Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Ricochet by Reese Knightley: Blog Tour, Excerpt and Review

July 26, 2018 by Denise

WITSEC victim Noah Bradford knows secrets that could get him killed, and staying hidden seems like a good plan. What he didn’t plan on is losing his heart to a man who is sworn to protect him.

Battle scarred US Marshal Robert “Mac” Mackenzie has a job to do, and guaranteeing the safety of Noah Bradford is at the top of that list. Mac will do whatever it takes to keep Noah safe, even if it means walking away.

Mac and Noah, brought together during extreme circumstances, have been separated by evil. It’s been six years, give or take, and Noah is coming for vengeance against the men who killed his mother. He’s on a collision course with Mac, who has no idea of the man Noah has become. Sparks fly and the heat sizzles when these two powerful men are reunited, but will they survive the passion the past created?

RICOCHET

Out for Justice, Book 1

REESE KNIGHTLEY

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 07.07.18

COVER DESIGN: Morningstar Ashley @ Designs by Morningstar

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

Noah sat watching Mac through the windshield of the SUV. Mac had gotten off the freeway before pulling over next to a roadside stand. The man got out and bought a bunch of flowers and although Noah wondered why, he didn’t ask.

A few miles down the road, Mac pulled into a cemetery.

“I’ll be right back,” the marshal said after parking the SUV. Mac got out and walked across the grass, avoiding headstones until he stopped before one and placed the flowers in the vase in front of it. He looked so totally alone, standing strong against the wind.

Mac’s lips moved as he talked to the grave, and Noah could tell this was someone important to Mac by the way his fingers lingered on the gray headstone. Something about Mac standing alone near the grave caused a tightness in Noah’s chest, and he found himself leaving the warmth of the SUV.

Mac looked up when he shut the vehicle’s door, and their eyes met across the distance. Noah didn’t approach. He just wanted Mac to know he was there if the man needed him. A moment later, Mac approached and they both silently got back into the vehicle.

“Was that a friend?” Noah asked tentatively.

“Family,” Mac said brusquely, and Noah turned to glance out the window, swallowing the lump in his throat, and then looked back at Mac.

His gaze was drawn to the dark-haired man with a sexy five o’clock shadow growing along a chiseled jawline. Although he couldn’t see it from this side, the scar running down the left side of the man’s face gave Mac a dangerous look. In the close confines of the vehicle, Noah was very aware of the power in Mac’s corded arms and shoulders. The muscular chest he’d been held against during the escape drew his eyes time and again.

Mac took a series of side streets before getting them back to the safe house. Sitting on the couch, he tracked the marshal with his eyes, watching as the man turned on the television and selected a station. Jake and Jenny were on their way back but had stopped for a bite to eat.

He found himself staring at Mac’s trim hips. His eyes darted away before returning after a brief moment to lock on Mac’s ass. Freaking hell, no way would a man like Mac want him. Yet that didn’t stop him from wishing. He would have given anything for Mac to look at him and see someone other than a needy WITSEC victim.

Mac stalked back toward him, and Noah jerked his gaze to the television. Despite feeling displaced and scared, he felt better with Mac nearby. The man hadn’t said a word since they’d returned from the cemetery, and Noah couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong.

Mac dropped onto the couch next to him. The marshal’s scent reached his nose, and his overactive imagination pictured Mac’s scent on his body and how that would possibly work. His pulse suddenly hummed in his ears. The man’s weight dipped the cushion, and one massive thigh innocently brushed against his leg. Instant arousal hit, and Noah lifted one of the small decorative pillows to clutch in his lap.

Mac scowled at him, and Noah shifted beneath the somewhat angry stare. Again, he wondered if he’d done something wrong. The normally kind man was missing, and in his place was an irritated stranger.

The marshal’s phone rang, and Mac’s eyes narrowed before he answered it.

“Mackenzie,” Mac snapped.

“If you have stuff to do, I’m fine on my-” Noah stopped when Mac shushed him with a stern look.

Check out Jennifer’s 3 pieces of eye candy Release Day Review here.

A native Californian, Reese spends her time creating stories from the characters rattling around in her head, which has caused her to talk to herself on more than one occasion. Her love for reading mystery, fantasy, action and adventure, and contemporary romance led to her love of writing, which keeps her up day and night. Next to writing comes her love for coffee and wine, in no particular order. When not writing, Reese can be found working a part-time job where she day dreams of writing. She loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted at Reeseknightleyauthor@gmail.com

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Reese_Knightley

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/reese.knightley.90

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/reeseknightleyauthor/

WEBSITE: https://reeseknightleyauthor.blogspot.com/?zx=f0f192b0bec208c

Broken Rules by Michaela Grey: Exclusive Excerpt and New Release Review

July 25, 2018 by Denise

Sanyam Desai is a Dom, a master of his craft. He knows exactly how to make a person beg, and he does it for a living, but he has no idea how to be in love.

Sterling Reynard is in desperate need of manners and someone who cares enough to take him in hand, but he knows he’ll never be loved.

When Sterling’s world crumbles around him, he turns to the one person who’s never asked for anything from him but his trust. But their relationship is built on quicksand, and one careless word will bring the whole thing down.

Title: Broken Rules
Series: Mended Hearts: Book 2
Author: Michaela Grey
Release Date: July 24, 2018
Category: Contemporary, BDSM
Pages: 215

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Barnes and Noble

Sterling propped himself on his elbows and glanced at the clock. It was close to dinnertime. He’d slept right through lunch, he realized, surprised.

“Sanyam?”

There was no answer. Of course there was no answer. Why on earth would Sanyam have stuck around?

Rolling off the bed, Sterling limped to the bathroom, which was spotless. He used the toilet, washed his hands, and shuffled his halting way out to the living room just as Sanyam pushed the front door open and stepped inside.

“Oh,” Sterling said blankly. “I—thought you’d gone.”

Sanyam hefted the bags in his hands. “I did, briefly. I had a craving for some Thai curry. I hope you like spicy food.”

Sterling followed him to the table, and Sanyam set the food on it before turning to inspect Sterling, who blinked and drew back a pace.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to get a gauge of your mental state,” Sanyam said. “How are you feeling?”

Sterling twitched away from Sanyam’s probing gaze. “I didn’t jack off, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Sanyam’s eyes creased as he smiled. “I know. Sit. Let’s eat.”

Sterling sank into a chair as Sanyam gathered silverware and plates from his cupboards.

“How do you know?”

“Hmm? Know what?”

“Whether I’ve jacked off,” Sterling clarified. He shifted in his seat and winced. “You knew… at the club, that I had. And today, you knew I hadn’t. So… how?”

Sanyam straightened with plates in his hands. “It’s in your bearing, for one thing. I can’t really put a finger on it, but it’s a combination of tension or lack thereof, as well as—” He laughed as he put the plates on the table. “You looked ridiculously guilty when you lied to me last night. You’re a terrible liar.”

Sterling scowled. “I’m a great liar, excuse you. My parents still think I’m straight, for one thing.”

Sanyam’s eyebrows went up as he went back to the kitchen to get Utopias from the refrigerator. “Oh dear. Are they homophobic?”

“Dad is,” Sterling said, hunching his shoulders and twirling a fork between his fingers. “Mom… doesn’t care.”

“About you being gay or in general?”

“Yes,” Sterling said flatly. “What kind of curry did you get?”

“Massaman and red,” Sanyam said. His eyes were sharp, but mercifully, he dropped the subject of Sterling’s parents. “If you can’t handle spice, stick with the massaman; I’ll take the red.”

Sterling bridled and snatched the red curry. “I can handle spice just fine, asshole.”

Sanyam’s lips twitched. “If I’d said I preferred the massaman, you’d have taken that instead, wouldn’t you?”

His eyes danced with amusement, and Sterling floundered. No one had ever found his dickish behavior funny before.

Sanyam’s smile widened. “Enjoy your spice, Fox.”

Sterling hesitated.

“What is it?”

“I… actually like massaman better,” he admitted.

Sanyam laughed out loud and handed him the container. “Good, because I prefer the red.”

Sterling’s lips curved as he took the curry and began to ladle it over his rice.

I will admit that I haven’t read anything by this author previously, but something about this book intrigued me right away (the cover threw me though…I didn’t understand it at all, until I read the book, then it made so much more sense!). I loved that it was BDSM, but clearly not just any BDSM. A Dom that actually WORKS as a Dominant for a living is not a book you read every day.

The beginning was a little rough for me. When they first met, there was a difficult situation, and I didn’t see or feel any chemistry. Then when they met the second time, I felt the same. I couldn’t see why Sanyam was drawn to Sterling at all. He wasn’t just a brat, he was an a-hole. Just a complete a-hole. A hard character to like initially. Of course, because the author really put her characterizations together well, you began to see why Sterling was a character that was hard to love, but that Sanyam looked right through to the core of. In that same vein, I even had a hard time figuring out why Sterling chose to meet with Sanyam at all. It just didn’t make sense to me. So yeah, the beginning was a touch rough.

But it smoothed out very quickly after that. The reader definitely saw the characters’ personalities, and how they were shaped. In the case of Sterling, he had several very traumatic events at an early age. Not physically traumatic, or even something that someone might characterize as “abusive”. However, with events such as that, it was obvious why Sterling developed a shell around him that he would rather have everything bounce off of, versus letting anyone close to him.

The glimpses of the “good guy” in Sterling were fantastic though. He took a situation that was an every day event with his sister, that could have been so tragic to the eroding of his shell, and slowly worked it into something positive, something he could feel proud of. Oh, he fell, many times, but he kept trying to find the good in himself, and Sanyam was will and able to help with that.

I loved that Sanyam was an Indian character, originally from Mumbai, and other than one very brief moment in the book, it was never an issue for him. The author could easily have used Sanyam’s race as a way to move the book forward, and yet did not, and I appreciated that. The issues that came up were plentiful and of the characters’ own making, so the book did not feel lacking by not addressing racism intensely.

By about 50% in the book, Sterling had stolen my heart, simply because he had so many hard knocks in his life, and they just kept coming. And although, no one could call him a positive person, he could easily have sank into drugs or alcohol, and instead stayed away from that, keeping his pain internal. Certainly not the best avenue, but it could have been so much worse for him. It did allow Sanyam the space to help where he could, and bring Sterling out of his head, and into his heart.

One last piece, the “resolution” scene, if you will. There were pieces that I didn’t quite like as a reader, simply because I want joy, and agreement and happiness everywhere…and yet, they were absolutely the right things for these characters, and once I thought on that, I completely agreed with the author’s choices there. So, although I always want everyone to have the happiest of happy endings, and to get everything they want, it truly was what was right for the characters. Bravo to the author for changing my mind…not always possible. 🙂

In the end, 4.5 pieces of eye candy, and one I think I’d like to read again. I think this is a book, I might glean even more from once I read it a second time. Recommended.

Michaela Grey lives and writes in the Texas hill country. Her hobbies include knitting, analyzing her favorite TV shows, and experiencing intense feelings over fictional characters. Michaela Grey told stories to put herself to sleep since she was old enough to hold a conversation in her head. When she learned to write, she began putting those stories down on paper. She and her family reside in the Texas hill country with their cats, and she is perpetually on the hunt for peaceful writing time, which her children make difficult to find. When she’s not writing, she’s watching hockey videos or avoiding responsibilities on Twitter, where she shamelessly ogles pretty people and tries to keep her cat off the keyboard.

Social media:

Twitter: @GreyMichaela

Tumblr: http://greymichaela.tumblr.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GreyMichaela

Email: greymichaela@gmail.com

Cover artist:

Kanaxa

Serving Him (The Retreat Book 1) by L.M. Somerton: RDB, Excerpt and Release Day Review

July 25, 2018 by Denise

An escape from the real world can only ever be temporary.

Rowan Stanton knows he is submissive. He loves to look after people but the country hotel he works at can’t quite fulfill his need to serve. When he succeeds at getting a new role as houseboy at The Retreat, an exclusive BDSM hideaway in the New Forest, he believes it’s his dream job. Inexperienced in many ways, he soon realizes he’s not as prepared as he thought for the demands placed upon him.

Lorcan Wilder is young, rich and successful. He’s also haunted by nightmares and has sacrificed a decade to his business. Selling it gives him the freedom to explore his Dominant side and four weeks at The Retreat are the start of a new life. He doesn’t expect the young submissive employed to serve him will have such a profound effect on him. Exploring and pushing Rowan’s boundaries is exactly what Lorcan needs to separate himself from his past.

Lorcan makes full use of The Retreat’s facilities, from the genuine dungeon to the secret toys concealed in every room. He rediscovers his energy for life and gradually re-engages with the world. However, his efforts to compartmentalize the past ultimately fail and he comes to realize what he’s always known—that true submissives have an inner strength he can only envy.

By the end of his stay, Lorcan can’t let Rowan go, though he thinks he must. What will convince him that he’s allowed a happy ever after, and will he find the courage to accept it?

Book Title: Serving Him – The Retreat #1

Author: L. M. Somerton

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Cover Artist: Cherith Vaughan

Genre/s: MM BDSM

Length: 57,670 words/151 pages

It is a standalone story

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Global Amazon link

“Who’d have thought there would be so many applicants for a role where the job description includes nudity and a willingness to get your arse whipped?” Carey Hoffman leafed through the pile of paperwork in front of him. “This is a lot harder than recruiting for club servers.”

“Relax, Sir. It’s important we find the right people. The more applicants we get, the better chance we have of finding someone perfect.” Alistair Easton, Carey’s submissive, kneaded his Master’s shoulders. “Our first paying client deserves the best.”

“That’s so good.” The tension melted from Carey’s shoulders as Alistair loosened knotted muscles. “Maybe we should go upstairs for an hour so that you can relieve other parts of my anatomy.”

Alistair giggled. “Not a good idea if you want to invite people in for interviews this week. We have work to do.”

Scowling, Carey turned to his friend and bar manager Harry Croft. “What’s a Dom to do, Harry, when his sub takes charge?”

“Generally,” Harry replied, “I find it’s best to do what I’m told.” He ruffled his sub’s hair. Kai Smithson was seated on the floor between Harry’s legs. “You can always spank him later, but for now, Alistair is right. We have to get through all these applications this evening. We only have one post left to fill, don’t we?”

Alistair knelt at Carey’s side, hands folded in his lap, his serenity in complete contrast to the noise and activity going on all around them. The Underground was always busy, but Friday nights tended to be hectic. Carey had sequestered a quiet corner for their discussion. A low table held paperwork and drinks, and cushions softened the floor for Alistair’s knees and Kai’s backside. Carey still found it hard to concentrate. He blamed Alistair for looking so tempting in leather trousers and a sheer silk shirt. He imagined removing the shirt, exposing Alistair’s smooth skin inch by inch, then watching his lover wriggle out of the trousers…

“Carey?” Harry brought him out of his daydream.

“Sorry, I got a bit distracted. Where were we?”

“The last vacancy—if you can keep your mind on recruitment and off whatever it is you’re planning to do to Alistair?” He shared a conspiratorial grin.

“Oh, yes. Right. Well, I’m thankful Mr. Wilder’s requirements are not too onerous. Tor Halvorsen will act as executive chef. He cooked for Joe and Heath when they had their taster weekend with Olly and Aiden and their reviews of his cooking were first rate. Olly said, and I’m quoting here, that Tor’s double chocolate brownies were better than an orgasm after two days in chastity.”

Alistair and Kai both burst out laughing.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Olly would be proud. He can create chaos even when he’s hundreds of miles away. That’s two extra strokes for you tonight, young man.” He gave Kai’s hair a gentle tug. Kai sucked on his lower lip but his eyes sparkled and he rubbed his cheek against Harry’s thigh.

“Tor has recruited two kitchen assistants, both, I might add, stolen from here at The Underground,” Carey said. “As Mr. Wilder is traveling alone, Tor says that will be more than adequate to cover his stay and allow for days off for each of them. Tor intends to work through and take some time off in between clients. He’ll also take on training Benjy and Frank. Going forward, I think we should consider rotating the junior kitchen staff through The Retreat. Then they’ll all get experience of different kinds of catering.”

“That’s a great idea. At least they won’t be shocked by anything they see at The Retreat.” Harry grinned. “Right. Goran has sorted all the drink supplies, so Mr. Wilder won’t starve or go thirsty.” Goran was Harry’s very capable deputy bar manager. “He can always take a quick trip down there if Tor needs him for anything. It’s always possible that the client will want to throw a party while he’s staying. Goran’s already offered to run the bar for events like that.”

Carey nodded. “Excellent. Then we have Luke Redding as general manager. He’s ex-forces, like Tor.”

“The Retreat is going to be run like a military campaign,” Harry said. “Tell me about Luke. I know he’s a member here but not much else.”

“He’s a well-respected Dom. Kept up his membership even when he was overseas on active duty.”

“Well, you do give service personnel an excellent discount.”

“I do, and they deserve it. Whereas Tor was in the army, Luke is ex-Navy. Served fifteen years then took an honorable discharge to care for his father who died last year. Mother passed when he was a child so his dad brought him up. He told me at the interview that he gave himself to his career, then to his father, now it’s his time. He was very open. He doesn’t have to work for the money but needs a purpose. He’s a very experienced manager and won’t take shit from anyone. He’ll be perfect for mentoring the young men that will be working at The Retreat, as well as the contractors. Management of the house and garden staff as well as all the arrangements related to housekeeping and maintenance will sit with him, and if our guests want any training in a particular technique, Luke can either handle it himself or bring someone in from the club if he doesn’t feel qualified. He knows the area well too—he was based at Portsmouth for many years and the New Forest was a favorite daytrip destination.”

“I hope I’ll get to meet him one day,” Harry said. “I’m surprised I’ve never come across him here.”

“I’m sure you will. I intend to have post-stay debriefings with The Retreat’s management team here at the club.”

“Good idea. So, when you Skyped with Mr. Wilder…”

“Lorcan. He prefers to be called Lorcan.”

“When you Skyped with Lorcan, did he have any special requirements for other staff?”

“I think he’s going to be a low maintenance client—he was reserved, but friendly. The stay is a personal reward for selling his business. From what I could make out, he’s done little else but work for many years. He’s had some training as a Dominant and has excellent references from a couple of clubs I know in the U.S. He wants to see whether immersion in the lifestyle is what he wants because, as he said, he thinks it is but he’s never had time to prove it to himself.”

“Sounds like he has his head in the right place.”

Nodding, Carey flicked through a few applications. “I’ve done a full background check. There was an incident in his late teens, which I won’t go into here because it shouldn’t cause any issues. It marks him as a survivor. He plays hard when he has the time but that isn’t often. He admits to a preference for blonds. Smaller than him and not too muscled.”

“How tall is he?” Harry asked.

“Six feet one.”

“That rules out three of these—all within an inch of that height. There are also several brunets and one redhead in here so I’ll put them aside. That still leaves six possibles.”

“Whoever we choose has to be prepared to be very flexible.” At Harry’s feet, Kai giggled. “Not that kind of flexible, brat,” Carey chided. “Lorcan wants one man to be his personal assistant, valet and submissive. He doesn’t want a lot of people around the place because his break is about getting some breathing space, so this man will be at his beck and call twenty-four seven. Experience isn’t needed. I think Lorcan wants someone he can mold to his requirements, so we’re looking for a relative innocent—but one who knows what he’s getting into.”

“And who understands the difference between furniture wax and candle wax.” Harry rolled his eyes. “Talk about mission impossible.”

“The housework will be light, just Lorcan’s bedroom and bathroom. The contracted cleaning service will handle the rest. We’ll need someone bright enough to be an effective assistant…”

“And who doesn’t mind taking notes naked, with a plug up his arse.” Harry laughed. “Sorry, I’m being facetious.”

“You may not be that far off the mark. Nudity and minimal dress are non-negotiable.”

“Well, that helps us narrow the field a bit more. Two of these applicants are house subs here. I know them both and I don’t think either of them could be called sweet and innocent—they’re a pair of brats. Of the remaining four, two have university degrees and one went to work straight from school but got very good grades at A level. The last one seems to have drifted from job to job but does have waiting experience.”

“Drop him for now and ask the other three to come in. When we have time, I want to see all the applicants we’ve rejected for this job in case they’d like us to hold their details for future opportunities. It would be nice to be able to offer clients a portfolio of staff to choose from rather than having to go through this process all the time. That way we can also broach the subject when we recruit staff for The Underground. Whoever we choose this time will be permanently employed, but The Retreat is fully booked for months. We’ll need to alternate between clients so that the houseboys can take some time off and that means we need to line up someone else for the next booking after Mr. Wilder. We can cover unexpected illness or, God forbid, walk-outs, with staff from the club in the meantime.” Carey caught Alistair’s eye. “What do you think, love?”

“The catalogue is a brilliant idea. I’d be happy to take pictures for it, but maybe you should ask some of the members what they think, too? You have an instant audience for research here.”

“You’re right, of course.” Carey surveyed his club. The Underground was his pride and joy and he fully intended to make The Retreat just as perfect. “I’ll leave the interview arrangements to you, Harry. Time for me to make sure my members are happy. I think the boss giving his sub a public spanking might go down well tonight, don’t you?”

“You know it will.”

At Carey’s side, Alistair shivered. Carey stroked his hair. “Would you like that, sweetheart?”

“If it makes you happy, Sir.” Alistair kept his eyes downcast but Carey could see he was smiling.

“Oh, it will, you can be sure of that and if you’re very, very good you might even get to come. Emphasis on the might.” Carey raised his glass. “A toast. Here’s to finding someone for Lorcan Wilder who lives up to our exacting standards.”

Harry pulled Kai onto his lap. He clinked his glass against Carey’s. “Bottoms up!” He avoided spilling his drink by the narrowest margin as Kai shook with laughter.

“They soon will be.” Carey chuckled while Alistair tried, unsuccessfully, to conceal a groan.

I’m not quite sure how I haven’t read any of this author’s books before. I really thought I had, but looking at her backlist, I realized I hadn’t, so a new book in a brand new series made it an easy decision. And after reading this book, I believe I might have to go see if I can find the books on the secondary characters, such as The Retreat’s owner.

I really enjoy realistic BDSM books. Ones where someone has a job, maybe a pet, or a random hobby. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that people in the lifestyle need to do things like go shopping for groceries, or tie their shoes. This isn’t one of those books, but I didn’t enjoy it any less. This was much more of a suspended reality for these men. A new BDSM resort, away from the hustle and bustle of life, a new job for a submissive that hadn’t been fully trained yet, and a Dom who sold his company and literally had nothing to do but spend time with his paid sub. Definitely suspended reality. However, the story did still bring in reality for these characters, from Rowan deciding to leave his steady job and every day life and jump into something he’d dreamed of, but still being aware of things like his family’s concerns. There were even times when Lorcan declared that they needed to not be “on” and just enjoy some time away from the rules that he had imposed upon them during their stay.

And of course, every day life and stresses were waiting for Lorcan as soon as he came back online. However, it seemed that he had grown enough as a person, and as a Dom to be able to handle those stresses without completing dropping out of the world, and was glad to bring Rowan with him. Even a trip to London addressed some of the everyday things one would find there, such as the noise, and the extra people.

Meanwhile, Rowan grew to understand himself and what he wanted as a submissive, and his life, and was able to finally express it by finding what he’d been searching for. (BTW, it was super adorable the one thing that he made sure that he brought with him, and initially hid from Lorcan, only to find out Lorcan had something similar for himself back home…read it, it’s adorable 😉 ).

Anyway, I enjoyed the book, even with the suspended reality, because sometimes that’s exactly what you want or need in your life. Time away from everything.

4 pieces of eye candy

LM lives in a small village in the English countryside, surrounded by rolling hills, cows and sheep. She started writing to fill time between jobs and is now firmly and unashamedly addicted.

She loves the English weather, especially the rain, and adores a thunderstorm. She loves good food, warm company and a crackling fire. She’s fascinated by the psychology of relationships, especially between men, and her stories contain some subtle (and some not so subtle) leanings towards BDSM.

LM is winner of the National Leather Association’s Pauline Reage Award for best novel and the 2016 Golden Flogger Award for best BDSM novel in the LGBT category. She has received multiple Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards and won the Action and Adventure category of Divine Magazine’s Book Awards in 2015.

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Curl Around My Heart by Londra Laine: RDB, Excerpt and Release Day Review

July 24, 2018 by Denise

At Pearl’s Hair and Nails, no one questions Tate Robinson about his high heels, crop tops, and lipstick, because he’s the boss and he can wear what he damn well pleases. The shop is his life, and he doesn’t need anything more. Until a man walks in with his adorable daughter, and Tate has to untangle her helmet-hair…and his growing feelings for the single dad.

Reece Evans has been on his job for years, has his own place, and now has custody of his eight-year-old daughter. But he doesn’t trust himself to avoid screwing up. Adulting is not his strong suit—or so he’s been told.And now a sexy beautician, who also happens to be his new downstairs neighbor, has Reece wanting and reaching for more than he thinks he’s capable of.

As Tate and Reece move past their own fears about relationships, Reece’s ex issues a threat that could destroy everything. Will Reece’s worries about other people judging him undermine his budding romance? And will Tate’s fear of rejection make him push Reece away? Or have the sweet single dad and his precocious daughter curled too tightly around his heart to give them up?

***Please be aware that this book contains references to drug addiction.***

Title: Curl Around My Heart

Author: Londra Laine

Editor: Jae Ashley

Cover Art: Aria Tan

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: July 24, 2018

Rating: 18+

Page Count: 168

Word Count: 61,923

Themes: California, single dad, beauty shop, contemporary, neighbor romance, African-American, drug addiction

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Eventually they eased away from each other, their lips pressing briefly against a cheek, an eyelid, the corner of a mouth, until their foreheads were touching as they shared slightly labored breaths.

“I like you, Tate.” The words spilled from Reece as though Tate had wrung them from him. Tate pulled back, forcing Reece to disentangle their legs. Tate was in profile to Reece now, his head dropped against the back of the couch. His stomach seized and his confidence drained, waiting to hear Tate’s response.

“I like you too, Reece,” the other man mumbled.

Oh, thank fuck.

Reece sighed in relief as Tate shifted to meet his gaze.

“I’m crazy attracted to you. Obviously. But, I’m just nervous because guys like you⎯”

Reece’s hackles rose. “Guys like me?”

Tate closed his eyes briefly then opened them. “Yeah. Guys like you. Stereotypically male. Not so obviously queer. Well, they’ve been attracted to me, dated me. But inevitably break things off, because they think I’m too femme. Too flamboyant.” Tate’s shine flickered, and a well of heat raced up Reece’s chest.

“Well, fuck those dudes,” Reece said, throwing himself back on the couch. “And don’t ever compare me to them. I see you, Tate.” He turned his head and waited until Tate met his gaze. “I like what I see. All of it. All of you. You look good to me in heels,kicks, tight-ass ladies’ jeans, and sweats too. I just like you, man.” He ended his little tirade on a shaky breath and then leaned over to brush his lips against Tate’s.

As he went to pull back, Tate trapped Reece against him, gliding his tongue across the seam of Reece’s lips, coaxing Reece to open then luring him into an urgent kiss. Their lips and noses smashed, teeth bit and clacked as they clutched at each other before Tate pulled back abruptly.

“What am I doing?” Tate whispered, resting his head against Reece’s. “You have a kid. You’re my client. My neighbor.” He pulled back, his face serious, eyes searching Reece’s. “And I like to top. Mostly. Like seventy-thirty.” Tate lifted his chin as though waiting for Reece to object.

Reece just smiled, his dick twitching at the thought of Tate topping him, bending him over the couch and making him wail. He brushed his lips against Tate’s. “Well, lucky for both of us then that I like to bottom, mostly. I’d say about sixty-forty. I figure we can meet somewhere in the middle. As far as the other stuff goes… What? You discriminating against me?”

Tate shook his head. “No, it’s just that I’ve been here before, okay. With the straight guys, the bi guys, even the gay ones, and most of them just wanted to fuck and didn’t even want to take me out on a date because I was too effeminate for them.” Tate waved his hand. “Too whatever, too…me, and I just…” He trailed off.

“You expect me to be like them,” Reece finished.

Tate groaned then covered his face briefly. “No, okay? Maybe. Ugh. It’s hard not to expect this to be the same, you know?” Tate grimaced.

Disappointment surged through Reece but then quickly dissipated. Tate didn’tthink Reece would personally fuckup whatever this was that was starting between them. No, this had nothing to do with Reece. Tate had been burned, and Reece could relate. He couldn’t make any promises about the outcome of their budding whatever it was, but he damn sure wanted to try. He didn’t want to be to Tate what all the other men who’d come before had been.

Reece grabbed Tate’s hand, turning to face the man. “Well, how about we do the unexpected? Can I take you out next Friday after work?” Reece held his breath.

Wheeew, I am such a sucker for a hot dad story. Hello, Reese and his daughter LJ.

Having just recently gotten temporary full custody of his eight year old LJ, (her mother had left her home alone for days to go on a drug binge) he’s doing everything he can to stay on top of things as a single father. He has help from his mother, but he’s trying to make a way for him as his baby girl. It’s hard, and his self-esteem isn’t the best; with his mom constantly putting him down and nobody thinking he can do much of anything, he’s actually doing an amazing job. He works full time, he’s going to school, and his daughter and happy and healthy, and his house is where he feels safe. Letting LJ be the little girl she wants to be, means playing on a football team with a bunch of boys, and that does severe damage to braided hair, and tomorrow was picture day. It was late, but he had to do something. He takes her to Tate’s.

Tate, in all his makeup wearing, heel wearing glory, was my favorite. I adored him! After opening a beauty shop in honor of his grandma- the only one who ever accepted him for who he is; Tate was there after hours, cleaning and closing down his shop. Color him surprised, when a hot dad with his little boy came in, needing a haircut. Color him even more surprised when that boy took off his football helmet and was the cutest little girl, desperate for someone to fix her hair. Between hot dad and cute kid, he couldn’t say no…. and he had tried.

Tate had loved the sweet way that Reese had about him, and the way he seemed to adore his little girl. He had a hard time forgetting about them after he’d went home that night, but wouldn’t you know, it wouldn’t be the last they’d see of each other. Not only would they come to Tate for more hair emergencies, but he’d also found out tht they were his new upstairs neighbors.

It was slow going at first, neither man having very high self-esteem, and even with a push from a very enthusiastic LJ, it was still a bit before they finally give in and see what could happen.

Their journey together was sweet. Tate was endlessly supportive, he always got on to Reese when he was feeling down about himself and always put him in his place when he talked down about himself. He helped him see that he was doing okay, and he didn’t just fall in love with Reese, he adored LJ, too.

Reese had a tougher time, he had so much going down in his life, especially after LJ’s mom’s family tried to stir up trouble; but, he gave Tate what he’d never had. He loved Tate and all that he was, and he wasn’t embarrassed by him, or whatever it was that people often didn’t go beyond a night or two with him. He was so “extra”, and I guess, in a way he was. He worked it though. I loved that soooo much.

Of course, things get a little rocky, especially when LJs mom comes and takes him back to court for custody. Its hard for all of them, but I held out hope that things would work out for them. Tate, being his supportive self, of course wasn’t going to let Reese go through it all alone, even when Reese pushed him away. By the ending, I was swooning more over Tate, and I didn’t think that was possible. I just loved him. (If I haven’t reiterated that enough.) And I loved the little family they made together. Not perfect, but perfect for each other.

Overall, it was a really sweet read and I’d definitely recommend it.

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

A forever-man for every man

Londra has loved to read since she discovered The Baby-Sitters Club. As a child, her parents would ground her by taking all the books out of her room for several days. Londra began reading romance in 2008 and fell in love with the M/M romance genre after purchasing a book by accident several years later.

After decades of daydreaming, and jotting down story ideas, Londra decided to give life to the characters in her head. She writes to give her guys the happy ending she wishes everyone––no matter their race, religion, gender, or orientation––could experience in real life.

During the day, Londra is a communications manager for a consulting firm. She is a recovering journalist. Londra loves the New York Yankees, Seinfeld reruns, tacos, and Friday nights on the couch with wine and a new book.

In 2010, she moved from her native California to New York City where she lived in Harlem for nearly eight years. In early 2018 she relocated to Seattle with her husband.

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Risk Taker by Lily Morton: New Release Review and Excerpt

July 23, 2018 by Denise

Being in love with your best friend is hard.

Henry’s the odd man out. All his friends are settling down, and his reputation as the Hook-Up King of London seems more like a curse than a blessing these days. Especially when it keeps photojournalist Ivo, his best friend and the brilliant man he’s loved since they were fifteen, at arm’s length. But that’s where Ivo wants him, right? Putting aside his feelings, Henry decides to give up casual sex and look for the real deal. After all, he has no chance with Ivo – or does he?

Henry is everything to Ivo. Best friend, soul mate, the one person who has never let him down. The one person he is loyal to above everything and everyone. But Henry’s in a box marked best friend and that’s where Ivo’s kept him for nearly twenty years, despite steadily falling in love with the gentle man. And besides, why would Henry want to date Ivo? Burned out and injured, he’s the walking embodiment of damaged.

Distance has helped Henry and Ivo keep a lid on their attraction, but when they find themselves in the same city for a change—Ivo hurt and needing assistance, and Henry more than willing to provide it—the two best friends grow closer than ever, forcing a realization, and a decision. Risk their friendship for their hearts? Or can they have both?

From the bestselling author of Rule Breaker and Deal Maker comes a tender love story about two best friends who are perfect for each other, and always have been – if only they knew it.

*This is the third book in the Mixed Messages series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Risk Taker

Mixed Messages Series, Book 3

Lily Morton

M/M Romance

Release Date: 07.22.18

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

Amazon US

Amazon UK

The bell in the shop rings as the door opens, and I smile as I feel his presence behind me.

“Is there a particular reason, Henry, why I am standing in an art supply shop rather than sitting in a perfectly good restaurant eating lunch?”

I shift the basket over my arm and turn to face one of my best friends. “Gabe, you really should be a bit more highbrow. Otherwise, you’ll never keep that pretty totty you’ve got.”

His perfect-looking face scrunches up in disgust. “Totty. What an utterly disgusting word.”

“I know,” I say cheerfully, turning back to the shelf I was perusing and chucking in another tube of Rose Gold oil paint.

“Makes you sound like your father,” he says snippily, and I nudge him.

“Now that’s petty. Anyway, I’m nothing like him. I have all my own teeth, and my complexion is milky-white perfection, if I do say so myself.”

He snorts. “Apart from those freckles.”

I shake my head and touch a finger to my face and my bête noire, the multitude of freckles that span my nose. “I wish that cream I got off the internet at uni had worked,” I say forlornly, and he laughs loudly, making it echo around the shop.

“I did so enjoy the way your face turned that shade of green. Made you look like Grotbags from The Rod Hull and Emu Show.” He reaches over and grabs a tube of paint. “It was this shade precisely. Hmm, Pistachio Green.” He chucks it into my basket, and I patiently remove it and put it back on the shelf.

I toss a couple of tubes of Prussian Blue into the basket while he leans casually against the shelf looking like the perfect picture of a lawyer in his dark grey, hand-tailored suit.

“Why are we here, Henry? Because if you’re thinking of giving up the law and becoming an artist, I really will have to stage an intervention.”

I laugh. “I think I’d make a very good artist.”

“Piss artist, more likely,” he says, poking my arm with one long finger. “So, if we’re not shopping for what would be the shortest career in art history, who are we shopping for?” His gaze sharpens, and I mentally groan because aside from Ivo there is no one who knows me better. “Hmm. Would we be shopping for a six foot four blond photographer who a certain red-headed lawyer has had the hots for, for years?”

“That’s such a non-Gabe expression,” I sneer. “Has Dylan been influencing you?”

He looks startled and shakes his head. “Those fucking phrases of his and Jude’s. They’re messing up my vocabulary. Yesterday one of the senior partners asked me if I was okay and I said I was cool. He went out and asked his assistant to tell maintenance that the building heating needed to be turned up.”

I laugh helplessly, and he gives me a rueful grin. “Don’t distract me, Henry. Is Ivo back?” I nod slowly and his expression darkens. “Is he okay?”

I shrug, picking up a brush and studying it intently so I don’t have to look at him. “Not really. He’s got a hole from a fucking bullet in his side, and broken ribs and bruises all over him from being near a car bomb when it went off.”

“What?” he says instantly. “Is he okay?” Gabe has always had a complicated relationship with Ivo. He loves being with him, and they can talk for hours, but he hates the effect that he unknowingly has on my life.

“He’s fine. Silas checked him over.”

He checks with his hand out to grab the brush from me. “Henry, isn’t Silas a vet?”

I shrug. “He was very good at biology at school.”

“I was good at it too. You don’t see me turning up at St Bart’s Hospital and performing a few appendectomies during my lunch hour though, do you?”

“The only biology you were any good at was the male anatomy kind,” I say tartly, and chuck the brush in the basket.

He smiles. “That I was. I’m a very learned man in that area.”

I snort. “You’re practically PhD material.”

Henry!

I was so excited to know that Henry was getting his own book in Risk Taker; but was a little disappointed that it was a friends to lovers type of read. They all seem the same to me; the constant back and forth of, I love him but he doesn’t see me that way, we’re only friends; and then the other side saying, wow, I love him but he only see’s me as a friend and despite everyone telling them their feelings are reciprocated towards one another… it’s just a constant back and forth of pity parties and keeping quiet, when literally one word would stop all the frustration! Sadly, this one was no different.

Ivo had come to live with Henry and his brother as a teenager, when his mother married Henry’s father. All parents were terrible in this story, you will not find a good one and I believe it’s the reason Ivo has this jet set lifestyle as a photojournalist that doesn’t keep him still for very long. He’s constantly off to foreign places, finding himself in dangerous situations and getting himself hurt. As careless as he seems to be with his life, he always manages to get back home to Henry… though it never lasts long enough to get comfortable. Henry hates it, he worries about him so much and even after all this time, Ivo is the most important person in his life. He loves him though, unconditionally and knows that he can’t make him stay… as much as he loves him, he lets him be free to be himself, even if it means missing him so much and missing out what he really wants… which is a life with him. My heart hurt for him so much because of that.

There are a lot of memory recaps that fill us in on the life they’ve had together up until this point. As horrible as their parents were, they only had each other, and Henry’s brother Silas…I loved having these little pieces of back story that show how the two got to become so close. Their banter is adorable and before anything else, they truly were best friends in every sense of the word. You feel that between them, it’s undeniable. I love when that happens, when the words are so expertly executed that you actually feel the connection between two fictional people. Sigh….I loved that.

Now, while Ivo is back home, healing from another injury sustained while away, Henry had just made up his mind to stop pining for the best friend he could never have, and decides to give actual dating a try. Here is where we see the other guys, Jude, Asa, Gabe and Dylan…. They plan these disastrous blind dates so that maybe Ivo will get his head out…. It works, hilariously and he finally does what he should’ve done the first half of the book!

As much as I’m jaded by this trope, and as aggravated I was with just wanting to shake these two, I eventually fell hard for both of them and found myself crying for Henry and beaming with the pride at each of them for standing up for each other against Ivo’s mom and Henry’s mom and everyone who talked badly about the other. It truly was a rollercoaster of emotions and I’m going to have to take a angsty break for a day or two and maybe bask in the ending that was so worth the wait.

I kind of felt like Ivo had to prove himself, as he was the one who needed to catch up to Henry’s feelings. And he did… he soooo did. Then ending was perfect and so well deserved for both of them, it fit perfectly with the flow of this series. Such a great addition to an awesome series. I would definitely recommend. Maybe we’ll get something good from Silas next? Fingers crossed!

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily 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 bought her first Kindle.

She 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 could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

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Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

July 23, 2018 by Denise

Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout, the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series

It’s a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic’s star witness has just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father’s shady past is catching up with him and the hot new special agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink.

Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic’s witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.

Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew’s suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he’s willing to go—and how far into his own dark past he’s willing to dive—to get everyone out alive.

Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne

Series: Trouble Brewing #1

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date (Print & Ebook): Ebook/Audio – July 23, 2018; Print – July 31, 2019

Length (Print & Ebook): 272 pages

Subgenre: M/M Romantic Suspense

Amazon

Carina Press

“Turn around, baby,” Cam whispered. He stepped back, only far enough for Nic to rotate, then pulled him close again. “We’ve been dancing around this for months,” he said, walking them back toward the desk, Nic bumping up against it. “You want this as much as I do, if the two kisses we’ve shared are any sign. Unless I read them wrong?”

Chin down, Nic glided his hands up the outsides of Cam’s arms and over his shoulders, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. “You’re not wrong.”

It was a miracle Cam had held out this long. This close to what he’d desired for months, the wild part of him desperately wanted to break free, wanted to play rough and hard with Nic. “Then what’s the problem?” he asked. “You came to my place the other night. You made that move.”

“A lot can change in forty-eight hours,” Nic said, angling his face away.

Cam didn’t let him get away with it, trapping Nic’s chin between this thumb and forefinger and righting his gaze. “The way you feel about me?”

“This is messy, Boston, for a number of reasons, the least of which is you could get killed tomorrow.”

Nic’s blue eyes swirled with a stormy mix of lust and hesitation, the former on the cusp of winning out. Cam just needed to push a little harder.

I was so glad when I saw this book is out. I read the Agents Irish and Whiskey series last year and I love those guys. I remember liking Dominic, even though he was dating Irish while Whiskey was and — well, it was upsetting for both Whiskey and I. then when Whiskey’s bff Cameron showed up, I figured we’d see his story sometime soon. And here it is.

The attraction between Nic and Cameron begins before this book, when they kissed at a wedding. So, it’s already established that these two share an attraction and think about each other a lot. Once Nic’s witness goes missing, Cameron goes undercover to find her. Just a little angst and danger before we finally get to see these two take each other for a test drive, so to speak.

This is Book #1 in this series. So while Cam and Nic are in a good place at the end, Nic’s past has come back to haunt him and the ending promises more to come. I like these guys, and I like the other members of this world which come to visit here. If you enjoy the Whiskey and Irish cast, you’ll like this one too.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Author Layla Reyne was raised in North Carolina and now calls San Francisco home. She enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart pounding romance. When she’s not writing stories to excite her readers, she downloads too many books, watches too much television, and cooks too much food with her scientist husband, much to the delight of their smushed-face, leftover-loving dogs. Layla is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. She was a 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.

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