Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Rescue Me, Daddy by Michael Robert: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway

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TIM MILLER
My life in Valentine, Nebraska, wasn’t easy. At just nineteen, I found myself homeless and jobless with no prospects on the horizon. A life of abuse crushed people, but I still had space in my heart for love. With the support and guidance of an elderly widower, my life finally began to turn around.

Being young and gay in a small town brought challenges but I had goals for my life, one of which was to be loved. The arrival of a world famous author to our small community turned my world upside down. What did I have to offer a man like Davis? I have nothing but my heart. I hope it’s enough.

DAVIS HILL
After the end of my five-year relationship in Malibu, I was desperate for change. Even though my career was successful, I could still use an infusion of ideas for my next book. So I did the unthinkable and decided to randomly stick a pin in a map and relocate. My friends may have labeled me insane, but I couldn’t resist the temptation. A fresh start in a new town offered the chance to distract myself while I heal from the pain of a failed relationship.

Coming to the rescue of Tim on the very first day we met, was the beginning of one story I hadn’t expected. I had relocated to find a great story, but hadn’t expected to discover my own love story. Could a small town in the middle of nowhere offer a new beginning for both my heart and my career? Little did I know that small towns could have dark secrets that could threaten to shatter my heart.

Title: Rescue Me, Daddy
Author: Michael Robert
Length: 360 pages
Genre: Contemporary, Kink

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Goodreads

The idea of the striking stranger being right here in my town after rescuing me, caused a stirring inside I didn’t recognize. I was nervous, excited, tingly, and my mind conjured up all sorts of scenes where he protected me and held me close. Maybe he’d kiss me?

“Nobody knows why he’s here, but trust me, the single ladies are all a flutter,” she said. “He can expect a load of welcome-wagon casseroles coming his way.”

I curled my index finger asking her to come closer.

“He is very, very, very, good looking,” I whispered.

“So do you mean very ?” she joked.

I exaggeratingly nodded my head.

“I have an idea,” she began. “Let’s drive by old lady Bolling’s place and check him out.”

“Tonight?” I asked.

“Hell yeah, tonight, dude,” she stated. “Do you wanna be late to the parade of casseroles?”

I knew with every fiber in my body I did not want to miss any parade our town’s newest resident was involved in.

Michael Robert is an author residing in Seattle, Washington. The Crow Flies Free is his debut novel. Michael enjoys traveling and he aspires to visit the locations of his upcoming novels so as to provide vivid and accurate descriptions of them. He enjoys tennis, road trips and fast cars. Please look for his future projects, the next story coming soon.

Connect with Michael:
https://linktr.ee/AuthorMichaelRobert
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Adverse Conditions (Reclaimed Hearts, Book 1) by Elle Keaton: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway

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Xavier swore he’d never move back to the flyspeck of a town he’d grown up in and he kept that promise for over twenty years. Now he’s back for good.

Vincent never left. After earning his teaching certificate, he stayed in town to be close to his elderly parents. These days he’s the single dad of a fifteen-year-old daughter and working two jobs to make ends meet. He’s perfectly happy with his life.

Xavier’s mission is to save Cooper Springs. But his efforts are being hindered by his stodgy, straight-laced, rule-following neighbor, Vincent Barone. Dark-eyed, broad-shouldered, and muscly Vincent, who Xav stealthily ogles when he toils in his yard sans shirt. For a high school shop teacher, Vincent is too sexy. And he has a kid. And he infuriates Xavier. And anyway, love is for suckers.

Vincent doesn’t have time to date. And he certainly wouldn’t date his flashy, arrogant, neighbor who he absolutely did not have a crush on in high school. Who did Xavier think he was, moving back to town and throwing his weight around, causing butterflies in Vincent’s stomach, and making his stupid heart beat faster every time he saw him?

Cooper Springs has changed since they were kids, and maybe two guys can move from hate to love. But are they ready? Will Vincent bend a few of his rules? Will Xavier reign in his chaotic tendencies? Is love in the air?

Then there’s the matter of the grisly discovery in the woods, murder is bad for business.

Welcome to Cooper Springs, home to UFO chasers, Sasquatch believers, conspiracy theorists, chainsaw artists, and regular folk just trying to make a living. And, quite possibly, a killer.

Adverse Conditions is the first in the Reclaimed Hearts series, set in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, it is an opposites-attract, older lovers. enemies to lovers, small-town romance, with a little murder.

Title: Adverse Conditions
Author: Elle Keaton
Series: Reclaimed Hearts, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense.

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If Vincent had any luck at all, Romy would never know that he had fallen asleep at Xavier’s until oh-dark-thirty, when he’d woken in a panic, jumped out of bed, and dashed across their street, barefoot, clutching his sweatshirt to his chest like the last remaining heroine in a slasher movie.

He was not that lucky.

A sleeping Xavier had mumbled something that hopefully wasn’t him being mad that Vincent was leaving. After school was out, he planned to track Xavier down and they could talk. Or not.

“Hey, Dad. Where were you last night?” Romy asked as she came into the kitchen a few hours later.

He’d had two hours to come up with something and he’d come up with absolutely nothing. Vincent was a terrible liar. It was as if he had some kind of internal sensor that started going off when he tried. He stuttered, his cheeks heated, and his skin twitched—apparently no one could see him blush, but Carly had probably lied about that too.

“Oh, um, just hanging out with a friend. Lost track of time.” Smooth. He choked back a curse when he realized his fingertips were tapping restlessly against the tabletop and quickly jammed his hand into his pocket.

Grabbing a bowl from the cupboard, Romy began pouring cereal into it. Vincent let out a noiseless sigh of relief.  After she’d topped the bowl off with milk, she turned his direction, staring at him as she set her breakfast on the table.

Crap. He’d let his guard down too soon.

Eyeing him, Romy drew her dark eyebrows together— his daughter had a high-quality bull-crap detector and it was on full alert. He managed to resist shifting in his seat like a ten-year-old.

“On a Monday night? When it’s not a holiday?” Her eyes narrowed. “What happened to that early-to-bed thing you nag me about all the time?”

Lifting his coffee mug to his lips, Vincent shrugged as he took a big sip so he wouldn’t have to answer right away. He also resisted the urge to point out she was his daughter, not his mother.

Her eyes narrowed further as her gaze moved to… his neck? He squirmed, standing up so whatever she thought she saw wasn’t visible. His kid could be as—er, informed as she wanted to be about sex, but Vincent was a private guy and not about to share his extra-private life with his almost sixteen-year-old. Not ever.

Turning his back to his inquisitor, Vincent fished his lunch bag out of the fridge and then busied himself transferring fresh coffee into his Cooper Springs is for Lovers travel mug. Probably left over from the 1990s, it had a tacky graphic of two hairy Sasquatches kissing with little hearts floating above their heads. He’d picked it up at the thrift store last summer for a dollar, thinking it was hilarious. Romy had just given him a disdainful look when he’d proudly showed it to her.

“Do you need a ride in today?” Please god, not today. A car ride would inevitably lead to more questions. Vincent crossed his fingers out of Romy’s sight; Romy’s friend Violet had her license and a car.

“No, Vi’s picking me up in a few minutes.”

Vincent breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well, finish your breakfast before you leave, and don’t forget your club stuff. I am not coming home to get your things for you.”

“Yes, Father.”

Romy shoved the last spoonful of cereal into her mouth, continuing to eye him with suspicion.

“And lock the door on your way out. I’ve got a meeting with Jensen this morning, so I gotta get going.”

Grabbing his backpack, coffee, and lunch bag, he headed toward the door, but had a feeling he hadn’t escaped quite as easily as he hoped. Romy wouldn’t forget this.

“Don’t forget there’s a game Friday!” she called after him as he twisted the door handle.

How could he forget with his daughter, the high school, and most of the population of Cooper Springs spending the week reminding him?

“I’ll be there. I promised I would be.”

“And bring a friend!”

A friend? Like who? Most of the town would be there anyway. This was Cooper Spring High’s chance to beat Elma High, their closest rivals. Did she mean Xavier? No way, Xavier was not a Friday-night-high-school-football-game kind of man. Vincent chuckled, imagining Xavier wrapped up in a parka and rooting for the Cooper Springs Fighting Sasquatch [SB1] football team in the pouring rain.

Yeah, nope.

Outside, the weather was cloudy, but no rain—not yet anyway. However, the weather report promised more was on the way. It was that weird time in late fall, when most of the deciduous trees were bare and the rest looked depressed, just waiting for that last leaf to drop. Vincent couldn’t stop himself from glancing across the street, but Xavier’s house was still dark.

If only Romy hadn’t already been suspicious. And he hadn’t been running late. And he hadn’t made sure Xavier’s front door was locked before leaving. If all that hadn’t happened this morning, Vincent might have snuck back over and left him a note. But Romy was probably watching him through the front window and Stuart Jensen, head of the eleventh and twelfth grade teaching staff, did not like it when his staff was late.

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Elle Keaton writes MM romantic suspense set in the Pacific Northwest with some contemporary romance thrown in. She’s passionate about writing inclusive romances with complex characters and a unique sense of place. Her characters start out broken, and maybe they’re still banged up by the end, but they find the other half of their hearts and ALWAYS get their happily ever after. In 2017 Elle hit the publish button for the first time and hasn’t looked back. Being an author is the best job Elle has ever had and now she has over thirty books available for you to read or listen to! She loves cats and dogs, Star Wars and Star Trek, pineapple on pizza, and has a cribbage habit her husband encourages.

Connect with Elle:
https://ellekeaton.com/
https://ellekeaton.com/join-the-highway-to-elle-newsletter/
https://www.facebook.com/ellekeatonauthor (my page)
https://www.instagram.com/ellekeatonauthor/
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Elle-Keaton/author/B06XJWJRLK
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elle-keaton
https://www.goodreads.com/ellekeaton_author

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Getting Kinky (It’s a Kink Thing) By M.C. Roth: New Release Review

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Book five in the It’s a Kink Thing series

If your husband hates kink, can you still get kinky?

“ You want to kneel, sweetheart?”

Elliot is stuck in life, living a lie while doing his best to pretend he’s happy with his husband Hunter. Hunter has picked up the pieces so many times that Elliot has lost count, and he feels terrible asking for anything more— especially when it’s something that Hunter hates.

But after Elliot convinces Hunter to attend an event at the kink club Unkinked, Elliot finds a place where he doesn’t have to feel ashamed about the submission he craves.

While Hunter pouts on a bar stool in the club, the mysterious Dom Shelvin is more than happy to give Elliot a tour, somehow knowing in moments what Elliot desires so deeply. Elliot can’t let that night be the last time he sets foot inside Unkinked, even if Hunter doesn’ t understand why.

His brave face only lasts so long, and soon he confesses what he really needs— something Hunter can’t give him.

But making a contract with a Dom who isn’t his husband comes with conditions— conditions that Elliot will struggle not to break.

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I’ve been enjoying this series, partially because it doesn’t strictly follow the established path of this genre. Each book is just a bit different than another, but a bit more realistic than some bdsm. That being said, this one fell away from the HEA that I was looking for…in part. I won’t go into how and why, but it did, which since I was reading expecting more of an HEA or HFN, I figured out about halfway through that was not going to happen.

Elliot definitely was lying about loving his life, to himself, as much as others. And let’s be honest…his husband was a world class dick in many ways. But he was still put in an awkward position at the beginning.

Shelvin was still willing to put himself in the middle of it, and he doesn’t have any issues with making Elliot kneel right in front of Hunter. He’s definitely the S in bdsm, and doesn’t let Elliot get away with anything. But I wanted to see a bit more of his softer side. That being said, he really didn’t have one.

I didn’t love this, simply because it wasn’t what I was looking for in this book, but still well written, and really hits the realism well.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Prowl (The Game Series Book 12) by Cara Dee: New Release Review

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The Game Series • Book 12 • Sequel to Apex Predator • MM+MM • Primal Play • D/s • ADHD in Romance • High-Protocol Kink • Age Gap • Second Chances • Ethical Non-Monogamy
The vacation is over for the four men you met in Apex Predator, and now it’s time for Ty and Walker to be on the prowl to secure their happily ever afters.

What do you do when you come home from a vacation that changed your life?

Walker McKenna was finally back with his husband and beloved submissive, Macklin. They had their work cut out for them, and they were ready. Walker had spent four years trying to get over the love of his life, and it just wasn’t happening. He couldn’t go back to that life-sucking void of an existence. But that didn’t mean his new path was paved with roses and unwavering confidence. When the ghosts of past hurt and insecurities grabbed hold of both men, Walker had to go on a hunt once more—and this time was different. This time, he found support in a new friend. A man with a fresh take on life, devilish charm, and a mission of his own.

Ty Madison returned home to DC and the blizzard of the year. He had one goal. To make Lane his—permanently. Ty couldn’t just write off the insane week they’d shared down south as a vacation fling. They belonged together. But before he went after the young man, who had his reasons for avoiding attachments at all costs, they had a storm to weather, and Ty found himself alone in his house with Walker. A man with insight, incredible charisma, and troubles of his own.

Maybe some missions were best executed as a team.

The Game Series is a BDSM series where romance meets the reality of kink. Sometimes we fall for someone we don’t match with, sometimes vanilla business gets in the way of kinky pleasure, and sometimes we have to compromise and push ourselves to overcome trauma and insecurities. No matter what, one thing is certain. This is not a perfect world—and maybe that’s why the happily ever after feels so good.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

This one is tough for me. For the most part, I have really enjoyed this series. BUT, I feel like the focus is moving from couple (or throuple or quad) dynamics to events at McLean House.

For many books now we have know that Macklin was married but separated and his husband was in Boston. There wasn’t a ton of info given, but there was big time animosity on Macklin’s side- the only side we really saw. But in the book previous to this one, Macklin and Walker faced each other AND their issues. It was a little too easy for me, but *shrug*.

Now they are back together, albeit slowly. And one of their biggest issues was consensual non monogamy. And Walker jumps right in with Ty without talking to Macklin first. Like DUH! Yes, it was a blizzard and there was no power or cell service but come on. You’re grown men. Keep it in your pants.

Besides that, Ty was drawn to Lane. But he gets naked with Walker. Yes, I know this is the start of a fabulous foursome. But the lack of communication bothered me. And they even seemed to taunt Macklin and Lane by “connecting” on the kink website.

So Walker and Macklin are primaries and Ty and Lane are primaries, but Macklin and Lane are boyfriends and Walker and Ty are boyfriends. And that’s all well and good but there just wasn’t enough growth within the primary couples for me.

There’s also a demonstration at McLean House about high protocol and TPE. Kind of interesting…but too much. I got bored. I also got bored reading about all of their different thoughts on their dynamics without doing a lot about it.

And I was really looking forward to the big, all four guys sex scene. But it was kind of ruined for me by taking place in a hot tub outside while it is freezing out. Sorry, you can’t fully explore when you want to be shoulders deep in the warm water.

I need more intimacy. More of the men being together. Not talking about reptiles. Not explaining TPE. Not voting on the hottest photos (yes, in epilogue 2? 3?). I want the men. Together. Discovering each other. Learning about each other. INTIMACY.

I guess that is really what is missing for me. Intimacy.

3 pieces of candy

The Romantic (The Vers Podcast Book 2) by Riley Hart: Release Day Review

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Parker

When it comes to The Vers, the queer podcast I host with my best friends, I’m The Romantic. The one who’s looking for love in all the wrong places. If there’s a jerk close by, I’ll find him. I’m beginning to think my Mr. Right doesn’t exist.

It’s definitely not Elliott Delgado Weaver, the shameless flirt who keeps asking me out. We’re not supposed to run into each other in Vegas or get drunk together. We definitely aren’t supposed to wake up married…only, we do.

Before we can figure out what to do, Elliott’s family finds out. He doesn’t want to let them down by telling them it was a drunken mistake. My parents had the perfect marriage until my mom passed, and since I’d hate for my father to discover what I did, Elliott and I decide to pretend we’re in love and stay married for six months. Better to amicably divorce later than own up to our screwup, right?

All I’ve ever wanted is my happily ever after, and now I live with a serial hookup artist who never planned on settling down.

But then, why is Elliott so good to me? He takes me on dates, makes me laugh, and touches me like I’m someone to cherish. He’s shown me I’m a sucker for praise, and lucky for me, he loves giving it to me. Our marriage is playing tricks on my heart because suddenly I’m wishing my happy ending can be with the husband who doesn’t think love is for him.

The Romantic is a wake-up-married, opposites-attract romance with tons of praise, an unforgettable massage, found family, and sweet moments on the pier.

Oh Parker. The Romantic who dreams of finding his happily ever after with the perfect guy. But he keeps attracting losers. In the first book, we witnessed one guy who would constantly visit Parker’s bakery and make it a point to talk to him and ask him out. Parker always said no.

But now in book 2 we get a little backstory as to why Parker always says no. And, yanno, valid reason. But fate brings them together, sort of, in Las Vegas. And they wake up married.

For various reasons, they decide to keep up the ruse before quietly getting divorced in 6 months or so. Oh the best laid plans…

And somehow they go from married, to married roommates, to married roommates with benefits before the truth smacks them in the face. Especially when they discover Parker’s praise kink. And how much Elliott really enjoys spoiling and taking care of Parker. So Elliott, the guy Parker was determined not to date, turns out to be a perfect husband.

I’m really glad that Parker got his happily ever after in book 2. I was afraid that he would be the last. Having watched his best friends all find their mate. And I really liked that Elliott didn’t do relationships for a reason other than being hurt badly in the past. He just doesn’t think love is for him because he never seemed to have those butterfly feelings for anyone.

We get some fun scenes with the Beach Bums (and Sebastian) as well as meeting Parker’s dad and Elliott’s parents.

This was a fun read that was a slow burn. But once that fire was lit- wowza!

You don’t have to read book 1, but you should. After meeting all 4 guys in the first book, you’ll be as invested as I am waiting for each to find love.

4 pieces of eye candy

Liar City: A Novel (Sugar & Vice Book 1) by Allie Therin: New Release Review

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A murder has Seattle on edge, and it falls to a pacifist empath—and a notorious empath hunter—to find the killer before it’s too late

It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law.

Soon, Reece’s caller arrives: a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side.

As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…

“Readers will be yearning for more the minute they finish the final page.” —Library Journal, starred review, on Starcrossed

Sugar & Vice

Book #1: Liar City

Amazon

This author can world build like few others I’ve read before. Just fantastic world building. I felt a bit lost at the beginning, but soon got into it. It’s well worth the time invested.
It has lots of action, intrigue and mystery. The twists and turns in the plot are intricate, and keep the reader guessing.

There is definitely an undertone of how we treat “the other people” which is so relevant to the society we live in today.

Reese was hilarious to me (his rules about driving a car cracked me up), but also tore my heart out from all he had gone through as an empath. He and Grayson together were funny, but this isn’t really a romance, at least not at this point.

However the book worth jumping into this series and finding out what this world is all about, and seeing where these two take us. Also, I am going to jump back and grab the audiobook too, because the only thing that would have made it better is having Joel Leslie read it to me. 🙂

4.5 pieces of eye candy