Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

3.5 stars

Operation Toy Rescue by Sarah Hadley Brook: Exclusive Excerpt, Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

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When Jules Evergreen lands in trouble at the North Pole and gets shipped off to Snow Hope Island for ninety days, he never expects to take up the cause of the forgotten toys waiting for new homes. Falling for his new boss is not on the agenda either, but his heart has other ideas.

Felix Winterson has grown up on Snow Hope Island and now runs the place. He isn’t thrilled when party boy Jules arrives, and Felix tries hard to ignore the man’s charms. He has other problems, anyway. For years he’s tried to get Santa to look at the growing inventory of damaged toys in the warehouse, to no avail.

When Jules comes up with a plan to save the toys, the men find themselves working closely together. As Christmas Eve looms, there’s a lot at stake. Can they save Snow Hope, convince Santa to rescue

Length: 29,000 words approx.

Publisher: JMS Books

Amazon US

Amazon UK

JMS Books

Jules popped a pepperoni pizza into the oven and settled into his recliner with the puppy in his arms, eager to watch the news and relax. He’d have to figure out what to do with her in the morning. He wasn’t even sure who to notify. The puppy snorted, and he petted her soft fur, feeling her sink against his chest. He grinned. It wasn’t a bad way to end the day. A warm puppy. Pizza. Maybe he’d call his buddy, Emmanuel, and check out how things were going at the North Pole.

Things were usually ramping up by then. The contracts with toy stores had to be completed soon in order to make sure the Big Guy had enough to deliver across the globe. The reindeer were in full workout mode, ready for the one night of the year they actually worked. Jules chuckled. Those guys had it easy. They were spoiled rotten all year, but he had to admit, they worked their asses off on Christmas Eve.

The elves would be reviewing letters to Santa, sorting through the “Naughty” and “Nice” lists. Another news flash: Santa rarely put anyone on the “Naughty” list. Not a child, anyway—he believed everyone deserved second chances. However, he’d been known to put a few teenagers on the list. One too many tacky Santa memes and it pissed off the Big Guy.

If only Santa would have applied that chance to Jules, he wouldn’t be stuck on the miserable island. He sighed and silently chastised himself. That wasn’t really fair to the Big Guy. Over the years, he’d given Jules more than enough chances to do the right thing, yet he always made the wrong choice. Ending up on Snow Hope was his own fault, and even though it was hard to swallow, Jules knew it.

The timer on the oven beeped. Starving, Jules hurried to take out the pizza, sleepy puppy still in hand. He’d worked through lunch, even when Eve had tried to get him to take a break, because he’d wanted to finish all the new shipments. Admittedly, he also wanted to show Felix he wasn’t a goof-off and could complete a task on time and do a good job. He was pretty sure Felix knew why Jules had been shuffled to the island and, for the first time, his reputation bothered him. He didn’t know why he cared what Felix thought, but for some reason, he did.

And that just pissed him off more.

He cut the pizza and piled a couple of slices onto a plate before resettling in the recliner. Eating dinner alone in front of the TV had become his new norm, and as much as he preferred his privacy, he felt a little lonely. The puppy had already drifted off to sleep on his chest and he smiled. For the first time since arriving on the island, Jules had a dinner companion.

Operation Toy Rescue is the second story I’ve read by Sarah Hadley Brook, but I saw how adorable the blurb was, and I needed it!

What an absolutely cute story. I loved how Jules was pretty forward about what he wanted, meanwhile Felix knew what he wanted and was very shy about it. And with Jules finding his “niche”, and creating such a great option for everyone on the island. It was a very good premise.

Fun, cute, and oh so Christmas-y. Everything you want in a story like this.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Dec 15 – OMG Reads, Dec 17 – Mikku-chan, The Blogger Girls, Padme’s Library, Dec 19 – Megan’s Media Melange, Two Chicks Obsessed, Dec 21 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews, Dec 24 – Valerie Ullmer, Bayou Book Junkie, Making It Happen, Drops Of Ink

Sarah Hadley Brook lives smack-dab in the middle of the Heartland and is the mother of two wonderful young men, as well as two cats. During the day, she works in the nonprofit world, but reserves evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, working on dollhouses, trying her hand at new recipes, or watching old movies and musicals. In her ideal world, Christmas would come at least twice a year, Rock Hudson and Doris Day would have costarred in more than three movies, and chocolate would be a daily necessity. She dreams of traveling to Scotland some day and visiting the places her ancestors lived. Sarah believes in “Happily Ever After” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life.

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Only Love by Garrett Leigh: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

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The diagnosis of a chronic stomach condition leaves thirty-two-year-old Sergeant Jed Cooper with little choice but to call time on his Army career. Then on the dusty streets of Kirkuk, an ambush gone tragically wrong decimates his team, and he returns to the US with a shattered leg and the memory of his best friend dying in his arms.

Life in his sleepy hometown proves intolerable until he finds solace in a lakeside cabin with vivacious young carpenter, Max O’Dair. In the shadow of the epilepsy that periodically plagues Max, he and Jed form an unspoken bond. After a late night episode, Jed realizes how much Max means to him, and life has taught him not to waste time.

But the lines between contentment and complacency are blurred. Things left hidden resurface to tear through their world, and before they can repair the damage, death comes to call again. Faces, past and present, rally around them to weather the storm, but before long, they are left with only love.

Length: 355 pages

Cover Design: Book Cover By Design

Amazon US

Amazon UK

 

This book was a bit of a heart breaker. Mostly because Jed is just so broken. Physically and mentally. But if you know me, you know I love a good tear jerker!

After losing several of his “brothers” while on a mission, and taking a bullet to the leg, it is time for Jed to say goodbye to military life. When he is hurt, his brother asks him to come home to Seattle and stay with his family. Well that turned out to be a fairly epic mistake. So Jed’s sister in law mentions that her brother rents a quiet house on the lake and has an extra bedroom. Off Jed goes to live with a stranger- which is a better alternative than his alcoholic brother.

Max and his service dog are used to being alone. Max has epilepsy, but having his dog trained to alert him has given him the independence he craved. So while he isn’t used to having anyone in his space, he can’t say no to Jed.

There were a few things in the book that were a little eye rolling. Setting up the 2 gay brothers. Gay military guy in love with his straight best friend. Thrown out by his father at 18 for being gay. A few others that I don’t want to give away as spoilers. But there was also a nice slow burn love story. Of two men who really didn’t know how to have a relationship with each other and were stumbling through. Of both men having medical issues that have to be dealt with.   Those things trumped the eye rolling things.

My heart broke for Jed so much. PTSD, recovering from a fairly catastrophic gun shot wound to his leg AND gastroparesis. Not to mention his messed up family. Or his friends that were more like family than his was. And Max who just wanted to help Jed. And love him.

Max has his own secrets, but they were kind of anticlimatic to me. But they did add that necessary turmoil.

There were lots of tears in the last 1/4 of the book. Which is not a problem for me- but fair warning. You will most definitely need tissues. The epilogue was…kinda of a mess. I didn’t understand several things. But *shrugs*.

Overall, it was different, but parts were very formulaic. I’d still recommend because it was a good story.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

 

Dec 11 – The Way She Reads, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, MM Midnight Cafe, Xtreme Delusions, Diverse Reader, Sexy Erotic Xciting, Dilyana’s World, Kimmers Erotic Book Banter, Two Chicks Obsessed, Jessie G Books, Sizzling Romance, Dec 13 – Mikku-chan, Drops of Ink, Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Lelyana’s Reviews, Wicked Reads, Dec 15 – Gay Media Reviews, Book Corner Reviews, Mainely Stories, Mirrigold, Love Unchained, Dec 17 – The Secret Of Ko, Making It Happen, The Geekery Book Review, Dec 19 – Bonkers About Books, Dec 21 – MM Good Book Reviews, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, Lillian Francis, Book Review Virginia Lee

 

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with photographer Dan Burgess.

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

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Trapped in the Valley of the Kings by Blue Jones: Release Day Review

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Rival archaeologists Will and Jude slept together a year ago, on the night of the Summer Solstice at a dig in Stonehenge. But they were both wearing masks, so Jude has no idea it was Will he slept with, and Will’s been harboring a powerful, one-sided crush ever since.

Now they’re in Egypt, competing to find the lost tomb of Queen Nefertiti. Jude falls through a crack in the cave floor, and when Will reluctantly climbs down to help him, they find themselves in Nefertiti’s tomb, surrounded by archaeological treasures—where they must spend Christmas stranded by a sandstorm.

Will a few sultry hours stripped almost bare from the heat and sharing a bottle of whiskey sort out who should get credit for the discovery—and the real reason for the tension between them?

Title: Trapped in the Valley of the Kings
Author: Blue Jones
Category: Holiday, Advent
Pages: 24

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I’ve always loved Egyptian history, so this was an easy pick for me to grab. Since it’s so short, it’s not like I could expect a lot of history, although there was a good mix in there of historical sites, and what those might look like.

It’s a cute story, and I loved the surprise ending (okay it wasn’t a big surprise, but I love that it was brought back in to resolve). When I read these short holiday stories, I admit I still want the “I love you” moment, because hey, I’m a romantic and all. 🙂 But that’s hard to do unless the MC’s already knew each other.

In this case they did. And they were rivals, who clearly had some issues to work out, including who got to claim Queen Nefertiti, which just made it that much more fun.

Fun holiday time (there are no fruitcakes or lights to be had).

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Warren’s Peace by Emjay Haze: Release Day Review

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The holidays are a time for second chances.

Warren Blessing lost his wife (two years ago), and his kids decide he’s been alone too long. They send him on a holiday singles cruise so he can meet someone new. On the flight from Chicago to Miami, he sits next to an attractive man, but when the flight’s over, he doesn’t think he’ll see him again.

Fletcher Hammond is a professional mystery shopper for vacation destinations and travel. After a split from his unfaithful fiancé, he’s embarking on a singles cruise. He meets a lovely gentleman on the flight, whose conversation and cocktails help Fletcher through his fear of takeoffs, but he doesn’t expect to see him again.

As if by fate, a meeting in the ship’s dining room renews their mutual attraction. But can they build a relationship with distance and baggage working against them? Or will they part ways when they return to port?

Title: Warren’s Peace
Author: Emjay Haze
Category: Holiday, Advent
Pages: 51

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I really liked this trope. Vacation hookup that quickly becomes more. Can they make it work together at home. And I really liked that they had the opportunity to test it out at home a bit, meeting the kids, etc.

What threw me a little (and don’t get me wrong, I know it’s a holiday story, and short, so not a lot of time, but…) was that there was really no conflict at all. Everything that clearly was set up as a conflict, Warren’s adult children, who didn’t know he was bisexual, Fletcher’s keeping his job a secret from Warren, even Warren’s job traveling…none of those ever became an issue. It came “to a head” and was instantly gone. There was no real conflict to speak of. Which is absolutely fine, if that is the intent, but because all of those things were brought up many times, it seemed as if they should be.

Anyway, I really loved Warren and Fletcher’s relationship. They were instantly attracted, yet didn’t just jump right into bed. They spent time together, had fun, learned about each other, until they felt the time was right. And that the kids loved Fletcher immediately was fantastic as well, because that of course can make or break a relationship.

All in all a sweet story. 3.5 pieces of eye candy

 

An Alpha for Christmas by Charity Parkerson: Release Day Review

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Christmas Eve night with a sexy new friend turns into the perfect Christmas. But Austin never expects his dream holiday to ruin his life.

Hoping to avoid another yearly gathering of the worst people Austin knows—his family, he volunteers to play Santa’s little helper at the department store where he works. That’s where the sexiest Santa on the planet comes to his rescue.

Will plays Santa every year at his grandfather’s department store. It’s something he oddly enjoys. This year is twice the fun when he’s paired with a mouthwatering elf. When Will finds Austin stranded in the parking lot, he’s more than willing to help. A ride turns into an amazing night together. The night turns into a weekend that changes both their lives forever. Not necessarily for the good.

It’ll take more than a good time in bed to fix Austin’s life. For the first time, Will might have to put someone else first.

This is a short and steamy story, featuring a character from Charity Parkerson’s Low Blow series. It was written to be a complete standalone, separate from the series.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I haven’t read any other Charity Parkerson books, but I definitely would after reading An Alpha for Christmas. I didn’t know the world that this story was built around, but it still could be read as a stand-alone.

Although it was short, I found it was just too short for my liking. I wanted more! J

Definitely steamy, and I loved seeing the personality of Austin. I always seem to fall for the characters that are not confident, or who haven’t had a golden spoon fed to them their entire life. Meanwhile, I absolutely wanted to know more about Will, because we got a glimpse into him, but not really learning WHY he needed control in all things.

The ending was sweet, and wonderful, and I wanted more. So…in the end…MORE!

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Barbies and Beaches by Asta Idonea: Release Day Review

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For the first time ever, Shane is not looking forward to the annual Boxing Day barbeque at Matty’s house. He recently divorced, none of his friends know what to say to him now, and Shane is tired of the pity and awkwardness. Things take a turn, however, when he meets Matty’s English cousin. Neil is struggling with the Australian heat, having left the UK after a bad breakup. When Shane suggests the two of them head to a secluded beach to cool off, the growing intimacy between them might make both reassess their current situation.

Title: Barbies and Beaches
Author: Asta Idonea
Category: Holiday, Advent
Pages: 21

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Barbies and Beaches was a very short, short story. I’m not sure I would call it cute, as both characters were basically somewhat depressed at the time they met. However, I could see how they made a connection based on their recent breakups.

I definitely would have liked having a few more pages to connect with the characters, so that they could connect with each other. I don’t even think we learned what Neil did for a living, although we did learn about Shane’s occupation.

Short stories are what they are, short, but this one felt like I could have enjoyed it more, if I’d had a few more pages to learn more about the characters versus the issues behind why they both wanted to leave the party.

3 pieces of eye candy