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Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Find Me Worthy: A small town MM hurt/comfort roommates romance (Safe Harbor Book 3) by Annabeth Albert

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I thought I’d lost myself…

Until Sam found me. I’m back in Safe Harbor, where I haven’t belonged in over twenty years. I’m unsure how I ended up here, yet I’m certain Sam is the key to finally healing.

But it’s complicated.

Sam’s had a crush on me since we were younger. To me, however, he was always the annoying kid tagging along. Now he’s all grown-up and delightfully bossy—and sexy—as he encourages me to reclaim my health.

I enjoy pushing Sam’s buttons, but one button too many leads to a scorching kiss. Soon, we’re using Sam’s cushy bed for way more than sleeping. But I can’t imagine staying in Safe Harbor forever, and no way is Sam leaving.

Sam’s given me a place to stay, a job at his nonprofit coffee shop, and a sense of purpose when I had none. But can I give him my heart? And more importantly, can I overcome my past to make Safe Harbor my future?

FIND ME WORTHY is a hurt/comfort childhood crush-to-lovers MM romance. This unexpected roommate arrangement stars two mature heroes with a minor age gap, mental health representation, and plenty of first times and sexy discoveries for everyone. Deep feels, dual point-of-view, and big fluffy HEA guaranteed.

FIND ME WORTHY is book three and the thrilling conclusion to the Safe Harbor series from acclaimed author Annabeth Albert. This small historic Oregon town has a tight friend group, memorable secondary characters, quirky businesses, and long-held secrets. Each book stands alone with a fresh couple, but the background mystery of the town’s secrets ties the series together, making reading in order more fun!

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Worth, we knew his name, we knew his family story, we knew stories of when he was younger and friends with the guys, but we didn’t know Worth now. We got glimpses through text messages and one disastrous visit, but nothing deep. Until now, when he has returned to Safe Harbor.

Let me say that at the beginning, the depiction of depression was so spot on. It almost brought me to tears. And although Worth continues to get treatment for depression throughout the story, I wish the reality of depression extended further.

Sam being Sam, recognized immediately that Worth was in trouble. I really appreciated that he made of point of saying that HE could not be Worth’s cure to depression.

And since we already know the ending of the mystery of what happened to Worth’s mother, this story could focus more on Sam and Worth as a couple, sort of. At least at the beginning. And Sam’s dreams of continuing Blessed Brew helping out at risk teens and perhaps filling his house with foster kids.

Worth has A LOT of trauma. A LOT. Because it wasn’t just what happened to his family. There was more trauma that brought him back to Safe Harbor. It takes a bit, but he does clear the air with his friends and Cal, the diver who found his mother’s body. Having Sam’s mother around with her profound wisdom was amazing.

Overall I really loved the story. It was a great conclusion to the Safe Harbor trilogy which a very satisfying epilogue. Worth’s recovery was a tad too easy for me and there was a bit more religion than I like but Sam’s dad was the town preacher so…

This whole series was a good representation of small towns, friendship through the years and not letting the past determine the future.

4 pieces of eye candy

You, Again: MM Small Town/Hockey Romance (The Elmwood Stories Book 1) by Lane Hayes: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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The hometown hockey hero and his best friend’s brother…

Vinnie

Hockey is in my blood. I learned to skate before I learned how to ride a bike. I’ve been on a wild ride, playing at the highest level for some of the biggest and best teams in the league. But now it’s over, and I’m not sure what to do with myself.

So I’m going home to Elmwood.

But I’ll tell you what I’m not gonna do—I’m not going to coach my buddy’s junior hockey league. No chance. I don’t know how to deal with kids, and besides, the other coach—who happens to be my best friend’s brother—hates me. With reason.

That may be old news, yet something tells me we’re going to have to deal with the past.

And that’s almost as scary as coaching teens.

Nolan

No, I don’t hate Vinnie, but he drives me nuts.

He’s cocky, goofy, selfish, and yeah…after all these years, I’m still attracted to him. But I’m a responsible adult now. I run my family’s business, and with the help of my ex, I’ve made Elmwood Diner into a New England institution.

So maybe my life isn’t particularly exciting at the moment, and maybe Vinnie isn’t the worst. Nonetheless, I have no desire to rekindle a friendship with the hockey hero who no doubt will be on the first flight out of town the second he gets bored or gets a better offer.

And I’m not coaching with him. No way.

Ugh…

I can’t believe I’m doing this again.

You, Again is an MM bisexual, best friend’s brother, frenemies to lovers romance featuring old friends, a new quest, and a little hockey HEA!

Title: You, Again
Authors: Lane Hayes
Length: 57k
Series: The Elmwood Stories, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: Bisexual awakening, Best friend’s brother, small town, hockey, frenemies to lovers

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

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We sipped our coffee in silence, lost in our own thoughts.

“Are you staying with your dad?”

“No,” Vinnie replied. “He’s in London for the summer, so I suppose I could have, but I bought the Asburys’ old place. It’s private and it’s in good condition.”

The Asbury estate was more like a log cabin on steroids than a basic house. It was situated at the very edge of town, accessible via a winding dirt road, and surrounded by woods. The perfect spot for someone who needed a little privacy. But it was a lot of house for one person.

I didn’t say that, though. I went with, “I heard the Collinses redid the kitchen and bathrooms before they moved to Burlington last September.”

“Yeah, they did some nice work. You should come by and see it.”

Like that was ever gonna happen, I mused sarcastically.

I cocked my head. “How long are you staying?”

“Through the summer…I think.”

“Then you should coach for Ronnie.”

Vinnie widened his eyes comically. “You think I should do it. Why?”

“Ronnie could use a break. If that’s you…so be it,” I said flatly.

He furrowed his brow hard enough to give himself a headache. “Now I’m really suspicious.”

“Don’t be. It’s a simple proposition.”

“But?”

I sipped my coffee thoughtfully before setting the mug on the counter, my gaze locked on his. The ensuing stare-down was epic. Standing gave me a bit of an advantage, but Vinnie’d had years of practice intimidating opponents on the ice.

I finally looked away and leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “But…I think you’ll walk away when it gets tough or when you get a better offer, or when you just get bored of this place. Like you always do.”

“Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark.”

“I’m not being a dick. I’m being honest. Your life isn’t here…Ronnie’s is. You can walk away whenever you want and not lose a thing. It’s a little different for the rest of us,” I continued conversationally.

“And this is the part where you’re not being a dick?”

“Trust me, it is,” I huffed.

This is a nice, cozy, friends/enemies to lovers small town story. They kind you wish you were under a blanket in your favorite chair with tea or hot chocolate. And cookies.

Pro hockey player Vinnie is hanging up his skates. Not really going out on top, but definitely not at the bottom. With no real friends and definitely no family in Washington state, he heads home to New England and his small town of Elmwood. There are his best friend, his best friend’s brother and their mother. All of whom he considers family. Except the brother isn’t happy to see him and Vinnie has no idea why.

Nolan has crushed on Vinnie pretty much since he figured out he was gay. He was the third wheel in the friendship trio, but he was always welcome. He’s also back in Elmwood after giving up a career to take over the family diner after his father died unexpectedly. He isn’t happy Vinnie is back. Or that they are working together to coach hockey at his brother’s rink.

Vinnie is that happy go lucky guy who just wants to be friends with everyone. Even after growing up with a father who treated him as an afterthought on a good day, Vin always looks for the silver lining.

Nolan isn’t bitter, really, about giving up on his career. Especially since he redid the diner and make it into a restaurant with a wait list. He adores his mother, his brother and his niece. Vin, he hates but secretly still wants.

Being forced together as coaches plus Vin’s affable charm slowly break down Nolan’s walls. AND Vin actually get him to tell him why he is so mad at him. And honestly, it was with pretty good reason. But they clear the air and keep whatever is going on between them on the down low. Because that always works.

I absolutely adored Nolan’s niece. Precocious, a book worm and a wicked slapshot on the ice, I loved the scene’s with her in it.

The story was a bit cookie cutter, but the characters really made the book so enjoyable. I’m looking forward to the next book who I hope is this guy and that guy. LOL

4 pieces of eye candy

Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. She loves wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband and her fabulous pup, George.

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A Boy Called Rainbow by Robin Knight: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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.                                   .

Love comes in all colors…

Art evaluator Miles Tate is finally about to start living his dream… that is if he can get the funding in place to open his own art gallery in New York. But when an unexpected turn of events finds every one of Miles’ perfectly-planned dreams turned upside-down, it’s time to escape Manhattan and reluctantly take up a well-paid job in the tiny seaside town of Hope’s Bluff, Georgia. For Miles, it’s his only chance to make some money, claw back what little dignity he has left, and figure out what the hell to do with his life.

But evaluating the art collection of a deceased estate isn’t made easy by the grandson of the dearly departed in question. Indeed, the young man who calls himself Rainbow is a hot-tempered, hotter-than-hell artist whose secrets run deep and passions run raw. He is talented, troubled, tempestuous and deaf… and possibly the one person who can save Miles from his own heartache.

Can Miles finish the job he’s been paid to do… or will two opposites find that they have more in common than they first imagined? Can the pair of them find the strength in each other to rebuild their lives… or will the traumas of their pasts drive them both away? Will Miles turn his back on the handsome, hurt, artistic genius he’s stumbled upon… or will he finally find true love in the arms of a Boy Called Rainbow?

Title: A Boy Called Rainbow
Authors: Robin Knight
Length: 62k
Genre: Contemporary

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

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I stood from my spot on the floor and nodded, “You want to see me dance? Then let’s dance!”

Rainbow jumped up and down, clapping excitedly before racing off to Odette’s closet and returning with an old record player. He set it down on the floor, plugged it into the nearest socket, disappeared again, then returned with an album cover in his hands.

He spun it in his fingers before presenting the cover to me.

“Oh wow! Whitney Houston. You’re serious about this!”

Rainbow nodded confidently, looking extremely pleased with himself.

“But wait… you can hear music?”

Rainbow laughed again and shook his head. He crouched and placed his hand against the floor, then ran his fingers over his bare feet, up his legs and torso, and finished with a thump-thump-thump against his heart.

I felt stupid. “The vibrations. You dance to the vibrations.”

He nodded again, then slid the record delicately from its sleeve. Holding it between is fingertips, avoiding any chance of leaving his prints on the vinyl, he placed the record on the turntable with the utmost care, as though he was cracking a safe or setting an explosive with sticks of gelignite. He set the turntable in motion and the record started spinning, and with one final act of precision, he placed the stylus in the groove—

Side A.

Track One.

Rainbow turned the volume up as high as it would go, the crackle of the needle in the groove filling the room before the beat of Whitney’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody kicked in.

Instantly Rainbow’s feet began to move, his body light as a feather, his every step in time with the music.

His hands curled up and his fists began to shake like he was holding maracas.

His hips began to gyrate ever so slightly, feeling the rhythm.

His shoulders tipped left then right, shimmying in such a sexy way I wanted his jeans off then and there.

But first there was music to dance to.

With a mischievous gleam in his eye, Rainbow hustled his way toward me.

He craned his eyebrows suggestively, then did a turn in perfect time to the song, letting me know that the music was all that mattered right now, and if I wanted to join in… now was my one and only chance.

Stiffly I began to move my hips.

I felt like the Tin Man trying to boogie, which was clearly the impression Rainbow got too.

He grinned and reached for me, taking my hips in his hands and swaying me into a smooth and sexy groove, left and right, then back and forth, forcing my feet to move in time with my hips.

I laughed joyfully and shouted over the music, “Fuck, I think I’m dancing!”

But Rainbow wasn’t watching my lips. He was far too caught up in the beat, far too busy passing his moves onto me until we began to dance in unison together.

I felt my shoulders freeing up, as though Dorothy had just squirted oil from her oilcan into my rusty limbs.

I watched my feet step in time with the rhythm… almost… while my legs bent and straightened, freeing themselves of the stiffness that might have set in for the rest of my life had I never met Rainbow.

He twirled and so did I.

He swiveled his hips and soon had me doing the same.

He threw his arms in the air as if he didn’t have a care in the world, whooping with sheer delight over the blasting music, and I did the same.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me close, but he moved too quickly for my fledgling feet.

I stumbled into him.

I stood on his foot and we both staggered, me forward, him backward, until soon we completely lost our balance.

Rainbow fell and thudded onto his back on the floor, making the needle skip to the start of the song.

A second later I fell on top of him, knocking the wind out of him.

Rainbow wheezed as I mumbled, “Shit, fuck, I’m so sorry! God I was doing so well!”

He caught sight of my lips as I said that, and through his gasping and spluttering for air he started to laugh, shaking his head in disagreement.

Two things I am an absolute sucker for. Dancers and deaf or hard of hearing characters. So I was all in.

Let’s start with main character #1 Miles. Art evaluator/wanna be gallery owner who catches his long term boyfriend cheating. Of course the boyfriend gaslights him into thinking he is the my boring, arrogant person out there. Throwing all of the ex lovers in Miles’ face was a bit much.

Off he goes to a small town outside Savannah, Georgia to appraise a collection by a completely unknown, and now deceased, artist. His first meeting with the man who hired him had me rolling me eyes. Talk about some crazy stereotypes. And not for nothin, Miles putting up with the slurs from this guy was ridiculous. He is also waiting to kick his brother out of the house formerly owned by his grandmother- the deceased artist. The hatred was ridiculous.

Off Miles goes to a bed and breakfast of sorts even though there are only 2 rooms for guests. And the B&B owner is a bit of an eccentric cat lady. Literally 13 cats. And the stereotypical talk again. And what she cooks makes it sound like they are in the bayou of Louisiana, not coastal Georgia.

Finally we meet Rainbow. Who is deaf and no one bothered to tell Miles. Rainbow is the only character who isn’t a giant stereotype. He is desperate to keep his grandmother’s art private as was her wish. And to keep the roof over his head.

Miles begins learning ASL at a very rapid pace from a handwritten book. Sigh. ASL is a language. There’s no way to learn it as fast as he did. Anyway. There are sparks between them, Miles learns more about Rainbow, his grandmother and their family.

Beyond the ASL thing, I really did feel like Miles and Rainbow had a connection and belonged together.

There are a couple more quirky characters, a couple more stereotypes and a hurricane.

Overall I liked the story, there were just more than a few things that ruffled my feathers. A few things that were just far too unbelievable that just took me out of the story.

3 pieces of eye candy

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Robin Knight is the author of gay fiction novels, novellas, and short stories, ranging in genre from gay adventure, gay romance, gay suspense, and gay comedies.

The heroes of Robin’s books love to spend their time jumping off the page, stumbling through misadventures, and falling in love.

Robin has worked in advertising, politics, journalism, and event management, but nothing is as fun as telling stories.

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Website – www.authorrobinknight.com
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Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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I’ve never hated anyone as much as I hate him.

The day my sister died, I told her best friend I never wanted to see him again, and I meant it.

I lost her because of him. Everything I used to care about means nothing now because of him.

It’s all because of him.

So when he shows up on my driveway two years later and tells me he’s moving in with me for his freshman year of college, I kick his ass and tell him to disappear. For good this time.

But I already know the defiant little brat’s not gonna listen. He never does.

Being near him again makes me crazy. I’m supposed to be the college basketball star my father raised me to be, but now I’m focused on a new game. I’m obsessed with watching him, touching him, breaking him. His body, his head, his heart, anything I can get my hands on…

I’m gonna take it all until he’s got nothing left.

And even though he knows exactly what I’m doing to him, he’s gonna let me do it anyway.

Title: Like You Hate Me
Authors: Bethany Winters
Length: 90k
Genre: Contemporary

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

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“Since when do you venture all the way over here?” Frankie asks, grinning at me over her shoulder as I follow her into the coffee shop.

“Shut up.”

She chuckles and moves up to the counter to place her order. Looking around, I find Xavi sitting at his usual table by the window, wearing a dark gray hoodie with the hood pulled up over his head. I force my face to remain cold and impassive as I watch him be, enjoying the way he shifts in his seat and pulls his sleeves down over his knuckles. His eyes crinkle at the corners when they find me, like he’s trying not to wince.

My face is a punishment for him. And if he insists on sticking around, I’ve got no problem going out of my way to make him look at it every chance I get.

“Nate,” Frankie says, probably not for the first time.

“Yeah?”

“What do you want?”

“Whatever you’re having is fine.”

She raises a brow at that. “A pumpkin spice latte?” she asks, and I scrunch my nose in disgust. “That’s what I thought.” She laughs, turning back to the barista. “He’ll have a cappuccino.”

Once we’ve got our drinks, we sit side by side at one of the empty tables in the corner, both of us people watching for a while as we warm our hands with our cups. We don’t say anything, but it’s not awkward. It’s easy with Frankie. Comfortable.

A group of people rush inside the shop, relieved to be out of the cold, and I don’t miss the way the guy at the back of the group turns his head to look at Xavi, chewing his lip as he takes in his form.

“Does that happen everywhere he goes?” Frankie asks, subtly tipping her chin at Xavi. “Girls and guys?”

I nod, my hands clenching into fists on the table.

“He has no idea, does he?”

“Not a fucking clue.”

He’s always been this way. Even back in high school, the kid was oblivious to all the attention he got. He’s oblivious now too, his head lowered as he tries to pretend he’s not peeking up at me every five seconds to check what I’m doing. I like that I’m his sole focus, that he’s clearly jealous of me and Frankie, but at the same time, that sad, broken look in his eyes makes me want to throttle him. All I can think about is forcing him to his knees, digging my thumbs into his jugular, and shoving my cock down his throat so hard he chokes on it. Taking him as hard and as roughly as I can and giving him something to really be sad about.

“Jesus, the way you look at him…” Frankie mutters. “I wish someone would look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like they wanna fight me and fuck me at the same time.” She smirks, and I smirk right back, leaning into her space and taking her chin between my thumb and forefinger. “You hate it, don’t you?” she whispers against my lips, playing along like the good friend she is. “The way you want him. It pisses you off.”

“Right now, the only thing pissing me off is you,” I tell her, digging my fingertips into her skin, but not hard enough to hurt. Never as hard as I’d do it to Xavi.

“That’s not very nice.”

“I’m not a very nice person, Frank.”

“I know,” she says. “That’s why you’re my favorite.”

Fighting a grin, I tilt my head to the side, kissing the corner of her mouth. “Is he gone?”

“Mhm.”

My grin slips free, and I kiss her cheek this time. She playfully pushes my face away, and I drop back in my seat, resting my arm on the back of her chair. Lifting my coffee to take a sip, I laugh under my breath as I watch Xavi storm off through the courtyard.

Do I love angsty books? You know I do! And this one delivered. Drug addiction, death of a sister and best friend, self loathing, hate, blame, meddling best friends, you name it.

Xavi and Nate haven’t seen each other in two years. The why is shown in various flash backs that just break your heart. Xavi the misfit who becomes best friends with the blind girl. They are both from wealthy families where appearances are everything and they do not fit the mold. Katy’s older brother Nate did fit the mold. Everything changed with Katy accidentally overdosed.

Xavi retreated deeper in drugs and alcohol. Nate fueled himself with hate for Xavi who he blamed for Katy’s death. Xavi got clean after rehab (his reason for getting clean gutted me) and is finally going to go to college. And stay in the house Nate rents. It was the original plan before Katy died. And Nate’s best friend convinces Xavi that it’s fine.

It’s far from fine.

Xavi takes a lot of emotional abuse from Nate. But at the same time, Nate has to sometimes remind himself that he hates Xavi. That Xavi is the reason his sister is dead.

Nate moves to using Xavi for sex. And then ignoring him after. And Xavi thinks he deserves it. Self flagellation much? It’s brutal. Xavi hates himself as much as Nate hates him.

I’ll say that I didn’t love that Xavi’s depression seems to lift when Nate is nice to him. And I really wish Nate had more of a wake up call with how he treated Xavi. AND his friends. He really treats Carter and Easton like crap. Carter I can almost see because they had been friends for so long. But Easton? There’s also Frankie, the lone girl in the group (and house) who seems to have a bit of a tragic back story that we don’t get.

So there were a few things I didn’t like that much but there was a lot that I loved. This was my first book by this author and I hope there are more dark and angsty stories in her backlist.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

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Bethany Winters is a Romance author based in the UK.

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Tango Down (The Renegades Book 4) by Cara Dee: Release Day Review and Book Excerpt

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The Renegades #4 • Romantic Suspense • Enemies to Lovers • Action • MM
“I’m here, baby. Daddy’s here. Oh God, I’m so sorry.”

The murder in Joel Hayward’s eyes wasn’t merely a reflection of the rage within. It was a promise to the men who had kidnapped his daughter. The one person—this amazing slip of a girl—who showed Joel every single day that there was good left in the world.

He was running on fumes. He was desperate. His closest companion was…Elliott. His ex-wife’s older brother. Okay, once upon a time, the man had been a lot more than that, but somehow they’d become mortal enemies instead. Frankly, Joel didn’t give a flying f— He didn’t care if Elliott made it back alive. Or so he kept telling himself, as the pain intensified with each day he couldn’t hold his little girl in his arms.

As they got closer and closer to their target, one lead at a time, the men prepared themselves to go to war.

Amazon – All Regions

Here we go, book 4. The story(ies) get wrapped up.

Sort of spoilery, but come on you know that there has to be a happily ever after or a happily for now. But you’ve been warned.

We start right where we left off. At the cartel’s compound somewhere in the jungles of Columbia. They are in a race to rescue Shay so that they can in turn rescue Blake and Marissa.

I am not going to recap it all. But I will offer some thoughts.

The series brought together 2 couples. But these books were as far from romance novels as you can get. They were action adventure and they were written really well. But action adventure is definitely not my genre of choice. I struggled through some because there are SO many characters, so many bad guys, some bad guys who are good guys, some bad guys who are really bad guys, good guys who were pretending to be bad guys, good guys with boots on the ground, good guys working behind the scenes, etc. It was a lot.

And the mission to rescue Shay was HUGE. So huge that the rescue of Blake and Marissa was a bit anticlimatic. I said what I said.

And then there are multiple epilogues to check in with everyone after. It just felt very disconnected. Joel and Elliott realize a huge betrayal but the consequences of that betrayal don’t seem like much. There’s also a lot we don’t get to see which just left me wanting. I was invested in these guys and the 2 new couples. I wanted more.

I’d much rather read the kinky stories or even the vanilla stories. Maybe new characters that aren’t so intertwined with older characters. Honestly, I am really sick of guns.

3 pieces of eye candy

Three hours—I could work with that. If we were catching a ride through Coach and Hillcroft, chances were we could bring our weapons, and I needed to clean my rifle, both handguns, and—

 “Joel, I need a word.” Elliott nodded toward the hallway.

 Goddammit.

 I reluctantly followed him out into the hallway, where we stuck our feet in our boots and stepped out on the stoop.

 The sky was a little lighter, though it would be a while before the sun rose.

 I let out a breath and sat down on the first step.

 The air really was thinner up here.

 Elliott sat down next to me and lit up a smoke for me too.

 “Thanks.” I took a drag and exhaled skyward.

 What were the odds of him admitting what he’d told me when I’d been fucking deaf?

 “You gonna lay into me?” I had to ask.

 He blew out some smoke and shook his head, then rested his arms on his knees. “No. To be honest, I don’t have a plan here. You’re a grown man, and maybe you don’t care what I think.”

 I didn’t.

 I mean, I did. I absolutely did, but fuck him. Fuck me. Fuck him for getting us to this point. Fuck everything. Fuck, I was tired. Just fuck.

 There’s an idea.

 I suppressed a sigh.

 “But considering how I’ve behaved…” He swallowed and kept his gaze fixed on something on the ground. “You’re not some sidekick in this fight, Joel. You’re hands down the best marksman I’ve ever laid eyes on, and when you silence the worried dad in you—like you did tonight—you’re an incredible soldier.”

 Well, shit. Was that really Elliott talking? Was he sick? Dying?

 “Are you dying?” I asked.

 He exhaled a silent chuckle through his nose and took another drag from his smoke.

 I guessed he wasn’t going to answer.

 “Thank you.” I cleared my throat and scratched my jaw.

 I wasn’t sure I felt anything at his praise, but I knew myself well enough. It’d come later. I’d never been good at hiding my feelings or reactions, so maybe I’d get sucked back in and grieve losing him—even though I’d never really had him—when this was over. When we went back to seeing each other once a year for Blake’s birthday. Maybe not even then, depending on what I could handle. Because suppressing hurt didn’t mean erasing it. Masking it with anger didn’t mean shit either. I still felt the hold he had on me every goddamn day.

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. 

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. 

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write. 

Find Cara on social media here: https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

The Charmer (The Vers Podcast book 4) by Riley Hart: New Release Review

by

Corbin

If you listen to The Vers, a queer podcast I host with my three best friends, you know me as The Charmer. I’m always happy, flirting, and trying to win everyone over. I think most people would be surprised to learn I have a lot more going on beneath the surface.

But ever since all my friends have fallen in love, it’s getting more difficult not to feel left out…

Cue my fascination with Spencer, my neighbor who hates me. There’s something addicting about getting under his skin, and I blame the combination of my confusing emotions and too many drinks for spilling my guts to him about all my insecurities…and about how much I love cuddling.

Turns out, Spencer doesn’t hate me, and my word vomit is the catalyst that makes us decide to be cuddle buddies. When I need affection, I go to him, and he just…holds me. Along the way we become friends, and when I fall for him, it’s surprising that he feels the same. Spencer’s easy to talk to, fun to be around, and did I mention he’s hot? I love how confident he is in his full figure, and there’s nothing like being in his beefy arms.

Spencer has me wanting more for the first time in my life, and he’s determined to help with my disordered eating, but if I want a healthy future with him, I need to work toward being healthy for myself too.

The Charmer is an opposites-attract romance with a body-positive MC and a cuddle fiend learning to love himself.

The Charmer deals with disordered eating, low self-esteem, and negative talk about weight. While the story is uplifting and none of these are heavy-handed, please see the content warning at the beginning of the book for a full list.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Not gonna lie, I did not like Corbin at the beginning of this book. More than the beginning. Maybe because I know similar personalities, maybe because of his disordered eating-also knowing people like this. But his over the top ME! ME! ME! schtick bugged me. But the more I read, the more I realized what an act it was. How truly insecure he was. And even with 3 best friends who adore him, he was really starved for love, acceptance and affection because he basically grew up without it.

Spencer is pretty much the opposite. He’s squishy, he knows it, he won’t apologize for it. It’s almost a nonissue for him. He is comfortable in his skin. He doesn’t have a group of friends. He is only on social media for his job. He has a family who loves him exactly as he is.

They are neighbors who run into each other at a function and Corbin kind of latches on to him. Besides the friends difference, Spencer has what Corbin wants. Spencer is also an excellent cuddler, which Corbin CRAVES.

Watching Corbin go from almost obnoxious, pay attention to me, like my nearly naked pics and tell me how pretty I am, to realizing that his friends love him for him. And Spencer seems to really like him for him. And he needs to like himself for who he is.

It isn’t a sudden awakening either, which made it so much more realistic. And the disordered eating is in the forefront ahead of working out. But working out to combat previous calories is definitely there.

Besides this being a great story with realistic characters, I really appreciated that men can feel the pressure to look perfect as well. Definitely not to the extent of women, but it is there. Add in the gay community which can be super toxic about looks and bodies as well, it was a great representation.

Of course the other three Vers guys and their significant others play a role in this story as well. And the Poddies just fold Spencer into the group like he was always there.

This was a great final book in the series.

4.5 pieces of eye candy