Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

3.5 stars

A Rhythm You Feel (The Rock Gods: East Coast Label Book 1) by Ann Lister: New Release Review

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Blade: As the lead singer of Hard Core, I’ve been taught several key life lessons. Unfortunately, I’ve also ignored many of them in the last twenty minutes alone, which is why I’m now being chased by a horde of crazed fans.

But my worst misjudgment today? Going outside in public without security or a backup plan. Screaming fans come with the job and the fame is as much of a blessing as it is a curse, but I still couldn’t imagine doing any other line of work.

Music owns me and I am happy to be her bitch.

Nico: I knew who he was as soon as he burst through the front door of my store and I was absolutely starstruck and speechless. Yes, me with my own hardened attitude and jaded outlook on life had lost the ability to talk in the presence of Blade.

I’m an ex-con. I paid my debt to society, and I have my own brand of scars to show from the time I spent behind bars. My life’s regrets stain my soul as much as the ink of my tattoos color my skin. Solace for me came with ownership of a bookstore. It was a peaceful place to work until a certain rockstar blew in from the street like a Category 5 hurricane.

Hurricane Blade was about to make landfall and I wasn’t sure I’d survive the storm.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Yep. Ann Lister is back.

I was a fan of her Rock Gods series, although it kind of dragged on a bit. I wasn’t a fan of the Guarding the Gods series. But this new series- so far so good!

Who isn’t a sucker for a rock star book? Basically we all are. What made this one a little different is that they weren’t an up and coming group. They also weren’t on tour. The entire book was the band in one place and working in the recording studio.

Blade (ok, he explained his name, but still. That whole bad ass stage name thing is so 80’s) is the lead singer of Hard Core. Typical rock star lead singer. Writes the brilliant lyrics, has an ego the size of Mt Everest, etc.

Nico is unique. A total book worm who inherited his father’s independent book store, but also a recovering addict and convicted felon. He certainly didn’t fit into any trope mold. And I liked it.

Blade and Nico become inseparable. Nico inspires Blade to write so truly filthy, but awesome song lyrics. There is a lot of sex (of course). They can’t keep there hands off each other. But that happens in new relationships. And it is kind of cute when it is this bad ass rock star who just wants to be with his new boyfriend.

We get a revisit with a lot of the guys from The Rock Gods series, which was cool, but also kind of unnecessary. Their names in passing would have sufficed because I feel like this series can stand up on it’s own without relying on the other series to hold it up.

3.5 Pieces of Candy

Ignite (Unbreakable Bonds Book 7) by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review * 2 and Giveaway

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Two of Noah’s Army buddies are dead.

Someone has taken shots at Noah.

And now Noah’s former lover, JB, is a target.

Noah, Rowe, and JB team up to track down a killer trying to take out all of Noah’s old Army team in hopes of covering up a dark secret.

But this trip to Washington, D.C. threatens to unravel the perfect life that Rowe and Noah have built over the past three years. JB’s arrival in their lives have Rowe and Noah wondering if they want the same thing for their happily ever after.

Rowe is sure of one thing—nobody threatens his man. And he sets out to show anyone with a hidden agenda what a bad decision that was.

Title:  Ignite

Series: Unbreakable Bonds #7

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: July 26, 2019

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 73,000

Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense

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Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Noah smiled to himself as he watched Rowe drive them home. His hands slid easily along the leather wheel. Soon those strong hands would be stroking down his body. The way the man kept looking at him during the wedding had him half-hard all evening. He knew it was the wedding—all the romance in the air.

A lingering worry had nipped at him earlier in the day that Ian’s wedding would bring back painful memories of Rowe’s own wedding, but he seemed fine and Noah couldn’t be more thankful.

So, he watched those hands. Being touched by Rowe was like nothing else in this world. The man worshiped his body with an all-in intensity that frankly awed Noah. And he knew that wouldn’t change, no matter how long they were together. He took in his dark-red hair, lit by moonlight, disheveled as usual, and his ripped shoulders and arms. The man filled out a suit well, but he couldn’t wait to peel him out of it.

“Keep staring at me like that, and I’ll be finding a secluded spot to pull over,” Rowe murmured, giving him a steamy look.

“That’d be fine with me. Did I tell you how hot you are today? You should wear suits more often.”

“Soon as we get home, I’ll show you my birthday suit.”

“That’s my favorite suit of all.” Noah grinned.

Rowe pulled to a stop at a red light and turned toward him, his green-eyed gaze hotter than the sun. “You clean up nice yourself. Come here.”

Noah leaned over to kiss him. Brakes squealed sharply. Noah jerked his lips away from Rowe’s before they could touch. A car had pulled up, perpendicular to theirs, in the middle of the intersection. A loud bang quickly followed and the ping of glass breaking. Startled, he looked at the windshield to find a small hole in it.

“Shit, get down!” Rowe grabbed him and shoved him into the seat, covering him with his body just as another shot broke through the windshield.

“Someone is fucking shooting at us!” Rowe stretched over him to reach the glove box where he kept his gun. He yanked it out but stayed down. “Are you hurt?”

Noah couldn’t believe the man covered him, but that was Rowe. “No, I’m fine. You?”

“I’m good.”

Tires squealed again and the roar of the car engine grew softer. A knock on the driver’s window had them both jerking upright. Rowe aimed the gun in that direction, ready to put two in whoever was stupid enough to be standing there. Noah rose, ready to jump out of their truck and attack.

The woman outside screamed and ducked away from the window. “I was just making sure you were all right!” she yelled, and Rowe immediately lowered his gun. “The person shooting drove off, but I got a good look at the car. I’m beside you at the stoplight. The driver just pulled right into the intersection and someone shot out of the front passenger window. Is everyone okay? I called 9-1-1.”

Noah looked out the windshield to find the first hole directly in front of him. He turned and found a matching bullet hole in the seat. It would have pierced his heart. Whoever shot at them had one hell of an aim. Or at least, they would have if Noah hadn’t leaned over to kiss Rowe at that moment. <em>Holy fuck</em>, <em>that was close!</em>

His stomach was in knots as he met his boyfriend’s gaze. “What the hell?”

Rowe rolled down his window, apologizing to the woman for scaring her. “What kind of car was it?”

“A black Volkswagen hatchback.”

“Did you see anyone in the car? Could you tell if either person was a man or woman?”

“The passenger looked like a man. I’m sorry, I didn’t get a good look at the person’s face.”

Sirens sounded in the distance, getting steadily closer. Rowe put his gun back into the glovebox and they both got out of the truck to look at the damage. Two police cars arrived with a roar of engines. The first cop opened his door and stood with his gun at the ready.

“The shooter drove away,” the woman yelled. She was certainly helpful and brave to have gotten out of her car at all. Her red Honda was still parked at the light beside them with several more cars stalled there as well. None of those people had gotten out of their vehicles, but now they did as the police gathered.

Rowe and Noah answered questions but because they’d ducked, they had less to offer by way of explanation than the woman who’d witnessed the whole thing.

“Was more than likely a drive-by,” one of the cops said as he made a few notes in his little notepad. “We’ve had a few of them recently. I’m glad nobody was hurt this time. The others weren’t so lucky.”

But Noah had a feeling it wasn’t some random drive-by.

Fun, sexy, exciting. Yes, yes, yes. Definitely those things. Explosions, gun fights, chases. Those as well. What else would you expect of these guys? The couple of focus in this book are Rowe and Noah. We also meet JB, Noah’s former teammate and lover from when they were in the Rangers. Seems someone is taking out ex military who might have witnessed an ambush years ago in Afghanistan. Two are already dead, Noah and JB are next.

Underlying all of this excitement are Noah and Rowe contemplating their future together. Most importantly, marriage and children.

There isn’t a lot of the original guys in this story, but several do make appearances- the core four and their significant others. But they don’t take a big part of the story at all- definitely supporting players.

Ok, here is my wet blanket. A couple of things really took me out of the story. The first is that Noah and Rowe are the victims of a drive by shooting on the way home from Ian’s wedding. Not only is everything seemingly just taken care of at the scene by the cops, there is no further questioning, no ballistics done on the bullet in their car and they were free to go home, in bullet riddled car, very quickly. Like, meh, no big deal.

Even though these guys are trying to figure out who and why people are trying to kill them, they make time for sex. Lengthy sex. Ok, that’s fine. But you really have sex toys packed?

I won’t tell you the third thing because while it isn’t really a spoiler, it does happen at the end. But it is a minor part of the story that is never finished.

So I am so used to looking over explosions, tons of dead people, destroyed property, because fiction. Because it’s fun. And exciting. And good reading. But yea, those couple things bugged me. I’M SORRY!

It is still a good book. Like I said, fun, exciting, sexy, explosions, etc. Definitely read it if you have been reading all of these books. Because it is worth it. It’s like an action blockbuster where the female hero wears heels all of the time. Like, who cares? but it bugs me.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

I was so excited to see this one pop up because Rowe and Noah have been my favorite! (Don’t tell the others, I think I’m attracted to their crazy!)

So, in the beginning, we see Ian and Hollis getting married through the eyes of Rowe. I loved seeing everyone there for them, seeing as Hollis had to battle the brood for a while before they saw how much he loved Ian, and how Ian needed someone exactly like Hollis to claim him. And if anyone deserved a HEA, it was Ian….loved it….

As we know though, weddings does things to folks and it had both men thinking about where they saw their relationship going. They know they love each other… they know it’s forever and I was a little bummed to know how they felt about marriage and kids and stuff, but only because I’m a sap and I want the whole hog for all of them. There is no denying their love for each other though. On the way home from the wedding, they run into some trouble that the police try and brush off, but both men with their skillset feel that it’s way more than local law enforcement is treating it as.

When an old friend/brother-in-arms/past lover calls and confirms that not only are a couple of teammates dead, but he’s being targeted and fears that Noah will be too… binging him back home with them, they want to get to the bottom of whoever is out to hurt them before they have a chance to come back and finish the job!
JB, I thought was going to be trouble (he’s the old friend/brother-in-arms/ex-lover… I didn’t think Iw as going to like him because I’m so incredibly obsessed with Noah and Rowe and I didn’t want anyone coming in and making them doubt anything or trying to come in between them. I wasn’t a fan…

However, Rowe got his possessive and crazy jealous self and Noah assured him that he had nothing to worry about and JB was actually really charming, incredibly likable and fit in great with the guys and their craziness. I do hope he pops back up in future books because it was obvious that he still had feelings for Noah and unrequited love sucks! I want him to find his happy, he deserves it too.

Now, I won’t get into the who’s and the why’s of who and why Noah and his ex-team is being targeted because it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was flipping through electronic pages and I don’t want to ruin that for y’all. I do feel like I need a mood stabilizer after it though… and it’s crazy how this duo can paint such vivid pictures of all the hilarity and chaos and have me gripping my kindle with clammy nervous hands until all is right in the world again. This one was no different.

If you’ve read any of the others in this series or the ones they’ve spun off from, you should be no stranger to the heart palpitations, the love, the broody, charming, gorgeous, possessive, hilarious family they write about. What starts out sweet, soon turns to hellfire and explosions and kidnappings and violence and murder and bad guys… but then gives us the sweetest weddings, babies, puppys, family and so so so much love that it makes every second of it worth it.

Awesome addition and I can’t wait to see who’s next!

This one gets all the stars!

5 pieces of eye candy

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

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Kneading You by C.S. Poe: Release Day Review

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Christopher Hughes is new to the small New England town of Lancaster, New Hampshire. He’s been hired to save an old library from closing, but his obstacles include not only fighting for state funding, but a Selectman who wants to tear the building down in favor of a shopping center.

Christopher meets Miles Sakasai, a charming tattooed repairman hired to help restore the historical interior. Working in close proximity has both men falling hard for each other, and also provides Christopher an opportunity to learn about Miles’s passion for baking. As it turns out, Miles’s skills in the kitchen may end up being the key to saving the library—but only if his bread can rise to the occasion.

Previously published by Dreamspinner Press in the Simmer anthology, 2016.

Title: Kneading You
Author: C.S. Poe
Release Date: July 19, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 40

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Okay, let’s start off with one HUGE truth…if C.S. Poe writes it, I am going to want to read it, and as quickly as possible. If I see that author’s name, it’s like a quick U-turn on whatever I  am reading.

This was a short story, but so uplifting and enjoyable. We didn’t learn a ton about the MC’s (it’s very difficult with short stories), but we learned enough to know that neither one of them was doing the jobs they would love to do, but they were living in the place that would give them access to the things they love to do.

These two immediately connected, and dated…a novel concept sometimes in romances. 🙂 Meanwhile, since Miles loves to bake bread, and apparently Christopher loves to eat Miles’ bread, they were a match made in heaven. There wasn’t any real angst, other than a very quick pass through from Miles’ ex- which led to a brief conversation and a move on.

Of course there was an HEA, or really an HFN for the new boyfriends, but overall was cute, fun and sweet. And was I the only person to look at that cover and thing that those circles were from a pottery wheel? lol Just saying…

3.5 pieces of eye candy

 

***As an aside, if you haven’t read the Snow and Winter series by this author, I HIGHLY recommend it…and if you have…did you know Book 4, The Mystery of the Bones, is up for preorder…grab it here!!!! 

Warm Heart by Amy Lane: Exclusive Guest Post and New Release Review

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Survive the adventure. Live to love.

Following a family emergency, snowboarder Tevyn Moore and financier Mallory Armstrong leave Donner Pass in a blizzard… and barely survive the helicopter crash that follows. Stranded with few supplies and no shelter, Tevyn and Mallory—and their injured pilot—are forced to rely on each other.

The mountain leaves no room for evasion, and Tevyn and Mal must confront the feelings that have been brewing between them for the past five years. Mallory has seen Tevyn through injury and victory. Can Tevyn see that Mallory’s love is real?

Mallory’s job is risk assessment. Tevyn’s job is full-on risk. But to stay alive, Mallory needs to take some gambles and Tevyn needs to have faith in someone besides himself. Can the bond they discover on the mountain see them to rescue and beyond?

Title: Warm Heart
Series: Search and Rescue: Book One
Author: Amy Lane
Release Date: July 16, 2019
Category: Dreamspun Desires, Contemporary
Pages: 213

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

So, part of the premise of Warm Heart is our heroes spend an uncomfortable chunk of days stranded in a storm caring for their injured pilot (who gets his own book next January!)  And this was both a delight and a challenge as a writer.

Being stuck somewhere with people you care about and no outside distraction can lead to deeper understanding, bonding, true conversation, and moments of real meaning.

It can also lead to batshit boredom.

And our heroes weren’t just stranded together. They couldn’t make the conversation all about themselves. They had to entertain Damien, who was in a lot of pain and trying hard not to be afraid.

They were all trying not to be afraid.

It turns out Mallory is the guy who saves the day in this instance. I mean, they all take turns saving each other, whether it’s from the fire going out, boredom, or being too tired to go on. But in this instance, Mallory, who’s always had a sort of quietly devastating sense of humor, sings showtunes and old camp songs over the fire, and gets his two compatriots to play a guessing game involving mundane things in his personal history. And these silly things turn out to be the morale builders that our little team needs to keep going—and when the conversation got too intense, they gave our two heroes a way out, when they were literally trapped in the same place together in the snow.

Like with so many things, I got the idea from Mate and I.

Over the last thirty years Mate and I have seen a lot of movies. If we’ve really loved a movie together, we’ve probably seen it multiple times. We know these movies backwards and forwards, we’ve looked up their cast, their director, even their producers. We know the lines from the movies, and we know what the actors who uttered those lines went on to do.

So we’ve invented this movie game that is so insanely complicated and so completely dependent on the people playing being us that we only play it when the kids are done talking to us and there’s nothing else to do.

I’ll start: “Come up to the coast, we’ll have a few laughs!”

His reply would be: “Why a spoon, brother?”

I think for a moment: “Oh honey—we all deserve to wear white.”

And he’ll respond with: “I’m not going back to Texas.”

For those of you who wonder what we’re doing, that’s Die Hard to Robin Hood via Alan Rickman, Robin Hood to Bull Durham via Keven Costner, and Bull Durham to Thelma and Louise via Susan Sarandon.

And so on. We can play this game literally for hours, getting as obscure as using a director or a producer as the link to the next film we’re quoting. And the source material spans thirty years—but it’s our thirty years, so that’s okay.

That game is ours. It doesn’t mean anything to anyone else, and every movie line is everything from the times we’ve seen the movie together to why we loved it in the first place.

So when I stranded Mallory and Tevyn and Damien on the mountaintop, I had to give them a game that’s uniquely theirs. I succeeded, I hope, and hopefully the guys’ banter will keep you all entertained. But I did it with that deep conviction that all successful couples have their little games, their conversational gambits, their bantering sallies, that keep them interested in talking to each other.

Because sometimes, that conversation is the thread that keeps us bound together for life.

What a fun, interesting and exciting book. I have to admit I was a little worried that it would get boring with 3 guys stranded in a blizzard- one of them totally incapacitated. But it wasn’t at all. It moved along nicely and didn’t lag.

Tevyn and Mallory have been dancing around their feelings for each other for years. But I think both were kind of waiting for Tevyn to grow up a bit. But then when their helicopter crashes and they become stranded, the begin to acknowledge what they have been feeling.

It was refreshing to read a book where the two MC had to face their feelings head on. They literally couldn’t hide behind sex because they not only had a third person there, but they were outside in the elements during a blizzard.

Instead they talked and learned more and more about each other. Comically, with Tevyn trying to figure out Mallory’s middle name.

The story got serious at times, with the helicopter pilot in desperate need of medical attention and Tevyn’s grandmother on her death bed back home. But the author tried to keep the story light in spite of all of that. So while you got the excitement and seriousness of what was happening, it didn’t drag you down at all.

There is a HEA, don’t you worry. And there is perhaps a hint to the next book? I hope?

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Amy Lane lives in a crumbling crapmansion with a couple of growing children, a passel of furbabies, and a bemused spouse. She’s been finaled in the RITA’S (TM) twice, has won honorable mention for an Indiefab, and has a couple of Rainbow Awards to her name. She also has too damned much yarn, a penchant for action-adventure movies, and a need to know that somewhere in all the pain is a story of Wuv, Twu Wuv, which she continues to believe in to this day! She writes fantasy, urban fantasy, and gay romance–and if you accidentally make eye contact, she’ll bore you to tears with why those three genres go together. She’ll also tell you that sacrifices, large and small, are worth the urge to write.

Never a Hero by Marie Sexton: New Release Review

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Owen Meade is in need of a hero. Sheltered, ashamed, and ridiculed by his own mother for his sexuality, his stutter, and his congenital arm amputation, Owen lives like a hermit, rarely leaving his apartment. He hardly dares to hope for more… until veterinarian Nick Reynolds moves in downstairs.

Charming, handsome Nick steals past Owen’s defenses and makes him feel almost normal. Meeting his fiery, determined little sister, June, who was born with a similar amputation, helps too. June always seems to get her way—she even convinces Owen to sign up for piano lessons with her. Suddenly the only thing standing between Owen and his perfect life is Nick. No matter how much he flirts, how attracted to Owen he seems to be, or how much time they spend together, Nick always pulls away.

Caught between his mother’s contempt and Nick’s stubbornness, Owen makes a decision. It’s time to be the hero of his own story, and that means going after what he wants: not just Nick, but the full life he deserves.

Title: Never a Hero
Series: Tucker Springs: Book 5
Author: Marie Sexton
Release Date: July 5, 2019
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 183

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Another re-release. I read it the first time but I couldn’t tell you what they changed for this re-release. I can tell you what they should have changed tho.

Anyway, back to Tucker Springs. I kind of want to visit there. Owen is your typical closeted guy, mostly because his mother is overbearing and evil. Seriously, think Mommy Dearest for this woman. He also has a genetic amputation of one of his arms. He was just born that way, nothing below the elbow. He is totally ashamed and embarrassed of it (see Mommy Dearest) and has basically become a recluse.

Until Dr Hottie moves in below him. The local vet with three dogs and a secret. BUT his sister has the same genetic amputation on the opposite arm, so he gets it.

Dr Hottie, aka Nick, runs hot and cold with poor Owen though. This in the closet virgin has someone paying attention to him, but then goes cold. That messes with a guy.

Nick’s sister is a pretty hilarious addition to the story. I really enjoyed her and her complete opposite reaction to her arm as Owen.

We finally find out why Nick is so hot and cold. And I totally get it. But also, for a rewrite, things could have been said or changed or pointed out without losing the integrity or changing the story.

A quick, enjoyable read overall though. I like no so perfect characters- especially with something like genetic amputation. When do you see that in a book?

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Chef On Top (Sizzle in the Kitchen Book 3) by M.J. O’Shea: New Release Review

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Chef Jake Casey has never been what you’d call… liked. By anyone. He was the odd outcast son of the town drunk, and he’s spent his adult life doing everything he can to be nothing like his father. If that meant stomping on a few dozen toes, so be it. But contrary to popular belief, he is human. It gets a little old being alone all the time. When he lands a new job on the other side of the country, Jake decides he’s going to change. New city, new restaurant, new Jake.

It’s going pretty well until his first and only friend’s ex shows up with a fiancé in tow. Ty is horrified. Jake might not have much practice with the friend thing, but he decides he’ll do what everyone in the movies always does – he offers to be Ty’s fake boyfriend. It can’t go wrong. Right?

Ty Caldecott knows better. His life isn’t a teen rom-com and situations like these always end up in humiliation. But the prospect of seeing Taran every day with that ring shining on his finger makes Ty want to vomit. Ty doesn’t want to look like a pining loser, so he tells Jake he’s in.

It can’t go wrong.

Right?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Book 3, but can honestly be read as a stand alone. The books are definitely connected, but still, the only thing you would really miss is how much everyone HATED Jake before this book.

Jake. The chef everyone hates. The entire staff was scared of him. He stepped on as many heads as he had to in order to get to the top and he didn’t care. Ahh, brings me back. Seriously, it is kind of funny how most chefs in books are generally nice guys. FALSE. They are jerks. Assholes. Dickheads. Trust me.

In a twisted way Jake is offered and accepts the position of head chef at a restaurant of a formal rival who is now a tv star. But he is determined to not be an asshole. Literally his words. He has finally realized how lonely his life is.

Ty had a brief encounter years ago with Jake but doesn’t have the personal experience of how bad he was. So as the interim manager of the restaurant, Jake asks Ty to make sure he isn’t an asshole. It was actually kind of cute.

Most of the book was the friendship relationship growing between Jake and Ty. As well as the opening of the restaurant. But Jake had never really had a friend before, so he really kind of treasured Ty. There was silly flirting that friends do, but both of them were fairly oblivious to the fact that they liked each other as more than friends.

Several hiccups in mostly Ty’s life makes them both realize what they mean to each other.

There is no sex in this book. Zero. Which is one of the reasons why when I got to the last page I literally looked on the back of my kindle to see if I missed something. I know all of you pre-kindle book readers know what I am talking about. You’ve all done it. It’s not a cliff hanger at all. It was just incomplete.

So I assume that there is a book coming that will complete their happily ever after. If they end up being only a footnote in the next book I will not be happy. They deserve to have their couple love story told.

3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy