Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Liberating Love by Michele Notaro & Sammi Cee: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Aiden

Finding out the man I slept with is my friend’s father is terrifying, but maybe forgivable since I didn’t know who he was… right? But falling into bed with him again… and again and again is probably not excusable. Maybe if Delaney got rid of his miles of muscles and stopped being so sweet to me, I could stop. I need to stop. If only I had the willpower—or the desire. Delaney is everything I want in a man, but we have no future together, so it can never be more than this. His sons can never find out. 

Delaney

Serving time for a crime I didn’t commit wasn’t in my game plan, but I’m out now and determined to live my best possible life. After hooking up with a hot younger man, I regret letting him go without even his name. But then luck is finally with me, and he comes walking into my son’s house. In order to make him mine, I have to be honest with my sons about the past as well as my desire for Aiden. But Aiden’s fear of getting involved is deeper than he’s telling me. He’s hiding something, too. 

Will Aiden’s fear of revealing his private life and losing his friends keep him from the man who wants to be his everything or will he allow Delaney to help bear his burden?

Liberating Love is the third book in the Interlocking Fragments series, but is a standalone novel. Each book in the series will feature a different couple, but the couples will show up throughout the whole series. This is a contemporary romance intended for 18+. 

Liberating Love

Interlocking Fragments Series, Book 3

Sammi Cee & Michele Notaro

M/M Romance 

Release Date: 03.16.20

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I lean my elbows on the trunk of Aiden’s car as I wait for him to walk out of the building. With him working with Jovany right now, I know his schedule, which makes tracking him down easy. The only hard part is keeping a lookout to make sure I don’t run into my asshole ex-brother-in-law and his spineless son. 

Ahh… there he is. Aiden walks with hunched shoulders as he stares down at his phone. Worry prickles at the back of my neck at how turned into himself he is. He doesn’t look up at the coworkers he passes, nor do they extend a passing word to him. In just his walk to the car I see his isolation, and Jameson’s concern for his friend takes on a whole new level. He’s almost to the car before he sees me, his steps falter and his face pales as he quickly scans the parking lot around us. “What are you doing here?” 

“Freckles, I think we need to talk.”

I am fairly certain both of these authors are new to me. But being that the blurb said this book could be read as a stand alone, I decided to jump in. And technically it was a stand alone, but I was also missing a lot. But, after figuring out who was connected to whom and how, it was fine. Previous books just would have made it easier,

Moving on.

Delaney is just out of a 5 year stint in prison for something he didn’t do. He is staying with one of his sons and his son’s boyfriend for a bit- kind of a reunion thing, before moving into his own place. But he also needs people he isn’t related to.

Off to the bar!

There he hones in on a red head drinking alone. They end up having a hot night without even exchanging names.

Until the next day- Thanksgiving, when the red head shows up at his son’s house for dinner. Ooops.

After a bit of an internal struggle by Aiden, they continue seeing each other on the sly. How no one figured it out, I don’t know.

Until the kind of cliche bit of ALL of Aiden’s friends showing up at his apartment at midnight to find Delaney there as well.

A couple things, the writing at the beginning was kind of clunky and there were just odd things. Why did Aiden go to his friend’s house for Thanksgiving and leave his mother alone? Why was he at a bar by himself because he just doesn’t seem like that guy. I don’t even remember them sitting down to dinner. It was kind of weird.

Delaney was also super well adjusted after spending 5 years in prison for something he didn’t do. He acted like he was just on a super long vacation. Like, meh, no big deal.

This is just me, but I HATE cutesy nicknames. Especially when I can’t see a person using that nickname for someone. Delaney called Aiden “Freckles”. Uh, no. Just, seriously, stop it.

The writing got better, there was better flow. But just some things made no sense to me.

Definitely readable, but not memorable.

3 pieces of eye candy About Michele Notaro:

Michele is married to an awesome husband that puts up with her and all the characters in her head–and there are many. They live together in Baltimore, Maryland with their two young boys and two crazy dogs. She grew up dancing and swimming and taught dance–ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, & modern–for ten years before her kids came along. Now she stays home to write about the sexy men in her head and does PTA everything–as long as coffee is involved. Two other tattooed moms run the PTA with her, and though she wants to rip her hair out from it, she still loves it.

Michele Notaro Amazon author page link: https://amzn.to/2S69FXF

 

About Sammi Cee:

Sammi Cee was raised in a family of readers. Summer vacations consisted of a good book while sitting lakeside from as far back as she could remember. After growing up and having her own children, her appreciation of how the written word could transport you on an adventure, bring you to tears, or give you hope, took on a whole new meaning. 

These days Sammi is watching her children develop into fine young ladies while doing the things she enjoys most: drinking coffee, eating chocolate, and writing her own stories. 

Sammi Cee Amazon author page link: https://amzn.to/3aDm7Vg

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Thief in the Light by Jaime Samms: New Release Review and Giveaway

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Lucky Denver has wandering feet, sticky fingers and an unreliable moral compass—he’s never had a home and he’s not so sure he cares about what he’s missing.

Arnold Kreed who runs a small-town B&B knows what a home should be. So does his home, The Oaks—aka Mildred—and she has some very definite opinions on who should stay and who should go.

Mildred wants Lucky to stay—and while Kreed is surprised, he can’t really blame the old girl. He’s getting sort of attached himself. Lucky might be fine with the house’s eccentricities, but he’s not so sure Kreed will be fine with the man attached to Lucky’s real name. When Kreed falls ill, Lucky needs to make a decision—wander away like he’s always done or stay and be his better self. Kreed’s hoping he’ll stay—and so is The Oaks, and Mildred has a way of getting what she wants.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

This was fun with quirky characters- including a picky house. As seems to happen too often lately, I had time line issues. But they are fairly easily overlooked.

Lucky is walking along a lonely stretch of highway when he has to take a dive into a ditch to avoid a SUV. The SUV driver has her nose in the air, but she does help him out. She gets him into the SUV and drives him to a B&B that she knows of. Not before he swipes her purse.

The B&B owner is that guy that you totally wouldn’t expect to own and B&B but at the same time it fits him perfectly. Lucky takes a room for three nights, giving up half his money. But the bed, shower and food are too hard to resist.

And then the temperamental, quirky house gives involved by knocking a picture off of the wall. Which would have seriously hurt Lucky had he been in the bed. But when Kreed checks on him, he sees the pink purse.

The next morning there is a note next to the pink purse. An offer to work for room and board, or take the money for the two nights he didn’t stay yet and disappear. Against his better judgement, he stays.

Lucky is happy to do any of the work that Kreed gives him. They get along fine, even with the town taking the time to stop in and get a look see at the new guy. Besides being a B&B, Kreed serves breakfast and lunch daily.

Kreed has a friend with benefits show up, with his husband, which gets sticky. Because Kreed and Lucky are definitely interested in each other. Which kind of makes Kreed realize he is worth more than a friend with benefits deal. Plus Lucky isn’t so subtle with his dislike of this guy.

When Kreed gets ill and winds up in the hospital, Lucky does everything he can to keep the B&B afloat. Not by renting rooms and doing big meals, but opening every morning for coffee service and breakfast sandwiches.

He has help from a trio of siblings who own the bookstore across the street, and surprisingly, from the woman who knocked him off the road to being with.

There are secrets that get out, which risk not only Lucky, but Kreed and his B&B. Lucky is ready to bail, but realizes that all of a sudden he has people- friends- in his corner willing to help him and fight for him. Including Mildred. The house.

Seeing Lucky open up and realize that people actually care for him was so sweet. The relationship between Kreed and Lucky is a suuuuuuuuuuuuuper slow burn. In fact, there is only one sex act (I’m pretty sure) and it didn’t even happen in a bed.

Shows that a decent story doesn’t need sex to keep you invested. Even a romance.

3.5 Pieces of Candy

Jaime has generously offered an ebook copy of any of her backlist for one commenter on this post. Leave a comment for Jaime!

Charlie Sunshine by Lily Morton: New Release Review * 2

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Sometimes love is a lot closer to home than you think.

Charlie Burroughs can’t keep a man. All he wants is a good relationship like the ones he sees his friends having, but none of the men he picks ever work out. Despite him trying to be the perfect boyfriend, the men are either threatened by his looks or his epilepsy or a combination of the two. It’s lucky that he has his best friend Misha to turn to. The two of them are closer than peas in a pod and fiercely loyal to each other. He can’t imagine his life without Misha in it.

Misha Lebedinsky is the complete opposite of his best friend. Being the support system for his mum and twin sisters leaves Misha with neither the time nor the inclination for a relationship. Quick and frequent hook-ups are his favourite means of communication and any other pesky emotional needs he has are met by Charlie, who he’s devoted to. He lives a life of happy compartmentalization with no intention of ever changing.

All of this changes when the two best friends move in together. Being in close proximity means that they suddenly start to see each other in a very different light. But Charlie struggles when his drive to be the perfect partner clashes with the fact that he’s in love with a man who knows every little thing about him. And even if he can get past that, can a relationship ever work with a man who’d need a dictionary to tell him what love means?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a love story about a sunny librarian who has relationship written all over him and a cynical banker who doesn’t even have it in his blurb.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Never judge a book by its cover… because this cover reminds me of the old Geico caveman, but I adored this story so, so, so much!

Charlie is beautiful (despite the cover) and he’s inherently chipper and happy and good-hearted, and friendly and funny and just beautiful inside and out. I loved him, sure, but probably not as much as I loved his best friend Misha.

Misha is Charlie’s complete opposite, but they’ve been best friends since they were kids. Where Misha is a very successful banker, Charlie works in a library. Where Charlie is a serial monogamist, Misha doesn’t know the word relationship. It works for them though, they make each other better. What I loved the most though was the way Misha takes care of Charlie… Even from the beginning, even when Charlie had a very short-term, very condescending boyfriend that you’ll hate, even then, Misha took care of him. It gets frustrating, the level of cluelessness they both share, but it makes it that much sweeter when they both realize that aside from being best friends, they care about each other like no one else ever would.

I loved their banter and the way were best friends before anything else. Both men were so selfless and there for each other, they truly just wanted each other to be safe and happy. Everyone knew they were soulmates, their friends and families were so supportive and encouraging, it was almost a relief when they realized they were meant to be more. I don’t want to give everything away because it’s honestly such a low-angst, feel-good read. Everything I read from this author is, she’s an instant buy for me. This one was no different. Loved the ending, I can’t wait to see who’s next and where these guys go from here. Perfect ending.

5 pieces of eye candy

From the moment that I discovered my first Lily Morton book, she has never let me down. Quirky, fun characters who can laugh at themselves and are just fun. Even the grumpy ones end up being fun.

Charlie is the perennially happy guy. Even after a freak accident that left him with epilepsy, he still won’t be anything but happy. In front of people. He is always that “I’m fine!” guy. But his best friend since he was 6 years old can see through it.

Misha is the opposite of Charlie. Hedge fund manager, snappy suits, fancy car, the right address. But together, they are perfect. How could they not be after 20 something years of friendship?

Charlie loses his last roommate and instead of looking for another, Misha invites him to be HIS roommate. No big deal, right? HA! HA I say! Since they each have crushes on each other but won’t do anything about it because 1. best friends and 2. they want different things. Charlie is the settle down, white picket fence with a chocolate lab kind of guy. But Misha is only about the one night stand.

Plus Charlie has a boyfriend, who works with Misha and they hate each other. And he really doesn’t treat Charlie well. The last straw was when Charlie started having a seizure and the evil boyfriend didn’t catch him before he fell. In fact, he moved away. Bastard.

Now everyone is single and tip toeing around each other’s hot selves and ignoring the giant condom shaped elephant in the room.

Of course they end up together! It is a romance with a happily ever after. But watching them discover the love they have that is beyond best friend love is wonderful. And it isn’t just Charlie who changes Misha from a one off guy to a happily in love buy. But Misha also changes Charlie. From always having a happy face on to finally asking for help when he needs it and letting people know that sometimes he isn’t great.

They were just super adorable and I LOVED Charlie’s parents- mom, step dad, father and step father. Do they math.

If you are a Lily Morton fan, don’t miss this one.

4 pieces of eye candy

The Parable of the Mustard Seed by Lisa Henry: New Release Review

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The past never stays buried forever.

John Faimu is an Australian-Samoan police officer who deals with hurt kids every day. He loves what he does, but he’s tired of the grind of shift work, and of trying to find a balance between his job, his family, and the young man who straddles the increasingly blurry line between both.

Caleb Fletcher was the teenager John saved from a cult eight long years ago, and he’s now the young man John wants in ways that neither of them should risk.

Eight years after his rescue, Caleb is still struggling with PTSD and self-harm. John has always been his rock, but now Caleb wants more. Can he convince John to cross a line and love him the way they both crave? And when the monsters from Caleb’s past come back seeking to silence him for good, will John’s love be enough to save him?

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is an mm gay romance featuring hurt/comfort, first times, found family, and angst with a happy ending.

Publisher: self published

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: 3 April 2020

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Romance Pairings: Male/Male

Book Length (eBook): 79,000 words

Genre: Romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I had to mull over my review for this book for a few days. I generally do not do books with angst. I leave those to one of the other reviewers, but loving all things Aussie, I wanted to give this one a go. It was hard at some points…really hard. But considering the situation Caleb came out of, to expect anything less would have been doing the story a huge disservice.

John was so sweet, cared about everyone around him, not just Caleb, but his family, and even the kids on the street that he watched over during his shifts. He didn’t do a very good job of taking care of himself, but he seemed to love everything he did. And with Caleb, it was never a job. He loved him from day one.

As John and Caleb finally took their relationship to the next level, and Caleb asked to keep it from his father, it made sense. Caleb wanted something his own, that his father didn’t have to help him to deal with. However, it also put John in a very difficult position. And once Caleb’s father found out, under unpleasant circumstances, it made for awkward moments. However, they handled it like adults, knowing that Caleb’s health was of the uppermost importance.

All of this was on par with what I expected of the book. Toward the end of the book, I felt like there was something missing. It wasn’t that everything was necessarily tied up in a neat bow, but in some ways it was. Too neat. Which I think I could have understood better if it was a year, or three years later. However, just a few months later left me wondering how the next episode would be dealt with.

Overall, very well written, and touched on the depths of mental health, PTSD, and the fact that years later just the smallest things can be the biggest factors in a relapse. If you need some angst in your stories, this one is for you! Not a ton, but it isn’t for the lighthearted. I loved though that these men loved each other no matter what, without fail, and always there for one another.

4 pieces of eye candy

Forever by Kindle Alexander: Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Dr. Robert Adams grew up with more advantages than most—the son of a former vice president, he had two loving fathers, a twin sister he adores and wonderfully doting grandparents. Life is good until one afternoon when his dreams flat-line. And no scalpel can repair the guilt and grief he carries with him for the first time in his life.

For Tech Sergeant Landon Russo, determination isn’t just a word, it’s a way of life. Joining the US Air Force allows him to prove his worth, and he takes the values of integrity, service and excellence to heart in every decision he makes. Until on one fateful night, in celebration of a much-deserved promotion, a simple misstep sends his life flying into a tailspin.

As both men fight to regain control of their lives, they’ll soon discover fate rules. Will they ignore the signs and risk everything or will they take a chance and trust they’re destined to be together…forever?

Title: Forever
Author: Kindle Alexander

Genre: M/M Romance

Goodreads

Cover Design: Reese Dante Book Cover Art & Design

Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Amazon UK

Amazon AU

 

Always

Amazon Audible

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Amazon UK

Amazon AU

Paperback

I will start this review off with, Kindle had a nearly impossible task with this book as a follow up to Always, at least for me. Always broke me, as a reader, literally broke me. It is one of only two books I’ve ever read that gave me that “book hangover”. I couldn’t read for days. I did the lock thing (KA knows exactly what I am talking about). I cried, and smiled and couldn’t have thought any other book would ever do that to me again. (As I said, only one other did that).

This book did not do that to me. And I’m really glad. 🙂 I wanted Robert’s book to make me happy from beginning to end. I wanted joy for him, considering all that he, his fathers and Autumn had gone through. I got exactly what I wanted. Yes, there was angst, but it wasn’t crazy angst, it was life, just life.

I cried with this book, for sure. Oh, I spent a bit of time curled up on the couch with tissues next to me. But all I ever wanted was Robert’s HEA. And it was hard fought. Landon did not acquiesce easily. Robert, being the gentleman he was, waited and loved and respected, but giving up wasn’t in his vocabulary.

They definitely had their ups and down, what couple doesn’t? But family is what both these men have had in spades around them, and they allow that family to buffer and assist. (Kennedy and Landon’s connection when they first meet is so heartfelt…grab the tissues!). And the little touches of the feathers…hit me in the feels!

As I said, I knew that following up Always would be a tough task, but this is a strong second in the series, which shows the love and devotion these two men have for each other, a love they fought for. Kindle can write men who love hard, and don’t waver in that love. This book definitely did that. They loved each other, basically from day 1, and just could never let go.

Highly recommend this one. I also highly recommend Always!

4.5 pieces of eye candy…or feathers. 😉

Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer, and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It’s always a surprise to see what’s coming next!

I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it’s true, the only thing bigger than an over active imagination, may be women’s hair!

Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life – I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations – regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal… I don’t want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I’m going to tell you about Kindle.

I tragically lost my sixteen year old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I’ll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died – weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn’t have to be alone.

That time in my life was terrible. It’s everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.

Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness – it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle ereader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.

Through the course of that crippling event I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fan fiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn’t a time she wasn’t there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love and harmony. It’s its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn’t be here today without her.

Find out more by visiting www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com

Social Media Links:

✦ Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKindleAlexander/

✦ Twitter ➜ https://twitter.com/KindleAlexander

✦ Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/kindlealexander2.0/?hl=en

✦ Book+Main Bites ➜ https://bookandmainbites.com/KindleAlexander

✦ Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6421828.Kindle_Alexander

✦ Amazon ➜ https://amzn.to/2JXnKRF

✦ BookBub ➜ https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kindle-alexander

✦ Newsletter ➜ https://www.kindlealexander.com/contact-us/

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Shades of Henry (The Flophouse Book 1) by Amy Lane: New Release Review

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A Flophouse Story

One bootstrap act of integrity cost Henry Worrall everything—military career, family, and the secret boyfriend who kept Henry trapped for eleven years. Desperate, Henry shows up on his brother’s doorstep and is offered a place to live and a job as a handyman in a flophouse for young porn stars.

Lance Luna’s past gave him reasons for being in porn, but as he continues his residency at a local hospital, they now feel more like excuses. He’s got the money to move out of the flophouse and live his own life—but who needs privacy when you’re taking care of a bunch of young men who think working penises make them adults?

Lance worries Henry won’t fit in, but Henry’s got a soft spot for lost young men and a way of helping them. Just as Lance and Henry find a rhythm as den mothers, a murder and the ghosts of Henry’s abusive past intrude. Lance knows Henry’s not capable of murder, but is he capable of caring for Lance’s heart?

Amazon

First off, this is a spin off of another series. I did not read the other series, I don’t think you have to, but I might have understood some of the dynamics more. Mostly between Henry and his brother’s boyfriend. But, no big deal really.

Henry, brother of Dex/Davy (real name/porn name) is dishonorably discharged from the Army, returns home to get his ass beat by his father and then ends up on his older brother’s doorstep. The older brother who was already black listed from the family for being gay. Well, guess we can add Henry to that list.

Dex has the brilliant (?) idea to set him up in the flop house a bunch of porn boys (models) share. So we meet these barely legal models who are a collective mess as well as Lance, who is a model AND a medical resident. It’s a lot.

Let me tell you these guys have issues. ALL of them have issues. Which is kind of sad that all or most of the models seem to have been shunned by their families for being gay. And now they all have these bigger issues. So add in Henry with giant issues of his own!

If the story focused on the guys and their problems as well as Henry and Lance with their budding relationship, I would have liked it more. But we get Henry accused of murder- which was a really lame plot device to lead Henry to a career- and the resolution of that was so in the back ground. Huh? HE WAS ACCUSED OF MURDER! Sigh

Right up there with Lance being a medical resident, who notoriously work a zillion hours a week but seems to have time to hang out. And the scene I assume was supposed to be funny, but it ended up being awful.

Too much, yet not enough. I get that she is trying to set up the ground work for a new series but it was just kind of a mess. Too many little plots without enough focus on the big plot. Which, besides getting Lance and Henry together, what was the big plot? And none of the little plots were resolved very well.

I generally really like Amy Lane’s work, but this was a miss for me.

2.5 Pieces of Candy