Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Fire and Agate by Andrew Grey: Audiobook Review

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When Chris Anducci is moved off jail duty and into the sheriff’s office, he doesn’t expect his first assignment to be protecting a witness against a human-trafficking ring. Knowing the new sheriff doesn’t abide screwups, Chris reluctantly agrees to work the case.

Pavle Kasun has spent the last four years of his life at the mercy of others. When an opportunity presented itself, he took it, resulting in his rescue. Now, the safe houses he’s placed in are being threatened, and he needs protection if he is to have any sort of chance at a life.

Chris opens his home to Pavle, but he doesn’t expect Pavle and his story to get under his skin…and stay there. Soon, they discover they have more in common than either of them thought. Slowly, Pavle comes out of his shell, and Chris finds someone who touches his heart. But as the men looking for Pavle close in, they will stop at nothing to get him out of the way. Even if Chris can keep him safe, he might not be able to protect his heart if Pavle moves back home.

Amazon Ebook

Audible

I love this series so I wasn’t surprised that I liked this one as well. Andrew Grey has a unique way of taking a sensitive subject and painting the picture so that it’s bearable and not so dark.

Chris is newly promoted to the sheriff’s office and his first real assignment is a favor to the Carlisle PD. Keep their human trafficking victim, Pavle safe until he can help the DEA, FBI and every other three letter agency identify his keepers. Chris will need to find a way to keep Pavle save without making it seem that he’s just exchanged one prison for another and without any of those pesky feelings getting in the way for the strong, enigmatic man.

The story was entertaining and enjoyable. The characters were well developed as was the storyline. I love that we get to catch up with old characters like Red and Terry. The audio performance was perfect, as is to be expected from Greg Tremblay. He didn’t get to be one of my go-to narrators for no reason. This was the perfect way to spend 6 hours.

4 Pieces of Candy

Ramen Assassin by Rhys Ford: New Release Review

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When life gives Kuro Jenkins lemons, he wants to make ponzu to serve at his Los Angeles ramen shop.

Instead he’s dodging bullets and wondering how the hell he ended up back in the Black Ops lifestyle he left behind him. After rescuing former child star Trey Bishop from a pair of thugs in the middle of the night, he knows it’s time to pick up his gun again. But it seems trouble isn’t done with Trey, and Kuro can’t quite let go… of either the gun or Trey Bishop.

Trey Bishop never denied his life’s downward spiral was his own fault. After a few stints in rehab, he’s finally shaken off his Hollywood bad-boy lifestyle but not his reputation. The destruction of his acting career and his relationships goes deep, and no one trusts anything he says, including the LAPD. When two men dragging a dead body spot him on a late-night run and try to murder him, Trey is grateful for the tall, dark, and deadly ramen shop owner he lusts over—not just for rescuing him, but also for believing him.

Now caught in a web of murders and lies, Trey knows someone wants him dead, and the only one on his side is a man with deep, dark secrets. Trey hopes Kuro Jenkins will stick around to see what the future holds for them once the dust settles, but from the looks of things, neither of them may survive to find out.

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I haven’t read anything written by Rhys Ford before, but I was in the mood for something a little different than my usual. I wanted a little mystery, a little intrigue and I got that in spades.

Trey and Kuro both stumble into the alley at the wrong place and wrong time, but maybe the universe got something right, as long as they can make it out alive. The plot has a few twists and turns to keep you on your toes. The characters were so well developed that when Trey felt like there was no one in his corner, I felt that! I felt his despair and helplessness.

This was a wild and entertaining ride. The perfect book to pull me out of my reading slump.

4 pieces of eye candy

SIR by N.R. Walker: New Release Review

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Founded over four hundred years ago, Sanctus Infinitus Redemptio is a private and very elite society where dominance and submission are revered. Steeped in tradition and excellence, every Dominant and every submissive, and their pairing, is selected with great care.

When Hunter Vargo is brought into the Sanctus, his need for strict dominance sees him paired with the wrong Master. But only a short time later, mistreated and his trust broken, he’s recalled, his collar removed. The Grand Master knows it will take a special kind of Dominant to restore the sub’s faith and trust.

Sig Bruckner’s world is perfect. He has a great job, he has high standing within the Sanctus, and he has Levin, the very best submissive. When he’s asked to take on a second sub, a submissive with issues and a rule not to touch him, Sig’s world is turned upside down.

When his Dominance, his patience, and self-control are tested, and when Sig’s relationship with both subs is pushed past his limits, everything begins to unravel. Yet Sig knows every good Dom learns from their subs, and he’s no exception. He might not be able to fix everything on his own, but perhaps the three of them together can.

Sig Bruckner is about to learn who’s really in control.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

One thing you can definitely say about N.R. Walker, she never writes the same story twice. Which is amazing. All of her books are unique to her (hello, androids?) and I’ve yet to find one I didn’t like. So when I saw she was writing a BDSM book? Sign me up.

But this is no ordinary BDSM book, of course. Instead, this is a whole society built around BDSM that lives among non-society members, but members outnumber non by quite a bit. They are, of course, completely secret.

The society places Doms and subs together. They pride themselves on their match ups. But this one went wrong with hard limits crossed and trust destroyed. So they ask the “nice” Dom to take on this sub, even though the Dom already has one sub and with the stipulation that it is a week trial and no sexual touching.

Well ok then.

What follows is a Dom and sub welcoming a new sub into their homes and lives. And even though they aren’t to have sexual contact, the sex isn’t lacking. It is just a little more creative. They are open and mostly honest with each other, Hunter thriving as a sub, but the fact that it is a “trial basis” looms over them.

The story flowed really nicely with no “filler”. Even though the entire book happens in a week, it didn’t feel stuffed full of information or rushed at all. I really loved watching these 3 men learn to be together as a unit.

It is definitely BDSM lite, which is kind of obvious from the beginning with Sig being called the nice Dom. But it is also explained how everyone, Dom and sub are different in their preferences.

AND THEN there was an epilogue. Listen, I love a good epilogue. But I really thought, hoped, wished, that this would be the first book of at least several. PLEASE! I need more! More of Sig, Levin and Hunter but also more of the SIR society. Yes, I am being a greedy brat, but that’s how much I enjoyed it. The set up screams for more. So, pretty please?

4 Pieces of Candy

Beautiful Trauma by Aimee Nicole Walker: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

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Does trauma define or motivate a person? 

Homeless and rejected, Henry Sullivan arrived on the doorstep of Ryan’s Place with nothing but the clothes on his back. Life as he knew it was over. Within those walls, Henry found the encouragement and love needed to turn hopeless into hopeful. Enrolling for summer classes at his community college was the first step toward achieving the dreams he thought were lost to him. There was just one little snag: the professor standing in the front of the room taught Henry the true meaning of human sexuality.

After a crushing breakup, Professor Ezra Meyer moved to the Queen City for a fresh start where everything was new—job, home, and friends. His first challenge: prove the benefits of his biology of human sexuality course outweighed the controversy. Ezra agreed to teach the class during the summer semester at a community college associated with his university to gauge interest. There was just one little problem: Ezra had personally demonstrated the unit on Sexual Technique and Behaviors with one of his students.

Random or Fate?

It was supposed to be a harmless hookup on a night when Henry was celebrating his birthday and Ezra was trying to ease his loneliness. Fast forward six months later, the attraction blazed hotter than ever, but acting on it could have dire consequences neither man was willing to risk. Or were they? Could true love be Henry and Ezra’s ultimate reward, or were they destined to become just another sad lesson learned? 

Beautiful Trauma is a story about triumph over tragedy, embracing the unexpected, and a reminder that family is more than biology. Are you looking for a feel-good romance with witty banter, toe-curling passion, and a story that stays with you long after the final page? Look no further. Beautiful Trauma is the third book in the Queen City Rogues series but reads as a standalone book. It contains sexually explicit material and colorful language and is intended for adults 18 and over.

Beautiful Trauma 

Queen City Rogues Series, Book 3

Aimee Nicole Walker 

M/M Romance 

Release Date: 07.18.19

Cover model: Joel Leslie 

Photographer: Christopher John 

Cover artist: Jay Aheer

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Ezra lifted his head and smiled down at me. “I like the way you think.”He started to lower his head to kiss me but jerked back. “Fuck!”

“What is it? A muscle spasm?”

“Hey now,” Ezra said, sounding offended. “I’m not that old.”

“There’s no age requirement for a muscle spasm. Remember my limp earlier tonight?”

Ezra nodded to acknowledge my point. “It wasn’t a spasm; a mosquito bit me on the ass.”

He looked so outraged that a mosquito would dare take a bite of his ass. I couldn’t stop the laughter building inside me. “I-I’m sorry,”I managed to say before the dam broke and it burst from my chest. “I’d bite your ass too if I were her.”

Ezra tried not to laugh, but he joined me until he got bit a second time. “That’s it,”he said firmly, leaping to his feet. “It’s time for a bath, then you need to get some sleep.”He blew out the candles and crooked his fingers for me to follow. 

On our way to the bathroom, I watched in puzzlement as Ezra stopped by his bedside table and picked up his phone. 

“Checking your messages?” I asked. 

“Adding citronella candles to my shopping list before I forget,” he quipped. He looked at me with a raised brow. “Not a single smartass joke out of you about faulty memories at my age.”

I held up my hands in surrender. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”My lips quivered and threatened to give way to laughter yet again. 

“Get in the bathroom,”Ezra said, pointing to the doorway. 

“Yes, sir,” I said cheekily then gasped when Ezra’s hand landed soundly against my bare ass. I spun around to face him. “Spanking wasn’t in the lesson tonight.”

“Keep it up, and you’re going to get a firsthand lesson in spankings, Henry.”

The idea thrilled me to the core, and I suddenly wanted to be naughty—very, very naughty.

Check out Jennifer’s 4 pieces of eye candy review here.

Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day. I’d love to hear from you 

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A Beautiful Disaster (Geek Life Book 3) by Margeurite Labbe: Exclusive Guest Post and Character Interview

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I’m super excited that Margeurite Labbe is here with a little guest post, and a character interview from her new book, A Beautiful Disaster (Geek Life, Book 3). I have been enjoying this series, so this was perfect fun to read! Get a little of the sassy from the organizers of these conventions, and a little sexy. Just a ton of fun. So, check it out, and grab this series, if you haven’t. It’s light-hearted (mostly), sexy and fun!

When best friends Brenden and Dakota launch the biggest comics and pop-culture convention of their careers, they finally realize what everyone around them already knows: they’ve been in love for years.

Now what are they going to do about it?

Meticulously organized Brenden Wade and easygoing Dakota Nye turned their love of geek culture into a business, running conventions all over the Chesapeake Bay area. Now the weight of their pasts is threatening not only their friendship but their dream. Brenden fears losing his foster family when his secrets come out, and though the last thing Dakota wants is to hurt his plus one, he doesn’t know if he’s capable of settling down.

One night of passion challenges both men’s preconceptions and forces them to evaluate what they want from the future. They’re both scared, and though they’ve always been able to figure out anything together, hearts are on the line. Will taking a chance on romance lead to a beautiful disaster, or just a disaster?

Title: A Beautiful Disaster
Series: Geek Life: Book Three
Author: Marguerite Labbe
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 275

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Barnes & Noble

An Interview with Brenden Wade

Hello everyone. It’s good to be here at Two Chicks Obsessed. For the last two books, I had Dakota interview the main characters for his podcast Geek Wars. So I had to continue this tradition with the final book. All of the questions were originally given to me by my friends and fellow writers on the Writer’s Block Discord channel ages ago. It’s a fun place to go if you want to talk everything about writing.

* * *

Dakota: “Welcome back everyone to another special edition of Geek Wars. If you’ve been following along then you’ll have already met comic book artist and writer Morris Proctor and his other half, chef and restaurant owner Theo Boarman. Why’d we include a non-geek again?”

Brenden: “Because Morris is your friend and that’s what friends do.”

Dakota: “God, I’m such a sucker, jokes aside, Theo’s a cool dude. Then we spoke with cosplayer Felipe Suero and game store owner Trask Briscoe. And now we’re on to the grand finale with Brenden Wade, comicon promoter, supervillain extraordinaire, and the man with the sexiest ass south of the Mason Dixon line. How’s it going, Bren? Why’re your ears red?”

Brenden with a disapproving look and bright red ears. “Please tell me that you’re not going to spend this entire interview making inappropriate comments.”

Dakota: “I but I live for inappropriate comments. So, tell me, what made you decide to start running promotions. It’s a chaotic industry and you’re a man who thrives on order. How did that come about?”

Brenden tugs on his ear. “That’s a good question. I think the answer is twofold, first it’s just about love. I love the industry. I love comic books and geek culture. I loved it when it wasn’t cool to love it and doing it made you a dork. I didn’t care, I just wanted more of it. Then it was a matter of not having any cons in our area. If we wanted to go to one we had to head to Northern Virginia. And to be honest though it sounds arrogant, I thought I could do it better.”

Dakota: “I think you’ve shown that you’re pretty damn good at doing it.” He gives Brenden an affection grin. “And for the record, you were a super dork. Now onto our first listener question, ‘What do you like?’ This should be good, surprise me.”

Brenden: “Surprise you? After this many years?” He purses his lips and looks up at the ceiling. “I like the fact that you’re a closet snuggler.” Dakota’s mouth drops open and Brenden grins. “I surprised you, so win to me.”

Dakota points a finger at him. “Let’s keep this non-mushy and PGish.”

Brenden: “Hey, you started with the inappropriate comments first, mine was tame. You’re the troublemaker, not me.”

Dakota: “No, you’re the guy who keeps all the secrets that comes and cleans up after myself which is why you’re the supervillain and I’m the minion. Next question, ‘What fears keep you awake at night?’”

Brenden: “Losing my family again.”

They exchange a sober glance. Dakota cocks his head. “You do realize that by this point there is no getting rid of us. You are stuck with Nyes for life.”

Brenden grins. “Oh, the horror. For some reason I’m attracted to noise and chaos. Blame my love of cons on learning to navigate those family dynamics.”

Dakota: “You just might have a point here. Okay, next question, ‘if you were a flavor of ice cream what would you be’ and I swear if you give me vanilla, I’ll air out some very inappropriate memories right here.”

Brenden eyeballs him and Dakota stares right back with a smirk. “For fuck’s sake, Dakota. You would too. Fine, is Lemon Sorbet an okay enough of an answer for you?”

Dakota’s smirk widens. “Tart and sweet, yeah that works, I was thinking something marshmallowy, but Lemon Sorbet does fit you better.”

Brenden narrows his eyes and points his finger at Dakota. “I am not a marshmallow.”

Dakota: “Uhhuh, keep telling yourself that. Next one, if you could pick one song for our life soundtrack, what would it be?’ But not Journey, that’s obvious.”

Brenden: “I have to admit, I’m a little surprised by that question given your disdain of couple songs.” He scratches his beard. “Home by Daughtry.”

Dakota: “That’s kinda sweet. You tell anyone I said that and I’ll deny it to my grave.”

Brenden: “You do realize this is on record.”

Dakota: “You do realize I have the power of the delete button.”

Brenden rolls his eyes. “I’m putting you on the hot seat next and then we’ll see who’s the sap.”

Dakota: “Fair enough, marshmallow.”

Brenden: “Sucker.” He points to the kitten snoozing across Dakota’s lap.

Dakota: “Hey, leave the inkblot out of it. Okay, final round, word associations with our friends. Morris.”

Brenden leans back in his chair and looks up at the ceiling, folding his hands over his stomach. “Gifted.”

Dakota: “Theo.”

Brenden: “Dangerous.”

Dakota: “Wait, what? Theo? How’s he dangerous?”

Brenden: “I think he can cook even better than Mama E. If we lived near his restaurant we’d deplete our eating out funds and my waistline would be shot to hell. I don’t know how Morris does it.”

Dakota: “Your waistline looks fine to me. Felipe.”

Brenden’s lip curls. “Trouble.”

Dakota: “I thought you two had settled your differences.”

Brenden: “Look me straight in the eye and tell me I’m wrong. I’ll admit, he’s useful to have around and maybe isn’t as bad as I thought. But he thrives on attention seeking tactics.”

Dakota shakes his head with a smile. “Trask.”

Brenden: “Deep.”

Dakota: “And me? What’s you’re one word association for me? I bet I can outdo trouble.”

Brenden straightens with a penetrating look. “Mine.”

Dakota grins. “I can’t argue with that either. Okay, that’s all the time we have for another Geek Wars, until next time, get your geek on.”

Brenden: “I still say you need a new catchphrase.”

Dakota: “Bren.”

Brenden hiding a smile. “Yes?”

Dakota: “Shaddup.”

Marguerite Labbe loves writing stories about the beauty of love and the strength of family, whether it’s the family you’re born into or the one you create. She married her next-door neighbor and best friend, and they have one son, one dog, and two cats who rule them all. She has finally converted her Alabama born husband into being a Red Sox fan and now only needs to convince her son. She runs Apocrypha Comics Studio with her husband and they often trek off to comic book conventions on the weekend where they celebrate all manner of geek culture.

Author website: http://margueritelabbe.blogspot.com/

Twitter handle: @MargueriteLabbe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marguerite.labbe.3

In Safe Hands (Heroes & Babies Book 1) by Victoria Sue: Quick Review

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Former helicopter pilot Maverick Delgardo’s injuries ended his Air Force career, leaving him bitter and one drink away from becoming an alcoholic. When his sister asks for his help on a private protection case to babysit a disgraced pop star, Mav reluctantly agrees.

Deacon Daniels, onetime lead singer and idol to his teenage fans, saw his career and reputation ruined when a reporter’s exposé led to a devastating scandal. Without money or a job, a heartbroken Deacon has lost custody of his baby niece. And just when he thinks his life can’t get any worse, a stalker’s threatening messages escalate to murder.

Mav only agreed to one meeting, but his protective instincts kick in, along with an attraction to Deacon. When the body count increases, however, Mav is unsure he is up to the task of protecting Deacon from a killer. But it is too late for Mav to step away, now that he’s lost his heart, and he must find the strength to reassure Deacon and his niece that they are in safe hands no matter the cost.

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Wow, the suspense and angst in this one was enough to give me a few more gray hairs.

Maverick Delgardo is retired from the Air Force after an accident left him unfit for duty. An amputee and disfigured from the fire, when we meet him, he’s still not coping, sleeping on his sister’s couch and drinking til he forgets all he lost… which was more than just his leg.

Deacon Daniel’s used to be a heartthrob lead singer, but all that went to dirt when a bad manager, a scandal and his mother got involved. Let me tell you right now, his mother is the epitome of the worst person alive, and I’d have rather seen her die than spend an extra minute trying to find the real killer. Dramatic? Sure… but the woman was evil, through and through. She got off lucky as far as I’m concerned. I actually spent the whole book thinking she had something to do with everything that was happening, so I was kind of bummed she didn’t get the karmic smack she deserved.

ANYWAY… So, as Mav’s sister used to be a cop but was now running a process serving business that was supposed to be a security firm as well back before her husband ran off with a younger woman… she decided to take on a desperate client who at first just had a stalker…that stalker turned deadly though and everyone Deacon had any dealings with started dropping like flies…. Giving Maverick a reason to get up off the couch and stop wasting his life feeling sorry for himself…

He wanted to keep Deacon safe, of course, he did… especially when he knew that he came with a little girl, who I absolutely fell in love with, because I’m such a sucker for hot guys with kids, and she was so precious. I really felt for her, having lost both her parents and then the one person who cared about her because of her grandmother…. (don’t go on another tangent about the mother….) So, it was cute to see these two tiptoe around each other at first, but then, even as Deacon had nothing really to offer, he had no money, no life and virtually destitute at the moment, he came into his inner spitfire and didn’t let Mac push him away…. Loved that!

Now, the only problem I had with this story was all the coincidences Literally, everyone in this story was connected somehow. I was floored when I found out who the killer was, but then he knew literally everyone and it stemmed back years and years! How? It was random that Deacon got referred to Jamie (Mav’s sister), and who knew that Mav would even be there? But it had nothing to do with Mav, it was all about Deacon… I dunno, while the plotline itself was a good one and I gasped with a nooooo way…The rest of it just seemed too far fetched. Like, it didn’t need all the added coincidences, you had enough with just that. I won’t give it away, obviously, who the killer is… but I hope you’re as surprised as I was! It’s most definitely worth the read. A bit pricey for me, for a kindle book, but it’ll definitely get your blood pumpin…

I also thought the clause at the end, when the killer threatens Mav to stay away from Deacon and his baby was ridiculous… like it was his one last effort to make Deacon unhappy, and Mav just complies with it? Uhm, no… the dude was going to prison and you have all these cop friends and contacts… you can’t make sure that the killer doesn’t cause any more trouble from prison?? That whole thing just seemed unnecessary, I’m glad it didn’t last long!

Other than that, it was a suspenseful and angsty read and I feel like I need a nap after reading it, just my heart can go back to beating in its normal rhythm for a while….

4 Pieces of Candy