Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

TCO Reviewer: Erin

Burning For You (Neighborhood Shindig #2) by A.M. Arthur: New Release Review

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Bran Foxwell has crushed on Joel Fisher from afar for years, and now that Joel is happily in love with another guy, Bran has lost his chance. But when uber-sexy Keenan Pratt stumbles over an upset Bran, it’s the perfect opportunity for a no-strings hookup. Except sex with Keenan is hotter and more intense than Bran ever imagined, and despite their no-strings agreement, both men agree to an actual date.

As the middle triplet, Keenan Pratt is devoted to his brothers and they’ve spent the last ten years supporting and protecting each other. When Keenan has the chance to screw around with his own long-time crush Bran, it’s an itch he can’t wait to scratch. But there’s chemistry there neither of them expects and, slowly but surely, what should have been a single hookup turns into more.

But when their family is targeted, the Pratt brothers circle the wagons hard, and Keenan pulls away from Bran exactly when he should be leaning on the other man. Bran wants to be there for Keenan, but old habits run deep and if Keenan can’t learn to trust, he risks losing the best relationship he’s ever had.

Welcome to Neighborhood Shindig, a friendly place where you can snack on a lamb kebab while getting your hair done, pick up your favorite herbal tea blend, and then go listen to live music under the pavilion. We’re happy to have you.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

These books are so fun. They are meant to be read in order, so definitely do that if you haven’t read book 1.

Book 2 brings us the story of Bran- who formerly crushed on Joel (book 1) and Kennan, one of the Pratt triplets-who has been crushing on Bran.

They start off with a quick and dirty one off behind one of the food trucks late one night. Poor Keenan wants more but won’t ask. Bran doesn’t think he wants more, but really he does. They kind of fall into a tentative relationship.

What was so fun about this one is that there were so many other characters in their lives who didn’t take a back seat. We learn more about all 3 Pratt brothers. not only as a family, but one of the other brothers also starts a relationship. So this is almost a two for one romance story.

Keenan and Bran also go out and do stuff. Like a regular couple! Except “as friends” at first. That quickly gets put aside though.

Of course the sex scenes are hot- sweet zombie jesus that first one behind the food truck. Dayum. But they are also very real as a couple. They only have one day off together. They both work their butts off. No one demands more time or attention. They are just two guys who fall in love.

These books are super fun. They are quick reads at about 150 pages each. Book 3 is coming soon (yay!) and there are more after that. I think after they are all out I will go back and do a reread of them all one after the other. Because they really are a continuing story.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Chef On Top (Sizzle in the Kitchen Book 3) by M.J. O’Shea: New Release Review

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Chef Jake Casey has never been what you’d call… liked. By anyone. He was the odd outcast son of the town drunk, and he’s spent his adult life doing everything he can to be nothing like his father. If that meant stomping on a few dozen toes, so be it. But contrary to popular belief, he is human. It gets a little old being alone all the time. When he lands a new job on the other side of the country, Jake decides he’s going to change. New city, new restaurant, new Jake.

It’s going pretty well until his first and only friend’s ex shows up with a fiancé in tow. Ty is horrified. Jake might not have much practice with the friend thing, but he decides he’ll do what everyone in the movies always does – he offers to be Ty’s fake boyfriend. It can’t go wrong. Right?

Ty Caldecott knows better. His life isn’t a teen rom-com and situations like these always end up in humiliation. But the prospect of seeing Taran every day with that ring shining on his finger makes Ty want to vomit. Ty doesn’t want to look like a pining loser, so he tells Jake he’s in.

It can’t go wrong.

Right?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Book 3, but can honestly be read as a stand alone. The books are definitely connected, but still, the only thing you would really miss is how much everyone HATED Jake before this book.

Jake. The chef everyone hates. The entire staff was scared of him. He stepped on as many heads as he had to in order to get to the top and he didn’t care. Ahh, brings me back. Seriously, it is kind of funny how most chefs in books are generally nice guys. FALSE. They are jerks. Assholes. Dickheads. Trust me.

In a twisted way Jake is offered and accepts the position of head chef at a restaurant of a formal rival who is now a tv star. But he is determined to not be an asshole. Literally his words. He has finally realized how lonely his life is.

Ty had a brief encounter years ago with Jake but doesn’t have the personal experience of how bad he was. So as the interim manager of the restaurant, Jake asks Ty to make sure he isn’t an asshole. It was actually kind of cute.

Most of the book was the friendship relationship growing between Jake and Ty. As well as the opening of the restaurant. But Jake had never really had a friend before, so he really kind of treasured Ty. There was silly flirting that friends do, but both of them were fairly oblivious to the fact that they liked each other as more than friends.

Several hiccups in mostly Ty’s life makes them both realize what they mean to each other.

There is no sex in this book. Zero. Which is one of the reasons why when I got to the last page I literally looked on the back of my kindle to see if I missed something. I know all of you pre-kindle book readers know what I am talking about. You’ve all done it. It’s not a cliff hanger at all. It was just incomplete.

So I assume that there is a book coming that will complete their happily ever after. If they end up being only a footnote in the next book I will not be happy. They deserve to have their couple love story told.

3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Complementary Colors by Adrienne Wilder: RDB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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My sister Julia manipulated my life into a prison to keep me silent about our dirty family secret. Her greed made me a slave and circumstance left me with no way to escape.

Trapped, the only way I could silence the nightmares driving me to insanity was to wrap them in color, hold them with shadow, and stitch them to negative space with line.

But no matter how bright the pigments, no one could see my confession.

Except for Roy Callahan.

I thought he was just another nameless one-night stand in a long line of many.

But I was wrong. Roy could see past the façade of my life and through the veil color over the canvas. He could see what the world couldn’t.

And with him I’d find the courage to tell the truth about the boy.

The boy who kissed me.

The boy who loved me.

The boy whose name I couldn’t remember.

Book Title: Complementary Colors

Author: Adrienne Wilder

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Adrienne Wilder

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: From different worlds

Themes: mental illness, PTSD, HEA

Heat Rating:  5 flames

Length: 362 pages

It is a standalone story.

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Amazon US- Kindle Unlimited

Chapter One

I knew he didn’t belong the moment I saw him.

He wasn’t cut by money or shaped by political interests, and the rental he wore was a bad joke in the ocean of Versace suits and Chanel ball gowns, fitting him tight across the shoulders and short in the arms. A belt held up his pants, and the waves of extra fabric did nothing to accentuate the ass I knew was just as perfect as the rest of him.

I drank my champagne while the stranger picked his way through the clumps of people gathered in front of the hideous paintings I had on display.

“Paris, darling, Mr. Darcy was asking you about one of your works.” Julia put her hand on my arm. I ignored my sister and Mr. Darcy. Whatever it was he wanted to say to me, I’d heard it before; Mind-blowing, so unique, see the passion, the fire, and my favorite, it speaks to me.

Bullshit.

Only one person could see the dirty secret hidden within the lines, the color, the violence.

Me.

I handed Julia my empty glass.

She tightened her grip on my arm. “These people came a long way to meet you.”

They always came a long way to meet me. Even if it was a block away.

“Bathroom,” I said. Julia frowned. I think she knew I was lying but didn’t want to call me out on it in front of her friends. I peeled away her fingers. “If you don’t mind, of course.” I slipped into the crowd.

Julia would give Mr. Darcy and his flavor-of-the-year wife some excuse on my behalf. Then she’d slay them with her silver tongue, and by the end of the night, they’d write a check for some ungodly amount and buy a piece of hell I’d spewed out into the world.

They’d hang it in their country home or put it in their yacht. They’d smile and laugh and remain deaf to the confession screaming to be told.

Heat from the track lighting pressed down on my shoulders. Greetings cast out by guests floated in shades of black and gray.

I followed the stranger’s trail of color all the way to the back of the gallery. He disappeared around a partition and through a door. I checked to see if anyone was watching before I went in.

Cold fluorescents replaced track lighting, and the hum of the ventilation system snuffed out a burst of laughter. There were only two doors in the maintenance hall, besides the one that shut behind me.

A deep mechanical sound chugged from behind the one left open. I slipped inside and turned the knob so I could control the catch.

The man crouched beside an opening in one of the large metal units. Even on his knees, I could tell he was about my height, but his shoulders were wide, and his limbs were thick.

I hoped that trait didn’t stop at his legs and arms.

After a few minutes, he seemed satisfied and replaced the panel. When he stood, I had a brief glimpse of the curve of his ass when his slacks tightened.

He turned and dropped the tools he held. His hip hit the metal hull of the unit, and it boomed.

“Jesus Christ. You scared the shit out of me.”

A five o’clock shadow dusted his jaw, hardening his features enough to make him look dangerous. And there was already no doubt left in my mind that he could kill me if he wanted to.

He wiped his hands with a rag from his pocket. Scars crossed the knuckles of his callused fingers. The thought of his rough grip on my body left me hard.

“I replaced the coil.” The sound of his voice wrapped me in red and tied me up with gold. “That should relieve some of the strain on the unit. It’s pretty old, though.” He put his tools into a toolbox. “You might want to consider replacing it.”

I engaged the lock on the door.

He followed me with his eyes as I made a half circle around him. His physical appearance didn’t make him alluring. It was how he carried himself. Like a man who was one with the world and not above it. I grazed a look up and down his body.

“I’ll send you a bill.” He reached for his toolbox.

I got in the way, trapping him against the air-conditioning unit.

“Is there something else you ne—” He cleared his throat. “Need?”

“Are you afraid of me?”

He pulled himself to his full height. “Do I have a reason to be?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On how much the idea of fucking me appeals to you.”

Mental illness, broken characters, angst, art…all are kryptonite for me. The story is told from Paris’ point of view, which is both beautiful, troubling and terrifying.

Color is everything to Paris. He sees color everywhere. And he puts the color to canvas to tell a story he cannot tell. But his paintings are abstract so no one can see what he is actually saying. Except for Roy.

Roy is everything Paris isn’t. Poor, works labor jobs for little money, has no pretense, tells it like it is, honest to a fault. But they are drawn together like magnets.

Paris has a wildly successful career as an artist, but he is controlled by his sister Julia. She is a classic abuser “you make me” “if it wasn’t for you” “I only do it because I love you”. It was chilling.

This would have been an entirely different book if it was from someone else’s POV or in the third person. But it HAD to be told from Paris’ POV. To understand his mania and PTSD and his life as a victim of abuse.

I absorbed every word of this book. It is long, it is detailed, but it is necessary to tell the story. I almost feel like the relationship between Paris and Roy takes second place to the story of Paris’ mental state. That is almost a character in and of itself.

There was no sugar coating of his mental illness. It was honest and true in a way that not a lot of books are willing to go. But reading books like this help build compassion for the people out there in the world. You have no idea what is going on inside their heads. Armani suits on the outside, bruises and imaginary rabbits on the inside.

4.75 pieces of eye candy

I am a writer of contemporary and speculative fiction and artist of all things monster. I live to create new worlds and the people in them. Several of my books have been best sellers both nationally and internationally. I have also been a finalist in the LAMDA awards, the “Oscars” of gay literary works.

I do my best to write original stories with powerful characters and emotion as well as a fast-paced plot. My goal isn’t just to deliver a good story but to take the reader into the story and let them experience the characters as if they are right there with them.

While almost all my books have a romantic element, I will be the first to admit, they are not traditional romance. In fact, I’d like to think there is nothing traditional about them. And the stories I paint are done so way outside the lines of traditional genres.

One of my favorite things to do as a writer is push the boundaries of what makes a story and to deliver the unexpected and maybe even change the perspective of the reader.

My characters are more often than not, beautifully flawed, not always the good guy, and make mistakes. Their stories will take dark turns which, in the end, make the light at the end of the tunnel all the brighter.

If you’re looking for something different, exciting, and unique, my books are for you.

Check out my website for updates and how to contact me. I love hearing from fans.

Author Links

Blog/Website | Facebook |  Facebook group | Twitter

Newsletter Sign-up |  Patreon  |  Goodreads 

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Love, Trust, and Secrets by LA Bryce: Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

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For a man on the run, is finding love a good enough reason to stay? And for a man who doesn’t want to leave, is a secret enough reason to walk away?

Even though a bad situation brings Tyler and Jarod together, they quickly find the good in their relationship. But when Tyler falls in love and finds the feelings returned, he’s forced to question if his and Jarod’s relationship is worth risking his freedom, his life, and their hearts.

Jarod knows Tyler is hiding something, but his fear of scaring Tyler away has him accepting Tyler’s silence. But instead of keeping Tyler close, Jarod’s avoidance ultimately leads to Tyler being taken away, leaving Jarod clueless and unable to help the man he loves.

Love, Trust, and Secrets is a story whose main focus is the love between two men and all the trial and tribulations that come with that love.

Publisher: JMS Books

Length: 91,000 words

Amazon US 

Amazon UK

JMS Books

I feel like I need to apologize. Lately it seems that most of what I am reading is just not that good. Maybe I am just spoiled because I know (to me) what really good books are. I also won’t pander to authors I am “friends” with. I try to be honest in my reviews without being cruel or mean.

That being said, this one was another snooze for me.
Jarod meets Tyler at a bar when Tyler begs him for help claiming to be drugged. Ok, good start. Jarod takes him home after he passed out. And basically stayed passed out for 2 days. When he woke up, he ran. But then he went back to find out what happened and punched Jarod. Repeatedly. And Jarod just took it. Couple of days later they go on a date. Mmmkay

The whole book is about them keeping things from each other. And getting mad when they find out. But at the same time, they don’t communicate! “What’s wrong?” “Nothing”. And that’s it.

I get Tyler’s big secret. But Jarod? He was hiding that why?
Then toward the end of the book Jarod says they have been together for almost a year. Ya, because several chapters start with “two months later” or “the next month flew by”.
There was just no cohesion, loose ends everywhere. Plot points that didn’t drive the story, plot points that didn’t get resolved.
With a strict edit, this could be a decent book. But with the rambling, it’s just boring.
Sorry…2.5 pieces of eye candy

I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember; my parents tell me it’s been going on even further back than that and not always at the appropriate times. Now I choose to use my gift for good.

I enjoy meeting new people, even if they’re only in my head.

I believe love comes in all different packages and each should be wrapped in a ribbon and cherished.

 

I’m currently working on a contemporary romance with a splash of suspense. I get a thrill coming up with unexpected and usually dangerous situations for my characters to be in and then thinking of extraordinary ways for them to escape with outcomes that deviate fro

m the expected.

I live with my family in the Northeast where we enjoy white winters, balmy summers, a spring flurried with fragrant flowers, and a fall filled with piles of leaves to dive in to. Our small town offers the old world charm of knowing your neighbor and its location enables us to take off for dinner in a city known for its beautiful skyline or to an afternoon playing in the sand of some of the best beaches found in the United States.

For me, writing is relaxation for the soul and reading is its nourishment.

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Raze (Riven Series Book 3) by Roan Parrish: New Release Review

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Sometimes the walls we build to save ourselves have to come tumbling down.

For the last ten years, Huey has built his life around his sobriety. If that means he doesn’t give a damn about finding love or companionship for himself, well, it’s probably better that way. After all, the last thing he wants is to hurt anyone else. Until Felix Rainey walks into his bar, fresh-faced, unbearably sweet–and, for some reason Huey can’t fathom, interested in him.

As the eldest of five kids, Felix Rainey spent his childhood cooking dinner, checking homework, and working after-school jobs. Now in his twenties, he’s still scrambling to make ends meet and wondering what the hell he’s doing with his life. When he meets Huey, he’s intimidated . . . and enamored. Huey’s strong and confident, he owns his own business–hell, he’s friends with rock stars. What could he ever see in Felix?

As Huey and Felix get closer, the spark catches and soon they can’t get enough of each other. But Huey’s worked hard to avoid intimacy, and Felix threatens his carefully constructed defenses. Huey realizes he needs to change if he wants to truly put his past behind him–and build a future with Felix.

Roan Parrish‘s pitch-perfect Riven novels can be read together or separately:
RIVEN * REND * RAZE

Amazon

I am a big, big fan of Roan Parrish. Her books are just so well written. That being said, this is my least favorite of them all. But take that with a grain of salt. Which is your least favorite color of M&M? Exactly.

Huey has been around since book 1, Riven. He’s gruff and grouchy, but he has a heart of gold. Getting more of his back story helped us understand him more and why he is the way he is.

Enter Felix, the guy who DOESN’T want to be a rock star. But what he needs is someone to take care of him. He’s acted like the head of household for his siblings for far too many years.

So Felix and Huey begin to navigate a relationship together. But kind of for the wrong reasons. I mean, they were totally into each other, but Huey entered the relationship as a duty and Felix entered it when he was lonely.

So it took a long time for each of them to realize that they do really care for each other and they needed to let go of their hangs ups. Most of that was on Huey, but Felix really did have some issues as well. Those absolutely could have been addressed more thoroughly.

Usually the prose in her books is almost lyrical to me. I just sink right in. This one wasn’t quite that way for me. Now, it totally could have been the mood I was in when I read it. Because I was definitely a bit stabby.

I wanted more. I wanted Huey to be grouchier before he melted into the teddy bear underneath. I wanted him to be more protective of Felix. More bossy. I get why he wasn’t- he was almost treating Felix like one of his sponsees. Which was part of the issue with their relationship. And we circle back. So you see, it could totally just be me.

Don’t think for one second I didn’t like this book. I did. Quite a bit. I just didn’t totally fall in love with it like I usually do. But I am absolutely going to go back for a re-read when I am less stabby. It almost pains me to not love this book as much as I was expecting. So let’s totally chalk it up to me and my bad attitude, shall we?

4 Pieces of Eye Candy