Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Whiskey Business (Love in No Man’s Land Series) by Becca Jackson: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway

September 7, 2023 by Denise

. .

When Marcus suggests we make a bet and if I win I get his ex’s ticket on a four day cruise, I’m not sure he’s for real. He doesn’t like to gamble and he hates to lose even more than I do. Yet, the allure of sharing a room with him for four glorious days is too tempting to resist.

To my surprise, I win, and Marcus doesn’t resist the outcome. It’s almost like he actually wanted to lose. But that would be crazy, right?

Things take an even wilder turn when Marcus’s mom mistakes me for his fiancé, and neither of us corrects her. Now, his whole family believes we’re engaged, and we’re caught in a tangled mess of lies, with even his brother and our friends joining the charade.

Amidst the chaos, I have to admit that this plan might just be the best idea I’ve ever had. Well, except for our little rehearsal of a staged kiss, just in case we need to perform it in front of his family. That was the best idea ever, because with his hands on my waist and his mouth on mine I’m starting to think this fake relationship might be more real than either of us thought.

But when a past hookup threatens to expose everything, it forces Marcus to choose between revealing the truth or pretending I’m just like his former flame.

Can our fake relationship survive reality, or will it crumble under the weight of secrets and revelations?

Whiskey Business

By Becca Jackson

Love in No Man’s Land Series, Book 3

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Goodreads

The Practice Kiss:

“There was something else I thought we should talk about before dinner,” Ari says, and the blush grows pinker as he moves towards me. “Many people don’t like public displays of affection, but this is your family and we’re supposed to be engaged so I just wanted to ask… I mean, what if there is a time that we have to… you know… kiss?”

He’s right in front of me now. His head tilted back, exposing his long neck and his cologne surrounding us in bergamot and musk. It’s fucking delicious.

“Would you be okay with that?” I ask, my voice coming out shakier than I expected.

He’s the one who told them we were engaged, and although holding his hand and cuddling up on the railing felt completely normal, making out with your friends is usually not a good idea.

“I think if the situation called for it,” he says, “I’d be okay. But just because we’ve never done it before, maybe we should practice first?”

My heart jumps into my throat.

“I mean, not practice, we know how to kiss. More like… so that we don’t act like it’s the first time when we need to make it look real. This is stupid. It’s okay, we probably won’t have to, just a thought,” he finishes and turns his attention to his fingers that twist together in front of him.

My cheeks are full as the smile spreads across my face. It’s nice seeing Ari like this. Nervous. It’s actually kind of sweet, seeing him get all twisted up in his words.

“I think you’re right,” I say, placing one hand on his side. He tilts his head up towards me, cheeks flushed, eyes wide, and gaze locked on mine.

I slide my other hand up his arm to his neck, and he licks his lips.

This should feel weird, shouldn’t it? My heart is racing but with excitement, and I lean down as he pushes up onto his toes and meets me halfway. Our lips press together, and they’re soft and slightly wet and warmth fills my chest.

My fingers move to the back of his neck and slide into his hair as his lips part. Instinctively, my mouth mimics the action, and when his tongue brushes slightly against my own, I deepen the kiss. I move my hand from his neck to around his waist and lift him. His legs wrap around me and he holds my face against his, our mouths moving in time, and it’s the most incredible kiss I’ve ever had.

Heat pools in my groin as my cock presses hard against my dress pants and I break our kiss.

He doesn’t lower his legs right away. I catch sight of us in the bedroom mirror and my dick twitches. Fuck, this looks hot.

“That was…” he starts, but then there’s a knock on the suite door and Theo calls out.

“You two ready?”

Becca Jackson is the author of mm romance stories that deliver heart, heat, and happily ever afters for some totally adorkable and fabulous guys.

Connect with Becca:

Instagram: https://geni.us/BeccaJacksonInsta
Tiktok: https://geni.us/BeccaJacksonTiktok
Facebook Profile: https://geni.us/BeccaJacksonFacebook
Facebook Group: https://geni.us/BeccaJacksonFBGroup
Website: https://geni.us/BeccaJacksonWeb
Reader Group/newsletter: https://geni.us/beccamail

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Mann Hunt by Peter E. Fenton: RB, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

August 29, 2023 by Denise

. .

Book one in the Declan Hunt Mysteries series

How far would you be willing to go to finish the job?

Declan Hunt is having a bad week. His kidnapping case is showing little progress, his office assistant has left him on short notice, and his latest investigation has left him literally battered and bruised. But things change when he hires twenty-four year old Charlie Watts to help out at the office. They form an unlikely partnership trying to solve two seemingly unrelated cases whose threads begin to weave together when the missing person case turns to murder.

The investigation takes them from the dark alleys, gay bars and bath houses of Calgary, to the richest parts of the city during the world-famous Calgary Stampede.

But will they be able to discover who the killer is before another life is lost? And will Declan be able to solve the mystery of his relationship with Charlie who is clearly attracted to him — especially since it is evident that the attraction is becoming mutual?

Title: Mann Hunt
Authors: Peter E. Fenton
Length: 67k
Series: The Declan Hunt Mysteries, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense

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Goodreads

Declan sat forward in his chair, bringing him closer to Katherine. “I need to ask you some personal questions regarding your husband.”

Before Declan could continue, she replied, “He wasn’t taking any medications, his health was good and he certainly wasn’t suicidal. Never has been.” She added, almost as an afterthought, “And he wasn’t involved with gangs, drugs or the sex trade.”

Declan smiled. “The police have obviously already asked these questions. How was your relationship with Ian?”

Katherine finished her Scotch and said, “May I have another?”

Declan refilled her drink and noted that she was fiddling with her wedding band. As he handed her back her glass he said, “I was asking about your relationship.”

Katherine took a moment before she answered. “It was…unusual.”

Charlie looked up from his notes, then glanced at Declan.

“Meaning?” Declan asked.

“We loved each other. We were each other’s best friends. We rarely spent more than twenty-four hours apart.”

“So, you didn’t have a fight?”

“No.”

“Then why are you here, Katherine? It seems to me that the police are the best people to handle the case.”

“Well, they would be, except for the fact that when I told them we had an open relationship…”

“Oh…” Declan responded.

Katherine shifted in her chair and scowled. “The one officer got this obnoxious little smirk on his face. He said that it would be best if they left it for another day or so. He said that maybe Ian and his ‘friend’—he actually used air quotes around friend—he said they probably just went away for a while—took a trip.

She took a large swig of her drink.

“I told them that Ian would never do anything like that. We had rules that we followed. He said that men followed their cocks before rules every time. He even suggested that Ian might have run off with another man.”

“Pretty crude,” Charlie judged.

“That describes the cop perfectly.”

“And you don’t believe Ian could have run off with someone?” Declan asked.

Katherine emptied her glass, then looked at Declan. Peter E. Fenton’s first book, The Woodcarver’s Model came out in April of 2022 and was a four time nominee in the Goodreads M/M Romance Readers’ Choice Awards.

Mann Hunt is the first of a three part detective series with upcoming books being released in 2024 and 2025, (all through Pride Publishing).

2024 will also see the release of his first teen romance novel Not Not Normal with Lorimer Publishing.

All of his novels are proudly set in Canada and are filled with humour, heart and unforgettable characters.

Previous creative work was focused on writing for the stage, including award-winning productions of The Giant’s Garden, Newfoundland Mary, and Bemused. His newest play, The Detective Disappears will tour in Canada in the fall of 2023.

Peter spent many years working in palaeontology in remote locations including the Canadian Rockies, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

He currently lives in Toronto, Canada with his partner of more than twenty years.

Connect with Peter:
Website: www.peterefenton.ca
Blog: www.peterefenton.ca/blog/
Twitter: @virtualfenton
Publisher: https://www.pride-publishing.com/index.php?route=product/author/info&author_id=11790
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterefentonbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21653233.Peter_E_Fenton
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/peterefentonromance

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French Fancy by Lily Morton: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

August 24, 2023 by Denise

. .

Pip Simmonds is the twinkiest twink in London. He’s loud, proud,
and packed to the brim with sass. But when he’s laid low by illness, even his hotpants lose their sparkle and his worried boss sends him to the South of France to recuperate in his holiday home.

Cap Ferrat is beautiful, and the periwinkle-blue villa is luxurious, but the real draw for Pip is the villa’s other resident—his boss’s younger brother, Olivier Durand.

Olivier owns a perfume empire and has spent his whole life running from any other form of commitment. He’s worldly, carefree, wild, and the perfect choice for a holiday fling.

Drawn together by proximity, the two men become lovers and friends and then something more. Something special. But will their special bond hold true after summer’s end, when they both must return to their real lives?

This is the second book in the bestselling Model Agency series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Title: French Fancy
Authors: Lily Morton
Length: 396 pages
Series: The Model Agency, Book 2
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

“Good morning,” he says, one dark eyebrow rising. “You slept well, Pip?”

“I did.” I sit down at the table genteelly. “It’s amazing what a nighttime swim does for you.”

His eyes twinkle with amusement. “I will take your word for it.” He cocks his head, and a strand of hair falls across the olive skin of his cheek like a comma. “Pip? Is that your real name?”

“No, it’s Phillip.”

“Philippe. I like that.”

“Well, it sounds a lot nicer in French.”

“What doesn’t?”

“You do not,” Elise scolds me. “Speak in French. How will you ever correct your terrible accent if you do not speak it here?”

I roll my eyes. “It’s not my fault my French teacher comes from Newcastle.”

“Parle-moi en français,” she chides again.

“You are learning French?” Olivier’s face is lively and interested.

Elise puts a plate of food in front of me. “Eat all of that,” she scolds. “Still too thin, Pip.”

“That is not for me?” Olivier says. “If this were a queue in a shop, I should be complaining loudly.”

She rolls her eyes. “To have made food for you at this time of the morning would have required psychic talents to know you were getting up. And if I had that gift, I would be on the stage, no?”

“I can get up early,” he says.

I warm to him even more. His face is mischievous and naughty, and it doesn’t take Elise’s indulgent smile to know this is familiar banter for them.

She waves her hand, dismissing his statement. “Sometimes, if there is enough temptation.”

“There can never be enough temptation,” he tells her solemnly.

She grimaces at him and heads back towards the range. “And coffee and a cigarette are not part of a nutritious diet,” she throws over her shoulder.

“According to you.” He winks at me.

I’ve been staring at him and heat washes over my face at being caught. But then I rally and grin at him. “Nice to see you with all my clothes on,” I say in French.

He’s taking a sip of coffee and accidentally inhales, spluttering over the table.

I am pretty sure that everyone who read The Sunny Side has been eagerly awaiting Pip’s book. He was a scene stealer that everyone noticed. And now almost a year later, here he is.

Seems our Pip was quite ill and insisted on returning to work too soon. But Jonah, his boss, put him on a plane to recuperate further at his family’s villa in the South of France. Poor Pip. However will he manage? Spoiler alert: he’ll manage just fine.

Jonas’ brother, Olivier, shows up at the villa seemingly without a care in the world. It was quite unexpected as he tends to be a workaholic spending most of his time in Paris. Curious.

First thing I noticed was that Pip wasn’t nearly as snarky and attention seeking as he was in The Sunny Side. Part of that was definitely him still being sick. But I think part of it was that he didn’t have to be over the top to get attention from Olivier. I mean, at work in London he is surrounded by models. And while he is a good looking guy, he is short and probably would be easy to look past. But at the villa, Olivier only has eyes for him. As a friend. Mmmmhmm.

Olivier is so oblivious. EVERYONE sees what is going on. Except for him and Pip. Even the grouchy next door neighbor- a famous photographer. And the house keeper. And Olivier’s best friend.

He takes the time to show Pip all of his favorite places and things. Pip has never had a man shower him with so much attention. And Olivier is a GENTLEMAN.

Even after being kind of tricked? but not really? into sexy times by Armand, Olivier’s best friend, they still each insist on that whole friendship label.

But then Pip is recovered and headed back to London. Olivier has huge work fires to put out in Paris. An emergency brings them back together and STILL these dummies can’t figure out what is going on between them. It’s almost comical.

But of course they do and there is a great happily ever after. Well deserved too.

I have to say that the visuals painted by the author were truly amazing. I ended up googling the town and the pictures were just as she described. The town, the sea, the villas, the flowers…just all so stunning. It isn’t often that an author can make me picture so clearly in my mind a place I have never been.

Also, don’t you worry. Pip is still a sassy, snarky guy. But it’s all done with love.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

Lily has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

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On the Double (The Renegades Book 3) by Cara Dee: New Release Review

August 23, 2023 by Denise

The Renegades #3 • Romantic Suspense • Action • MMM
“It’s a fine line between not revealing your arsenal and creating disorder by showing your strength.”

Funny how calm you could feel when someone had ripped the heart out of your chest.

River and Reese Tenley had grown up on the fringes of society, spending most of their adult years as private military contractors in places nobody else wanted to go. It’d been the two of them against the world, and they’d never believed their missing puzzle piece had existed—until they’d met Shay. The young man who’d quickly become their everything.

So the moment he was kidnapped… The moment those sick bastards took Shay, the twin brothers had nothing left to lose.

Amazon – All Regions

Oh man do I love the Tenleys. They are my favorite relationship in the various worlds of Cara Dee. I could almost feel their guttural pain when Shay was kidnapped in book 1. Hearing about what they were doing in southern California to find those responsible should have been shocking, but I honestly expected no less of them.

But now they have met up with everyone else- and a couple new additions-in Columbia. The cartel baddies are there. And so is Shay.

All together in the jungle the guys formulate a plan. With help from Crew and Adrien working undercover on the inside, they want Shay out.

It’s fast paced and nail biting. But there are still small moments of humor which are so necessary with such a tense situation. Everyone played their roles perfectly. It was brutal and bloody and the smoke hasn’t even cleared yet. But there is still one more book to go to wrap everything up. I can’t wait.

4 pieces of eye candy

The Fortunate Son (Redemption Ridge Book Two) By Aimee Nicole Walker: New Release Review

August 23, 2023 by Denise

Ivan Gallagher’s first and only attempt at love nearly cost him everything—his reputation, family, and even his freedom. Needing an outlet for his pent-up passion, the gruff foreman turns his beekeeping hobby into a successful business. Just when he’s on the verge of taking his liquid gold to the next level, a granted favor transforms his orderly life into a sticky mess.

Rory Snyder was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but wealth couldn’t spare him from loss and heartache. Finding himself at the center of a dangerous media storm, the social media influencer seeks refuge at Redemption Ridge. Too bad the Viking-sized Ivan seems impervious to Rory’s charms because he could use a sexy distraction from the chaos threatening to ruin his life.

Predawn collisions in the hallway lead to revelations, explorations, and something far sweeter than honey. Soon, living in the moment becomes living for the moment. But for how long? A future seems impossible for the humble foreman and the fortunate son until a common nemesis makes Ivan and Rory realize what they truly stand to lose.

The Fortunate Son is book two in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. The Fortunate Son contains mature themes and is intended for adults.

Content Warning: homophobia, underage alcohol addiction, and intentional overdosing are briefly discussed in this book, though no graphic descriptions are used.

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If you read book 1 you know you were intrigued by Ivan, the foreman at Redemption Ridge. BIG, gruff, growly…did I mention big? Ya, him.

We got a hint at what was to come at the end of book 1 when he encounters Rory in the kitchen on his way to a meeting with the boss and his bosses…best friend? friend with benefits? boyfriend? No one is totally sure. But the guy is also a fed. And he needs his brother Rory to chill on the ranch for a while. Rory’s father (they are half brothers) is in politics and running for office and the opposition is trying to smear his name by digging into his son’s personal life.

So growly Ivan thinks he is now a babysitter to sassy Rory. But Rory isn’t afraid of work. Or of Ivan.

Both characters play off of each other really well, I think. Rory comes off as sassy and headstrong- which he is-but he is also kind of a mess. After the death of his mother, his father sort of checked out of the parenting thing. Which works GREAT with teenagers. So of course he did everything to get attention. And even though he is a grown man now who has cleaned up his act and has a very successful travel/environmental blog, his father’s opposition wants dirt.

Ivan is also pretty complicated. He messed up and did his time in prison. But he can’t seem to forgive himself. It’s pretty sad. But like I said both guys are really good for each other. Ivan doesn’t have a lot of self confidence but Rory has it in spades. And Rory is still learning how not to let the past drag him down and to not beg for love from his father. All while the 2 of them steam up the pages.

The author knows how to make us care about characters even before they are the main characters with their own story. We started to care about Ivan in the previous book. Now we wondering about other characters and when they will get their happily ever afters. All without pulling focus from the main couple.

Most of the previous characters make an appearance- including the evil religious cult and Finley’s mom. She cracks me up. I love how she just takes everyone under her wing.

And I really loved how they melded their lives without anyone making a sacrifice. Ivan couldn’t imagine leaving the ranch, but Rory traveled for his blog. But they figured it out and it was wonderful.

4 pieces of eye candy

Public Affair by Kristian Parker: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway

August 22, 2023 by Denise

. .
London is in the grip of a heatwave, but something else is causing Nihal Varma’s temperature to skyrocket.

The CEO of a PR agency, he’s used to dealing with glamourous and beautiful people. He’s woken up with a lot of them too.

Yet when Carl Carrington, MP and candidate for leader of the opposition, walks into his office, Nihal finds himself a bag of nerves. And that never happens. He soon discovers that not only is Carl stunning to look at, he radiates decency. In Nihal’s world, that’s a very rare commodity.

When Carl insists on working with Nihal only, he’s entranced. Could this MP be interested in a man whose past is…chequered, to say the least? Nihal ‘I don’t do relationships’ Varma really hopes so. Even if getting involved with a client, especially such a high-profile one, is not just crazy. It’s insane.

But for once Nihal is out of control and that makes a man do very strange things…

Title: Public Affair
Authors: Kristian Parker
Length: 218 pages
Series: Queens Crescent, Book 4
Genre: Contemporary

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

His gaze fell to the television screen again. This time a handsome young man with glasses and scruffy hair that didn’t seem to go in any coherent style yet framed his face perfectly was being interviewed.

“Carl Carrington is the rank outsider,” the newscaster said. “As a passionate believer in all things green as well as LGBTQ rights, he’ll be popular with the younger electorate.”

The slim younger man fought his way through photographers outside an apartment complex that had to in the Docklands area.

“Who is he?” Nihal asked. He had never had a great interest in politics. If they looked like this specimen, he might have to change his ways.

“He’s my MP,” Bee replied. “One of us. Really nice guy. Paula went to him for help about them closing the mother and baby unit, and he got stuck in. Saved it too. He would be the dream to win. It will never happen though. He’s far too decent. Paula said he was sweet too. Makes you want to vomit, doesn’t it?”

Paula was Bee’s wife and always had a cause on the go. She made a real difference with them too. Something Nihal admired her for. It beat launching crap products that people didn’t need.

“Right. I’ll get the coffees,” Bee said, dusting off the crumbs from their shirt. “Can we grab five minutes to talk about the next month?”

Nihal couldn’t take his eyes off the man on the screen. This guy had something special about him. Of course, he was absolutely gorgeous, but that didn’t set him apart though. It went deeper than that. As photographers jostled him, he seemed lost amongst it all. He needed help and Nihal was more than happy to oblige.

“When you get a chance, give Mr Carrington’s assistant a call,” Nihal said. “Can’t hurt to see if he wants any PR representation.”

Bee nodded. “Sure thing.”

They left the office and Nihal caught Jeff’s amused expression. “What?”

“You’re as transparent as shrink wrap, Nihal Varma. He’s not your usual type though. Will you be able to cope with someone who has more between their ears than their legs?”

“Maybe I’m ready for a change.”

I have written for as long as I could write. In fact, before, when I would dictate to my auntie. I love to read, and I love to create worlds and characters.

I live in the English countryside. When I’m not writing, I like to get out there and think through the next scenario I’m going to throw my characters into.

Inspiration can be found anywhere, on a train, in a restaurant or in an office. I am always in search of the next character to find love in one of my stories. In a world of apps and online dating, it is important to remember love can be found when you least expect it.

Connect with Kristian:
www.kristianparker.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/kristiansworld
https://www.facebook.com/kparkerwriter
https://www.instagram.com/kparkerwriter/

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