Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Release Day Review

Notorious (Shifter Scoundrels Book 1) by Charlie Cochet and Macy Blake: Release Day Review

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Caspian Drake knows what it takes to get ahead in modern-day shifter society. He is an Earl, after all, and known for his wit, style, and ability to charm the pants off of anyone he chooses. Getting his best friend Brandr, the Prince of the Dragons, in and out of trouble is only one of his many talents. When a horrible attack shakes Cas’s world, he’s forced to pair up with Saphir Vepkhia, the esteemed tiger shifter and former Captain of the Royal Guard.

Upon retirement, Saphir is granted the title of Baron Archer and, much to his dismay, becomes part of royal society. Years later, when he’s summoned to the palace, the last thing Saphir expects is for the king to request a favor that ties him to the scoundrel, Caspian Drake. Despite his misgivings, Saphir accepts the assignment, knowing it will give him the access he needs to infiltrate the wealthy and powerful while trying not to get outfoxed by the exasperating Earl.

Forced into a fake relationship by an outdated matchmaking ritual, Cas and Saphir each face the upcoming season with their own agenda. The secrets pile up as the two mates navigate the complexities of a modern world that plays by historic rules. But the closer they get to the truth, the greater the danger–and their attraction to each other–grows.

With their lives on the line and the very foundations of their society at risk, Cas and Saphir must unravel the mystery, even if it means creating a scandal more notorious than their newfound love.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

This was a match made in heaven. Charlie Cochet and Macy Blake co-authored this series, this being book one. It drew on the strengths of both authors, fantasy, shifters, snark, very hot sex, intrigue and great world building. And I want more already.

They world they created, Bridgerton in contemporary times, was very unique. There was a King and Lords and Dukes and Duchesses who had a Season of parties and seeing and being seen that starts with a matchmaking for some of those that are eligible.

Thrust together in a matchmaking scheme behind the scenes, Saphir and Cassian have the same goal, to find out who murdered the Prince, next in line for the throne and Cassian’s best friend. Both determined to keep their distance, the sparks inevitably fly.

Saphir’s sister plays a fairly big role in the book as well. It is her debut season and while Saphir wants to make it memorable for her, I don’t think he is quite ready for his baby sister to be an adult. She is very funny, charming and witty and can hold her own, not only against her brother, but against Cassian or any other member of the ton.

There are a lot of characters to get to know while the mystery of the smoke beasts that were unleashed on the palace, ending with the murder of the Prince, plays out. But always Cas and Saphir can’t fight what they feel for each other. It’s pretty swoony how quickly Cas goes from stalwarth spy determined to solve his best friend’s murder without the shackles of love to mushy heart eyes guy when Saphir is there.

Even though everyone is a shifter, that doesn’t come into play all that often. We really only read about a couple of shifts, but so far that characteristic doesn’t seem to be a major plot device. Which was kind of nice. Like, yes, they are shifters. BUT it doesn’t dominate their lives. There also doesn’t seem to be much of a hierarchy depending on what animal shifter you are. Except the King who is a dragon.

Besides not mattering about your shifter animal, being gay is just as accepted as being straight and women are not treated any less than men. Pretty refreshing.

There is a HEA, but there are many unanswered questions. I eagerly await book 2.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Charlie Cochet is the international bestselling author of the THIRDS series. Born in Cuba and raised in the US, Charlie enjoys the best of both worlds, from her daily Cuban latte to her passion for classic rock.

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found devouring a book, releasing her creativity through art, or binge watching a new TV series. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

Join Charlie’s newsletter and stay up to date with Charlie’s latest releases, receive exclusive content, giveaways, and more! https://newsletter.charliecochet.com/

Website: http://www.charliecochet.com

E-mail: charlie@charliecochet.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charliecochet

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/charliecochet/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/charliecochet/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/charliecochet

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/charliecochet

Macy Blake believes in unicorns and fairies, in moonbeams and stardust, and that happily ever after comes in all colors of the rainbow. She loves to lose herself in paranormal romance, living vicariously through her favorite sexy fictional heroes. These days you can often find her pounding away at the keyboard, trying to capture the magic of her own worlds while arguing with her feisty German Shepherds, Minerva and Pomona.

Horribly Harry by Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey: RB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Bad Boyfriend, Inc—when you can’t find a good boyfriend, why not hire a bad one instead?

To supplement his income while he’s completing his Early Education degree, Harry Townsend hires himself out as a terrible date—for a set fee, he’ll horrify parents and family members in all sorts of interesting ways. But when it comes to actual relationships—and sex—Harry doesn’t get the appeal. He doesn’t get the same tingly feelings everyone else seems to when they meet someone attractive, and he’s fine with that. He’d rather spend his evenings watching TV anyway.

Jack Windsor abandoned his uni degree to do an apprenticeship as a mechanic, much to his parents’ dismay. He’s happy with his choices, but leaving uni meant losing his accommodation, and now he’s crashing on his sister Mia’s couch. It isn’t ideal, but it’s only until he finds something else—which is proving difficult in Sydney’s brutal rental market.

When Jack almost kills Harry with a strawberry smoothie, he discovers that not only was Harry’s disastrous date with Mia a set up, but that Harry is looking for a roommate. Moving in with Harry is great, if only he wasn’t so distractingly cute—and totally uninterested in Jack. Except as they grow closer as friends, for the first time in his life, Harry tells Jack he’s developing feelings for him—tingly ones.

But how can Harry and Jack be together when Jack’s family thinks that Harry is the worst human being in the universe? And how can Jack convince them that his Bad Boyfriend is the best boyfriend he’s ever had, without admitting that Mia hired him to be terrible to them? When an approaching family event brings everything to a head, Jack’s going to have to step up to prove to Harry that he wants him in his life. And it might just take some bad timing, some good luck and the ugliest suit known to mankind.

General Release Date: 9th August 2022

Pages: 253

Genres: COMEDY AND HUMOUR, CONTEMPORARY, EROTIC ROMANCE, FAKE RELATIONSHIPS, GAY, GLBTQI

Amazon – All Regions

First For Romance

Goodreads

“Hello, Beryl,” Harry said through clenched teeth as he slid the garish Hawaiian shirt onto the counter.

Beryl narrowed her one good eye at him. “Mr Townsend. I believe you’re banned from this shop.”

Harry stared her down as he lifted his chin. “No. I spoke to Agnes, and she said that you’re not in charge so you can’t ban anyone. And she said, ‘looking at someone funny’ wasn’t grounds for a ban anyway.”

A flicker of fear passed through her good eye and, he thought, something almost like admiration, too. She clearly never would have thought he’d have the balls to go above her head to Agnes, but she’d underestimated him and his need for this incredibly ugly Hawaiian shirt. It was blue, with a typical background of islands and boats and palm trees and flowers, but what made it truly terrible was that, at one time, it had been someone’s custom gag gift. Harry had no idea whose grinning face it was that had been printed all over the fabric, but the second he’d seen it hanging in the slightly grimy front window of the Newtown Op Shop, he’d known he had to have it. The guy on the shirt had a combover. It was perfect!

Beryl’s mouth pressed into a thin, wrinkled line as she tugged the shirt over and inspected the tag. “Twenty dollars,” she announced.

“It says five.”

Beryl reached up and adjusted her not-even-close-to-flesh-coloured eyepatch. She told people she’d recently had cataract surgery, but Harry suspected she was hiding an evil eye. The sort that would melt people’s faces off if she looked at them. “Agnes might be the manager, but I’m in charge of pricing, and this shirt is twenty dollars.”

She picked up a pen from the jar beside the cash register and changed the price.

“I need that shirt!”

Her sour mouth turned up in a grin. “And you can have it, for twenty dollars.” She tapped the handwritten sign taped to the side of the register—No arguing with staff.

“That sign wasn’t there last week.”

Beryl’s grin widened. “I wrote it when I saw you at the door.”

Harry gasped. “But I really need that shirt, Beryl! Please!”

She unpeeled the sign from the register, wrote Or begging on it, then stuck it back up.

Harry drew a deep breath, then wished he hadn’t, because, like all op shops, this one smelled musty and weird. He pulled his wallet out of the pocket of his jeans. It was depressingly thin. He tugged out a twenty, watching Beryl’s eye light up with victory, then hummed and put it back. “Actually, I think I’ll save my money.”

Beryl glowered at him.

“Yeah,” Harry said, even though she hadn’t asked him anything. “I came past the bakery on the way here, and they were just icing the coffee scrolls. I might have to buy a couple. They’re so good. They always sell out really quickly, don’t they? Like, there probably won’t be any left at all in about twenty minutes, once word gets out on the street.”

Beryl’s sweet tooth was legendary, and it was the only sweet thing about her. She looked at her watch.

“Oh, well,” Harry said. “I guess I’ll just…browse some more. Maybe find something in my price range.”

He stared at her and she stared back at him.

He sighed. “It’ll probably take me a while. A good, long while.”

Beryl vibrated with murderous rage.

Four minutes later and five dollars poorer, he was stepping outside the op shop with the ugly Hawaiian shirt in his backpack.

When he wore it, it was going to feel like victory.

* * * *

Harry met Angie Lau outside the old geology building where she was sitting with a group of friends. She was short and button-nosed, and wearing a bright pink sweater with a cat on it. Harry was tempted to show her his amazingly ugly Hawaiian shirt, then thought he’d better not, just in case she wasn’t wearing the sweater ironically.

“Hi, I’m Harry.”

Angie’s friends looked him up and down speculatively. Angie sighed and shoved her lunch containers into a tote bag before climbing to her feet. “I’m Angie. Let’s go talk over here.”

Harry walked with her to the shade of a large tree. “When we talked on the phone, you said you were interested in a lunch date? With your parents, right?”

Angie chewed on her bottom lip and bobbed her head in a nod.

“Tell me about them,” he suggested. “What are you looking for out of this? Do you have a boyfriend they don’t approve of?”

Her eyes grew large. “No! I don’t have a boyfriend. I don’t want a boyfriend. I want to do my Master’s, but my dad is super old-fashioned and thinks that if I study any more my womb will shrivel up and fall out, and my mum agrees with him, and last week we were arguing and I said I was sick of them trying to set me up with every nice Chinese boy they meet, and Mum said that wasn’t true, and they’d be happy with literally any boy I dated, as long as I found one.” She stopped at last and drew a breath. “I’m babbling, aren’t I?”

“It’s fine,” Harry assured her. “So you want to test that theory?”

Angie rolled her eyes. “It’s so stupid! But they’re driving me nuts, and my friend Anna said she knew this girl who hired this fake boyfriend who was a theatre kid, and…” She shrugged. “And here I am.”

“That would be Ambrose,” he said. “I took over from him. Okay, so basically you want to turn up to lunch with a boyfriend who is so awful they’ll be happier you’re single, right?”

She flashed him an anxious smile. “Right.”

“Okay,” he said. “So, the deal is, you pay for my lunch and also my fee on top of that. I have like a sliding scale thing, depending on how big you want me to go, or if I have to get anyone else involved.”

Her brow crinkled. “Anyone else?”

“Yeah, for an extra fifty my housemate will turn up and say he’s my parole officer and remind me that I can’t be within two hundred metres of a school.”

Angie’s eyes grew even larger.

“For an extra hundred, he’ll pretend to be a detective and arrest me on a warrant.”

“Oh, wow. I don’t think any of that is necessary.”

“Okay, then. What flavour of awful did you want? Ambrose specialised in ‘hot but an asshole’ but, well”—Harry gestured to his distinctly un-muscled physique—“I’m built in a way that lends itself more towards awkwardly terrible. Bad clothes, bad past, ‘society’s out to get me’ kind of thing. Would you prefer me to be unemployed, or working at something really questionable?”

Angie gave a grin that was ever so slightly evil. “Definitely unemployed. And if you could turn up late and drunk, that’d be ideal.”

“Easy done.” Harry nodded. “I do a great sloppy drunk. Now, let’s talk rates.”

I did not read the first book in this series…although I am seriously wondering how I missed it. However, I didn’t feel that I missed anything. This book was definitely stand alone. I’ve read a few books by Lisa Henry so I had no illusions that I wouldn’t enjoy this one, even without having read anything by Sarah Honey.

I loved the concept of having someone get paid to be a bad date, to scare the parents in some way. That was fun, and set poor Harry up for quite a challenge once he met Jack, the brother of a recent “bad date” that ended in the father having water poured on his head.

Harry was super sweet. He had never had any interest in dating anyone for real, no matter the gender, and wasn’t interested in sex at all, until he met Jack. This was a great representation of ace/demisexual. Harry truly needed that connection with Jack in order to want any sort of relationship, sexual or otherwise with him. And there was never any rush to sex with them. They could cuddle, kiss, and then sleep. They took everything very slow, which was exactly what Harry needed.

Jack had his own issues with having disappointed his parents by dropping out of uni to become a mechanic, and couch surfing  until he ended up on his sister’s couch. Moving in with Harry and Tristan was great for everyone. Jack liked to cook and clean, Harry and Tristan had no idea how to do it. Jack did as much as he could just to make Harry happy.

The humor in this book was at times subtle, at times laugh out loud. (I read some of this on a plane, and still I’m sure some people heard me laughing over the noise of the plane). The stops at the op shop, seeing Beryl, with the eye patch…I loved those scenes (read the excerpt above for the first of several of those encounters with Beryl)…the peacock suit, etc. The inner monologue of Harry was so hilarious. He was just so clueless when it came to so many things, especially with a romantic relationship, and the thoughts running through his head, just made me laugh. Here are two examples of his inner monologue that kept me laughing.

Harry ordered duck, because that seemed safer than snails. He wondered who first saw a snail and decided it looked like it needed to be drenched in garlic and butter, because it was one of the worst ideas he’d ever heard.

He wondered if he was meant to wait half an hour after eating to have sex. No, wait. That was swimming.

Secondary character, Tristan is the next book, and is set up quite well in the second to last chapter. He’s a man slut, 100%, with a different man every night. But you still love him from his interactions with his “puppies”. *Do not miss reading the first part of Tristan’s book at the end of Horribly Harry, Terribly Tristan.

All in all, a sweet romance, laugh out loud funny, and set in Sydney, Australia, all things that I want to read.

4 pieces of eye candy

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Lisa Henry

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

Lisa has been published since 2012, and was a LAMBDA finalist for her quirky, awkward coming-of-age romance Adulting 101, and a Rainbow Awards finalist for 2019’s Anhaga.

Find out more at Lisa’s website and blog. You can follow her on Bookbub and sign up to her newsletter.

Website: https://www.lisahenryonline.com/

Blog: http://lisahenryonline.blogspot.com/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lisa-henry

Newsletter: https://lisahenryonline.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=89f76ac7a4e6e0e202f27b3f8&id=103da83ac0

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Sarah Honey

Sarah started life in New Zealand. She came to Australia for a working holiday, loved it, and never left. She lives in Western Australia with her partner, two cats, two dogs and a life-size replica TARDIS.

She spends half her time at a day job and the rest of her time reading and writing about clueless men falling in love.

Her proudest achievements include having adult kids who will still be seen with her in public, the ability to make a decent sourdough loaf, and knowing all the words to Bohemian Rhapsody.

Awfully Ambrose will be her fifth published novel in collaboration with Lisa Henry.

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The Strings We Play by CD Rachels: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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Wei

As the new music professor at Korham University, I need to focus on my job. I can’t get entangled with that tall and handsome Facilities Manager who I keep bumping into on campus. Did we have a hot moment together at Christmas? Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s taking my music lecture. Students are off limits, no matter how flirty and sexy they are.

The problem is that Logan’s not just a student; we’re co-faculty, neighbors, and we’ve become good friends. I’ve started to peel back the layers that make up who he really is. It turns out there’s more to this sweet guy whom I’ve been growing closer and closer to. As the semester winds down, the days of him being my student are numbered. Pretty soon, nothing will stand in the away of us hooking up. It’s scary, but can an athlete like him really fall for a performing artist like me? Because I’m afraid I’m already there.

Logan

I’ve been broken for a long time, so I make my job at KU my life. No one has been able to tug on my heartstrings for years. So of course I’m blindsided by this talented and gorgeous new professor I meet. He makes me smile and gives me something to look forward to for the first time in so long. The one catch: I’m taking his intro to music class.

That’s fine by me, I can push down these feelings. I can totally ignore the blazing hot chemistry Wei and I have in the tiny practice rooms while he teaches me scales. But as the semester goes on, I realize he can offer me so much more than just a pretty face; it’s possible that everything I lost all those years ago exist in Wei. When he plays a song, or whenever it’s just the two of us, it feels just like magic.

I refuse to make a move on my professor, even though we’re both faculty. Good things come to those who wait, right? I just have to not let him realize I have a massive crush on him and not let him kiss me…again. And again.

The Strings We Play is a low-angst, male/male romance about two working adults. It involves music lessons, workout sessions, kissing under the stars, soccer-themed birthday cakes, and discovering the love that only a found-family can bring, HEA guaranteed. It is the third book in the Artists and Athletes series but can be read as a standalone.

Title: The Strings We Play
Authors: CD Rachels
Series: Artists and Athletes, Book 3
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: student-professor, single dad.
Release Date: August 8th

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Book 1: The Lines We Draw – Kindle Unlimited

Book 2: The Moves We Make – Kindle Unlimited

The next Saturday afternoon, my sister is kind enough to drop me off at the KU Athletics Center. I’m dressed in my suit and tie, and my black hair is expertly styled in spikes in all the right places. I’m super early, but I want to get in some practice time at the stage setup since every keyboard feels different.

As I wander into the large complex, I notice lots of Christmas decorations, but no staff. The rest of the catering company won’t be here for another hour. I walk past one corridor, unaware of how to get into the events space where I presume the formal will take place. Eventually, I come upon one open door to a room where I hope to find at least one staff member.

Peering in, I spot something that takes my breath away: a tall man with brown hair is putting on a white button-down shirt over his naked torso. I swear, time slows down as he shucks it on, unaware I’m standing there. I don’t want to ogle, but his body is magnificent. He’s got tuffs of chest hair—a genetic trait I never got—and miles of muscle coursing over his six-feet=something stature.

My mouth goes dry, but I finally shake my head in an effort to speak. “Um…excuse me?” He turns to look at me, finally buttoning up his shirt. He looks to be about my age, and his brown eyes and chiseled jaw are all gorgeous. Clearly, my gay ass needs to get laid. “I’m looking for the music department?”

The tall guy just stares at me, hands frozen, allowing me a glimpse of his perfect chest for a few moments more. He opens his mouth, but no noise comes out. Weird.

“Wei!” I turn to see Professor Reyes down the hall from this guy’s office. She’s standing in front of an elevator and waving me down. I turn back to the hot guy who is still giving me deer-in-the-headlights eyes and nod at him.

“Never mind. I got it,” I mutter, turning away from his handsome face. I don’t know who he is, but he just became a potential work-related perk here at KU.

Okay, so I’m coming into this one smack in the middle of a series but I didn’t feel like it took anything away from the flow of the story, so I don’t guess they have to be read in any particular order? Anyway, in this one, we have Wei and Logan.

Logan, I wasn’t sure about in the beginning. He wasn’t very likable to me. He went from an overconfident dude bro to an overzealous fan-girl any time he was around Wei, and I thought it was kind of cute, though the dude bro kinda became silly after realizing how he really felt by his inner dialogue.

Both men are as opposite as night and day and I love that about them. I love the opposites attract thing, especially, like these two, the power dynamic and coupling aren’t the way you’d stereotypically think of them. I love that too! These two feel like a real couple to me.

Plus, I’m such a sucker for a good dad figure, or in this case, an uncle. It’s what sucked me in!

Overall, very cute story.

3 pieces of eye candy

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CD Rachels has been coming up with stories since he was little. At first it was all about superheroes and pocket monsters, but his genre of choice has expanded since puberty.

He’s been consuming young adult gay fiction since he was a teen, but within the past five years moved up to the big leagues of gay adult romance. In 2020 during quarantine, he burned through more male/male romance books than he ever had in the previous 29 years combined.

He lives in New York City with the love of his life and works in health insurance. When he’s not reading and writing, he’s playing board games and practicing music. He is honored to become a self-published author, and if you’re reading this, your support means so much to him that it’s giving him a tingly feeling (in a good way).

Follow him on Instagram: @cdrachels

Or join his group on Facebook: “CD Rachels’ Chill Discourse Room”

Catch up with Charles:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/cdrachels/
Amazon Author’s Page: CD Rachels Author Page
Facebook Author Group: CD Rachels’ Chill Discourse Room

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The Barkeep and the Bookseller (Campo Royale #3) by V.L. Locey: RB, New Release Review *2 and Giveaway

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Can two men move past their shattered dreams and create a new future together?

Corduroy Lopez is a hard-working man. He has to be. There really is no alternative. He’s a single father with a beautiful special needs daughter to support. His mother and grandmother help when they can but he’s a proud Pan man who is determined to make it on his own. When his daughter is accepted into a prestigious developmental education preschool Cord needs cash and he needs it yesterday. When the cute owner of the new bookstore mentions wanting to start a drag story hour Cord leaps at the chance. He’s done drag before. Once. Performing on stage at the Campo hadn’t really been his thing but donning a wig and dress to sing children’s songs while strumming a ukulele should be a much more enjoyable experience. Also, the bookshop owner is adorable, newly single, and spending a great deal of time sitting at Cord’s bar sipping virgin piña coladas after the bookstore closes.

Jagger Collins never meant to end up here. He’d been a happily married man with a swanky job in a Philadelphia bank just two years ago. Then the bottom fell out of his life. His marriage combusted, his job quickly followed, and he found himself with only his dog Hamish, his brother, and half the cash from the home he thought he would be starting a family in. Taking the advice of his elder sibling to heart he left the big city and bought a small brick building in downtown Wilmington. Trading in ties for tomes, Jagger is now embracing the simpler things in life. Reading, biking, knitting, and admiring the lithe bartender at the Campo Royale. Cord is ticking all the right boxes in a big way but Jagger’s not sure if he’s ready to put his heart on the line again.

The Barkeep and the Bookseller is a single father guy next door gay romance that features a hard-working dad, a learning-to-love again bookdealer, a precocious preschooler, high heels, loving family, flashy floral fashions, and a ukulele rich happy-ever-after.

Cover Design: Meredith Russell 

Length: 53,000 word approx.

Campo Royale Series

Amazon – All Regions


Book #1 – The Viking and the Drag Queen – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Book #2 – The Bachelor and the Cherry – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Okay, first, I have to start off by saying that I haven’t read the others in this series and I’m coming in completely blind… but I saw a single dad and I’m a sucker for those, so I had to give this one a chance!

So, first, we meet Cord, his mother who is also his neighbor and babysitter and cuter than cute toddler, Paloma. Cord is a single dad, with a lot of help from his family, but he’s working every single day of his life trying to support his darlin girl because, well… we all know how expensive life is, especially now days, but Paloma also has a form of down syndrome that the state will only half provide for, so he’s working himself to death to keep her in a special school that is better equipped for her needs.
He’s a good dad, you can see that right off and I’m so glad he has his family right next door.
Also, he’s the barkeep in this scenario 😛

Next we meet Jagger in his bookstore, along with his besties, Wattley (his brother) and Nate, (a billionaire) who are hilarious together and Jagger’s people. Oh, and his little pupper Hamish as well. He’s the bookseller and a handsome and sweet, semi-damaged one at that. So, you know I’m gonna love him right away! I did.

I hope these other boys have their own stories because I want to read all of them now! Nate, might be the one I’m most looking forward to, so fingers crossed for me on that one!

So, okay…their meeting is cute and their dynamic as the complete opposite of what I kept expecting and I really enjoyed them getting to know each other and then spending time together when Cord works so much and has a daughter to take care of full time … it wasn’t always easy, but I loved Paloma’s relationship with Jagger and the way that developed and just the whole.
It was so very very cute.

I’m honestly about to go check out the others in this series because I must know more about all of these people. I enjoyed all of them, they were all meddlesome and pushy and overbearing, but in all the best ways that your bestie-made family can be. It’s their job, right?

I loved how supportive everyone was even though there are a few references to past trauma, I just found myself wanting to hug both of these guys, the cute girl and wiley puppy too. It was a super cute story, would definitely recommend! Off to see who’s next!

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

First off, this is book 3. I haven’t read book 1 or 2 and I was completely fine. ALSO the cover is exactly as Jagger is described and I love that.

Jagger has some serious damage. And while there are glimpses and one story told of what he went through with his ex, a lot is left unsaid. But it’s made clear that he was in a very abusive relationship and it has had lasting effects on him.

Cord is a pretty well adjusted guy considering his dad died, the mother of his child took off, he is raising a special needs child and he gave up his career dreams. He is the first to say that giving up that dream was completely worth it if it meant keeping his daughter. Which he did.

This is a very slow burn romance. But I really loved that it was. There was flirting and romance. Innuendos and smoldering looks across a bar. I feel like they got to know each other and people and friends first. Which also gave Jagger a look into what Cord’s life was really like. Living with his mother and grandmother and daughter.

And his mother and grandmother are really great strong women. I love seeing strong women like them represented.

Back to our couple. I love how in tune to Jagger Cord was. I think a lot of that has to do with his daughter and how he needs to be in tune with her needs. But he was never condescending. He was just chill.

I adored Jagger’s best friend Nate and seeing that his book is next made me happy.

If you don’t fall a little bit in love with Paloma, Cord’s daughter, there might be something wrong with you. I kid, I kid.

There was a happily for now vibe but I kind of wish it went further into their relationship to see how things progressed. But maybe we will get some hints in future books. That is why 3 1/2 rather than 4. I needed more at the end than I got. Too many “but what about…” questions.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.

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Mother Parker by Rhys Everly: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

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.                                      .

Divorced. Beaten down. A failure. Until a ray of sunshine comes into my life…

People call me Officer Grumpypants, but wouldn’t you be if life kept knocking you down?

My life is an endless sh*t list that I can’t even begin to unravel.

It all started when my parents died.

It continued when I was forced to sell my house.

And it all came to an epic conclusion when my wife walked out on me.

What I need is to get my mind in order and my life back on track.

So when my old commander offers me a job in Mayberry Holm, I grab the opportunity by the balls.

I’m ready to put my head down and my hands to work.

What I wasn’t planning though was becoming pet food for crows by this infuriating little man who throws seeds at my face.

Or being hired to help said man with his new store.

Or having to protect him from a bunch of criminals that prey on his softness and sweetness.

Even though he drives me insane, I can’t stop thinking of him. And even though he’s annoyingly cheerful, I can’t help but smile around him.

Or fantasize about him doing… naughty things to me.

What the hell is happening to me? Am I falling for the young, bubbly, pink-haired man? And is it too late to stop it?

Welcome to Mayberry Holm, a small island in the Atlantic full of crime, secrets and happily-ever-afters, and the ex-Navy SEALs that come to deal with them all.

Title: Mother Parker
Authors: Rhys Everly
Length: 80K
Series: Mayberry Protectors Series, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Military Romance.
Heat: 3 out of 5
Release Date: August 1st

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

“We can “We can watch this one if you want. It’s new. Or this one.”

The movies in question were two of The Rock’s newest action flicks.

“What? Just because I’m a big army man means I only watch action movies?” I gave him a sideways glance, and he frowned.

“Well…I didn’t want to assume, but yeah,” he said.

“Well, you’re wrong.”

“I’m glad. So…what do you want to watch?” He offered me the remote, and I stared at it, but I didn’t take it from him.

“Um…anything.”

He elbowed my ribs and smiled.

“Come on. What’s your go-to? I’ll put it on.”

“It’s okay.”

“Why aren’t you telling me?” he asked and dropped the slice he’d just picked up.

“Because you’ll laugh at me.”

“I promise I won’t,” he laughed.

“You’re already laughing.”

I sank farther into the couch and crossed my arms, refusing to let that man get under my skin, even though he looked cute doing it.

“Only because I’m amused by how shy you are about it. Come on. Tell me. Please, please, please.”

He draped a hand over my arm and caressed it with blinking, needy eyes.

“Please!”

Agh, fine.

How could I resist him when he begged me like that.

I grabbed the remote and searched for the show.

“Oh my God. You watch Jane the Virgin to relax?”

“I knew you’d laugh,” I sighed.

“I’m not. I just think that’s the cutest fucking thing ever! But sooo gay! How did you not know until now?”

“You’re dead,” I shouted and attacked him with tickly fingers and kisses while the first episode of Jane played on, which only indicated he’d never watched it.

I ignored the fact and focused on how wonderful his laugh sounded in my ear. Maybe he had already watched it once. It better be because I didn’t know if this relationship would last if he couldn’t stand Jane the Virgin.

Rhys Everly-Lawless is a hopeless romantic who loves happily-ever-afters.

Which would explain why he loves writing them.

When he’s not passionately typing out his next book, you can find him cuddling his dog, feeding his husband, or taking long walks letting those plot bunnies breed ferociously in his head.

He writes contemporary gay romances as Rhys Everly and LGBTQ+ urban fantasy and paranormal romances as Rhys Lawless.

You can find out more about him and his work by joining his Newsletter or his Facebook group, Rhys Everly After.

Connect with Rhys:
Website: https://www.rhyswritesromance.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhyswritesromance
Instagram: @rhyswritesromance
Twitter: @rhyswritesmm
Tiktok: @rhyswritesromance

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One Step Forward, Two Steps Back by Cyd Sidney: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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.                                  .

A stuffy composer meets a flirty ballet dancer. Can these opposites make music together, or will their dreams pull them apart? This is a sweet and steamy MM romance set against the sun-soaked hills of Los Angeles.

Joshua

I should be applying for grad school. Or looking for a job. Anything to get out of my awful rut. But instead, I’m obsessing about the dancer I hooked up with at the ballet studio. Who would have thought a gig playing the piano would lead to the hottest sex of my life? Before we got down to it, I think I promised to help out on a dance concert he’s producing. I was in such a lust haze I barely remember. He’d better text soon. I wonder if he’s still interested in seeing me in a *very* unprofessional capacity.

Brandon

I can barely focus on the upcoming dance concert or my move to New York. I’m thinking about that cute pianist instead. Did I tell him I’m moving? Things happened so fast between us I can’t remember. I’ve never had an experience like that where I was totally unraveled by a stranger. If I wasn’t about to move across the country, I would definitely want to go another round. But I’m leaving, so no more hot domination games with Joshua. I’ve got to keep things professional and not fixate on the way his elegant fingers moved across my body.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back is the first book in the Ballet Boys series. Each book is a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment, I suggest starting with book one.

Title: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Authors: Cyd Sidney
Length: 35K
Series: Ballet Boys, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary, BDSM, Romantic Comedy.
Tropes: Opposites attract, Grumpy/sunshine, Instalust.
Content: Dominant/submissive BDSM relationship with impact play, Sex is described explicitly, and Parental illness/death is mentioned.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Brandon was packing his bag for their fourth rehearsal with Joshua. Three meetings and three quick goodbyes; the clock was literally ticking on his departure, and all this potential sex time with Joshua was gone with no sex in sight. It was a fucking tragedy in Brandon’s opinion, but he would just have to make peace with it. Joshua was holding firm on not socializing with them and Brandon didn’t want to push.

Tristan strolled in and started stretching on the floor. Brandon tried to cover his frustration when he greeted his roommate.

“Hey, man.”

“Hey, yourself. Listen, Brandon, we’ve got to talk.” This was news to Brandon. Everything seemed to be going well for his team of dancers.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s you.” Brandon felt a sting of anxiety tighten in his chest as Tristan continued, “You and Joshua.” Brandon was relieved that it wasn’t something serious but irritated that Tristan was bothering him with this.

“There’s no me and Joshua. How could there be something wrong?” Tristan rolled his eyes.

“You and Joshua have been doing some weird kind of avoidance dance ever since day one, and it’s painful to watch. That, and the eye fucking, and pining looks. There’s been a lot of pining and yearning. You guys need to get it together and figure out what’s happening between you. Sarah and I thought about locking you two in the closet,” Brandon let out a little gasp, “but we think you need more than a good fuck. We think you need to talk to each other, and then maybe fuck.”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” Brandon’s cheeks were hot with embarrassment.

“You have made it our business. It’s everybody’s concern because you two are emoting all over the place, and it’s a real distraction.”

“Fine, I’ll talk to him.”

Sarah skipped into the room.

“Did you talk to Brandon about the sad puppy dog faces, Tris?”

“Yep.”

“Is he going to do something about it?”

“I’m right here, you guys! Fuck.” Brandon was starting to get ticked off for real. Tristan gave him an appraising look.

“He says he’s going to take care of it, but I have a feeling he’s going to try to weasel out.”

“I will not weasel out.”

“We know you won’t,” Sarah smiled sweetly, “because if you do, we’ll confront him ourselves and tell him how pouty you get every time he turns down one of our invitations.”

“You would never.”

“Don’t test us. Talk to him.” Sarah gave him a quick hug and turned to get her stuff.

You know I always want to read a book that has ballet in it. So I figured I would give it a shot. Let’s say, I’m glad it was short.

There is a story there, but it needed WAY more fleshing out. There’s very little dialogue so the book just tells me what they are doing. The book starts with Joshua sounding like a hot mess…but he isn’t. At least not for the rest of the book. He also tries being a Dom, or at least a very strong top, to Brandon and it just comes off as silly.

Joshua comes off as very meek and mild. Damaged by his previous boyfriend, yet we don’t really get a lot about that whole situation. A natural Dom he is not. More like he wants to be a Dom to take back control he lost to his previous boyfriend.

Brandon is very outgoing but immediately let’s Joshua take control sexually. When it seems like it is going to be a one off. It just didn’t hit right.

So I am going to give it a meh and be glad that it only took less than 2 hours to read.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

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My name is Cyd Sidney and I write queer, romantic tales with a lot of spice/steam/heat (let’s just call it sex). My stories are funny, surprising, and include lots of banter. I’m thrilled that you’re here and hope you’ll join me for the ride!


Catch up with Cyd:
https://twitter.com/CydSidney
https://www.tiktok.com/@cydsidney
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22076301.Cyd_Sidney
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077148340652
https://www.instagram.com/cydsidney
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