Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

TCO Reviewer: Jennifer

Where Nerves Ends by L.A. Witt: Release Day Review

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Welcome to Tucker Springs, Colorado, where you’ll enjoy beautiful mountain views and the opportunity to study at one of two prestigious universities—if you can afford to live there.

Jason Davis is in pain. Still smarting from a bad breakup, he struggles to pay both halves of an overwhelming mortgage and balance the books at his floundering business. As if the emotional and financial pain weren’t enough, the agony of a years-old shoulder injury keeps him up at night. When he faces a choice between medication and insomnia, he takes a friend’s advice and gives acupuncture a try.

Acupuncturist Michael Whitman is a single dad striving to make ends meet, and his landlord just hiked the rent. When new patient Jason, a referral from a mutual friend, suggests a roommate arrangement could benefit them both, Michael seizes the opportunity.

Getting a roommate might be the best idea Jason’s ever had—if it weren’t for his attraction to Michael, who seems to be allergic to wearing shirts in the house. Still, a little unresolved sexual tension is a small price to pay for pain and financial relief. He’ll keep his hands and feelings to himself since Michael is straight… isn’t he?

First Edition published by Amber Quill Press, LLC, June 2012.
Second Edition published by Riptide Publishing, June 2014.

Title: Where Nerves End
Series: Tucker Springs
Author: L.A. Witt
Release Date: November 2, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 192

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

 

Jason Davis injured his shoulder in a biking accident several years ago and has been living with chronic pain in his shoulder since. Nights and nights of sleepless, pain-filled nights has him finally giving into his friends’ hassling about seeing an acupuncturist…. he can’t afford it, since losing his boyfriend and gaining the other half of his mortgage and running a business now without a business partner… he just can’t seem to keep his head above water… throw in, endless, unbearable shoulder pain and he’s a few steps passed desperate…
P.S. this story is solely from his POV.

That’s where he meets Michael…. convinced the guy is a voodoo doctor who’s going to tell him something ridiculous that won’t work, he’s surprised to find that it actually does! Fortunately and unfortunately….. Fortunately, because he gets some semblance of peace from an otherwise unbearable shoulder but unfortunately because we all know how expensive doctor visits are and he can’t afford visits as often as he needs them…

However, Michael is divorced and new to Tucker Springs because his family up and moved there, including his son. He also knows how expensive it is… so when Jason offers a roommate situation to help alleviate all of their troubles, it should be a bonus right?
Did I mention that Michael is straight and Jason is ridiculously attracted to him? Yea! That shouldn’t make things awkward, should it? Muahaha, this is where things get good.

Is Michael reaaaally straight? Or did his upbringing and conservative community make him wish he was? One thing is for sure, he’s just as attracted to Jason as Jason is, him.
Interesting, right?

One thing I didn’t like was literally the night before something huge happens to flip Jason and everything he thought on his head…. He and Michael have a conversation outside on the patio and Michael, flat out lies. Like, where he could’ve just been honest, because of what takes place the never next night… but, he was adamant. It left me confused… I was like, what? What just happened?
But, whatever…. to each his own I guess, I just didn’t understand…

What I loved was Michael’s support from his ex-wife and son. I’m used to seeing vindictive, troublemakers who make a coming out, all about them. It was nice he had the support and his kid worried more about a pudding cup that his dad having a boyfriend lol
I also liked the friend, Seth… where things could’ve been awkward, they weren’t there either…. nothing but support. I wish it was always like that, for everyone!

For a minute, the back and forth between Jason and Michael was aggravating. I hated how they’d jump in then Michael would regret it then he’d say let’s do it, then backtrack after sex. But, I guess it’s all just part of it… they got theirs in the end…

Because this one was so great, I went ahead and just got the rest of the series haha!  Looking forward to the rest of it!

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

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

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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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Every Other Weekend by TA Moore: Release Day Review

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Divorce lawyer Clayton Reynolds is a happy cynic who believes in hard work and one-night stands. He also believes that being an excellent lawyer means he never has to go home to the miserable trailer park where he grew up and that volunteering at a women’s shelter will buy off the conscience that occasionally plagues him. So when Nadine Graham comes in with a broken arm and a son she desperately wants to protect, Clayton can’t turn down their plea for help.

Taking the case means appealing to investigator “Just Call Me Kelly” for help. That wouldn’t be so bad if Kelly weren’t a hopeless romantic… and the hottest man Clayton’s ever met.

Kelly has always had a crush on the unobtainable Clayton Reynolds. He agrees to help, even though he has enough on his plate with the motherless baby his widowed brother left him to care for.

As Nadine’s case turns dangerous and the two seemingly opposite men are forced to work together, they discover they have a great deal in common—but solving the case and saving Nadine’s life might cost Kelly everything.

Title: Every Other Weekend
Author: TA Moore
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Category: Mystery/Suspense

Pages: 223

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

What the F?!

I absolutely hated almost every person in this book. Literally.
First, we have divorce attorney, Clayton. He’s a commitment-phobe, which I kind of get I guess, I mean he hands out divorces all day long. I’d be jaded too if my job was literally the dissolution of love and marriage. So, I kinda get it. Kind of. He’s still pretty jerky in the beginning… BUT, when an abused woman and her five year old son come to him for help, he knows he needs additional help from private investigator- Kelly.

Kelly has the most whacked out family. His mom is an enabling psychopath. I didn’t understand her at all, and every compliment she paid Kelly, just seemed backhanded and insincere. His whole family was crazy, though his dad kind of won me over in the end. His brother Byron though was an actual psychopath…. Which is why Kelly had his newborn son, taking care of him until he got over the death of his wife, or whatever. You won’t understand the brother, so go into with the knowledge that you shouldn’t even try… It literally made me sick to my stomach… he’s the equivalent to a serial killer, beats his wife and scares the crap out of his kid…. Gets in with the wrong people, and still…. The mom babies him, makes excuses for him, so do his brothers, and yet….Nothing happens to him?? Does he even go to jail?? Why did we get no closure from that when the flippin story was halfway all about him!????? Did I just miss that part? I mean, I did skim some, but surely I didn’t miss that part.

So, while the guys are working together to help out the abused woman and her helpless child, I wanted to smack her around for being so stupid, but all the while, the guys are hookin up and fallin in love. Cool, right? Except, kind of, but not really, because I didn’t feel any connection between the two at all for the first half of the book and then by the end… they loved each other. I was so out of my element here.

I mean, give me a hot guy with a baby, and I’m all over it! These guys were no different, and I did get into their love story that wasn’t really a love story by the end. I love love love how it ended, but mainly because I wanted Clayton to not be so jaded and bitter, and I knew Kelly could give him that.
I was also glad that they gave the baby some stability instead of the dad he was cursed with. The ending was worth almost all the turmoil because I love me a happily ever after with two hot dads. I just wish the rest of it wasn’t so blood-boiling. I mean… I’m all for a mystery and suspense… but I need closure! I needed the brother to pay with his life, or his freedom or an arm or something…. He laid so much pain and devastation and stupidity in his wake…. I needed the justice, and it never came. I’ll stew on that for days…. Ugh.

Anyway… it was a good story if you don’t mind that sort of thing lol and the love story really was sweet at the end, so I reckon, 3 pieces of eye candy from me. I won’t be reading any more about this family though. They’re all crazy!

Pisces Hooks Taurus by Anyta Sunday: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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It’s a time for searching, and a time for finding, Pisces: keep casting your line and you will hook what you’re looking for.

Zane has it all planned out: land the perfect Meet Cute, fall in love, and live happily ever after.

Should be simple enough if he put his mind to it. A little creativity and some thinking outside of the box, and voila, he’d be married to the woman of his dreams.

It would be perfect.

And it would be before his visa ran out.

But why are his feelings running wild now that the pressure’s on? Why is his picture-perfect plan turning into a muddled mess of morphed metaphors he can’t make sense of anymore?

Just as well he’s met an English professor to help. And even though their first meet is anything but cute, this down-to-earth teacher may just be the realist Zane needs to ground him and give him a shot at love after all.

Don’t cast your line too wide, Pisces. Your perfect catch may already have bitten.

 ~ – ~ – ~

Pisces Hooks Taurus (Signs of Love #4) is an MM opposites-attract romantic comedy featuring an unapologetic romantic and a broken realist.

More wit, banter and bad puns – and even more heart-stopping slow burn!

Can be read as a standalone.

 

Pisces Hooks Taurus by Anyta Sunday

Series: Signs of Love #4

Publisher: Anyta Sunday (self published)

Release Date (Print & Ebook): October 16, 2018

Length (Print & Ebook): 69000 words / 285 pages

Tropes: friends-to-lovers, slow burn, will-they-or-won’t-they

Genre: New Adult, light-hearted contemporary gay romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

When they finished eating, Zane and Beckett entered a kitchen littered with a weekend’s worth of dishes. The room smelled like spoiled banana. Beckett grumbled Leah’s name, and Zane turned on the water.

Leah would have left this until tomorrow? “I’ll wash, you dry?”

Beckett first took out the trash and opened the windows. Fresh air cleansed the room as they worked.

Zane daydreamed about the story he was outlining and startled when Beckett cried, “What are you doing?”

Zane looked into the sink. “Scrubbing this clean?”

“With a wire scrubbing brush? That’s a very expensive nonstick pan.”

He frowned. “And I want to clean it.”

“Good Lord. Have you never washed dishes before?”

“I am literally doing what I’ve done every other night since moving in with you.”

Beckett paled. “You’ve scrubbed this pan with that before?”

“What do you expect me to do? Lick it clean?”

“Use a washcloth.”

“Do you know how disgusting those are? Like, two hundred thousand times dirtier than the toilet seat.”

Beckett paused, tone shifting. “Which is why you only use it for the dining table?”

“Exactly.”

“Please use the dishcloth on my pan.”

Zane dropped the metal scrubbing brush and thumped around passive-aggressively as he found a clean dishcloth.

Beckett nodded. “Thank you.”

That little thank-you grated Zane the wrong way. He sullenly scrubbed the pan and put it on the drying rack. He plunked the next pot into the water, splashing bubbles onto his face, neck, and shirt.

He sighed. Served him right.

Beckett set down the plate he’d dried and turned Zane around. With his dishtowel, he dabbed the bubbles off Zane’s chin and neck.

Their eyes locked, and Zane felt the frustration bleed from him. “You missed a spot,” he said, and shifted Beckett’s hands to Zane’s shirt.

Beckett shook his head and dabbed him some more.

“Our first fight.”

Beckett’s hands stilled.

“It’s a milestone, Becky. We have to celebrate.”

“Celebrate fighting?”

“Celebrate making up.”

“Will this be a thing every time we’re annoyed with each other?”

Zane smirked. “I hope so. I’m sure some fights will take longer to get over, but that’s cool. The celebration is always in proportion to the effort needed to make up.”

Beckett resumed drying the dishes. “Two hundred thousand times dirtier?”

Zane nodded. Disgusting but true.

Beckett frowned. “Maybe just use your hand?”

“I don’t know,” Zane teased. “The things my hand does might make the pan dirtier.”

Beckett dropped his very nice, expensive pan. He caught it against his thighs and stowed it in the cupboard.

The ticklish glare Beckett sent him made the rest of the cleaning fly by.

When they were done, Zane threw himself on the armchair. “Now we celebrate.”

Beckett tossed the dish towel into the laundry room. “How?”

“After you start that laundry, I’ll let you talk about books, Becky.”

Beckett’s laughter trickled down the hall. A few minutes later, he returned with Pride and Prejudice. He cracked open the first page, and pacing before him, all grace and proper pronunciation, Beckett read aloud.

I have adored this series, and though I don’t think any of them will top Jamie and Theo, (and it was so great to see them and their growing family in this one), I absolutely adored Beckett and Zane.

Now, Zane, I had a harder time getting to know him, because there is no way that anyone is that…. I don’t want to say “stupid”…. But oh my goodness… in the beginning… yes, absolutely. If you can power through that in the very beginning, you’ll fall completely in love with him. I found him so charming and in need of love.

In America for only a short time, his visa’s about to run out and he’s convinced that in the last month in America, he’ll find the girl of his dreams and get married, allowing him to stay. But not just any ol’ person will do, because he’s only marrying once, and it’s going to be for love. The staying in America is a bonus, because his brother is here, along with his wife and brand new baby, and his brother is the only one who’s ever believed in him and treated him with any kind of respect. Everyone else just sees him as an embarrassment, or not as accomplished, or flawed. I didn’t like that for him, because he is seriously so amazing and has the biggest heart.

Beckett, or Becky as known by his friends… was married to Zane’s brother’s wife. Sounds complicated, but it’s not when you meet them. After that went south, he doesn’t seem to believe in love and relationships anymore; perfectly happy just teaching college kids and going out with his friends every once in a while.

When  Zane gets kicked out of his apartment by his roommates, he’s in a bind and needs someplace to go, but all the hotels are booked and he doesn’t know anyone around but his brother, and he’s on his way to the hospital, having a baby! His wife though, suggests Becky’s….who Zane mistaking thinks is a woman, understandable… but that’s where the stars align.

Now, if you’ve read any of my other reviews of this series, you’ll know that I don’t believe in the whole star sign and horoscopes and all that, but I was loving it when It came to these couples and the people in their lives who put so much stock into them. In this case, old lady neighbor, the sweetheart, Darla. She’s hilarious with her weed tea and brownies… I not only want to know her in real life… I want to BE her!

Now, of course, a relationship between these two for many reasons, (Beckett and Zane, not old lady Darla), One, because Zane is straight… Two, because he’s on such a warpath to get married, that any feelings either develop would be doubted because Beckett knows that he wants so badly to stay in the country. Three, Beckett doesn’t do love. So, imagine how fun it was watching Zane win him over. How fun it was to see Beckett try to deny his feelings and then try to deny Zane’s. How fun it is to see Zane discover that insta-love might not be as fun as a slow burn, but it can also happen with a man!

I thought I was going to cringe every time Zane opened his mouth, but it turned out, that he knew everything about the things that were really important, and who cared about the rest! I really cannot wait for their short story, because I really cannot wait to see what happens with these two!! (And I really want a wedding!)

5 slow burning stars from me

HEART-STOPPING SLOW BURN

A bit about me: I’m a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.

My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, and Thai.

Connect with Anyta:

Author website: http://www.anytasunday.com/

Author newsletter signup: http://www.anytasunday.com/newsletter-free-e-book/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anytasunday

Instagram: https://instagram.com/anytasunday

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Slide & Rare by Garrett Leigh: Retro Tour, Quick Reviews and Giveaway

by

Don’t look back. Don’t you ever look back…

Shy tattoo artist Ash has a troubled past. Years of neglect, drug abuse, and life on the streets have taken their toll, and sometimes it seems the deep, unspoken bond with his lover is the only balm for wounds he doesn’t quite understand.

Chicago paramedic Pete is warmth, love, and strength—things Ash never knew he could have, and never even knew he wanted until Pete showed him. But fate is a cruel, cruel mistress, and when nightmares collide with the present, their tentatively built world comes crashing down.

Traumatic events in Pete’s work life distance him from home, and he doesn’t realize until it’s too late that Ash has slipped away. Betrayal, secrets, and lies unfold, and when a devastating coincidence takes hold, Pete must fight with all he has to save the love of his life.

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

Sheeeeeeeeew.

That’s how I feel right now. Emotionally wrung out and lifeless. Lets discuss.
So, part one, we have Ash’s POV. A newish tattoo artist with a lot of talent and a really shady past. After losing his mother at a young age, he spent the rest of his youth in group homes, foster care, hostels and eventually on the street. That’s where his best friend Ellie found him and took him under her wing. You’ll like her, she’s great….

When Ellie pulls him off the street and with her, she saved his life. When she found him a roommate, paramedic, Pete, Pete saved him from himself.
When Pete met Ash, he was a shell of a person; quiet and withdrawn and at times, he’d gaze far away and get lost in himself. Flashbacks and bad dreams of a life better off forgotten the only time Ash felt okay was when he was with Pete.

I adored these two together because Ash needed Pete so much, he literally couldn’t function without him, and Pete would do just about anything to lessen the pain he saw in Ash. I guess I could see some co-dependent issues, but who cares? When you find someone who gives you peace, you hold on to that, and I was glad that Ash didn’t push Pete away.

I also loved the secondary characters; Pete’s mom, Ellie, her family (though her sister I could’ve done without, or at least if someone would’ve punched her in the face a time or two, that’d been okay). Her dad really surprised me and wasn’t at all how I pictured him when he was described by the guys. I was grateful he wanted to help Ash so much. I loved Joe, I hope we see more of him and even Charlie, I suspect he has some demons.

It was a tough road, seriously, my heart hurt so bad for Ash, because I have experienced myself with mental illness and I love someone who suffers from it as well, so from both sides, I was just a mess.
The only part I didn’t care for, was the coincidence about Daryl Hunter. I mean, of all the places in the world, they came from the same place and ended up in the same place? It wasn’t like he followed Ash there, he’d never seen him again, it was just by chance… that seemed a little too much for me, but it made for an angstier story.

Overall though, it was hard for me to get into this story at first, but once I was in it… I was hooked. I’ve already snatched the other two and I’m jumping right in. I cannot wait to see what’s next for these two.
I hope Ash gets well and truly healed, as much as he can from the past he’s remembering… and I hope that Pete continues being there for him and they get their HFN…. I’m a sucker for a HEA, so I hope they have one coming!.

4 pieces of eye candy from me.

Paramedic Pete Adams lived through the year from hell watching his lover, Ash, fall apart, and the precarious balance between work and home is becoming more strained. His heart is always home, with Ash, but the dark side to his job is weighing him down.

Tattoo artist Ash Fagin is recovering from a nervous breakdown triggered by revelations about his traumatic childhood. His battle with mental illness is far from over, but with Pete by his side, he’s feeling good again, so good he doesn’t notice something missing until it walks right into his living room.

Ash believes he’s had enough coincidence in his life, but when a voice from the past comes looking for him, it takes the devastating injuries of the one he loves most to convince him to let a ghost become the family he never knew he wanted.

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

Holy effing angst…

If you thought we were done with the angsty, and on to a steady, smooth ride… you are so wrong. I think this one might’ve hit me harder than the first one did.  Everything was going great for the guys, and I felt like they were finally in a good place. Work sucked for Pete, and he was thinking about finding something else to do, having gotten burnt out on all the death and destruction… I could understand it… but things with Ash were going well and I loved seeing that.

For Ash, he was coming to terms with his past and maybe getting to a point where he could accept things… he was even seeing a therapist. When a trip to Philly with Ellie, turned into an ambush he didn’t see coming… it sent his world spiraling again… (though not like last time). I could understand his hesitance, absolutely. Though, it turned out to be best the thing that ever happened to him.

Also, be prepared for another huuuuuge coincidence. Just like the first one, this one doesn’t seem believable either… it’s just too far-fetched that you’re left like… okay, what are the odds… seriously? If we’re going to have such random coincidences, they should at least be believable….and while I loved this one, and I loved how all ended up, but getting there was…. Tough…. I want to tell you all about it, but seriously… just go read it, you’ll see what I mean.

What I wasn’t prepared for, was part II…. When an accident throws everyone up in the air. Ash has to be the strong one this time, and in a time where he’s not even sure he can be there for himself, let alone Pete… He does it though, of course, he does. He loves him. They love each other so much, even when things go wrong…..

The connection between these two is so tangible, even through a computer screen (which is how I’m reading it). You feel their need for each other, and as long as they have each other, then everything else is just a small bump in the road. I loved that. The possessiveness and protectiveness. I loved seeing the roles kind of reversed here a little bit, and even with all Ash had going on, he pushed it all away to be there with Pete… even when Pete was pushing him away. (Only for a little it)

Overall, though… I’m loving this series and I’m a bit obsessed with these two as a couple. I loved seeing their family grow, and Ash accepts the people in his life who just wanted to love him. I hope we get more of all of them in the next one, and I’ve already bought it, so I’m jumping right into it, for sure!

I love this series… I love the HFN, and I really hope these two get their perfect HEA… they both deserve it so much!

4 pieces of eye candy for me on this one
On to the next!

 

Book #1 – Slide – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #2 – Rare – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #3 – Circle – Amazon US | Amazon UK

 

 

October 16 – Two Chicks Obsessed, October 18 – We Three Queens, Open Mind For A Different View, October 20 – Love Unchained Book Review, Book Corner Reviews, Mikku-chan, October 22 – The Secret Ko, Wicked Reads, October 24 – Mainely Stories, Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, MM Good Book Reviews, October 26 – Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, My Fiction Nook, Lillian Francis, Xtreme Delusions, Jessie G Books, Book Review By Virginia Lee, Mirrigold, Jim’s Reading Room, My Book Filled Life

 

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

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

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

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

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

 

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His Instant Family by Rheland Richmond: RDB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Shy and awkward Teo Wright, a brilliant young author, has met the man of his dreams in much older Michael, a widower and father of three. The man has fired up his fantasies and refuses to let go. Discovering they are both single sets them on the road to forever.

“I want to wake up to this every morning.”

Dr Michael Ashworth has been focussed on his work for too many years and although now he is one of the best doctors in his field, it has been to the detriment of his family. But when Teo comes into his life, Michael knows the young man is his future. Teo has made him feel alive and whole again. However, Michael’s in-laws are not thrilled to find the ‘straight’ son-in-law they have known and loved for many years, is in fact bisexual.

Dating a man is not the only issue threatening the life he and Teo are building together. Michael’s teenage son is also not a fan of his father having a boyfriend that is so much younger.

A rebellious teenager and bigoted relatives are hurdles Michael and Teo must overcome before they can find their forever, but nothing good ever comes easy… especially when there are kids to consider.

His Instant Family

Rheland Richmond

M/M Romance

Release Date: 10.04.18

Cover Design: Jay Aheer

 

Amazon

 

Michael wasn’t sure what just happened, but thankfully years of galas and fundraisers had given him a world-class poker face. Unless he was losing his mind… he was apparently attracted to the husband of one of his patients. He knew that was exactly what it was. He knew that feeling. That spark of attraction and that sense of potential. He had only ever really felt that once before, with Sierra. His late wife.

That flash, and those tingles of fierce attraction that made goose bumps pop out all over your skin. But that wasn’t… couldn’t be possible? He wasn’t gay. Not that he had any problem with being gay, far from it, but he just had never been attracted to a man before. Sure, in college, he’d noticed some guys were attractive, but he’d been married to his wife, Sierra, for eleven years before she passed away. Damn it, here came the crushing guilt. He couldn’t even think of her without the guilt and regret overshadowing everything.

He hadn’t thought about anyone in that way since he’d met her. He did not want to think of anybody in that way, either. He’d not had that feeling since forever ago. And, truthfully, he was shaken to the core. He’d been seeing Mrs. Preston since she transferred into his practice. But, this was the first time he was meeting Mr. Preston. Michael put on his most blank look to conceal what he was feeling. He couldn’t very well tell the expectant parents they were having a daughter while imagining what the father looked like under his clothes.

Matteo was a beautiful man, and those were the only words to describe him. With the slightly too long dark locks, and the stormy gray eyes that made him even more striking to look at. With his coloring, they just stood out in contrast. He was shorter than Michael. All-around leaner too, with a body he would describe as fit without being overly muscled. Maybe he just needed to get laid. It had been almost a year, maybe longer, since he had ended his liaison with Addison. She was a lovely woman. Stunning in fact, but she’d started making comments like, “Where is this going?” and, “Why haven’t I met your children?” Immediately he had known that it was time to end things.

He just knew that she could never compete with Sierra. It was unfair, and he shouldn’t even be comparing them. He knew this, but he couldn’t stop. Once she’d mentioned meeting his kids, he’d known their time together was up. He ended things so fast he may have left blazing skid marks while leaving her apartment, like the DeLorean in Back to the Future. It was unfortunate, honestly, because she would have made a lovely wife, just not for him.

Focus, Michael. Finish this appointment and leave this room as quickly as possible without being impolite or unprofessional.

So… I had a hard time getting into this one. Anyone who reads my reviews at all, knows that I have a thing for hot dads, so I jumped at the chance at this one… plus, I really enjoyed Tristan and Nathaniel’s story before this one…

However, I just couldn’t get into this one. The dialogue between Teo (tho he’s referred to as Tristan a time or two, Julien and Benjamin… sooo, just pick one) and anyone had me rolling my eyes so hard. It was like he was trying to be cliché, and he was so extra that I just couldn’t find myself warming up to him. But, anyway, in the beginning, he joins his sister at her doctor’s appointment to find out the sex of her baby, where he meets the handsome, but of course, straight as an arrow doctor, Michael.

Michael has three kids, was married to a woman until she passed away and cannot believe he’s lusting after his patient’s “husband” when he’s never had a gay thought in his life. Walking through his life, straight as can be and then see’s one man, this one time and BAM… I’m bi? Since when?! And he’s perfectly okay with that, didn’t give it a second thought, other than ya know… thinking he was married to one of his patients… it was just so…. Unoriginal.

So, while he can’t stop thinking about him all week, his youngest daughter gets him up on one of his rare days off and they go meet her favorite author, who is… I’ll give you one guess of who… that’s right! It’s Teo! Because Teo writes children’s books…

So, once they ascertain that neither guy is married, by hints of the kids and Teo’s friends… they start seeing “forever” with each other….which, I’m all for insta-love, I get it… but it’s only the second time they’ve ever laid eyes on each other… and then Teo’s like… hey, listen, if you can’t hold my hand and kiss me public… this isn’t going to work out.
What isn’t going to work out? You’ve spent a grand total of 20 minutes with him, and have only met him twice… and some people don’t like PDA, though it clearly wasn’t a problem, I just thought it was ridiculous to throw that out there like that ….

So, they date.. well, they have one date, and Michael’s daughters seem okay with it, though his teenage son is just downright rude. They say they’re not boyfriends several times, but Teo’s spending the night, being introduced to the kids and coming to family dinners… so I understood his frustration. If I woke up to a gay dad and a much younger man in his bed, surprise, I’d be upset too! However, he is really bratty, and although the teenage kids are 14 and 15, they’re treated like 17-18 year old…Also… Michael’s youngest daughter is seven… she seems like a genius sometimes, and then four at other times. I don’t know how to process…

Michael’s sister in law, is the most disgusting person ever… of course, there’s someone thrown in that talks about Michael disgusting, immoral behavior and threatening to take the kids away because he might spread the gay…. I’m going to be honest, I completely skimmed any page time she got.. not worth the drama.

I feel like all I’m doing is ranting, so I’m going to just stop here. I liked Michael and Teo together as a couple, but everything else just seemed so unnecessary… I don’t think this one was for me.

3 pieces of eye candy

 

Since she was a little girl, Rheland Richmond entertained herself with any book she could get her hands on. She has written as long as she can remember, and now she finally gets to share some of those stories with other people.

She loves a good happily ever after. Because she believes love and light should touch everything. She is an obsessive reader and would never have considered writing if it wasn’t for all the authors that inspired her and the thousands of books she has devoured along the way.

When she’s not reading she’s caught up in all her guilty pleasure TV Shows. Or catching up with her sibs wherever they are in the world, which usually involves long distance calling. She’s an introvert that will take a night in before anything else.

Made in Nigeria and Raised in the UK she’s an interesting mix of both cultures and appreciates both equally.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RhelandRichmond/

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

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

FB GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RichmondsRiders/

 

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