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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

TCO Reviewer: Erin

Broken Halos (Queen City Rogues, Book 1) by Aimee Nicole Walker: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

November 19, 2018 by Denise

Oliver Knight’s past is shrouded by sorrow and tragedy, but instead of hiding from it, Ollie owns his truth and uses his experiences to uplift others. As an out and proud pastor, he provides a safe place for LGBTQ Christians to gather and worship, and as a recovering addict, he counsels those pursuing sobriety. Ollie’s life is fulfilling but also a little lonely. He may not have a hard time meeting men, but he does have a hard time getting them to stick around once they discover his vocation.

Archie White is a former drag queen who hung up his stilettos to start an HIV transition home in the memory of someone he held near and dear to his heart. All work and no play has made Archie a very dull man, but he thinks his luck is about to change when a friend introduces him to a dark-eyed stranger. That is until he learns the man is a pastor. Archie detests anything to do with religion, and for very good reasons.

Archie’s gut tells him to run, and Ollie’s heart tells him to pursue. What can a pastor and a sometimes-queen possibly have in common? A desire to find unconditional love with someone who truly sees them. What happens next is the poignant, sweet, and sexy journey for two resilient hearts. Ollie and Archie’s halos might be battered and a little tarnished, but they’re definitely not broken.

Broken Halos is a charming story with heart, heat, and humor. Warning: these characters and their quirky sidekicks may take up permanent residence in your heart, so proceed with caution. Each book in the Queen City Rogues series can be read as part of the series or as a standalone novel. This book contains sexually explicit material and colorful language intended for adults 18 and older.

BROKEN HALOS

Queen City Rogues, Book 1

AIMEE NICOLE WALKER

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 11.07.18 

PHOTOGRAPHER: Wander Aguiar

COVER ARTIST:  Jay Aheer/Simply Defined Art

MODEL: Bijan

 

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

It wasn’t my first time walking into a bowling alley, but it was the first time I showed up on a league night. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t what I found when I strolled through the alley looking for Ollie’s team. There was trash talking going on between the lanes, and each team wore customized shirts with their team name embroidered on the back with a logo and their first names stitched on the front. The color and style of shirts varied from bold and brash to ugly and boring.

Ollie’s team was easy to spot due to Andy’s enormous height. Their shirts were a silky black button-up with the name Broken Halos embroidered on the back in gold with a crooked halo hanging over the “o”in halo. I had no doubt Ollie came up with the team name and design. I had to admit it was adorable, but not more adorable than the pastor who filled it out so nicely. The silk shirt draped over his shoulders and caressed his pecs. The hem of it ended above the curve of his denim-covered ass. I should’ve turned around and left as soon as my mouth started watering, except Ollie turned just then and spotted me. The smile spreading across his face was equal parts welcoming and wolfish and too fucking hard to resist.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Golden Boy,”I said in greeting. “I’m just here to offer Milo cuddles when he makes a fool of himself.”

The remark got a snort out of Ollie, an eye roll from Andy, and knee-slapping laughs out of the Frat Boys, as Milo called them. Milo himself just looked at me with disappointment for a few seconds before he crooked his finger for me to follow him. He only went far enough to get us out of earshot which wasn’t hard to do since there was more noise inside this bowling alley than the last Pride parade I attended in NYC.

“What are you doing here?”Milo asked firmly. “Don’t give me any bullshit about supporting me and my pitiful bowling because I’m most likely the best bowler in this building.”

“Milo, come now,”I said, smiling sweetly at him. “I love your confidence, but there are times it’s misplaced.”

“I guess you’ll watch and see won’t you,”he said cheekily. “Don’t fuck Ollie over, Archie. He’s missed you like fucking crazy this past month, but he’d eventually get over his attraction to you.”

This one is a little difficult for me to review. It was a good story and I liked the characters, but it was a lot of religion for me. One of the main characters is a pastor, so duh, right? Eh, not necessarily. I’ve read quite a few books with a main character being some sort of “man of the cloth” and it was fine. For me, this was a lot.

If you take the religion out of it, or a lot of the religion out of it, I would like it a lot more. But those are my own biases.

We briefly met Archie and Ollie in a previous series. Both are damaged for different reasons and both deal with it differently. Ollie is looking for the love he craves, Archie hides from the love he thinks he doesn’t deserve.

Once they get together, though, there is no denying their chemistry.

Archie is VERY anti-religion. Which, based on his background, I totally get. It’s why he initially runs from Ollie. But he also plays games with Ollie. I wouldn’t have put up with it. But, hey, that’s me. And once Archie and Ollie get together, he seems to cave on the religion thing fairly easily.

Ollie is almost TOO good. I see that he is trying to undo the wrongs of his past and he is after all, a pastor. But would a pastor really bend over a spanking bench on stage at a gay bar for a drag queen to spank him?

So like I said, a tough review for me. Because I liked the story and the characters, but there were things that just bugged me. And it was a bit too preachy for me, the avowed militant atheist.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I’m a girly tomboy

who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees.

I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever-after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.

 

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Filed Under: New Release Review, Quick Reviews, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 3.5 stars, Aimee Nicole Walker, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, excerpt, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review

Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert: Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

November 15, 2018 by Denise

One hard-nosed military police officer.

One overly enthusiastic elf.

One poorly timed snowstorm.

Is it a recipe for disaster? Or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for holiday romance?

Teddy MacNally loves Christmas and everything that goes along with it. When he plays an elf for his charity’s events, he never expects to be paired with a Scrooge masquerading as Santa Claus. His new mission: make the holiday-hating soldier believe he was born to say ho-ho-ho.

Sergeant Major Nicholas Nowicki doesn’t do Santa, but he’s army to his blood. When his CO asks an unusual favor, Nick of course obliges. The elf to his Kris Kringle? Tempting. Too tempting—Nick’s only in town for another month, and Teddy’s too young, too cheerful and too nice for a one-night stand.

The slow, sexy make-out sessions while Teddy and Nick are alone and snowbound, though, feel like anything but a quick hookup. As a stress-free holiday fling turns into Christmas all year round, Teddy can’t imagine his life without Nick. And Nick’s days on the base may be coming to a close, but he doesn’t plan on leaving anything, or anyone, behind.

Publisher: Carina Press (Harlequin)

Release Date (Print & Ebook): Ebook: Monday November 12, 2018; Print (mmp): Tuesday November 27, 2018

Length (Print & Ebook): Ebook: 288; Print (mmp): 288

Subgenre: Contemporary Romance, Male/Male Romance, Holiday Romance, Military Romance

Amazon

Carina Press

Barnes & Noble

 

“Hey, I’m happy for the company,” Teddy reassured him. “I’d just hate having to find another backup Santa because this one froze to death for not knowing the area. But just watch, by next year, you’ll be as prepared as any native.”

Nick took a spoonful of stew and swallowed before answering. “Won’t be here next year, sorry.”

“Oh. Being moved to another base?” Teddy was hit with a brief pang, which was ridiculous. The military moved people all the time, and like Charlie said, people left. No surprise here.

“No. Retiring. Last day is December 22nd.”

“Retiring? You’re only fortyish right? Isn’t that a bit young?”

“Ish.” Nick’s tone stayed bland, mouth not curving into a smile. “Forty-six. And almost thirty years of service is positively ancient in military terms. I’ve done pretty much everything an enlisted person can do—pretty rare for us to stay on after getting our twenty years of service. I’m a dinosaur at twenty-eight years in. Most of my friends left at twenty, but I was set on making sergeant major, so I stayed in.”

“So what will you do? Go back to school? Civilian law enforcement? Some new dream to chase?” Teddy leaned forward, eager to hear Nick’s big plans.

“Too old to go back to school.” Nick waved a hand dismissively. “And no dreams. All I ever wanted was to be a cop. Joined the military police because we couldn’t afford college, and I liked the idea of being in the service and still being able to be a cop. Then I set my sights on advancing. Last goal was to make sergeant major, and I did that, so no complaints.”

Teddy liked listening to Nick talk, but he was a bit disheartened by how…defeated he sounded. Like he’d battled Father Time and time had won and now he had no choice but to move on. And that was damn sad. He said he had no complaints, but Teddy could read between the lines well enough to see that Nick didn’t want to retire.

“But you can still be a cop. I bet there’s not a law enforcement agency in the country that wouldn’t be happy to have you. Hell, you could even do FBI or Secret Service—”

“Slow down, Teddy.” Nick smiled, the first one Teddy had really seen from him, this one accompanied by a subtle head shake. But Teddy could take the censure—the smile was damn worth it. Broad with both cheek and chin dimples, it took Nick from “scary giant man” to “Hollywood action star” in a single upward slant of his lips. “You sure know how to dream big. And I’ve thought about civilian law enforcement. I’ve even got the degrees they all want, but in the end, I think I’m just too old a dog to learn new tricks.”

Tis the season for Christmas stories! And for me there is no better way than with a book by one of my favorite authors.

This story deviated from her norm in that it was set in upstate NY (not the Pacific Northwest or San Diego) and it featured an Army MP (not a Navy Seal). And it was adorable.

Nick is in his last month of active duty as an Army mp before he retires. Sounds like he was pushed into retirement, but I don’t think it was ever explained why. And without giving anything away, the events surrounding the tragedy in Nick’s family was never really explained either. Small details most probably won’t notice.

Teddy runs a non-profit in his home town. A hometown that seems to be overrun by his extended family. Nick is persuaded to help Teddy and the non profit by dressing as Santa for some pictures and other events leading up to Christmas.

To say Nick and Teddy are polar opposites is putting it mildly. Nick is super grumpy, minimalistic, isn’t close to his family and doesn’t care about the holidays. And he much prefers sun and surf to snow and ice. Teddy is a do-gooder, perpetually happy, is ridiculously close to his family and adores the holidays.

I loved Teddy’s confidence. He puts himself out there with Nick and when he is turned down he doesn’t get all mopey and feeling sorry for himself. He just continues on. The way he slowly insinuated himself into Nick’s life as a friend was super cute.

And then they did get together and wow. That would melt the snow on the roof.

I appreciated that the book included Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve in the story line. It was a fairly happy, low angst book with all of the holiday and family feels.

4 Pieces of Candy

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series include the #OutOfUniform, #Gaymers, #PortlandHeat, #RainbowCove and #PerfectHarmony series.

To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras, check out her website: annabethalbert.com or connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content and exclusive contests.

Connect with Annabeth Albert:

  • Website: http://annabethalbert.com/
  • Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6477494.Annabeth_Albert
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/annabethalbert?lang=en
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annabethalbertauthor/
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annabeth_albert/
  • Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Nb9yv
  • Fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/annabethsangels/


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Filed Under: New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4 stars, Annabeth Albert, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, Carina Press, excerpt, exclusive, gay, giveaway, Holiday, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance

The Husband Gambit by L.A. Witt: Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

November 15, 2018 by Denise

Marry me for 1 year. Payment: $1.2 million.

Hayden Somerset is convinced the ad is a joke, but he responds anyway because, hello, $1.2 million. He’s broke, living in a tiny apartment with two roommates, and exhausted from praying his ancient car survives just one more week. His skyrocketing rent and crushing student loans aren’t helping either. At this point, there isn’t much Hayden wouldn’t do for that kind of cash.

The ad isn’t a joke. Jesse Ambrose is absolutely serious. His father, the charismatic patriarch of a powerful Hollywood dynasty, has his eye on politics, and he’s counting on California’s liberals and progressives to elect him. But Jesse knows what his father believes when cameras and voters aren’t around. As the election looms, he’ll do anything to force the man’s hand and show the public who Isaac Ambrose really is.

Anything, including marrying a stranger so his father will make good on his promise to disown Jesse if he ever takes a husband.

Now he just has to wait for his father to take the bait… and try not to accidentally fall in love with his fake husband.

Length: 95,000 words approx.

Cover Design: L.A. Witt

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

This book was so fun!

I am a big fan of LA Witt and she has never written a book like this (at least that I have read) and it was so welcome. It was filled with humor, but nothing forced, no stupid jokes. Hayden is just a funny person. And that is who he is.

Hayden is a typical struggling actor in LA. With a master’s degree in theater arts. So a well education struggling actor. He shares a 2 bedroom apartment with his 2 best friends who are also struggling, just not to be actors. The three of them together count every dime and pinch every penny just to make it every month. I really loved how the 3 guys pooled all of their resources. It wasn’t just that this one had his share of the rent and that one didn’t. So when Hayden sees a random odd ad for someone to be a husband for a year and to get paid $100k a month to do it, he had to find out more.

Jesse is a semi anonymous son of a famous producer and comes from a long line of Hollywood royalty. But now his father is flirting with running for governor. And Jesse wants to stop him. Because on the outside he seems like a liberal progressive. But really he is a racist homophobe. Jesse is willing to give up his inheritance, his monthly stipend and his family in order to out his father as the bigot he is. Step 1- get a husband.

I think what I loved a lot about this book- besides the humor- is that neither guy is a jerk in any way. They seemed to become almost instant friends and that shows. And even though there was some sexual tension, it wasn’t in your face. In fact, it seems like the two men didn’t even realize it until they kissed at their wedding.

So while this trope has been around forever and will never go away, this particular telling was my favorite. I genuinely cared about these guys, the main story line didn’t get lost between sex scenes and all of the supporting characters did what they were meant to- they supported the story.

Even with the racist, homophobic father and the threat of losing everything, it was still fairly lighthearted. And I really enjoyed it.

November 15 – Cdawgz Reads, On Top Down Under, Two Chicks Obsessed, Gay Book Reviews, Xtreme Delusions, OMG Reads, November 17 – Henna Loves Books, Open Mind For A Different View, Urban Smoothie Read, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, November 19 – Cupcakes & Bookshelves, November 21 – Love Unchained, V’s Reads, Mainely Stories, November 23 – Momma Says: to Read or Not To Read, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bonkers About Books, Engaging Secrets, MM Good Book Reviews, November 26 – Jim’s Reading Room, Making It Happen, November 28 – Megan’s Media Melange, November 30 – Mirrigold – Mutterings & Musings, Lillian Francis, Valerie Ullmer, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, Sexy Erotic Xciting, Southern Babes Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Wicked Reads

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

Website: http://www.gallagherwitt.com
E-mail: gallagherwitt@gmail.com
Twitter: @GallagherWitt
Blog: http://gallagherwitt.blogspot.com

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Filed Under: New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4 stars, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Reviews, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, L.A. Witt, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance

Confessions: The Princess, The Prick and The Priest by Ella Frank: New Release Review and Excerpt

November 14, 2018 by Denise

Everyone said our love wouldn’t work.
That it was too hard, too complicated, too messy.
Oh how I enjoy proving everyone wrong.

My men are smart, sexy, sophisticated—
and most of all, crazy about me.
The only problem is trying to explain
that to my big, opinionated Italian family.

But after all we’ve been through, we deserve a
happily ever after. And if there’s one
thing I know about my guys, they always
manage to have a few surprises up their sleeves.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I’m not sure why everyone dreads their thirties.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s going to be the best decade ever ~ Robbie

 

Six Months Later…

“LOVERS, I’M HOME,” Robbie Bianchi called out to his boyfriends, as he juggled several shopping bags in one hand and kicked the front door shut behind him. He stuffed his car keys into the pocket of his shorts, and as he evened out what he was carrying, he took the stairs that led him up to the first floor of their new home.

With the same smile on his face that he’d left with that morning, Robbie headed across the hardwood floors past the dining room, and into the kitchen, where he spotted a note waiting for him: We’re upstairs, princesse. Come find us when you get home.

Robbie grinned at the messy crown drawn above the i in princesse, but then quickly did as he was told. With one hand on the steel rail, he took the stairs two at a time, and as he reached the second floor where the bedroom was located, he walked inside to find it empty except for the fish swimming around the tank that lined the wall facing their bed.

Dropping his shopping bags on the end of the mattress, Robbie headed up to the final floor, where he knew his men were waiting for him. He opened up the glass door that led to the penthouse deck, and when he stepped outside and the warm rays washed over him, Robbie took in a breath of fresh air.

Ah, he’d always loved summer. Everything about it. The sun, the smell of the freshly cut grass, and the clothes—or lack thereof—Robbie thought, as he reached for the edge of his white tank top and drew it over his head.

As he tucked it into the back of his shorts, Robbie scanned the wide deck, his eyes roaming over the wooden slat floor, the hot tub over in the corner, and the glistening water of the lap pool surrounded by the potted greenery bordering their rooftop oasis.

This space had been the final selling point with all three of them when they’d made the decision to leave the condo after what had happened there with Jimmy. It was the perfect place for Julien to relax and do his yoga, for Priest, who loved a good soak to clear his mind, and for Robbie, for whom it was all about the calm he got from finally seeing his men happy and at peace. And that was exactly how he found one of them right now. There, stretched out on one of the sun loungers, was the brand-new reason that Robbie loved summer—an almost-naked Julien Thornton.

Dressed in tight, black, barely there swim shorts that left little—okay, nothing—to the imagination, the only other thing Julien was wearing was a pair of Aviator sunglasses. His rich, olive-colored skin was glistening with water droplets as he lay sprawled out with his hands behind his head, and oh my God was he a feast for the eyes.

As Robbie walked to the end of the lounger, his eyes roamed up Julien’s toned legs to his muscular thighs, and ended at the bulge that tight material was cupping like a glove.

Oh yes, this was hands down the best part about summer now, and luckily for Robbie and Priest, tanning was a favorite pastime of their seriously sexy Frenchman.

“Bonjour, princesse.” Julien’s honey-toned voice wrapped around Robbie, informing him that he’d been caught staring. But he didn’t care—not one little bit.

“One second, please. I’m concentrating here,”Robbie said, his gaze trailing up all he could see to finally land on Julien’s face. “Now, sorry, what were you saying?”

Julien chuckled as Robbie walked alongside him. “Bonjour, princesse.”

“Oh, yes,” Robbie said, and bent down to brush a kiss across Julien’s lips. “Bonjour, Jules.”

Robbie went to straighten, but before he got too far away, Julien took hold of the back of his neck and craned up for a deeper kiss. Robbie’s lips parted, and Julien slipped his tongue inside, making Robbie’s cock jerk to attention, as he braced his hand on the back of the lounger and sank into the deliciousness that was all Julien.

*fans self*

I’m still not over the cover of this book. After the covers of the three before. I am not even one of those people who get all worked up about a cover. But DAYUM.

We’ve come to the end friends. We got Robbie’s story, Julien’s story and finally Priest’s story. Interwoven with their individual stories was the building of the relationship between the three men. What started out as ridiculously smoking hot in Robbie’s book got a little less so in each consecutive. BUT, there was also a lot of story to tell.

I will say that in book 1, Julien and Priest have this type of arrangement in their marriage because they are both dominant and while Priest is strictly a top, Julien is vers. Bringing in a third lets them both be toppy doms. And Robbie has no problem being their bottom who is on the submissive side of things. That played a big role in book 1, but less so in the next two. Finally in this book it is mentioned once. Mentioned with one sentence. Not enough for me.

There was nothing shocking in this final installment. No more skeletons in the closet, families are introduced, no drama, no angst. It was a nice, tidy wrap up to their story. I could have done with a bit of drama. A bit more of working out how the three of them work, but no.

I will say I have never read a menage book where it was so obvious how much these three men loved each other AND how equal they were with their love for each other. That should have been hard to do being that Priest and Julien were not only an established couple- they were married. But it was effortless here.

There are a couple more nit picky things (seriously, Julien almost never seems to work. Chef owners of an enormously popular and new restaurant work 80 hours a week), but, like I said, nit picky.

This is a must read if you read the first three. All four are worth it.

3.5 Pieces of Candy

.

Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite contemporary romance, Sex Addict. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”

Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Phillips.

Connect with Ella:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ella.frank.31/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EllaFrank2012

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellafrank1/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ella-frank

Stay up to date with Ella by joining her mailing list:  www.bit.ly/1hEYtgn

Join Booke & Ella’s Naughty Umbrella: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBrellas/

Website: https://www.ellafrank.com/portfolio

Filed Under: New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 3.5 stars, author, book, Book Reviews, gay, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance

Rabi and Matthew by L.A. Witt: New Release Review

November 6, 2018 by Denise

A queer retelling of Romeo & Juliet, except no one has to bury their gays.

A decades-old family rivalry is reaching a boiling point as the patriarchs vie for a seat in Congress. Democrat vs Republican, Muslim vs Christian, Hashmi vs Swain — the Midwestern town of Arbor Hills is one spark away from an explosion of violence. So when two men find themselves irresistibly drawn together at a party, only to discover they were born on opposite sides of a bloody battle line, Matthew Swain and Rabi Hashmi know they should leave well enough alone.

The pull between them is magnetic, though, and it’s too strong to ignore. Unable to resist, they meet again in secret. Generations of hatred can’t temper the passionate love growing between them, but two men falling for each other in the middle of a war zone can’t hold back the inevitable clash.

And when decades of political, religious, and personal strife finally come to a head, there will be blood.

Word count: 59,800; page count: 237

Amazon

Riptide Books

Wow. This book was brutal and heart breaking and still gave me hope.

How these 2 guys didn’t know who each other were already, I’ll never know. I am also going to let that slide because the rest of the book was just so good.

This book is filled with racism and homophobia and Islamaphobia. Just so you know. There are passages that are just vicious. Dialogue that is just so mean you can’t imagine people saying it. But they do, everyday.

This modern, gay retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Political adversaries, Rabi and Matthew’s fathers are running against east other for political office. And it is the bible thumping, super conservative white guy versus the Muslim, leftist liberal. The discord between the families goes back 1 or 2 generations. It’s ugly. It’s also very topical.

There was still a lot of focus on Rabi and Matthew and their blooming romance. It was so sweet. So romantic. It was a bit swoony. When they are found out though, it is really, really ugly. I don’t understand hate like that. Hate because someone is a different color, different religion, different sexuality. And it is so real. I think that is what gut punched me the most. Knowing that these people are out there with their vile hate.

I’m sure you all know how Romeo and Juliet ends. But no so with Rabi and Matthew. Because as the author says, too many gays have died. Time for them to live.

Filed Under: New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4 stars, author, book, Book Reviews, gay, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, Riptide, romance

Who We Were by Melissa Collins: Release Day Review

November 5, 2018 by Denise

Who We Were…

Two awkward teenagers – the loner and the nerd, trying to find our place in the world. Paired in wood shop, we knew nothing of each other, except that we wanted to know everything. Then one life altering moment changed it all and we were left with shattered dreams and broken hearts.

Who We Are…

Two grown men – braver and smarter than we used to be, trying to heal the damage from that irrevocable moment. Even though the past was behind us, dead and buried long ago, we found it impossible to move on without ripping open the scars of our deep wounds.

With twelve years of unanswered questions fueling our desperate need for the truth, we must figure out if who we were will destroy who we are.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I am a pretty big fan of Melissa Collins. I will admit that her last book kind of fell flat for me. But, one flat book doesn’t keep me away. So I went in with eyes wide open on Who We Were. And…a lot of the old storyteller I liked so much seems to be back.

Ryan and Quinn were the typical awkward teenagers. Ryan who totally kept to himself and had no friends was now navigating a friendship with Quinn. Who he might definitely have a crush on.

Ryan and Quinn were the opposite in so many ways- from personality to family life. Ryan wanted the happy family life that Quinn had. But instead he had miserable parents who only paid attention to his jock twin brother.

There were a lot of painful family dynamics here that were well written. And being that the first half of the book takes place when they are 17, there was quite a bit. Because Ryan’s family life is the catalyst of who he becomes in the second half of the book.

Flash forward about 10 years (I think?). Ryan’s twin brother is getting married to Quinn’s sister. And even though Ryan left home as a teen, he has never returned. But his mother guilts him into it. And Quinn.

Their chemistry is off the charts. But when confronted about what happened 10 years ago, Ryan runs away. AGAIN. Ugh, I hate runners. So Quinn chases him. And Ryan wants to run again, but Quinn won’t let him.

Ryan and Quinn getting back together and finding their happy place was fairly angsty. And Ryan had no reason to be upset with Quinn, so it was a little odd to me.

Throughout the book there is a BIG SECRET. I won’t tell you I figured it out (mostly) even though I did. But it still left a lot hanging for me. But since I don’t spoil, sorry, can’t explain.

I feel like we are on the road back to the author of Let Love Live, the book that got me hooked on her work. And that’s a good thing.

3.5 Pieces of Candy

Melissa Collins has always been a book worm. Studying Literature in college ensured that her nose was always stuck in a book. She followed her passion for reading to the most logical career choice: English teacher. Her hope was to share her passion for reading and the escapism of books to her students. Having spent more than a decade in front of a classroom, she can easily say that it’s been a dream.

Her passion for writing didn’t start until more recently. When she was home on maternity leave in early 2012, she read her first romance novel and her head filled with the passion, angst and laughter of the characters who she read about it. It wasn’t long before characters of her own took shape in her mind. Their lives took over Melissa’s brain and The Love Series was born.

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Filed Under: New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 3.5 stars, author, book, Book Reviews, gay, lgbtq, m/m romance, Melissa Collins, mmromance, new release, review, romance

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

We are two chicks who love books (m/m romance with an HEA) and enjoy our eye candy. http://twochickso

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

3 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨Let’s celebrate! It’s release day for HAT TRICK by @authoremlindsey! Grab it in KU!#OneClickNowa.co/d/0io1BhPZWhy you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥Friends to Lovers🔥Only One Bed🔥Sexual Awakening🔥Hockey Goalies in love🔥Grumpy/Sunshine🔥Hockey Bro Banter🔥Praise Kink“For five million dollars, would you send a relative to jail?”"Bud, I would pay five million dollars to send a few there."Problem number one: Almost everything the world thinks they know about me is a lie.Problem number two: Two people know the truth.Problem number three: One of those two is a stalker and he's having a blast using that informationagainst me to get his way.The good news is, the second person who knows the truth about who I am seems pretty dedicated totaking my stalker down.The bad news is, it’s NHL goalie Vanya Maximov, and he and I had a one night stand that I can’t stop thinking about. And while Vanya might be walking sunshine so bright he can make even my blind ass see light, we have no business being together.I’m a mess, and while Vanya is everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner, he deserves better than me.If only he was willing to listen to reason. If only he was less stubborn and able to give up on a lost cause.But with his ability to give me exactly what I want—a little pain with my pleasure—and his refusal to treat me like I’m fragile, something dangerous starts happening.I’m beginning to think that maybe—just maybe—he’s right, and I am worth everything he sees.Hat Trick is the second book in the Punk as Puck spin-off series, Legends and Fury. It’s a high heat, friends to lovers romance with a sunshine NHL goalie who also might be a golden retriever in disguise, a PPHL goalie with big black cat energy, a stalker, and no faith in himself, hooking up in a friend’s car, praise and pain, high stakes romance, hockey bro banter, tons of chirping, and the swooniest happily ever after.#newbookalert #emlindsey #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

5 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨Did you see?✨SUCK, a MM Monster Romance by @authoremlindsey & @coraroseauthor is available NOW! Grab it in KU! #OneClickNowmybook.to/feedandfeastbook1 Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥Monster/human🔥MM Romance🔥Hurt/Comfort🔥Sexual Awakening🔥Monster Peen🔥Opposites Attract🔥First Times🔥Lots of Sucking🔥Body Piercings🔥Monster World🔥Power Dynamics🔥High HeatWhen portals from another world split open the sky, humanity braces for war… only to discover the monsters from Erethar aren’t here to conquer. They need something from humans. Something oddly specific in order to survive.Suck is the first book in the MM Monster Romance series Feed and Feast. It contains a clueless human who’s just looking to do his duty for humanity, a naïve monster who has no idea how much humanity will change him, so much sucking, swooning, antagonists to lovers, cuddling as a love language, body piercings, secret romance, and a toe-curling happily ever after.#newbookalert #corarose #emlindsey #monsterromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

6 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
My review:Shadows Never Leave (Shadows duet book 2) by Lark TaylorThis is book 2 of a duet and you must read book 1 first...a.co/d/06h9mALvThis one was a bit tough for me. Mostly because I enjoyed book 1 so much I was expecting more from book 2.A note that cheating doesn't really bother me in books. But I felt that having Ryan engaged when Dominic returns was a bit too much...After 10 years Dom (and Max) are back. Dom wants to win Ryan back. Max wants his twin back in his life. But Ryan isn't that 18 year old kid anymore. And he isn't taking anyone's crap either.Dom is totally annoying at first. Ryan jokingly calls him a stalker, but there were stalker vibes there. Which fit with his personality but still.Too much of the book is them just rehashing what happened when Dom left and the fact that they have had zero communication in that time. Over and over and over again. It got to the point where I was ready to throw my kindle if Ryan said "BUT YOU LEFT!" one more time.And it is sooooooo obvious that he and his fiance Katie don't belong together. They liked each other. Probably loved each other. And they were the type of couple to make it work and make it look perfect on the outside. But they would have ended up miserable.So yes, we get the HEA. But we had to trudge through some mud to get there.3 pieces of eye candy ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

6 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
New release and my review for:Seven Minutes by Raquel Riley At times this was a difficult read for me (stress for ME). But that didn't make it a bad book. Quite the contrary. Any book that stirs feelings in you is a book that hits home.We aren't yet privy to the relationship between Adrian and Eli when a horrific car accident brings Eli to Adrian's emergency room. (maybe a nitpick here but how did none of the staff know it was his husband??) The title refers to the 7 minutes after you die when your brain is still functioning. Which is really kind of scary to me. But it is through those 7 minutes of recollection by Eli that we get most of the back story.Being that this is a romance, I don't think it is much of a spoiler that Eli survives. But what comes next is picking up the pieces of their lives, and more importantly, their marriage. There are fights and apologies and explanations.... Eli is still ready to give up despite his love for Adrian. Adrian is not giving up because of his love of Eli.You don't appreciate what you have until you lose it. Or almost lose it.4 Pieces of Eye CandyOne click here 👉 a.co/d/0e1X1vOC ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

6 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨Let’s celebrate! It’s release day for EVERYTHING, EVERY DAY FOR ETERNITY by @e.w.silver! Grab it in KU!#OneClickHerea.co/d/04PAcfh1Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥MM Paranormal Romance🔥Enemies to lovers🔥Forced proximity🔥Forbidden love🔥Star crossed lovers🔥Fated mates/chosen one🔥Revenge/atonement plot🔥Emotional healing after trauma🔥Second chance at trust🔥Hurt/comfort🔥Deep emotional intimacy🔥Protective partner / overprotective vampire🔥“I’d burn the world for you” devotion🔥Found family themes🔥D/s dynamic🔥Masochist × sadist compatibility issues🔥Aftercare as a love language🔥Rebuilding trust in intimacy🔥“I’m afraid I’ll hurt you” conflict🔥Magic with consequences🔥Life-or-death stakes🔥Dark curse / magical attack🔥Running out of time🔥Secrets that threaten love🔥Self-sacrifice for the one you loveOne broken wolf. One duty-bound vampire prince. One bond neither of them saw coming.Mark hasn’t shifted in ten years. Not since heartbreak stole his wolf and left him trapped in grief. He keeps to himself, silent and in pain... until the night Caster St. John, heir to the Vampire Crown, crosses his path.Caster is used to control. Command. Power.But Mark?Mark makes him want to break all his rules.Their connection is instant, intoxicating, undeniable, and dangerously forbidden. When a vengeful witch sets her sights on Mark, their fragile bond becomes the only thing standing between survival and destruction.Desire can be a weapon. Love can be a risk.But together? They might just be unstoppable.Everything, Every Day for Eternity is the first book in the Shadow Haven Series and an emotionally intense M/M romance about loss, healing, and choosing love even when it hurts.#newbookalert #ewsilver #mmparanormalromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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