Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

TCO Reviewer: Denise

Sea of Love by Nic Starr: RB, New Release Review

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The cruise of a lifetime. A reality TV show about romance. Falling in love is inevitable.

Evan Williams is the type of guy to stick by his friends, especially when they’ve been hurt and need a favour. And if that favour involves the cruise of a lifetime, then how can he say no? Even when it means pretending to be a devoted boyfriend to Amber and having their fake relationship play out on a reality TV show for all the world to see.

Realising his boyfriend is a conceited jerk and dumping him doesn’t stop Harry Bishop from winding up as one half of a supposedly loved-up couple on the Sea of Love TV show. And if that’s not bad enough, he’s faced with temptation in the form of Evan, the perfect blend of boy-next-door-meets-sexy-stud he once crushed on. It’s going to be a long two weeks.

Two weeks of competitions, challenges, and confrontations. They’re here to take out the Sea of Love title—just not with each other—and there can only be one winner. But it turns out that true love isn’t about winning a contest; the real prize comes when you follow your heart.

Sea of Love is a feel-good romance featuring hidden attraction, fake relationships, and friends-to-lovers.

Title: Sea of Love

Author: Nic Starr

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 45,000 words

Genre: Romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Okay, ngl, I haven’t read a book by Nic Starr before. In fact, I went and looked at the author’s backlist, to double check, and nope, not one. And I’m really not sure how that happened, or why. I’ve seen the author around on FB, but just haven’t gotten to any of her books. Clearly I’ve been missing out. The author is from Australia, one of my fave places in the world, and so when authors write their characters from there, I just love it. Anyhow, I’m very glad I found a new author that looks like one I can plan to read more of!

This is just a happy little romance. Evan and Harry just fit together, and I really liked that they had known each other previously, so it wasn’t quite an insta-love, more like a “wow, I see you in different light”. Since they had a short time to get to know each other, having a previous connection really helped here.

The game show these two “couples” were on was fun, with little nods to other game type shows. The cooking challenge led to Harry’s hope to become a better cook. #lifegoals Even when the couples went ashore, they didn’t always end up together…you know, like real life. It was just sweet and fun, and made me happy reading it.

They both stuck to their values, until they realized the other was unattached. Then all bets were off. 🙂 Very little angst, even from the ex-boyfriend, who by the way was brilliantly waylaid many a time by Evan’s friend, Amber, without him knowing what was happening.

If you’re looking for a beachy type read, fun and very low angst, I definitely recommend this.

4 pieces of eye candy

Nic Starr lives in Australia where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn’t give it up for the world.

Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before eventually realising she had some stories of her own that needed to be told!

When not writing or reading, she loves to spend time with her family–an understanding husband and two beautiful daughters–and is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.

Website: https://nicstarr.com

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Dark Horse (The Braided Crop Ranch Book 3) by AE Lister: RB, Exclusive Excerpt and New Release Review

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Adam Marsland has a plan.

He’s been managing the Braided Crop Ranch for six years and wants to bring everybody he can find back for a week of games, competition, and celebration.

Henry Swift was a ponyboy at the BCR during its very first year. He learned to trot, pull a cart, and submit to his trainer. He’s never quite left the experience behind and is excited to receive Adam’s invitation to return.

But it’s not only the Ranch and its sex-positive atmosphere pulling Henry back to the seclusion of the Muskoka wilderness.

Ever since their first frantic and lustful encounter in the woods, Henry’s had a thing for Adam Marsland and his memories of his tumultuous time on the ranch have haunted him for years. Adam’s still at the ranch, and now Henry can go back and discover if the older man has any regret for the way things turned out in the past.

But the gymkhana Adam’s planning means the return of a plethora of ponyboys and trainers and Henry wonders if he will have trouble reminding Adam how much they wanted to be together back then, and how possible it might be for them now, in the midst of the excitement and testosterone.

No one ever said love was easy, but Henry is determined to make the most of his chance.

Title:  Dark Horse

Series: The Braided Crop Ranch, Book Three

Author: AE Lister

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 10/19/2021

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 64100

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, BDSM, pony play, age-gap, entertainment, humiliation, voyeurism, exhibitionism, over 40, second chance, reunited

Amazon

Nine Star Press

Goodreads

As I grabbed my bag and headed toward the main house, my nerves got the better of me. I stopped at the steps to the front porch and waited a few moments to get myself together. I took a deep breath, tousled my hair so it wasn’t sitting flat from the heat, and walked forward.

The door creaked open, and I stepped inside the air-conditioned interior. I glanced to the end of the hall where Adam had spoken of placing a gift shop to sell photos and other items related to the BCR. And there it was—a stylized horseshoe on the sign that said Snacks and Souvenirs. I grinned, then focused on the young man at the front desk. There had been so many cars going through the gate they’d posted a staff member there, so I hadn’t yet spoken to anyone at the main house.

“Hi, there,” I said. “I’m registered for the gymkhana.”

The young blond man looked me up and down and pulled out a pen. “Can I have your name, please?”

“Swift. Henry Swift.”

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice say, “Connor, can you get me a readout of everyone who’s arrived so far? I think we’re still waiting for—”

I looked up to see Adam Marsland walking toward me, having emerged from his office. He stopped dead when he saw me.

The hairs on my arms stood up, and my face flushed as our gazes met.

“Henry?” he said, sounding awed. “Is it you?”

“Yeah,” I nodded, grinning.

He looked just the same. Maybe there was a little more salt and pepper in his dark hair, and the wrinkles beside his eyes were deeper. But he was even more handsome than I remembered.

Suddenly, he was embracing me, and I couldn’t believe how familiar he felt after all this time. Six years without him and I still felt this way?

He pressed me against his body, a little longer than having been good friends would have dictated was appropriate, then withdrew as if I’d burned him. He glanced around us, laughing nervously.

“It’s wonderful to see you! You’re just as gorgeous as I remember.”

I blushed. “Aw, shucks. Thanks. You look just the same.”

He held my gaze, and the energy that had sparked between us all those years ago was still there.

This is the third book in this series, with the manager of the ranch being one of the MC’s. The ponyboy is someone the reader hasn’t met before, having been at the ranch the first year it opened, six years prior.

I struggled a little more with this book, than book 2. Not as much with the main characters. They were working their way back to each other, after having had a fling when Henry had been at the ranch the first time. When the event was announced, Henry decided to go and try to work it out with Adam. My struggle was more with returning characters.

Kamal and Owen return for the gymkhana, as well as Jensen, Luke and Noah. And I just can’t seem to get the dynamic with Kamal and Luke. It’s clear that Luke gets off on being humiliated, and that’s cool, and Kamal doesn’t have a problem dishing that out, also cool. However, it’s just such an odd space to be in, and watch from the sidelines. In any other type of book, I would likely see this as a prelude to cheating, and turn away from it instantly. However, these books have sex, a lot of sex, sex between couples, sex between strangers, so it’s obvious that there are a lot of open relationships. But these two are just a bit too angry at each other for my tastes.

I did like the development between Adam and Henry, and really enjoyed having the owner show up and the entire ranch put a show on for her. It was fun to read, even as Adam stressed himself out for it.

3 pieces of eye candy

Sleepwalker (In Step book 2) by Rachel Ember: Release Day Review * 2

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Oliver delights in control—at work as a top-tier lawyer, at home as a happy bachelor, and in the bedroom as a demanding Dom. That control slips when he meets Cujo, a stray Chihuahua who is just as vicious as she is tiny. Luckily, Blake, the young artist and dog-walker who comes to Oliver’s aid, is a miracle worker. When Oliver works late or has to travel, Blake is a text away. When Cujo needs a sweater or allergy medicine and growls in that way that promises bloodshed, Blake is there to save the day.

It hasn’t escaped Oliver’s attention that in addition to being useful, Blake is also smart, funny, and sexy. But Oliver can control himself, no matter how wild his imagination runs when he considers what he’d like to do with Blake. Besides, what are the odds that Blake’s tastes would intersect with Oliver’s very specific kinks?

Blake’s life is kind of a mess. He has nothing to show for his art degree except a portfolio reminding him that now, every time he gets in front of a canvas, he’s struck with a splitting headache before he can create anything worthwhile. His dog-walking business isn’t much of a business, really—it doesn’t pay the bills—but it’s the only thing he’s done lately that he feels good about. Things don’t seem like they could get any more bleak, and then he’s busted for marijuana possession.

And when he’s escorted to the courtroom in cuffs, the last person he expects to see on the bench in judge’s robes is Oliver… the dog-walking client he’s had a crush on since the day they met.

Amazon

I read book 1 and while it was fine, I certainly didn’t love it. BUT I really wanted to read book 2 because I just had a feeling it would be better. And I was totally right.

We got to know Oliver and Blake in book 1. But the first chapter of this book is a throwback a year or so when Oliver gets a dog. And therefore a dog walker. Who he is completely attracted to, but has rules about who he has sex with. Someone he “counts on” isn’t one of them. I thought that was kind of cool. You hear characters say no co workers or bosses or employees or friends or whatever. But no one you count on it really brilliant.

And so for a year Blake is just the dog walker and some time dog trainer for Oliver’s dog Cujo. Until something changed.

Both Blake and Oliver aren’t quite sure what they are doing and what they are and there are several small time jumps. A week, 6 weeks, etc. They didn’t feel misplaced and there wasn’t any story lacking with those jumps.

Although their burgeoning relationship was kind of haphazard, there was never that “No! I don’t want to be in a relationship!” thing that is getting rather old. Nor was their age difference made an issue. They really just seemed like 2 normal guys feeling their way around.

There is some light BDSM action, so if that isn’t your thing, now you know. They were good scenes, but also they were kind of out of place in the book. The cover and a lot of the story is very light hearted. Because of that, it wasn’t easy picturing Oliver as a dom. They could very easily have had hot vanilla sex and it would have fit better.

I will say that a big reason I am giving it 4 POEC is the BDSM element and because there seems to have been a fairly big thing left dangling. Ok, 2 big things now that I think about it.

But it was a good story that I enjoyed and I am glad I gave book 2 a chance.

Easily a stand alone also.

4 pieces of eye candy

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, more than Erin did. 😉 So, I was very much looking forward to book 2. I needed to know how someone like Oliver ended up with a chihuahua named Cujo. And how two such opposite people would end up together. Surprise, surprise! It worked!

We meet Blake in book 1, and he is just a dog walker to Oliver, as far as we understand. However, when this book picks up, it’s a year later, and Blake has actually spent a lot of his time training Cujo with Oliver, and maybe a crush was starting to happen a little. However, the point of change is big for Blake, when he sees a previous hookup of Oliver’s who does nothing to hide their BDSM relationship. Blake immediately knows it’s something he wants…and needs.

Blake’s health is a large part of the book, as well it should be. Seeing how it affected his every day life, and he kept moving, no matter what, was heart wrenching. Even as he hid it from everyone, he could have simply allowed his wealthy mother to care for or assist him, but he was determined to do all he could to just take that next step forward.

Landing in Oliver’s courtroom turned into the best thing that could have happened to Blake. It gave him the chance to open up, even in small pieces to someone he had already felt some trust with.

Their relationship developed naturally, and with small things here and there, which was perfect for both of them. They didn’t need to spend every minute with each other, they just needed to make those minutes count. Although seeing Oliver bumbling with Emile, as he started to fall for Blake was fun. The always put together, perfect in so many ways lawyer/judge feeling off kilter was fun to see.

There are a couple pieces that I’d have liked to have expanded, but all in all, I really enjoyed this one. And the showing at the end…felt so hard fought, and worth it. Well done.

4 pieces of eye candy

Unwritten Rules: A Gay Sports Romance by KD Casey: Release Day Review

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Ex-teammates—and exes—reunite for a second chance in this delightful sports romance from debut author KD Casey.

Zach Glasser has put up with a lot for the sport he loves. Endless days on the road, playing half-decent baseball in front of half-full stadiums and endless nights alone, pretending this is the life he’s always wanted.

The thing is, it could have been everything he ever wanted—if only he’d had the guts to tell his family, tell the club, that he was in love with his teammate Eugenio Morales. Well, ex-teammate now. When Zach wouldn’t—couldn’t—come out, Eugenio made the devastating choice to move on, demanding a trade away from Oakland. Away from Zach.

Three years and countless regrets later, Zach still can’t get Eugenio out of his head. Or his heart. And when they both get selected to play in the league’s All-Star Classic, those feelings and that chemistry come roaring back.

Zach wants a second chance. Eugenio wants a relationship he doesn’t have to hide. Maybe it’s finally time they both get what they want.

Amazon

Harlequin/Carina Press

I am a HUGE baseball fan. I’ve been a baseball fan my entire life, and I have a better than decent amount of knowledge, likely more than the average baseball fan. So, a lot of the terms and baseball verbiage that were used were things I knew and understood. That being said, I would venture to guess the average baseball fan, someone who watches occas, would not understand a large portion of the baseball terms in this book. It was extremely detailed in that aspect, which if I was reading a baseball book, would be completely understandable, but as this was intended as a romance, I think it was likely too much detail. I will say, though, the author clearly knows her stuff when it comes to baseball.

There were a few other details that struck me as strange, such as locations/events that were very closely named to actual MLB names, but only very slightly changed. Perhaps this was to avoid any trademark infringements, however, then I would think those things should have been changed completely.

With the romance, Eugenio leaves the team he and Zach were on, because Zach wouldn’t come out. And I couldn’t blame Eugenio one bit. Zach’s self loathing must have been hard to deal with. We get to see both the past and the present for these two, and seeing how difficult was for both of them was very sad. They had a lot in common, and clearly felt for each other, but with Zach feeling the need to stay in the closet, it was not their time.

Zach needed to spend some time growing and learning that he deserved to be himself, to be loved. And I almost felt the book really should have just been about that, not necessarily about Zach and Eugenio. There wasn’t a ton of chemistry, in my opinion, again, likely because it was so much about Zach and where he needed to go, and very little on Eugenio’s journey.

All in all, I think that the book could have been shortened down by about 10,000 words to get rid of what I think was (for me as someone knows all these terms, and spends entirely too much time watching it) too much baseball (words I never expected to say), and spend a little more time romancing the reader. I’ll always take an HEA/HFN, and this one provides that.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

KD Casey is a romance writer and baseball enthusiast living in the Washington, DC area. She primarily writes queer romance, particularly about baseball players.

On the nonfiction side, her writing has also been featured in the Baseball Prospectus Annual, the Hardball Times, and other venues. She’s an experienced writer, editor, and podcaster. Find her at kdcaseywrites on Twitter and Instagram. Want a free story? Subscribe to her newsletter at kdcaseywrites.com

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune; Narration Kirt Graves: New Release Review/Audiobook Review

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Welcome to Charon’s Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.

Amazon

Audible

Okay, full disclosure…I received an arc (thank you!) from the publisher for an honest review. HOWEVER, when I saw that Kirt Graves was doing the audiobook narration, I decided to wait for the audio. It’s actually the first time I’ve preordered an audiobook. I knew that I would enjoy TJ Klune’s book, but I knew I would love it even more, with Kirt’s narration. And thanks to these two men, I spent the better part of 3 hours crying…all in the name of a true HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

I’m not even sure where to start with this book. The author’s world building is so incredible, bringing life to what should be a dead place. All of the characters were rich and nuanced, not only the main characters. In fact, there really weren’t two main characters in this romance, but five total, and we learn so much about them throughout the book. Meanwhile, Wallace learns a lot about himself, who he was before he died, and who he really wanted to become. And in the end, he did all he could to redeem the wrongs that he did in life, as well as the ones that he saw after his death.

I loved that Hugo couldn’t touch Wallace…it was such a small thing, but it really spoke to what these two men were dealing with as they fell in love. Their lives were going in separate directions, they couldn’t touch, only see and talk, so Mei had to be the one to make any contact…well unless you could Nelson’s cane (haha). On top of it all, this book was hilarious. I’m still working from home, and was super glad that I was not at work listening to this book, for all the laugh out loud moments…as well as the bawling I did for the previously mentioned 3 hours.

There were so many little scenes in the book that moved it from an average book to amazing. Wallace playing with Apollo out back, or hanging out with Nelson and just talking all night. Even how much he clearly grew to respect Mei and all she did for her found family. Seeing Cameron’s life, and doing what he could to help in the tea shop. Every small step Wallace made brought him from a man everyone hated in the first chapter, to someone who you rooted to find his happy ending. Wallace built himself a family simply by being the man he wanted to be.

The narration by Kirt Graves was spot on once again. I enjoy the little inflections he adds to each and every book he narrates. He takes something mildly funny, and with just a simple pause, or a tiny gasp he turns it into a laugh out loud moment. His vocal range always allows me to know which character is speaking, even if the words don’t, something that is much appreciated. Kirt is definitely my top 3 narrators in this genre, and I’m always happy to spend a few hours in the world that he works so hard to recreate from the author’s vision.

In the end, you could not have asked for a happier ending, or a more fulfilling ride along the way. Full of humor, joy at the little things (like tea!) and so uplifting. I may have had puffy eyes for a full day after, but it was all well worth it.

Story: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Worth Trying (Without Precedent Book 2) by Chloe B. Young: New Release Review

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No strings attached is easier, until love tangles things.

Privileged playboy Innes Kent has been unmoored since his regular escort quit on him. Though he’s a talented lawyer at a successful firm, without the distractions of a gorgeous man and frequent sex, his mind often wanders in unpleasant directions. For instance, toward his estranged daughter and his many regrets therein.

Charlie is a budding fashion designer, but the need to support his unwell mother has left him scraping to get by. When his cleaning job sends him to a lavish office one desperate night, he’s overwhelmed by the excessive luxury he sees, and when Innes catches him thieving, he’s at the lawyer’s mercy.

But Charlie is just the distraction that Innes needs: a proud and determined scrap of a man who challenges him, annoys him, and attracts him all at once. The perfect choice for a personal assistant who won’t bore him to tears or run screaming from his bad temper. Working together leads to sleeping together, but they’re both too clever to mess up a perfectly good arrangement by getting feelings involved. Aren’t they?

Amazon

It’s been a good long while since book 1, Worth It, came out-and with all that’s going on in the world, completely understandable, so I was a bit concerned that I might have forgotten important information prior to reading this one, but no worries. This book is very much a stand-alone in this series.

These two have quite the inauspicious meeting, while Charlie is working as a commercial office cleaner, and Innes stops into his office at 1 in the morning, catching Charlie trying to steal some items. What helped to redeem Charlies’s thievery in the reader’s eyes was knowing that Charlie was working his tail off to support himself and his mother. However, his snark, not normally what you want to do in this situation, earns the respect of Innes. Quickly, Charlie becomes Innes’ assistant, and a better assistant than the exacting man has ever had. They offset each other very well, creating a balance between them that works.

This is a slow to get going romance, in my estimation. And at times, the story dragged, and I found myself skimming, but then was pulled back in by the snappy dialogue. However, once they found their groove, I was all in to see how these two ended up finding their HEA. There were a few unanswered questions here for me, but nothing that changed how I rated the story.

Would recommend, even if you missed book 1.

4 pieces of eye candy