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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

In Step: Painted Bay #3 by Jay Hogan: Excerpt and Release Day Review

February 10, 2022 by Denise

When hearts collide on the dance floor.

Karma. You reap what you sow, and KANE MARTIN isn’t looking for forgiveness.

But the arrival of ABE TYLER in Painted Bay has Kane dreaming of the impossible. The sexy, silver fox choreographer is determined to pull Kane out from the shadows, but Abe’s career isn’t about to shift to Painted Bay, and Kane’s life is in neat little boxes for a reason.

A past he isn’t proud of.

A family he’s walked away from.

A job he doesn’t deserve.

A secret he’s ashamed of.

But life’s dance can make for unexpected partners, and learning to trust and keep up with the footwork is the name of the game.

Two steps forward, one step back.

It takes two to tango.

Trigger Warning: Contains references to past abuse and bullying.

In Step: Painted Bay #3

Author: Jay Hogan

Genre: MM Romance

Standalone: Yes

Tropes: Small Town | Opposites attract | Hurt/comfort | Forced Proximity | Age Gap | Redemption | Forgiveness | Coming out | Living your truth | Found family | Humour

Amazon

Off Balance: Painted Bay #1 – Kindle Unlimited

On Board: Painted Bay #2 – Kindle Unlimited

Apart from the rain clearing, nothing had gone right on the mussel farm all day, and everyone was in a foul mood by the time we docked at six, in the dark and much later than usual. We’d let Martha know not to hang around, and the entire wharf was cloaked in evening shadow apart from a glow in Morgan and Judah’s boathouse and another in the studio out back.

Were Judah and Abe still working? I knew Morgan didn’t like Judah pushing himself too hard. Then again, it was none of my business.

We cleaned up and left Patrick talking furtively on his cell while the three of us, and Mack, headed toward Leroy’s SUV, still bitching about the pissy day.

“Is Patrick seeing someone?” I glanced back. “He’s been very close-mouthed about his social life lately. And he’s been on his phone a ton.”

Leroy snorted. “Wasn’t aware he ever had a social life.” He caught the rugby bag Fox threw his way from the SUV.

“Didn’t think you guys had training on a Friday?”

“We normally don’t,” Leroy grumbled. “But our beloved coach has decided we need to win this bloody game tomorrow afternoon against Russell United, and we apparently sucked big hairy donkey balls at Wednesday’s run on the paddock. Like another lot of drills is gonna somehow raise our standard of ball handling from pitifully woeful to hands of steel. If there isn’t a beer in this after we’re done, I’m gonna be fucking ropeable.”

Fox chuckled and pulled Leroy into a kiss. “You’re such a big softy.”

“Idiot.” Leroy wriggled free but failed to hide his lopsided grin.

“Do you need me to take Mack home?”

The dog cocked her head at her name and Fox opened the rear door, waving her in. “Nah, she likes to run with the team. Tires her out.” He headed for the passenger seat, buckled up, and then pinned me with a look. “And here’s a novel idea. Since Patrick only needs you tomorrow morning, maybe you could actually leave the bedsit for once and go have some fun.”

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”

Fox rolled his eyes and I waved them off. So, I didn’t have a life. There was nothing new about that. I threw my bag over my shoulder and set off up the hill, my attention drawn to the glow in the studio and the upbeat music leaking through the fire door, which had been propped open with a chair.

The closer I got, the slower my steps, until I found myself at a complete stop about ten metres from the open door. I glanced around but I was alone. Beyond the studio lay Madden land and the hill up to the homestead. Judah’s boathouse, the wharf and Painted Bay were out of sight to my right, at the front. And behind me, the road was flanked by a steep, bush-covered bluff up to the township perched on top of the hill.

Feeling like a spy in some low-budget movie, I detoured down the small bank and picked my way across the sodden grass to the open fire door, the muffled thuds of feet hitting the floor growing louder by the second. The studio floor sat about thigh height, and I dropped my bag on the damp ground and sneaked my head through the opening.

The room was about twenty by thirty metres, big enough for Judah’s kids to comfortably move around with their wheelchairs and canes and other equipment that might be necessary, but tonight there was only one person using the space. Abe. And I was instantly spellbound.

His body flew across the room in a whirlwind of turns and leaps in sync with the rhythmic bass so loud it rattled my spine and thundered in my chest. Big band music—horns and saxophone, and double bass and piano, and drums. Memories crashed through my head and almost took my knees from under me—my mother dancing in our kitchen, my tiny hands in hers, spinning and laughing, dipping me, spoon in one hand like a mic as she crooned words that never seemed important at the time. The music was everything. How had I forgotten that?

A word popped out at me. Swing. This was swing music.

I startled as Abe landed a jump close to where I was hiding, so close I could pick out the small holes in those soft-as-butter leggings. The thin material outlining every fibre of muscle in his thick thighs and the bunched muscles of his arse, his cock nestled soft and large in his groin. The waistband rolled low on his flat stomach tight with ridged abs over a steel core lightly dusted with hair. The cut-off T-shirt wet with sweat and clinging to his toned chest and budded nipples.

Holy fucking hell.

I barely contained a yelp, ducking back into the shadows until the sound of his feet fell into the distance and I risked another look. Perspiration coursed down his face, his dark hair threaded with silver pulled into a topknot that bobbed with every leap and turn, eyes closed like he was dancing by feel, led around the space by some invisible force. And I stood transfixed, my ridiculous dick thickening in my jeans like the traitorous fucker that it was.

And still Abe danced, sliding past the open door where I crouched watching, his voice low with the music, singing, stray words catching in my ears, arms wide, then high, then circling into a spin. Around and around until he suddenly stopped, dancing on the spot, tap, shuffle. Whatever the fuck it was called. His body dipping and rocking to the beat, a wide smile on his face.

And then he was off again, and I lost myself in the pure, raw joy of his energy, pretty sure of only one thing: that I’d never felt anything close to whatever Abe was feeling in that moment—the energy of life rippling through him, power and hope and emotion. I’d never felt that, not even close. There was a magic to it, and heat and lust and wonder. A hunger I’d never allowed myself to feel ripped open in my heart. In that moment, Abe was alive to his core, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that felt like.

You definitely need to read the first two books in the series. There is a lot of background story that plays out.

I really enjoyed the first two books and I couldn’t wait for Kane to get his happily ever after. He was ostracized already by so many people. Partly because of how he acted in high school and partly because of his father. Mostly because of high school.

Kane has a story to tell, though. But no one wants to hear it. He wasn’t looking for absolution for what he did to Judah back then. And then Abe showed up. Abe, an independent choreographer that knows Judah and is there to help with the recital for the disabled kids dance class.

Kane has NOT had an easy life. Like so many kids, he hid it well. But he is dealing with an alcoholic, homophobic father (who doesn’t know Kane is gay) who wants Kane to sign over his half of the farm that was willed to him. Kane’s father is the classic bully. I think a lot of us know or knew at least one. But because of his father, Kane has been in the closet his whole life. The only time he had one foot out of the closet was when he was in college. But that was never about relationships and only about taking care of needs.

I loved how Abe saw everything from a different perspective because he was an outsider. He had no preconceived notions of Kane. He saw a guy who was shy and quiet, wasn’t included in things but had a killer blush.

I really loved these two guys coming together. There was a 14 year age difference which isn’t necessarily huge, but I think Kane needed that maturity in his life. Kane is really so tender hearted- obvious with the way he was with the litter of kittens in a previous book, the cat he kept, the rabbit he is fostering and the other cat he is fostering so the cat can lose weight. It was just adorable.

And Abe really is a down to earth person, even though he has been living a nomadic lifestyle for 20 years. He genuinely CARES about Kane, well before they developed a sexual relationship.

After Kane’s ENTIRE story is out, not only to Abe but also the Judah, Leroy and various parents and boyfriends it was kind of like, oh. Kane ISN’T still this jerk bully from high school. And once they realized that, they really rallied around him when he needed help. I loved it.

There is a HEA, naturally, but I really like how it was done. Which wasn’t necessarily the easy way out. I hope we revisit them if there are more books in the series.

4 pieces of eye candy

Heart, Humour, & Keepin’ It Real

​Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year. She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She’s travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor.

 Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel

Find Jay in all the places: https://www.jayhoganauthor.com/landingpage 

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Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Excerpt, Book Review, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4 stars, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, excerpt, gay, Jay Hogan, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

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

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

3 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨Let’s celebrate! It’s release day for BLUEBIRD by @brookeblaine1! Grab it in KU!#OneClickNow✨U.S. amzn.to/4cdwvGI✨Worldwid mybook.to/BluebirdebookWhy you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥Amnesia🔥Golden Retriever🔥Tattooed MC🔥Paramedic🔥Ugly Cry🔥Someone to Watch Over Me🔥Forgotten Past🔥Biawakening🔥Strangers to Lovers🔥Hurt/Comfort🔥ProtectorEvery morning, I stop at the same gas station for coffee before my shift. Same routine. Same quiet moment before the sirens start.And the same beautiful stranger.We see each other almost every day—two men passing in the early hours, never speaking. Until one morning, we finally do.Reid is kind, easy to talk to, and someone who would never be interested in me, at least not in the way I want him to.Then the call comes in.A wreck in town. One patient critical.It’s Reid.I save his life—but the accident steals ten years of his memories.Reid doesn’t remember his past, his job, or the man he was before the crash. The only thing that feels familiar to him… is me.He trusts me. Leans on me. And as he begins discovering who he is again—he falls for me.But loving a man who doesn’t remember his life means living in fear of the moment he does.Because when his memories return, I might lose him all over again.Previously published as The Unforgettable Duet.#newbookalert #brookeblaine #amnesiaromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨Did you see?✨THE RESILIENCE OF STARS by @xarakenley is available NOW! Grab it in KU! #OneClickHerea.co/d/9r5W6ZWWhy you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥MM Romance🔥Age Gap🔥Porn Star Veteran x Newbie🔥Friends(ish) to Lovers 🔥Unconventional Workplace Romance🔥Soulmates🔥Hurt/Comfort🔥Fast Burn Spice, Slow Burn Love🔥StandaloneI'm pretty sure I'm having a midlife crisis.I started my career in adult entertainment at eighteen, and now, at almost forty, I'm realizing my days in front of the camera are numbered. It's the only reason I agreed to a collab with a guy who's brand new to the industry...and fifteen years younger than me.I've been doing this a long time, and I've worked with a lot of guys, but I didn't expect the actual ray of sunshine that turned up on my doorstep. Riley is everything I'm not: young, self-assured, green. I've always been alone, because it's easy to avoid hurt if there's no one around to disappoint you. But one collab with Riley has me wanting to open up my life to him...and maybe even my heart.The Resilience of Stars is a fast burn spice, slow burn love MM romance between two unconventional coworkers with a guaranteed happily ever after.#newbookalert #xarakenley #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨Did you see?✨DIRTY LITTLE SECRET by @rileyhartwrites is available NOW! Grab it in KU! #OneClickNowgeni.us/DirtyLittleSecretHart Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥BDSM🔥Secret Relationship 🔥Student/Professor 🔥Age Gap (28/40)🔥Younger Dom/Older sub 🔥Opposites Attract 🔥Custody of surprise siblings JamesI’m forty years old, a tenured professor with investments, property, and a 401k. But what I crave is to submit. To hand over control to Colton. We met on an app. His needs matched mine. It was only supposed to be once, then twice. No commitment, so I don’t feel bad cutting contact. Then my world implodes when I get custody of siblings I didn’t know I have. Everything would have been fine, I would have survived on my own, if not for Sir, my hookup, walking through the doors of my classroom. He’s over a decade younger than me, and now I’m his professor, yet Sir is giving me schedules I need and caretaking from a distance. I know I should stay away, but I can’t. No matter what he gives me, I want more. Colton I’m twenty-eight years old, starting my first semester as a transfer student at a local university, finally following my dreams. And then I see him, the sub I haven’t stopped thinking about, the one who comes undone for me in ways I’ve never experienced before. He makes all my Dominant instincts flare to life. I’ve always loved caretaking, but James makes me need it on a bone-deep level. It’s not long before he’s on his knees for me again, surrendering in ways we both crave. He’s forbidden, my professor, my good boy, and I’m his Sir…his dirty little secret. But it’s not enough. I want it all from him, if only he’ll let me have it. #rileyhart #newbookalert #kindleunlimited The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

4 days ago

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✨Did you see?✨THE ULTIMATE SAVE by @felicestevens is available NOW! Grab it in KU! #OneClickNowgeni.us/TheUltimateSaveWhy you need to #ONECLICK this book…🏒MM Hockey: goalie & the news anchor📰Enemies to Lovers🏒Hurt/comfort📰Slow burn🏒The chaos agent and the stuffed shirt📰Circle of friends🏒Hate to want you📰Secrets and liesDenisI’m the best goalie in the league.Just ask me.Yes, I have an ego the size of NYC. Maybe that’s why I’ve crashed and burned all my relationships. Love, like a hockey game, is a competition. And once I win, I’m ready for the next game, the next man.Until I meet him. Sterling Forest. The arrogant, obnoxious news anchor who calls hockey players thugs on ice. He tempts me…intrigues me. Makes me want to kiss that scowl off his lips. I want him to burn for me.Instead Sterling is the one to set my heart on fire.SterlingI know nothing about hockey, and I’m happy to keep it that way. I’ve apologized for my remarks, but the insufferable Denis Bouvier isn’t satisfied. I even do the unthinkable and attend a hockey game. Okay, maybe it is more than brute force. But I can’t tell him he’s right.Now he’s everywhere I go, and I hate that he fascinates me. I can’t escape his larger-than-life presence, and that sexy French accent. The more I push him away, the closer he pulls me in.And I’m afraid to admit I don’t want to let him go.We’ve spent years running away from broken families and broken promises. But when life explodes around us, we’re running toward each other. And now that the unthinkable has happened, we need to find trust in each other and what our hearts are saying: love is the one thing that ultimately can save us.🏒Start with The Ultimate Goal, available in KU, now: getbook.at/UltimateGoal #newbookalert #felicestevens #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨Did you see?✨STICK AROUND by @authoremlindsey is available NOW! Grab it in KU! #OneClickNowmybook.to/lafstickaround Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥Enemies to Lovers🔥Found Family🔥Hockey bro banter🔥Age-Gap🔥Enemies with Benefits🔥Disability Rep🔥Praise Kink🔥Hurt/Comfort🔥MM Romance"Would you slap a teammate for twenty-five grand?""Uh, yeah. There are a few I'd slap for free. Just point me in the right direction."Problem number one: My personal life is falling apart.Problem number two: My public life is also on thin freaking ice.Problem number three: The ridiculously hot NHL D-man with the inability to remove his head from his ass has decided I’m his number one target.And that last one is a bit of an issue since his idea of targeting me is to have absurdly hot hate-hookups with me in the locker room. Which I don’t necessarily mind…Except there’s one tiny snag in his plan: I don’t like guys.Or, well, I didn’t think I liked guys.But when Alexio Zeki drops to his knees and, uh, gets to business, I realize my very narrow view of my own sexuality needs some adjustment.And that’s ironic coming from a blind man.Admitting I’m bisexual is the easy part.Admitting I’m kind of, sort of, ridiculously into the man I claimed to hate is something else entirely. But the more he insists that I’m worth keeping, the more I start wanting to believe him.Stick Around is the first book in the Punk as Puck spin-off series, Legends and Fury. It’s a high heat, enemies to lovers rom-com with a snarky NHL goalie who has a lot of big opinions and doesn’t care if they’re unsolicited, a PPHL goalie with a mountain of problems and no way to reach the top, locker room hookups, praise, swoony romance, a low-stakes bi-awakening, hockey bro banter, tons of chirping, and the swooniest happily ever after.#newbookalert #emlindsey #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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