Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Release Day Review

Sweet Hart (Hart Consulting Book 1) by Rae Marks: New Release Review

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FROM EXCITING AUTHOR OF LGBT ROMANCE RAE MARKS

Book one in the Hart Consulting series

When Brayden stumbles into a covert operation, Sam has to keep him alive. Together they navigate their unexpected attraction and the world of the Ukrainian mafia.

Brayden Hart needs to find his older brother Mason and time is running out. Mason disappeared after being discharged from the military two years before. While on leave from the army, Bray follows a lead his friend has been able to find. When he knocks on the door of a dingy apartment outside Miami, the last person he expects to meet is the gorgeous but grumpy Sam Wheeler.

Sam denies knowing Bray’s brother and turns him away. But Sam is Bray’s only lead. Luckily, Bray’s childhood friend is one of the best hackers in the country and helps Bray follow Sam to Ukraine.

In Kiev, Bray falls blindly into the fray of a covert operation and Sam steps in to keep him alive. While navigating the choppy waters of the Ukrainian mafia, Bray and Sam fall into the bedroom. But what happens when the mission ends?

Amazon

Pride Publishing

For a first time author, at least I assume since this is the only title listed on their Amazon page, it was an okay book. But it definitely needed some cleaning up, editing, scenes cut and scenes added.

We jump right in with no back story. Just immediately Bray knocking on Sam’s door looking for his brother Mase. From there we head to the Ukraine. Sam is undercover trying to…do something? I know he is dealing with the mob and the mob deals with drugs and human trafficking. But it’s kind of fuzzy what Sam’s goal was. Whatever the goal, he has Bray there with him- which was not part of the plan.

There’s a lot of back story that is slow to be revealed. Several things were never wrapped up. Taking so long to find out what made these guys tick really kept me from connecting with them. There are quite a few Ukrainian characters and I still don’t know what all is going on there.

The story evened out a bit toward the middle and it was easier to read, but it was also chock full of sex scenes. The story that is there is just muddled.

If there is a book two (kind of seems as though there will be), I am sure several unanswered questions will remain unanswered and that bugs me.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

Following the Rules (The Script Club #1) by Lane Hayes: RDB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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The geek, the jock, and a new set of rules…

Topher-

My friend’s brother needs an academic assistant and I need a job. Problem…jocks are my weakness. Seriously. I lose my ability to speak coherently around muscle-bound hotties. Oh yeah, I lose my inhibitions too—not a good look for a guy with a genius IQ. So what am I going to do about Simon?

Simon-

Finishing college isn’t high on my list of priorities, but my future in professional football is looking bleak. I need a plan B or C, and I could use some help navigating life as an undergrad. Topher is perfect. He’s also a little strange…but in a good way. And I like the way I feel when I’m around him—as though anything is possible. Maybe if we follow our hearts, we’ll find what we’re looking for. But that means changing the rules…

Following the Rules is a MM, bisexual awakening romance starring a lovable nerd, a cool jock, and some extracurricular fun.

Title: Following the Rules

Author Name: Lane Hayes

Series Title and Number: The Script Club #1

Publisher: Lane Hayes

Cover Artist: Sleepy Fox Studio

Release Date: May 7, 2021

Romance Pairings: Male/Male

Other Tags or Categories: Nerd/Jock, MM Romance, Bisexual Awakening, Best Friend’s Brother

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

I served us both a slice of each kind of pizza and slid a plate his way, gesturing for him to help himself to the cheese or whatever else he might want.

“I don’t care about money,” I said around a mouthful of food. “Eat up. This is tasty, but it won’t be as good when it’s cold.”

Topher flashed an anxious sideways smile and took a mouse-sized nibble. “Mmm, that’s delicious.”

I washed down my pizza with a healthy swig of wine, nudging his knee as I swiveled to face him. “Are you okay?”

He wiped his hands on a napkin and drained half his water, setting it on the island with a decisive thud. “Yes, I’m just a little nervous.”

“Nervous? Oh. I’m sorry.” I frowned and before I could rein my tongue, blurted, “You seemed fine when we were joking about tiny gorilla penises, and hell…you saw my dick and—”

“I wasn’t joking. I was reciting a fact and as far as your penis is concerned…”

I twisted to face him, unable to contain a mischievous grin.

“Yes? I’m waiting,” I singsonged, biting into the ham and pineapple pizza.

“I told you, Simon…I was simply doing the math,” he replied matter-of-factly. “Six and a half inches.”

“Nine.”

Topher narrowed his eyes, his features softening in amusement. “Six and three-quarters, max.”

I scoffed and hooked my thumb under the elastic waistband of my sweats. “Wanna see?”

“No! Geez. You know, it’s very difficult to stay on topic with you. And staying on topic is the only way this will work.”

“Okay, fine. Back to dick size. What animal has the biggest schlong on the planet?”

He gaped at me for a hot second. “The blue whale. It’s estimated to be seven to ten feet long.”

“Whoa!”

“Although I don’t know that it’s ever been measured during intercourse. Or if that’s even possible.” He reached for his pizza with his brow knit in concentration as though pondering whale dick…as one does.

“Whales are huge. It makes sense. What about land animals?”

“Elephants. They’ve legitimately measured specimens in excess of thirty-nine inches.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” I snort-laughed. “Christ, I’m feeling very inadequate with my mere twelve inches.”

“Six,” Topher scoffed. “Look, before we get sidetracked again, I just want to—”

“I’ll pay you double.”

“What? Why?”

I sighed as I picked up my wineglass. “I don’t want to fail. No…it’s more than that. I need to look smart. I can’t come across as the fuckup wide receiver who got dumped from the NFL and blew the cushy back-door admittance to a prestigious university by failing his first semester. I thought I might be able to muddle through with a few pointers from George, but it’s going to take more than that. I need a real assistant.”

Topher widened his eyes, then blinked in disbelief when I named an exorbitant salary. I had a hard time keeping my own expression. What the hell was I thinking? Did I really need an assistant?

I didn’t know, but I needed…something.

“Oh, that’s a lot of money,” he whispered breathlessly.

“It’s the going rate for a personal assistant. Ironically, I never had one while I played ball, but I need the help now. I want the best, and George says that’s you.”

Topher smiled. “George didn’t say he was the best?”

“Actually, he did. But we can’t be in the same room for an hour without wanting to take a swing at each other.”

“You and George fight?”

“Not as much now that we’re older, but…yeah, I guess we still fight. We don’t have much in common.”

“You and I have even less in common,” he replied.

“That’s a good thing. Trust me, it’s better for me that you don’t know that I slept with a teddy bear until I was thirteen…or that I still have that damn bear for reasons unknown.” I gave a self-deprecating chuckle, then sipped my wine and set it on the island. “So…are you in? Make me smarter, Toph. I need your brain!”

He stared at me for a long moment, inclining his head. “Okay.”

“Yes!” I fist-pumped the air as if I’d just scored a touchdown and held out my hand for a high five.

Topher left me hanging for a few long seconds before gently tapping his palm to mine. I grabbed his wrist to hold him steady for a redo. The contact was light and breezy…and spontaneous. But that was how I rolled. For a guy who played professional football, it was nothing.

However, this didn’t feel like nothing.

This is one of my favorite tropes. I loved Topher, his idiosyncrasies where down right adorable. I loved hoe open he was in certain aspects of his life. So sweet and confident. But knew his limits and tried to keep to his comfort zone.

Now Si (Simon) was soooo sweet and sexy. The perfect match for Topher. He just stood up and embraced his sexuality. He respected Topher, but also tried to push his boundaries a bit. I felt bad for him and where he was at with his choices. I HATED his agent.

All in all this was a sweet, sexy, funny read. Another hit for this author.

5 pieces of eye candy

Geek and Jock. A trope that will last forever and ever. It’s like the epitome of opposites attract. This time we get EPIC geek and jock. A rocket scientist and a professional football player.

The geek- Topher- is kind of roped in to tutoring/helping his roommates brother with his online college classes. The big jock football player brother who was released from his contract and needs to do something with his life. Jocks are Topher’s kryptonite. Simon is in limbo with his career and kind of lost. But what he does find is a strong attraction to Topher.

What I really enjoyed about this book and made it a bit different from most geek/jock books is that Topher is so sex positive. More often than not the geeky guy is a virgin or has very limited experience. But not Topher. He is experienced, he loves sex, he is open to trying new things and he is NOT shy about it.

And Simon, having grown up with a nerdy brother, isn’t a jerk at all. He’s a nice guy who kind of doesn’t know what to do. He has the beach house but he is lonely and drives an hour to hang out with family and friends. And Topher.

The main reason Topher took the job with Simon was because his paid internship fell through. So he was waiting and hoping for that to come through again, but also open to other internships. And even though that was a big plot point at the beginning, it never really went anywhere as he seemed to spend all of his time with Simon.

Simon also is a house flipper, he is the money man not the toolbelt man, but we don’t really see that either. That would have been some fun scenes looking at houses to flip.

So, yes, I did like it. I liked how confident Topher was and how open Simon was. There were a few loose ends that could have been tied up, but overall a good read.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, and 2018-2019 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.

Author Links

Website: https://lane-hayes.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaneHayes3

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7125719.Lane_Hayes

Instagram: https://instagram.com/LaneHayesauthor

Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/authors/lane-hayes

The Job by Cara Dee: Excerpt and New Release Review * 2

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With the help of their ball-busting daughter, some questionable morals, and an important job to get done, Casey and Boone will steal you away to the grit and glitz of Las Vegas in this fast-paced romance.

I’m not supposed to do this job without Boone.

We may not share genes, but it’s been us against the world since his mom took me in as a toddler. The rowdy O’Sullivan boys who raised all the hell that Vegas could handle. Not that all my memories are wild and make my heart race. After all, I realized I was in love with the bastard at some point, so there’s been plenty of pathetic yearning and jealousy too.

Even so, it’s been him and me. Brothers, partners in crime, and, for the past six years, co-parents to an amazing little girl. But that’s another story. Right now, I gotta focus on the job our cousin gave us, and I need Boone by my side.

The problem is we haven’t really been on speaking terms for four years now.

This story takes place in Cara Dee’s Camassia Cove Universe, a fictional town where all books stand on their own, unless otherwise stated, and the reader can jump in wherever they want.

The Job by Cara Dee

Series: Standalone, Camassia Cove Universe
Genre: MM Romance/Crime Romance
Tropes: Organized Crime, Comedy Romance, Suspense, Bad Boys, Family, Single Dad, Hurt/Comfort

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“By the way, do you love me, Daddy?”

I shrugged to myself. “You’re all right, I guess.”

She giggled and peered up at me.

I smirked and dipped down, pressing a smooch to her forehead. “Of-fucking-course I do. What do you want, and how much is it gonna cost me?”

She knew that one. “Lunch at Denny’s. And I want Dad to come along.”

Fuck. This was one of those times I didn’t allow myself to hesitate or get bitchy. “Okay.” I nodded and swallowed the resentment that bubbled up. Not at her, just…our fucked-up situation. “The three of us will go out after the game.”

“Yes!” She fist-pumped the air, only making me feel like a dick.

Boone showed up shortly after, and she forgot I existed for a beat. She ran over to him and jumped into his arms, to which he picked her up and positioned her on his hip like back when she’d been little. To him, she was still tiny, I guessed. He dwarfed most people around him, including me, even though he only had a couple inches on me in height.

“Can you braid my hair?” she asked, holding up a rubber band.

“Sure thing.” He set her back on the ground when they reached me, though he paid me no mind whatsoever.

Something was wrong with him, and it pissed me off. He looked tired and couldn’t pretend to be happy to be here. He usually loved coming to her games.

As soon as he finished with her hair, Ace beamed up at him and gave him a big hug before she ran off to join the team. With the game about to start, I bent down and picked up the two camping chairs I’d brought and my cooler and walked off to the side.

I glanced over my shoulder and noticed Boone wasn’t following. “Oi. You comin’ or not?”

He looked my way, visibly exhausted, and made no reaction. He followed, but his face was blank. It was as if someone had punched the life out of him.

It rattled me. My hatred toward him took a shitload of energy to maintain, and if something was seriously wrong with him, I feared what it would do to me.

I unfolded the chairs in a spot where we’d have the perfect view of our daughter scoring goals, and I sat down and opened the cooler.

“You want a beer?” I asked.

“Sure.”

I popped two cans into a couple koozies and handed him one.

Like shit attracted flies, one of the mothers was quick to come over to us.

“You can’t drink beer here,” she snapped.

I eyed her over the brim of my shades and held up my can. “Are you blind? It says right here.” I pointed to the text on the koozie. “‘It’s just soda, dumbass.’” Last year’s Father’s Day gift from Ace.

“You think this is funny?” The woman did not like me. “For heaven’s sake, it’s ten in the morning.”

That one pissed off Boone. “Never you fuckin’ mind what we do at ten in the mornin’. Take a hike.”

For one brief second, I was flooded with energy and memories from better times when it’d been Boone and me against the world. When it’d been us, like a team, raising Ace together. Working together. Spending most of our time together.

It was a kick in the gut.

I’ve fairly recently discovered Cara Dee. I know, I know. I’ve loved everything I read so I jumped at this. I started reading and I wasn’t connecting. So after a couple pages I went back to read the review request and saw that it recommends reading Auctioned, Deserted and Stranded as they are loosely connected. So guess what I did? Read Auctioned, Deserted and Stranded. Then I started The Job over (I was only like 10 0r 20 pages in) and it made more sense. Now I knew who Darius was and why he was asked these 2 main characters to do something for him.

So back to it!

Best friends who literally became brothers when the mom of one adopted the other. And when another friend dies, they are tasked with raising her daughter. Together.

Flash forward 4 years. Now they share custody- they each get a week at a time- and they barely tolerate each other. Huh. It takes some time before we find out what exactly that is all about. But when their cousin calls with a job for them, they immediately fall back into their established roles when doing a job. They pretty much stop bickering and sniping at each other AND Boone weasles his way back into living with Casey. And their daughter.

Their daughter. OMG she is hilarious. She has a potty mouth on her, which usually seems forced like it is only there for comedic purposes, but that mouth of a trucker completely fits the 8 year old’s personality. And for a kid who’s mother died when she was 4, doesn’t know her real father, is being raised by brothers who don’t really speak and has a grandmother who watches her often- she is pretty well grounded. And I LIKED that. Yes, a lot of kids would have trauma from any one of those things. But not every kid would. It was nice to see.

Casey and Boone work great together on the recon for Darius. Working together also gives them the time to work on their relationship. Because Boone doesn’t understand why Casey kicked him out of his life and Casey doesn’t understand how Boone doesn’t see him pining over him.

The entire story, from them doing the job to reconciling, just flows. Nothing was awkward or forced. And above all else- these two guys put their daughter first. Everything they did was to make her life better.

Do you HAVE to read the first three books? Nope. Is it worth it to read the first three books? Yup. They are different and definitely not a normal romance story AT ALL.

Fun, hot, funny with a good story to back it up. Definitely recommend.

4 pieces of eye candy

I love Cara Dee‘s books. I will say though I didn’t read the Auctioned series, simply because I can’t do angsty generally. That’s Erin’s cup of tea. 🙂 However, this book was a great departure from angsty, as it was full of humor, action, and a whole lot of “when are they going to just go it already”. My favorites.

One of my favorite things about this book was how different the MC’s were from what you might normally read. Quite often, the MC’s are good “upstanding” citizens, working their day jobs, saving kittens, etc. However, these guys are petty criminals, have done jail time, are in the process of committing crimes in the book, and yet are still really good guys, who just want to do right by their daughter. They don’t care that they live in a trailer park, or that she curses as much as they do. Just that she is healthy and happy, and can count on them both to be there no matter what.

I really enjoyed this book, and these two were great together. And even better with their sweet daughter, Ace. I would love to read more about these three. Recommend!

4 pieces of eye candy

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex.

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly.

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write.

Find Cara on social media here: https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

Gideon’s Wish: Gay Romance by Bryan T. Clark: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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He might be Mr. Right, but their timing is all kinds of wrong…

Gideon Miller is done letting his heart do the thinking for him. Been there, done that, still has the emotional scars to prove it. Besides, he’s leaving Los Angeles soon. There’d be no point in starting up a new romance now. But when he meets the off-the-charts sexy, ex-military man next door, Gideon starts to question everything…

Isaiah Williams needs a fresh start. With his time in the Navy—and a painful, toxic relationship—behind him, he’s ready to start a new life. Now all he has to do is figure out how to keep his matchmaking mother out of his business…and how to not fall for his sweet, nerdy, and entirely too attractive neighbor…

They’re complete opposites with nothing but trust issues in common. Their timing? Terrible. And yet…none of that matters when they’re together. Will love be enough to get Gideon and Isaiah to happily ever after? Or are they destined to remain star-crossed?

“Gideon’s Wish, a standalone, steamy, lightly angsty, M/M contemporary romance, features a loveable, openly gay handyman and the not-so-openly gay alpha male of his dreams. HEA guaranteed. Download today and get ready to fall in love with your next favorite read.”

Publisher: Cornbread Publishing

Release Date: Saturday, May 1 2021

Page Count: 364

Cover Artist: Karrie Jax

Genres: Romance MM

Amazon 

“Your dad and I are so proud of you and the work you’ve done on the house. I admit, I thought your dad was crazy to want to take the loan out to do this…But it really looks nice.”

He knew she was referring to the latest pictures he’d sent her. Although he’d spent every bit of the twenty grand from the home equity loan they’d taken out for the project, they saved so much money in labor by him doing the work himself.

Gideon groaned into the receiver. He hated talking money with her. It was always ‘we can’t afford that.’ “Well, I wanted to talk to you and Dad about the master bathroom. I was thinking we should redo the bathroom before we put it back up for rent. I can pay for it with the money I’m making, and…” The sound of a door closing caused Gideon to look over his shoulders, out the window, and into the carport that he and his neighbor, Daisy, shared.

Jesus! Gideon’s lower jaw dropped as he stared at the young man coming out of Daisy’s house holding a trash bag. Shirtless, his gorgeous brown chest muscles were like two rounded mountains.

As the guy walked across the carport, Gideon’s eyes traced down his picture-perfect six-pack abs to a tapered waist and strong thighs. He had the classic military hair cut, trimmed short all the way around except for the top of his head.

“Hold on! Your father’s walking in. Talk to him about that. I love you!”

“I love you, too,” he tried to say before she was gone. As he waited for his dad to get on the phone, Gideon now remembered Daisy saying last week that her son, Isaiah, was coming home and would be staying with her until he got on his feet. Was this who this gorgeous specimen of a man was?

Gideon’s gaze fell below the guy’s waist. Holy shit! What the hell is that swinging in his black nylon gym shorts? Obviously, commando under the tight shorts, the sheer size of it sent blood flooding into Gideon’s own groin.

The man’s warm chestnut skin tone complimented his black hair and thin, neatly-trimmed mustache that dropped to his jaw line. If this was indeed Isaiah, he was way better-looking than his brothers and in great shape. He was all kinds of sexy.

What a cute read!
I completely fell in love with Gideon and Isaiah….they are seriously the cutest.
Let’s discuss….

Gideon is in town only long enough to fix up his grandma’s house that the family inherited, so they can rent it out and hopefully make some money to use towards their tourist destination in the rainforest, where he lives with his mom, dad and brother. The rainforest and nature and the family business has been his life and up until now, he’s been okay with that.

Following a slimy ex and then getting sick and staying for treatment under the guise of working on the house was more apt to say but his family didn’t know that. I truly felt for him and I liked that Gideon wasn’t a perfect character, but one with what some might consider a flaw or two that would take an understanding partner to come to terms with.

When we meet Isaiah, I wasn’t sure what to think of him. Gorgeous ex-navy man, he’s staying with his mother while he’s back in town and studying to graduate the police academy… Gideon is their neighbor and though he isn’t typically Isaiah’s type, he doesn’t deny that he’s smitten with him the moment he lays eyes on him. He tries to talk himself out of it, but Gideon is so charming and so unexpectedly cute, he can’t help but fall for him….. and calling him Puppy…. I loved that.

Unfortunately, the more time these two spend with each other, the deeper their feelings grow, and that sucks because eventually, Gideon has to get back to his family. He can’t stay… no matter how much he wants to… See, the tourist destination thing is his family’s dream… or his dads, I should say… not his. He just doesn’t want to disappoint them. He knows that his dad is getting up there in age and he’s expected to take things over when his dad can no longer do it. Meeting Isaiah made him want things he couldn’t have….for more than one reason.

This was a really sweet read with very little angst and it was exactly what I needed today. I won’t tell you all how it ends or give any more details, (like I like doing because I have no self-control) but I’ll say that if you like sweet couple’s who find their way to forever, this is the one for you. What a cute ending as well. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of these two and their families.

5 pieces of eye candy

Bryan T. Clark is a hopeless, perpetual, unceasing, relentless, unremitting, persistent, interminable romantic. He is a voracious reader who is blessed with an innate love of writing and who, after over 30 years, remains madly in love with the man of his dreams. So, it is no surprise then, that his passion in life is writing captivating and engaging romantic dramas about men who love men. He is committed to bringing his readers stories of real life, with multicultural characters, riveting plots, and of course, what we all desire…ever-lasting love. A multi-published, Rainbow Award winning author and a 2x LAMBDA Literary Finalist, he is also a funny, loving, family-oriented, and a proud member of the LGBTQ community. He is the founder of Cornbread Publishing Inc. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Bryan and his husband of thirty-six years have made their home and life in the Central Valley of California.

Author Website: https://www.btclark.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/btclarkauthor

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/BryanTClarkx2

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romanceauthor

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53309216-far-away

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Crossing Lines: Hollywood Hopefuls Book Three by Jeris Jean: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Crossing Lines is a sexy and sweet age-gap, opposites-attract mm romance set in Hollywood.

When Matt is propositioned by Jasper, a hot older guy, he’s more than down. That is until he realizes Jasper has a boyfriend, and Matt would be joining them both. He’s not into it, especially since the boyfriend is a jerk, so he ditches them both. What Matt doesn’t expect is the lingering disappointment that the handsome man who approached him wasn’t single and he didn’t get a chance to know him better.

Jasper is not used to rejection. He didn’t become one of the most successful and highest-paid executives in all of Hollywood by accepting defeat. So when Matt, the sexy young barista, turns him down flat not once but twice, he doesn’t quite know what to do. Jasper finds himself going out of his way to get to know what’s behind Matt’s reluctance when it’s clear there is a mutual attraction between them.

Crossing Lines is an age gap, opposites attract mm romance set in Hollywood. There’s some angst and plenty of heat, but you can count on a HEA. (CW: references to past sexual assault.) This is the third book in the Hollywood Hopefuls series, but it works as a standalone novel.

Crossing Lines by Jeris Jean

Hollywood Hopefuls, Book 3

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

“Here we are,” Jasper said, pulling into a parking lot near the waterfront and killing the engine. Surprisingly, Jasper felt oddly nervous now that they were there. He’d thought this was a safe idea for a first date, but he was suddenly second-guessing himself, and he didn’t know why. What if Matt hated it? What if he thought it was too cliché? What if he was expecting more? What if it was too much?

Matt had unbuckled his seatbelt and was looking around the marina through the windshield. “What are we doing at Marina del Rey? You’re not taking me on a boat, are you? Because I’ll have you know I get motion sickness and puking in front of you is not on my list of desirable outcomes for this date.”

Jasper unbuckled his seatbelt, too. “We’re not going on a boat.” He opened his door and said, “Come on, we need to make a quick stop before we settle in.”

Once they were out of the vehicle, Jasper pointed to a big screen hanging near the water. “It’s a drive-in movie night,” he told Matt, biting his lip as he waited for Matt’s reaction.

“Really?” Matt’s eyes lit up as he looked at Jasper. “I’ve never been to a drive-in movie before.”

Jasper grinned, relief easing the tension he’d been holding in his shoulders. “Yeah. I heard about it from one of the writers on our show, and I thought it sounded fun. I hope you can handle a musical, though. It’s La La Land tonight. Have you seen it?”

Matt’s eyes sparkled and his smile spread further. “Have I seen it? Ryan Gosling playing piano? It’s one of my favorites.”

Book three in a connected series, although they can be read as a stand alone. I read book 1, missed book 2, now we have book 3. I will say this one was FAR better than the first. There were still some issues, but still. WAY better.

Matt is out with his brothers celebrating the youngest turning 21. Matt is propositioned by Jasper and at first he agrees, till he finds out it is actually Jasper and his boyfriend and Matt backs out.

Jasper and his boyfriend have an open relationship, but it kind of seems that Jasper isn’t as into it as he seems. So when the boyfriend doesn’t come home until morning, they break up. No one really seems that upset about it. Even though they were living together.

Turns out Matt runs a coffee cart on the studio lot where Jasper is a television producer/writer/creator. So begins the flirtation. And then the honest to god dating. It was cute.

Things naturally progress for them. Matt’s siblings play a decent role in the book, as does Jasper’s business partner. They never explicitly say they are exclusive or open, which turns into a bit of an issue later on.

One head scratcher for me was Matt tensing up and putting a stop to the sexy times when Jasper touched his back. Because of past issues, etc. But… he was ready, willing and able to go home with Jasper from the club without even knowing him.

The book was super tropey as well. Age difference, rich/poor, no parents taking care of siblings, etc.

The misunderstandings didn’t need to happen- especially since Jasper was more experienced.

Overall, it was cute. And easy read with a little past trauma rearing it’s head but not too angsty at all.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Jeris Jean is a life-long Minnesotan with an obsessive love of books. She has a master’s degree in English Literature but didn’t write her first novel until she was in her mid-thirties. Something just “clicked,” and all fell into its rightful place.

Jeris is a lover of cats, coffee, binge-watching tv shows, her bffs, puzzles, knitting, white sunglasses, black nail polish, purple hair, and reading and writing like it’s going out of style, especially mm romance.

She lives with her husband, two sons and their cat, Fluffy Cat Love, in a lovely little suburb of Minneapolis.

Connect with Jeris:
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Silky Smooth: A Bold Brew Story by A.M. Arthur: Release Day Review

by

Falling in love isn’t always smooth sailing.

College drop-out Nicolas Cannon has a secret he’s been hiding for all his adult life. A secret that has left him isolated and mostly friendless—until the day a very friendly parrot flies into his life. In his search to discover the parrot’s owner, Nicolas meets the handsome, enigmatic and much-older Alex Durant. But Nicolas has become fond of Alex’s pet Calamity, and the pair develop an unexpected friendship over their love of the bird.

Alex Durant is a man with money and power, but he’s also haunted by his past with an abusive ex. Calamity saved Alex’s sanity, and he’s surprised at how easily he shares her attention with Nicolas, a young artist who arrests Alex’s attention. As their friendship takes a brand-new, sexy turn, Nicolas discovers Alex also possesses something else he never expected: a shared love of silky underthings. But Nicolas isn’t out to his family, and that decision may test his fledgling relationship with Alex to the breaking point.

Silky Smooth is a stand-alone story in the multi-author Bold Brew shared universe, centered around an inclusive coffee shop set in a fictional college town. Each steaming hot coffee shop romance can be enjoyed alone, but collect all ten for the most fun! My 40k word story features a reclusive artist, a lonely restauranteur, an emotional support parrot, age gap, and satin underwear.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Book 6 in the Bold Brew series that are connected through the cafe they all frequent, so they can be read in any order. Same world, different characters.

In this installment we meet Nicolas and Alex. Nicolas who dropped out of college his senior year due to bullying and Alex who is newly divorced and dealing with some trauma of his own. Alex has an emotional support parrot (seriously) who escapes when he is on a business trip and Nicolas finds him outside of the cafe.

Extremely introverted, he is wary of this bird who offers affirmations, but is good heart compels him to take the bird home and hopefully find his owner. After a week though, he was kind of enjoying the company and routine of having a pet. So of course that is when the owner shows up.

Even with a 15 year age difference, Alex and Nicolas are obviously drawn to each other. But it is never awkward. Their romance, albeit fast, just seems smooth and natural.

This was a fairly quick read that didn’t have much angst. Nicolas’ issues were dealt with, but Alex never really got any closure. That is probably my only real criticism.

As a fan of A.M. Arthur, I felt like this story harkened back to her earlier books. I really enjoyed it.

4 pieces of eye candy