Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

3 stars

Sweet and Kinky (It’s a Kink Thing, Book 7) by M.C. Roth: New Release Review

by

FROM EXCITING AUTHOR OF LGBTQIA ROMANCE M.C. ROTH

Book seven in the It’s a Kink Thing series

One video will change everything.

Wherever Isthmus and Rowes go, a horde of reporters follow, as they try to catch a snippet of everyone’s favorite actors from the hit television show Gunlover. They are best friends— sharing the screen together, along with a home and hotel rooms. But one fan video changes their lives forever when it accuses them of being in a D/s relationship.

Rowes is straight, and Isthmus can’t imagine that his best friend is kinky, but his thoughts keep straying to the video. As they start to get closer and the boundaries between them fall, they try to resist the inescapable pull of kink and passion.

Amazon – All Regions

For a kink book, this one was awfully cute. Definitely had some sexy in there. But a lot of cute and sweet. Unfortunately a lot of contradictions which makes me crazy. We’ll get to that.

Izzy and Rowes co-star on a tv show. They are also BFF. Very touchy feely bff. And since Izzy is out, rumors abound. But Rowes insists, often, that he is straight. But they are tv actors who share a hotel room. And often a bed for cuddling.

With the rumors come social media posts, photos and videos. One particular video shows them that they seem to be very D/s without even knowing it. Which gets them both thinking. And worrying. Because Rowes is straight. And he has a clause in his contract that he couldn’t have sex with anyone on or related to the show. He is the only one though. Which is definitely odd, but ok. But that clause causes a lot of anxiety with Rowes.

So some rando on the internet put together pictures and video snippets to claim they are in a D/s relationship. How do you test that out? By going to a kink club of course! (no) Well, Rowes is definitely not as straight as he thought he was. In fact, he kind of just rolls right into the sex with my bff who is a guy and also a Dominant and omg I am a submissive. And he was adamant that he was straight. Not even wondering if maybe he was a tiny bit bi. Nope. Straight as straight can be. Except no. That was one of the biggest contradictions.

I also never really knew who the star of the show was? Sometimes they say it’s Izzy. Sometimes Rowes. Sometimes a guy named Connelly and a woman named Annelise are listed as 2 of 4 co-stars. Would this bother most readers? Probably not.

Another contradiction is that at the beginning Rowes is very health conscious and monitors what he eats. In fact, one of the Dom like things Izzy does is tell him he was good today and should order extra croutons on his wrap. But their manager has a stash of high calorie snacks she gives him daily. And why do they have a manager who acts like a babysitter?

(maybe a little spoiler-ish?)
Ultimately, Izzy and Rowes get outed. By whom? Because that’s kind of big. Nope, we never know. Why was their manager, who is always totally put together a giant mess at The Big Meeting? Sigh. I have questions.

Now, if you strip away all of the mundane stuff- the D/s dynamic and scenes were HOT AF. Even if I did keep hearing in my head that Rowes wasn’t gay. But ya. Hot, inventive, and fun to read. More of that please.

Izzy had a lot more introspection about whether he really was a Dom than Rowes did about being a sub AND bi. I wish Rowe had that growth and development.

The book was fine. The story was fine. The scenes were hot. There’s a good chance I’ll forget I even read this book.

3 pieces of eye candy

The Mission by Barbara Elsborg: New Release Review

by

Snow! Tick.
Skiing! Tick.
Christmas! Tick.
Stalker! Er…

When Conrad and his ex split up three months before their upcoming work ski trip, Conrad’s unwavering passion for the slopes overshadows his reservations about a holiday anywhere near his ex and his new partner. But as ‘friends’ keep hinting he should cancel, he wishes he’d seen sense earlier. Now it’s too late to get his money back.

A clash of heads at check-in with a handsome stranger sets Conrad’s heart racing. Arlo is bound for the same Austrian resort, sparking Conrad’s daydreams of shared slopes, shared après-ski, shared hot tubs and more…while fully aware that spotting Arlo in the mountains will be almost impossible.
Little does Conrad know Arlo has orchestrated this moment. Now all Arlo has to do is convince Conrad he has the best of intentions. After all, if they don’t click by the end of the flight, Conrad will never know he’d been stalked.

Warning
There is a short description of sexual assault.

Please note that this story was originally released as a short story as part of the Winter Wonderland Prolific Works giveaway. The story has been revised with over 25,000 words of added content.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

For what it’s worth, I had not previously read the short that this book started as. So I went in with no expectations. Well, I expected to like it a lot more than I did. I like this author. I like her books for the most part. I didn’t NOT like this book, it just left me kind of meh.

Christmas novellas, to me, are about romance at Christmas time. A meet cute, accidental meet, something like that. And the Christmas magic takes over. The story focuses on the two main characters as they find themselves falling in love in a short time. They are sweet and happy and romantic and sexy. There’s Christmas cheer and hot cocoa, often a fresh Christmas tree that doesn’t fit. I need cute and happy for Christmas stories.

And there were parts that were cute and happy. But far FAR too much focused on one main character’s ex boyfriend and the other character’s family. And a lot of obvious filler. Describing things that didn’t need description. But there was just not nearly enough of the 2 main characters together. Alone together. And not alone to have sex. Alone to learn about each other. To flirt and hold hands and stroll around with hot cocoa and have snowball fights that end in laughter.

Sigh. So the book was fine. But definitely not what I wanted or expected. And parts really did seem to be a neon sign that said “added for word count”.

3 pieces of eye candy

You Can Do Magic: Carnival of Mysteries by RL Merrill: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

From the author of Foreword Indies Finalist Summer of Hush and BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist Brains and Brawn comes a new installment in the series, a contemporary gay romance with a side of time travel and magic.

Musical prodigy Kallos Alexandrou has played his calliope for countless visitors at Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, but his one-year residency has come to an end. Scars from a terrible tragedy in his past are the only explanation he has for his loss of speech and memory, but it’s time to move on, so when a music festival sets up next to the carnival, Mr. Ame sends him off with identification, a bottomless billfold, and a set of new clothes. Outside the carnival’s perimeter, Kal finds himself in an unfamiliar world surrounded by strange instruments and vibrant people like nothing he’s ever seen.

Ryan Wells is the troubled and celebrated lead singer of the metal band Backdrop Silhouette. He’s brought more than his share of baggage on the last cross-country Warped Tour, including harsh restrictions placed on him by his parole officer and the band’s label, but it’s the treatment from his bandmates that have him feeling unsettled. After a tough morning, he spots a strange young man playing carnival music on a keyboard backstage, and the sound takes him back to a particularly vulnerable time in his youth. Intrigued, Ryan asks the young man’s name, but he flees only to appear later as a replacement stagehand for the tour.

An invitation from the band Hush to ride on their bus gives Ryan and Kal a welcome distraction. They find the camaraderie and support they’ve both been craving…as well as a little magic and a fresh new romance. But personal secrets and the music business make relationships difficult to maintain, and when the tour ends, Ryan and Kal will have to make a choice: move forward together on an uncertain path, or let fear keep them from trusting that sometimes you really can have everything you desire.

You Can Do Magic is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a Depression-era calliaphone, a Ouija board with a purpose, and tour bus hijinks that will warm your heart and make you gigglesnort. Reading Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn before this book will give you the full Warped Tour experience, but You Can Do Magic can be read as a standalone as well as the other books in the shared universe. Recommended 18+

Title: You Can Do Magic
Authors: R.L. Merrill
Length: 60+k
Series: Summer of Hush/Carnival of Mysteries Shared Universe. Summer of Hush #3
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Despite Krish and Silas insisting I go with them to the carnival tonight, I’d convinced myself I would stay in, maybe write, maybe lay in my bunk and stare at the ceiling for many hours. I had this hollow feeling that, in the past, I would have filled with alcohol until I either passed out or found someone to fuck. Now that I’d made a promise, a commitment, that I wouldn’t partake of mind-altering substances, music was the only thing that kept me from drowning.

I’d had it out with Parker before the rest of the guys left to go to a bar in Nashville and hear some local music.

“I know the guys are annoying, but Ryan, you gotta get your priorities straight, man. If you can’t get along with them in the long run? Maybe we need to think about making some changes.”

What he meant was, changes that involved my future. Oscar and TJ had been embraced by the fans and were favorites at our signings, and they might accept me being out of the band by now. There had been a vocal minority who’d said I shouldn’t be allowed back after my prison stint. But the majority had welcomed me. I’d received letters from other ex-cons and even folks still locked up that thanked me for showing them there was life after prison. That meant more to me than being worried about Parker’s veiled threats.

“It’s carnival time, dude.” Silas hopped up the steps of the bus toward me and stuck out his hand. I grabbed it and pulled him into a bro hug, holding on a little longer than normal. He didn’t know it, but he’d just saved me from yet another downward spiral. He’d done it once before, the night he’d sang “Angel’s Son” with me. I’d been ready to say fuck it that night and go out looking for booze, but he’d agreed to my plan, agreed to help me finish the album I’d written with Gavin. Silas’s friendship was one of the only positive things keeping me going right now. I should tell him, but he probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.

“Shit. We’re doing this. Okay. Let me grab my wallet.”

I took a minute inside the bus to brush my too-long hair out of my face. It was scraggly at the ends. I barely looked presentable anymore. I grabbed a ball cap someone had given us from a canned water company called Liquid Death. “Murder Your Thirst” it said. So cheeky. I shoved it on backward and put on some lip balm, then turned back to Silas. He was bouncing his knees and looking up at the white board we had hung up on the wall for notes to each other. At this time, we had our schedule for the next five days, and then there were a couple of vulgar drawings.

“I can see you want to add something.”

Silas grinned at me and picked up the marker. He hummed as he drew pictures of TJ and Oscar, and then drew a giant dick ejaculating on them. He popped the pen cap back on and turned to face me. His shit-eating smile made me laugh for probably the first time since…well, since I’d met Kal.

“I mean, it’s not going to win me any awards, but you can tell it’s those two, can’t you?”

I sighed and gestured for him to exit the bus. “Yes, you can tell. I’ll probably hear about it later.”

He stopped and pushed past me. “Then let me leave my name. I don’t want them thinking it’s anyone other than me.”

He signed the drawing Love, Silas, July 2018.

“There! Perfect. I always take credit for my shenanigans.”

“Fucking Franklin. All right. Let’s go. You get Los to agree to come? He seemed leery about hanging out with some colorful folks tonight.”

“Nah, he’s staying behind, but we brought someone else.”

I followed him down the steps, watching as I went because I’d already stumbled twice getting off the damn bus. The steps were really funky. When I finally looked up, there was Kal.

He held up a hand and waved hesitantly.

I wanted to hug him even tighter than I’d hugged Silas. I couldn’t believe how happy I was to see him. After I’d walked away from him earlier, I’d known it was the right thing to do, and yet it took all of my strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I wanted him near me. I wanted something good in my life.

Knowing full well I was an asshole for being happy, I grinned at him. “You survived your first day, huh?”

Silas put his arm around Kal and beamed. “He sure did, and if he survives the rest of the tour, I think we might poach him. Theo is going back to school and wants to be close to Merch Girl Mischa, so we’ve got an opening for a tech, and since we’re headed to Europe, we could really use someone good.”

Silas patted him once more and let go. Kal watched him with a shocked expression. I wondered what he thought about all that.

“I suppose it also matters whether Kal wants to remain with you heathens.”

Silas looked at me like I’d just suggested someone might actually be immune to his charms. “What do you mean? What could be better than touring with us?” His confusion quickly morphed into laughter. “You’re right. Kal, I won’t be offended if you think me and my band of messy men are too much of a mess for you. So, do you have other plans? Headed home after Warped? What do you think?”

Kal opened his mouth and then shut it, his cheeks flushing. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts—

Lord, whoever’d dressed him deserved my gratitude. His legs were paler than his arms, but they were sculpted like a statue I’d once admired in a museum, I forget which one. Long and lightly dusted with golden hairs that caught the fading light of the sunset.

My silence must have been noted by Krish. He cleared his throat. “We gave him some of the sample clothes from Roxanne’s brand. It’s so hot out—”

“Hot. Yes. Looks good.”

It was clear I was ogling him, and though these guys were used to my quirks, it was an awkward moment. I’d drawn Silas once. He wasn’t a good model, as he fidgeted and talked the whole time. I knew there were rumors about what happened at my drawing sessions. Nothing had happened with Silas. Couldn’t say that for all of my models.

“Right, well. Shall we?” Silas gave me a look like down, boy. “I keep smelling that damned cotton candy and my sweet tooth is begging me for some.”

I stood next to Kal and looked up at him. I liked the way he met my gaze, unafraid, unashamed, as if he were accepting my challenge, or challenging me. This back and forth had me fired up.

“We shall.”

This book sounded interesting to me. And it’s a stand alone that is set in the same world as 12 other books. But I think I missed the point by not reading at least the first of the others.

After a year in a magical carnival, Kal rejoins the world. He was in the magical world because something bad happened to him. And although we find out WHAT happened, it still doesn’t explain why he was in the carnival.

He meets Ryan, a musician in a band on the Warped tour. Ryan is also a mess- for several reasons. We get an explanation of them all but it didn’t feel complete.

I just felt like there was no real cohesion to the story. Kal is seemingly unsurprised at everything in the world even though a lot has changed since he was last in it. I know he saw things while working in the carnival but definitely not everything.

And everyone seems to crap on Ryan even though he is trying to make amends. He even goes out of his comfort zone so the band doesn’t lose money and they STILL treat him like crap.

I think I would understand Ryan and all of the different things going on with the bands if I had read those books by the author.

If you are a fan of this author and had read previous books with a lot of these characters, I think you will like this book more than I did. But there were too many loose ends that didn’t get tied for me.

3 pieces of eye candy

Whether she’s writing swoon-worthy contemporary romance featuring quirky, queer, and relatable characters or diving deep into the supernatural to give readers a shiver, R.L. Merrill loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after closing the book. Ro writes inclusive romance for the Happily Ever After collective, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and pens horror-inspired tales and music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net. A mom, wife, daughter, and former educator, you can find her rocking out in her Bronco with Great Dane pup Velma, being terrorized by feline twins Dracula and Frankenstein, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more…

Connect with R.L.:
https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.twitter.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rosroadiesofromancea Rafflecopter giveaway

A Boy Called Rainbow by Robin Knight: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

.                                   .

Love comes in all colors…

Art evaluator Miles Tate is finally about to start living his dream… that is if he can get the funding in place to open his own art gallery in New York. But when an unexpected turn of events finds every one of Miles’ perfectly-planned dreams turned upside-down, it’s time to escape Manhattan and reluctantly take up a well-paid job in the tiny seaside town of Hope’s Bluff, Georgia. For Miles, it’s his only chance to make some money, claw back what little dignity he has left, and figure out what the hell to do with his life.

But evaluating the art collection of a deceased estate isn’t made easy by the grandson of the dearly departed in question. Indeed, the young man who calls himself Rainbow is a hot-tempered, hotter-than-hell artist whose secrets run deep and passions run raw. He is talented, troubled, tempestuous and deaf… and possibly the one person who can save Miles from his own heartache.

Can Miles finish the job he’s been paid to do… or will two opposites find that they have more in common than they first imagined? Can the pair of them find the strength in each other to rebuild their lives… or will the traumas of their pasts drive them both away? Will Miles turn his back on the handsome, hurt, artistic genius he’s stumbled upon… or will he finally find true love in the arms of a Boy Called Rainbow?

Title: A Boy Called Rainbow
Authors: Robin Knight
Length: 62k
Genre: Contemporary

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

I stood from my spot on the floor and nodded, “You want to see me dance? Then let’s dance!”

Rainbow jumped up and down, clapping excitedly before racing off to Odette’s closet and returning with an old record player. He set it down on the floor, plugged it into the nearest socket, disappeared again, then returned with an album cover in his hands.

He spun it in his fingers before presenting the cover to me.

“Oh wow! Whitney Houston. You’re serious about this!”

Rainbow nodded confidently, looking extremely pleased with himself.

“But wait… you can hear music?”

Rainbow laughed again and shook his head. He crouched and placed his hand against the floor, then ran his fingers over his bare feet, up his legs and torso, and finished with a thump-thump-thump against his heart.

I felt stupid. “The vibrations. You dance to the vibrations.”

He nodded again, then slid the record delicately from its sleeve. Holding it between is fingertips, avoiding any chance of leaving his prints on the vinyl, he placed the record on the turntable with the utmost care, as though he was cracking a safe or setting an explosive with sticks of gelignite. He set the turntable in motion and the record started spinning, and with one final act of precision, he placed the stylus in the groove—

Side A.

Track One.

Rainbow turned the volume up as high as it would go, the crackle of the needle in the groove filling the room before the beat of Whitney’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody kicked in.

Instantly Rainbow’s feet began to move, his body light as a feather, his every step in time with the music.

His hands curled up and his fists began to shake like he was holding maracas.

His hips began to gyrate ever so slightly, feeling the rhythm.

His shoulders tipped left then right, shimmying in such a sexy way I wanted his jeans off then and there.

But first there was music to dance to.

With a mischievous gleam in his eye, Rainbow hustled his way toward me.

He craned his eyebrows suggestively, then did a turn in perfect time to the song, letting me know that the music was all that mattered right now, and if I wanted to join in… now was my one and only chance.

Stiffly I began to move my hips.

I felt like the Tin Man trying to boogie, which was clearly the impression Rainbow got too.

He grinned and reached for me, taking my hips in his hands and swaying me into a smooth and sexy groove, left and right, then back and forth, forcing my feet to move in time with my hips.

I laughed joyfully and shouted over the music, “Fuck, I think I’m dancing!”

But Rainbow wasn’t watching my lips. He was far too caught up in the beat, far too busy passing his moves onto me until we began to dance in unison together.

I felt my shoulders freeing up, as though Dorothy had just squirted oil from her oilcan into my rusty limbs.

I watched my feet step in time with the rhythm… almost… while my legs bent and straightened, freeing themselves of the stiffness that might have set in for the rest of my life had I never met Rainbow.

He twirled and so did I.

He swiveled his hips and soon had me doing the same.

He threw his arms in the air as if he didn’t have a care in the world, whooping with sheer delight over the blasting music, and I did the same.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me close, but he moved too quickly for my fledgling feet.

I stumbled into him.

I stood on his foot and we both staggered, me forward, him backward, until soon we completely lost our balance.

Rainbow fell and thudded onto his back on the floor, making the needle skip to the start of the song.

A second later I fell on top of him, knocking the wind out of him.

Rainbow wheezed as I mumbled, “Shit, fuck, I’m so sorry! God I was doing so well!”

He caught sight of my lips as I said that, and through his gasping and spluttering for air he started to laugh, shaking his head in disagreement.

Two things I am an absolute sucker for. Dancers and deaf or hard of hearing characters. So I was all in.

Let’s start with main character #1 Miles. Art evaluator/wanna be gallery owner who catches his long term boyfriend cheating. Of course the boyfriend gaslights him into thinking he is the my boring, arrogant person out there. Throwing all of the ex lovers in Miles’ face was a bit much.

Off he goes to a small town outside Savannah, Georgia to appraise a collection by a completely unknown, and now deceased, artist. His first meeting with the man who hired him had me rolling me eyes. Talk about some crazy stereotypes. And not for nothin, Miles putting up with the slurs from this guy was ridiculous. He is also waiting to kick his brother out of the house formerly owned by his grandmother- the deceased artist. The hatred was ridiculous.

Off Miles goes to a bed and breakfast of sorts even though there are only 2 rooms for guests. And the B&B owner is a bit of an eccentric cat lady. Literally 13 cats. And the stereotypical talk again. And what she cooks makes it sound like they are in the bayou of Louisiana, not coastal Georgia.

Finally we meet Rainbow. Who is deaf and no one bothered to tell Miles. Rainbow is the only character who isn’t a giant stereotype. He is desperate to keep his grandmother’s art private as was her wish. And to keep the roof over his head.

Miles begins learning ASL at a very rapid pace from a handwritten book. Sigh. ASL is a language. There’s no way to learn it as fast as he did. Anyway. There are sparks between them, Miles learns more about Rainbow, his grandmother and their family.

Beyond the ASL thing, I really did feel like Miles and Rainbow had a connection and belonged together.

There are a couple more quirky characters, a couple more stereotypes and a hurricane.

Overall I liked the story, there were just more than a few things that ruffled my feathers. A few things that were just far too unbelievable that just took me out of the story.

3 pieces of eye candy

.                                   .

Robin Knight is the author of gay fiction novels, novellas, and short stories, ranging in genre from gay adventure, gay romance, gay suspense, and gay comedies.

The heroes of Robin’s books love to spend their time jumping off the page, stumbling through misadventures, and falling in love.

Robin has worked in advertising, politics, journalism, and event management, but nothing is as fun as telling stories.

Connect with Robin:
Website – www.authorrobinknight.com
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robin-Knight/author/B002F89TV6?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
FB – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001541476005
Insta – https://www.instagram.com/authorrobinknight/a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tango Down (The Renegades Book 4) by Cara Dee: Release Day Review and Book Excerpt

by

The Renegades #4 • Romantic Suspense • Enemies to Lovers • Action • MM
“I’m here, baby. Daddy’s here. Oh God, I’m so sorry.”

The murder in Joel Hayward’s eyes wasn’t merely a reflection of the rage within. It was a promise to the men who had kidnapped his daughter. The one person—this amazing slip of a girl—who showed Joel every single day that there was good left in the world.

He was running on fumes. He was desperate. His closest companion was…Elliott. His ex-wife’s older brother. Okay, once upon a time, the man had been a lot more than that, but somehow they’d become mortal enemies instead. Frankly, Joel didn’t give a flying f— He didn’t care if Elliott made it back alive. Or so he kept telling himself, as the pain intensified with each day he couldn’t hold his little girl in his arms.

As they got closer and closer to their target, one lead at a time, the men prepared themselves to go to war.

Amazon – All Regions

Here we go, book 4. The story(ies) get wrapped up.

Sort of spoilery, but come on you know that there has to be a happily ever after or a happily for now. But you’ve been warned.

We start right where we left off. At the cartel’s compound somewhere in the jungles of Columbia. They are in a race to rescue Shay so that they can in turn rescue Blake and Marissa.

I am not going to recap it all. But I will offer some thoughts.

The series brought together 2 couples. But these books were as far from romance novels as you can get. They were action adventure and they were written really well. But action adventure is definitely not my genre of choice. I struggled through some because there are SO many characters, so many bad guys, some bad guys who are good guys, some bad guys who are really bad guys, good guys who were pretending to be bad guys, good guys with boots on the ground, good guys working behind the scenes, etc. It was a lot.

And the mission to rescue Shay was HUGE. So huge that the rescue of Blake and Marissa was a bit anticlimatic. I said what I said.

And then there are multiple epilogues to check in with everyone after. It just felt very disconnected. Joel and Elliott realize a huge betrayal but the consequences of that betrayal don’t seem like much. There’s also a lot we don’t get to see which just left me wanting. I was invested in these guys and the 2 new couples. I wanted more.

I’d much rather read the kinky stories or even the vanilla stories. Maybe new characters that aren’t so intertwined with older characters. Honestly, I am really sick of guns.

3 pieces of eye candy

Three hours—I could work with that. If we were catching a ride through Coach and Hillcroft, chances were we could bring our weapons, and I needed to clean my rifle, both handguns, and—

 “Joel, I need a word.” Elliott nodded toward the hallway.

 Goddammit.

 I reluctantly followed him out into the hallway, where we stuck our feet in our boots and stepped out on the stoop.

 The sky was a little lighter, though it would be a while before the sun rose.

 I let out a breath and sat down on the first step.

 The air really was thinner up here.

 Elliott sat down next to me and lit up a smoke for me too.

 “Thanks.” I took a drag and exhaled skyward.

 What were the odds of him admitting what he’d told me when I’d been fucking deaf?

 “You gonna lay into me?” I had to ask.

 He blew out some smoke and shook his head, then rested his arms on his knees. “No. To be honest, I don’t have a plan here. You’re a grown man, and maybe you don’t care what I think.”

 I didn’t.

 I mean, I did. I absolutely did, but fuck him. Fuck me. Fuck him for getting us to this point. Fuck everything. Fuck, I was tired. Just fuck.

 There’s an idea.

 I suppressed a sigh.

 “But considering how I’ve behaved…” He swallowed and kept his gaze fixed on something on the ground. “You’re not some sidekick in this fight, Joel. You’re hands down the best marksman I’ve ever laid eyes on, and when you silence the worried dad in you—like you did tonight—you’re an incredible soldier.”

 Well, shit. Was that really Elliott talking? Was he sick? Dying?

 “Are you dying?” I asked.

 He exhaled a silent chuckle through his nose and took another drag from his smoke.

 I guessed he wasn’t going to answer.

 “Thank you.” I cleared my throat and scratched my jaw.

 I wasn’t sure I felt anything at his praise, but I knew myself well enough. It’d come later. I’d never been good at hiding my feelings or reactions, so maybe I’d get sucked back in and grieve losing him—even though I’d never really had him—when this was over. When we went back to seeing each other once a year for Blake’s birthday. Maybe not even then, depending on what I could handle. Because suppressing hurt didn’t mean erasing it. Masking it with anger didn’t mean shit either. I still felt the hold he had on me every goddamn day.

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. 

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. 

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write. 

Find Cara on social media here: https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

Kicking it in Vegas: Out and Kickin’ Book 2: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt , New Release Review and Giveaway

by

.                                      .

I woke up in Vegas with a hangover and a ring on my finger.

At my last recollection, the bachelor party was off to a great start. During dinner I met sexy celebrity Chef Oliver who was far more intriguing than his surly public persona let on.

Afterwards, my buddies and I set out to bar-hop at some of Sin City’s biggest hot spots. To my surprise, I ran into Oliver again as he was unwinding by tossing back drinks at a bar. What followed was a hot night of dancing and drinking… and a very confusing morning.

Not only did we spend the night together, we got married. Oliver is quick to suggest divorce, but I’m not ready to give up so easily. We may be opposites in every way imaginable, but there’s a chemistry between us I can’t deny or ignore.

Can I convince Oliver to give our unlikely romance a chance? Or will what happened in Vegas end in Vegas?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Cam

“Divorced?” I asked, my voice coming out sounding like a squeak.

Oliver nodded as he pulled on his clothes. “Yeah. I have a buddy who’s an attorney. He’ll handle everything, don’t worry. Let’s just make this a clean break. No mess, no fuss.” He peered in the mirror and skillfully tousled his hair. “I just need your contact info so when Grant gets the paperwork drawn up, I’ll know where to send it.”

We hadn’t even been married twelve hours and Oliver was already talking about divorce. My mind raced. I know we barely know each other, but we had to have a reason to get married, right? “Wait.”

Oliver stopped what he was doing and looked at me. “Yes?”

My heart thudded. I knew I was taking a risk. “Maybe we don’t.”

“Don’t what? Wait? I can call Grant right now if that’s what you mean.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped to light up the screen.

I took a deep breath and a few steps to cross the room before putting a hand on Oliver’s. “No, I mean, maybe we don’t have to get divorced right away.”

He frowned. “What are you talking about? Of course we do.”

I took the phone from his hand and gently set it on the dresser. “I mean, we don’t have to. Look, I know you’re probably not a romantic at heart like I am. I’m a huge marshmallow who believes in love. And I honestly believe that we wouldn’t have gotten married last night if there wasn’t something between us. A spark, something. I don’t know. I just don’t think we need to go get the courts involved just yet. Give us a chance to get to know each other first. Then we can decide whether we want to stay married.”

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a great idea.”

My lower lip wobbled as tears threatened to fall. I’d finally gotten married and I couldn’t remember it and it was to a guy who didn’t even want me. “Don’t you think it’s worth a try? Besides, it’s not that easy to get a divorce, is it? Back home, there are residency requirements and waiting periods. Is Nevada like that, too?”

He scrubbed his hands over his face and growled, deep and sexy, in what seemed like frustration. “I don’t know. An annulment then. I’ll figure it out.”

I put my hand on his arm. “Don’t you think we deserve a chance?”

If you read Kickin it with the Best Man, which was book one, this book gives us the bachelor weekend of those two main characters. And even though it is their weekend, obviously we are focusing on another couple.

And if you read my review of that book, a lot applied here. Silly, cute, super sexy fast beach read. But this one was a bit sillier and more far fetched than the first. Why? Because Cam (friend of the grooms) and Oliver (chef at the restaurant where the fancy dinner happened the first night) run into each other at a bar, ditch the grooms and other friends, bar hop some more and then get married before the night is over.

I know getting married in Vegas is a trope. Waking up married, marrying a stranger, getting married while wasted, etc. In Vegas. By an Elvis impersonator. Little eye rolling.

There’s a lot of sex in a short book, but whatever. But it just doesn’t give you the chance to get to know these guys at all so I just couldn’t get invested. For 140 some odd pages, it could keep my attention. Anything longer than that and I would have tapped out.

Sure it’s fun and sexy and completely unrealistic. As long as you go in knowing those things, it’s a nice fast read to fill the time.

3 pieces of eye candy

Riley Long is an author of gay romances novels spanning many genres from contemporary to paranormal. They live a quiet life in Virginia, with their husband, son, and two very silly pit bulls.

They spend their evenings writing, reading, and watching bad television (or not so bad television).

For fun, Riley participates in NaNoWriMo, GISH, and reads with her book club, the BAMFs.

They like things with silly acronyms.

Riley can tell you two different stories about getting covered in dairy products for a hug.

Connect with Riley:
https://www.facebook.com/WriterRileyLong
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1097122257097073
https://www.instagram.com/writerrileylong/
https://sendfox.com/writerrileylong

a Rafflecopter giveaway