julie Lynn Hayes: Release Day Review

May 25, 2016 by Denise

Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are partners—on and off the clock. Federal undercover detectives, they’re part of a covert task force designed to promote goodwill between the feds and local authorities. They lend an unobtrusive helping hand wherever it’s needed. No credit required.

Vinnie and Ethan work primarily in the Southeast region of the United States and live together in Richmond, Virginia. A mugger problem brings them to Roanoke, where Vinnie is thrown out as bait to catch the man who’s been snatching purses in a city park, but they end up with more than they bargained for. Why is Vinnie always the one who has to wear the dress? Ethan says it’s because Vinnie looks much prettier in a skirt. How can he argue with that?

Expecting to return to Richmond afterward, Vinnie and Ethan find themselves assigned a new case instead. They are to go undercover at The Stroll, one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Roanoke. Someone is terrorizing both the customers and the performers. Could they be dealing with a hate crime? Someone has to protect the drag queens of Roanoke, so it’s Vinnie and Ethan to the rescue!

The author is donating 10% of the royalties from this book to No Kid Hungry. Visit nokidhungry.org for more information about this organization.

Title: Bad Dogs and Drag Queens
Series: Rose and Thorne: Book One
Author: Julie Lynn Hayes
Release Date: May 25, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Pages: TBC (Novella)

Do you ever read so much romance that you need something else to break of the monotony. This book did that for me. The two MC’s are already together both romantically and professionally.

Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are two undercover Federal Agents. They have just closed out a case involving a purse snatching dog and are ready for a little downtime together when they are thrown into a new case at a down-town Roanoke drag bar. Some of the queens have been threatened, and some of the patrons property has been damaged. Vinnie and Ethan are called in to solve the case before it escalates. Ethan is going undercover as a bartender while Vinnie is masquerading as a drag queen.

This book had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. Ethan’s internal dialogue was a riot, as were the exploits of the purse snatching Pekingese. Drag queen names like Orgazma, Boom-Boom Sanchez, Vee Gina, Sparkle Aplenty and Afternoon Delite had me giggling like a thirteen year old girl.

I loved the established relationship between Ethan and Vinnie, their trust for each other on and off the job really came through. Their witty banter and the way Ethan always cared for Vinnie was endearing.

I enjoyed the story as a whole, but I feel like I was left with some unanswered questions since it ended abruptly. Why was Muldoon at the bar? Who was he with? I thought Vinnie and Ethan were going to have to work together a little more before the mystery unraveled itself. All in all it was a solid read.

3 pieces of eye candy