TCO Exclusives

Confetti Hearts by Lily Morton: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review *2, and Giveaway

March 15, 2023 by Denise

. .

Joe Bagshaw doesn’t believe in love or marriage anymore, which is rather a hindrance for a wedding planner.

His own marriage was a whirlwind affair that ended before the ink could dry on the wedding certificate. Nevertheless, even with his divorce pending, he’s getting by. Or at least he was until he finds himself snowed in at a remote Scottish hotel with the wedding party from hell, a terrible ABBA tribute band, and his soon-to-be ex-husband.

Lachlan has missed Joe from the second his husband walked away. He wants Joe back and is prepared to do anything to get him. Being snowed in together seems to offer the chance Lachlan needs, but does he have what it takes to get Joe to trust in love and their marriage again?

From bestselling author Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy about love, matrimony, and the best of second chances.

This is the first book in the Confetti Hitched series.

Title: Confetti Hearts
Authors: Lily Morton
Length: 81k
Series: Confetti Hitched, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary romantic comedy.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” Lachlan says, looking a little awkward.

“Well, unless you get married and can’t organise things on your own, it would be unlikely.”

“Joe,” Louis snaps. “I’m waiting.”

I ignore him and grin at Lachlan. “So, how long are you here for?”

“Until tomorrow.”

“Well, this has a familiar feeling.”

He studies me, his eyes dark and knowing.

“Joe?” Louis snaps.

I spin to face him. “Louis, do you remember ignoring my words of advice? In fact, do you remember the lovely afternoon when you called me a nagging old woman?”

He shuffles his feet. “I thought it would be fine.”

As if on cue, a cascade of clothes comes sailing past us. Freya has obviously moved to the second balcony. Maybe she’s filled in the other pool and is looking for other options. The clothes land in the pool and sink, rather like the subject of the song currently playing. “Recent events are proving that’s fairly wide of the mark.”

He rallies. “Well, I think you’re being paid as our wedding planner. You got an enormous amount of money to do your job so you should get on with it.”

I put my hands on my hips. “And are you married now?”

“Yes, but—”

“But me no buts, Louis. You’re married. Ergo my work is done. I’m the planner. The clue is in the title. Are you expecting that I’m going to stay with you for a few years afterwards and smooth your way through life? Maybe until you’ve had your fifth child. Does that need to go into my job description now? I’m a wedding planner. Not Nanny McPhee.”

He subsides. “I’ll wait.”

“Thank you,” I say graciously.

Right guy, wrong time. Grumpy, sunshine. Forced proximity. Second chance love. This book was filled with all of the tropes. And I loved it.

Part of the book, I think less than half, is a series of stories of Joe and Lachlan together. How they met. How they accidentally met again. How they met on purpose, etc. It’s quite a whirlwind romance between the two. But that ends when they break up and we get a six month time jump.

Joe is a wedding planner in Scotland for a client’s wedding. And so is Lachlan. His ex he hasn’t spoken to in 6 months. The ex who broke his heart. And then there is a snowstorm stranding them at the hotel/wedding venue. And GASP! no rooms left for Joe so he will have to room with Lachlan.

Over the course of just a few days, they finally LISTEN to each other. Talk to each other. Figure out what happened. Admit their true feelings. And while they had some distractions, including a manager who is sick and devil like twins, they were able to focus on each other without regular life interrupting.

I really enjoyed how they came together on something they will do every year to solidify their marriage. They are also, finally, on the same page.

There were some weddings in there that offered some great humor as well as some smoking hot sex scenes. A page turner for sure.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

It seems like I’m always gushing about Lily Morton‘s books, but there is a solid reason. As I’ve said before, this author is one of the best in this genre in romantic comedy. Hands down. In fact, I very rarely highlight books at all, even less so with ARCs. I had over 10 highlights of some of the most hilarious parts of this book. I’m not going to quote here, because you have to read them yourself, but a couple of ones to watch for are 1) Acapulco 2) game night. I could NOT stop laughing. (I might have scared a cat off my lap…she’s fine, she resettles quickly. 😉 )

Some of my favorite tropes were in this book. Second chance at love, only one bed, and a marriage planner who didn’t believe in marriage. And it all worked so well!

These two took a while to figure their sh1t out. They were both idiots in one way or another…mostly Lachlan, but Joe was not that much better. Lachlan was so afraid of commitment (despite asking Joe to marry him) that he basically pushed Joe out the door. Meanwhile, Joe, Mr. Impulsive, wasn’t exactly a great communicator (they both sucked at it, tbh). His go-to was run, far and fast.

When they finally have no choice but to be in the same room together, they slowly start to work their way through the mess they both made of their marriage. Lachlan turns out to not be a bad guy, just was stupid there for a while. In the end, Lachlan did a lot of great things to help Joe, while Joe was working on what would have been one of the most stressful weddings.

I didn’t get a chance to read Vow Maker because it came out right after I had a pretty major leg injury, and I’m sad that I didn’t get to meet Joe that way, and now I need to go back and read that one, to finish off the Mixed Messages series, which is also hilarious. **Seriously if you haven’t read Rule Breaker with Dylan and Gabe, and the emails…oh, you have to…in fact, maybe I need to go back to that now! Apparently, I will be reading Lily Morton again for a while. 🙂

Loved this one, grab it, read it, laugh with it, and enjoy the happy. And now…who do we get next in this series? Hmmm….

Off to read the additional short story! Yeah!

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

Lily has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

Fairy Cakes in Winter by Lane Hayes: Release Blitz , Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

March 9, 2023 by Denise

A grumpy baker, a quirky ad man, and a recipe for forever…

Scott

So this cute guy sits next to me on the plane and proceeds to talk my ear off for hours. Not good. I don’t like talking and I don’t like strangers. But Theo’s sweet, smart, and sexy—the perfect distraction from business woes and personal worries.

Okay, things get overly friendly, but we’re adults who know the score. I’m too old, he’s too nice, and we live on different continents.

Then, out of the blue, he shows up at my bakery with that pretty smile and a list of wacky marketing ideas—like how to make fairy cakes a thing.

I don’t like fairy cakes.

But I do like Theo, so…maybe?

Theo

The new me takes risks. The new me is brave and confident. The new me flirts with hunky, imposing bears on planes while traveling to a foreign country.

It’s going well, thank you.

However, my plans to sight-see, drink tea, and eat my weight in biscuits every day are derailed when I realize there might be a way to help Scott and prove a few things to myself.

Don’t worry. I won’t fall for the grumpy baker. No way. He’s complicated and broody and—

Uh oh…it might be too late. Help!

Fairy Cakes in Winter is a bisexual, age-gap, grumpy/sunshine MM romance featuring a sexy baker, a sunny tourist, and a few dozen fairy cakes.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

“You’re here.” Scott shot a scrutinizing glance at me before moving to the urinals.

I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have to pee and I certainly wasn’t going to stand next to him with his dick out after what I’d said, so…I washed my hands again, my gaze fixed on Scott’s broad shoulders in the mirror.

He joined me at the sink a minute later and gave me a sideways once-over. “What was that all about?”

“What?” I squeaked.

“The code.”

“Uh…” I licked my lips nervously and shrugged. “Nothing. I didn’t, um—”

“Yeah, you did.” He straightened and moved to the dryer.

“You shouldn’t use that. Germs and bacteria,” I blurted, citing my findings regarding health and sanitation concerns.

Scott arched a brow, ignoring my lame attempt at a subject change. “Thanks for the info. I’m going to guess you wanted me to follow you in here.”

“Yes.”

“And then…what?”

“I hadn’t worked that part out,” I admitted.

He chuckled, low and deep. “Really? ’Cause I think you did, and if it’s what I think it was…you need a tactical lesson or two.”

“Excuse me,” a young man with a lilting British accent and wet hands gestured at the hand dryer.

“Sorry about that.” Scott stepped aside, pulling me with him. “Number one, you can’t just say ‘code,’ and number two…you gotta watch out. There are a lot of shitheads in the world who—”

“Shh!” I smacked his biceps and glanced frantically around the empty-for-now restroom. “We can’t talk about this here.”

“Relax. He’s gone.” He waited a beat. “And you started this. That was your code, Theo.”

I bit the inside of my cheek and winced. “I know. Bad idea.”

“A reckless one, for sure.”

“Now what?” I whispered, following Scott to the sink when someone walked in.

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. N-never mind.”

He raised his brow and hiked his thumb toward the stalls. “You want—really?”

“Sure, or…I’m open to suggestions,” I choked out.

Scott’s slow, pirate’s smile scared and thrilled me at the same time. “Suggestions. Right. Well, you’re the one calling the shots now. Tell me what you want, Theo.”

This was a cute, fun, no angst romp.

I don’t often read blurbs of authors I like. I just jump in. So I honestly was thinking that Theo was the baker and Scott was a stuffy businessman when they first met on a flight from Seattle to London. Nope. Scott is grumpy, a bit, but he is a baker. And Theo is sort of between jobs. He left a marketing job to become a CPA. In the interim he is off for a month long vacation to see his mother.

His month long vacation turns into vacation fling and some of his previous marketing experience to help Scott’s bakery become more successful.

Theo does spend time with his mother. Seeing the sights in her town. It just so happens that Scott has a pop up shop one town over. How convenient.

Yes, the story is very sweet, but also spicy. But the sexy times are well placed and not used to simply take up page space.

There was a brief thing at the beginning with a friend maybe flirting with Scott by text, but it’s never mentioned again.

This is a quick, fun, happy read for the winter blahs. Grab a fairy cake and a cup of tea and jump in.

4 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, 2018-2019, 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards. She loves wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a newly empty nest.

Connect with Lane:
My Readers’ Group, Lane’s Lovers: https://bit.ly/3aIbMYg
My Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3cICfaK
Blog: www.lane-hayes.com
Twitter: twitter.com/LaneHayes3
FB: facebook.com/LaneHayesAuthor
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/lanehayes
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/lane-hayes
Instagram: instagram.com/lanehayes3/
Goodreads: goodreads.com/LaneHayes
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@lane_hayes
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The Skeptic (Arcana Books, Book 1) by Lily Morton, Narration by Joel Leslie: Audiobook Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Audiobook Review and Giveaway

March 8, 2023 by Denise

. .

As the best friend of a psychic, Will Buchanan can’t help but believe in the dead. It’s the living that he finds to be problematic. However, after a spate of betrayals, he finally has the chance of a new life within his grasp, and he’s not going to risk it for anyone or anything. Staying safe is the name of Will’s game.

Jem Dawson defines the word temporary. A talented cameraman, he’s here today and will undoubtedly be gone tomorrow chasing adventure and danger. But, while he’s in York, he’s made it clear he wants Will, and Will can’t help liking the charming daredevil.

This inconvenient attraction results in Will accompanying Jem to the site of a notorious poltergeist outbreak. A malevolent spirit has targeted a family, and now the ghost hunting team for whom Jem does camerawork are going to be locked down in the house for three days.

The house is strange and filled with sinister and violent undercurrents. One by one, the group experiences threatening incidents, and as events escalate, Will has to ask himself if he’s risking not just his heart but also his life with this impulsive gesture.

This is the first book in the Arcana Books series featuring characters from the bestselling Black and Blue series.

The Sceptic

By Lily Morton

Arcana Books, Book 1

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Audible – Audiobook

Goodreads

“Cheers.” Jem takes a sip before putting the mug down and fiddling with the little paper label.

“You okay?”

He smiles. “Just working out what to say.”

“Don’t think. Just say what’s in your head, Jem.” I look around. “I had some biscuits somewhere. Biscuits always help.”

With a rustle of paper, the packet of chocolate bourbons slides slowly across the counter, coming to rest in front of me. Jem’s mouth falls open.

“Thanks, Rosalind,” I call. I kick his ankle, and he jerks.

“Oh. Okay, thank you, Rosalind,” he says, obeying my silent urging.

I smile at him and push the packet towards him. “Take one.”

He reaches out his hand, and we both stare as the packet is moved very firmly away from him.

“Erm,” I say.

He tries again, but once more, the packet moves until it settles by my side.

He bites his lip. “Either she thinks I need to go on a diet, or she doesn’t like me.”

“Why wouldn’t she like you ?” I ask in amazement.

He smiles. There’s a breath of cold air and the smell of lily of the valley, then we both watch as his cup is pushed away from him, and his bag is lifted from the chair and set at his feet.

“Rosalind,” I sigh. I hesitate and then look imploringly at Jem. “I’m going to do something now. Can we please forget what is about to happen and never mention it to another living soul?”

“I don’t think I can promise that,” he says solemnly. “This has the feel of something good.”

I take a breath. “Rosalind, this is Jem. He’s a friend, and he means well. He’s very nice, and you’ll like him. I promise.”

An invisible hand runs through my hair, and I shiver at the cold blast of air.

Jem stares at me, his eyes wide. “She just ruffled your hair. Wasn’t she a famous murderess?” he whispers.

“Yes. But it’s rude to mention it,” I say firmly. “Say hello.”

“This isn’t a prank, is it? There aren’t any cameras in here, are there?”

“At least thirty recording your every move. Say hello.”

“H-Hello,” he finally stutters. “Lovely to meet you, R-Rosalind.”

The cold wind eddies around us, sending the biscuits rolling off the table. Then, the cupboard doors fly open one by one before the kitchen door slams shut. Footsteps thump loudly on the stairs. The warmth slowly returns to the kitchen, and I get up and close the cupboard doors. When I settle back into my chair, I find him staring at me.

Is there a Lily Morton book that I haven’t loved? Haven’t found one so far. Yes, I like some more than others, but this author writes humor better than most any author in this genre, and The Sceptic is no exception. Even with the mystery surrounding the house that Will and Jem are helping at, there are lots of little snarky moments, courtesy of Jem, quite a bit, but also Will as he became more comfortable.

I will not give anything away about the mystery and suspense in this story, except to say that I would have been out of there pretty quickly myself. 🙂

Will, Blue Billings’ best friend, definitely got the short end of the stick more than once in his life, and someone who was a gentle giant like him, I don’t know how that character wasn’t hard and cynical. I would guess the only reason he wasn’t cynical and hard was because he had his best friend for so many years. Instead, he was looking forward to going away to college, now that he didn’t have to take care of Blue. However, with the circumstances he had dealt with, it was fairly easy to see how he didn’t trust that anyone would be there for him, when the chips were down. Jem, though, did not let him down, and that had to have been just one more reason why Will was willing to let his heart feel again.

Jem, a photographer with mad wanderlust (his word), but also felt a strong pull towards the gentle man who he met through Blue. He was quick witted, funny, and determined to work his way into Will’s heart slowly. It was very sweet how he let Will know right away that he was chasing after him. And Will, slowly became less nervous around Jem, until he realized he wasn’t any longer. They were very much opposites, yet their personalities meshed so well together, supporting and caring for each other.

And the hugs-the sweetness of the hugs! There just isn’t enough simple hugs in romancelandia, and we need to correct that.

As usual, Joel Leslie knocks another one out of the park. I don’t know how he does it to, be honest. He’s able to give each character distinct voices and mannerisms, no matter their gender. The listener knows who is speaking/narrating at all times, whenever he is on tap for a book. His voice can wrap you up in the story, exactly like one of those comforting hugs between Will and Jem. When you are done, you feel better for having spent the time in a marvelous story with a marvelous narrator.

The blurb on this says it is the first book in the series, and I am hopeful there is more to come. I do enjoy my romance filled with suspense.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

Illegal Motion (The Package Deal, Book 4) by Rheland Richmond & Emerson Beckett: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

March 3, 2023 by Denise

. .

Callum Kennedy

I should have known behind that deep sexy southern drawl, and beautiful face lived the world’s biggest asshole.

I’ve tried my damnedest to put him behind me. But it was hard to do when I saw his face every night in my dreams and couldn’t forget how he worked my body over.

It was okay. I had my work as a vet, my equine rescue to manage, and my friends. I’d forget him or work myself to death trying.

Except there’s one problem.

Turns out he’s the new free-agent running back who just signed a one-year deal with the Portland Pirates. The infamous Declan Miller has turned my world upside down and reinserted his unforgettable self back into my life for the next year.

Declan’s the last person I want help from, but it looks like I don’t have a choice.

Declan Miller

When I walked into Alejandro’s Bar that night in late July, I never expected to meet someone my first night in town.

But the sexy guy with wavy dark blond hair and hazel-green eyes sitting alone at the bar caught my attention immediately. Or maybe it was the way he was sniffing his own shirt.

After a night of the best sex of my life, I knew I had to push him away. I wasn’t doing relationships anymore, and this gorgeous, funny man had the power to break me.

But when I find out my unforgettable hookup is part of my new friend group, Dr. Callum Kennedy wants nothing to do with me until he has no choice but to let me help.

Illegal Motion is an MM sports romance and the fourth book in The Package Deal Series about the hot single dads of the Portland Pirates football team.

Tropes: enemies to lovers, close proximity, found family, one-night stand to forever, sports romance.

Title: Illegal Motion
Authors: Rheland Richmond & Emerson Beckett
Length: 90k
Series: The Package Deal, Book 4
Genre: Contemporary, Sports Romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

I was gonna be sick. Declan was here and with some girl at the bar. Jesse was talking to me, and I hadn’t heard a word. My eyes wouldn’t leave Declan, and the pain that shot through me had nothing to do with my arm. It was my heart. And now it felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer and busted it into tiny pieces.

Evidently, he’d moved on from me and what we’d shared — more like what I thought we’d shared—at the stable. Why I thought he ever cared about me proves how stupid I’ve been.

Jesse was pretty sharp and knew me well. When he threw his arm around my shoulder and leaned in to whisper, I knew he’d figured it out.

“I’m guessing that’s Declan.” He squeezed me tighter. I think he actually held me together.

I nodded, mute from the pain. I refused to show him he’d again taken a battering ram to my heart. So I steeled my expression and acted as if I hated him. And right now, I did.

“Let’s go.” Jesse unhooked his arm from around my shoulder, took me by the hand, and led me to a booth in the back, out of sight from the bar. I couldn’t see him from where we finally sat, which was a good thing.

I slid into the booth, and Jesse slid in beside me. “Are you okay?” The concern on his face was worn by my best friend for as long as I could remember. His concern was genuine.

I shook my head. “No, not one part of me is okay. I need a drink. And something to break or throw. Do they have darts?” I looked around.

“Damn, Callum. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you react this way to anyone.”

I shrugged and laughed to cover up my misery. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love that asshole.” I laughed bitterly. “I’ve got to find a way to get over him. It’s been almost a year, and then the two weeks at the stables. God damn!” I shut my eyes, rubbing my chest over my heart. It was literally breaking in my chest.

“I told you how to forget him,” he said. “I’d fuck you, but I don’t think it would hold the same appeal.”

I looked at him and scrunched up my face. “Gross, dude! You’re like my brother!”

This is book 4 in the Package Deal series by these authors, and it was definitely a different feel than the others, to me. It was a lot about learning to communicate, even as it’s something you’ve never done well before. And finding forgiveness, so much forgiveness.

Let’s face it, Declan was an a-hole after their one night stand. Rather than acknowledging how it felt for both of them, he just basically told Callum “yeah, you were one night, and I’m done”, without even learning his name. This comes back to haunt him months later, despite him having thought of Callum the entire time. In his defense, Declan’s ex-wife was a piece of work, and caused him to feel that he was the one who effed up their relationship.

Callum, a sweet vet, with a lot of steel in his spine. He didn’t put up with crap from Declan. Even when Declan declared their one night stand meant nothing, Callum didn’t hesitate to tell him to get out. Their interactions when they were still enemies were hilarious to me though. Callum declaring they were not sleeping together again (for a third time) and Declan basically laughing and saying “you go ahead and think that”.

Declan kept trying to apologize in his own way, but honestly didn’t really understand well enough how to communicate to do it well, and figure out that what he wanted was what Callum was looking for. Emotional intelligence, thy name is NOT Declan. He learned, but what a hard head. 🙂 I did love though how he was able to recognize Callum being stretched too thin, and jumped in where he could, with a specialty that Callum wasn’t quite as good at. Declan took time to come around, but when he did, he still had to figure out how to bring Callum back around.

I’ll leave some of the surprises, but it is an enjoyable book, and I always love a book that has a good sports theme. This one is a little spare on the football part, but it is still a big part of the background for the MC’s and all their friends.

4 pieces of eye candy

Rheland Richmond:

For as long as she can remember, Rheland’s had her nose stuck in a book, getting lost in the world of someone else’s creation (She still does). Her love for writing came from her love for reading. She could never have one without the other.

Writing has always been a hobby and a cathartic experience for her. There are many stories lost to the never to be completed or published pile but needed to be written at the time.

She’s just a girl that loved stories so much she decided to write hers.

Rheland would love to hear from her readers and learn more about y’all. So if you get a chance… Get in touch.

 Connect with Rheland:
www.rhelandrichmond.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@rhelandrichmondmmauthor
https://www.instagram.com/rhelandrichmond/
https://www.facebook.com/rhelandrichmond.author.58
https://www.facebook.com/groups/RichmondsRiders/

Emerson Beckett:

Emerson Beckett is new to the publishing world. As an avid sports fan and lover of well-written M/M romance books, Emerson loves her new career as an author of gay romance. It’s even more fulfilling for her when she can combine the two.

The journey to becoming an author started with an idea while reading on the sofa. That idea became an email that ultimately resulted in Emerson using those teacher skills to edit novels for three phenomenal MM romance authors. The third referral led to an opportunity to co-write a book series with one of the most genuine and kindest people she’s ever had the pleasure of knowing- Rheland Richmond.

Emerson is the co-author of The Package Deal Series, which includes The Quarterback Keeper, Pass Interference, Unnecessary Roughness, Two-Point Conversion, and three more upcoming books in the series. She will release her first solo novel in late spring 2023.

Besides being a retired teacher and author, Emerson lives in North Carolina and has been married to the same man for 32 years. She is the mother of three beautiful adults, one of whom is proudly part of the LGBTQ Community and completely responsible for her addiction to MM Romance. Even though the kids no longer live at home, they filled the empty nest with an Australian Shepherd, three cats, and a cute bunny rabbit.

Emerson would love to hear from her readers. So if you get a chance… Get in touch.

 Connect with Emerson:
www.emersonbeckett.com
https://www.instagram.com/mm.author.emerson.beckett/
https://www.tiktok.com/@mmauthoremersonbeckett
https://www.facebook.com/author.emerson.beckett
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Drive by Courtney Maguire: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

March 2, 2023 by Denise

. .

Red has all but resigned himself to a life in the closet when he’s propositioned by the dashing, wealthy Victor Itachi. The small East Texas town of Black Creek isn’t the most hospitable environment for those who are different.

His secrets keep him–and more importantly, his sixteen-year-old half-sister, Katie–safe. But Victor’s dominance challenges everything Red thinks he knows and he finds himself swept up in an intense sexual relationship that forces him to confront his deepest desires, both in and out of the bedroom.

When an unlikely friendship with the only out gay man in town triggers Victor’s jealousy, Red must make a choice: submit fully to the relative safety of Victor’s control or risk it all for a chance at something real.

Title: Drive
Authors: Courtney Maguire
Length: 228 pages
Genre: BDSM, Kink.
Tropes: small town, rich love interest, friends to lovers.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, reaching for a beer out of the bucket perched between us. “How was your sister’s first day at school?”

“Good. Kind of amazing, actually.” Now, I couldn’t stop smiling. “I’ve never seen a kid so excited about homework.”

“Where is she going, now?”

“Oak Forest Charter School.”

He whistled. “It’s hard to get in there. And expensive. How’d you manage it?”

“I manage,” I said with faux indignation. “Just because I’m not heir to a lumber fortune doesn’t mean I’m impoverished, ya know.”

“First of all, I’m not heir to anything. My father saw to that,” he said, jabbing a finger in the air. “And that’s not what I meant. I just—”

“Relax, I know it’s not.” I picked at the label on my bottle. “We…had help.”

“Oh. I see.” He took a long pull off his beer and eyed me shrewdly. “You got a sugar momma, Red?”

I coughed violently as my drink nearly came out my nose. “Jesus Christ, Sean.”

“Hey, I don’t judge,” he said, laughing and holding up his hands. “A man has needs. So, who is she? An old widow who inherited a fortune? The wife of a rich oil man who hates her husband, but just can’t get enough of the hunk who rotates her tires?”

I threw a chunk of sod at him and he rolled out of its path, laughing like a hyena. “There’s no sugar momma, all right.” I wrinkled my nose. “And I’m not a hunk.”

“You kind of are, actually.” He shrugged as I arched an eyebrow in his direction. “So, sue me. I noticed.”

The heat on my neck spread to my whole face and I prayed he couldn’t see it in the dark. The beehive turned into a full-on hornets’ nest. He noticed? What did that mean? That he found me attractive? If I was honest with myself, I would admit I’d noticed him too. The moment he peeled off his sweaty shirt was the best part of my day. But I’d shoved it down deep, down into the same place I put all the other inappropriate emotions I couldn’t act on.

But what if I did?

I nearly jumped out of my skin when my phone lit up with that chorus of barking dogs. Sean rolled on the grass laughing as I fumbled in my pockets, kicking and swearing until I managed to rip it out and silence the ringtone. Victor. Shit.

“Speak of the devil?” Sean asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“It’s nobody.” Nobody? Fuck. I swiped across my phone until I reached his message, not that I needed to read it.

Heel.

I glanced at the time. Nearly midnight. He’d never called so late before. With a knot in my stomach, I tapped out a quick response.

Can’t. Busy.

“If you need to go…”

“I don’t.” I flinched as it went off again.

“You know, some girls might find that ringtone offensive.”

I rolled my eyes and checked the message.

Now.

A sliver of fear slid up my spine. Do I dare say no?

“Seriously, it’s fine,” he said, giving me a friendly punch in the arm.

“Really?”

“Yeah. At least one of us is getting laid.”

I groaned and pushed myself to my feet. Normally, a call from Victor would leave me electrified with desire, but my muscles were heavy and sore. I wanted to stay here, curled up on the grass in front of a fire that was too hot.

But my Master called.

This is a new to me author, but the blurb sounded good so I figured I would go for it.

The story started out well enough. Mechanic, in the closet, raising his teenage sister, small town Texas. Seemingly ultra rich guy gets his car serviced there and surreptitiously invites him for a night at an exclusive club.

The mechanic, Red, also ends up befriending the only out gay man in town when he needs help getting graffiti off of his car.

And from there, it was so much surface stuff. It takes forever to know why Red is raising his sister. He seems to fall into and accept the Dum/sub situation Vincent offers. He is too afraid of people seeing him with Sean, the out gay man. We know Vincent is a lawyer, but basically that is almost it until toward the end. I never really connected with the characters because they didn’t go deep enough.

This is hard without spoilers, but I will do my best.

Big ole plot twist. I was like, wha? And then, The End. I was mad. Mad. Build up this and then we get that. And we get that without any real satisfying story or conclusions or happily ever after or anything! GAH!

This seriously should have been two separate books. Instead of the plot twist, that should have just been a separate book. Because nothing was fleshed out at all.

3 pieces of eye candy

Courtney Maguire is a University of Texas graduate from Corpus Christi, Texas. Drawn to Austin by a voracious appetite for music, she spent most of her young adult life in dark, divey venues nursing a love for the sublimely weird. A self-proclaimed fangirl with a press pass, she combined her love of music and writing as the primary contributor for Japanese music and culture blog, Project: Lixx, interviewing Japanese rock and roll icons and providing live event coverage for appearances across the country.

Connect with Courtney:
Website: https://www.courtneymaguirewrites.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PretentiousAho
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CourtneyMaguireWrites
Mastodon: https://mas.to/@CourtneyMaguire

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Suddenly, Last Summer by Michael Robert: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway

February 20, 2023 by Denise

. .

TREY BARNES

I professed my love for Jordy when I was seventeen. He was leaving for his last year of medical school after working another summer at my family’s Banks Lake resort in the Pacific Northwest.

Desperate for him to know how I felt even though he was my older brother’s best friend, and fearing that he wouldn’t return after that summer, I decided to take the plunge and admit my feelings while I had the chance.

As the adult in the situation, Jordy wisely chose to discount my confession as simply a teenage crush. But my last spoken words to him were that I’d wait patiently for him.

And I always kept my promises.

JORDY HALL

I’d been away from my small hometown for nearly five years. Life and a stressful medical residency had kept me busy, but I finally returned to fulfill my best-man duties for my best friend’s upcoming wedding.

His younger brother, Trey, was a sweet, sensitive kid when I left years ago. The shy, lean teenager who’d tearfully professed his love for me my last summer there had grown into a sexy, confident man. I was intrigued by what I saw, though I probably should have walked away again.

Had he actually waited for me to return? Did I hope he had? He was nine years my junior and my best friend’s little brother. But he could be so much more.

After five long years, it was suddenly last summer.

Title: Suddenly, Last Summer

Author: Michael Robert

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“You’re definitely drunk, Derek, and I don’t want to witness your backpedaling tomorrow morning,” I said.

“I’m staying the night?” he asked excitedly. “I was hoping you’d want some.”

I stepped back and he shut the door behind him and grabbed me, pressing me against the wall again, and connecting with my lips. I relaxed for a moment and allowed him to lure me in with the sexual power he held over me. Derek was hard to resist and I was horny as hell. My cock was awakening and pressing against his body. As soon as my boxers made a tent, he’d slid his hand down and was massaging me through the slit in the front.

“You should probably stop that, Derek.”

“Your mouth says so but your dick seems happy to see me. Why don’t you let me have a little sucky-sucky?” he moaned.

I wanted nothing more than to feel his lips around my cock, but this wasn’t what I needed. I needed Derek to be attentive every day, not just days when he’d been rejected by me. Maybe I should have played harder to get than I had? Obviously, saying no to him was exactly what got him interested. But a quick blowjob? What would that hurt?

“Go ahead. Suck it,” I said nastily. “Swallow it deep too, fucker.”

Michael Robert is an author residing in Seattle, Washington. The Crow Flies Free is his debut novel. Michael enjoys traveling and he aspires to visit the locations of his upcoming novels so as to provide vivid and accurate descriptions of them. He enjoys tennis, road trips and fast cars. Please look for his future projects, the next story coming soon.

Connect with Michael:
https://linktr.ee/AuthorMichaelRobert

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