TCO Reviewer: Erin

The Ballerino and the Biker by Rebecca James: Book Blast, Excerpt and Giveaway

March 14, 2018 by Denise

Most of his young life, Morgan Wentworth has dreamed of becoming a principal dancer in a prestigious corps de ballet. After years studying the art in Milan, Morgan comes home to New York City to apprentice with the Manhattan Ballet Company only to be hit by the unexpected death of his older brother, Jake. The grieving dancer learns his life is threatened by a dangerous rival motorcycle gang and that pierced, tattooed, HOT biker Zeke Ivers has been assigned by Jake’s MC to guard him. Saddled with the constant presence of the infuriating man, Morgan juggles the demands of an exhausting dance schedule as well as his new responsibilities as CEO of his family’s multi-million-dollar company. He never expects to develop an attraction for the straight, obnoxious biker, but that’s exactly what happens.

Estranged from an abusive family, Zeke Ivers has lived at the Sentinel’s club house and worked on cars since he was a teen. When fellow club member Jake Wentworth and a rival club president’s girl are killed on Jake’s bike, the Sentinel’s president delegates the protection of Jake’s little brother, Morgan, to Zeke. Zeke would do anything for the club that pulled him off the streets, but Morgan’s a ballet dancer, for Christ’s sake, as well as annoying as hell. Still, Zeke finds himself inexplicably drawn to the young man. The more attracted Zeke becomes to Morgan, the more the biker is forced to examine his sexuality and decide whether two people from opposite sides of the tracks could possibly have a future together, or if Zeke should do what is fast becoming too painful to consider: let Morgan go.

The Ballerino and The Biker

Rebecca James

M/M Romance

Release Date: 03.10.18

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Amazon US

Amazon UK

For another week after the shooting, I continued escorting Morgan to his long-ass rehearsals where he didn’t rehearse, just watched intensely, and his classes where he danced until he was slick with sweat and breathing hard. And I continued studying him, memorizing every expression that crossed his face. His high cheekbones, full lips, and expressive eyes captivated me, and I’d quit asking myself why. Scared I was letting him distract me too much, I renewed my efforts to watch the exits. I’d learned the face of every person who was supposed to be around and kept a watch for those who weren’t.

The list of people wanting me to fix their cars was growing, but I never had any time. Several of the guys offered to take a day or two watching Morgan for me, but I didn’t trust the kid in anyone else’s care, and besides, there was my cover to consider. I was supposed to be a reporter doing a story on Morgan. Why would someone else show up in my place? Anyway, I knew the layout of the building, knew the corps de ballet’s schedule, and I knew Morgan. I would take care of him.

Saturday came around, and I once again thanked God the fucking masochist ballet company let the dancers have Sunday off. I planned to spend mine sleeping, unless Morgan got other ideas. The kid looked exhausted, so I doubted it. Halfway through the day, the big guy, chief of the ballet or something, announced some chick named Katie had had to leave and called Morgan in to dance her part during rehearsal. My gut twisted. How was the kid supposed to dance a part he’d only watched a few times, and a female part, at that?

But Morgan did it. He filled in for the girl like he’d been dancing the part himself every day since he got there, and I was in awe. I could tell the chief guy was impressed, too, or at least satisfied. I got the feeling he’d been testing Morgan, otherwise why the fuck hadn’t he asked one of the female apprentices to fill in? At the end of the night, like a proud daddy, I tossed Morgan a candy bar from the machine in the hall.

Morgan looked at the Hershey bar like he didn’t know what to do with it.

“For doing so great at the spur of the moment,” I told him. A smile lit up his tired face that made the embarrassing moment worth it, and he unwrapped the candy bar. He broke it down the middle and handed half to me.

“For putting up with all this,” Morgan said. Our eyes met. The whole thing felt so goddamn cheesy, I grumbled and didn’t speak again until we were pulling out of the Arts Center.

I hated the scared look Morgan had every time we walked outside the building since the shooting. I wanted to rip Spoons’s face off for putting it there, and I would if I got a chance.

“If it makes you feel any better, he ain’t gonna try the same thing twice,” I said to Morgan as he inched closer to me on the walk to the car.

He looked at me. “You mean he’ll devise another way to kill me?”

“Well, yeah.” We climbed in, and I headed for the Midtown Tunnel. I’d been changing up our route, even if it took longer to get home going a different way.

Morgan sank down in the seat and fiddled with the edge of his sweatshirt. “I can’t go on like this. I’m so fucking stressed out.”

“The way I see it, you ain’t got much choice,” I said. “You wanna be a dancer, so you gotta go to school. You wanna stay alive, so you gotta have me with you. Thing is, you gotta trust I’ll take care of you and relax.”

Morgan brought up his knees to his chin. He was like a fucking bendable toy. I bet he could put both feet behind his head. His face was broody.

“It’s gonna be okay, kid,” I said. “I got you. Concentrate on spinning around and looking pretty.”

Morgan groaned. “Shut up.”

I laughed, feeling suddenly light.

This was a new to me author and while that gave me pause (I am a creature of habit, sue me) but I am a total sucker for dancers. So I dove in.

Soooooo….while I had a few issues with some things in the book- overall I really enjoyed the characters and how this is obviously the start of a series. I would think at least. It has all of the makings of a series. One that I would totally read.

Honestly, the beginning almost turned me off of the book. Unrealistic and unnecessary. But I continued on. Because ballet dancer.

After I started to get to know the characters, they keep me reading. I like when there’s a twist on the regular thing. There is a motorcycle club- shocking I know based on the title of the book- but they are on the up and up. No drugs, no guns, no anything illegal. Nice switch. Morgan (the ballet dancer, swoon) is completely dedicated to his art and his career. He has a defined path to follow and he stands his ground and continues to dance.

Zeke (the biker, and ok, swoon) is tasked with protecting Morgan because of fear of retribution from another MC. I really liked Zeke and Morgan together. Morgan, who you would assume is fragile but is actually tough as nails and Zeke, tough biker guy who is actually really fragile, just work.

I can’t tell you my other issue directly because I don’t give spoilers. But let’s just say dumb decision that was made way too easily.

The book and story were far from perfect. But there were very likable characters, steamy romance and lots of hmm…I wonder what will happen with THAT character. I want to see what happens next.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

I’ve always loved to write and have written since I was a child, usually to entertain my family. I enjoy writing m/m romance because there’s nothing hotter than two men in a loving relationship. I write contemporary romance but am not limited to that. I enjoy writing alpha/omega and vampire stories, and I wouldn’t rule other things out. I’m very prolific, so look for a lot of things to come!

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Skater Boy by AE Wasp: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

February 28, 2018 by Denise

In a world that measures success in dollars, how do you put a price on happiness?

Love, marriage, and a baby carriage. It’s all Alex Staunton has ever wanted. Well, that and an Olympic medal for figure skating. The medal he got. The rest of it – not so much.

When his most recent poor decision comes to a door-slamming end, Alex moves into the house of his best friend, Thunder starting goalie, Sergei Pergov. But when tragedy strikes, giving Sergei custody of the twins he fathered confidentially, Alex’s problems take a backseat to the needs of two infants, and Alex vows to be the best fake-dad and house-husband he can be.

Sergei is dazzled by the way Alex makes managing all the craziness look as easy as doing a triple-axel. As their friendship grows even deeper, Sergei realizes he doesn’t want to imagine a life without Alex in it. Alex is the one who makes their house a home; his love makes them a family. How can Sergei make Alex understand he’s worth everything?

Skater Boy is a story about falling in love with your best friend. It contains discussions about baby poop, day drinking, girls’ night out, and the purchase of a mini-van.

Book Title: Skater Boy: Hot Off the Ice #4

Author: A. E. Wasp

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix

Genre/s: Gay Sports Romance

Length: 75,750 words/303 pages

Skater Boy is a standalone story in the Hot Off the Ice series.

Amazon US – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK

Goodreads

It was funny how much one kiss could change everything. Well, kissing and whatever else he could get away with. Sergei loved finding ways around the rules or seeing how much he could get away with while still technically staying within bounds.

Alex had typed up a list of the rules and taped them to the inside of the door that held Sergei’s coffee mugs and tea cups. “This way I know we’ll see it at least once a day.”

“In case I forget?” Sergei pulled Alex’s hand toward him, tracing light patterns over his wrist and palm in the same way Alex had tortured him the other night.

“Bastard,” Alex said, yanking his hand away. He darted in for a quick kiss. “In case I forget.”

Then last night after dinner, he’d come up behind Alex in the kitchen while he was washing dishes, and keeping his hands above the waist and over the clothes, lifted up Alex’s gorgeous hair and kissed the back and sides of his neck until Alex begged him to touch him. “Just a little. Please? Just my stomach.”

“Rules say no hands under clothing,” Sergei said, voice heavy with regret. “You made rules.”

Without another word, Alex slid out from under Sergei. Grabbing a pen from the junk drawer, he stomped the few feet to the cabinet, opened the cabinet, and crossed off the word ‘clothing.’ He wrote ‘pants’ above it, handwriting sloppy.

Slamming the door, he marched back to Sergei. “Better?”

Sergei yanked Alex against him, face to face this time. He slid his hands up the back of Alex’s shirt. His skin was softer than he had ever imagined and so warm. “Much better,” he growled, then pushed Alex up against the counter. They kissed until Sergei’s lips were numb.-

This is the 4th in a series, but I haven’t read the series so it is an easy stand alone.

This was a cute friends to lovers story, that I don’t think was meant to be cute.

Alex finds out his boyfriend is actually married. And being that Alex lives in an apartment paid for by him, he needs to leave. Best friend Sergei to the rescue. Quite literally.

Alex starts off living with Sergei kind of strong. Wanting to be his own man, pay his own way, etc. But he doesn’t seem to try real hard. Sergei is all sorts of adorable, but what starts out as sounding like he is pan or demi, turns into gay or maybe bi? I wish the author had explored that aspect more. Not because we need to know, but from a representation stand point.

They are all cute and playing house and BAM! Crisis. Big crisis. Life changing. And while Sergei is rightfully freaking out, Alex just seems to take it in stride. Because, ultimately, it is kind of what he wished for. Not under those circumstances, but still.

So it was all neat and tidy and….cute. The wives of Sergei’s teammates kind of treat Alex like a pet, a novelty. Most of the characters were basic stereotypes.

There was more there that could have been fleshed out. Instead, it was all sort of glazed over to bring you a cute story. And there’s nothing wrong with cute stories, but meh.

3 pieces of eye candy

After time spent raising children, earning several college degrees, and traveling the world with the U.S. State Department, she is returning to her first love – writing.

A dreamer and an idealist, Amy writes about people finding connection in a world that can seem lonely and magic in a world that can seem all too mundane. She invites readers into her characters’ lives and worlds when they are their most vulnerable, their most human, living with the same hopes and fears we all have. An avid traveler who has lived in big cities and small towns in four different continents, Amy has found that time and distance are no barriers to love. She invites her readers to reach out and share how her characters have touched their lives or how the found families they have gathered around them have shaped their worlds.

Born on Long Island, NY, Amy has lived in Los Angeles, London, and Bangkok. She currently lives in a town suspiciously like Red Deer, Colorado.

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Bite Me by Beth Bolden: Blog Tour, Exclusive Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

February 27, 2018 by Denise

Talented pastry chef Miles Costa is bored. Working at the celebrated Napa Valley restaurant Terroir is supposed to be the cherry on top to a promising career, but instead it’s a creative desert. So when he gets an offer to turn his online video series into a career, he leaves his three best friends in Napa and swaps Terroir for Los Angeles.

With the resources now at his fingertips, turning his pastry series into a hit should be easy. Then Miles meets his producer, Evan Patterson, and realizes he’s screwed. And not even in the good way.

It’s not a meet-cute . . .

Evan lives to work and loves every minute detail Miles loathes. Not only that, he seems hell bent on micromanaging every aspect of Miles’ show despite the fact he knows nothing about the culinary arts. Evan doesn’t even like sweets—until Miles seduces him with a rainbow of delectable confections he can’t resist.

. . . it’s a collision.

With every confrontation, the intensity between them flares even hotter until they’re not sure if it’s hatred they feel . . .or something else. Is it possible for two people with nothing in common to discover common ground and romance?

BITE ME

KITCHEN GODS BOOK 1

BETH BOLDEN

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 02.12.17

COVER DESIGN: AngstyG

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

“You’re late,”Evan said, head bent towards his screen, fingers not missing a beat as he typed furiously.

“I know, I’m sorry, I thought I’d grab a coffee.”Miles slid into the chair next to Evan, but Evan still didn’t look up.

“Oh thanks for bringing me one too,”Evan said levelly, even though he had to know that Miles only had one cup in his hands.

“I . . .uh. . .didn’t know you wanted one?”Miles said sheepishly. He’d made it back into the building two minutes late, and then had raced to Evan’s cubicle, only to not find him there. He’d made the rounds, until one of the writers stopped him and said Evan was in the conference room, still working after the meeting had ended.

Why hadn’t it occurred to Miles to bring him coffee? He liked the good coffee place as much as anyone else. It was probably because instead of actively trying to charm anyone in particular, Miles just fallen into bed with willing people and had never wanted someone who didn’t want him back—or wanted him but fought it. Miles knew he was going to have learn to be more aware and less selfish if he was ever going to convince Evan to consider dating him. A great almost-blowjob wasn’t going to cut it. Not with Evan.

Sex was probably off the table now, even though Miles knew Evan wanted it. Miles wasn’t familiar with the sort of self-denial Evan practiced; if he wanted someone and the feeling was mutual, sex happened. It was an easy way to live, and an easy way to get off. Everything about Evan was complicated, but Miles wanted him anyway. Inexplicably.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring you coffee,”Miles said when Evan remained silent, typing away, the staccato of the keys all the response he probably deserved.

“It’s okay.” Evan paused. “I wouldn’t expect you to be looking out for other people. Me, especially.”

And yeah, that was galling. Especially galling when Miles had spent the last half an hour discovering that nobody had probably ever really looked out for Evan before. It probably wouldn’t take an extraordinary amount of effort to make him feel special and considered. And Miles still couldn’t figure out how to meet even the lowest of expectations.

“I’m sorry, I’m . . .I know it isn’t an excuse, but I was with Lucy, and Chloe and Steph and . . .”Miles hesitated, trying to find the best way to say, sorry, we were gossiping about you and they told me you were a foster kid and I wish you had told me yourself.

All Miles knew was that was definitely not the way to break the news.

Bite Me is the first book in my series about professional chefs. But what if you’re not a Kitchen God, but more like a Kitchen Joke? Are you more of an Evan than a Miles?

You can still make a really tasty dessert that’s impressive while still being easy and very doable.

I adapted this recipe from a few different sources, but they turned out beautiful anyway!

Creamy Cheesecake Parfaits with Chocolate Whipped Cream & Raspberries

Recipe adapted from The Cookie Rookie & The First Year

For the cheesecake parfait:

For the Crust:

2-3 low-fat graham crackers, crushed

For the No-Bake Cheesecake:

1 cup Custard Yogurt, vanilla flavored
2 (8 ounce) packages low-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
A pinch of kosher salt

To make the cheesecake mixture, place all cheesecake ingredients in a mixer bowl and beat until well the mixture is a smooth consistency, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. You can use a hand mixer or a spoon or whisk, as long as all the ingredients are room temperature.

For the chocolate whipped cream

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar

First make sure your bowl is very cold. Put it in the freezer for a few minutes, even. Unlike the cheesecake part of the recipe, make sure your heavy cream is very cold. No need to chill the cocoa powder or the powdered sugar.
This is better to make with an electric hand mixer but can also be made by hand with a whisk if you have arms of steel (or would like to have arms of steel!). Place all ingredients in the chilled bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Yes, stiff peaks. In the bowl, though, not anywhere else!

To assemble (Avengers Assemble!)

Pint of raspberries, washed.

Divide the crushed cookies/graham crackers between your glasses. I used really pretty martini glasses, but you could use small parfait glasses, or wine glasses, or whatever you have on hand that will let people see your pretty ingredients.
Spoon half the cheesecake mixture on top of the crushed cookies. Sprinkle in a few raspberries and top with the rest of the cheesecake mixture. Spoon the chocolate whipped cream over the top, and garnish with the raspberries.
Chill and then enjoy! Delicious and Miles is very impressed with your developing pastry skills!

I’ve read one other book by this author. And while I didn’t love it, I liked it well enough to try another. Plus this one involves the restaurant business and it is set in the California wine country. Two things I know well.

Miles is a pastry chef at world renowned restaurant in the Napa Valley. Unfortunately he is not the head pastry chef. So to get his creative juices flowing, he posts videos of himself baking. His videos catch the eye of a former chef turned internet show producer and Miles quits his job and moves to LA.

The majority of the book is spent with Miles acting like a brat while his producer tries to get them to work together. Yes, chefs are notoriously obnoxious. But I didn’t feel like Miles had the experience to equal the arrogance. A lot of bickering, then kissing, then more bickering.

Once they did start working together more- with Miles teaching Evan, I liked it quite a bit more. I needed more of that and less of the fighting. That got so tiresome. And the resolution to the problem of what the show would be like came at the very end. I definitely wanted more of that. What a perfect story line to incorporate the sexual tension, etc.

Readable, but not memorable.

3 pieces of eye candy

Beth Bolden lives in Portland, Oregon with her supportive husband. She wholly believes in Keeping Portland Weird, but wishes she didn’t have to make the yearly pilgrimage up to Seattle to watch her Boston Red Sox play baseball. She’s a fan of fandoms, and spends too much of her free time on tumblr.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published eight novels and two novellas, with Catch Me, the next novel in the Kitchen Gods series, releasing in May 2018.

Order Bite Me Recipe Cards: http://bit.ly/2EeQiCJ

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Heart 2 Heart Charity Anthology: Exclusive Excerpt and Interview with Charlie Cochet, and Review

February 26, 2018 by Denise

HEART 2 HEART ANTHOLOGY

May Archer * Charlie Cochet * Allison Hendricks * Sloane Kennedy *

Lucy Lennox * Ruthie Luhnow * Lily Morton * Chris Owen *

Poppy Dennison * Hailey Turner * A.E. Wasp

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 02.07.18

COVER DESIGN: AngstyG/www.angstyg.com

ANTHOLOGY EDITOR: Leslie Copeland

Amazon

Once upon a time, a bunch of authors wondered… What if a dating app that guaranteed you a love match broke down just in time for Valentine’s Day? What if you found yourself on a blind date with a random guy who might be your opposite in every single way? It could be a disaster. Or… When the code breaks down, fate just might take over.

Eleven of your favorite gay romance authors have joined forces to light up your Valentine’s Day with a collection of sweet, sexy, silly, and hot short stories, featuring a wacky cast of characters chosen from your reader suggestions! Morticians and magicians, superheroes and spies, lawyers and lobstermen, will all learn that love has nothing to do with algorithms… and sometimes you find it in the least-likely places.

And the best part? All proceeds from this collection will go to the authors’ favorite LGBTQ charities, to ensure that love in all its incarnations will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!

It will only be available for 90 days, so Tuesday, May 8^th will be the last time you can purchase this anthology.

Over 162k words total, contemporary MM romance

Charlie Cochet

The Assassin and the Dog Walker

Can you tell us a little bit about your characters?

Lymond is a gruff, broody assassin who’s just trying to have somewhat of a normal life, though his hope has been slowly dwindling until he’s signed up for a blind date through the Heart2Heart app by his younger brother Jerrott. Daniel is a professional dog walker who’s always surrounded by furry friends. He’s sweet, snarky, and looking to be swept off his feet by Mr. Right

The characters you had to choose from were readers’ submissions, correct? Were there any other characters you considered writing about before you chose this couple?

That’s write. Well, when I saw assassin, how could I not, right? As I went through the list, there were so many fabulous characters to choose from, but I needed someone who would be perfectly opposite my broody assassin, and when I saw sassy dog walker, I knew I had my couple.

How did you come to be involved in the Heart2Heart Anthology?

I was approached by Leslie Copland who did an amazing job bringing us all together. When she told me the premise, and some of the authors she would be asking to be involved, I was all over it. The chance to write a story for an anthology with a group of authors whose books I love? Yes, please!

Have you ever been involved in a group project like this before? What were some of the challenges you had to face?

I was part of the Charmed and Dangerous Anthology. That one was a little more challenging because it was a paranormal anthology with a group of fabulous authors who all had very different voices and styles of writing. The Heart2Heart anthology was focused on romance, Valentine’s Day, and the a premise of the Heart2Heart app that tied all the stories together. They were both such a great experience, and I’m so very glad I took part.

Is this something you’d like to be a part of again in the future?

I would certainly work with these authors again. Schedules can sometimes make things tricky, and I tend to take part in things like this when I personally know the people involved. Many of these authors I consider friends, so there really was no question.

You’re donating the entire proceeds to charity – can you tell us more about where the money is going?

The proceeds of the anthology is going to three charities: The Trevor Project, The Bisexual Resource Center, and One-N-Ten.

Have you ever set someone else up on a blind date? If yes, how did it turn out?

Oh goodness no! I think if I knew two people who I thought should meet, I would just introduce them to each other, and let them work out the rest. LOL

If Heart2Heart were to match you with someone, who do you think you’d get paired with?

If the app were looking for my opposite, probably the Math professor-who’d be thoroughly horrified by the C’s I got on the subject at school, and by the blank stare on my face when they tried to explain some math formula to me. I had straight A’s and a few B+’s in everything else, but Math? Nope.

““I’m going to kill you!”

“I hope you mean that figuratively,” Jerrott murmured before taking a sip of his latte, amusement sparkling in his eyes. “Taking out your brother would be in such bad taste.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, and closed my eyes, forcing myself to count down from ten. I will not kill my brother. I will not kill my brother. Our family would surely notice Jerrott’s absence at Christmas dinner if he failed to show up. Damn it.

“You should be thanking me. You might actually get laid, and relieve some of the tension you carry around on those massive shoulders of yours. When’s the last time you had a date? I’m pretty sure Myspace was all the rage back then.”

“Fuck you,” I growled. “It hasn’t been that long. I’ve told you before. I don’t date.” I leaned in, and quietly hissed at my pain in the ass little brother. “Have you forgotten what I do for a living?”

Jerrott rolled his eyes. He actually rolled his eyes at me. The little shit! Screw him. Screw his annoying Armani suit. And screw his pretentious Skinny-Chai-whatever-the-fuck.

“Rather difficult to forget,” Jerrott murmured before taking another sip of his drink. “You haven’t dated since you-know-who. It’s time to get back out there.”

I wasn’t about to comment on the first statement, or the clusterfuck that had been my relationship with that psycho, so I focused on his second statement. “A dating app? Seriously, Jer?” The thought alone had me cringing. A dating app? A fucking dating app. “Next thing I know you’re going to sign me up to be a contender for The Bachelor.” Jerrott smiled knowingly, and I cleared my throat. “Not that I watch that shit.”

“Mhm. I’ll have you know this is the hottest dating app on the scene right now.” Jerrott was far too excited for his own good, which was a feat in and of itself considering ‘unimpressed’ was his default emotional setting. “The Heart2Heart app matches you up with the perfect partner.”

“And you didn’t sign yourself up for this why?”

Jerrott scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve never had any trouble finding a date. Think of it this way. At least you get a free meal out of it.”

I glared at him.

“It’s Valentine’s Day.”

I glared at him harder.

“Are you really going to stand up some poor guy on Valentine’s Day? I know it means shit to you, but what about that poor man? Maybe he’s shy and sweet, and it’s taken him all his life to muster the courage to do something like this, and in one night you’re going to shatter him and his precious little heart.”

I rolled my eyes so hard I was pretty sure I saw the back of my head. ”

CHARITIES

We are pleased to be donating 100% of our proceeds to 3 wonderful charities:

The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Bisexual Resource Centre: http://biresource.org/

One n Ten: http://onenten.org/

We encourage all readers to learn more about these groups and consider making a donation of your own. Every little bit helps.

As a rule, I am not a big fan of shorts or novellas. I like to dive into a meaty book with lots of words and pages. But I really, really liked this anthology.

The book begins with the first half of one story. But that sets up the rest of the stories. In it, Bailey is a programmer getting a new matchmaking app “Heart2Heart” up and running. Until a super hot window washer tempts him to leave work to go out on a date.

All of the stories that follow are a direct result of the apps algorithms being wrong and matching up complete opposites. I loved just about every story. Many were similar- one of the guys was mad because a friend or family member signed him up on the app, many had coincidentally met shortly before their blind date, etc etc. But they were still really fun to read. I had a favorite and a least favorite, but they were all fun to read.

The book wraps up with the second half of the first story- and an epilogue that was satisfying.

A fun read that is easy to pick up and put down- and the proceeds are for a great cause.

4 pieces of eye candy

What began as a random idea quickly turned into a collaborative and completely voluntary effort from 11 authors, more than 130 readers, cover designer, 2 proofreaders, and one cat herder to keep it all together.

Readers were asked to submit ideas for characters, both typical and off-the-wall, and from that list, each author picked 2 seemingly mismatched guys and helped them find love.

May Archer – The Baker and the SEAL

Charlie Cochet – The Assassin and the Dog Walker

Poppy Dennison – The Electrician and the Event Planner

Alison Hendricks – The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer

Sloane Kennedy – The Florist and the Lawyer

Lucy Lennox – The Uber Drive and the Phone Sex Operator

Ruthie Luhnow – The Lawyer and the Lobsterman

Lily Morton – The Tattoo Artist and the Writer

Chris Owen – The Criminal and the Sommelier

Hailey Turner – The Superhero and the NSA Agent

AE Wasp – The Magician and the Mortician

Color Me In by Riley Hart: Exclusive Excerpt and Release Day Review

January 30, 2018 by Denise

Caleb White has been a lot of places and made a lot of decisions he isn’t proud of. He’s ready to settle down and figure out who he really is. Where better to do that than Last Chance, the home he was ripped away from at sixteen? A fresh start is in order, but he has no idea how the hell to do that when he’s not even sure what he wants in the first place.

Ryan Daily is a pro at hiding his insecurities. He’s never fit in and has spent most of his life knowing there’s something missing. Just when he thought he’d found it, his whole world fell apart and he lost everything.

Then comes a sleepless night in a twenty-four-hour café, where Caleb and Ryan forge a connection full of laughs, junk food, and whispered secrets. In the middle of a budding friendship, they see the blossoming of desire neither of them expected. Ryan has kept his heart protected after having it shattered, and Caleb—no stranger to attraction—finds what he has with Ryan is on a whole new level from anything he’s experienced before. In a world of black and white, they bring each other color.

But life is never simple. When the past comes knocking, Ryan and Caleb will have to reach through the darkness to find the light they see in each other or risk slipping into the shadows for good.

COLOR ME IN

LAST CHANCE, BOOK 2

RILEY HART

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 30, 2018

COVER DESIGN: X-Potion Designs

COVER IMAGE: Stone Creek City

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2ByOVfZ

Amazon

“It’s weird…getting touched by you this way…by someone this way. I feel it in my bones. Like this sweet, relentless sensation I’ve been denied so long.”

Jesus, he really fucking wanted to kiss Ryan. His lips tingled with the need, but Caleb knew it wasn’t the time or place.

When Ryan’s eyes opened, he saw a moment of panic there. “I’m not trying to get heavy. I know what this is, and frankly, that’s all I can handle. We’re friends. For whatever reason, we’ve connected with each other and I’m attracted to you. I know it ends there, and truthfully, I don’t know how far it’ll even go sexually.”

Was that a warning, or was Ryan just being honest? Caleb didn’t know, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it either way. It wasn’t as if he was looking for anything serious either, but Ryan’s need to put it out there did make discomfort slide down his spine. If those were the rules, he guessed he should know about them.

Caleb dropped his hand and nodded. “bGotcha. Sounds like we’re on the same page. I appreciate your honesty.” He could keep this at just making Ryan feel good. Fuck, he wanted to keep touching him until he lost his fucking head, and when they were done, they’d be done.

“We should probably go inside.”

“You think? I’m not sure…”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “So damn funny.”

“Glad you think so.”

When they got out of the car, they were both smiling. *

Ahhhh…yet another Riley Hart book I loved. This is book 2 in the series, but seeing as how I missed book 1 (who??) you definitely don’t have to read book 1 to enjoy book 2.

Caleb returns to Last Chance- the town he grew up in until he was 16. That was when his parents forced them to move without notice or word to his best friend Shane. Shane, the boy he had been friends with forever and who he started experimenting with. And then they got caught.

After a quick reconnection with Shane, Caleb is out of sorts. He still feels like things are unresolved with Shane, he has no job- and doesn’t need one- and he is living in a big house by himself. He finds himself at the town’s all night diner where he runs into Ryan. They quickly bond over cars and late night snacks. And even though Caleb is out, he thinks Ryan is straight. So instead of a flirtatious romance, Caleb shoots for friendship.

Their friendship is, at times, awkward. But they forge ahead, both needing the connection. Caleb never crosses the line though. Lots of fantasies and longing looks- but hands off. Until they start talking one night and it comes out (haha!) that Ryan just doesn’t feel sexual attraction to anyone. Caleb gives him a name, a label, of demisexual. And it is like a light bulb went off.

Their friendship turns a corner. It grows into experimentation, flirting and a bit of romance. But they are both holding back secrets that need to be told.

I really love that more colors of the rainbow are being represented in books. Acknowledging that there are more than gay/straight/bi people out there. And this was beautifully done. Seeing Ryan blossom into the man he was meant to be, accepting affection and enjoying sex. He is still scared of what the world will think, but that isn’t surprising. Identifying as straight his whole life and now being with a man can rock the boat.

Caleb and Ryan have their ups and downs. And even though some of their misunderstandings are silly- they always end up talking to each other and working things out. Being that they started out as friends, they have that solid base to work from.

Ms Hart does an excellent job of explaining demisexual. Not only to us, but to Ryan. It was really well done, sensitive and loving. Of course I am going to recommend this book!

4 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.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Rebel by Rhys Ford: Double Release Day Review

December 29, 2017 by Denise

The hardest thing a rebel can do isn’t standing up for something—it’s standing up for himself.

Life takes delight in stabbing Gus Scott in the back when he least expects it. After Gus spends years running from his past, present, and the dismal future every social worker predicted for him, karma delivers the one thing Gus could never—would never—turn his back on: a son from a one-night stand he’d had after a devastating breakup a few years ago.

Returning to San Francisco and to 415 Ink, his family’s tattoo shop, gave him the perfect shelter to battle his personal demons and get himself together… until the firefighter who’d broken him walked back into Gus’s life.

For Rey Montenegro, tattoo artist Gus Scott was an elusive brass ring, a glittering prize he hadn’t the strength or flexibility to hold on to. Severing his relationship with the mercurial tattoo artist hurt, but Gus hadn’t wanted the kind of domestic life Rey craved, leaving Rey with an aching chasm in his soul.

When Gus’s life and world starts to unravel, Rey helps him pick up the pieces, and Gus wonders if that forever Rey wants is more than just a dream.

Title: Rebel
Series: 415 Ink
Author: Rhys Ford
Release Date: December 29, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 220

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I wanted to love this book. And there were parts that I did, but….

As an avid m/m reader this was actually the first Rhys Ford book I’ve read. I liked the blurb, second chance love, set in one of my favorite cities, so I jumped in. But I was a bit disappointed.

Gus is part of a rag tag family of brothers. Some related by blood, others by circumstance. After running away to try and find himself after a bad break up, he returns to San Francisco and the brothers he left behind. And the man who broke his heart.

Being that this is the first of a series there is a lot of getting to know all of the various characters. Sadly, I didn’t feel like any one character was really fleshed out. Even Gus and Rey, the main characters of this book felt incomplete. And while Rey was the more likeable guy, Gus was broken and didn’t seem to want to put the pieces back together.

As for the group of guys, his one “brother” Mason seems to really be a bit of a jerk when it comes to Gus. They treated each other horribly- and not in the brotherly way, in my opinion. There were parts of the book where I was just shocked that two guys who considered themselves brothers, lived together for years, but treated each other with such animosity. The oldest “brother” Bear is the typical curmudgeon with a soft side, Ivo- Gus’ half brother- was my favorite of the bunch and I actually look forward to his book. Luke rounds out the five and he intrigued me as well. He went down a different path than the other four but still is one of them.

To complicate Gus and Rey finding love again is the love child that Gus didn’t know he had. And while I understand that he had a crappy childhood and wanted to do better for his son, he is very repetitious with “I can’t think about me, only my son”. A man needs to have a life.

But like I said, there were parts that I did like. I am all for a good angsty book. I love families that are made and not born. And the story arc was decent, but it was just overdone. Too much descriptors in different parts, relationships that didn’t seem genuine and circumstances that seemed a bit over the top.

I am going to take it all with a grain of salt that this was the first in the series and there are a lot of characters to get to know and a world to build. I will definitely read the next (especially if it is about Ivo), and hope for the best.

3 pieces of eye candy

Second chance romance, tattoo artists, and a group of (mostly) non-blood-brothers that have formed their own family? Gimme.

Rey and Gus were crazy about each other but broke up 3 years ago. Gus didn’t seem to want to settle down, and Rey didn’t tell him that that’s what he wanted. Gus skipped town right after, but now he’s back and ready to get serious about his life. Rey wants a second chance, but Gus has a new set of baggage with him: he just learned that his post-breakup one-night stand produced a son.

Gus has had a tough life and I totally feel for him. He had a horrible family trauma as a child, lived through the foster care system and now has a small band of brothers who are also foster care survivors. I love people forging their own family, made of members who’ve chosen each other. Rey had a more stable childhood and he’s now a firefighter. He has seen the happy family and wants that for himself, but Gus is wary of that life.

I have to say it took me a little bit to get into this book. Sometimes the writing sort of confused me and it took me a while to understand who all the “brothers” were and how they met. But eventually I did get into this and liked it. Gus’ past trauma just hurts my heart. Rey has had a more stable upbringing and I want him to be just what Gus needs in his life. Gus wants to be the dad he didn’t have to his own son, and seeing him try is very sweet. These two are clearly still in love with each other, I hate seeing them apart!

Gus’ brothers are all pretty different and I expect there will be further books for each of them. This is the first book I’ve read by Rhys Ford, and while the writing sort of weirded me out initially, I will definitely read more from her.

3 pieces of eye candy