Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

4.75 stars

Eryx: A Spartan Tale by Jaclyn Osborn: New Release Review

by

My father once told me, above all else…
Live and die for Sparta.

Honor. Loyalty. Duty. These were the things that mattered most.

And then Axios came into my life, teaching me other lessons: humility, brotherhood… love.
There were moments when the brutal training stripped me of my humanity, where it turned me into a mindless beast of flesh and muscle set to destroy everything in my way. But then Axios stood in my way, ever vigilant, never failing to bring me back to myself.

Love had no place in Sparta, they said. It made you weak.

So why did I feel stronger with him by my side?

*Eryx: A Spartan Tale is a 149k word historical gay fiction featuring a love story between Spartan warriors. Although told in an alternate point of view of the events in Axios, it includes extended scenes and more content. It can be read as a complete standalone.*

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

This is a sweeping epic spanning nearly 30 years, set in ancient Greece. I am not normally one for historicals, but I read Axios based on reviews by people I trust and loved it. This is the same story, but told from the perspective of Eryx. And although it is the same story, it is a wholly different story.

This book follows Axios and Eryx from the time they were young boys and first sent off to the Spartan version of boot camp until their last battle.

In the first book, we got the story from Axios’ perspective. He was a dreamer, a lover, never one for fighting and war. He did his duty to Sparta but he questioned it all of the time. He hated it.

Now we get to hear directly from Eryx. His mother died in childbirth, his father took his own life in shame for abandoning the army (really the poor man has serious PTSD). Eryx couldn’t wait to become a warrior. He knew he sole purpose in life was to fight for and possibly die for Sparta. And he looked forward to it.

Axios and Eryx really were like Yin and Yang. Two halves of a whole that balanced each other out. Whereas Eryx pushed Axios to be the warrior he needed to be, Axios taught Eryx that there were other things in life- friendship and love. Over the years they became inseparable, and filled out their circle with a few more boys they called their brothers.

As the book is very long and spans quite a long time, the first half is them growing and training. They begin discovering their feelings for each other when they reach their teenage years. It was so innocent and beautiful in the middle of this horrible training.

Once they reach the age to go to battle, they are still inseparable. Everyone knows that they are together and really no one discourages it. The battle scenes are brutal and horrific. This is not something for the weak hearted. Although you can skim over.

Get the tissues. A box of tissues. I convinced myself that I wouldn’t cry this time because I cried during Axios and I knew what would happen. HA! That was a big lie I told myself as I sobbed. More than once. Ok, a lot.

The entire love story is just beautiful. How they lived, trained, fought, was heart breaking. And as vicious as it was, in real life it was probably a lot worse.

If you read Axios, read this book. If you didn’t read Axios, read this then go back and read Axios. Or read Axios and then this. The order doesn’t matter and you don’t have to read both. But you’ll want to.

4.75 Pieces of Eye Candy

Complementary Colors by Adrienne Wilder: RDB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

My sister Julia manipulated my life into a prison to keep me silent about our dirty family secret. Her greed made me a slave and circumstance left me with no way to escape.

Trapped, the only way I could silence the nightmares driving me to insanity was to wrap them in color, hold them with shadow, and stitch them to negative space with line.

But no matter how bright the pigments, no one could see my confession.

Except for Roy Callahan.

I thought he was just another nameless one-night stand in a long line of many.

But I was wrong. Roy could see past the façade of my life and through the veil color over the canvas. He could see what the world couldn’t.

And with him I’d find the courage to tell the truth about the boy.

The boy who kissed me.

The boy who loved me.

The boy whose name I couldn’t remember.

Book Title: Complementary Colors

Author: Adrienne Wilder

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Adrienne Wilder

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: From different worlds

Themes: mental illness, PTSD, HEA

Heat Rating:  5 flames

Length: 362 pages

It is a standalone story.

Add on Goodreads

Amazon US- Kindle Unlimited

Chapter One

I knew he didn’t belong the moment I saw him.

He wasn’t cut by money or shaped by political interests, and the rental he wore was a bad joke in the ocean of Versace suits and Chanel ball gowns, fitting him tight across the shoulders and short in the arms. A belt held up his pants, and the waves of extra fabric did nothing to accentuate the ass I knew was just as perfect as the rest of him.

I drank my champagne while the stranger picked his way through the clumps of people gathered in front of the hideous paintings I had on display.

“Paris, darling, Mr. Darcy was asking you about one of your works.” Julia put her hand on my arm. I ignored my sister and Mr. Darcy. Whatever it was he wanted to say to me, I’d heard it before; Mind-blowing, so unique, see the passion, the fire, and my favorite, it speaks to me.

Bullshit.

Only one person could see the dirty secret hidden within the lines, the color, the violence.

Me.

I handed Julia my empty glass.

She tightened her grip on my arm. “These people came a long way to meet you.”

They always came a long way to meet me. Even if it was a block away.

“Bathroom,” I said. Julia frowned. I think she knew I was lying but didn’t want to call me out on it in front of her friends. I peeled away her fingers. “If you don’t mind, of course.” I slipped into the crowd.

Julia would give Mr. Darcy and his flavor-of-the-year wife some excuse on my behalf. Then she’d slay them with her silver tongue, and by the end of the night, they’d write a check for some ungodly amount and buy a piece of hell I’d spewed out into the world.

They’d hang it in their country home or put it in their yacht. They’d smile and laugh and remain deaf to the confession screaming to be told.

Heat from the track lighting pressed down on my shoulders. Greetings cast out by guests floated in shades of black and gray.

I followed the stranger’s trail of color all the way to the back of the gallery. He disappeared around a partition and through a door. I checked to see if anyone was watching before I went in.

Cold fluorescents replaced track lighting, and the hum of the ventilation system snuffed out a burst of laughter. There were only two doors in the maintenance hall, besides the one that shut behind me.

A deep mechanical sound chugged from behind the one left open. I slipped inside and turned the knob so I could control the catch.

The man crouched beside an opening in one of the large metal units. Even on his knees, I could tell he was about my height, but his shoulders were wide, and his limbs were thick.

I hoped that trait didn’t stop at his legs and arms.

After a few minutes, he seemed satisfied and replaced the panel. When he stood, I had a brief glimpse of the curve of his ass when his slacks tightened.

He turned and dropped the tools he held. His hip hit the metal hull of the unit, and it boomed.

“Jesus Christ. You scared the shit out of me.”

A five o’clock shadow dusted his jaw, hardening his features enough to make him look dangerous. And there was already no doubt left in my mind that he could kill me if he wanted to.

He wiped his hands with a rag from his pocket. Scars crossed the knuckles of his callused fingers. The thought of his rough grip on my body left me hard.

“I replaced the coil.” The sound of his voice wrapped me in red and tied me up with gold. “That should relieve some of the strain on the unit. It’s pretty old, though.” He put his tools into a toolbox. “You might want to consider replacing it.”

I engaged the lock on the door.

He followed me with his eyes as I made a half circle around him. His physical appearance didn’t make him alluring. It was how he carried himself. Like a man who was one with the world and not above it. I grazed a look up and down his body.

“I’ll send you a bill.” He reached for his toolbox.

I got in the way, trapping him against the air-conditioning unit.

“Is there something else you ne—” He cleared his throat. “Need?”

“Are you afraid of me?”

He pulled himself to his full height. “Do I have a reason to be?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On how much the idea of fucking me appeals to you.”

Mental illness, broken characters, angst, art…all are kryptonite for me. The story is told from Paris’ point of view, which is both beautiful, troubling and terrifying.

Color is everything to Paris. He sees color everywhere. And he puts the color to canvas to tell a story he cannot tell. But his paintings are abstract so no one can see what he is actually saying. Except for Roy.

Roy is everything Paris isn’t. Poor, works labor jobs for little money, has no pretense, tells it like it is, honest to a fault. But they are drawn together like magnets.

Paris has a wildly successful career as an artist, but he is controlled by his sister Julia. She is a classic abuser “you make me” “if it wasn’t for you” “I only do it because I love you”. It was chilling.

This would have been an entirely different book if it was from someone else’s POV or in the third person. But it HAD to be told from Paris’ POV. To understand his mania and PTSD and his life as a victim of abuse.

I absorbed every word of this book. It is long, it is detailed, but it is necessary to tell the story. I almost feel like the relationship between Paris and Roy takes second place to the story of Paris’ mental state. That is almost a character in and of itself.

There was no sugar coating of his mental illness. It was honest and true in a way that not a lot of books are willing to go. But reading books like this help build compassion for the people out there in the world. You have no idea what is going on inside their heads. Armani suits on the outside, bruises and imaginary rabbits on the inside.

4.75 pieces of eye candy

I am a writer of contemporary and speculative fiction and artist of all things monster. I live to create new worlds and the people in them. Several of my books have been best sellers both nationally and internationally. I have also been a finalist in the LAMDA awards, the “Oscars” of gay literary works.

I do my best to write original stories with powerful characters and emotion as well as a fast-paced plot. My goal isn’t just to deliver a good story but to take the reader into the story and let them experience the characters as if they are right there with them.

While almost all my books have a romantic element, I will be the first to admit, they are not traditional romance. In fact, I’d like to think there is nothing traditional about them. And the stories I paint are done so way outside the lines of traditional genres.

One of my favorite things to do as a writer is push the boundaries of what makes a story and to deliver the unexpected and maybe even change the perspective of the reader.

My characters are more often than not, beautifully flawed, not always the good guy, and make mistakes. Their stories will take dark turns which, in the end, make the light at the end of the tunnel all the brighter.

If you’re looking for something different, exciting, and unique, my books are for you.

Check out my website for updates and how to contact me. I love hearing from fans.

Author Links

Blog/Website | Facebook |  Facebook group | Twitter

Newsletter Sign-up |  Patreon  |  Goodreads 

Giveaway

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Upside Down by N.R. Walker: Blog Tour and New Release Review

by

Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, a librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But he when he realises adding the label ‘asexual’ might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.

Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.

A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Loved it. So much.

N.R. Walker continues to amaze me in her ability to write completely different stories all of the time. This time we get two asexual main characters. And it is hilarious. HILARIOUS. Laugh out loud in bed funny.

Ok, let’s back it on up for a sec. First of all, one of the main characters is a librarian. Which is awesome. And his best friend is also a librarian. Also awesome. Underlying everything in the book there is a quiet theme of telling us how awesome libraries are and that they aren’t just for checking out the latest best seller for free. YAY! Libraries!

Jordan, the librarian, is adorable. And so, so funny. His funny isn’t forced at all. It is just totally natural and it sucks you right in. But he is also grappling with the fact that he may be asexual. Grappling only because he doesn’t want another label. Even though that label could very well help him understand himself and his complete disinterest in sex. But he is still gay. And he still likes men. In fact, he has a bit of a crush on a guy on the bus he takes home from work everyday. He just doesn’t want to have sex with him.

Hennesey is a great character in his own right. He isn’t just there to listen to Jordan be funny. If that makes sense. You can picture him smiling and watching Jordan as he goes on one of his rambles. Besides being the “headphones guy” on the bus that Jordan crushes on, he also runs the Asexual support group that Jordan’s best friend convinces him to go to.

Because both Jordan and Hennesey are asexual, there is no sex in this book. None. Zero, zip, zilch. Instead of dealing with the “sexual tension” while a couple gets to know each other, they get to know each other. There is nothing in the way. No finish line as it were. They are there to know each other, to see how they are as a couple. And the way they do it is just adorable.

Because Jordan is coming to terms with being asexual, there is a lot of explanation of what exactly asexual is. And how it is different for everyone.

I could go on and on. I stayed up past my bed time to finish this book. I could seriously go back to the first page and read it again immediately. It is going in my “read again” folder on my kindle.

So, ya. Read it. Love it.

4.75 Pieces of Candy

Scarred by Mia Kerrick: Quick Review

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Even in paradise, beautiful faces can hide scarred souls.

ONE tropical island.

Placida Island’s gentle ocean breezes and rolling surf beckon to those who wish to reside in remote tropical serenity.

TWO men living in self-imposed exile.

Wearing twisted ropes of mutilated skin on his back and carrying devastating damage in his soul from severe childhood abuse, Matthew North lives alone in a rustic cabin on the shore, avoiding human contact.

Gender fluidity his perceived “crime” against family and friends, Vedie Wilson flees his childhood home so he can freely express his identity.

THREE persecutors seeking their warped view of justice.

Vedie’s past refuses to stay in the faraway city he left behind when family members, intent on forcing him to change, threaten the precious peace he’s found.

TOO MANY scars to count.

Their beautiful faces masking deeply scarred souls, Matt and Vedie live in hiding from the world and each other.

Can they unite and embrace each other’s painful pasts, leaving the scars behind, to find love?

Amazon

Nine Star Press

 

I have a bit of a fetish for broken characters. Not just broken. Like totally effed up characters. And if both main characters are broken? Yaassss!

And that is why I wanted to read this book. And I am so glad I did.

Warning though. This book is brutal. The author does not shy away from abuse, both physical and sexual, including of a child. It is far from gratuitous. The way it is told as journal entries makes you want to weep, but it is not voyeuristic.

Matt lives in self imposed seclusion because of a severely traumatic even in his childhood. But not 100%. He goes out to eat by himself, goes to the store, etc. He just doesn’t have anyone in his life. No one. No friends, he sees his parents briefly once or twice a year and works from home. So when the new bus boy at the restaurant he frequents talks to him, flirts with him, propositions him, he is compelled to say yes.

Vedie (I love this name, seriously) basically ran away from home, even though he is 21 years old. He has been non-binary ever since he could remember. Sometimes he felt like a boy, sometimes a girl, sometimes neither. That didn’t fly in the tough neighborhood in Boston he grew up in. So his mother threw him out and he runs because his brothers and cousin think they can beat him into being only a boy.

Matt and Vedie very slowly develop a relationship. One that is undefined. It is sometimes sexual, often times platonic and nearly always unspoken of. Matt cannot speak of his feelings and Vedie wants to not only talk about it, he wants to hear it. Both of these men so desperately need love from another person.

I devoured every word of this book. The way Vedie’s personality and speech patterns change with what gender he is presenting at the time are so well done. And while “boy” Vedie can be a bit over the top in his overt machismo, it goes back to his days in Boston and having to show people he was a boy.

There are some excellent secondary characters- Sheila, Vedie’s co-worker and her girlfriend, who love Vedie as he is even if he doesn’t realize it. Matt’s parents, who I thought I would feel sorry for but I absolutely didn’t. And Joey who I wanted to punch in the face.

I hate to say that there wasn’t a ton of “plot” because that sounds awful, but there was a TON of story. I don’t know if that made sense. But I got to immerse myself in Matt and Vedie and not have to worry so much about x, y and z.

If you were a fan of Violence Begets, put this on the top of your TBR.

4.75 Pieces of Eye Candy