TCO Reviewer: Denise

Rules to Follow (Davey’s Rules Book 1) by Susan Hawke: Blog Tour, Excerpt and Review

July 31, 2019 by Denise

Davey’s Rule #86: A good Daddy will never lie to his boy… even by omission.

Travis Miller has a pretty solid life in the small California beach town he calls home. He’s working his way up in the district attorney’s office, he owns a home with an ocean view, and he has close ties with his family. Life is good. If only he could find a sweet boy to call his own, life would be… perfect.

Adam Nichols’ life has never been easy. Growing up in foster care taught him to be strong, so finding himself in a violent relationship was a shock. Now that he’s finally free of it, he faces new problems. He’s jobless, homeless, and terrified of starting from scratch.

With a little help from an old friend, Adam discovers a whole new world. He goes from rock bottom to renting a room from a hot assistant DA and working at Daddy’s Lap, a kink club that opens his vanilla eyes to things he’d never imagined. His new roommate is a balm to Adam’s damaged soul. The tender way Travis cares for him is almost like the Daddy kink community he’s seen at the club. But Travis isn’t a Daddy… right? If he were, surely he’d have said so.

What happens when a lie by omission threatens to bring their budding relationship tumbling down around them? Will Travis ever be able to earn Adam’s trust again?

This is the first book in a new series about not-so-perfect Daddies, adorable “boys,” and one sassy brat with an insane list of rules. Grab your fan and tissues because this series comes with both a high heat advisory and all the squishy feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book. Possible trigger for references to domestic violence.

Rules to Follow

Davey’s Rules Series, Book 1

Susan Hawke

M/M Romance – Daddy/boy

Release Date: 07.14.19

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

After the movie, we finally took our groceries home. Travis insisted on putting everything away himself. “While I do this, how about you order us a pizza? After that scare fest you talked me into watching, I’m in the mood for something lighter. While we eat, maybe we can watch that Adam Sandler movie we never finished.”

“That sounds like an excellent plan. Same order as last time?” I was already on my phone, loading the website to order online.

“Yes, but no onions or extra garlic on this one.” He sounded so certain, I couldn’t help but look up curiously. He was bent into the refrigerator, so I couldn’t see his face. Not that I minded the view I did have, though. In fact, I was so busy checking out his butt that it took me a second for his next comment to register. “Unless you promise to eat the same thing. If we end up kissing again, I refuse to have bad breath unless it’s mutual.”

This was the first time he’d acknowledged the kiss. And he was hinting at another? My mouth went dry as I adjusted my pants that had suddenly gotten a little too tight in certain areas. “I-I, umm…” I gave my head a shake and started again when I couldn’t get the words out the first time. “I vote for onions and garlic on the whole thing. Mutual bad breath for the win. Besides, there’s garlic in the sauce anyway.”

When he stood and looked over at me, I focused on my screen. I could feel my stupid cheeks blushing. I knew he’d noticed it when I heard a quiet chuckle. Deciding this was a good time to excuse myself and get a little bit under control, I headed out of the room.

“I’ll be right back; I’m just going to change. If we’re going to be in relaxation mode, these stiff jeans need to go.” Just the mention of the word stiff had me blushing all over again, because my pants weren’t the only stiff thing on my body.

By the time I cleaned up and changed into pj pants, Travis was waiting in the living room with our pizza and a couple glasses of wine. My eyes widened when I took in the dimly lit room with the movie paused and waiting on the TV. Gulping, I glanced at Travis. “Wow, I didn’t mean to take that long.”

He shook his head and patted the couch beside him as he turned and stretched a leg out like he had last time. “You didn’t take too long, they were just really fast with the delivery this time. Come sit with me. I was thinking maybe we could cuddle. Unless you think that’s too much, too soon?”

“No, that sounds… ah… nice.” My heart pounded as I scurried over and got settled between his legs with my back to his chest. Travis pulled the coffee table closer and opened the pizza box.

“I brought napkins, if you need one. But I figure we can forgo plates tonight and keep it casual. Does that work for you?” His voice was like velvet as it caressed my ear.

I felt my blush return as I awkwardly nodded. “Y-Yes. That sounds good.” I waited while he started the movie then reached into the pizza box. I figured I would grab my slice after he’d taken first pick.

Instead of biting into the piece he’d chosen, he held it to my mouth instead. “Take a bite, sweet boy. You always tease me about wanting to feed you. Tonight I’d like to live up to my reputation.” He chuckled and waited for me to bite into the pizza.

It was weirdly nice to be fed. He patiently waited, lowering the slice while I chewed each mouthful. It wasn’t until I’d finished three slices and groaned that I couldn’t handle another bite that he finally ate his own. I slouched back against his shoulder, watching the movie while he had his turn at dinner. I didn’t even bother with the wine; I was buzzed enough on Travis.

If anybody had walked up right then and asked me about the movie, I doubted I could have told them anything more than who starred in it. I was too aware of Travis and how good it felt to snuggle against his hard body.

Was I falling for him? It sure felt like it. The way I kept blushing, the way my palms got damp, the way my heart raced when he was near… the signs were definitely there. I thought back over everything I’d seen of this man, poking my memories for a sign of anything wrong with him.

Something had to be, because I did not have a good track record where men were concerned. The more I considered it, though, I couldn’t find a single thing that would put up a red flag. If anything, he made me feel protected and special.

I went into this book, specifically this author, flying blind. I had been meaning to read some of her “How To” series and hadn’t been able to get there. However, this book just seemed like a fun one, based on the blurb, so I grabbed it. So happy I did!

The prologue did give me pause, and I had to go back and reread it, because I didn’t remember Davey being one of the MC’s. However, I quickly caught on to where the book was going, and immediately loved that out of the box beginning to the book. I also liked that we got all of Davey’s (current) list of rules at the end. I personally cannot wait to see what happens when it’s Davey’s turn. 🙂 Oh…and he will definitely be getting his own turn. However, from the looks of it, it might be a while! 😀

Travis and Adam were super cute! This was a bit more BDSM lite, but that was perfect for these two. They didn’t need whips, restraints, or voyeurism. They quickly learned they just needed each other and the strengths they bring to the relationship. I will say that the trope of having a lie of omission cause the tension in the relationship played out as you would expect. It wasn’t filled with huge drama, just took time to play out. I didn’t understand Travis’ need to hide it, but once it resolved, they seemed to be pretty well set together.

I would have given this 4 pieces of eye candy, but it got a .5 lift because this book was based in Santa Cruz, California, a place I lived for about 10 years. And there were so many ACTUAL real life references in there to the area. Not just Santa Cruz, but even to where I got my Associates Degree, Cabrillo College. All those references were amazing for me. Perhaps nobody else will catch them, but for me, it brought me full force into the story in a way few books can, as I could picture everything…from the Boardwalk in March, to the two campuses, and there was an extremely rare siting of the little mountain town of Bonny Doon. Was such a happy read for me already, this just added to the joy.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.

I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly

IG: https://www.instagram.com/authorsusanhawke

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A Pocketful of Stardust by JP Barnaby & Rowan Speedwell: Exclusive Guest Post and Release Day Review

July 30, 2019 by Denise

Super excited to have JP Barnaby and Roman Speedwell here with an exclusive guest post, centered around books, which is perfect for her new book A Pocketful of Stardust. Check out the list below and see if some of it matches your own! And while you are at it, grab up their new book!

Noah Hitchens loves the New York City life he worked hard to build. But when his father dies and leaves him a bankrupt bookstore in their sleepy Georgia hometown, Noah knows he has to save it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know anything about business. He finds unlikely help in Henry, the man who owned Stardust Books before his 1966 murder, and Kyle St. James, a shy but kind-hearted out-of-towner with a past almost as mysterious as Henry’s.

Kyle came to Aster, Georgia, looking for redemption. On the run and out of hope, he’s just trying to get on with his life. Then he meets Noah, a ghost, and a big sloppy lab named Jake who redefine his idea of living. But his past is closing in, and when it finds him, they could lose everything.

Title: A Pocketful of Stardust
Series: Aster
Author: JP Barnaby & Rowan Speedwell
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Category: Paranormal – Ghosts/Spirits, Contemporary

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

11 Books on my Shelf – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

So, I’ll start off by saying I’m a big DNF girl. If I can’t get into a book in the first 10 pages, I’m going to put it aside. Being an author, software developer, and now grad student, I just don’t have the time to waste on bad books. But I have been reading a lot lately, and since our new book is about a bookstore, I thought I’d share some love.

Books I loved

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

(Writing Structure)

I’ll be honest, I stayed away from this one for a while just because of the title. It seems everyone and their brother has read this book, but I just thought it sounded silly. Until I read it. It’s an awesome deconstructed look at what makes a book good. It gives a roadmap to taking the bones of novel structure and making it your own in beats that are easily recognizable. She also breaks down fifteen popular novels and maps them to the structure points for a great analysis.

Blurb: Novelist Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing. Revealing the 15 “beats” (plot points) that comprise a successful story–from the opening image to the finale–this book lays out the Ten Story Genres (Monster in the House; Whydunit; Dude with a Problem) alongside quirky, original insights (Save the Cat; Shard of Glass) to help novelists craft a plot that will captivate–and a novel that will sell.

Low Pressure by Sandra Brown

(Romantic Suspense)

This book has stuck with me which is rare. Sandra Brown has such a deft hand when it comes to suspense. She keeps me guessing with every story and I love that. Her characters are well-developed, and the settings are vivid. If you like romantic suspense, she is a must-read.

Blurb: Bellamy Lyston was only 12 years old when her older sister Susan was killed on a stormy Memorial Day. Bellamy’s fear of storms is a legacy of the tornado that destroyed the crime scene along with her memory of what really happened during the day’s most devastating moments.

Now, 18 years later, Bellamy has written a sensational, bestselling novel based on Susan’s murder. Because the book was inspired by the tragic event that still pains her family, she published it under a pseudonym to protect them from unwanted publicity. But when an opportunistic reporter for a tabloid newspaper discovers that the book is based on fact, Bellamy’s identity is exposed along with the family scandal.

Moreover, Bellamy becomes the target of an unnamed assailant who either wants the truth about Susan’s murder to remain unknown or, even more threatening, is determined to get vengeance for a man wrongfully accused and punished.

In order to identify her stalker, Bellamy must confront the ghosts of her past, including Dent Carter, Susan’s wayward and reckless boyfriend — and an original suspect in the murder case. Dent, with this and other stains on his past, is intent on clearing his name, and he needs Bellamy’s sealed memory to do it. But her safeguarded recollections -once unlocked-pose dangers that neither could foresee and puts both their lives in peril.

As Bellamy delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Susan’s slaying, she discovers disturbing elements of the crime which call into question the people she holds most dear. Haunted by partial memories, conflicted over her feelings for Dent, but determined to learn the truth, she won’t stop until she reveals Susan’s killer.

That is, unless Susan’s killer strikes her first…

Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

(Romantic Suspense)

I met Karen Rose at an author conference in Orlando and really appreciated the depth with which she researched for her romantic suspense stories, so I thought I’d give her a shot. She has incredibly intricate relationships across novel series, building gorgeous characters and then using them throughout the entire series. It’s truly inspiring to watch.

Blurb: Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who’s made her life a nightmare for the past year—desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Her recent inheritance of her grandmother’s old house in Cincinnati offers sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face the dark memories that still resonate to this day. But she has no idea how close to home her fears still are…

Two college girls have gone missing in the area, and FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak is called to work on the case. When his inquiry unexpectedly leads him to Faith, he finds a beautiful and brave woman he can’t help but fall for. Soon they’ll discover that this seemingly simple investigation is anything but. Reaching back decades into Faith’s own past, it will shatter everything she believes to be true and will give terrifying new meaning to flesh and blood.

City of Endless Night by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

(Suspense)

I’ve been a fan of the Pendergast/D’Agosta dynamic since their very first book together (Relic). Preston and Child have a fantastic way of leaning this way and that until you’re not sure what to believe. And of course one has to wonder if his methods make Pendergast any better than the criminals he hunts. It’s a wonderful ride.

Blurb: When Grace Ozmian, the beautiful and reckless daughter of a wealthy tech billionaire, first goes missing, the NYPD assumes she has simply sped off on another wild adventure. Until the young woman’s body is discovered in an abandoned warehouse in Queens, the head nowhere to be found.

Lieutenant CDS Vincent D’Agosta quickly takes the lead. He knows his investigation will attract fierce scrutiny, so D’Agosta is delighted when FBI Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast shows up at the crime scene assigned to the case. “I feel rather like Brer Rabbit being thrown into the briar patch,” Pendergast tells D’Agosta, “because I have found you here, in charge. Just like when we first met, back at the Museum of Natural History.”

But neither Pendergast nor D’Agosta are prepared for what lies ahead. A diabolical presence is haunting the greater metropolitan area, and Grace Ozmian was only the first of many victims to be murdered . . . and decapitated. Worse still, there’s something unique to the city itself that has attracted the evil eye of the killer.

As mass hysteria sets in, Pendergast and D’Agosta find themselves in the crosshairs of an opponent who has threatened the very lifeblood of the city. It’ll take all of Pendergast’s skill to unmask this most dangerous foe-let alone survive to tell the tale.

Books I read but didn’t really enjoy:

Outsider by Stephen King

(Horror)

This one was all me. The book had a great set up, but where Lincoln & Child take the paranormal and make it normal, King goes the other way. I think it would have been a better book had the antagonist been human.

Verses for the Dead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

(Suspense)

While Preston & Child are an auto-buy for me, sometimes I’m just not on the same wavelength. This one just didn’t have the same punch for me that their other books have had.

Edge of Darkness by Karen Rose

(Romantic Suspense)

To be honest, by the time we got to the 4^th book, I was starting to hate Adam and it didn’t really get any better for me. Also, the subject matter was just too harsh for me to get into it. Sex slave operations and child predators.

Rule of the Bone: A Novel by Russell Banks

(Literary Fiction)

I had to read this book for a class and I can honestly say that I hated it. It’s the meandering tale of a self-absorbed teenager that I couldn’t stand.

Books I really wanted to read, but just couldn’t get into:

Burning Girl by Christopher Rice

Mindhunter by John E Douglas

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz

Want to read the charming book about the bookstore and its ghostly inhabitant?

Check out A Pocketful of Stardust by JP Barnaby & Rowan Speedwell

I’ll start by saying I liked this book. However, going into this book, I wanted to love it. Books with ghosts always intrigue me, and I wanted to snap it right up. It definitely intrigued me, and kept me guessing a bit, so yes, I did like it. Having it be based around a bookstore, just made it that much more enjoyable. However, as a reader, I felt there was a lot going on in this book, possibly too much.

There was Kyle’s past, which caught up to him towards the end. I felt a like some of it was bit unresolved (due to Hope), but that is real life…sometimes things don’t quite resolve as you’d prefer them to.

There was also Noah’s ghostly friend, Henry, which when we met him, I assumed we would find out more about his death. In the end, resolution for him came from a different path, still very enjoyable, but I felt he was gone too soon. Henry was awesome, though. Funny, sweet, and obviously caring. And his cat…made me giggle. 🙂

Noah’s life was a bit of a mess from the second he stepped back into Georgia following his father’s death. I did love how this was able to resolve, what a great feeling. And with Noah, you really got to see him mature, change and realize what family means for him. The reader was able to see him grow as a person.

The book was slow in a few places, but overall gave

JP Barnaby is an award-winning contemporary romance and romantic suspense novelist with over a dozen novels. Her heart and soul, the Survivor Series, has been heralded by USA Today as one of their favorites. She recently moved from Chicago to Atlanta to appease her Camaro (Jake) who didn’t like the blustery winters. JP specializes in recovery romance but slips in a few erotic or comedic stories to spice things up. When she’s not working on her latest novel, she binge watches superheroes and crime dramas on Netflix with her husband and Jack Russell Terror, Chase.

Come hang out in her Facebook Group – Between the Covers with JP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2228150134074004/

Kneading You by C.S. Poe: Release Day Review

July 19, 2019 by Denise

Christopher Hughes is new to the small New England town of Lancaster, New Hampshire. He’s been hired to save an old library from closing, but his obstacles include not only fighting for state funding, but a Selectman who wants to tear the building down in favor of a shopping center.

Christopher meets Miles Sakasai, a charming tattooed repairman hired to help restore the historical interior. Working in close proximity has both men falling hard for each other, and also provides Christopher an opportunity to learn about Miles’s passion for baking. As it turns out, Miles’s skills in the kitchen may end up being the key to saving the library—but only if his bread can rise to the occasion.

Previously published by Dreamspinner Press in the Simmer anthology, 2016.

Title: Kneading You
Author: C.S. Poe
Release Date: July 19, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 40

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Okay, let’s start off with one HUGE truth…if C.S. Poe writes it, I am going to want to read it, and as quickly as possible. If I see that author’s name, it’s like a quick U-turn on whatever I am reading.

This was a short story, but so uplifting and enjoyable. We didn’t learn a ton about the MC’s (it’s very difficult with short stories), but we learned enough to know that neither one of them was doing the jobs they would love to do, but they were living in the place that would give them access to the things they love to do.

These two immediately connected, and dated…a novel concept sometimes in romances. 🙂 Meanwhile, since Miles loves to bake bread, and apparently Christopher loves to eat Miles’ bread, they were a match made in heaven. There wasn’t any real angst, other than a very quick pass through from Miles’ ex- which led to a brief conversation and a move on.

Of course there was an HEA, or really an HFN for the new boyfriends, but overall was cute, fun and sweet. And was I the only person to look at that cover and thing that those circles were from a pottery wheel? lol Just saying…

3.5 pieces of eye candy

***As an aside, if you haven’t read the Snow and Winter series by this author, I HIGHLY recommend it…and if you have…did you know Book 4, The Mystery of the Bones, is up for preorder…grab it here!!!!

Treasure Trail by Morgan Brice: Guest Post, Excerpt and New Release Review

July 18, 2019 by Denise

Erik Mitchell traveled the world uncovering art fraud and relic theft, which pitted him against spoiled billionaires, unscrupulous collectors, mobsters and cartels. He worked with law enforcement across the US and Europe, but a sting goes wrong and Erik ends up injured, then returns to find his partner cheating. Erik decides to stop globe trotting and buy an antique shop in scenic Cape May, NJ, rebuild his life, and nurse his broken heart.

Undercover Newark cop Ben Nolan went down in a hail of bullets when a bust went sideways, after a tip-off from a traitor inside the department. After he recovers, he spends a couple of years as a private investigator, only to tire of seeing the worst of human nature. So when his aunt offers him the chance to take over her rental real estate business in Cape May, it seems too good to be true. Now if he could just believe he could ever be lucky again in love.

When a missing antique shows up under mysterious circumstances, Ben and Erik are plunged into danger as a cursed hotel’s long-ago scandals resurface. Someone wants those secrets to stay buried—and is willing to add Ben and Erik to the death toll to keep the past hidden.

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Treasure Trail

Author: Morgan Brice

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Genre/s: Urban Fantasy MM paranormal romance

Trope/s: Second chance, friends to lovers, starting over, psychic/medium and a cop, mystery, action/adventure,

Themes: Taking a chance on love, running from your past, trust, friendship, found family

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Add on Goodreads

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Sexy Supernatural Suspense

I love stories with spooky stuff and sexy men. Add in some magic, a few ghosts, and maybe a creature or two, and I’m in my happy place. Oh, and throw in a murder or two just for good measure!

Treasure Trail checks off all my boxes—spooky, sexy, supernatural stuff, along with old scandals and unsolved murders. Throw in two hot guys with dangerous pasts and sparks really fly! Treasure Trail is set in Cape May, New Jersey. Erik Mitchell used to track art fraud and bust up forgery rings, but after a close call, he moves to Cape May to make a fresh start. Ex-cop Ben Nolan is also starting over, and sparks fly when the two men meet. But when old scandals and murders come to light, they’re going to need each other and every bit of luck to get their happy ending!

I’ve always loved ghost stories and murder mysteries, as well as urban fantasy tales where magic and creatures lurk in the shadows. Cape May is said to be one of the most haunted towns on the coast, with ghosts from shipwrecks, pirates, tragedy and lost loves—and some who just didn’t want to leave when their vacation time was up! Erik can see ghosts, but not talk to them. He sometimes also gets visions when he touches objects that have been part of a crime or trauma, letting him see what happened near the item at the time. Ben believes him about the ghosts—almost everyone in Cape May, including Ben, has seen a ghost or two. But when the spirits are linked to unsolved crimes, Ben and Erik need to solve the mystery fast, or risk becoming ghosts themselves!

Treasure Trail is the first in a new series. If you’ve read my Badlands and Witchbane series, you’ll see familiar characters make cameo appearances, since all of my characters and series overlap and cross over, including characters from my non-romance urban fantasy series that I write as Gail Z. Martin. It’s one big spooktacular universe!

“What the hell did you pack in these boxes? Rocks?” Sean Meirlach shifted the heavy moving box on his shoulder. Sean looked and sounded like the Jersey Shore guy he was, brawny and blunt.

“Books,” Ben replied. “You know, those rectangular paper things? Ever read one?” The teasing was good-natured. Ben Nolan had spent most of his summers working for his cousin’s mom, and they were thick as thieves. Which, Ben reflected, was a poor analogy for an ex-cop-turned-former-private-investigator. And now, at least for this summer, a vacation rental manager in beautiful Cape May, New Jersey.

“Yes, dumbass. I’ve read lots of books. And not just the ones with pictures in them,” Sean said with a smirk. Sean played up his bad boy persona, but Ben knew his cousin had plenty of brains, hustle, and street smarts.

“Good to know. I’d hate to have to break it to Aunt Meg that her favorite son was illiterate.”

Sean snorted. “Favorite son? I’m her onlyson, asshole. And she’s already pissed at me because I just want to run my food truck in Wildwood. Which is why you’re doing me a huge solid, taking over the family business.”

“Whoa, there! Hold up. I’m here for the summer. Justthe summer. I said I’d see how it went. No promises.”

“Just the summer? You sure brought a lot of shit with you if it’s just for the summer.” Sean set the box down a little harder than necessary on a table in the upstairs apartment over the rental office, which would be Ben’s home for the next few months. Ben dumped the tangle of odds and ends he had carried up from the rented van and flopped onto the couch. He had put most of his things in storage when he left Newark and brought what he didn’t want to do without, or what the apartment didn’t have. Sean had driven the truck up to Cape May, while Ben drove his black Mustang, packed to the roof.

He owed Sean a lot for helping him move—and, if truth be told, for pushing him as the perfect candidate for the job to Aunt Meg.

“Don’t screw up the master plan, dude!” Sean chided. “You’re sick of the big city and getting shot. And I need a little of that good life, somewhere not quite as buttoned-down.” He reached for a bottle of water and took a swig. “I love this town, but I need to stretch my wings. And the vibe in Wildwood is different. People come for the Pier and the Boardwalk and the rides. More singles, not just families. And they all have to eat!”

Sean’s truck, Put A Ring On It, specialized in kickass onion rings, which went on everything—burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, even chili. The combination of great food, a catchy name, and Sean’s outgoing personality had made for a very successful launch.

I’ve just been enjoying this author’s books so much. Happened upon one audio by accident, and have been working my way through them here and there. I love a little supernatural, and a little mystery with my romance, and Morgan Brice brings all of that.

In the case of (pun intended) Treasure Trail, we also get some historical including antiques, so this book hit all of my buttons. The mystery portion was a bit convoluted, and lost me a little a few times, but overall, it was exciting, and had current badies-so they weren’t literally chasing ghosts-and some supernatural aspects thrown in.

Ben was a bit tough to win over initially, but Erik was able to get him to understand a bit more of what their world consisted of. Throw in some sexy times and you end up with a fun, sexy thriller, and makes you want to dig around into that universe even more…which I might have done. 😉

4 pieces of eye candy

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa.

On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs.

Other books include Witchbane, Burn, Dark Rivers, and Badlands. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!

Join my Worlds of Morgan Brice Facebook Group! Get the early scoop on upcoming books and new series, see new covers first, enjoy insider news and special contests and giveaways! Plus it’s where I get my beta readers and launch team!

Author Links

Amazon

Facebook Group

Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail)

Twitter: @MorganBriceBook

Website

BookBub

Check out the other blog posts and reviews here

Lucky Town (Badlands 1.5) by Morgan Brice: Audio Book Tour and Review

July 15, 2019 by Denise

Psychic medium Simon Kincaide and his boyfriend, Myrtle Beach homicide Detective Vic D’Amato, find that the only thing more frightening than murder might be navigating their first holiday season as a couple.

A trip back to Pittsburgh to spend Thanksgiving with Vic’s large, exuberant family means dodging old frenemies and a bitter ex-boyfriend. A cold case comes back to haunt Vic when a murdered woman’s ghost begs Simon for justice. Then a new murder back in Myrtle Beach looks suspiciously familiar, and the dead man’s ghost isn’t playing nice.

When Simon gets a vision of the next victim before the crime occurs, he realizes that all the murders are supernaturally linked. Catching the murderer will take his psychic sleuthing skills along with Vic’s street smarts to avert a tragedy.

Can they do right by ghosts past, present, and yet to come without ending up in the crosshairs of a killer for Christmas?

Book Title: Lucky Town (Badlands #1.5)

Author: Morgan Brice

Publisher: Tantor

Narrator: Kale Williams

Release Date: March 29, 2019

Genre: Urban Fantasy, MM paranormal romance

Trope/s: Established relationship

Themes: Commitment and trust

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 3 hours and 9 minutes

It’s the second in a series, but it can be read alone

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I found the audiobook of Badlands (Book 1) by accident. I hadn’t heard of the series, the author or the narrator. But I had an audible credit burning a whole in my pocket, so I took a chance, because I have been burning through mysteries lately. I really enjoyed book 1. I loved Kale Williams’ narration of what was already a good story…I even took it outside (which I never do with audiobooks) while I was cutting down a ton of trees in the backyard. So, I knew that I wanted another chance at Simon and Vic.

Vic honestly took me a while to even like in book 1. However, once we got there, I enjoyed how he cared for Simon, and yet still let him be his own man, recognizing his gifts, and letting him be the person he was. And it continued to show in Lucky Town. Vic’s close knit family was the perfect offset for Simon’s challenging one. By wrapping Simon into their fold, it helped to enhance their new family of two.

Of course, the mystery wrapped up nicely, utilizing the skills of both sleuths to catch and disarm the killer. I do enjoy how Morgan throws in unexpected little glitches in the mysteries. Ones that wouldn’t happen in a “normal” setting, but since Simon has psychic skills, then it can be whatever the author chooses to do.

The narrator did another good job of keeping distinct voices as he read, and allowed the story to play out. I am enjoying Kale’s narration, and am looking forward to listening to more of his work.

Lucky Town is a fun town I wouldn’t mind revisiting again and again, no matter where these two men end up.

4 pieces of eye candy

On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs.

Other books include Witchbane, Dark Rivers, Badlands, Lucky Town, The Rising, Treasure Trail. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!

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Larry Boots, Exterminator by John Inman: New Release Review

June 17, 2019 by Denise

Kenny Long is living a new life. Blinded in an accident, he has taken control of his unexpected reality the best way he can, and it’s working out better than he hoped.

Of course Larry Boots doesn’t know any of that. All he sees is a beautiful man sitting on a park bench.

Larry has a few problems of his own: his mother. His job. The lack of romance in his life.

His job. In the course of that job, Larry strikes up a friendship with Kenny. The next thing he knows, he’s so head-over-heels in love, even his mother doesn’t seem so bad. Of course his career is still a problem, but he’s working on that. Hopefully he’ll have the problem resolved before the man he’s being paid to murder succeeds in murdering him first.

And before the man he loves finds out he’s a cold-blooded killer.

Title: Larry Boots, Exterminator
Author: John Inman
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Category: Suspense
Pages: 191

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Dreamspinner Press

John Inman just writes the most interesting books. I never fail to laugh, maybe cry, but always I walk away wondering…how did he make that happen and I didn’t see it coming, and it seemed so plausible???

I mean, how does a regular guy…has mommy issues, no “real” job, just hookups in his life, happen into a career as a hitman? (There is a bit of an explanation, but you have to read the book).

Larry couldn’t have been more sweet, more lovely, other than that pesky job, upon meeting Kenny. He was protective, and caring, yet didn’t let Kenny think that he didn’t want him, because he was blind.

Kenny, meanwhile didn’t judge Larry, just accepted him, and asked him to be safe…maybe just change his profession if he could.

The internal monologue with Larry made me laugh the whole way through, as John’s books so often do. Especially when it came to Larry’s dogs.

Fun book, with a bit of a startling ending, but of course, the HEA never far away for these men.

4 pieces of eye candy