Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

TCO Reviewer: Erin

Scoring Points (Lights Out) by HL Day: New Release Review

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Can two warring team principals in the cutthroat world of F1 ever admit that there’s more to life than scoring points?

On the surface, Kurt Whitford has everything. A successful business. Good looks. Money. A famous popstar girlfriend hanging off his arm. And as the icing on the cake, he’s just been announced as Nebula’s new team principal. The downside? The opposition. It’s seventeen years since Kurt has seen the infuriating and irresistible Gio Rossi, but the man hasn’t changed a bit.

Whatever Kurt Whitford has, Giovanni Rossi can surpass. Well, except for the girlfriend. Despite needing to keep his sexuality on the down low, he’s not that far in the closet. And if Kurt thinks that Gio’s ready to let bygones be bygones, he couldn’t be more wrong. Gio hasn’t forgiven. Or forgotten.

As a long-rooted rivalry kicks off once more and sparks fly both on and off the track, can Gio and Kurt go head-to-head without the media getting wind of their true feelings? Or is their undeniable sexual chemistry about to prove their downfall?

This MM romance from H.L Day features enemies to lovers, opposing teams, secrets that go way back, and suppressed feelings. Set in the high-octane world of Formula 1, it features fast cars, spectacular crashes, heated rivalries, and of course, a HEA.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

The next installment in the Lights Out shared world. This time we get the story of two team principals. Which I liked because…I don’t know a lot about F1 so it was cool to read about what they do. Also, they can’t all be F1 drivers, right?

When I started reading this one, I immediately didn’t like Giovanni. Even at 15 he was cocky. The more I got to know him, the more I realized that he had some Big Feelings for Kurt going back to when they were 15.

Now they are the 2 youngest team principals with a rivalry that plays out in the media even though they haven’t seen each other in person in YEARS. Kurt wants to forget they ever had an issue and move on, but Gio. Nope. Those Big Feelings are in the way. But it takes us a bit to see it.

Kurt and Gio have the hate sex thing DOWN PAT. Like, they wrote the book on it. It’s pretty hot too. But that’s when we start to see that Gio wants more.

It isn’t until someone points out to Kurt some big signs that he realizes what a jerk he is. Kurt has some emotional damage from his dad that doesn’t help things. Oh. And a fake girlfriend. So that’s fun.

Watching them both open themselves up to each other was wonderful. They stumbled a bit, actually talked to each other and realized that they do belong together.

I liked the different view of the sport in this book. It was fun to get more of a behind the scenes thing.

4 pieces of eye candy

Pole Position (Lights Out Series) by Charlie Novak: New Release Review

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Pole position gives a driver the best chance at winning, but can there be a winner when a long-term relationship is on the line?

Mateo Llorente was born to be Formula 1 World Champion. Charming, handsome, and incredibly talented, Mateo is everything a champion should be. Dean Williams has fought for his position in Formula 1 with everything he has, and dreams of podium finishes and championship trophies.

For the past three years, Mateo and Dean have kept their long-term relationship under wraps, but when they both find themselves driving for Cadigan Racing, they know things won’t stay simple for long.

Keeping their relationship a secret is one thing, but dealing with the demands of the season is another. As both drivers rack up points and the media scrutiny puts them under pressure, cracks start to appear in Mateo and Dean’s relationship.

Can their love survive the intensity of Formula 1? Or will winning cost Dean and Mateo everything?

This M/M romance from Charlie Novak features a steamy long-term secret relationship between teammates, and is set in the high octane world of Formula 1 featuring fast cars, driving at the limit, spectacular crashes, heated rivalries, and of course, a HEA.

Each book in the Lights Out collection is a standalone story, and the books can be read in any order

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

This is the second book in the shared world of Lights Out set in Formula One racing. This book gives us something not a lot do. An already established relationship between the two main characters.

Mateo and Dean have been Formula One drivers on different teams. But secretly dating for over two years. They thought everything would be so easy after Dean is recruited to Mateo’s team. But it’s not as easy as they thought it would be.

As a couple, privately, everything is perfect. They share a great flat, they adore their cat, their sex life is amazing. And it isn’t even hiding their relationship (or even the fact that they are gay) that is so hard. It’s competing with and against each other.

This isn’t the normal turmoil we get in a romance novel. Honestly, it made them seem more like “real” people.

Of course there is a lot of racing. But being that racing is what ultimately challenges them, it all fits together.

Don’t worry- there are plenty of super hot sex scenes.

And a really satisfying epilogue.

4 pieces of eye candy

The Art of Husbandry: A Mackenzie Country Story by Jay Hogan: Excerpt and Release Day Review

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When life drowns you in lemons, to hell with making lemonade. I wanted to burn the whole world. But eighteen months from the day my life was torn apart, I’m tired of the anger. Tired of the nightmares. Tired of putting one foot in front of the other just trying to survive. Three months on a high country sheep station in the middle of nowhere is exactly the reboot I need. A chance to break free. To breathe again. To find a way forward.

I put my entire life on hold and head south to Mackenzie Country. But falling for the captivating young station boss was never part of the plan. Holden Miller might be smart and sexy and push all my dusty buttons, but we come from two different worlds. I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m not interested in love. I’m done with all that.

But Holden doesn’t care about my rules. Nestled safely in the arms of the spectacular Southern Alps, on an isolated sheep farm at the top of the world, Holden begins knitting my battered heart together one careful stitch at a time. And with every pass of the thread, every braid of the river on our doorstep, I catch a tantalising glimpse of something I’d almost given up on.

Happiness, and maybe even love.

If I have the courage to reach out and grab them.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

“Hang on, Tuck.” I lowered the phone from my ear and squinted at the dusty blue Hilux pulling in at the kerb. It had Miller Station stamped on its door, windows rolled down, and music blaring.

The driver killed the volume, pushed his sunglasses up his nose, and leaned across the passenger seat to speak through the window. “Are you Gil Everton?”

 “Yep.” I raised a tentative hand in greeting.

 “Cool. I’m Holden Miller. Let’s get you on board.” His full mouth curved up in a high-wattage smile that made my stomach do a weird-arse, vaguely familiar flip.

 Oh boy. Attraction. Just freaking dandy. Eighteen months with my libido on military-grade lockdown, and it chose that moment to wake up and get with the program. Not only that, but I already knew Holden was gay from my conversations with Emily. Go fucking figure. It was a wrinkle I sure as hell didn’t need in my reboot plan. I hadn’t been laid since Callie’s death and I wasn’t looking to change that state of affairs anytime soon even if I had been able to summon any interest, which I hadn’t . . . for a while. So, yeah, there was that. Which was why my reaction to any man was . . . surprising.

 “Gil, are you still there?” Tuck called through the phone as Holden disappeared back into the cab and the driver’s door opened.

 I raised the phone to my ear again. “Yeah, but I’m gonna have to—” I stopped abruptly as a ruggedly handsome dark-haired beauty with a mass of lazy brown waves bouncing around his ears emerged from the Hilux. And since I was a hot mess but not dead, I drew in a sharp breath and whispered, “Wow.”

 “What?” Tucker interrupted my gawping. “What wow? Gil?”

 I cleared my throat and mumbled. “Nothing. I’ll call you in a day or two. Say hi to Gail and the kids for me.”

 “They don’t like you either.”

 I laughed. “They love me.”

 “Fuck it. You’re right.”

 “Bye, Tuck.”

 “Wait, Gil. Gil!”

 I hung up on Tuck’s protest and shot to my feet, by which time Holden had circled to the back of the Hilux and was busy opening the hatch. It gave me a few seconds to appreciate the way his dusty jeans hugged a pretty spectacular arse, and an equally dusty black T-shirt showed off lean muscular arms sporting a golden tan.

 Holden caught my eye and that broad smile widened, no doubt because I was standing there staring at him like a total idiot. “First off, let’s exchange numbers,” he said. “I think you only have Mum’s. I tried to call to say I was running late, but whatever I had in my phone didn’t work.”

 “Oh.” Shit. Great way to start. “Yeah, I ah, changed my number, sorry. I updated your mum, but maybe you’ve got my old one.”

 “No problem. Here.” He gave me his phone and I corrected the number he had stored and then he sent me a text.

 I called him back to make sure we were right, and Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” rang out through the carpark.

 I bit back a smile and raised a brow. “Really? I think I should be offended.”

He chuckled. “Don’t be. Besides, it was before I met you and it kind of fits, right? You’re from the big smoke. You’ve even got your Roberto Cavalli’s on.” He pointed to the label on my jeans and heat rose in my cheeks. “Pretty fancy for a sheep station.”

 I narrowed my gaze and fired back, “But you recognised the brand which says you have an eye for those things.”

 He grinned. “Of course. They’re a great jean. Just don’t wear them in the woolshed.”

 I laughed. “Kind of goes without saying.”

 “Are those it?” He nodded to four bags of varying sizes siting in a tidy line at my feet.

I gave a mute nod, because I was well-educated like that, and wiped my hot palms down the front of my jeans.

 “Great.” He sauntered over in that loose-gaited way perfected by many farmers like they had all the time in the world. About a metre away, he stopped, lifted his glasses onto his head, and a pair of dark coffee-brown almost black eyes locked with mine.

 And just, damn. I was in trouble.

 Then he smiled. “Welcome to Mackenzie Country, Gil.”

Wow. This book starts with an unimaginable disaster that had me crying. The ending had me sobbing. And in between I couldn’t stop reading.

Heed the trigger warning.

After the first chapter there is a time jump of 18 months. And honestly, right move. Feeling Gil’s pain, seeing it on the page 18 months later was a true testament to grief. I felt like we, as readers, were honoring his grief by seeing it reflected a year and a half later.

So Gil, a psychologist with a thriving practice who lives in the city takes a sabbatical as a domestic manager at a sheep station (ranch) in a gorgeous but remote area of New Zealand. Complete 180 from the life he knew. He wanted to shake up his life to try to climb out from under his grief. And his new boss was unwittingly the first step.

Holden is going through his own life changing circumstances since becoming the boss at Miller Station. He always knew he would take over from his grandfather, but not as suddenly as it happened after his grandfather was diagnosed with dementia.

Jay Hogan takes us on a journey of two men. Both struggling in very different ways. But they find so much comfort with each other. They completely belong together.

And beyond their relationship- I learned a lot more about New Zealand (I love books set in countries that aren’t as popular as others) and about merino fleece on sheep. As a fiber artist, I thought this was very cool.

Jay paints a picture with words, not only of the landscape, but of the different relationships within the story. Holden and Gil. Holden and his employees and friends. His mother. His best friend and former lover. I could see relationships like these in real life. Nothing was forced. There was no drama for drama sake. They even talk about the isolation of living where they do.

I really loved this book.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Heart, humour and keeping it real.

Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year.

She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She’s travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor. Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel

Find Jay in all the places: https://www.jayhoganauthor.com/landingpage

This Will Hurt II (Book 2 of 2: This Will Hurt) by Cara Dee: Excerpt and Release Day Review

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Part II of II | Angst | Awakening | Friends to Lovers | Family | Slow Burn
Buckle up. Hearts broken and wings clipped, Roe and Jake have mountains to climb, walls to tear down, and countless private moments to bring them even closer in this final part of their journey.

I’d gotten what I’d asked for, right? The ground beneath me had finally settled. I had the wife. I had the kid—my beautiful baby boy. Work was great. I was traveling the globe with my best friend, and together we were Roe Finlay and Jake Denver. Inseparable.

 That was the f— That was the problem. We were inseparable. Even though he would never be the man I’d once wished he could be, I couldn’t freaking cope going a day without seeing him. When we were together, all was well in the world. I could breathe easier.

 Then I found his damn journal from…therapy. That was right. My best friend, who defined “man of few words,” was in therapy. The ground started shaking again. I got desperate. I swam in denial. I…almost lost him on the job when he saved my life.

 Nothing was settled anymore.

This Will Hurt II by Cara Dee

Series: This Will Hurt II of II

Genre: MM Contemporary Romance

Release Day: Friday, June 2nd, 2023

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

What the fuck did you wear to a country concert?

 I grabbed a pair of jeans and boxer briefs from the closet, then walked back into the bedroom and picked up my phone from my nightstand. I sent Jake a message.

 I’m fresh out of chaps and cowboy hats. What should I wear, hoss?

 While I waited for his response, I removed the towel around my hips and put on the boxers and jeans.

 “Dada, I’m-wa no baff!”

 I glanced over at the door as my boy ran in, with Sandra hot on his tail.

 I grinned faintly and swooped him up. “Look out, we got a runner ova’ hea’.” I peppered his face with smooches, and he giggled up a storm. “You can’t escape bath time, baby boy. But you know what comes after, don’t you? Mommy’s gonna read you a story.”

 “Nooo,” he complained.

 “Yeees, I mimicked.

 Sandra sighed and smiled ruefully. “Let’s go, sweetie. We’ll get extra bubbles and everything.”

 “Hear that? We love those bubbles.” I handed over the clinging monkey to her and pressed a kiss to the side of his head.

 “I don’t wannaaa,” he whined.

 Sandra carried him out, only to stop in the doorway and turn back to me. “You sure you don’t wanna cancel?”

 Positive—and I wasn’t fighting with her about it again.

 “I won’t be late,” was all I said.

 The teasing glint in her eyes faded, and she walked out.

 I released a breath.

 My phone dinged on the nightstand, and I walked over and read Jake’s text.

 I’ll tell you you’re pretty no matter what you wear, sugar.

 I laughed silently and shook my head.

 Helpful.

 Whatever. I returned to the closet and dug out a long-sleeved tee that made my biceps look good. We were going to an outdoor place up in Griffith Park, so it was bound to get chilly. But I liked that it wasn’t a huge concert. Only some five thousand people. It beat going to the Staples Center.

 Jake picked me up downstairs fifteen minutes later, and the most country thing about him continued to be his truck. It made no sense to drive a truck in LA. But he loved it, and I really had no room to argue choices of vehicles. I was still a laughingstock after buying a sports car before Casper was born. Worst deal ever. I’d probably lost twenty grand when I’d traded it in for a family-friendly SUV.

 “Hey, pretty.” Jake pulled out from the curb. “I see you found clothes.”

 “No thanks to you.” I smiled and buckled my seat belt. “Will I see a lot of chaps tonight?”

 “If I drop you off in West Hollywood instead, I’m sure there’s a club for you.”

 I laughed. Funny.

 “Oh, this is a good one.” He cranked up the volume on the stereo. “He’ll probably play this tonight.”

 I side-eyed him, more interested in studying Jake than hearing a song. There was something inherently sexy about how he drove. He made life look easy when he was on the road. One arm along the edge of the window, the sleeves of his open flannel shirt rolled up—some serious forearm porn going on—two fingers gripping the wheel loosely at the bottom. He tapped his foot to the rocky beat, and his lips moved subtly to the singer’s voice.

 Ratty USMC ball cap on the dash. Since he always wore it backward, he took it off when a headrest was in the way.

 Fitting lyrics, about holding on to things you believed in.

 Of course, it being a country rock song, the topic was the singer’s truck.

 “It’s the miles that make a man.”

 How many miles till I fell out of love with him?

 “I’d be nothing without you, so I’m holding on.”

 Surprisingly, a line not about the truck.

 “I’m not the openin’ act,” he chuckled. “Quit starin’.”

 That was the fucking problem, wasn’t it? He was the headliner.

Oh man I couldn’t wait for this book. Book 1 didn’t end really on a cliff hanger. But it was a bit of an omg moment And, of course, their story wasn’t over.

We left off with Roe married. After sleeping with Jake in Las Vegas. But they were both drunk so there was a lot of justifying going on in their minds.

In this book, we watch as both families grow. Jake and Nikki have another baby. Roe finds out he is going to be the father of twins. (and his wife didn’t tell him before announcing it on Insta?!?!?) They have hired more people for Two Condor Chicks and their podcast, documentaries and series are all hugely popular.

It’s pretty unspoken that they don’t talk about Vegas and they haven’t repeated Vegas. Until they do. Roe is a mess. His wife has severe postpartum depression and he is trying to do it all. Something has to give. And it’s how he feels for Jake.

Yes, he cheats on his wife. But we all know he belongs with Jake so it is super easy to forgive him. And they actually talk about their relationship and what will happen in the future. You can’t help but cheer for them.

Jake still has a TON of internalized homophobia to work through. It’s just heartbreaking the damage his parents did to him. So when they start telling people, Jake is fine telling those closest to him. But now that they are semi-famous, he has a hard time thinking about telling the world.

PS- almost no one is surprised 😉

This 2 book series was the epitome of love overcoming all else. These guys were the best of friends. Their kids all acted like siblings. Their lives are so nearly perfect. The final piece was them becoming an actual couple.

The kids are integrated SO well into the story. They are never forgotten yet they never take over the story either.

Everyone had a role, no one was there as filler. There were subtle cameos of several characters from other Cara Dee books, which is always fun. And again, they fit. They weren’t gratuitous cameos to please readers.

A 10 plus year epic from the first time they meet up to them blending their families and living happily ever after.

Read these books. Seriously. And they are totally vanilla if kink isn’t your jam.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Love for the Reaper (The Elite Book 1) by Charlie Cochet: New Release Review

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Devlin “Dev” Espinosa lives in the shadows of the criminal underworld. As a Ferryman, his job is to safely transport “the dead” to their new lives, no questions asked. With no one to answer to, lots of cash, and access to The Anonymous–an exclusive club for the elite–Dev is loving life.

Until Remy Corbin gets into his car.

Remy is just a regular guy working a regular bartending job. At least, that’s what he thought before walking in on his boss taking someone out. Witnessing the assassination paints a target on Remy’s back, and when the bullets fly, he jumps into a stranger’s car.

Dev has no intention of getting involved in Remy’s problems, but something about the guy brings out protective instincts Dev didn’t know he had. Going against his better judgment, Dev vows to keep Remy alive.

Can wild nights fueled by danger and explosive passion lead to more? Or will the hitman on their tail cut their romance–and lives–short?

Love for the Reaper is a part of the multi-author series The Elite. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. What links these books together is The Anonymous, a club beneath the gritty city where only the elite are welcome.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Books 1-9 in The Elite multi-author series

This book is part of a shared world, but they are all stand alones. Which totally works, but I would have liked to know more about this fictional city they live in. But not a big deal.

Being a novella, we jump right into the action. Very little backstory on the characters. But enough to get who they are and why they are in this place in life.

Almost immediately a murder is witnessed, the two main characters are shot at and go into hiding. Not really hiding, but an agreed upon safe zone for all of the bad guys. Seriously. Kinda silly, lots of fun.

Dev goes against everything he has been up until this point for a guy he just met. And Remy is just a regular guy caught up in a mess who falls in love with a criminal.

Could be an episode of a tv show.

Fun, fast, totally unrealistic but it sucks you in.

If anything screams afternoon beach read- it’s this!

4 pieces of eye candy

Stubbed Toes and Dating Woes by Dahlia Donovan: New Release Review and Giveaway

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Niclas Ruiz loves digging in the dirt for ancient artifacts. He’s obsessed with old words and lives in his own world. His summers are often spent traveling to new places to hunt for treasure with his trusty metal detector while trying not to get lost or stumble off a cliff.

Love has never been high on his priority list. His being autistic and asexual has often been a hurdle for other people. But he’s happy enough to plod along on his own with his horde like a fairy-tale dragon.

But sometimes, he allows himself to dream about a man out of his reach.

Two things about Falk “Grizz” Evensen are certain. He runs a successful security firm and has been hopelessly in love with his best friend’s younger brother for many years. Neither of them has ever dared to test the waters.

When Niclas plans to visit Cornwall for the summer, his older brother convinces Falk to join him under the auspices of keeping him safe.

Is this May-December romance doomed to be derailed by fears of unrequited love?

Will their treasure hunt lead them to true love or fool’s gold?

Author: Dahlia Donovan
Title: Stubbed Toes & Dating Woes
Genre: Asexual M/M Rom-Com
Release Date: May 19th
Word Count: Approx. 30k

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Super cute book!

Things we don’t get a lot of. Realistic representations of ACE characters and neurodivergent characters. This novella gives us both.

Nic has a crush on his brother’s best friend. And his brother’s best friend has a crush on him. And both are asexual. What it takes to get them together is a clueless brother.

I will say that Nic’s brother really annoyed me. WAY WAY overprotective of his brother. I kind of understood when Nic was traveling alone. But after Falk joined him, it was total overkill.

But it was still a fun book to read. Traveling the English coast, digging for buried treasure, finally telling off a coworker who is mean and admitting that they have been in love with each other for years.

And because they were both ACE, there were a couple of brief “this is all I want to do” talks to see that they were both on the same page.

Great beach read!

4 pieces of eye candy

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Dahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.
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