Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

To Whom It May Concern by A.M. Johnson: New Release Review

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To whom it may concern,

I can’t be sure what you’re into, that being said, if you like sexy and sweet romance with a whole lot of quirk, keep reading…

Ever since Clay Saxon’s parents passed away a year ago, he’s been stuck in a rut, running their business, and suffering from the worst writer’s block ever. But when Syrus Albie, aka yellow sweater guy, (you’ll see) walks into The End Book Store, Clay’s mundane little world turns to sunshine.

I don’t want to ruin it, but I can definitely say, when an introverted as hell narrator finally meets his favorite author and crush, all of his usual protocols go up in flames.

Set in the For Him World, this standalone is the perfect introduction or addition to this steamy MM collection.

Sincerely yours, A.M. JOHNSON

To Whom It May Concern (For Him, Book 3.5)

By A.M. Johnson

 

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Although this is book 3.5, I’ve not read 1, 2 or 3. It isn’t necessary  but now I want to go back and read them. Clever author.

This book is just what I needed right now. Relatively short, interesting characters, each with a decent backstory that is explained quickly, a kind of slow burn (for a novella) but was then super hot.

Syrus is described as very introverted. But he is definitely quirky and wonder if he is actually on the autism spectrum. He also is a book narrator and a prolific reader. So it is kismet when he meets the author of his favorite book quite by accident AND he requests the rights to record that book from the author all within the span of a day or two.

Clay doesn’t know who Syrus is, but he is immediately drawn to him. So he shoots his shot with Sy and it lands. They are together often even though normally Sy prefers to be alone and Clay even gets him to try different foods.

This is a no angst, sweet, sexy little story that is just really good.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Style of Love by AJ Sherwood: New Release Review

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Asher’s dream job: Interior design – check.

His dream boyfriend: Park Bo Gum – not check. Sadly.

Straight as a board, childhood bff Zar: check

Zar becoming his boyfriend: che–wait, what?!

Tags: Oh look a contemporary romance, GFY, Best friends to lovers, Dumbasses to lovers, not so much slowburn as two idiots standing around on fire, emotional baggage check, HGTV meets BL, family of choice, Asher needs a better family, Zar’s will adopt him, healthy choice making (and some impulsive ones), no angst here only cuddles, best friends giving The Talk, yes that one, Gage hates -coughlovescough- them, tropey tropes a lot, yaoi fangirls as co-workers leads to interesting situations, and sexy photoshoots, best supporting character goes to the dog, small town, Asher and Zar are so obvious there is a bet riding on them, Zar uses handcuffs for not sexy reasons, at least the first time, only one sledgehammer was sacrificed in the making of this book

Trigger warning: Toxic family members

Title: Style of Love

Series: Gay 4 Renovations Book #1

Author: AJ Sherwood

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

 

I called him as I walked—more like stomped—along the sidewalk. As soon as the call connected, I demanded, “Where are you?”

“Leaning against your car.” 

I almost stumbled over thin air. Had he seriously circled this entire area until he found my car? At least he realized we had to talk this out, though. It was smart of him to wait. I didn’t want to have this conversation over a phone. “Fine. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Okay.”

I vibrated in place, waiting for the walk sign at the crosswalk, then hurried across. I’d parked toward the back of the lot, away from most of the streetlights, so there wasn’t the best illumination back here. Still, enough light to see by, and I could see that Zar was good to his word. He was leaning against my car, legs crossed at the ankles, as if he had all the time in the world. That look was back on his face, too, the one that said he was hiding something from me. His eyes locked on me as I stalked over. 

“What the hell was that?” I demanded, coming in close enough to slam my portfolio on the trunk. 

“Me checking on you.”

“The hell it was. I realize it looked like a date at first glance, but I have never asked you to pull me out of a date with a man. It’s only when my mother tricks me that I call you in! So, I repeat, what the hell was that? You were acting jealous and possessive, like I was cheating on you. Even Wesley picked up on it, and he doesn’t know you at all.”

Zar stopped leaning against the car, turning to face me dead-on. “Maybe I was. Maybe I was feeling jealous and possessive.”

I had no words for a second. What the hell? Since when did my straight best friend care if I was on a date with a man? 

“Zar, I’m seriously lost here. What? What are you even thinking?”

“I think I’ve been fucking blind. I think I’ve ignored or found reasons for things that I shouldn’t have.”

“If you’re trying to be cryptic, congrats, you’ve succeeded. Now start making sense.” 

“I’m attracted to you, Ash.”

I stared at him, waiting for the words to make sense. They didn’t. I had literally been naked in front of this man several times and he’d never batted an eye, and now suddenly things had changed? The fuck?

“You don’t believe me,” Zar said with resignation. 

“Uh…no?” I kept staring at him, not sure where this was coming from. Or how I felt about this sudden declaration out of the blue. “No, I don’t. When the hell did you decide this?”

“Saturday made it clear to me.”

“Okay, no, Saturday was just us playing at being lovers—”

“Yeah, and that playing brought feelings out in me I didn’t realize were there. Ash, you have no idea how many times I almost kissed you.”

Ever get so startled you feel unbalanced, enough that you almost fall even though you’re standing still? Yeah. Me in that moment. “I’m sorry, what?!”

“Surprised the hell out of me too. I’ve thought about it, slept on it…hasn’t changed the realization any. I want you, Asher.” 

I’ve read the entire Scales ‘N’ Spells series this author wrote with Jocelynn Drake, and loved it, seriously just loved it. (If you haven’t read this series, go now…even if you don’t “do” dragons…worth all of it!) That being said, I really had no idea this author wrote contemporary too. But the blurb drew me in, and I didn’t want to put it down.

First, Ash and Zar…so dang cute! They honestly loved each other, before they were in love with each other. They were affectionate, touchy-feely, Zar was constantly bringing Ash lunch, or calling him in the morning. The only thing they didn’t do was actually have sex. Which is what the entire town knew…hence the board in the diner…just wait. 🙂 Zar had spent all their lives defending Ash, being there whenever he needed him, and never realized he wasn’t straight, but actually in love with  his best friend.

Zar, when he realized, he was all in, no question. Ash, on the other hand, took a bit of convincing. (BTW, him demanding that Zar come over at 6pm made me laugh so hard.) Ash didn’t think Zar could all of a sudden want him, without any sort of thoughts about it before the photoshoot, with the girls who just wanted a new model for their books.

Once Ash was convinced, the two were just even more sweet, and sexy. Everyone around them were all in, as well, except for Ash’s family, who were horrible people, and deserved more than they got as punishment for their awfulness.

One thing that I really liked, because it absolutely is a conversation that would be had was about how to define Zar’s sexuality. He didn’t know how to define it because Ash was the only man he’d ever wanted. So, it was just left as they were in a relationship, and no label. I loved that! There wasn’t a need to have Zar define himself.

This book had lots of laughs. The text group between the four partners of the renovation company made me laugh several times.

Gage: Guys, help. I’m having creation ideas above my skill level

Asher: Pfft that’s nothing, I have creation ideas above my motivation level

Cohen: I have them above my free time level

Riggs: I’m suddenly glad I’m not the creative type

Asher: Bragging is unbecoming

The four partners in this company clearly had a lot of love and respect for each other, despite their many differences, and it was hilarious to watch. I cannot wait to read the next book (I’m guessing Cohen).

Oh, and BFG…we all need a BFG.

Really enjoyed this one.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

AJ Sherwood believes in happily ever afters, magic, dragons, good men, and dark chocolate. She’s often dreams at night of delectable men doing sexy things with each other. In between writing multiple books (often at the same time) she pets her cats, plays with her dogs, and attempts insane things like aerial yoga.
 
She currently resides in Michigan with aforementioned cats and dogs.

Get social with AJ Sherwood: 

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/580361995783229/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ajsherwoodwrites 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sherwoodwrites 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajsherwood_author 

Website: https://www.ajsherwood.com/ 

Dirty Work (Book One of the Dirty Deeds series) by TA Moore: Blog Tour, Exclusive Author Guest Post with Short Story and Giveaway

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I’m so very excited to once again have TA Moore with us giving us a little prelude to her newest book series, Dirty Deeds. She’s bringing us Chapter 3 in the short story prequel. Make sure you check out all the blog posts in the series, and enter the giveaway!

Crime Scene Cleaner [kraɪm siːnˈkliːnə] – Cleans up crime scenes…before the cops know there is one.

People always say ‘you can’t go home again’. It turns out that doesn’t count as a guarantee…especially not during a global pandemic.

After the jobs in LA started to dry up, crime scene cleaner Grade Pulaski was forced to pack up and move home. He loves his family, but the last thing he ever wanted was to face the ghosts he’d left back in Sweeny, Kentucky.

Also, the place just sucks.

He certainly isn’t going to stay any longer than necessary. The plan is to save up enough money to move back to LA and give his business a kick-start. The problem is that, as previously mentioned, Sweeny’s a hole and the locals are anything but professional.

Now a body has gone missing, Grade’s reputation is being held hostage, and people keep asking whether his Dad really did run off with 100 grand of meth in the back of Dodge. Plus, even though you shouldn’t sleep with your employers, crime lord Clay Traynor is exactly the sort of bad idea that Grade can’t resist. Tattooed, bad news, and dangerous.

…oh, yeah. Grade’s job is to clean up the crime scene before the cops know someone’s dead. That’s why he needs to sort this out before he gets a bad review on dark net Yelp.

Title: Dirty Work (Book One of the Dirty Deeds series)

Author: TA Moore

Publisher: Rogue Firebird Press

Release: March 4

Amazon

 

Thanks for letting me pop in to talk about my latest book, Dirty Work, which comes out on March 4. This is the first book in the Dirty Deeds trilogy and I had a lot of fun with it! It’s available online – https://books2read.com/Dirty-Work-Dirty-Deeds-Book-1 – and I hope you like it! I had a lot of fun writing it!

I also hope you enjoy ‘Clean Hands’ a short story prequel to the series.

Clean Hands – Chapter Three

“Do you want some jerky?” Shannon asked. They held up the vacuum packed baggie of meat and cocked their head to the side expectantly. “Original or spicy?”

“Neither,” Grade said.

“Well, I’m hungry,” Shannon said snottily. “And I’m getting the spicy.”

“Get the original,” Grade told them. “It’ll sting less when you puke it back up later.”

Shannon pulled a narked face and ripped the packaging open with their teeth. They gnawed on a long strip of it resentfully as they shuffled along behind Grade. The smacking wore on Grade’s last nerve, but he tried to ignore it as he navigated his way around the angles of the two shitty security cameras.

Back home Grade would have gone to the hunting goods store, or the gas station off the Wildcat Highway that stocked everything a hunter might have forgotten to pack for a month in the woods: MREs, ammo (you’d be surprised), and porn magazines. LA’s economy wasn’t quite so dependent on providing every convenience for someone while they shot shit in the woods.

So the local restaurant supply store it was. Lucky enough Shannon worked part-time on a couple of local food trucks, so they had a membership card to the Depot.

Grade had subbed out tarps for a couple of rolls of heavy duty black plastic bags, but he’d actually managed to get almost everything else he needed. Bone saw, pruning shears, a meat tenderizer, and now he just needed…

“Do they have cleaning supplies?” he asked.

Shannon swallowed the mouthful of chewed meat. They nodded and pointed to the far corner. “Yeah,” they said. “Over there.”

The wheel of the trolley squeaked, repetitive and annoying, as they headed that way. Grade kept his head down.

“It wasn’t our fault,” Shannon said.

“Yeah,” Grade said. “I don’t care.”

Shannon was silent for all of two seconds before they blurted out. “It wasn’t my fault.”

Grade stopped in front of the rack of cleaning supplies to look them over. He grabbed a bucket. That hadn’t been on his list, but now that he thought about it he didn’t think he’d ever seen a bucket at the house so better safe than sorry. Once that was in trolley he added two massive bottles of bleach and one of Ice Machine sanitizer, because it sounded particularly clean.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yeah,” Grade said. “I just still don’t care, and I definitely don’t want to talk about it in the middle of a store. Either shut up and live with it, or get a therapist. Leave me out of it. Got it?”

Shannon looked nonplussed. They fidgeted with the torn bag of jerky as they headed for the tills.

“Shit,” they muttered suddenly. “Are we going to look like a serial killer or something? Should we throw in, like…”

They cast around in a panic and grabbed a catering pack of toilet paper rolls off a shelf. Blunt, painted nails dug into the plastic and dimpled the paper below as they held it up expectantly for Grade.

“Then we’ll look like serial killers with the shits,” Grade said. “Put it back. It’s past one am. You think whoever caught the night shift in here cares what the hell we buy? They want to go home tonight, not deal with the cops. Let them have that.”

Shannon stared at Grade over the top of the pack. “We might be out,” they said.

“Then use your hand,” Grade snapped. “Put it back.”

He didn’t bother to wait to see if Shannon did as they were told. The back of his neck itched persistently as he got to the till and started to move everything onto the belt. The tired looking girl behind the register didn’t even bother to look as she scanned things through. Grade watched the total on the register go up with each purchase and his chest tightened uncomfortably as he did the math in his head. It wouldn’t leave him broke, but his safety margin would be down to fifty quid and sleeping in bus stations on his way back to Sweeny.

Shannon wouldn’t have it. They spent money like they were allergic to it. They probably didn’t have enough in the bank for the now empty bag of jerky that was sheepishly added to the end of the belt.

Grade didn’t even bother to ask. He just paid in cash, took his receipt, and headed to the car.

“That bone saw was 80 bucks,” Shannon said, his voice thinned to a squeak from the shock of it. “Couldn’t you have got a cheaper one?”

“Don’t skimp on your tools,” Grade said. “That’s what my mom taught me.”

“Usually that’s a dad thing to say,” Shannon said with a nervous chuckle. “You know, dad wisdom is always about cars and shit.”

“Yeah,” Grade said. “Well, mine’s dead.”

That shut Shannon up. It wouldn’t last, but Grade leaned into it while it did. He needed to focus on not thinking about what he was about to do. There was only so much disassociation could do for you, he didn’t think it was a good time to test it. They packed their haul into the back of the car in silence.

“Shit,” Shannon said abruptly as they froze in place, the only thing moving their lips and the nervous twitch at the corner of their eye. “It’s the cops.”

The police cruiser turned into the parking lot and rolled slowly along as the cops inside checked the shop fronts and alleys.

“Yeah,” Grade said. “It is.”

Shannon stank of spicy jerky and the sudden hit of sweaty, panicked adrenaline. They licked their lower lip and shifted their weight as they glanced toward the road. Grade could feel the tension as Shannon got ready to do something stupid.

“Calm down,” he said. “We’re not doing anything wrong.”

Shannon gave him a panicked, disbelieving look and leaned in close. “Are you fucking kidding?” he hissed. “There’s a dead drug dealer in the garage, and we’re going to…going to get rid of him.”

Nope. Apparently disassociation was still going strong. Grade calmly tossed the black plastic bags into the back of the car.

“Yeah, but right now we’re just putting stuff in the car,” he said. “Nothing illegal about that.”

Tour:

4th March – mmromancereviewed

7th March – Reading Reality

9th March – Two Chicks Obsessed

10th March – Boy Meets Boy

11th March – Love Bytes Reviews

TA Moore is a Northern Irish writer of romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and contemporary romance novels. A childhood in a rural, seaside town fostered in her a suspicious nature, a love of mystery, and a streak of black humour a mile wide. As her grandmother always said, ‘she’d laugh at a bad thing that one’, mind you, that was the pot calling the kettle black. TA Moore studied History, Irish mythology, English at University, mostly because she has always loved a good story. She has worked as a journalist, a finance manager, and in the arts sectors before she finally gave in to a lifelong desire to write.

Coffee, Doc Marten boots, and good friends are the essential things in life. Spiders, mayo, and heels are to be avoided.

Website: www.tamoorewrites.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMoorewrites/

Twitter: @tamoorewrites

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Brushed With Love by Fearne Hill: New Release Review

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Clement Constantine Church is a hot mess. With deadlines to meet.
Whereas the striking Viking redecorating his seaside cottage is simply hot.

As a precocious teen, Clem wrote a best seller. Now he writes for other people. Too busy contemplating his bleak career and panicking about pretty much everything, he doesn’t notice that the gorgeous surfer slapping paint across his bedroom walls has a top-notch flirting game. Nor that the body hidden underneath his white overalls should come with its own government health warning.

Anyhow, apparently the Viking is straight.

After one too many unwise hookups, Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten needs to lay low and avoid romantic entanglements. Which means there is zero chance he’d ever fall for a lonely writer. Not even if they pretended to be fake boyfriends during a weekend trip to London. Not even if there was only one bed. And especially not if he’s planning on leaving England at the end of summer to fulfil his dream of setting up a surf school.

Can surfer Vikings fall unexpectedly in love? And are failed writers allowed to write their own happily ever afters?

Brushed With Love is a warm and funny romance set in the UK. Trigger warnings include cosmic lizards, feisty octogenarians, and a spoiled shih tzu.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I’ve read a few of this author’s books, and enjoyed them, so was glad to have the opportunity to read this one.

I will start by saying, the first chapter…it threw me. It definitely didn’t capture me like I would have liked, and I briefly considered if I wanted to continue forward. Very glad that I did.

This book had some very funny moments, and some moments that brought tears to my eyes. Eggy and his best mate Fifty (the origin of that name!) are just surfing and figuring out how to make their dream business a reality. Eggy is someone with a personality that shows his confidence and his vulnerability.

Meanwhile, Clem, with an interesting past, who definitely needed all the hugs. His career is not going as it should be, and a bit stuck in his ways doesn’t quite get that the man helping with his redecorating wanted more.

Fake boyfriends, miscommunication, and the potential for a move out the country makes for lots of challenges for these guys on their way to their HEA. Recommended for a tender, yet funny romance. Looking forward to more!

4 pieces of eye candy

The Magnolia Murders (Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem Book 1) by Aimee Nicole Walker: New Release Review

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Everything old is new again in love and murder.

Work together, live together, and play together is the name of the game for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. But one of those things changes when Chief Mendoza taps Sawyer to lead the newly formed cold case unit. His first task: solve the Magnolia Murders that spanned three decades and suddenly stopped in 2000.

Chaos ensues when a fourth Magnolia Queen contender is murdered during a preliminary round. With the pageant’s one hundredth anniversary looming, the pressure is on to produce results. Royce and Sawyer, along with their new partners, have to team up to solve the Magnolia Murders—old and new.

As the investigation continues, a surprise visitor and an unexpected phone call force the men to face painful things from their pasts. The future Royce and Sawyer dream of is within their grasp, but first, they’ll need to uproot the seeds of discontent they’ve buried deep.

The Magnolia Murders is the first book in the Matrimony and Mayhem trilogy, the second story arc for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. ** New readers should start with the Zero Hour trilogy before reading Matrimony and Mayhem. ** The Magnolia Murders is a continuation of Royce and Sawyer’s happily ever after as they move into the next phase of their lives—professionally and personally. Though some storylines span the trilogy, this book does not end in a cliffhanger. Heat, humor, heart, and homicide abound. You have been warned. 18+

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

We are back in Savannah with the power couple Locke and Key. We had a break from the guys being the main characters but now they are back, snarkier than ever and still under the control of their cat Bones. Gotta love it.

I admit I am not usually a blurb reader when it is an author I enjoy. So I was a little surprised that the crime fighting duo were taking different paths. Key’s new path starts immediately- he will be heading the newly formed cold case unit and his first assignment is to try to solve three beauty queen murders from 1984, 1996 and 2000. Dubbed the Magnolia Murders, Sawyer is all in.

And then another beauty queen is murdered. The MO is different though. This wasn’t at the finals, other details are different. So before his snark gets rusty, Locke and Key are chasing down leads together again.

They do a good job of trying to keep the cold case and new murder separate as they know they are different murderers. It was a fun whodunit ride. You think it is this person, then that person. The mystery was woven well and I was surprised at the reveal. Looking back at it all though, it made sense. And I love who ultimately helped them figure it all out. Or at least planted the seed to help them figure it all out.

Being that Sawyer and Royce were an established couple I wasn’t expecting so much…schmoopy. It got to be a little much for me but it didn’t detract from the overall storyline at all. Honestly, I will put up with all the schmoopy to read about their interactions with Sir Bonesington.

There were some nice cameos in there, Royce’s family, Felix, Sawyer’s old partner (is that really going the way it looks like it is going?) and the chief’s wife- baker of the perfect bear claw.

There was a lot set up for future books that I look forward to.

4 pieces of eye candy