TCO Reviewer: Erin

Find Me: An Omegaverse Story (Finding Free Book 4) by A.M. Arthur: New Release Review

February 3, 2020 by Denise

Layne Higgs grew up with a clear plan for his future: find his bondmate, mate during heat, and raise a family with the same love and devotion his parents showered on him. Until two years ago, he never anticipated that future would be with his best friend-now-boyfriend Peyton, and Layne has never been happier. Then an unexpected, impossible pregnancy obliterates everything Layne knows about himself as an omega.

Peyton Tovey has lived his entire life on borrowed time and that time is running out. With a baby on the way, Peyton agrees to participate in a risky gene therapy trial to save his life and give him the future he wants with Layne and their son. But the cost of the trial is more than anyone anticipates, and to have their happy future, Peyton and Layne will both have to find their way back to each other—or lose everything.

FIND ME is the fourth book in the “Finding Free” omegaverse series, which is a spin-off of the fan-favorite “Breaking Free” series. This is an original universe featuring mpreg, A/B/O dynamics, heats, knotting and an alpha-dominated society that is starting to see advances in omega rights. Content warnings for dark themes apply. Please see interior book blurb for an additional, spoilery warning.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Oh man I have been waiting for this story. So yes, you really need to read the other books. Since book 6 of the previous series, Feel, I have been waiting for this story. In Feel, Peyton was a child newly diagnosed with a disease that would likely kill him by the time he was 25. And then Demir, a beta still a teenager himself, decided that he would become a doctor to go into research for the specific purpose of curing the disease so Peyton wouldn’t die.

For several books, Peyton and his disease have been in the background. Often mentioned, but never the main focus of the story. This spin off series dealing with the children of the men in the first book focuses more on not only Peyton and his disease, but his best friend Layne. And then we watch their relationship morph in the previous book. And now. NOW! FINALLY! Not only the love story of Peyton and Layne, but also that horrible third wheel, Donal Syndrome.

Think you’re going to get a tidy little wrap up of this story? HA! You don’t know this author very well.

There were so many gasps, tears and smiles. My heart broke over and over again. Things I never expected to happen. I mean, there were parts that my mouth was just hanging open.

We do, ultimately, get to witness the happily ever after, with a few adjustments.

My only real critique is that there are SO many characters, the author takes the time to explain who they are and how they fit and any important plot points regarding them we need to know. So yes, this makes it easier for people who haven’t read all of the books or don’t remember everything, but it gets a bit tedious. Those paragraphs are easy enough to skim over though.

This was, by far, my favorite of this spin off series. I feel like through it all Peyton and Layne were the central couple before they were even a couple. Everyone was rooting for them. And we got our pay off.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Hold Me Up (Chasing Gold Book 1) by Colette Davison: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

January 30, 2020 by Denise

Can second chance love survive past trauma?

Reece has one goal: to compete in the Olympic Games. With the gymnastics World Championships looming, his dream is one step closer to becoming a reality.

When his childhood sweetheart, Alex, walks back into his life unexpectedly, Reece’s world is turned upside down. Alex was the boy who inexplicably pushed him away and broke his heart; the boy he still loves.

When the truth behind their break-up is revealed, Reece wants to hold Alex up and give him the strength to heal.

But can Reece be Alex’s rock, and remain focused on his training, or will his Olympic dreams suffer in the process?

Hold Me Up is a MM second chance romance, with a slow-burn relationship and lots of hurt/comfort. It’s the first in a series of books that follows male artistic gymnasts as they chase gold.

Trigger warnings: Hold Me Up features a character who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, due to a past event that is briefly described.

Book Title: Hold Me Up (Chasing Gold Book 1)

Author: Colette Davison

Publisher: Independently Published

Cover Artist: Colette Davison

Release Date: January 29, 2020

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: Second chance, sports, slow burn, hurt/comfort

Themes: Forgiveness, trusting others, dedication, self-care

Heat Rating: 2 – 3 flames

Length: 68 500 words

It is a standalone story.

Add on Goodreads

Amazon US – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

“Pizza and beer, as requested.”

Alex’s smiled deepened as he stood back, allowing Reece to enter.

“Are we eating at the table, or are we going to be uncouth?” Reece made eyes at the sofa and then frowned playfully. “How can you be uncouth when you can’t be couth?”

Alex chuckled. “You’re an idiot.”

“It’s true, though,” Reece pointed out, kicking the door shut behind him. “Just like you can be over- or underwhelmed, but you can’t actually be whelmed. The English language is weird.” Raising the hand carrying the beer, he pointed to the table and then the sofa. “Table or sofa?”

Alex considered the question. The sofa would be far more relaxed, but he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. In just a few days, most of his barriers regarding Reece had crashed down. He was enjoying having Reece back in his life, but he felt like it was for all the wrong reasons.

Reece took the decision out of his hands. “The table is occupied by your laptop. Let’s take the sofa.” He put the pizzas and beer on the coffee table before flopping down on one end of the sofa. He looked up at Alex expectantly. “Are you joining me?”

Alex glanced at the table, wondering if he should offer to move the laptop. It would have taken him two seconds to close the lid and prop it against the wall and only slightly longer to take it back through to his bedroom, but he didn’t want to. Instead, he wandered to the kitchen units and grabbed the bottle opener from the drawer.

“Good call,” Reece said as he pulled two bottles out of the cardboard pack. He held them both while Alex flipped the lids off, and then gave one to Alex. “I got us garlic bread,” he declared. “And I seem to remember that you’re not much of a fan of topping on pizza, so I’ve got a margherita for you and pepperoni for me.” He took a swig of beer before opening up the pizza boxes and handing Alex his. Then he reclaimed the bottle. “We should have a toast.”

Alex raised his eyebrows as Reece lifted his bottle.

“To you. Reporter extraordinaire.”

Alex felt heat creep up into his face. “I don’t—”

“I do,” Reece cut him off. “Like I said earlier, your article was amazing.” He glanced around the room. “You should cut it out and frame it.”

The heat swept up to Alex’s hairline and into his ears. “My boss already did.”

“Where is it? I don’t see it up anywhere.”

“At work.”

“On the wall?”

Alex shook his head.

“You need to bring it home. I’ll help you put it up, if you want?”

Alex dipped his chin. “I—”

“It’s your first article. It’s a big deal, Alex and you should be bloody proud of yourself.”

I’ve read a few books by this author, but what really drew me in was that the one main character was a gymnast. We get tons of baseball, hockey and football players. Lots of dancers (although I could always use more dancers), but gymnasts? Few and far between I’m afraid.

The author definitely did their research as far as the technical portion of the gymnastics. That was refreshing. I am going to ignore that Reece had zero recovery time after training.

Instead, let’s focus on the relationship. Reece and Alex were high school sweethearts. There was no closet for them to come out of. Their parents were totally accepting. Until Alex suddenly broke up with Reece for seemingly no reason.

Fast forward a few years when their paths cross. Actually their paths sort of crash into each other. And even though Reece was the one left blindsided with the break up, he is willing to forgive and forget. Once he gets a valid reason for the break up.

I am going to call this book NA because they are young-ish. I want to say 21 or 22? Alex has no experience outside of the teenage fumbling they did together and Reece has very little experience. Together they rediscover each other, first as friends, then again as lovers.

Reece is incredibly patient with Alex. Working to help Alex overcome past trauma and eventually heal the relationship with his mother.

Reece and Alex are the type of adorable couple that you just root for. High school sweethearts that just belong together.

3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Facebook

Twitter

Facebook Group: Colette’s Cosy Corner

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Earnest Ink by Alex Hall: Book Blast, Excerpt and Review

January 28, 2020 by Denise

While twenty-year-old FTM Hemingway is making an excellent living as a tattoo artist in a near-future version of Hell’s Kitchen, the rest of the country is splintered and struggling in the wake of a war gone on for too long. Technology has collapsed, borders rise and fall overnight, and magic has awakened without rhyme, reason, or rule, turning average unwitting citizens into wielders of strange and specific strands of magic.

Hemingway’s particular brand of magic has made him a household name. Not only is he a talented artist, but his work comes to life. Literally.

When NYC’s most infamous serial killer—the East River Ripper—abducts Hemingway’s best friend, Grace, he has only days to save her. Hemingway teams up with his stoic cop roommate to hunt for the killer and rescue Grace before she becomes the Ripper’s latest victim. But as the duo chase clues to the serial killer’s identity, Hemingway begins to fear the magic he and the Ripper share might eventually corrupt him too.

Book Title: Earnest Ink

Author: Alex Hall

Publisher: Nine Star Press

Published: October 14, 2019

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Genre/s: Queer Spec Fic, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense

Trope/s: Found family

Themes: Mystery/adventure

Heat Rating: 1 flame

Orientation: Asexual, Pansexual

Identity: Cisgender, Trans

Warning: Depictions of Trauma, Blood, Violence, Murder, Eating disorders, Body hatred, Transphobia, PTSD, War

Length: 72 100 words/244 pages

It is a standalone book.

Add on Goodreads

Amazon US

Amazon UK

NineStar Press

Smashwords

B&N

Kobo

I work without speaking because that’s the way I prefer it. The vibration of my machine, the softer buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead, the tap of my foot on the pedal—it’s the best music in the world.

When I hit a ticklish spot, the girl I’m working on gasps, jolting in my chair.

“Don’t move,” I say. And then, with a salesman’s false cheer: “Almost done!”

The girl is sweating down the crook of her neck. She’s got silver glitter paint on her eyelids and cheeks, a new fashion trend I just can’t quite get behind. Under my lights the mix of perspiration and makeup looks like a blurry constellation.

She wanted a bee inked onto her collarbone, one of those tiny honeybees you find on good tequila bottles. Easily done, and she met the cash requirement. She’s eager, nervous, and breathing in and out in little puffs.

I can’t remember her name, but that’s fine. Customer relations is Eric’s job.

There’s another kid leaning over my glass counter, watching eagerly as I work. “Does it hurt?” he asks. “When the magic happens?”

The bee’s fat yellow thorax wriggles from side to side as it begins to wake, fighting the pressure of my needle, hungry for life.

“It looks like it hurts,” the kid says. I ignore him.

One minute more and—thanks to my peculiar magic—this bee will fly free.

I’m perched on a swivel stool, a wet paper towel in my hand to wipe away ink. It’s too hot in my studio, even with the industrial fans whirling overhead and the door propped wide open. Evening light slants in through the door and the north-facing, floor-to-ceiling window panes that look out onto West Forty-Sixth. It’s muggy, too warm for New York in October, and all of Hell’s Kitchen is wilting, including my client.

“What does it feel like?” the kid demands. He’s leaving greasy fingerprints on the surface of the glass as he strains to get a better look at what I’m doing. I study him out the corner of my eye, wiping sweat off my nose with the back of my wrist before it drips on my customer. He looks like one of the street punks who have taken to running in packs near the cruise terminals, sleeping in old, abandoned cargo containers and panhandling up and down the marina.

He’s skinny and tall, hair dyed an unsettling violet and styled into spikes all over his head. He’s got a silver ring in his septum and more hoops in his ears; his eyelashes are coated with purple mascara to match his hair. Green glitter paint sparkles on his lids. His T-shirt and jeans are torn and dirty, and he’s got a pack of black-market cigarettes rolled into one sleeve against his upper arm.

I am trying to branch out more. Take on a book to review that maybe I normally wouldn’t automatically reach for.

Earnest Ink is not a book I would automatically grab. It is a dystopian serial killer mystery. And I am glad I took a chance. In fact, I want more.

The blurb says Hemingway is a FTM trans tattoo artist. Honestly, except for representation, him being trans has no bearing on the story at all. There are a few passages throughout the book about it, but it isn’t an overall theme at all.

Instead the themes are serial killers, magic, friendship and a really messed up world post- World War III.

The East River Ripper kills on a schedule. He is very methodical about kidnapping someone, holding them for a few days, using magic to literally suck the life out of them before slicing their throats and throwing them in the river.

Hemingway almost seems like a bystander in this story that is at it heart, his. He just wants to create art. His magic turns his tattoos three dimensional. But he is sucked into this murder mystery by his roommate who is obsessed with it since her brother became a victim. And because there aren’t a lot of people out there with magic and they are under the watchful eye of the government.

The first 25% at least of the book was world building, but much of it seemed self indulgent. Prose with fifty cent words to describe a scene on the street. It got to be a bit much. But after that we got more into the different characters and the meat of the story.

And it was a good story. Well thought out with interesting characters that didn’t just take up page space. I actually wanted more story behind what exactly happened to the United States that fateful day that changed everything. Instead of describing the entire trip to meet his therapist, more time on what actually happened to leave the country in a shambles.

But don’t take that to mean I didn’t like the book. Because I did, very much. It was so different from anything I’ve read. Once I really got into it (past that first 25ish%) I didn’t want to put it down.

If you are a fan of dystopian, you will really like this. Even if you aren’t, give it a chance.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Sarah Remy/Alex Hall is a nonbinary, animal-loving, proud gamer Geek.

Their work can be found in a variety of cool places, including HarperVoyager, EDGE and NineStar Press.

Author Links

Blog/Website | Twitter: @sarahremywrites

Pretty Perfect (Boys in Makeup Book 1) by Christina Lee and Riley Hart: New Release Review

January 28, 2020 by Denise

Jesse
After spending the first part of my life trapped in a small town where it wasn’t okay to be a makeup-wearing boy who liked boys, I swore I’d leave and never be anything but loud, proud, and unapologetically me. I’ve kept that promise. I’m following my dreams, have an apartment with my bestie, and get to dance my nights away at one of the hottest gay bars in Portland.

The only downfall is Dane, the sexy bartender with a perma-scowl always aimed my way. The tension between us is so strong that even the clubgoers notice, and they eat that stuff up. Our boss makes us dance on the bar together every Friday night. I might shake my booty a little more with Dane just because I love getting under his skin. It’s not my fault he doesn’t know how to have any fun…but I kind of want to teach him.

Dane
I got burned bad by my last boyfriend. Thankfully, my sister, Bree, and my niece, Hailey, make my days a whole lot brighter. I’m getting back on my feet, including a decent job as a bartender. But working in a gay club makes it harder to keep to myself. No way do I want to get reeled in by another charming, pretty face and get hurt again, and definitely not by someone like Jesse, whose audacity frustrates me to no end.

So why do I want to shove him against the wall and screw that boldness right out of him?

Only…sometimes he’s pretty sweet, especially with Hailey. As we go from enemies to angry hookups to friends, our feelings are changing and moving into uncharted territory. This can’t go anywhere. Jesse and I are like oil and water; we just don’t mix…right?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Did you see that cover? And it is my my favorite author collaboration- Christina Lee and Riley Hart. I don’t know what it is but these two write as one. I cannot tell that two authors wrote this book. The voices are seamless.

So, yes, the cover sucked me right in. I am a sucker for men in make up. And I love the juxtaposition of him wearing his hair in a crew cut. Jesse is a complex character who comes off as a flighty go go dancer, but he has so many layers. Above all he is just a charismatic guy who draws people in. Not many can resist Jesse. He is just that guy you can’t help but like.

Dane, at first, only sees that top layer. But Jesse keeps pushing his buttons until he caves. And it still takes him a while to throw away all of his preconceived notions about Jesse.

Add in a cute kid, a shy roommate, parents who try to understand but just can’t and mix it with a healthy dose of guilt- you’ve got a good story.

Dane has a great relationship with his sister and niece. Although they lost their mother years ago, they aren’t defined by that at all.

Jesse’s parents, on the other hand, broke my heart. They still loved Jesse but him being queer really warred with their beliefs. They were pretty isolated, owning a working a farm, so they really had no experience with queer people. But they really wanted to try. That was just so heartwarming.

I can’t WAIT for book 2, which shows you not only how much I enjoyed this book, but how much they could make me care about a secondary character and wanting his happily ever after.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Passions of a Papillon: A Fuzzy Love Romance by Tara Lain: New Release Review

January 27, 2020 by Denise

After you’ve sold your soul to the devil, can you renegotiate with a dog?

Brilliant defense attorney, Finn Morgenstern, knows the worst guys pay best, so defending slimeball, Rance Franklin, becomes his path to senior partner and a whole lot of benefits. But then a walk home to his pricey townhouse brings him face-to-ears with a batshit-crazy little dog who just won’t leave him alone. So Finn takes the dog to the local veterinarian to find out how to get her back to her owners. Hello vet! Emerson “Em” Fairweather sure doesn’t match his stodgy name. Tall, platinum blond, and gorgeous, Em puts the pet in pet ownership. But Em has ugly secrets and Batshit dog is up to her ears in larceny. Suddenly Finn is the one who needs defending, and he’s faced with a choice between what he thought was important and a whole new batshit-crazy life.

Amazon

Really I give this a 3 1/2 star rating. Mostly for the suspension of disbelief needed. The story was fairly convoluted as far as the crime or crimes happening, but it was still a cute little caper. With a dog that had a personality bigger than any of the humans.

Finn is a cut throat defense attorney, who ends up turning to mush for a run away dog. This is a smart guy, right? But he doesn’t know what to do with this stray dog. Ok, he was career focused, never had a pet before, etc. Just made me giggle a little.

Emerson is the vet he goes to for advice. From there, there is a bit of sexual tension (but honestly not a lot at all) as they get sucked into busting a crime ring- so they can get the dog back.

It was a fun read though, fluffy, cute, more than a few laughs. Definitely not hot and steamy, if that is what you are looking for, even though there are a few sex scenes. Both main characters were quite likable, I just didn’t feel their chemistry.

I am sure I will read book 2 when it comes out- especially if it is who I hope it is. I would put this in the fun beach read category.

3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

After the Fall (Tucker Springs Book 6) by L.A. Witt: Quick Review

January 27, 2020 by Denise

A Tucker Springs Novel

The trails around Tucker Springs, Colorado, are perfect for horseback riding, and Nathan finally has the horse he’s been saving to buy for years. So it just figures that the first day he takes Tsarina out for a ride, some guy on a motorcycle spooks her and she throws him, leaving him with two broken limbs and no chance of enjoying the trails for the rest of the summer.

Mechanic and nomadic motorcycle enthusiast Ryan feels awful that his wrong turn resulted in injury and inconvenience. To atone, he offers to exercise Tsarina for Nathan, with one caveat: Nathan will have to teach him how to ride.

Lessons turn to friendship and then to mutual attraction, but Nathan is determined that attraction is where it ends. He’s been hurt before, and he knows Ryan will never settle down. He might just be too skittish to give them a chance—unless Ryan can convince him to get back in the saddle.

Title: After the Fall
Series: Tucker Springs
Author: L.A. Witt
Category: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 193

Amazon

Back to Tucker Springs!

These books are fun reads. Generally light, fluffy and shortish, you know you are going to get a sweet love story with a happily ever after set in the cute fictional Colorado town of Tucker Springs.

We know Nathan, the adorable receptionist at the acupuncture clinic from previous books. He had been saving up and finally has his own horse. His big plans on spending as much of the summer as possible on horseback are thwarted when a motorcycle scares the horse and throws Nathan and he breaks his leg. When the motorcycle driver comes over to check on him, Nathan punches him in the face. Now he has a broken hand as well.

Not hard to see where this is headed, but that is what I like about these books. Ryan (motorcycle guy) feels bad and wants to help, Nathan actually seriously needs help- for him and to exercise his horse. Match made in heaven.

They flirt with each other but it is more of a slow burn and then when they do go further, isn’t super frantic (hello, two casts), it is slow and sweet.

We get a few cameos from previous books-always fun.

This book, like the others is like a Hallmark movie. Formulaic and predictable but reliable.

3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy