Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

TCO Reviewer: Erin

Found at the Rock Concert by Christi Snow: New Release Review

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A wounded rock star, a bodyguard, and a CEO get trapped in a snowed-in cabin…

It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it’s not. This is the start of an epic love story between three men. Three men who have a history twined together with encounters and impressions that have marked their years.

They just never realized how all those brief encounters would eventually change their lives forever.

Daniel, the rock star who survived a plane crash and is trying to figure out how to live his life without legs.

Luke, the bodyguard who made so many mistakes and now thinks he doesn’t deserve the man he’s loved for years.

Austin, the CEO who thinks he’s on the outside pulling the strings, but what he doesn’t realize is without him at the core, this relationship will never work…for any of them.

Three men, one snowy winter cabin, one epic love story waiting to be discovered…

Book #4 in the Found Series.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Found at the Library (Book 1)
Found at the Bookstore (Book 2)
Found at the Jazz Club (Book 3)

Well written story with three men becoming one relationship. There were a couple wobbles, but overall, I really enjoyed.

The story begins with Daniel as an 18 year old. Being the cousin and best friend of a famous musician, he meets Luke, the man who was hired to be his cousin’s bodyguard. There is immediate chemistry between the two, but Luke won’t do anything about it. Partially because Daniel is so young, but also because he needs this job.

Over the years, Daniel doesn’t give up. Not even after he is cut off of the family money by quitting school after a scandal. Daniel finds his own fame, as the lead singer in a rock band that is quickly gaining popularity. Luke is still Brady’s bodyguard so when Luke and Brady are in an airplane crash, he is there watching from the sidelines.

But before that accident, Daniel had a seriously hot night with a stranger. That stranger, Austin, wants more. But Daniel is still hung up on Luke. Especially after he tricked him. Oh the drama.

Not really a spoiler since it is in the blurb, but Daniel loses his legs in the plane crash. But worse than losing his legs, he loses his music. His brain is quiet, his family is hovering and he is going crazy.

Through a strange connection, Austin is there for everything that happens after the crash. He realizes that Luke is the man that Daniel loves.

Ok, so this part is kind of convoluted but whatevs. It was still pretty well written. Daniel is in an empty cabin about an hour from the group of cabins his family use for 2 weeks over Christmas. He just wants to be blessedly alone. But Austin schemes to get Luke there. Which is does. But a huge storm comes and Austin ALSO ends up at the cabin.

And then the naked happens. Not without Daniel feeling self conscious about his missing legs, Austin desperately wants Daniel, but knows Daniel and Luke belong together and Luke is finally ready to give in to his feelings for Daniel. Until he starts to have feelings for Austin and Austin for him. And Daniel.

I will say that when Austin and Daniel first hooked up he made it clear that he had no interest in a threesome. That changed. Quickly.

While I enjoyed getting solid back stories on the three men and their relationships as they were, I would have liked a lot more of them together as 3. We get basically a week before Christmas, Christmas and New Year’s Day. And a decent epilogue. But it was too short. I want to see these guys navigating life as a throuple. Especially with one in the spotlight and the other a CEO.

Still a good read with great bones. They weren’t just thrown together.

There’s a connection to three other books before this one, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone.

3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Liberating Love by Michele Notaro & Sammi Cee: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Aiden

Finding out the man I slept with is my friend’s father is terrifying, but maybe forgivable since I didn’t know who he was… right? But falling into bed with him again… and again and again is probably not excusable. Maybe if Delaney got rid of his miles of muscles and stopped being so sweet to me, I could stop. I need to stop. If only I had the willpower—or the desire. Delaney is everything I want in a man, but we have no future together, so it can never be more than this. His sons can never find out. 

Delaney

Serving time for a crime I didn’t commit wasn’t in my game plan, but I’m out now and determined to live my best possible life. After hooking up with a hot younger man, I regret letting him go without even his name. But then luck is finally with me, and he comes walking into my son’s house. In order to make him mine, I have to be honest with my sons about the past as well as my desire for Aiden. But Aiden’s fear of getting involved is deeper than he’s telling me. He’s hiding something, too. 

Will Aiden’s fear of revealing his private life and losing his friends keep him from the man who wants to be his everything or will he allow Delaney to help bear his burden?

Liberating Love is the third book in the Interlocking Fragments series, but is a standalone novel. Each book in the series will feature a different couple, but the couples will show up throughout the whole series. This is a contemporary romance intended for 18+. 

Liberating Love

Interlocking Fragments Series, Book 3

Sammi Cee & Michele Notaro

M/M Romance 

Release Date: 03.16.20

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I lean my elbows on the trunk of Aiden’s car as I wait for him to walk out of the building. With him working with Jovany right now, I know his schedule, which makes tracking him down easy. The only hard part is keeping a lookout to make sure I don’t run into my asshole ex-brother-in-law and his spineless son. 

Ahh… there he is. Aiden walks with hunched shoulders as he stares down at his phone. Worry prickles at the back of my neck at how turned into himself he is. He doesn’t look up at the coworkers he passes, nor do they extend a passing word to him. In just his walk to the car I see his isolation, and Jameson’s concern for his friend takes on a whole new level. He’s almost to the car before he sees me, his steps falter and his face pales as he quickly scans the parking lot around us. “What are you doing here?” 

“Freckles, I think we need to talk.”

I am fairly certain both of these authors are new to me. But being that the blurb said this book could be read as a stand alone, I decided to jump in. And technically it was a stand alone, but I was also missing a lot. But, after figuring out who was connected to whom and how, it was fine. Previous books just would have made it easier,

Moving on.

Delaney is just out of a 5 year stint in prison for something he didn’t do. He is staying with one of his sons and his son’s boyfriend for a bit- kind of a reunion thing, before moving into his own place. But he also needs people he isn’t related to.

Off to the bar!

There he hones in on a red head drinking alone. They end up having a hot night without even exchanging names.

Until the next day- Thanksgiving, when the red head shows up at his son’s house for dinner. Ooops.

After a bit of an internal struggle by Aiden, they continue seeing each other on the sly. How no one figured it out, I don’t know.

Until the kind of cliche bit of ALL of Aiden’s friends showing up at his apartment at midnight to find Delaney there as well.

A couple things, the writing at the beginning was kind of clunky and there were just odd things. Why did Aiden go to his friend’s house for Thanksgiving and leave his mother alone? Why was he at a bar by himself because he just doesn’t seem like that guy. I don’t even remember them sitting down to dinner. It was kind of weird.

Delaney was also super well adjusted after spending 5 years in prison for something he didn’t do. He acted like he was just on a super long vacation. Like, meh, no big deal.

This is just me, but I HATE cutesy nicknames. Especially when I can’t see a person using that nickname for someone. Delaney called Aiden “Freckles”. Uh, no. Just, seriously, stop it.

The writing got better, there was better flow. But just some things made no sense to me.

Definitely readable, but not memorable.

3 pieces of eye candy About Michele Notaro:

Michele is married to an awesome husband that puts up with her and all the characters in her head–and there are many. They live together in Baltimore, Maryland with their two young boys and two crazy dogs. She grew up dancing and swimming and taught dance–ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, & modern–for ten years before her kids came along. Now she stays home to write about the sexy men in her head and does PTA everything–as long as coffee is involved. Two other tattooed moms run the PTA with her, and though she wants to rip her hair out from it, she still loves it.

Michele Notaro Amazon author page link: https://amzn.to/2S69FXF

 

About Sammi Cee:

Sammi Cee was raised in a family of readers. Summer vacations consisted of a good book while sitting lakeside from as far back as she could remember. After growing up and having her own children, her appreciation of how the written word could transport you on an adventure, bring you to tears, or give you hope, took on a whole new meaning. 

These days Sammi is watching her children develop into fine young ladies while doing the things she enjoys most: drinking coffee, eating chocolate, and writing her own stories. 

Sammi Cee Amazon author page link: https://amzn.to/3aDm7Vg

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Thief in the Light by Jaime Samms: New Release Review and Giveaway

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Lucky Denver has wandering feet, sticky fingers and an unreliable moral compass—he’s never had a home and he’s not so sure he cares about what he’s missing.

Arnold Kreed who runs a small-town B&B knows what a home should be. So does his home, The Oaks—aka Mildred—and she has some very definite opinions on who should stay and who should go.

Mildred wants Lucky to stay—and while Kreed is surprised, he can’t really blame the old girl. He’s getting sort of attached himself. Lucky might be fine with the house’s eccentricities, but he’s not so sure Kreed will be fine with the man attached to Lucky’s real name. When Kreed falls ill, Lucky needs to make a decision—wander away like he’s always done or stay and be his better self. Kreed’s hoping he’ll stay—and so is The Oaks, and Mildred has a way of getting what she wants.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

This was fun with quirky characters- including a picky house. As seems to happen too often lately, I had time line issues. But they are fairly easily overlooked.

Lucky is walking along a lonely stretch of highway when he has to take a dive into a ditch to avoid a SUV. The SUV driver has her nose in the air, but she does help him out. She gets him into the SUV and drives him to a B&B that she knows of. Not before he swipes her purse.

The B&B owner is that guy that you totally wouldn’t expect to own and B&B but at the same time it fits him perfectly. Lucky takes a room for three nights, giving up half his money. But the bed, shower and food are too hard to resist.

And then the temperamental, quirky house gives involved by knocking a picture off of the wall. Which would have seriously hurt Lucky had he been in the bed. But when Kreed checks on him, he sees the pink purse.

The next morning there is a note next to the pink purse. An offer to work for room and board, or take the money for the two nights he didn’t stay yet and disappear. Against his better judgement, he stays.

Lucky is happy to do any of the work that Kreed gives him. They get along fine, even with the town taking the time to stop in and get a look see at the new guy. Besides being a B&B, Kreed serves breakfast and lunch daily.

Kreed has a friend with benefits show up, with his husband, which gets sticky. Because Kreed and Lucky are definitely interested in each other. Which kind of makes Kreed realize he is worth more than a friend with benefits deal. Plus Lucky isn’t so subtle with his dislike of this guy.

When Kreed gets ill and winds up in the hospital, Lucky does everything he can to keep the B&B afloat. Not by renting rooms and doing big meals, but opening every morning for coffee service and breakfast sandwiches.

He has help from a trio of siblings who own the bookstore across the street, and surprisingly, from the woman who knocked him off the road to being with.

There are secrets that get out, which risk not only Lucky, but Kreed and his B&B. Lucky is ready to bail, but realizes that all of a sudden he has people- friends- in his corner willing to help him and fight for him. Including Mildred. The house.

Seeing Lucky open up and realize that people actually care for him was so sweet. The relationship between Kreed and Lucky is a suuuuuuuuuuuuuper slow burn. In fact, there is only one sex act (I’m pretty sure) and it didn’t even happen in a bed.

Shows that a decent story doesn’t need sex to keep you invested. Even a romance.

3.5 Pieces of Candy

Jaime has generously offered an ebook copy of any of her backlist for one commenter on this post. Leave a comment for Jaime!

Charlie Sunshine by Lily Morton: New Release Review * 2

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Sometimes love is a lot closer to home than you think.

Charlie Burroughs can’t keep a man. All he wants is a good relationship like the ones he sees his friends having, but none of the men he picks ever work out. Despite him trying to be the perfect boyfriend, the men are either threatened by his looks or his epilepsy or a combination of the two. It’s lucky that he has his best friend Misha to turn to. The two of them are closer than peas in a pod and fiercely loyal to each other. He can’t imagine his life without Misha in it.

Misha Lebedinsky is the complete opposite of his best friend. Being the support system for his mum and twin sisters leaves Misha with neither the time nor the inclination for a relationship. Quick and frequent hook-ups are his favourite means of communication and any other pesky emotional needs he has are met by Charlie, who he’s devoted to. He lives a life of happy compartmentalization with no intention of ever changing.

All of this changes when the two best friends move in together. Being in close proximity means that they suddenly start to see each other in a very different light. But Charlie struggles when his drive to be the perfect partner clashes with the fact that he’s in love with a man who knows every little thing about him. And even if he can get past that, can a relationship ever work with a man who’d need a dictionary to tell him what love means?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a love story about a sunny librarian who has relationship written all over him and a cynical banker who doesn’t even have it in his blurb.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Never judge a book by its cover… because this cover reminds me of the old Geico caveman, but I adored this story so, so, so much!

Charlie is beautiful (despite the cover) and he’s inherently chipper and happy and good-hearted, and friendly and funny and just beautiful inside and out. I loved him, sure, but probably not as much as I loved his best friend Misha.

Misha is Charlie’s complete opposite, but they’ve been best friends since they were kids. Where Misha is a very successful banker, Charlie works in a library. Where Charlie is a serial monogamist, Misha doesn’t know the word relationship. It works for them though, they make each other better. What I loved the most though was the way Misha takes care of Charlie… Even from the beginning, even when Charlie had a very short-term, very condescending boyfriend that you’ll hate, even then, Misha took care of him. It gets frustrating, the level of cluelessness they both share, but it makes it that much sweeter when they both realize that aside from being best friends, they care about each other like no one else ever would.

I loved their banter and the way were best friends before anything else. Both men were so selfless and there for each other, they truly just wanted each other to be safe and happy. Everyone knew they were soulmates, their friends and families were so supportive and encouraging, it was almost a relief when they realized they were meant to be more. I don’t want to give everything away because it’s honestly such a low-angst, feel-good read. Everything I read from this author is, she’s an instant buy for me. This one was no different. Loved the ending, I can’t wait to see who’s next and where these guys go from here. Perfect ending.

5 pieces of eye candy

From the moment that I discovered my first Lily Morton book, she has never let me down. Quirky, fun characters who can laugh at themselves and are just fun. Even the grumpy ones end up being fun.

Charlie is the perennially happy guy. Even after a freak accident that left him with epilepsy, he still won’t be anything but happy. In front of people. He is always that “I’m fine!” guy. But his best friend since he was 6 years old can see through it.

Misha is the opposite of Charlie. Hedge fund manager, snappy suits, fancy car, the right address. But together, they are perfect. How could they not be after 20 something years of friendship?

Charlie loses his last roommate and instead of looking for another, Misha invites him to be HIS roommate. No big deal, right? HA! HA I say! Since they each have crushes on each other but won’t do anything about it because 1. best friends and 2. they want different things. Charlie is the settle down, white picket fence with a chocolate lab kind of guy. But Misha is only about the one night stand.

Plus Charlie has a boyfriend, who works with Misha and they hate each other. And he really doesn’t treat Charlie well. The last straw was when Charlie started having a seizure and the evil boyfriend didn’t catch him before he fell. In fact, he moved away. Bastard.

Now everyone is single and tip toeing around each other’s hot selves and ignoring the giant condom shaped elephant in the room.

Of course they end up together! It is a romance with a happily ever after. But watching them discover the love they have that is beyond best friend love is wonderful. And it isn’t just Charlie who changes Misha from a one off guy to a happily in love buy. But Misha also changes Charlie. From always having a happy face on to finally asking for help when he needs it and letting people know that sometimes he isn’t great.

They were just super adorable and I LOVED Charlie’s parents- mom, step dad, father and step father. Do they math.

If you are a Lily Morton fan, don’t miss this one.

4 pieces of eye candy

Shades of Henry (The Flophouse Book 1) by Amy Lane: New Release Review

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A Flophouse Story

One bootstrap act of integrity cost Henry Worrall everything—military career, family, and the secret boyfriend who kept Henry trapped for eleven years. Desperate, Henry shows up on his brother’s doorstep and is offered a place to live and a job as a handyman in a flophouse for young porn stars.

Lance Luna’s past gave him reasons for being in porn, but as he continues his residency at a local hospital, they now feel more like excuses. He’s got the money to move out of the flophouse and live his own life—but who needs privacy when you’re taking care of a bunch of young men who think working penises make them adults?

Lance worries Henry won’t fit in, but Henry’s got a soft spot for lost young men and a way of helping them. Just as Lance and Henry find a rhythm as den mothers, a murder and the ghosts of Henry’s abusive past intrude. Lance knows Henry’s not capable of murder, but is he capable of caring for Lance’s heart?

Amazon

First off, this is a spin off of another series. I did not read the other series, I don’t think you have to, but I might have understood some of the dynamics more. Mostly between Henry and his brother’s boyfriend. But, no big deal really.

Henry, brother of Dex/Davy (real name/porn name) is dishonorably discharged from the Army, returns home to get his ass beat by his father and then ends up on his older brother’s doorstep. The older brother who was already black listed from the family for being gay. Well, guess we can add Henry to that list.

Dex has the brilliant (?) idea to set him up in the flop house a bunch of porn boys (models) share. So we meet these barely legal models who are a collective mess as well as Lance, who is a model AND a medical resident. It’s a lot.

Let me tell you these guys have issues. ALL of them have issues. Which is kind of sad that all or most of the models seem to have been shunned by their families for being gay. And now they all have these bigger issues. So add in Henry with giant issues of his own!

If the story focused on the guys and their problems as well as Henry and Lance with their budding relationship, I would have liked it more. But we get Henry accused of murder- which was a really lame plot device to lead Henry to a career- and the resolution of that was so in the back ground. Huh? HE WAS ACCUSED OF MURDER! Sigh

Right up there with Lance being a medical resident, who notoriously work a zillion hours a week but seems to have time to hang out. And the scene I assume was supposed to be funny, but it ended up being awful.

Too much, yet not enough. I get that she is trying to set up the ground work for a new series but it was just kind of a mess. Too many little plots without enough focus on the big plot. Which, besides getting Lance and Henry together, what was the big plot? And none of the little plots were resolved very well.

I generally really like Amy Lane’s work, but this was a miss for me.

2.5 Pieces of Candy

 

Four Letter Word by K.M. Neuhold: Blog Tour, Excerpt and New Release Review

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Relationships are hard enough between two people…can the four of us make it work? Or is love nothing more than a four letter word?

Polyamory…the first time Riot says the word, it feels like everything slots into place. Maybe I’m not greedy for loving both of my best friends at once…

For most of my life, I didn’t think I could ever have the kind of love I’ve been dreaming of, but somehow a sexy bartender with a major sweet tooth is making it all seem possible.

Maybe Riot is right: our capacity for love is bigger than most people let themselves feel. But will Leo and Hudson feel the same? Will they be willing to try to build this beautiful, complicated life with me?

If I can keep them from ripping each other’s heads off that is…

*** This is book two in the Love Logic series and can be read as a stand-alone. This is a MMMM story full of love and heat.

Four Letter Word

Love Logic Series, Book 2

KM Neuhold

M/M/M/M Romance, Menage

Release Date: 03.20.20

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Universal Buy Link

Rocket Science (Love Logic Book 1)

“Bish, hold up,” Hudson says, wrapping his thick fingers around my bicep to pull me to a stop. My heart beats harder at his touch, everything in me insisting I melt into him and give him anything he wants. After all, it’s what I want too.

I swallow hard and turn to face him. “What’s up?” I ask as casually as I can manage.

He steps closer, crowding into my space until all I can feel is the warmth of his body and all I can smell is his spicy whiskey body soap and a hint of the alcohol on his breath. He cups my face, and the move is so familiar at this point I don’t think I could keep myself from leaning into it if I tried.

“Come home with me?” he asks, his voice a low murmur that vibrates through me and strokes my cock awake without any effort.

“I…” My brain is foggy from the booze, but more than that, my body is quickly getting drunk on Hudson’s closeness. If I say yes, I know we’ll have a fun night together. He knows exactly how to touch me, exactly how to make me come so hard I’ll see stars for hours. I sway into him, my cock fully hard just thinking about how Hudson’s bare skin feels against mine. “Have to go home…alone.”

Hudson’s shoulders sag. He strokes his thumb across my cheek without saying a word and I wonder if he’s hoping to change my mind. His hot breath ghosts over my lips a fraction of a second before his mouth is on mine. I brace for a hungry onslaught, steeling myself to refuse him again no matter how good the kiss is. But, to my surprise, his lips move slowly against mine, which is strangely harder to resist than if he shoved his tongue down my throat and started grinding his erection against me. I put my hands on his chest, curling my fingers around the fabric of his shirt and parting my lips to deepen the kiss.

It’s entirely too easy to get lost in the sweet rhythm of his mouth, the familiar taste of his tongue, the comforting feeling of his body against mine.

He breaks the kiss without warning and I drag in a breath in an attempt to get my thoughts back in the right order. 

I’m fairly certain I have read at least one of this author’s books before. I liked it, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression to go search out other titles. But this became available and I am always intrigued with how an author tackles polyamory. Because it can be really good, or really, really bad. And this one, was really good.

Bishop, Leo and Hudson were best friends practically since diapers. But when they were teenagers, Leo and Hudson- forever in one competition or another- want to know who kisses better. So they ask Bishop to judge. And from that moment, Bishop knew he was in love with his 2 best friends.

Flash forward 16 years. Although, the timeline was a little wonky for me. But it hardly matters. Anyway. Bishop is still in love with his best friends, even though his best friends no longer speak to each other. He hooks up with the hot bartender one night, but doesn’t want to lead him on. Because of that pesky unrequited love for two men. Until Riot- the bartender- explains polyamory. Suddenly things start clicking into place.

Over the course of the book, relationships are formed. As a whole, and as individual couples. There’s math involved to tell me how many couples there are, but that is too much work. But the author does take the time to nurture and grow each individual relationship. Without being too long, boring, or tedious. No one was left behind. No one came out as the alpha couple. They were all equals. After some past hurts were worked out. That past hurt between Leo and Hudson was kind of anticlimactic to me, but it is what it is.

If you want an honest, loving, really good look at polyamory and what it means to all parties involved, this is the book for you. Because polyamory doesn’t mean just a foursome, but all individual relationships cherished within.

4 pieces of eye candy

Author K.M.Neuhold is a complete romance junkie, a total sap in every way. She started her journey as an author in new adult, MF romance, but after a chance reading of an MM book she was completely hooked on everything about lovely- and sometimes damaged- men finding their Happily Ever After together. She has a strong passion for writing characters with a lot of heart and soul, and a bit of humor as well. And she fully admits that her OCD tendencies of making sure every side character has a full backstory will likely always lead to every book having a spin-off or series. When she’s not writing she’s a lion tamer, an astronaut, and a superhero…just kidding, she’s likely watching Netflix and snuggling with her husky while her amazing husband brings her coffee.

 linktr.ee/KMNeuhold