Power Play by Avon Gale: Release Day Review

May 9, 2016 by Denise

A freak accident during the Stanley Cup Playoffs put an end to Max Ashford’s hockey career. Despite everything, Max gets back into the game he loves—only this time, behind the bench as an assistant coach of the Spartanburg Spitfires, the worst team in the entire league. But nothing prepares him for the shock when he learns the new head coach is Misha Samarin, the man who caused Max’s accident.

After spending years guilt ridden for his part in Max’s accident, Russian native Misha Samarin has no idea what to do when he’s confronted with Max’s presence. Max’s optimism plays havoc with Misha’s equilibrium—as does the fierce attraction that springs up between them.

Not only must they navigate Misha’s remorse and a past he’s spent a lifetime trying to forget, but also a sleazy GM who is determined to use their history as a marketing hook. But when an unwelcome visitor targets a player, Misha revisits his darkest days, and that might cost him and Max the beginning they’ve worked so hard to build.

Title: Power Play
Series: A Scoring Chances Novel
Author: Avon Gale
Release Date: May 9, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Avon Gale fan. Like, to the point I’m kind of waiting for a restraining order to show up at my door because I’m an online stalker. Okay, so maybe not that bad, but I really love Avon Gale. Have I mentioned that? And it’s the Scoring Chances series that roped me in as a lifelong reader of her stories, so I couldn’t wait to get my greedy little hands on Power Play.

Misha and Max have a history on the ice, and it’s not a good one. I loved the way Avon portrayed the guilt Misha felt over ending Max’s career. There was a balance between what I think is realistic guilt a player would feel and the added angst ingrained in him from childhood. Without that balance, Misha could’ve easily been seen as over the top and a bit unlikeable.

While I hated the ulterior motives that brought them back together, I’m glad they were. Both of them needed to heal from what happened, and it was perfect that they were able to do so together. They not only had great chemistry together, but they worked well as a coaching team. Both had their own strengths and neither felt slighted when the other took the lead.

I was expecting this book to be heavy on the angst given the fact that Misha is Russian and harbors a lot of fears over being gay. I thought his past would come back to haunt him in a more dire manner than it did. I kept waiting for it, but it never came. While part of me wishes it did, I don’t know that something so dark would’ve fit with the rest of the series.

I’m hoping and praying we’ll get to see Isaac’s story next, because I really feel for that boy!

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What About Now by Grace R. Duncan: Release Day Review

May 9, 2016 by Denise

Five years ago, everything went wrong. Braden Kirk and Rafe Jessen’s long-term relationship started unraveling. They stopped talking, fears mounted, then Braden walked in on Rafe and another man, completely misreading the situation. Without giving Rafe a chance to explain, Braden walked out. Out of their home, their relationship, and the game development company they started together in college.

After months of therapy to deal with the attempted rape Braden walked in on, Rafe begins to understand that his dominant tendencies in the bedroom aren’t a bad thing and that Braden’s submission is likely what scared his partner into silence. But Rafe isn’t ready to let go of the man he loves more than life itself. He arranges for himself and Braden to end up on the same charity cruise, knowing Braden won’t let his phobia—terror of vast, deep waters—rule him.

With a plan and twenty-eight days, Rafe is determined to get Braden back, make him see there’s nothing wrong with being submissive, and find a way to get Braden to stay with him when they get home to LA.

Title: What About Now
Author: Grace R. Duncan
Release Date: May 9, 2016
Category: Contemporary, BDSM, Erotic Romance
Pages: 284

I though this was a well done second chance love story. Braden and Rafe were very realistically written. I really enjoyed the slow build-up of them getting back together. I thought Grace R Duncan did an amazing job creating characters that hit you in the feels. She did a wonderful job of getting you to root for these two guys to work it out. Some parts of the story were heartbreaking, while others made me hope. I really liked the way she wrote Branden and his anger without making it over the top. I felt for Rafe and what he was going through with what happened in his past and how he moved forward through it. This book is one I would read again.

4 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

ARe

Dreamspinner Press

Bombs and Guacamole by BA Tortuga: Release Day Review

May 6, 2016 by Denise

ER doctor Dusty Lowry grew up in a conservative rural Texas family that has never quite forgiven him for staying in New Mexico after his stint in the Army. Paramedic Nate Miller, Dusty’s best friend since their early Army days, has a hippie momma, a tiny apartment, and is in lust with his buddy. When their other Army friend, Kyle, gets married, they start thinking about settling down. In fact, they both know what they want: each other. Too bad they’ve never shared that goofy little fact.

A trip to visit Dusty’s family in Texas changes everything, and Dusty and Nate aren’t sure where to go from there. Good thing they’re smart guys, and between a series of bombings that target first responders, their friend Kyle’s wife getting pregnant, and more than one bowl of guacamole, they begin to figure out how to have a relationship.

But as the bombings get closer to home, Nate and Dusty must navigate love and commitment before they lose their chance.

Title: Bombs and Guacamole
Author: BA Tortuga
Release Date: May 6, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 214

I thought BA Tortuga did an awesome job with this story. I really enjoyed the characters she created. Dusty and Nate were great characters. Dusty had such a hard time dealing with who he was and how his family might feel once they found out. I really liked how BA Tortuga got these two guys together. There was some awkwardness but not a whole big drama. Nate was fun to read. I loved his attitude and really loved his mom. I really want more of these two.

Amazon

ARe

Dreamspinner Press

Soaring Hearts by A.L. Boyd: Cover Reveal

May 6, 2016 by Denise

Title: Soaring Hearts
Author: A. L. Boyd
Release Date: October 2016
Genre: MM Romance, Contemporary

Will hearts soar when pigs fly?
Alex’s job working for his family-owned radio station once took him all over the city reporting on major events—until the accident. His scars, both physical and emotional, cause him to withdraw into a self-imposed, semi-reclusive lifestyle. When his dad requests that he go to the world’s largest hot air balloon festival, he has to find the courage to break his isolation. Now he needs to find the courage to trust and love again.
Jeff had already been planning a move to Albuquerque when he lost his home, parents, and dog to a wildfire in California. To begin his new life, he agrees to help his sister and brother-in-law with their balloon at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Now he’s seen pigs fly and bees kissing, but will he find the love he’s been searching for?

Goodreads Link

A cartographer by day, A.L. Boyd spends most of her free time with her horses, gardening, or reading. She never intended to be a writer, but stories like this one sometimes just pop into her head. The writing came about as a way to get the stories out. Her first story for the Goodreads M/M Romance DRitC event Crest Ridge Vacation was expanded to the novella titled Crest Ridge.

Contact Links: Email | Goodreads | Facebook

Other works include:

Crest Ridge (Novella): Amazon

The Dawn of Darkness (Free Short Story): Amazon

And a short story included in the Anthology Kickass: Amazon
(written and donated to help fellow author Eric Arvin with his medical bills).

Snakes Among Sweet Flowers by Jason Huffman-Black: Cover Reveal and Excerpt

May 4, 2016 by Denise

TCO: Check out this amazing cover! Wow!!! Just wow!!!

Title: Snakes Among Sweet Flowers

Author: Jason Huffman-Black

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: AngstyG

Release Date: June 20

Heat Level: 3

Pairing: M/M

Length: 79k

Genre/Tags: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Suspense, Thriller

Add to Goodreads

Two-time ex-con Camden Sanders has decided that Hog Mountain—an isolated community on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia—is the perfect place to continue running small scams without the threat of more prison time. But there are a few problems with this plan. One is the neighborly citizens of Hog Mountain thwarting his dirty dealings at every turn with their kindness. Another is Jackson Rhodes, a closeted Hog Mountain police officer who can see right through Cam’s good ol’ boy act and plans to catch him red-handed despite the attraction they both can feel. But the biggest problem of all is that Cam’s past is threatening to catch up with him, and it could mean trouble for more than just himself.

When Cam parked his pickup in front of the pumps at his station, he was surprised to find a local police cruiser waiting by the closed garage door. A tall blond cop leaned leisurely against the front bumper, staring directly at him as he took his time getting out. The frown on the policeman’s face was at odds with his stance, and although Cam didn’t think he had much to worry about, he couldn’t help the hammering in his heart, the constricting of his chest.

He’d dealt with cops and guards enough to know there wasn’t a one of them that wasn’t a sadistic asshole. They thrived on making people like Cam suffer. Cam had yet to deal with the local law and had hoped his lucky streak would continue. He had to admit the officer knew how to wear a uniform, though, with broad shoulders and slim waist accentuated nicely. Too bad he couldn’t sit in the truck all day and ogle the man instead of having to deal with whatever he wanted. With a sigh, Cam gathered his wits and opened the truck’s door, stepping out, then turning back to grab his breakfast. Well, shit. Wasn’t this morning starting off with a bang.

Instead of walking toward the officer, he aimed for the front door of the gas station. He’d turned the area attached to the garage into a waiting area with mismatched office chairs and an old coffee table from the Goodwill. Cam had to jiggle the key in the lock a few times before the cylinder turned, and as he opened the door, he heard footsteps approaching.

“What can I do you for this morning, Officer?” Cam asked as casually as possible. “Your cruiser giving you trouble?”

Cam sat his breakfast on the counter that ran along the back wall, then stepped over to the window-unit AC and pushed the button to get it going. It wasn’t that hot yet, but it wouldn’t take long to get there. When he still hadn’t gotten an answer from the cop, he turned to find him doing a thorough visual inspection of the area, then stepping over to the glass door leading to the garage and doing the same, canting his head to get as much of a view as possible without entering. Cam frowned.

“Is there a problem, Officer?” Now he had a reason for concern. What was the cop looking for? Cam had a sudden itch to run for it, although he had no idea what he was running from.

The officer turned, and Cam squinted to read the name Jackson Rhodes above the pocket of his uniform. When Officer Rhodes’s hand came to rest on the butt of his gun, it was all Cam could do not to flinch. “Who is the second coffee for, Mr. Sanders?”

Cam glanced over to his breakfast and back to Rhodes, his nervousness kicking up a notch. “I… uh….”

“Is anyone else here, Mr. Sanders?” Officer Rhodes took a step forward.

Shit! Cam was going into a full-out panic. His gaze darted around the room, looking for some way out of the situation, but then just as suddenly, his subconscious gave him a metaphoric kick in the ass. What the hell? Was he going to let this asshole come into his place of business and fuck with him? He had nothing to hide. Well, okay, that wasn’t exactly true, but he wasn’t going to simply crumple over one question.

Cam slipped into his I-give-not-one-fuck persona and looked Officer Rhodes in the eye. “I don’t see where that’s even a little bit of your business, Officer. Want to tell me what this is about?”

Officer Rhodes took a few more steps closer, until he was crowding Cam against the counter in front of his food. “I’ve been hearing tales on your methods of auto repair. From changing the winter air out of tires to replacing dissolved halogen crystals in headlights or the deoxygenized water in a radiator. A quick background check shows you’ve served time in the past.”

Fuck it! Cam thought. He took a step forward too, coming chest to chest and nose to nose with the officer. “Yeah, I done time, and I paid my debt. I’m here making a fresh start and I won’t have you bad talking my business. I have a logbook of work done, signed off by the customers. It shows I did legitimate work, no matter what you hear.”

“I’d like to see this log, if you will,” Officer Rhodes responded. Damn, the man was fine. Light brown eyes sparking with challenge, blond hair cut short in a crew cut. He looks so clean-cut, you’d think he would squeak when he walks.

Instead of pulling out the log, Cam turned toward his breakfast. “Coffee, Officer? I do have two. Might as well share. It was like I knew I was going to have company this morning.” He busied himself by pulling out the creamer and sugar packets from the bag and placing them where Rhodes could get to them, then pulling out the rest of his purchase and divvying up the food as if he’d meant to buy the cop breakfast.

When Cam glanced over, Rhodes was looking around again as if making sure no one else was in the shop. Then he shrugged and started doctoring his coffee to his satisfaction. Cam did the same and took a sip before opening one of the cabinet doors below the countertop. He pulled out a receipt book and pushed it over to the officer, then scooped up his breakfast and coffee and settled into one of the chairs to eat.

While Officer Rhodes leaned over the counter and flipped through the receipt book, Cam took the opportunity to admire the fine backside on display. The cop was built like a brick shithouse and would make a great addition to his spank bank. No doubt Rhodes had a gaggle of cheerleader-esque girls in town who giggled when he walked by. And that was too bad. Cam wouldn’t mind giving the fine officer a strip search.

The sound of a throat clearing brought Cam back from his thoughts. He glanced up to find Officer Rhodes staring at him with a frown on his face. Oops.

Jason Huffman-Black could be described as the porn star alter ego of the mild-mannered editor for several LGBT publishers. By day, Jason edits and writes in a cozy chair, while Mr. Huffman-Black travels the globe on such adventurous excursions as wrestling the one-eyed spitting serpent of Tangiers, ass-spelunking into the hidden tomb of King CockTut, and most recently, sharing a prison cell in a small third-world nation with a rather sweaty fur-covered hulk of a man named Javier.

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Coming June 20th from Dreamspinner Press

A Mended Man by Jaime Reese: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

May 3, 2016 by Denise

Title: A Mended Man

Series: The Men of Halfway House #4

Author: Jaime Reese

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 28, 2016
Photographer: wagnerLA Photography
Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Detective Aidan Calloway is rock-solid strong. He’s a man of justice—loyal to his friends, family, and job—even if it requires bending a law…or two. He shields himself behind an abrasive, fearless facade, until a phone call one night chips his armor and throws his perfectly planned, hollow life into a tailspin.

Jessie Vega is the epitome of optimism. His carefully crafted attitude of hope and positivity protects him from a past filled with too much pain. When a ghost from a dark time resurfaces and nearly breaks him, he must tap into his inner strength or risk losing everything he’s worked so hard to build.

But Jessie can’t do it alone. He must fight to break through Aidan’s ironclad defenses to reveal the heart of the man hiding beneath the tough surface and mend his damaged spirit. Only then can they truly heal and become strong enough to battle the demons that haunt them and threaten their chance to finally be together.

———

***This book contains scenes and subject matter some readers may find distressing.***

———

Although part of a series, this book can be read as a stand-alone.

A Mended Man, the fourth book in The Men of Halfway House Series is a big departure from the previous books. As I was reading this book, the marriage vows kept repeating in my head “Love is patient. Love is kind.” Truer words could not have been written about Aidan and Jessie. These two showed so much patience, kindness and love for each other throughout the book that it bled through every word, heartbreaking in its intensity, but joyful in all its love.

I’ll admit, Jaime broke my heart in the prologue, making me wonder how I would be able to get through such an emotional book. I should not have doubted her talent for reaching in and healing not just her men, but her readers.

Aidan was the patient protector through part one, allowing no one to hurt Jessie as he waited for him to come back to him, knowing that he was a closed off man, but that Jessie was the only person who could make a dent in his suit of armor. His determination to see Jessie through another particularly rough time in his life was awe-inspiring. Even knowing that he couldn’t give back to Jessie what he wanted to, because of his own haunted past, he steadfastly held on, not letting Jessie’s recovery falter.

This book was more than a slow burn. You could compare this to trying to light a fire by rubbing two sticks together. It took a very long time to get Aidan to let go enough to let Jessie in. Meanwhile Jessie patiently sat back, quietly supporting and encouraging Aidan. He was never concerned about a timeframe for them to come together, only pushing a little when the moment was right, then letting that hump they climbed over be enough until the next time.

Jessie’s never ending supply of patience, and Aidan’s coming to grips with his past merely by determining it was time is what finally brought these met to a place where they could love each other. And they did, fully, accepting each other’s strengths, and when the other was at a low point, being the strength needed to keep moving forward, building what they needed to, together.

This book was long, 145K words according to the author (for reference, 50K is usually considered a full book), and there were times as I was reading it that I couldn’t help but wonder “is this scene necessary, or possibly could it be cut so that the reader doesn’t feel like they are reading for days on end?”. And yet, with every scene that I thought that, I found out later how important that scene was later, realizing that there were no unnecessary scenes. In order to fully experience and understand these two men, the relationship they slowly built together, and how they would be able to heal and mend their past so they could find their future, every scene, every moment was necessary.

Although there was so much pain revealed in this book, Jaime did an amazing job of filling in humor, so that the reader didn’t feel like a heavy weight sat on their chest until the HEA finally made its way into their lives. The humor, whether from Aidan accusing Jessie of being obsessed with balls, or Jessie finding light moments to help lift the dark spirit that enshrouded Aidan, allowed the reader to enjoy their moments together, rather than wondering if the next moment would be another crush to one of their spirits.

If the reader met these two in person, it would be hard not to realize how perfect they were for each other. Aidan, strong, protective, willing to do anything to keep those he loved safe, taking on the burden of others mistakes, in order to allow people to feel freedom themselves. Jessie, strong in his own way, quiet, but not willing to stay silent when it came to the man he loved, allowing the positivity to be the uplifting piece that Aidan needed to not just keep moving forward but to life himself to a new place.

This book will stay with me for a while, heart wrenching as some of the parts were. The all consuming love and support these men had for each other is something we all want to aspire to, and few can achieve.

And the little glimpses of my favorite character in this series, Cole, were epic. I could not have been happier to see his happy fun face. 🙂

I know this book took Jaime a long time to write and get it right. But this book was worth every second of the wait. I saw a little note at the end that said “more coming” in this series, and in a way that makes me happy, and in a way, I want this to be the end. Because how could this love story be topped? I have no doubt this author will be able to do it, as she excels at what she does in many ways. I can’t wait to see what she has ahead for all of these men.

A beautiful 5 pieces of eye candy for this one.

“A beautiful story of love making you whole again!” – Bike Book Reviews

“Heartbreakingly beautiful” – Amazon Customer Review

“As always the wait was worth it and Jaime delivers yet another stunning but very different book.” – Sinfully Gay Romance Book Reviews

“So…where are we going?” Jessie asked, returning the items to the pantry and the refrigerator. He hadn’t expected Aidan to arrive home early, and he definitely hadn’t expected him to announce a dinner excursion, especially not after spending so much time on the couch lately, having far too much fun to want to escape the house.

“Wherever you want to go is fine. You’re always cooking and you stay in the house unless you’ve got an appointment, so I figured a break would be nice. To get out, do something…different. As long as I can pick a steak, I’m fine with any place you want to go.”

“You choose the spot. Surprise me,” Jessie said.

“Okay.”

“So where are we going?”

“Uh, I thought you said to surprise you?”

Jessie bit his lip, trying to disguise the humor at seeing Aidan squirm. He figured Aidan was probably getting a little edgy lately, always giving in and letting Jessie get his way each time. “I need to know what to wear.”

“A suit. Definitely a suit. A dark one. Either the blue one or the charcoal.”

“So it’s a date?” Jessie asked, trying to contain the flutter in his chest. He cherished their time hanging out on the couch or back porch but going out in public together? Definitely one heck of a milestone.

“Uh, okay,” Aidan said with a pinched expression.

“It’s not a date?”

Aidan rubbed the back of his neck. “If you want to do something else too, we can.”

“We don’t have to do anything else. Dinner’s fine.”

“Okay. So it’s not a date?” Aidan said, scratching his stubble.

Jessie hid a grin at Aidan’s confusion. “How about you tell me. Do you want it to be a date?”

“I want to take you out to dinner. I want you to wear a suit, because you look hot as hell in them. If that makes it a date, then cool. It’s a date. But if I have to do something else to make it a date, like a movie or…fuck if I know…a walk on the beach or something. Let me know and we’ll do that too.”

Jessie wrapped his arms around Aidan’s neck. “Where did you get that from?”

“Google.”

“I think you better leave the research to me.” Jessie chuckled.

“As long as you wear your suit.” Aidan snaked his arms around Jessie’s waist and leaned in for a quick kiss.

Jessie nuzzled Aidan’s neck. “And you need to keep your stubble. It’s hot.”

“You like soft balls and hard stubble. I think you’re confused regarding what you want.”

“I know exactly what I want. I want all of you, soft and hard and everything in between.”

Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.

The Men of Halfway House
A Better Man
A Hunted Man
A Restored Man
A Mended Man…More to come…

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