Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

James and Merrick by Jessica Skye Davies: RB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Merrick Rhys is a young Welsh transplant living in South London and working as a tailor and salesman in an upscale menswear shop. Previously supplementing his income by performing as a male stripper at parties, he quit after growing tired of the pressures and complications. He agrees to do his routine one more time for friends who are hosting a stag party and finds an intense mutual attraction with one of the guests. Unbeknownst to Merrick, that guest happens to be the groom.

James Carré is a successful, middle-aged London-based artist who is about to marry Michael, a man none of his friends think is good for him. James’s fiancé is controlling and demanding and James often finds it difficult to live up to his standards of perfection, but James feels that at his age he’s not likely to find anyone else willing to make a life with him. Certainly not someone as successful and good-looking as Michael.

When James and Merrick chance to meet the day after the stag-do, they hit it off immediately and find they have a great rapport. James questions the purity of his motives in hanging out with Merrick but also finally begins to question seriously if manipulative Michael is right for him. Merrick finds himself falling more and more for James over the course of a week, but also wants to take it slowly due to a past bad relationship. Everything comes to a head the weekend before the wedding when James finally decides he can’t in good conscience stay with Michael any longer, at just the same time Merrick reads the announcement of James and Michael’s wedding in the paper.

Title:  James and Merrick

Series: Take a Shot, Book One

Author: Jessica Skye Davies

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 07/05/2021

Heat Level: 2 – Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 35100

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Age-gap, arts (visual), friends-to-lovers, hurt/comfort, stripper, engagement, artist, maestro, tailor, London setting, Welsh ancestry

Amazon

NineStar Press

Goodreads

As Saturday evening came around, Merrick also did his best to remind himself that a party like that wasn’t a place to meet guys, not when he was providing the entertainment. But, of course, if any of his friends’ crowd seemed nice…well, maybe there could be further conversation afterward. It had been nearly three years since his disastrous relationship with Seth, and now, as he wasn’t doing the dancing thing anymore, he thought maybe he didn’t have to adhere quite so strictly to his policy of independence. He had always been attracted to the proverbial gentlemen of a certain age, after all.

When Merrick arrived at Nigel and Theo’s place, he was pleased to find he had been correct about the type of mates Nigel and Theo had round—grown, professional-type men who mostly seemed to be getting a laugh out of the notion of having a stripper at a stag night. A rather more laid-back party than the young and perpetually randy crowd one usually encountered at such parties.

There was one guy who Merrick found himself drawn to repeatedly. He was handsome and quiet with an understated sort of masculinity and didn’t look like he was trying to impress anyone. His strong jawline was complemented by warm, observant grey eyes. His gaze followed Merrick’s movements appreciatively but almost shyly.

Merrick was taking a short break before the last half hour of the booking when Nigel asked if he’d be up for doing body shots as his last ‘act’ of the evening.

Merrick hesitated slightly; in his experience, that routine could get a bit sticky—in more ways than one. “Right, yeah, but just regular navel shots,” Merrick assented. “Not the tequila ones with the lick-salt-lime ritual, yeah?”

Nigel pulled a face. “What do we look like, mate? You know you’re the only one here under thirty, don’t you?”

“Doesn’t always feel like it,” Merrick laughed. “You clear a table; I’ll change leather pants for something easier to wash. I’ve got a pair of genuinely hideous aussieBums with cartoon bananas on that Henry sent me on my last birthday—that should go down a treat.”

“It’s cherry vodka we’re using,” Nigel said absently, as if trying to decide whether cherry would pair well with banana-printed pants.

Within a few minutes, the table was cleared and Merrick carefully arranged himself with his arms behind his head. It helped keep his abdomen taut but also elevated his head so he could give a reassuring smile and wink to the guys who seemed shy about sucking vodka out of a nearly nude stranger’s belly button. He knew they were just going along to be good sports. Then again, there were also those who stepped up to the makeshift bar grinning like Cheshire cats and usually stepped away only after an extra lick up his treasure trail. As long as it all stayed good-natured, Merrick didn’t much mind.

The last guy up was the one Merrick had been catching looks from all night. As he positioned himself beside Merrick, the rest of the guests cheered him on, but the tension between the two of them spiked. Merrick could tell the man was well buzzed, but by no means sloppy drunk. He fixed Merrick with that sexy look he’d been giving all night, only by now it was practically smouldering. Merrick knew he was returning the same look as the cold liquor was poured once again into the focus of his navel.

The man leaned in, deliberately keeping eye contact with Merrick as he put his mouth to Merrick’s abdomen and sucked up the vodka. He swallowed it down but didn’t step back straightaway, instead boldly swirling his tongue around a few times. When he looked back up at Merrick, an electric zing filled the space between them as their eyes locked. Merrick didn’t hesitate at all when the man moved from his stomach to his lips.

Merrick could taste the cherry vodka as the man pushed his tongue into Merrick’s mouth, and Merrick felt as though he was the one who had been drinking all evening. He couldn’t remember ever having been kissed quite like that, so sensuously, and he wanted more—a lot more.

Unfortunately, just as the nameless man pulled back a bit, Merrick realised that the partygoers were cheering wildly, and they’d just put on a fairly good show for them. Not that Merrick was at all shy about it, but he knew if things went any further just then, it might border on getting out of hand.

As the guy helped him up off the table with just a soft kiss of thanks to his cheek, Merrick checked the time and found he was done for the night. He thanked the guests for being a good crowd and collected the offered tips as he went to change back into normal attire. He considered Theo’s invitation to stay for the rest of the party, but he decided it was better to get home. Mixing business and pleasure was too often inadvisable, and if he stayed any longer he was rather sure he’d end up asking for that guy’s number.

Once home and in his own shower, Merrick wondered about ringing Theo and Nigel in the morning to ask about the guy. Give it a night to sleep on, he thought, and if he still found himself that interested, it might be worth enquiring. The attraction between them was plain enough, and that kiss had been downright sizzling.

His dreams that night, full of snogging handsome guys with bedroom eyes, had a rather predictable result by morning. He woke hard and aching like a randy teenager, glad he’d at least avoided a wet dream. Merrick decided he really did need to give it a few days before asking any favours about phone numbers; he wanted to put some distance between himself and this fixation. And to get a start on it, he decided to get dressed and go get some breakfast. His favourite place was just a few blocks away and would take his mind off the hot mystery man.

Okay, first, I loved the cover, even though, I will admit I’m not positive what the dragon thingie on there is meant to represent. Possibly a rugby reference. But still it made the cover fun.

I haven’t read anything by Jessica Skye Davies before, but thought I would give this novella a try, since it has one of my favorite tropes: runaway grooms. I am going to give a small spoiler alert…there is some cheating in this book…which can be a no-go with some people, often me in fact, but it was not one MC cheating ON the other MC, but one MC cheating on his intended groom. (That’s the extent of the spoilers). It did not put me off, though.

These two MC’s, with an age gap in excess of 20 years had so much in common, and seemed to have so much joy in each other, it seemed inevitable that they had to get their HEA. Often with an age gap of that range, you will read about daddy kink, etc. There was no mention of that at all. It simply was an age gap that was there, but not really an issue for either the MC’s or even their friends. I really liked that, as often much is made of that issue.

The personalities of these two men complemented each other, chill and yet loved hanging out with their friends, as well as each other. They both loved their job and had crap relationships that left to some serious self esteem issues. However, they helped each other through, even as they went slow. They were never in a hurry.

Michael was a jerk, but I really enjoyed that he got what was coming to him in the end, with a little jab from the two MC’s at the very end of the book. 🙂

Lastly, I’ve never seen what is the equivalent of 3 epilogues in a book, and I am here for it! I loved seeing where they were a year, two years and three years down the road. I could have more of that in every HEA I get, and be a very happy reader.

4 pieces of eye candy

Jessica Skye Davies has been a writer since her first works were “published” in her grandparents’ living room and written in crayon. She’s been a professionally published author since 2011. Jessica lives in Pittsburgh and is active in the community, having served with a local LGBT community center for several years and currently serving with the local Welsh society. She’s often found spending time with friends, attending the symphony, watching hockey, rugby, or soccer, and moonlighting as human pillow/concierge for her official writer’s cat, Squidge.

Author Links

Website:  http://www.jessicaskyedavies.blogspot.com/

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


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Sun, Sea and Small-Town Secrets by S. J. Coles: Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Small towns are full of secrets, some harder to keep than most.

Sebastian Conway is a professional psychologist and accomplished criminal profiler, but when one of his patients is sentenced to life in prison for a crime she didn’t commit, he simply cannot let it go. His borderline obsessive behaviour has embarrassed his boss and lover, Gerrard Wilson, and the relationship has come to a bitter end.

Seb has now grudgingly taken Gerrard’s advice and come to the small coastal town of Ruéier in the South of France to get some distance and clear his head—but he cannot sit by and do nothing.

He has started writing a book he believes will address the failings in the case, but when he gets swept up in a local investigation into suspected drug trafficking, which is led by the enigmatic and strangely enticing Antoine Damboise, the book—and Seb’s intentions to avoid active criminal cases—take a back seat.

He knows it’s a bad idea to get involved, but he can’t seem to help himself. And when it seems Damboise is tempted to make their relationship more than professional, Seb finds it easier than ever to ignore his better judgment. But when a local drug dealer is murdered and Seb is implicated, everything gets a whole lot more complicated.

Can the two men set aside their personal feelings long enough to figure out what’s really going on before Seb ends up in prison? Or worse…

Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of murder and drug use.

Sun, Sea and Small-Town Secrets by S.J. Coles

Release Date: 6th July 2021

Genres: ACTION AND ADVENTURE, CRIME, CRIME AND MYSTERY, EROTIC ROMANCE, FAKE RELATIONSHIPS, GAY, GLBTQI, MEN IN UNIFORM

Amazon

Pride Publishing

Goodreads

I turned over with a sigh. I’d thought that second bottle of red would help me sleep this time, but all I’d achieved was insomnia with a headache.

The moonlight creeping in round the edge of the blind illuminated the bold, minimalist prints on the walls and the simple, spartan furniture that was so at odds with the balmy, luscious countryside outside.

Gerrard had always liked his surroundings…controlled. Even the washing powder was the same brand he’d used in the flat at home, so the sheets smelled like him.

I pushed them back with a frustrated grumble then wandered into the living area. I stared at the open laptop on the desk, the piles of journals and drifts of paper surrounding it. I shook my head, returned to the bedroom, dressed then left the villa.

The cool night air felt good against my flushed skin. I strode along the seafront boulevard where the cafe and boulangerie shopfronts were bleached shades of grey in the moonlight. I took deep breaths, inhaling the smells of salt and dried seaweed.

I checked my phone. It was getting on for two-thirty. I rubbed my face, admitting I wasn’t feeling much better than when I’d left the villa—no better than when I’d stepped off the plane a week before, either. I sat on a bench and gazed out over the deserted beach. During the day, the sand was so light and the sea so blue that it was almost tropical. Even at night it was beautiful, all shifting shadows and pale sand under a sky so vast and crowded with stars that it was like it belonged to another world.

I’d never visited France before. Hell, I’d never ventured outside the UK, apart from that one—and best forgotten—trip to Majorca with Gerrard for our anniversary. But I had to admit that Ruéier was picture-postcard perfect—small, unspoiled, off the beaten track, so not overrun by tourists and the inevitable high-street chains that followed them. It was everything Gerrard had said it was—the perfect place to get some distance and write my book.

So why can’t I sleep?

I stood, thinking to walk the long way home and avoid analysing the question too deeply but stopped when the sound of voices rippled the easy quiet of the night. Stepping out from the shadow of a tree, I saw one of the boats in the harbour had its cabin light on. It illuminated the wide deck and a tall wheelhouse. Several figures were aboard and another on the pier, loading large bags into the hold.

I wasn’t sure what made me look closer. There had to be plenty of reasons for loading a boat at night. But something about the way they moved and the low urgency of their muttered French raised the hairs on the back of my arms.

When the figure on the pier handed over the last heavy-looking holdall, his jacket lifted and I glimpsed a gun tucked in his waistband.

I stepped back into the shadows just as the hooded face turned my way. I held my breath. The voices went quiet but then the roar of the boat’s engine tore through the silence.

I swore silently to myself. I’d come to Ruéier to get away from suspicious figures with guns. I held my breath for several more heartbeats before daring another look. The boat was heading for the harbour mouth and the figure from the pier was coming up the stairs less than five meters away. I ducked behind the tree and held still. I could hear his footsteps now, coming right for me.

He walked right past, heading south, down the boulevard toward the ferry port. His shoulders were hunched, his hands in his pockets and his head moved left to right as he scanned the shadows on either side.

I didn’t breathe again until he’d turned a corner and disappeared.

This was a novella, my first time reading this author, that had suspense, along with a dash of dead bodies, sprinkled with a bit of insta-love. 🙂

It isn’t clear initially why Seb is in France, but we find out quickly that he just can’t help himself from profiling local criminals, even when it begins to look like he may be a suspect himself. Meanwhile, he meets Antoine a local cop, with no real desire it seemed to move up the ranks, and there is an instant attraction that they don’t hide well, despite what is going on in their lives.

I really liked how Antoine made a point to listen to Seb, despite his wanting to not believe the things he said, he listened, which is something that Seb needed in his life. He needed to be heard, and acknowledged, and not pushed aside.

There’s a lot of suspense, a floater, and some great tension and sweetness between the MC’s.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

S. J. Coles is a Romance writer originally from Shropshire, UK. She has been writing stories for as long as she has been able to read them. Her biggest passion is exploring narratives through character relationships.

She finds writing LGBT/paranormal romance provides many unique and fulfilling opportunities to explore many (often neglected or under-represented) aspects of human experience, expectation, emotion and sexuality.

Among her biggest influences are LGBT Romance authors K J Charles and Josh Lanyon and Vampire Chronicles author Anne Rice.

Find S. J. Coles at her website and follow her on Instagram.

Author Links

Website: http://sjcolesromanceauthor.wordpress.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjcolesauthor/

ENTER HERE AND GET A FREE S. J. COLES ROMANCE BOOK! https://upvir.al/116756/lp116756

Notice: This competition ends on 20th July 2021 at 5pm GMT. Competition hosted by Totally Entwined Group.

Pet Me: The Toye Shoppe 1 by Angelique Jurd: New Release Review

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There is a lot more to Bailey Richards than just being a shy, awkward man who trips over his own feet and has never been on a date. There is more to Sam Thurston than being the owner of an adult toy shop that has trouble shaking off its skeevy image. Together, they’ll find out what.

After stumbling onto an interesting form of play online, Bailey needs to know more. To explore. Unfortunately that means he needs to buy a … thing. He can’t even say the word in his head without blushing. He needs to buy a tail. Ponies need tails right?

Bailey has found the one he wants and oh how he wants it. The trouble is, not only is the glorious rainbow tail for a unicorn, it’s also been out of Bailey’s price range … until now.

After working in construction most of his life, Sam Thurston bought The Pleasure Palace six months ago with a plan to revive it as something a little more upmarket. It has, however, been more challenging than he expected. Even coming up with a better name than The Pleasure Palace has been problematic.

As if trying to get the shop to finally show a profit while finding a name that doesn’t make him cringe when he answers the phone isn’t hard enough, he keeps getting distracted. There’s a young man who comes in regularly to look at one piece of merchandise: the rainbow tail on display at the back of the store.

Having checked his ID, Sam knows the beautiful man is twenty-five and that his name is Bailey. He also knows that with his long blond hair, deep blue eyes, and fine features, he may be the most beautiful man Sam has ever seen.

Pet Me (The Toye Shoppe 1) is a contemporary MM romance featuring mild kink, a rag-tag group who discover that found family is as strong and beautiful as blood family, and an age-gap romance between two men discovering that the other is exactly the person they were looking for. Oh … and a very beautiful unicorn.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Siiiiigh, I was sad when it ended… I could’ve gone on and read another several hundred pages with Sam and Bailey. They’re so cute! In saying that, I really, really hope we get more from not only these two, but the rest of their mixed-matched crew of business men and their brats. I also really hope to see Jordan thrown in too. I wouldn’t mind him being a dominant one against Karsyn, I’ll say that right now…. But okay, I’m getting ahead of myself….

Bailey is debilitatingly shy, dangerously clumsy and insecure and so, so innocent. It never explains why he is this way, not in detail, though we do get some hints about his past that might’ve contributed, but he’s just he sweetest boy you could imagine. With long blonde hair and a long and lithe body, it’s easy to see him as the unicorn he so badly wants to be. With very little money and not a friend or prospective boyfriend to show him what it might be like, he only settles for quick stops at the local “toye shoppe” to catch a glimpse of the most perfect rainbow tail that he only lets himself dream about… that’s where he meets Sam.

Sam is the new owner of the shoppe, with a couple of his businessmen buds. They’re all in their 40’s (I believe) and all very much single, though a few regulars from the shoppe have caught a couple of their eyes. I’m so intrigued by all of them (even Karsyn, though he’s a bit of a jerk) and I cannot wait to see what happens for all of them. Sam though, he’s intrigued by the fumbling cutie that sporadically comes in, knocks things around by accident and then flees in embarrassment before Sam can say much to him. It’s a stroke of pure luck that he runs into him in the rundown diner that he works and lets himself ask Bailey out, despite thinking it’s a terrible idea for a number of reasons, one of which is that he’s twice his age.

Their age is never a problem in this story, so if age gaps are a hang up for you, don’t let it be here. I honestly forgot it until it was brought up and then I it was a fleeting, ‘oh, yeah’…. And nothing more. I absolutely adored these two together. They’re complete opposites in the most together ways, it just worked for them. Sam showed Bailey what it was like to come out of his shell. To experience what he’d always dreamed of and how it felt to be truly accepted and loved. It was a sweet story that ended way too abruptly and way too quick for me, but that’s just me being selfish. I really just wanted more of them!

I hope they’re revisited in future Toye Shoppe stories and I cannot wait to see what’s next. This was such a cute, low angst, happily ever after, 5 pieces of eye candy read for me! I loved it!

5 pieces of eye candy

Sleight of Hand (The Kings: Wild Cards Book 3) by Charlie Cochet: New Release Review and Giveaway

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Former Special Forces Green Beret, Sacha “Joker” Wilder, is well-versed on the subject of demolitions. As a silent partner of Four Kings Security, Joker spends his days working alongside his brothers-in-arms and his best boy, Chip—a bomb-sniffing Belgian Malinois with sass. Years of military and private security experience have prepared Joker for almost anything, except the explosive attraction between him and Giovanni Galanos.

When Gio returns from his travels abroad, everyone is charmed by the handsome billionaire philanthropist, but in Joker’s experience, anyone who’s too good to be true usually is. Gio is hiding something, but the more time Joker spends around Gio, the more his walls start crumbling, leaving him exposed and at risk of losing his heart, something he swore he would never do. Love is for suckers, and that’s not him.

For years Gio has dedicated his life to his charity work, helping people around the globe, but when things go horribly wrong during one particular trip, Gio decides it’s time to come home for good. The desire for family, and a certain ex-Green Beret with a chip on his shoulder, has Gio eager to restart his life Stateside. For all of Sacha’s blustering and griping, no one makes Gio feel safer. If only Sacha could see how right they are for each other.

Danger lurks in the shadows as someone sets their sights on Gio, and secrets are forced into the light. If Gio and Joker are to have any kind of future together, they’ll have to face difficult truths, because where love is concerned, it’ll take more than sleight of hand to make things work.

The Kings: Wild Cards series is a spin-off of the Four Kings Security series.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Worth the wait!

Joker, real name Sacha, and Gio have been dancing around each other for several books now. Gio hasn’t hid his attraction to Joker, but Joker decided he hated Gio from the start. Which obviously means he was also attracted.

And now they get to find their happily ever after.

It was fun watching them dance around each other. Gio was so cool about it, never pushing or being obnoxious. Just letting Joker know, without a doubt, that Gio wanted him.

What no one knew was that Gio was hiding some things. So pretty important things. So when the truth came to light, there were some upset Kings and Gio’s brother Laz.

We got more of Joker’s background, which was interesting. One of the reasons I really liked Joker is that he was short. I know, silly, right? But these big tough security guys are always like 6’4″, 250lbs of solid muscle. But Joker was short and wiry. Hella strong, but not the quintessential muscle bound dude.

And can we talk about Chip? Joker’s dog who worked with Joker at his job, but was also a well loved pet when they were off the clock. So when Chip fell hard for Gio, Joker was done for.

There was a bit of bad guy mystery, but it didn’t take over the story at all. It just added to Gio’s persona.

Of all of the King’s Security books, I believe this one can be read as a stand alone. But really, they are all fun reads.

4.5 pieces of eye candy
One commenter on this post will win an ebook of any backlist Charlie Cochet book.

Feel the Fire: A Firefighter Reunion Romance (Hotshots Book 3) by Annabeth Albert: Quick Review

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When their career paths bring two high school sweethearts together again, the forest isn’t the only thing ablaze…

Fire behavior specialist Luis Riviera goes where his job takes him. But when he’s assigned to an arson investigation in Central Oregon—the place he left his broken heart twenty years ago—he’s afraid of being burned all over again.

Tucker Ryland had planned to join his first love, Luis, in LA after high school graduation, but life got in the way. Now a fire management expert and a divorced father of teen twins, Tucker’s thrown for a loop when he finds himself working side by side with his Luis, now all grown up and more intriguing than ever.

Though consumed by a grueling fire season and family responsibilities, the two men discover their bond has never truly broken. Tentative kisses turn to passionate nights. But smoking sheets aside, old hurts and new truths stand in the way of this time being the start of forever.

Danger lurks everywhere for Central Oregon’s fire crews, but the biggest risk of all might be losing their hearts.

Amazon

Audible

Carina Press

This is book number 3 in the Hotshots series, and definitely centers around the firefighters and their tough fire seasons. A second chance romance, it’s about two men who were each other’s first loves. Separated by life, they had moved on, but brought together by a series of arson fires in their hometown, where Tucker still lives with his teenage sons.

While it didn’t take long for these two men to find their way back together, what I loved is how it became about family. Tucker has two sons who are his world, but also his ex-wife and her husband and even a little sweet girl who clearly was the apple of the entire mixed family’s eyes. In addition, while these men had had a past together, the fact that Tucker was demisexual meant that really did need to re-establish that bond together before any sexiness was to occur, that was honestly perfect to honor his character.

Meanwhile, Luis, after having moved away with his family, had not returned to Oregon, and once he did, realized that not having Tucker in his life was a mistake not to be made twice. He even connected with Tucker’s family, which made it all the more special.

This was absolutely a love story, between two men. But it was also a love story about a family, one that was mixed (which I have a big heart for, because my family is similar, and it just works so well!), but full of love and respect for each other.

The ending was really a bit of what I was hoping for, even if I didn’t expect it. Teaching you that it’s never too late to live your dreams out, even if they are derailed for a few…or 20…years.

Definitely recommend!

4 pieces of eye candy

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: Quick Review

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Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He’s tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world.

Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

Amazon

Audible

What can you say about this book, that likely hasn’t been said already? It is beyond sweet. The characters, not just the MC’s, but all the characters, are fantastically well written. They are very distinct, and so much fun. A bit stand-offish to begin with, but with good reason. However, their love for Linus is quick to come around, and was quickly as big as their love for Arthur.

Arthur, with his big heart, and bigger home for children that didn’t fit the mold of “normal” within the magical youth, brought such joy to everyone on the island. Eventually, he won over Linus, who clearly needed what everyone on that island so much wanted to give him.

This story was a bit of a fairytale, with it’s evil powers, and do gooders, and a sweet “monster”, but it was more than that. It was all about love, both romantic, and the love for your found family.

I absolutely loved this book, and honestly would love to take a little view in the future at what their lives are like. An epilogue of the epilogue. 🙂 Nevertheless, if you haven’t read this, sit back, be happy and just enjoy this sweet and lively romp through joy by a master world builder in the queer romance genre.

4.5 pieces of eye candy