3 stars

Stuck With You by Jay Northcote: New Release Blitz with Review

November 28, 2018 by Denise

Two clashing colleagues stuck together for Christmas—will opposites eventually attract?

Patrick has been single since he broke up with his cheating ex almost a year ago. With Christmas looming, he’s resigned to spending it alone with only memories of happier times for company. When a business trip with a co-worker leaves them stranded in the Lake District due to heavy snow, it seems Patrick will have company for Christmas after all. It’s a shame his companion is Kyle, who’s undeniably attractive, but annoying as hell.

Aware of Patrick’s reluctant admiration, Kyle basks in the attention even though Patrick isn’t the type of man he normally goes for. Averse to relationships after being hurt in the past, Kyle enjoys the occasional hook up, but has given up on seeking anything more meaningful.

Stuck together, their antagonism escalates along with a heavy dose of sexual tension until it finally ignites. What starts as a Christmas fling soon feels like something special; but will their tentative connection melt away as the snow thaws? If they’re going to take a chance on finding happiness together, they’ll have to put their differences aside and learn to trust one another.

Contains: enemies-to-lovers, snowball fights, bickering, spanking, a cute dog, a wise old lady, mistletoe, and a happy ending (of course).

Length: 53,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Hot cover!

With our first snowfall coming down right now here in the Midwest, and Christmas right around the corner, I figured this one would be perfect. Co-workers who can’t stand each other, but secretly attracted to one another… uhm, yes please…. But, let’s discuss.

Patrick and Kyle are forced on a business trip together when their boss is fed up with their back and forth. I get it though, these guys are night and day. Patrick is a year off of a betrayal by his fiancé and though he knows that he’s a commitment kind of guy, he hasn’t jumped in and got back out there yet.

Kyle is the exact opposite, and I’ll admit, I did not like him….He’s bratty, conceited, slutty, childish and immature… I never warmed up to him. So, like I said, forced on a trip together, their car breaks down in a snow storm on the way home. No choice but to take shelter from the cold, they find a little flat in a tiny village with a grumpy (at first) old lady.

I don’t even know how it happened, because Kyle is obsessed with Grindr and Patrick is telling himself the entire time, that even though Kyle is gorgeous, younger and conceited… he knows he’s bad news… Kyle admits several times that he’s never been attracted to Patrick, and he’s not his type and he really treats him awful….but then all of the sudden, there’s spanking. Lots of spanking. Lots of spanking and awkward dirty talk … I will admit that I skimmed, it was very uncomfortable, and maybe it was supposed to be. Maybe it was these two trying to figure out what they needed from each other… but it was like…. I’m going to spank you, then apologize and ask if you’re okay… then we’re going to talk, awkwardly while we take a trip to poundtown together, and then go back to grumping at each other once it’s over. I just couldn’t keep the connection with these two, because it was like, one step forward and then two steps back.

Thhheeeeennnn, when I think maybe…. Patrick jumps the gun and makes an assumption (Grindr induced assumption)… Kyle throws a hissy fit and then childishly pouts and makes Patrick pay for it, even though he apologized, more than once… and it just didn’t work for me. I wanted it to, so, so, so bad, because I loved the premise and I love Jay… but I just couldn’t get into this one. Maybe it was me, I dunno.

Alls well that ended well though, because once these two worked out their feelings and admitted their attraction to one another, things went much better and we get a very cute HEA.. which is always a happy ending for me.

3 pieces of eye candy from me

November 23 – Gay Book Reviews, Diverse Reader, BFD Book Blog, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Lelyana’s Reviews, November 26 – CupcakesAndBookshelves, The Day Before You Came, Mirrigold, Mainely Stories, Mikku-chan, November 28 – Megan’s Media Melange, The Geekery Book Review, Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed, November 30 – Momma Says: To Read or Not To Read, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Xtreme Delusions, December 3 – Gay Fiction Addiction, December 5 – Book Corner Reviews, Boulevard des Passions, December 7 – Valerie Ullmer, Southern Babes Book Blog, Kimmers Erotic Book Banter, Lillian Francis, Book Lovers 4Ever, Open Skye Book Reviews, Jessie G, Bayou Book Junkie, Making It Happen

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He has been published by Dreamspinner Press, and also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are also available as audiobooks.

Website: https://jaynorthcote.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jay_Northcote

Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/jaynorthcotewriter

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/jaynorthcotefiction

Facebook author group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jaysplayground

Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/JN-readers

Jay’s books: http://author.to/JayNorthcote

Lost and Found by Quin Perin: RDB, Exclusive Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

November 21, 2018 by Denise

He is…

half my age,

my son’s friend,

and he calls me Daddy.

I brought him to his knees until he did the same to me.

“He was like a greedy little puppy, trying to please me. And goddamn, I needed him to need me.”

A May/December Second Chance Romance with a sprinkle of Daddy Kink. After their first encounter in “Take it All”, Lost and Found explores how Dave and Carter’s relationship took root and blossomed.

As a standalone novella, Lost and Found features explicit adult m/m content, Daddy Kink, age gap as well as romantic elements. The book ends…well, let’s see how it ends, shall we?

Book Title: Lost and Found – A May/December Gay Romance

Author: Quin Perin

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist:X Potion Designs

Genre/s: Second Chance Gay Romance

Length: 21 500 words/80 pages

It is a standalone story.

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Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“Please,” Carter begged, tears in his eyes. Desperate, that’s what he was. The schedules I’d given him worked most of the time. But he needed the physical contact.

I released his hair and cupped his jaw, fingers digging into his cheeks. “You crossed a line, boy. Now go sit on the couch and think about what you’ve done before I do something I’ll regret.”

There it was again, that daring glimmer in his eyes. His hands almost touched the thick bulge I sported, but he knew better. He receded, never breaking eye contact while I nodded and praised him, “Good boy.”

It took another fifteen minutes to clean up the kitchen and cool down. I felt sick thinking about what had just happened. Our kinky connection almost exposed because Carter loved to play with fire. He wasn’t an ordinary submissive. Not like the ones I’d read about online. He was cheeky as fuck. But there he sat, with his head bent and his hands resting on his thighs, waiting for me to come over.

“I am sorry, Daddy,” he whispered when I rounded the couch and stood in front of him.

“Look at me.”

Staring up at me from the couch, he worried his bottom lip, chewing the right side of it until it was raw and swollen. I hated that habit.

“Stop biting your lip,” I ordered and brushed my thumb over it. The moment we connected, Carter’s eyes slid closed, and the tension seemed to flow from him. It’s what he needed, my touch, my affection.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured when I dipped my thumb into his mouth, pulling his lower lip down.

“You gonna make it up to Daddy?” Arousal was beating rage into submission, shutting off my brain. I needed to punish him as much as he needed me to do it. He’d won.

I made him undo my jeans. Which he did with such enthusiasm, I almost forgot the way he’d behaved. Next, he pulled down my briefs, letting my pulsing erection jut free. He tried to catch it with his mouth, but first it slid over his cheek, a string of precum landing there. I’d never seen anything sexier.

I moaned at the way he worked me into his mouth. That tight and warm heat. That goddamn tongue teasing me. I placed my hands on the back of his head, helping him to take in more. I’d never had someone suck my cock like they fucking loved it. Until Carter did exactly that. He slurped and moaned, his hands at the back of my thighs pulling me in deeper. He was going wild, bobbing and pumping and making my knees shake. I freed my balls while he went at it, blinking up with those big brown eyes, glazed with lust.

“You’re doing so good,” I rasped, “make it up to Daddy.”

His nose nuzzled my pubes, and my balls drew up tight, the tension spiking to new heights, ready to burst. But I didn’t let him finish me. Instead, I yanked him off, eliciting a surprised cry when I spun him around on the couch so his body splayed out on top of it. Carter scrambled, waving his ass at me as though it were my prize. Which it was. But he had to learn he couldn’t risk what we had. Not like that.

Without even undoing his loose-hanging jeans, I tore them down his legs. Another yelp. His underwear and pants pooled around his knees. Gazing over his shoulder with his bare ass on display, I straddled him, my wet cock bouncing with the movement, hanging out of my undone jeans. Carter tried to prop up onto his elbows, but I pinned him down, one hand slamming between his shoulder blades.

“Stay, boy!” I hissed and rubbed my free hand over the globes of his perfect ass. I’d never seen an ass like that, so round and taut and just…yeah, perfect.

Then, the spanking began.

Okay…. So, if you’re looking for daddy kink and filth, this is absolutely the book for you. If you’re looking for any kind of storyline…. I’d skip it.

So, Dave has a thing for his son’s best friend Carter. Carter also has a thing for his best friend’s dad, Dave. They also have a shared kink, Daddy/boy. Now, this goes on in secret for about two years, until Carter develops feelings and wants more from Daddy Dave. Instead of having a conversation about it, they end up in an argument about it that turns into a tantrum on both of their parts I feel like, and Carter gets his feelings hurt…. Naturally, because Dave was kind of a jerk…. But he feels bad, so he apologizes, and then they have the whole argument all over again…. Same result.

Now, my biggest problem with this is… both guys were so immature. I could see where they were both coming from, but my goodness… have a conversation without throwing hissy fit and stop jumping to conclusions that are so ridiculous… I wondered who the daddy was supposed to be, because Dave didn’t seem like the one who was put together, and they just seemed to be playing at Daddy/son, not really living it…. Although, it’s described as living it…

I felt like I was skimming for the most part, everything is just explained, I didn’t feel like I was living or even reading it… I was just reading about it… does that make sense? If you read it, you’ll understand.

The premise was awesome, I really like the trope, but this one just didn’t work for me. Years wasted over miscommunication and immaturity, feelings were hurt over lies and assumptions… it was just too much angst in such a small story.

3 pieces of eye candy from me

This is Quin&Perin. We are a team of Sultry Gay Romance writers who focus on detailed, toe-curling, and realistic smut scenes with a fair share of dirty talking (Oh, boy). Unlike other authors, we write without the goal of publishing anything. Publishing is just the cherry on top of a cream-covered bubble butt.

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Frostbite by JM Wolf: New Release Review

November 4, 2018 by Denise

Cyrus Winters, an omega wolf and an ice mage is dangerous to others. After running away from his birth pack at an early age, Cyrus traveled from place to place in hopes of finding a pack that would accept him. But once they realized that he was no ordinary omega wolf, they quickly turned their backs on him. Alone and shunned as a monster, Cyrus has kept himself hidden at the top of the Wichita Mountains where nobody would reach him. That is, until he hears the song of his fated mate.

Dorian Lovell once had the family he’d always dreamed of, but after the death of his son, his whole world fell apart. When he begins having dreams about a white wolf at the top of a mountain, howling for him, Dorian realizes that he may have found his fated mate. Joining his friend Tobias’ pack in the Wichita Mountains, Dorian sets out to find the wolf from his dream; but once he meets Cyrus, he quickly realizes that mating with the frosty omega won’t be as easy as he thought it’d be.

An omega with a heart of ice, and an alpha who’s destined to thaw him out. With a threat to Cyrus’ life approaching, the two must learn to come together as one. Can Dorian’s pack accept the gifted omega, and can Cyrus trust his life and future to his new pack, and the alpha the fates paired him with?

TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains sexual and verbal adult content, MPREG, violence, bloody gore, death, and talks of loss and heartache. No babies were harmed in the making of this book.
*** This is Book 1 in the series, but can be read as a standalone story – no cliffhangers ***

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

JM Wolf is a new to me author but I believe he has several books out. This is his first foray into mpreg and shifters and I decided to give it a try.

It was a little messy, but overall I liked it. Enough that I want to read book 2 when it comes out.

Why messy? Well there seems to be all kind of worlds in one and it got confusing. There are shifters- wolves being the main one in this story- but also bears, jaguars, hawks, etc. Among the shifters there are alphas and omegas. But not just men. I thought it was only men because mpreg, but one of the omegas gives birth to a girl. But that is the only female wolf that is talked about.

THEN there are also just regular people. Men and women. With these alpha omega shifters living with them, marrying them, having children with them. It was just too much.

Oh! And one of the wolf shifters is also half “mage”. A spellcaster, warlock, has magic, whatever you want to call it. I really liked this angle because he is a real rarity. So that was cool and added to the story.

Now, onto the story. Yes, I liked it. It wasn’t a super strong story, but it was strong enough to keep me reading. Cyrus is the half wolf half mage shifter who is a loner because he is outcast from not only his born pack, but every pack he tried to join since.

Dorian is searching for his fated mate who he sees in his dreams. After being married, having a child who died and then divorcing, Dorian seems eager to find his fated mate. (another kind of messy part- he was married to a human woman, they had a seemingly human child but now he lives as a gay wolf shifter).

I suspect the series will get “neater” as we now know most of the main characters and the world that they live in. But it was still a bit huh? for me. Like I said at the beginning though- I liked it enough that I want to read book 2!

3 Pieces of Candy

Only You by Kay Doherty: Review Tour, and Excerpt

October 24, 2018 by Denise

Case Holden hates his life. Made rich at a young age, he slipped into a lifestyle of partying with multiple boyfriends who only wanted to be with him for what he could give them. After confiding to his aunt that he’s miserable, she extends an invitation for a visit. Case plans to spend the time in small town Clover City to reprioritize and plant his feet on the road to happiness. He does not expect the Clover City sheriff to step into his world and wreak havoc on his emotions.

Two years ago, after the death of his partner, Rawley Kane moved to Clover City, trading the painful memories and big city madness for a less stressful existence. Even as sheriff, his life is uncomplicated and quiet. That is until Case Holden rolls into town and reminds Rawley just how lonely he is, and of everything he’s been missing.

Case is everything Rawley shouldn’t want. The man has six boyfriends and a life back in Denver, not to mention he’s quite a bit younger than Rawley. No matter what he tells himself, he can’t get enough of the young man. And Case has made it clear Rawley is the only one he wants. Now if they could just get past Rawley’s guilt and Case’s insistent boyfriends, they just might stand a chance.

Title: Only You

Author: Kay Doherty

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: December 18, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 51800

Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, PTSD, law enforcement, age gap, grief, men over 40, coming out

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Ninestar Press

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Smashwords

Rawley had spent the past four days in his truck with his trusty radar gun, nailing speeders at various points across town. The past two days, he’d been sitting at the railroad crossing at the edge of town; a hot spot for teenagers speeding down the main road and over the tracks without looking. It had been a year since the last death occurred on these tracks and he intended to keep the streak going. He sighed loudly as he tore off the latest ticket and gave the seventeen-year-old boy behind the wheel his usual speech about safety. He’d given out half a dozen the past couple of days, but if it saved a life by making the kids think twice, it was worth the mind-numbing boredom.

Rawley climbed back into his truck, shut off the emergency lights, and drove back to his parking spot partially hidden by the wall of the feed store near the tracks. It had been the usual quiet on the crime front the past several days, which was typically a welcome occurrence for Rawley, but ever since Case Holden’s arrival, Rawley’s thoughts had been plagued by gray-blue eyes, dark hair, and a perfectly toned body. He spent his nights tossing and turning, imagining Case in any number of different scenarios, every one of them sexual. The whole situation was frustrating him. He took the edge off every night with his hand, but it didn’t satisfy the deep need he had for another man’s body—Case’s body in particular.

Rawley shifted on the bench seat and adjusted himself. He seriously needed to get a grip. The moment Case climbed into his truck, drenched from the rain, Rawley had suspected he was gay, but after running into each other several times around town the past few days, Rawley was now certain. The knowledge only worsened his predicament because he knew if he wanted Case badly enough, he could have him. The man didn’t even try to hide his sexuality or his attraction to Rawley. When they’d seen each other the day before at the general store, he’d been wearing a dark-blue T-shirt that had “Out and Proud” stamped across the chest in rainbow lettering.

They’d found themselves face-to-face in front of the dairy display — Rawley in his tan police uniform and Case looking like a model in his skintight T-shirt and painted-on jeans. Conversation had been polite but stilted. Rawley knew it was his fault because he was too busy noticing every little dip and curve of Case’s body to speak coherently.

Knowing Case was gay and that he wouldn’t make a play for the younger man had Rawley short-tempered and sniping at everyone. That was why he was sitting alone on the outskirts of town, doing traffic duty; no one wanted to be around him, including himself. Rawley stared into the distance, wondering what the hell he’d done in this life or a past one to earn him this level of torture, when a vehicle he would’ve been hard-pressed to miss caught his attention. The bright-gold Mustang roared past him, registering ten miles per hour over the speed limit.

“Oh, you’ve got to be shitting me,” Rawley muttered. He turned on the emergency lights and siren as he pulled onto the road.

There was only one person in Clover City who drove a Mustang. He caught up to Case quickly, and they pulled to the side of the road, Rawley coming to a stop a few car lengths behind Case. Rawley exited the truck and walked up to the driver’s side of the car to find Case had rolled down his window and held out his license and insurance card. Rawley took them, willing his body not to react to the beautiful smile Case offered him. Rawley couldn’t help but notice that Case wore a black shirt that made his hair seem even darker and those gray-blue eyes brighter.

“Get pulled over a lot, do you?” Rawley asked, averting his gaze to Case’s papers.

“My car tends to draw attention,” Case answered. Rawley rolled his eyes at Case’s nonchalant shrug.

“Your car draws attention,” Rawley muttered.

Everything about Case drew attention, or at least Rawley’s. He put his mind to the task at hand, making sure Case’s license and insurance were up-to-date before handing them back through the window.

“I didn’t get pulled over driving my aunt’s Jeep.”

“Did you speed in the Jeep?”

Case shrugged. “It was a manual with no oomph.”

“Slow down,” Rawley said as he turned on his heel to return to his truck.

Having only read Blind Date (which I really liked) by this author, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this one. However, I had a hard time getting into this one.

I didn’t have a problem with the age gap. And Rawley seemed like a great person, even if he had some issues with being in the closet. I think it was because I felt like Case was very spoiled, and although he wanted to get his life together, he didn’t seem to understand the space he was in to do it. He mentioned several times about it being a small town, etc, yet I didn’t get the feeling he loved or respected it from the beginning. I had a hard time connecting to Case.

I was also confused about the PTSD. At the beginning of the book there is an author’s note about PTSD, and how it is different for everyone, etc. So, I was expecting that the book would have a lot of angst around PTSD, but there really wasn’t much in the story about it at all. In a way, it threw me out of the story by not having much in there, as it was an expectation.

3 pieces of eye candy

Kay lives in Colorado with her husband and their animal children. Family is important to her, so there are weekly visits to her parents and frequent text messages with her brothers. She has a severe addiction to coffee and Mexican food. She loves to read and write and can easily become consumed by it for hours, much to the dismay of the husband and dogs. On occasion, she can be convinced to venture out into world of the living.

Author Links

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Tour Schedule

10/23 – Amy’s MM Romance Reviews

10/23 – MM Good Book Reviews

10/24 – Bayou Book Junkie

10/24 – Two Chicks Obsessed

10/25 – MM Midnight Cafe

10/26 – Megan’s Media Melange

10/26 – OMGReads

Every Other Weekend by TA Moore: Release Day Review

October 23, 2018 by Denise

Divorce lawyer Clayton Reynolds is a happy cynic who believes in hard work and one-night stands. He also believes that being an excellent lawyer means he never has to go home to the miserable trailer park where he grew up and that volunteering at a women’s shelter will buy off the conscience that occasionally plagues him. So when Nadine Graham comes in with a broken arm and a son she desperately wants to protect, Clayton can’t turn down their plea for help.

Taking the case means appealing to investigator “Just Call Me Kelly” for help. That wouldn’t be so bad if Kelly weren’t a hopeless romantic… and the hottest man Clayton’s ever met.

Kelly has always had a crush on the unobtainable Clayton Reynolds. He agrees to help, even though he has enough on his plate with the motherless baby his widowed brother left him to care for.

As Nadine’s case turns dangerous and the two seemingly opposite men are forced to work together, they discover they have a great deal in common—but solving the case and saving Nadine’s life might cost Kelly everything.

Title: Every Other Weekend
Author: TA Moore
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Category: Mystery/Suspense

Pages: 223

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

What the F?!

I absolutely hated almost every person in this book. Literally.
First, we have divorce attorney, Clayton. He’s a commitment-phobe, which I kind of get I guess, I mean he hands out divorces all day long. I’d be jaded too if my job was literally the dissolution of love and marriage. So, I kinda get it. Kind of. He’s still pretty jerky in the beginning… BUT, when an abused woman and her five year old son come to him for help, he knows he needs additional help from private investigator- Kelly.

Kelly has the most whacked out family. His mom is an enabling psychopath. I didn’t understand her at all, and every compliment she paid Kelly, just seemed backhanded and insincere. His whole family was crazy, though his dad kind of won me over in the end. His brother Byron though was an actual psychopath…. Which is why Kelly had his newborn son, taking care of him until he got over the death of his wife, or whatever. You won’t understand the brother, so go into with the knowledge that you shouldn’t even try… It literally made me sick to my stomach… he’s the equivalent to a serial killer, beats his wife and scares the crap out of his kid…. Gets in with the wrong people, and still…. The mom babies him, makes excuses for him, so do his brothers, and yet….Nothing happens to him?? Does he even go to jail?? Why did we get no closure from that when the flippin story was halfway all about him!????? Did I just miss that part? I mean, I did skim some, but surely I didn’t miss that part.

So, while the guys are working together to help out the abused woman and her helpless child, I wanted to smack her around for being so stupid, but all the while, the guys are hookin up and fallin in love. Cool, right? Except, kind of, but not really, because I didn’t feel any connection between the two at all for the first half of the book and then by the end… they loved each other. I was so out of my element here.

I mean, give me a hot guy with a baby, and I’m all over it! These guys were no different, and I did get into their love story that wasn’t really a love story by the end. I love love love how it ended, but mainly because I wanted Clayton to not be so jaded and bitter, and I knew Kelly could give him that.
I was also glad that they gave the baby some stability instead of the dad he was cursed with. The ending was worth almost all the turmoil because I love me a happily ever after with two hot dads. I just wish the rest of it wasn’t so blood-boiling. I mean… I’m all for a mystery and suspense… but I need closure! I needed the brother to pay with his life, or his freedom or an arm or something…. He laid so much pain and devastation and stupidity in his wake…. I needed the justice, and it never came. I’ll stew on that for days…. Ugh.

Anyway… it was a good story if you don’t mind that sort of thing lol and the love story really was sweet at the end, so I reckon, 3 pieces of eye candy from me. I won’t be reading any more about this family though. They’re all crazy!

Gateway To Love by Sarah Hadley: Excerpt and Release Day Review

October 19, 2018 by Denise

Ten days to finally make the leap from friends to lovers….

Craig and Mitchell have been friends for years, but each of them reached a point where that camaraderie became… more. Mitchell’s kept his feelings close to his chest. So has Craig, but now that they’ve graduated from UMKC, he knows it’s his last chance to show Mitchell they’re meant to be before their careers take them to opposite sides of the country.

He insists they can’t leave Missouri behind without one last adventure. Mitchell agrees to a road trip to visit all the touristy spots and say goodbye to their home state.

As they spend their days and nights together, buried feelings rise to the surface and hope blossoms. When their journey ends with a dance beneath the Branson stars, will they find love and a future together at the end of the road?

Length: 32,793 words

Cover Design: Brooke Albrecht

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Dreamspinner Press

THE SOUND of a horn jolted Mitch from a sound sleep, and he blinked his eyes for a moment, staring out the window at the busy highway.

“Sorry. Some idiot guy almost hit us. I had to lay on the horn,” Craig explained.

Mitch straightened himself in his seat and rubbed his eyes. “No worries. Sorry I fell asleep.”

Craig grinned at him. “You should be. I’ve had to listen to your snoring for almost two hours.”

“Hey, I don’t snore. You do, but I don’t,” Mitch said emphatically.

Craig snorted. “Whatever. I can hear you through the wall at night.”

“I don’t snore,” Mitch reiterated, and frowned when Craig chuckled. Then he started feeling bad about sleeping so long. “Want me to take a turn at the wheel?”

“Nah. Maybe when we stop for lunch? Although, we’ll probably be in Hannibal before then. We’ve only got about an hour and forty-five minutes left, give or take.”

Mitch nodded and checked his phone, but he couldn’t help watching his best friend out of the corner of his eye. Even after knowing him for four years, Mitch was still blown away by the reaction he felt whenever he looked at Craig. He’d certainly never forgotten the first day they met. It was imprinted on his brain forever.

That first day at Longview Community College had been brutal. He’d had to spend two hours in the admissions office because when he’d shown up for his first class, the professor didn’t have him listed. By the time his schedule was corrected, he’d missed two classes and was nearly late to his third.

He’d slid into an empty seat near the door just as the teacher turned around from the whiteboard. Someone next to him giggled and he glanced over to see the cutest boy he’d ever laid eyes on. Mitch had felt dumbstruck as his cheeks heated in reaction.

“Close call,” the kid had whispered with a nod toward the teacher. “I heard she doesn’t put up with latecomers.”

Mitch pulled himself together and smiled.

It wasn’t until class was over that they were able to talk.

“I’m Mitchell Moon,” he’d offered, as the guy rose from his desk. “Everyone calls me Mitch, though.”

Craig had beamed at him, his blue eyes sparkling a little as he leaned down until their faces were only inches apart. “Hi, Mitchell,” he said with a wink. “My name’s Craig Pruitt.”

And that was that—they became instant friends, bonding over video games, movies, and their love of Star Trek. It was the kind of friendship only found once in a lifetime. Mitch had come out to Craig within the first week of meeting him and his friend hadn’t even blinked.

There was only one problem with their friendship—Mitch had never been able to shake the attraction he felt for Craig. And over the years, as they earned their associate’s degrees from Longview and moved on to UMKC, their bond grew and his feelings for Craig only strengthened.

When Craig had confided in him that he thought he was bisexual their sophomore year, Mitch’s hopes had been raised, but by that time he was firmly planted in the friend zone. So he did what a best friend should—he supported Craig as he came to terms with things and accepted who he was. He’d admitted that he’d had a crush on a guy in high school, but it ran its course and he never acted on it. As far as Mitch knew, Craig had only dated two guys since then, nothing panning out toward a full-time relationship, though. But he’d had his share of casual hookups with men. Craig had gone a little wild when he’d first come out as bisexual, but had calmed down over the years. In fact, Mitch couldn’t remember him even going on a date during their senior year.

He’d seen the types of men Craig seemed to be attracted to, and they were nothing like Mitch, so he’d tucked his feelings away again and told himself not to go there anymore. It was an ongoing internal battle, but most of the time, he had a handle on it.

This last year of college, they’d found a cheap two-bedroom apartment near campus and moved in that summer. Sharing a small space with the man of his dreams had been hard. Especially when Craig often walked around their place wearing only a pair of boxers.

Mitch was honest enough to admit he’d fantasized about Craig too many times to count and would probably continue to do so long after he’d moved. Maybe that’s how it always was with a first love or major crush.

In his heart, he knew being apart would be good for them. Well, at least it would be for Mitch. Maybe he could finally go out with someone without constantly comparing him to Craig. But in the meantime, he continued to fight the attraction. The desire. The love. Because that’s what it had turned into. Love. Over the years, the longing, the emotional connection he felt with Craig, it had all turned to love. He wasn’t even sure when it had happened, but there was no denying Mitch was in love with his best friend.

And just when he was close to being free, there they were. One last hurrah before moving out of state. One last adventure with Craig.

What was he going to do without him? He turned to stare out the window, his eyes blind to the passing scenery. All he could see was a future without Craig, and it was shrouded in gray. Mitch was so tired of fighting his feelings. He chuckled to himself. He was the stereotypical guy in love with his best friend. He knew it was useless, but if Craig had asked him to go to California with him, Mitch would have dropped everything and followed him out west. He knew how pathetic that sounded, but when it came to Craig, Mitch didn’t care what others might think.

About an hour later, Craig pulled over to a gas station to fuel up and grab some snacks. Mitch used the disgusting bathroom, holding his breath as he did his business, quickly washed up, and made his way into the convenience store.

Craig was at the counter paying and held up a bag of items.

“I’m just going to get a drink,” Mitch told him as he walked past Craig. His friend grabbed his arm, wrapping his fingers around his wrist.

“I already got you your Dr Pepper,” he told Mitch with a smile. “And your Kit Kat.”

Mitch wanted to respond. Wanted to say thank you. But all he could do was revel in the sensation of Craig’s touch. Electricity prickled his skin, skittering through him.

“Mitchell?” Craig’s voice was low. He sounded worried.

“Sorry. Just… forgot what I was going to say,” he lied, knowing he sounded lame. He noticed Craig hadn’t let go of his wrist and raised his eyes to meet his friend’s gaze. Mitch was surprised at the intensity. The large black pupils. The flushed cheeks. “I-I’m… fine. Thanks for grabbing some things for me.”

Craig studied him, looking like he wanted to say something, but finally let Mitch go and they walked back out to the car and settled in.

“Less than an hour left,” Craig announced.

Mitch tried to tamp down his excitement, but it was difficult. He’d always wanted to visit Hannibal. He’d read all of Mark Twain’s stories, and knowing he was from Missouri had encouraged him when he’d dreamed about becoming a writer.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English had put him closer to that dream. Being hired to work on a grassroots website devoted to getting people registered to vote had been exciting and he was looking forward to starting next month. He was less excited about the magazine internship. West Virginia tourism was definitely not something he remotely cared about. He’d only taken it because his sister, Samantha, lived in West Virginia, where the magazine was headquartered, and she had helped him get the interview. Plus he could stay with her until he got a feel for the area. Samantha was also providing him with apartment information, so he would have several to check out when he moved.

The magazine hadn’t been in his original plans. He’d wanted to stay in Kansas City after graduation and work on his writing. His dream was to become a published author. Mitch lived to write, creating fantasy worlds and bringing characters to life. Over the years, he’d managed to put some money away, through his work at the coffee shop. Add what he’d been given as graduation gifts from his mother, his sister, and various relatives, and he was confident he could afford to give the writing thing a try for a while—as long as he had a roommate and a part-time job.

When Craig announced he’d taken a job in California, working for a nonprofit that helped homeless teens, Mitch’s plans took a nosedive. While he’d been proud of Craig, the idea of staying in Kansas City without him was depressing. If he was going to start a new chapter in his life and really get over Craig, staying where he’d be constantly reminded of their times together was out of the question. Writing would have to take a back seat to making a living. Mitch was trying to be an adult and make responsible choices—decisions that would help him move forward.

Maybe a new start in a new city would help him finally find a man that he could be in a real relationship with.

He just had to survive this trip without telling his best friend the truth he’d hidden for years.

Having just read a similar road trip story, I was definitely in the mood for another when I grabbed this book. Craig and Mitchell definitely had a lot of unresolved sexual tension going on. In the end, it was too much unresolved sexual tension for me, I think.

As I was reading the book, I almost felt like the UST was a third person in the relationship. It seemed whenever there might be a way around the longing looks, something popped up in their path, and put the UST right back in the forefront, not quite giving them a chance to flesh out what a relationship would look like for them. Their plans prior to this road trip had previously been to move to opposite ends of the country in a few weeks time, away from each other and begin their new lives.

I did enjoy their obvious devotion to the other, as well as all the fun things they found to do on their trip through Missouri, including their time at the Arch.

3 pieces of eye candy

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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