TCO Reviewer: Erin

Frostbite by JM Wolf: New Release Review

November 4, 2018 by Denise

Cyrus Winters, an omega wolf and an ice mage is dangerous to others. After running away from his birth pack at an early age, Cyrus traveled from place to place in hopes of finding a pack that would accept him. But once they realized that he was no ordinary omega wolf, they quickly turned their backs on him. Alone and shunned as a monster, Cyrus has kept himself hidden at the top of the Wichita Mountains where nobody would reach him. That is, until he hears the song of his fated mate.

Dorian Lovell once had the family he’d always dreamed of, but after the death of his son, his whole world fell apart. When he begins having dreams about a white wolf at the top of a mountain, howling for him, Dorian realizes that he may have found his fated mate. Joining his friend Tobias’ pack in the Wichita Mountains, Dorian sets out to find the wolf from his dream; but once he meets Cyrus, he quickly realizes that mating with the frosty omega won’t be as easy as he thought it’d be.

An omega with a heart of ice, and an alpha who’s destined to thaw him out. With a threat to Cyrus’ life approaching, the two must learn to come together as one. Can Dorian’s pack accept the gifted omega, and can Cyrus trust his life and future to his new pack, and the alpha the fates paired him with?

TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains sexual and verbal adult content, MPREG, violence, bloody gore, death, and talks of loss and heartache. No babies were harmed in the making of this book.
*** This is Book 1 in the series, but can be read as a standalone story – no cliffhangers ***

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

JM Wolf is a new to me author but I believe he has several books out. This is his first foray into mpreg and shifters and I decided to give it a try.

It was a little messy, but overall I liked it. Enough that I want to read book 2 when it comes out.

Why messy? Well there seems to be all kind of worlds in one and it got confusing. There are shifters- wolves being the main one in this story- but also bears, jaguars, hawks, etc. Among the shifters there are alphas and omegas. But not just men. I thought it was only men because mpreg, but one of the omegas gives birth to a girl. But that is the only female wolf that is talked about.

THEN there are also just regular people. Men and women. With these alpha omega shifters living with them, marrying them, having children with them. It was just too much.

Oh! And one of the wolf shifters is also half “mage”. A spellcaster, warlock, has magic, whatever you want to call it. I really liked this angle because he is a real rarity. So that was cool and added to the story.

Now, onto the story. Yes, I liked it. It wasn’t a super strong story, but it was strong enough to keep me reading. Cyrus is the half wolf half mage shifter who is a loner because he is outcast from not only his born pack, but every pack he tried to join since.

Dorian is searching for his fated mate who he sees in his dreams. After being married, having a child who died and then divorcing, Dorian seems eager to find his fated mate. (another kind of messy part- he was married to a human woman, they had a seemingly human child but now he lives as a gay wolf shifter).

I suspect the series will get “neater” as we now know most of the main characters and the world that they live in. But it was still a bit huh? for me. Like I said at the beginning though- I liked it enough that I want to read book 2!

3 Pieces of Candy

Nova Praetorian by NR Walker: New Release Review

October 31, 2018 by Denise

Quintus Furius Varus is one of the best lanistas in Rome. Tall and strong in build, fearsome in manner, and sharp of wit, he trains the best gladiators bound for the arenas of Rome. When Senator Servius Augendus seeks personal guards, he attends the Ludus Varus for purchase of the very best. He puts to Quintus an offer he cannot refuse, and Quintus finds himself in Neapolis, contracted as a trainer of guards instead of gladiators.

Kaeso Agorix was taken from his homelands of Iberia and delivered to Rome as a slave. Bought by a senator to be trained as a guard, his fate is handed to the man who would train him. Absent free will, Kaeso knows his life is no longer his own, though he soon realises the gods have favoured him when he learns his new master has a kind heart.

Quintus and Kaeso forge a bond that far exceeds the collar at Kaeso’s neck, and together they discover the senator’s move for promotion has an ulterior motive. Thrown into a world of politics and conspiracy, of keeping enemies close, they move against time to save Rome before traitors and the gods themselves see to their end.

And in doing so, see the dawn of the nova praetorian—the new guard—rise.

Tag Line: A new guard. A new love. A new Rome.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I am a big fan of NR Walker. I’ve not read anything of hers I didn’t like. Most of her works contemporary, although Evolved was kinda sorta scifi-ish? I guess? Which I am not a fan of. And I still really liked it! I am also not a big fan of historical, but sometimes books surprise me. I shouldn’t have been surprised though. Because NR Walker.

This is set during the Roman empire. Gladiators and togas and all that. With that comes a very different way of speaking. And really, if the book was set during the Roman empire but the characters spoke with modern language, I would hate it. So it had to take a big mind shift to suddenly write like this.

And she never faltered. The plot line. the characters, the language, all stayed true to the time period. The politics involved in the story were a bit complex, but it made for some good intrigue.

Quintas, a gladiator trainer, is bribed/threatened into providing security for a senator. He is also given a slave to train. A slave who was stolen from his country after Romans killed his parents. He’s a bit pissed off and mouthy. But Quintas is nothing but respectful and fair and they fall for each other.

There is a lot of training and a lot of politicking. And while there were a lot of details that pertained to the time period, they weren’t overwhelming at all. And reading a book like this gives me lots of possible Jeopardy answers in the future.

Quintas and Kaeso are inseparable throughout. The insecurities are still there for each of them. Quintas thinking Kaeso is with him only because he is a slave and Kaeso thinking Quintas is taking advantage of having his own slave.

The plot never fell flat or veered off course, the romance and sex were plentiful but not overly so and the ending was fantastic.

4 pieces of eye candy

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance.

She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since…

Contact N.R. Walker

Email:

nrwalker@nrwalker.net

One Step Back by Edie Danford: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

October 23, 2018 by Denise

After landing my dream job at a prestigious PR firm, I’m ready to leave my past behind and hit the ground running. But when I meet my new work partner, I smash headlong into a six-foot-five, two-hundred-pound bad memory named Joe.

In high school, Joe Beneventi had been my almost-best friend. My almost-first lover. My almost-stepbrother. The only thing that wasn’t “almost” about Joe? When he ripped apart our families and then ghosted me for twelve years.

Or two steps back

Now I need Joe’s help to land a career-making deal, but he’s distracting me with hot-as-sin smiles, working me over with flirty lines, baiting me with his rock-hard body.

I’m not buying any of it. Except…

Working together 24/7 is showing me sides of Joe I’ve never seen before. And when we touch, all those bad memories seem to fade away.

Title: One Step Back

Author: Edie Danford

Publisher: Edie Danford

Release Date: October 23, 2018

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 85,000 words

Genre: Romance, Enemies-to-lovers, coworkers, workplace, stepbrothers

Add to Goodreads

Amazon

I take a deep breath. Gotta prepare myself for being up-close and personal with the force of nature that is Joseph Vincent Beneventi.

“Hey, Joe,” I say, my voice cracking. Not how I’d wanted to sound.

His sexy mouth curves, and I get hit with the full impact of his attention-sucking energy. It zaps across the entryway. Through the guesthouse and the five-acre yard. All of Chicagoland. The state of Illinois, the entire Midwest…

Yeah, you get the picture. Joe has <em>it</em>. Chemical hoodoo-voodoo oozes from his pores and makes you forget whatever it is you’re doing, whatever happened to be on your mind. And all you can do is stand there and stare at him. And listen to the ridiculous shit that comes out of his gorgeous mouth.

I’ve had to cope with this Joe-phenomenon for three years now, as long as his mom and my dad have been dating. Weekends and vacations together at first, and then mostly full time as of last year, after Kim and Bernie got engaged and bought this monstrosity of a property together.

Wedding-planning and “a home where we can be a family” was supposed to bring us stability. Wishful thinking, because things between my dad and Joe’s mom—between all of us, really—seem rockier than ever.

“Hey, you.” Joe leans against the door jamb, killer smile flashing.

He’s a big, glossy beast, and he lights up the night that I’ve tried to darken. I look away from his shining eyes, but his jacked chest and abs, his maybe-too-tight board shorts, his legs, his feet, aren’t any easier to ignore.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’d be home tonight?” he asks. His deep voice has a slight throb, like he’s actually hurt. “You didn’t answer my message. Any of my messages. I get why you didn’t want to show for my amazingly fucking boring graduation, but… I was hoping to hear about your plans. For the summer.”

He reaches up to brush damp hair from his face, the movement popping every muscle from shoulder to wrist. Matty actually sighs from behind me. I try not to notice how the longer hair and the scruff on his chin make Joe look hotter than his usual smoking hellfire.

He spent his senior year at a therapeutic high school here in the Chicago area and the place didn’t demand buzz-cuts the way the military school did. The longer black waves do amazing things for his cheekbones, his squared-off chin, his sin-dark eyes.

I’m supposed to be saying something. So I open my mouth and a lame excuse comes out. “I wasn’t sure about flight times. Until the last minute. Storms in New York.”

He nods, head tilting as he scrutinizes my features. He wants to believe me even though it’s obvious I’m lying. The sky had been clear when I’d jetted away from LaGuardia, my freshman year of college complete.

I’d been avoiding all contact with Joe since Christmas break. I’d figured he’d understand why I didn’t respond to any of his messages today. Or at least take the hint. Hey, Joey, after I don’t answer your two-hundredth-and-seventieth voicemail, maybe that means I don’t want to communicate with you. But Joe is thick in more ways than one.

His dark eyes get warmer as they take me in, the dimple in his right cheek popping. His thumb traces the sand-dollar tattoo under his left nipple, a move I’m sure he’s making unconsciously. I do the same thing sometimes. I have a matching tattoo; we’d gotten them in Mexico during Christmas vacation two years ago. The ’rents had been very confused when both of us suddenly wore rash guards 24/7 for the rest of the break. Joe had come up with a BS-but-brilliant excuse about stingray sightings and the angle of the sun and the chemicals in sunscreen lotion killing off coral reefs.

And, okay. I’m not being fair. Joe isn’t thick. He’s probably smarter than me. He just doesn’t know how to rein in a lot of the bad shit that constantly roams his head. I’ve actually tried to help him figure out some stuff, given him some pointers about how to focus and prioritize—

There’s a crashing noise from the pool area. More shit breaking.

“Fuck,” he mutters, looking over his shoulder.

“You better get back there. Broken glass. Blood. Nastiness. It’s all gonna happen.”

He sighs—a shudder wracking his six-five frame. “Should’ve never invited anyone over.” His smile is crooked. “Your fault. I wouldn’t have had to get up to shenanigans with Bran and Troy if I’d known you’d be here tonight.”

And, there it is.

The reason why he always, always manages to piss me off. I’m not responsible for him. Not responsible for his feelings, for his actions. I refuse to be.

“Not my fault,” I say, my voice cracking again, damn it. I take a step backward, my hand pulling the door closed.

“Asher, come on. You know I didn’t mean it like that—”

I shut the door in his face. Then I pull the blinds closed, blocking out his beauty, blocking out his hurt expression. Maturity can go fuck itself, because literally closing off Joe from my senses will be the only way I can survive the summer.

“Wow,” Matty says.

“Yeah,” I agree.

It’s probably a few hours later when something jolts me awake. It’s Joe looming over me. I must’ve passed out after Matty left. I’m sprawled on the big chaise in the guesthouse’s living room, Joe standing so close his knees are touching the cushion’s edge.

There’s only one light on, a yellow glow coming from the glass-fronted cabinet that displays Joe’s shell collection. It creates weird, streaky shadows across his super-defined chest and abs.

His shorts are dry now, not as tight on his thighs or his package, but I can see he’s erect, a righteous bulge that’s impossible to miss. And, when I look up into his face, my gaze snags on his parted lips, his heavy-lidded eyes .

The house is quiet. No more party outside. When Joe inhales suddenly, I can feel the sharpness of his breath in my own lungs.

I sit, swinging my legs to the side of the chaise, planting my feet on either side of his. He takes my face in his hands. His fingers are warm, familiar, his touch so tender it makes me want to cry.

And, God, when our gazes connect, and I immediately fall into that dark brown and gold I dream about, tears clog my throat, for real.

“Ash,” he whispers, his voice so hoarse I can barely hear it. The pad of his thumb passes over my lower lip. I lick away the taste of him and he sighs. “Damn, I missed you.”

I nod. I can’t speak. It hurts.

Holy book hangover….

I was not ready for this one to end, and praying to get to the end, to make sure these guys got their happily ever after’s, both in equal measure. If there was ever a couple that I was rooting for, it was Ash and his Joey.

Told from both guys’ point of view, we get a first glimpse of their relationship as teenagers, back from their first year at college, staying in the guest house at their parents house. From the very beginning, you can feel how much these guys care about each other. I thought for sure, that this was going to be your typical bad boy leaves and breaks the younger guys heart, kind of story….. but it wasn’t like that at all.. I mean, it was, in a teenie tiny small way…. But it was so much more than that.

They were so different, in just about every way two people could be different, and even though they cared about each other so much, they were both so young and I feel like the time they spent apart was kind of needed, to figure things out for themselves and who they were as people. It hurt, and it sucked in the worst way, because you could tell how much they missed each other, that even after 11 years apart they still loved each other so much.

Thrown together on a job, across the country from each other, but meeting back in their home state… how is that not fate? …. But, both of them had hurt feelings and so much history between them, that it was hard for both of them to forget. My heart broke for Asher, of course, because he loved Joey so much, but for Joe, Asher was the other half of him. I can’t even explain how rare that it is to find in a story. Honestly…. And I read, A LOT… and very few grip me to the point that I’m hurting with these fictional people. Things are not easy, and even though they still love each other, it’s angsty and hard, and emotional… kind of like real life, eh?

Bravo to this author, who I’ve only read one other book from but will be changing that, immediately.. But, I’m so happy to report that not only did these two find a way through all the obstacles they had standing in their way that made things feel impossible, possible. They fought fr each other, and Asher fought for Joe, which he needed to do, I feel like. Everyone should’ve fought for Joe, he was so worth it. I kind of fell in love with him too a little bit. He was complicated and complex, but he was perfect…. More than that, he was perfect for Asher.

And in a totally selfish fashion, I’m gonna request we get more of these two! I wasn’t ready for them to end!

Sighh…. It probably seems so confusing, so you should probably just go on and read it… You’ll be happy you did…. Even though it’s a bit angsty, and I’m not big on angst… I can promise that it’s 100% worth it. 100%

5 stars from me!

This is a new to me author, so I was going in blind. But I really like second chance love, so I jumped in. Good call on my part.

Asher and Joe are soon to be step brothers who fall in love. But Asher isn’t willing to come out to his bigoted father. Until the issue is forced. But then everything falls apart and Asher and Joe don’t see each other for 11 years.

I loved Joe. Loved him. I think part of it is that I see someone I love in him, but also because of his big heart. This kid comes off as a dumb jock- but he is really anything but. No one really sees that though- except Asher.

The story is told going back and forth from present to past. And some times that really bothers me- but in this case it worked really well. And going into the past wasn’t even linear. We went from 11 years ago, to 15 years ago, back to 11 years ago. And it worked.

The story was a little bit drawn out, but not overly so. I didn’t get bored reading. And I could have used a good fight between them. Because Joe always runs and Asher doesn’t always stand up for himself.

Even though they were *almost* step brothers, the story wasn’t really told from a family point of view so I never felt that it had that taboo thing, and I don’t think it was meant to.

The sex scenes were incredibly hot (although, yes a bit plentiful) and well written. You could feel the love between these guys.

A solid read with good characters who I really cared about.

4 pieces of eye candy

Edie lives in Vermont with her husband, two sons, and random creatures that might or might not be pets. She loves libraries (where she’s found play, work, and love since she was a kid), long walks (unless ice is involved), lewd language (in the right context), luscious romance (of any variety), and alliteration.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail

http://www.ediedanford.com/

https://www.facebook.com/edie.danford

https://twitter.com/ediedanford

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12013781.Edie_Danford

ediedanford@gmail.com

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Beautiful Chaos by Riley Hart and Devon McCormack: New Release Review

October 17, 2018 by Denise

SILAS

My home is my sanctuary. Or is it my prison? Some days it’s hard to tell.

I’ve confined myself behind these walls for protection. I have my reasons, but that doesn’t change the profound loneliness I’ve discovered in the process.

Then one day I find myself drifting toward the window to see him. Corey Marshall, my new neighbor. Quiet, reserved, and cute as can be. He infects my thoughts, becomes the image I fantasize about.

I want to taste his lips, smell his scent…feel what it’s like to be inside him.

And soon, watching becomes exchanging gifts and messages, which becomes so much more.

It’s wrong to want this as badly as I do, but I can’t help myself. I crave him so desperately. It’s hard to tell if what we’re doing is going to make me lose my mind or change my entire world, but it’s too late to turn back now…

COREY

I’ve never been quite right. Too high or too low. Pain is my constant companion…at the hands of my abusive ex, and often from myself. The sweet relief is only temporary, but in those moments, it’s like I can finally breathe.

Then I meet him. Silas Rizner calms the chaotic storms inside me. He makes me feel loved, treasured, even when I don’t deserve it. I cherish the moments we share–cooking, cuddling, and when Silas reads to me until I fall asleep. When he’s inside me, it’s the only time in my life I’ve ever felt complete.

Silas becomes the glue that holds me together, that bandages my scars. Inside the walls of his home, we’re almost safe, but our demons are always there, waiting to break free.

We’re a mess. We’re broken, chaotic, beautiful; we’re in love.

But not even love can slay our monsters. No, only we can do that.

Unless our monsters destroy us first.

TRIGGERS: Self-harm, depression, anxiety, mentions of past domestic violence.

*While the sexual situations depicted in Beautiful Chaos are imperative to the characters’ development throughout the course of the novel, readers are advised to peruse the “Dear Reader” letter at the beginning of the book to help them make an informed decision about whether this particular story will be to their tastes. This letter can be viewed in the downloadable sample or by using the “Look Inside” feature found on the title’s product page.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Two broken characters. YES! I am a glutton for angst, broken men, tears, the whole shebang. And this had it.

There are people out there who either won’t enjoy this subject matter or cannot read it. The authors put a very thought out “letter to the reader” at the beginning to let you know what you were in for.

I am going to veer from the norm though and say that this story could have been more. For me at least. I totally get why they weren’t more though. They were so sweet together. Just.So.Sweet. I guess that surprised me a lot. For two damaged men to just be so gentle and timid with each other.

Anyway. I loved how the story started with them leaving notes for each other in their windows. How fun is that? Like finding a note in your school locker. But then they moved on to chat. And text. And video chat. Until they finally met in person. I know how weird that is. But ultimately so cool. I have quite a few friends only online. So when I get to actually meet them- it is the weirdest and coolest thing.

Moving on. It was also sweet how, even though they went much further on video chat, they stayed with kissing for a while. It’s almost like starting all over. They pretty much knew what to do with a phone or computer between them. But in person, it’s all new.

This whole story could have bored me. COULD HAVE. But didn’t. I mean, really, almost the entire book takes place at Silas’ house. There are a few scenes at Corey’s job, but mostly it is just the two of them at one house. But it wasn’t boring. We got to know them as they got to know each other.

The story kept moving without getting bogged down or skipping ahead. Well, except at the end but that was kind of necessary. These guys broke my heart, made me cry even while cheering them on.

It’s an emotional read, but a really good one.

4 Pieces of Candy

When Love Surprises by Christi Snow: Exclusive Excerpt and New Release Review

October 1, 2018 by Denise

Raised in a religious household, being gay was never an option for Steven, but when an injury left him incapacitated, he was forced to face those urges that he’s been able to ignore for the last thirty-eight years of his life…

Lost…

Three months ago, Major Steven Hardesty’s life sat on the precipice of perfection. Now he’s trying to come back from a life-threatening injury and a devastating romantic loss all while trying to figure out what he’s going to do after separating from the Air Force.

Alone…

Billy Starr never planned on running his family ranch by himself. He was supposed to be doing it with his sister, Whitney. But when she died in a freak accident, it sent his life in a tailspin of despair and alcohol.

Healing…

Steven and Billy were friends. Billy offered the ranch as a good, private place where Steven could recover, but as their friendship deepened, so did other feelings. Is it possible that a love affair between the two of them could heal them both? Or break them even more?

Amazon

Exclusive Excerpt from When Love Surprises:

After a long walk late that afternoon, Steven rounded the corner of the back porch to find Billy working out in the home gym, shirtless, and gloriously sweaty.

Steven’s mouth dried up, and is breathing grew labored, which had absolutely nothing to do with the very slow walk he’d just taken.

No, the buzzing awareness under his skin could only be attributed to the beautiful, sexy man on the other side of the window. Steven need to look away, but he just couldn’t. With the windows between them, it seemed safe to look his fill.

Billy lay on an include bench, pushing up a bar filled with weights. His entire torso flexed with each repetition, his muscles rolling under the effort to push up the weight. A bead of sweat dripped down his breastbone, traversing the dark hairs that lined his pecs and narrowed to a trail that disappeared down into the waistband of his shorts.

Steven watched the one little drop of moisture travel the length of Billy’s torso, and Steven ached to follow it with his tongue, his fingertips. Then it disappeared behind the low-riding waistband of Billy’s thin workout shorts. Steven could suddenly imagine its invisible path from there. It would continue to slide southward, directly to Billy’s cock and balls in a trail that Steven desperately wanted to follow.

Steven’s groin grew heavy. He swallowed, trying to get some moisture back into his mouth, his throat. He needed to look away but just couldn’t. He searched Billy’s rippling body for another drop of sweat to focus on.

Instead he found himself gripped in Billy’s intense gaze. He’d been caught.

This is book 6 in a series, but I believe the only MM. Which is why this is the only one of the series I have read. There is definitely some back story I missed, but the author fills it in quite well so that you don’t really miss anything.

Steven was shot in the previous book by an apparent stalker. So this book picks up with him in the hospital. Because of where the gunshot is, he needs someone to help him as he recovers.

Billy, owner of the ranch where Steven was shot, steps up and offers. I’m not going to get into how this all came about, but like I said, the author did a good job of filling in the blanks.

Although there were issues to be dealt with- alcoholism, crazy religious family, first time with a man, repercussions of being shot by a stalker, etc… the story line itself I didn’t feel was very angsty.

After fighting his attraction to men his whole life, Steven just jumped right in without hesitation after the first taste. So, good for him, but really? No introspection of “oh god, what have I done”?? This happens with his family as well. I am all for him owning his truth and making himself happy, but a little anxiety would have been nice.

There were a few twists and a lot of different plot points which kept the book moving, but it was a little cluttered. Not cluttered enough to annoy me, but just a little too much.

It was a nice little book. I did enjoy that the characters weren’t 25 years old and were mature. I think that age group is way under represented. Billy broke my heart with everything he has been through in his life, so I was happy that he found Steven.

3.5 Pieces of Candy

Of Sunlight and Stardust by Riley Hart & Christina Lee: Release Day Blitz, Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

September 21, 2018 by Denise

After the death of his wife, Tanner Rowe takes a step toward making her dream come true and buys the house with the dilapidated barn she’d been inexplicably drawn to in the picturesque Upper Peninsula. But after a year, he still can’t get past his grief long enough to make the repairs he’d promised.

Recently out of prison, Cole Lachlan has little to his name. Homeless, broke, and without many options as a felon, Cole heads to Red Bluff with hopes of a second chance. There, he meets Tanner, whose loneliness mirrors his own and soon, Cole is trading room and board for rebuilding the burned-out barn on Tanner’s property that hasn’t been touched in seventy years.

Turns out, the barn holds a lot more secrets than either of them could have imagined. After unearthing a hidden journal from 1948, Cole and Tanner spend their evenings poring through the pages and reading about a young man pining after his best friend. As they delve deeper into this forbidden affair from the past, the more Cole and Tanner’s own relationship shifts—from acquaintance to friend…to undeniable attraction.

But as they begin to deal with the newness of falling in love amid Cole’s past and Tanner’s loss, they also become more determined to unravel the mystery of the young lovers who’ve captured their hearts, the rumors about the fire, and what really happened that fateful night.

OF SUNLIGHT AND STARDUST

RILEY HART & CHRISTINA LEE

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 09.21.18

Cover Design: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art

Cover Image: Strangeland Photography

Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Tanner’s eyes snapped open. He didn’t know what had woken him so suddenly, but the moment he did, he realized he’d fallen asleep with Cole on the couch, that Cole’s head was on his shoulder.

It was a little weird…and a little not weird…or maybe he was looking for it to be weird or not? As he sat there a moment, focusing on the heat of Cole against him, the feel of his head on his shoulder, it felt good. Christ, Cole felt good to him.

It wasn’t the first time that seeing Cole, touching his skin, studying his hands or his back, felt right. That truth hit him in the gut, so the moment Cole groaned in his sleep and turned his head, Tanner slipped out from under the blanket.

For a moment he considered trying to lay Cole down. Did his knee hurt? Was the position uncomfortable? But he didn’t know how to do it or if he should do it, and he suddenly really fucking needed to get out of the house.

Tanner shoved his feet into his shoes. Thankfully, he was wearing jeans and a tee he’d put on before going to look for Cole last night. His keys were on the kitchen counter, so he swooped them up and quietly sneaked out of the house.

Last night had been…something. How he could breathe easier after the loss of Emma, how much Cole’s friendship meant to him, Tom and Charlie, and falling asleep on the couch. It was…a lot, and he wished like hell he had his fishing supplies so he could go fishing.

So what could he do?

Guilt made his stomach tumble because he knew Cole would wake up and wonder where he was, might even think he’d done something wrong, which he hadn’t. Tanner just didn’t know how to do…whatever he was doing. It was like he was learning how to live again.

He drove around for a little while, taking in the small town he and Emma had loved. What would she think about his friendship with Cole? He knew Emma, and she would be glad Tanner had him, that he’d allowed himself to have someone.

The more he drove, the more he began to feel slightly foolish for leaving the way he had. Who cared if they fell asleep on the couch together? Who cared if having Cole around eased some of the weight in his chest?

So instead of driving around town for no reason, Tanner turned and headed for the general store. He’d get some bacon and eggs, then go home and make breakfast for them.

This book was really two stories in one. Tanner and Cole now and Charlie and Tom then. One completely broke my heart, but the other gave me hope.

Tanner buys and moves into his wife’s dream house. Except that his wife died a year ago. Since then, Tanner is just a shell of a man. His wife knew he would be like that and begged him not to. The depiction of Tanner in his grief for his wife was just so real. He didn’t hate the world. He didn’t proclaim how the world was unfair. He didn’t say he would never love again. Instead, he was more just existing. Living day by day, missing his wife. Wanting to live up to her expectations of him. He seemed to mostly just feel nothing. And if you’ve ever had depression, you know the feeling of nothing.

Cole is fresh out of prison and trying to just make it in life. But getting a job is difficult when you check the felon box on an application. A chance meeting and a bit of kindness bring Cole and Tanner together.

I’m going to say my biggest critique is that Cole’s crime and subsequent punishment were kind of weak. A little more of a solid crime for 4 years in prison wouldn’t have been hard to do and still stick to the story line.

Yes, that is my biggest critique. Because I really loved this book.

I loved that both men stick to themselves even though they both crave intimacy. I love that there wasn’t even flirting for almost half of the book. There are a few mentions of Cole admiring Tanner, but quickly putting it away as inappropriate. And I loved that they not only read the journal together, but did it slowly.

Both of these characters could have been the the that really annoy me. Tanner could have put up the proverbial walls that Cole would have to knock down, but he didn’t. Cole could have been a total jerk with a chip on his shoulder, but he wasn’t. So instead of getting slogged down with 2 characters with “issues”, we watch 2 characters gravitate to each other and learn to love again.

I was warned by someone who beta read this book that I would cry. I got like 75% in and no tears. False sense of security there. Holy sobbing mess.

I’m fairly certain this is my favorite collaboration of theirs. So far.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Riley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s a hopeless romantic, a lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about all the trouble they can get into together.

She loves reading, flawed characters, and hanging out with her husband and children, who she adores. She and her family live in Southern California, soaking up the sunshine while also missing seasons. Not a day goes by that she isn’t thankful she gets to wake up and do what she loves.

Life is good. Riley also writes young adult and new adult under the name Nyrae Dawn.

Once upon a time, I lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. I spent my days shopping for photo shoots, getting into cabs, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at my favorite hangouts.

Now I live in the Midwest with my husband and son—my two favorite guys. I’ve been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn’t until I wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that I realized I could turn the fairytales inside my head into the reality of writing fiction.

I write Adult, New Adult, and M/M Contemporary Romance. I’m addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. I believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

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* Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review – nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. *