Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

TCO Reviewer: Erin

Only Love by Garrett Leigh: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

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The diagnosis of a chronic stomach condition leaves thirty-two-year-old Sergeant Jed Cooper with little choice but to call time on his Army career. Then on the dusty streets of Kirkuk, an ambush gone tragically wrong decimates his team, and he returns to the US with a shattered leg and the memory of his best friend dying in his arms.

Life in his sleepy hometown proves intolerable until he finds solace in a lakeside cabin with vivacious young carpenter, Max O’Dair. In the shadow of the epilepsy that periodically plagues Max, he and Jed form an unspoken bond. After a late night episode, Jed realizes how much Max means to him, and life has taught him not to waste time.

But the lines between contentment and complacency are blurred. Things left hidden resurface to tear through their world, and before they can repair the damage, death comes to call again. Faces, past and present, rally around them to weather the storm, but before long, they are left with only love.

Length: 355 pages

Cover Design: Book Cover By Design

Amazon US

Amazon UK

 

This book was a bit of a heart breaker. Mostly because Jed is just so broken. Physically and mentally. But if you know me, you know I love a good tear jerker!

After losing several of his “brothers” while on a mission, and taking a bullet to the leg, it is time for Jed to say goodbye to military life. When he is hurt, his brother asks him to come home to Seattle and stay with his family. Well that turned out to be a fairly epic mistake. So Jed’s sister in law mentions that her brother rents a quiet house on the lake and has an extra bedroom. Off Jed goes to live with a stranger- which is a better alternative than his alcoholic brother.

Max and his service dog are used to being alone. Max has epilepsy, but having his dog trained to alert him has given him the independence he craved. So while he isn’t used to having anyone in his space, he can’t say no to Jed.

There were a few things in the book that were a little eye rolling. Setting up the 2 gay brothers. Gay military guy in love with his straight best friend. Thrown out by his father at 18 for being gay. A few others that I don’t want to give away as spoilers. But there was also a nice slow burn love story. Of two men who really didn’t know how to have a relationship with each other and were stumbling through. Of both men having medical issues that have to be dealt with.   Those things trumped the eye rolling things.

My heart broke for Jed so much. PTSD, recovering from a fairly catastrophic gun shot wound to his leg AND gastroparesis. Not to mention his messed up family. Or his friends that were more like family than his was. And Max who just wanted to help Jed. And love him.

Max has his own secrets, but they were kind of anticlimatic to me. But they did add that necessary turmoil.

There were lots of tears in the last 1/4 of the book. Which is not a problem for me- but fair warning. You will most definitely need tissues. The epilogue was…kinda of a mess. I didn’t understand several things. But *shrugs*.

Overall, it was different, but parts were very formulaic. I’d still recommend because it was a good story.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

 

Dec 11 – The Way She Reads, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, MM Midnight Cafe, Xtreme Delusions, Diverse Reader, Sexy Erotic Xciting, Dilyana’s World, Kimmers Erotic Book Banter, Two Chicks Obsessed, Jessie G Books, Sizzling Romance, Dec 13 – Mikku-chan, Drops of Ink, Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Lelyana’s Reviews, Wicked Reads, Dec 15 – Gay Media Reviews, Book Corner Reviews, Mainely Stories, Mirrigold, Love Unchained, Dec 17 – The Secret Of Ko, Making It Happen, The Geekery Book Review, Dec 19 – Bonkers About Books, Dec 21 – MM Good Book Reviews, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, Lillian Francis, Book Review Virginia Lee

 

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with photographer Dan Burgess.

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

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Rend: A Novel (Riven Series book 2) by Roan Parrish: New Release Review

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After a whirlwind romance, a man with a painful past learns to trust the musician who makes him believe in happy endings.

Matt Argento knows what it feels like to be alone. After a childhood of abandonment, he never imagined someone might love him—much less someone like Rhys Nyland, who has the voice of an angel, the looks of a god, and the worship of his fans.

Matt and Rhys come from different worlds, but when they meet, their chemistry is incendiary. Their romance is unexpected, intense, and forever—at least, that’s what their vows promise. Suddenly, Matt finds himself living a life he never thought possible: safe and secure in the arms of a man who feels like home. But when Rhys leaves to go on tour for his new album, Matt finds himself haunted by the ghosts of his past.

When Rhys returns, he finds Matt twisted by doubt. But Rhys loves Matt fiercely, and he’ll go to hell and back to triumph over Matt’s fears. After secrets are revealed and desires are confessed, Rhys and Matt must learn to trust each other if they’re going to make it. That means they have to fall in love all over again—and this time, it really will be forever.

Amazon

Wow, this book was different. Riven was book 1 and I loved it. So when I found out that Matt and Rhys would be the subject of book 2, I was a bit confused. Because weren’t they already together?

Because this book went back to the beginning of Matt and Rhys- before Theo and Caleb even met in Riven.

Matt and Rhys have a whirlwind romance that ends in marriage fairly quickly. What we normally get in an entire book we get in 1 chapter. Because the rest of the book deals with Matt and Rhys adjusting to married life and what it means to each of them.

Rhys has to go out on a 2 month tour to promote his new album. But Matt has literally never lived alone. He went from his mother and aunt, to his aunt, to the foster system, to various roommates who shared the rent. And now he is totally alone. That will mess with a guy.

Matt broke my heart. This guy needed love so badly. But when he truly got it, he thought it would disappear. Watching him spiral down and not asking for help or telling anyone how bad he was.

And while Rhys was unaware, I think he also had his head in the sand a bit. He didn’t want to think anything could be wrong, because he didn’t want to lose what he had.

I really enjoyed this different take on a love story. Instead of ending with a marriage, this book starts with it. Because isn’t that where life really changes?

As always, Ms. Parrish write beautiful prose. I could feel Matt’s despair. To me, Rhys wasn’t as fleshed out as a character, but I think that the author just writes broken men better.

If you are looking for something different, but really well written, pick up Rend. I highly recommend Riven as well.

4 Pieces of Candy

From These Ashes (Haven Heart Book 4) by Davidson King: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

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A product of his past, Black spends half his time saving lives and the other half taking them. Every day, a hard choice must be made and he’s the man to make it. Long ago, he vowed to never love again; one-night stands with a willing body was all he ever needed. But along came Quill, and Black’s life is irrevocably changed. He never expects something as simple as Quill’s persistence to alter the way he not only sees the world, but how he lives it.

Quill has bad taste in men and equally horrible luck. Growing up wasn’t easy, surviving is even harder. When his past and present collide, he’s convinced he’ll finally witness his own destruction. But when an unlikely antihero steps in to protect him, his life is turned on its head. He’s spent months flirting with the man of his dreams and hoping he’d take notice. But it turns out, being on Black’s radar isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and his idea of protection varies greatly from Quill’s.

Unknowingly sharing the same goal—burying their own pasts deeper than the fires of hell can reach—they’re both unaware that jumping into that fire will do more than ignite their feelings, it could lead to their own demise. Will Black and Quill be consumed by the flames, or from these ashes, will they find their own happily ever after?

FROM THESE ASHES

Haven Hart Series, Book 4

DAVIDSON KING

RELEASE DATE: 11.28.18

Cover Design: Covers by Designs by Morningstar

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Black

I parked my car as close to Joker’s Sin as I could. I took my leather jacket off the seat and quickly put it on, hit the alarm, and made my way toward the club. There was still a line after midnight. The place closed in two hours, why would people wait that long? Well, I wasn’t.

“Can I help you?” the large bouncer asked.

“No.” I barreled through him and made my way into the club. It was like dubstep nation in there and so much fucking leather.

“Hey.” I felt someone tap my shoulder. I whipped around and grabbed whomever it was by the neck. It was the bouncer from the door.

“Not today, Junior. You tell Atlas, Black is here. Now fuck off.” I pushed him away and made my way to the bar. I hadn’t been inside Joker’s Sin before, I only knew how it looked based on Mace and Bill’s description.

I liked the concept and would’ve taken more time to appreciate it if I wasn’t hell-bent on finding Quill.

“Can I help you, handsome?” I turned and looked down. A small guy with pink hair and barely-there black leather shorts had spoken.

“No. Where’s Quill?”

The small man slid his fingers down my arm. “Mmm. Quill didn’t tell me he had a God for a boyfriend. You’re better than most I see him with.” He jerked his head to the right. I followed the direction and there before me, was Quill.

He was dressed in red leather. I couldn’t see below the waist, but the vest he wore was tight against his pale skin. I knew he loved his bracelets, and he had them all on tonight. His arms were covered in red and silver glitter, making him stick out like a gorgeous disco ball. It looked like he had put all of his piercings back in, and I could see when the light shown on his face, he also had glitter on his cheeks.

“I’ll just leave you to it,” the small man said with a chuckle, and I took the few steps to where Quill stood mixing drinks.

He hadn’t noticed me yet, and I got a chance to see he had red eyes and black liner on his lids. He looked like pure sin. I was surprised when I felt my cock stiffen. Until now, I was never sexually interested in Quill. Okay, to be fair, I admired him. He was stunning, but there was a line cut somewhere between admiration and want.  Why was I feeling something now?

“Are you following me?” Quill’s voice snapped me back to attention.

“I thought you wanted me to follow you.”

Quill narrowed his eyes, but I saw how he swallowed as he took me in. He was a flirt by nature and no matter how peeved he was at me, he could never sustain that anger.

Oh yeah….King. We’ve been waiting for King to get a man. We had a feeling it would be Quill, right? But to see it played out is all the fun.

Quill is unashamed of his flirting with King. He figures he never has a chance anyway, so why not? Until Quill’s ex boyfriend puts him in the hospital and King goes all alpha on him. Hot.

And it was cute how King tried to deny his feelings for Quill. I mean, come on big guy. We all see it.

And of course they were ridiculously hot together. *fans self*

The story itself (not the romance part) was a little weak to start. It all culminated and made sense, but a little more to get me sucked in faster would have been good. I started thinking “is this really a jilted ex?”.

There were lots of other things going on in the periphery that makes me want more. Like those guys. And that one. And what about that guy? Hmmm???

The ending was a bit heavy handed but I can also see why it went down that way.

It was a mixed bag, but definitely more on the YES than the no for me.

And there’s a kitten.

4 Pieces of Candy

Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.

When she’s not writing you can find her blogging away on Diverse Reader, her review and promotional site. She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.

If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she’d tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you’re afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RZAUBi

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidsonKing11

Personal Page: https://www.facebook.com/DiverseReader

Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/DavidsonKingAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidsonkingauthor/?hl=en

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DavidsonKingsCourt/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17286464.Davidson_King

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Living On Air by Susan MacNicol: Throwback Thursday Quick Review

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PIERCING THE NIGHT

Cary Stilwell has been existing since he was ten years old, and each year it gets harder to find meaning in his bleak life. The only exception – his work. As a top-billed aerialist in a popular travelling circus, he enjoys accolades and applause, but little else. When notable photographer, Rhys McIntyre, joins the circus to catalogue its inner workings, Cary fights the attraction that hits him from the moment they meet. But a kind soul wrapped in a beautiful body has a way of battering all the walls Cary has built around his cold, dark heart.

WITH LIGHT

Rhys McIntyre is on his third iteration of reinventing himself. Once a hotdog financier, he embraced his passion for photography and became an eminent war photo journalist. Until one too many bullets lodged in his body, and he gave up the front lines for the softer side of chronicling life. When he accepts the assignment to record life in a circus, the last thing he expects is to find the man crush of his dreams. Except Cary Stilwell is a cold, tortured man who seems incapable of any warm emotion, never mind love. But Rhys is known for his persistence, and this time the pay-off might be more than he could have ever imagined.

Amazon

The story had a good premise. Circus aerialist with a secret past (and present) and a photographer sent on a cushy assignment to document the circus for a coffee table book. Being that this photographer was a well respected war photographer, it seemed kind of odd but I was ok with it.

Trigger warning of self harm.

A lot of time was spent on Cary’s self harm. I mean, it was a huge part of who he was, but there were pages and pages and pages of it. How he kept it a secret from everyone else in the circus was a mystery to me. Of course he was super prickly and didn’t seem to like people, which kept them at arm’s length but still.

Rhys, the photographer, is immediately drawn to him. And even though Cary treats him like crap he keeps going back for more.

Much is said about the circus being a family, but Cary is so mean. To just about everyone. I don’t know why they all put up with it.

There are times when the dialogue is a bit to flippant for the scene. A serious, heartfelt scene comes to a screeching halt for me with silly dialogue.

It was good, not great. I didn’t feel the connection between Rhys and Cary until nearly the end of the book and needed more of an emotional connection with them. Cary was just too antagonistic.

3 Pieces of Candy

Nothing Special VI (S.W.A.T Edition): His Hart’s Command by AE Via: EXCLUSIVE Guest Post & Excerpt, Review and Giveway

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As always, TCO is super excited to have A.E. Via stopping by. Adrienne is honestly one of the nicest people you will ever meet. She is a beautiful woman, inside and out, and every time I see her, I have to give her the biggest hug. 🙂 But she’s also a very talented writer, and an amazing businesswoman. I’m excited to see what she does in 2019, because I know she works hard to achieve her goals. Check out what she has to say below, and the exclusive excerpt and a giveaway for readers. Hugs to you, A! 

Lennox Freeman (Free) is one of the best hackers in the world which has caused him to spend most of his life on the run. Never able to put down roots, he couldn’t trust anyone not to take advantage of him, even his own family. If it wasn’t for his best friend, Tech, shielding him, Free’s father would’ve sold him and his skills to the highest bidding crime family when he was still a student at MIT. Free owed Tech his life; so when his friend called for him to come to Atlanta to work with him, he couldn’t say no. However, he wasn’t expecting the overprotective group of detectives that made up Atlanta PD’s most notorious task force. And he certainly wasn’t prepared for the large-and-in-charge SWAT Captain that was responsible for their safety.

Ivan Hart has lived and bled one creed all of his life: To Serve and Protect. His intense focus and determination in law enforcement has led him to finally commanding his own team. He’d worked hard to put together a squad of badasses capable of backing up a very dangerous team of detectives. Being God and Day’s last line of defense came with a lot of responsibility that he took very seriously.

After his divorce was final Hart turned right around and remarried his job. He had his good friends there in the office with him every day, so it was easier to ignore the few quiet hours he spent at home alone each night. He’d settled well into his new routine and was comfortable with it. Then God decided to disrupt everything by hiring another tech specialist for his department. A man whose brains, trendy looks, and voice would leave Hart tongue-tied and captivated at their first introduction.

Free quickly awakens a passion in Hart that he long thought was dead. An attraction he didn’t know existed. He couldn’t fathom that the sexy cyber genius could be interested in an over-sized, big-bearded brute that served criminals the bottom line for a living. No matter what his best friend, God said.

A future with Hart could be potentially dangerous and often times full of terrifyingly close calls; but little did he know that so could falling for the most hunted hacker in the world. All Lennox Freeman wants in life is security, love and protection… Hart had all that to give and more.

This novel is a part of a series and contains previously mentioned characters, but CAN BE read as a standalone. No cliffhangers.

Author A.E. Via

Title:  Nothing Special VI (SWAT Edition)

His Hart’s Command

Series: Nothing Special Book Six

M/M ACTION/ROMANCE

Edited by: Sue Laybourn

Cover Artist – Jay Aheer

PAGE COUNT – 250

Official Release Date: November 30, 2018

Amazon

Smashwords

Goodreads

IT’s ABOUT THAT TIME AGAIN!

I’m so happy to be back with the next installment from my Nothing Special series. It’s been a while since I visited with my guys and let me tell you it was one helluva ride they took me on. This title has all the guys you love from the previous stories and some new that I’m sure you’ll adore. Which can make this title stand on its on. Since my last two novels, my alpha lovers have asked for more action and hotter romance. I hope I delivered.

I’m doing a guest post on each stop of my limited tour and each one WILL BE DIFFERENT. I never know what to talk about or say for a post – not wanting to do the usual – so I’m gonna talk about my many experiences I had over the several months of writing this book. Some will be funny quips, cute tales, people I spoke to, emotions I experienced, etc.

What I wanna talk about on Two Chicks today is the new direction I want to take my business and readership in 2019. I wanna produce more quality work for my readers and make more appearances at conferences as well. I wanna reach further audiences, so I’m working with my current publishers to translate more of my titles in various languages. I’m excited to say that Nothing Special is coming out on audio early next year as well. My first audio release, Prophesy, went well so I’m so eager to venture more into this. It’s been a rough year, 2018 hasn’t been kind to my heart. I would like to provide more contemporary romances as well and take a step back from so many car chases and violence. Whoa… Nothing Special and Promises isn’t going anywhere guys. I’ll still be adding to that series for sure. But, look for more strong, quiet and sweet from AE in 2019.

Thank you all for listening and thank you so much Denise for letting me stop by again. I adore you, love.

2019 will be the start of a lot of new things for me in my writing. Make sure you’re checking out my overhauled, prettily-polished website for the New Year and see what’s popping off first. http://authoraevia.com

Definitely leave me a comment below on your thoughts, (ARE YOU making any self-changes for 2019?), and enter a chance to win some of the kickass prizes in my giveaway that correlates with my computer-guru, MC. That means sweet gadgets.

Hart’s eyes darted to the couch then back. He scrubbed one hand roughly over his face looking unsure, and exhaled a long breath. “Um. Do you wanna sit down? Or…you want a drink? Are…are you hungry, maybe?” Hart moved toward the kitchen, flicking on a couple more switches and illuminating a dining room that led to the quaint eat-in kitchen.

Free grabbed Hart’s arm. He could still see the heaviness riding high on Hart’s shoulders. The tension knots were practically visible in his neck and Free knew it had to hurt like hell.

“Hey, hold on.” Free caressed the thick bicep he held in his grasp. “Just relax a minute. I don’t need you to do anything for me. I’m just trying to be here with you, yes. That’s okay?”

Hart leaned into him and Free’s chest swelled. “Yeah, that sounds okay.”

“Good.” Free ran his hand up Hart’s chest. “What’s the first thing you do when you come home from a difficult day? If I wasn’t here, what would you have done first?”

“I’d have gone in my office back there and obsessed over my last op and what I could’ve done differently,” Hart scoffed, as if he knew that wasn’t the healthy thing to do.

“Well, I’m not letting you do that, so what would be the second thing you’d do? If you were here alone, Ivan.” Free couldn’t help the grittiness in his voice. It was just something about this man that made him completely comfortable and able to be himself.

“I’d probably shower, let the jets beat on my tired muscles.” Hart reached up and gripped the back of his neck, right where Free saw the stress knots. “Heat up leftovers in the fridge, eat a late meal and try to watch some mindless television to keep from thinking about work. Then doze off.”

Free smiled.

“I bet I sound like an old man to you,” Hart grumbled.

You sound like comfort. Free narrowed his eyes. “You’re not ready for me to tell you what you sound like to me. So for now, I’ll tell you to go get that shower and I’ll have those leftovers warmed up for you when you come out…and a little something special for you that I think you might enjoy.”

Hart’s blue eyes gleamed and his eyebrows rose. It looked as if the question to ask more about said special something was on the tip of Hart’s tongue, but he refrained. Instead, he nodded stiffly, told Free to make himself at home, and turned to walk down the dark hall toward a set of double doors at the end.

 

Hope you enjoyed!

Hot damn! Let me tell you something- if you haven’t read AE Via’s books, you are missing out. Big alpha guys, crazy hot sex and an interesting story line to follow along. We haven’t seen God, Day and their crew in two long years. But it was worth the wait.

This book brings us the cross over between SWAT and God’s team. The resident tech guy Free has been crushing on straight SWAT leader Hart- who is crushing on him right back. Everyone thinks Hart is straight- he was married for 22 years. What they didn’t know was how and why he got married.

So big, bald, biker, SWAT leader Ivan Hart is….a giant mushy teddy bear. Swoon. He totally broke my heart. Without getting into a therapy session, I feel like I could see a lot of me in him. And not the big, bald, biker, SWAT leader part. The emotions part. The way he felt about himself after living with his wife for 22 years. Gutted me.

But Free is totally willing to hold Hart’s hand through it all. Show him how to be with a man. How to accept love and affection and caring. How to be totally ok with yourself. Every time Free calls him by his first name I swoon a little.

I also adore the friendship relationships these guys have. Hart and God and Free with Tech. They are there for each other and not afraid to love each other as friends.

You can’t help to but cheer for these guys. They totally need and deserve to love each other.

AND there is a teaser at the end about who the next book is about. Let’s hope she doesn’t make us wait 2 years again. *taps foot*

4.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Hart and Free… were they not the cutest?!

I loved how different these two were from the rest of the guys in this series.

Hart, having denied himself his whole life because he was stuck in a loveless marriage with a woman who abused him mentally, emotionally, verbally and even physically… he was very insecure when it came to wanting Free, and his opinion of himself. As a SWAT leader, he’s the boss… he even put God in his place, that was hot…he’s sure of himself and his team, but when it comes to anything else… he’s been beaten down so much, that he has major self-esteem issues. I enjoyed seeing such a different subject line because it isn’t often that we see the shoe on the other foot, and the woman in any relationship being the abuser especially to such a big and strong, alpha-man. It just goes to show the kind of heart that Hart has, because not only did he endure it, but he tried to change so much of himself for his ex-wife…. You will not like her and I hated that she got off so easily with what she did and what she put Hart through, but… meh.. I’m petty and bitter, so it actually worked out well for all involved I reckon.

Free, as we got a small feel for him in Tech’s book, is probably the most dangerous hacker in the world. I knew was going to be a tough nut to crack, but he never wavered in his feelings for Hart and he was honest from the very beginning. He was actually the uncomplicated one. He knew what he wanted and he went after it. He showed Hart so much about himself and didn’t allow the insecurities to wedge between them. He was so sweet and affectionate and patient with Hart, he was everything Hart had wanted but never gotten in a relationship. I was so glad that he gave him that, and in return, Hart gave him security and made him feel safe and most important, loved. He’d come from a bad situation before Tech called him in to take over his job in the last book… If you haven’t read it yet… go do it! What’s the matter with you?

I also loved getting to see the rest of the guys, I don’t think anyone will ever top Green and Ruxs for me, they’re my favorite… but it was fun to see a softer side to God, I swear in the beginning God and Hart were like teenage girls, and I loved it! These big tough guys can be romantic and sentimental because they love so big, and I love that too.

I cannot…. I mean, CANNOT wait for Fox and Bull…

I love this series, I love all of the guys and I’m going to be so impatient waiting for the next one. 5 pieces of eye candy from me!

A.E. (Adrienne) Via has been a best-selling author in gay romance for five years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over twenty years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this beautiful genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple of great new up and coming MM authors.

A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to me. Writing.

A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

Now that she’s gotten over her 10 books published hump, she’s kind of known now for her play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, I do like to push myself to step out of my comfort zone and explore with different tropes, but I never push myself into a whole other genre. I’m head over heels for gay romance and I have tons of more hot stories to tell.

Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! https://goo.gl/GbfCyk or Go to A.E. Via’s PRETTILY POLISHED NEW official website http://authoraevia.com  for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peek on upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.

Links

Author Official Website: http://authoraevia.com

A.E. Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2U4NXTu

A.E. Newsletter: https://goo.gl/hrfifS

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/aeviaauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorAEVia


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Join the Club by Charlie Cochet: Blog Tour, Excerpt and New Release Review

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When the cards are stacked against you, the Kings will even the odds.

Eduardo “Lucky” Morales is a fighter, from his childhood days in Cuba to his time as a Special Forces Green Beret. Scarred by the wars of his past, Lucky has learned nothing lasts forever. Guarding his heart is second nature, and getting emotionally involved is not an option. As co-owner of Four Kings Security, Lucky works hard alongside his former brothers-in-arms and fellow Kings, but he also plays hard. Flirting with sexy Texas cowboy and detective, Mason Cooper, is too much fun to resist, until Mason turns the tables on him.

Mason Cooper may not be a soldier, but he’s fought his share of battles as an openly gay cop and now a detective for Major Crimes. Mason has no idea when things changed between him and Lucky, but the gorgeous, fiery Cuban has turned his world upside down. When a mistake leads to his suspension from the force, Mason turns to the least likely person for help: Ward Kingston.

Determined to keep Mason at arms’ length, Lucky is surprised to find the man at Four Kings Security. The Florida nights might be getting cooler, but the heat between Lucky and Mason burns hotter with every passing moment. Working private security can be dangerous and unpredictable, but so can falling in love.

Word count: 75,208

JOIN THE CLUB

FOUR KINGS SECURITY #3

CHARLIE COCHET

M/M ROMANTIC SUSPENSE/CONTEMPORARY

RELEASE DATE: 11.19.18

COVER DESIGN: REESE DANTE

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

This was going to be a long night. Lucky felt it in his bones.

Once they were in downtown Jacksonville, Lucky pulled the truck into the parking lot of the bank across the street from the skyscraper they’d be watching. Jack had acquired the perfect spot near the lot entrance in case they had to move quickly, and a small team of security agents were parked in the Central Station parking lot, waiting for word from Lucky. With the engine turned off, Lucky unbuckled his seat belt and climbed out of his seat at the time Mason did. Lucky reeled back in an effort not to bump into him, the back of his knees hitting the seat. He flailed, throwing an arm out, but he needn’t have worried. Mason wrapped an arm around his waist and caught him, bringing him up against his hard body.

“Easy there, darlin’,” Mason murmured quietly, their lips only inches apart. “Don’t want you hurting yourself.”

Lucky swallowed hard. He felt Mason’s warm breath against his skin. “You’re stepping on my shoe.”

Mason frowned. “You’re worried about your shoe?”

“These boots are Guiseppe Zanotti.”

“Am I supposed to know what that means?” Mason asked, releasing Lucky.

“It means they cost almost a thousand dollars.”

Mason stared at him. “Why the hell are you wearin’ thousand-dollar boots to work surveillance? You know there are kids out there starvin’?”

“Yes, I know,” Lucky spat, pushing Mason away from him. “I was one of them. Now excuse me. We have work to do.”

At least Mason had the decency to look mortified.

“Shit, Lucky, I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

“Forget it,” Lucky muttered, taking a seat behind the console to log into the security system. “I don’t need to explain myself to you. Just sit down and pay attention.”

Mason took a seat beside him, his expression solemn. Thankfully, he didn’t speak. Lucky didn’t need his apologies or his permission. In Cuba he’d spent most of his time barefoot because the shoes given to him were either beyond salvation or he grew out of them so quickly they hurt his feet to the point he couldn’t walk. Now he could afford all the shoes he wanted, and if he wanted to spend money on designer shoes, no one had the right to make him feel like shit for it. He wasn’t stupid. His savings account was solid, and his retirement account was one of the first things he’d set up when he got his first job. He spent a lot of money, but he also saved money because he knew what it was like to have nothing. He was never going back to that again. Never.

In my experience, in a book series there is always that one that is kind of…meh. Still good, but not nearly as good as the others. That is what we have Join the Club.

I was looking forward to Lucky and Mason. They were heating up the pages of books that weren’t theirs. But this story just didn’t do it for me. I felt like the catalyst for Mason temporarily joining the Kings was weak and never resolved, they had several jobs that they worked which just kind of cluttered the story and for all the bluster King himself says about how he hires employees, he basically just handed Mason the job for the sake of he and Lucky getting together.

We saw a lot of Ace- which was good for some comic relief- and got more of Lucky and Mason’s respective back grounds. but…meh. It felt like a filler book to me. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret reading it, if you are a fan of Charlie Cochet and this series you should read it, but it is definitely my least favorite.

3 pieces of eye candy

Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

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