Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

4.5 stars

Cameron Wants To Be A Hero (Love, Austen Book 2) by Anyta Sunday: New Release Review

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Lake: Did you get his number this time?
Cameron: Yes. But I’m not sure I should use it so soon.
Lake: What’s soon? Didn’t you last see him yesterday?
Cameron: I thought you’re meant to wait three days? Otherwise it looks desperate.
Lake: You are desperate.
Cameron: Thanks.
Lake: From everything you’ve told me, sounds like this could be something.
Cameron: You think?
Lake: Message him. Keep it sexy.

~ ~ ~

When it comes to romance books, Cameron Morland can always read between the lines. When it comes to real romance, he may need a dictionary.

Or Jane.

~ ~ ~

It’s Northanger Abbey, complete with a neo-gothic mansion and charming misunderstandings. But contemporary. And gay.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Another modern day retelling of a Jane Austen classic, although I’d venture to guess a lesser known classic. And I loved it.

Cameron, the shy scriptwriter, living in his brother’s shadow, ignored at best by his father who’s friends are off traveling for work. He loves books- especially Austen as he feels that it brings him closer to his mother who died when he was a baby. So when he meets Henry- in an interesting and strange way- and English teacher, he is smitten. Unfortunately, he is also being pursued by his new neighbors. A brother and sister who are renting the house of his friends next door. The brother in romantic pursuit and the sister in a best friend pursuit. More on that later.

This book was just so fun. There was a *tiny* bit of angst involving fathers, but hardly the crux of the plot line. Cameron and Henry took it very slowly. Wooing each other through text messages, emails, and even written letters. All while being thwarted by the neighbors, John and Isabella.

I love when stories involve written communication like that. Yes, everyone texts these days, but when Cameron can be so much more open with written words than face to face, they get to know each other really well.

John and Isabella though- ugh. I wanted to slap them both. John for being ridiculously pushy, arrogant and trying to steamroll Cameron into a relationship he didn’t want. And Isabella who really seemed like she just wanted the eye rolling “gay bestie”. Whereas Henry’s sister wanted to be friends with Cameron because of him. And because her brother was smitten.

I was missing a little of Cameron’s work life. I know what he wants to do, but not actually what he does.

You don’t need to know anything of the original story to thoroughly enjoy this one.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Up in Smoke: A Gay Firefighter Romance (Hotshots Book 4) by Annabeth Albert: Quick Review

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Three Men and a Baby meets Backdraft with explosive chemistry and heartfelt feels.

Freewheeling smoke jumper Brandt Wilder thrives on adrenaline. He’s never met a parachute he can’t repair or a dangerous situation he couldn’t wrangle his way out of. He’s popular and fun-loving and not at all looking to settle down or form lasting relationships. It’s a lifestyle that’s served him well…right up until the day he finds a baby on his doorstep.

Shane Travis is used to putting his country music career—and his own happiness—on hold after his sister rolls through his life. Like last spring when she convinced him to try skydiving for his birthday—and she walked away with the hot parachute instructor.

Now he gets to deliver the piece of news that will upend Brandt’s carefree life: he very well might be a dad.

Shane’s niece is safe in Brandt’s strong, capable hands, but too many questions remain unanswered. Co-parenting while they sort it out leads to late-night talks, and soul-bearing confessions lead to a most inconvenient attraction. Still, Shane can’t leave this makeshift family behind—even if it means playing house with the one man he can’t resist.

Amazon

Carina Press

Hotshots
Book 1: Burn Zone
Book 2: High Heat
Book 3: Feel the Fire

This book was quite different than the first three books in this series. That made me love it all the more! The author wasn’t afraid to branch away from the previous main focus of how the firefighters and their future significant others were handling the challenge of being a firefighter, injuries, etc.

First and foremost, there was a baby. There definitely wasn’t a baby in the other three books. And watching these two men who had never been around babies, since one spent much of his life in foster care, and the other spent much of his life being moved around and having to take care of himself, it made it heartfelt and fun. They had to learn everything from how to diaper and feed her, to what to do when she got sick, to how to love her unconditionally, and figure out how to best take care of her legally. But they didn’t really question it, they just did it. They didn’t make their focus on what could go wrong, but how to make it all right.

They each had their goals and ambitions, yet once that sweet little baby came into their lives, and they were determined to work together to care for her, those goals shifted. They didn’t change completely, just shifted to accommodate the addition of a little one who needed both her daddy and her uncle. And still that wasn’t the main focus of the story.

The focus of the story was simple, two men, one baby, all falling in love with each other. Learning about each other, and about themselves with the others in their lives. My heart nearly couldn’t take it. It was happy, it was sad, it was funny, it was heart wrenching. But in the end, I truly loved it.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Keeping Kellan (Keeping Him Book 2) by Amy Aislin: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Brant Harkrader is done living by other peoples’ rules. He may not know exactly what he wants out of life, but he’s perfectly happy letting that question figure itself out while starting a new job as a tour guide.

Too bad the one thing he does want—his sister’s BFF—only sees him as a little brother.

Or so he thinks…

Kellan Shelby-Briggs has never shied away from going after what he wants. And what he wants is the important contract that will put his brand new company on the map—and Brant.

Too bad Kellan’s career keeps yanking him away just as things heat up between them.

Now that Brant is back in town—up close and personal in Kell’s living space—can they finally get the timing right to go after the love that has eluded them both for too long?

Keeping Kellan
By Amy Aislin

Keeping Him, Book 2

Amazon

Apple
B&N
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Goodreads

Kell was staring at him. “You baked?”

“Uh-huh.” The look Kell was giving him made his stomach do backflips. He leaned a hip casually against the counter. “Don’t get too excited, though. Like I said, I don’t know if I did it right. They might be gross.”

“You baked?” Kell repeated. He crept in closer to Brant, slowly, as though he thought Brant would flee at the slightest provocation.

But, today, Brant’s stupid desire to run was nowhere to be found.

Because this was Kell. Kellan Shelby-Briggs, who used to babysit him when he was little, and instead of sitting Brant in front of the television so Kell could spend all night talking on the phone with his friends like most teenagers would do, Kell had played board games with him until it was time for bed. Kell, who saw the world as one giant playground on which he could get shit done and show everyone how goddamn capable he was. Kell, who’d never treated Brant like an annoying kid. Kell, who’d often wandered over from next door to visit Wendy, but who had always brought a little something for Brant—an action figure, a new baseball, a well-loved board game he no longer played, his mom’s freshly baked cookies, hockey cards.

He was literally the boy next door, and he was looking at Brant with a cocky half-smile that was way sexier than it should’ve been.

It made sense in the grand scheme of things, though. Brant had always been attracted to competence and confidence. And here was his dream man in the flesh, coming toward him until he stopped less than half a foot away.

“You baked,” Kell said again, though it didn’t sound like a question this time. More like an acknowledgement.

“Mm-hmm.” Brant straightened, bringing them that much closer. Kell’s eyes slipped to his mouth. “As a thank you for letting me stay here. And for dessert for tonight’s date.”

Those eyes, clear pools of blue, snapped back to his. “Date.”

“Wasn’t that what the steak and shrimp kabobs were for? Not to mention the salad, the veggies, the potatoes, the dip, and the lava cakes. A date.” It had been too much for one person, so he’d brought the leftovers to Wendy’s last night. Except for the lava cakes. Those he’d kept.

“A clandestine one,” Kell admitted. “In case it wasn’t something you wanted.”

Brant wanted so much that he was tempted to let the pizza burn and drag Kell upstairs. Hell, he was kicking himself for not staying for the “movie” the other night. When had he ever backed away when he was interested in someone? The last time he’d seen someone he wanted to know, he’d walked right up to him in the bar and had taken him home two hours later.

Just that things were different with Kell. Everything that pulled Brant toward him—the friendship, the familiarity, Kell’s steady presence—also threatened to push Brant away. Because they were entering dangerous territory and neither of them would remain unscathed if they fucked this up, and it would forever alter their relationship, whatever that turned out to be.

Right now, though, with Kell looking at him with heat in his eyes? None of that seemed to matter.

The oven timer went off, an incessant beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep. Neither of them moved.

“Going to get that?” Kell asked, voice dropping to a husky rumble that had goosebumps climbing up Brant’s arm.

“In a minute,” he murmured and, hand to Kell’s chest, pushed him back against the counter, slotted himself between his thighs, and kissed him.

Book 2 in a series, but stands alone.

This story was sweet. Crush on his sister’s best friend since he was a kid. But now everyone is grown up. And the crush works both ways.

Kellan and Brant so easily just slipped into a relationship. Brant was staying with Kellan until he found a place of his own having moved back to his home town. And even without a sexual relationship at all, they just fell in to that groove. They were so comfortable with each other, with mutual crushes, so it was completely natural. Even Brant’s sister- Kellan’s best friend- really had no issue with it at all.

Poor Brant is trying to figure his life out. He played junior hockey as dictated by his step father. He went to college. He got the job in the cube in the city. But he wasn’t happy. So he went back home, back to the small town life and mountains he loves. And Kellan.

Brant has a really strained relationship with his mother and step father. Proving that words can do as much damage, if not more, than fists. Brant’s sister was just old enough to have moved out to college and didn’t know how bad it was. But Brant just kept it in.

Kellan validated Brant. Listened to him, loved him, supported him. Things he was severely lacking from his mother and step father.

It was a fun book that had a little bit of angst with the parental situation, but not the romance situation.

Great book to read at the beach or sitting in the back yard this summer. Most of the sex scenes are very fade to black with some details. You’ll love Kellan and Brant and their dog Ollie.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Amy‘s lived with her head in the clouds since she first picked up a book as a child, and being fluent in two languages means she’s read a lot of books! She first picked up a pen on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class had to stay inside for recess. Tales of treasure hunts with her classmates eventually morphed into love stories between men, and she’s been writing ever since. She writes evenings and weekends—or whenever she isn’t at her full-time day job saving the planet at Canada’s largest environmental non-profit.

An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group, Amy Aislin’s Readers, to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram and Twitter, or sign up for her newsletter.

Connect with Amy:
Website: amyaislin.com
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/AmyAislinNewsletter
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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/amyaislin/
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16693566.Amy_Aislin

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The Hate Project: An LGBTQ Romcom (The Love Study Book 2): New Release Review

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This arrangement is either exactly what they need–or a total disaster

Oscar is a grouch.

That’s a well-established fact among his tight-knit friend group, and they love him anyway.

Jack is an ass.

Jack, who’s always ready with a sly insult, who can’t have a conversation without arguing, and who Oscar may or may not have hooked up with on a strict no-commitment, one-time-only basis. Even if it was extremely hot.

Together, they’re a bickering, combative mess.

When Oscar is fired (answering phones is not for the anxiety-ridden), he somehow ends up working for Jack. Maybe while cleaning out Jack’s grandmother’s house they can stop fighting long enough to turn a one-night stand into a frenemies-with-benefits situation.

The house is an archaeological dig of love and dysfunction, and while Oscar thought he was prepared, he wasn’t. It’s impossible to delve so deeply into someone’s past without coming to understand them at least a little, but Oscar has boundaries for a reason—even if sometimes Jack makes him want to break them all down.

After all, hating Jack is less of a risk than loving him…

Amazon

Carina Press

First, look at that cover. Isn’t it adorable? And it very simply describes this book quite well. I love it when a book cover actually matches the book content. 🙂

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this book. It was just a little different than most other gay romances. There was a huge amount of hoarding, which is definitely not something you ever see. An MC who was just afraid of let his guard down, jobless, and was kind of a bit of a mess. It was honestly refreshing to see a character fall in love, even though there were points in the book where he couldn’t get out of bed. Sometimes that is where life leads us, into places we don’t want to be, but there we are.

Meanwhile, the other MC, while having a good job, the home he lived in, his grandparents was its own hot mess. And he’d been in the situation of just not knowing what to do as it continued to get worse and worse.

I really loved how as Oscar was cleaning out the house, he found himself really digging deep into the family, their secrets, their pain, and even their joy. Jack’s grandmother was a feisty old woman, and I was completely here for it. 🙂

This book didn’t play out the way I expected at all, and that was a very good thing. Their emotions were just so bottled up, you had to wonder how they couldn’t come flying out!

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Kris Ripper lives in the great state of California and zir pronouns are ze/zir. Kris shares a converted garage with a kid, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.

Not So Sincerely, Yours (For Him, Book 2) by A.M. Johnson: Exclusive Excerpt and New Release Review

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Ethan,
About last night… I could blame the bourbon. I could say I let things get out of hand, that I should have never called you, but I’m done lying to myself—to you. I know what you’re going to say. You’re not very good at keeping your opinions to yourself, but this can’t happen. It’s inappropriate, at best. I’m your boss. Not to mention, you’re clearly still hung up on him. I’m not a consolation prize.

Anders~

**

Anders,
You didn’t think it was inappropriate when you had your tongue down my throat, but I digress. As for your accusation, I’m not the only one stuck in the past, but at least I’m not running from it. I can’t believe I’m about to say this… Maybe you’re right. You shouldn’t have called me. Especially if you never intended to own it. Own that you wanted it to happen. Admit that you wanted me.

Not so sincerely,
Yours

Not So Sincerely, Yours (For Him, Book 2)
By A.M. Johnson

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

(this one is a bit steamy)

I punched and folded the pillow a few times trying to get comfortable, my head filled with too much stimulus. Sirens echoed somewhere in the city as I closed my eyes. Like every night, my brain switched to autopilot, and I couldn’t settle down. I sat up a little, resting my back against the pillows and raked my fingers through my hair. The lights of Times Square flashed inside my head, the kid laughing in the park on a loop inside my ears. And Ethan. And his mouth. And his scent of wood and soap and rain. I blew out a long breath, wishing I hadn’t packed away my book.

“Goddammit.”

Giving in, I grabbed my phone and opened up the app I’d been avoiding ever since Ethan had mentioned it. Attraction was an idea. An idea that plagued you until you either acted on it or moved on. Maybe seeing him like this, outside of the confines of the office would quell the growing curiosity.

I’d never been so wrong about anything in my entire life.

A simple shot of Ethan’s abs filled my screen. His fingers were fisted in what looked like a blanket as he pushed it dangerously low, exposing the smooth, pale skin below his tan line. I stared at the trimmed brown hair that dusted the top of his pelvis, and the ache in my dick became too prominent to ignore. I reached under the sheets and palmed the growing erection inside my boxer briefs. This was not the reaction I wanted. Instead of switching out of the app like I should have, I scrolled through his pictures. Bad idea number—I’d lost count. Some of the images were older, and I had to admit, the leaner version of Ethan was just as sexy. He had broad shoulders and a swimmer’s body all packaged with a bright smile and the most unique eyes I’d ever seen.

Not happening.

I closed out of the app and tossed my phone, gently this time, onto the side table. Lying back down, I flipped to my right side and then my left about four times. Growling into the void, I fell onto my back and shoved down the sheets. I slipped a hand under the waistband of my underwear and smeared the dot of pre-come leaking from my slit down my shaft with my thumb. A ragged breath escaped my lungs, the first real breath I’d taken all day. I stroked myself hard and steady, thinking about his soft pale skin, that patch of hair, and how it would feel against the tip of my nose, my hip, rubbing against my dick. I forced out all the warnings and the rules and let myself go. This didn’t have to mean anything. It was a physical response to a hot picture, and I hadn’t gotten laid in over a month. It was about flesh and muscle. I thought about the sharp line of his jaw and how it would taste. I didn’t think about his eyes or his smile or his smart mouth, and how I wanted to fill it with my cock or my fingers. My hips jerked as I groaned through clenched teeth, and my orgasm splashed against my stomach. Breathless, I slammed my eyes shut as goose bumps broke out across my skin. The longer I lay there, the harder it was to rationalize away what I’d done.

I’d gotten off thinking about an employee.

About Ethan.

His eyes, his smile, his smart mouth.

Everything I shouldn’t want.

Everything I couldn’t have.

I didn’t read book 1, Love Always, Wild. But I loved reading the blurb on this one, enemies to lovers being one of my favorite tropes. So, I jumped in here…and now really want to go back. 🙂

I loved this book. It was fun, sexy, smart, and just all around worth sitting down and reading in one sitting.

Their previous interactions were not good, so Anders hiring Ethan as his temporary assistant was not on either of their lists of things to do. However, it turned out to be what they both needed. Anders needed an assistant for a maternity leave, and Ethan needed some time until he moved onto his next phase. Perfect. And the fights were small. hahaha

It was definitely a slow burn, as they began to slowly get to know each other, get over their previous relationships, then like each other, and then onto the hotness of “can’t get enough of him”.

I really enjoyed this one, and now want to go back and read book 1, and will definitely be keeping an eye out for future A.M. Johnson books.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Amanda lives in Utah with her family where she moonlights as a nurse on the weekends.
If she’s not busy with her three munchkins, you’ll find her buried in a book or behind the keyboard where she explores the human experience through the written word.
She’s obsessed with all things Austen and Oreos, and loves to connect with readers!

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Best Laid Plans (Garnet Run Book 2) by Roan Parrish: New Release Review * 2

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A man who’s been moving his whole life finally finds a reason to stay put.

Charlie Matheson has spent his life taking care of things. When his parents died two days before his eighteenth birthday, he took care of his younger brother, even though that meant putting his own dreams on hold. He took care of his father’s hardware store, building it into something known several towns over. He took care of the cat he found in the woods…so now he has a cat.

When a stranger with epic tattoos and a glare to match starts coming into Matheson’s Hardware, buying things seemingly at random and lugging them off in a car so beat-up Charlie feels bad for it, his instinct is to help. When the man comes in for the fifth time in a week, Charlie can’t resist intervening.

Rye Janssen has spent his life breaking things. Promises. His parents’ hearts. Leases. He isn’t used to people wanting to put things back together—not the crumbling house he just inherited, not his future and certainly not him. But the longer he stays in Garnet Run, the more he can see himself belonging there. And the more time he spends with Charlie, the more he can see himself falling asleep in Charlie’s arms…and waking up in them.

Is this what it feels like to have a home—and someone to share it with?

Amazon

Carina Press

Better Than People (Book 1)

One of the things I really love about Roan Parrish‘s books are the writing. They are just SO well written. I don’t just mean edited well or a good story- although both are undeniably true. I mean she is a master of prose and narrative. She not only paints a picture that immerses you in the story, but the natural flow of language keeps you there.

I’m kind of gushing. But I know for a fact that I will have to look up at least 5 words that she uses. But the use of these words also flows. Because it is so well written. It’s not like she pulled this 25 cent word out of a thesaurus to sound smart. The writing IS smart. Do you know how many times I read the phrase “boner killer” in books? Far, far too many. Ms. Parrish instead said “anaphrodisiac”. It just elevates the narrative.

I’ll stop now. Instead I will talk about swoony Charlie, who we met in Better Than People, and Rye, a guy with no direction in life who packs up his cat and moves from Seattle to Wyoming when he finds out a grandfather he didn’t know he had, died and left him a house.

Being that Charlie owns the town’s hardware store and the house is quite literally falling down around him, Rye and Charlie meet quickly. But Charlie’s need to help is butting up against Rye’s need to be independent.

So begins their story of finding each other, learning to accept help, learning to love yourself and 2 amazing cats in the mix.

Just read it. You won’t be disappointed. You don’t have to read the first book, Better Than People, but you should. Because it is also a treasure.

And so, I am giving this book my ever rare, but certainly deserved…

5 pieces of eye candy

Another fantastic emotional journey by Roan Parrish. Every book I read by this author, I continue to be impressed by the level of emotion that is leveled into the stories, without creating unnecessary angst. (I’m not an angsty reader…that’s Erin…I like happy and sweet and an HEA that makes me feel squishy inside.)

We met Charlie in Better Than People, as the mysterious brother who raised Jack after their parents were killed. We didn’t learn a lot about Charlie in that book, other than he clearly loved his brother, and he was kind of stand-offish. In this book, we learn how he really dealt with their parents’ death, how it changed his life forever in many ways. The scene where this is addressed…just powerful.

Rye, in his own way stand-offish, but because of past hurts and challenges. But he was such a brave soul to pick up and move (and not leave his cat behind!!!!), and even when he saw the dilapidated home he was left didn’t give up, just kept trying and moving forward. Watching him learn to accept help was touching. It wasn’t easy for him, but he knew he could only do so much on his own.

These two men really complimented each other, and were able to work together to make a challenging situation become a great situation. 🙂 I love that Rye, despite his normal cynicism, saw the good in the kids at his house, and let them stay, even though he knew Charlie would not like it. He trusted the kids, and it said so much about the person he was. And in the end, he was right…he just had to convince Charlie of that.

Side note…the cats…yes, this crazy cat lady loved every minute with those two.

So well written, and it just felt warm and sunny and I felt happy when I finished. As an aside, the cover is perfect for the book!

4.5 pieces of eye candy