Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

4 stars

Finley Embraces Heart And Home (Love, Austen Book 4) by Anyta Sunday: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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MUM is the love of his life.
Until he meets his STEP-BROTHER.

For years it’s been just Finley and Mum. Now she’s getting married, and they’re moving into a flash mansion and his step-dad is lording it over him. He’s clearly a homophobe, and doesn’t want him rubbing off (so to speak) on his son.

Like that would ever happen.

Even if Ethan and his dad don’t look anything alike.

Even if Ethan and his dad don’t act anything alike.

Even if . . .

This can’t happen. They’re whānau now, family, there are boundaries.

Secret. Forbidden. Irresistible.
A reimagining of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park.

***
TAGS:
Heart-throbbing slow burn, a bit of pretty prose, Ethan is his step-brother, Finley wasn’t supposed to see him naked, step-dad is a homophobe, Finley has naughty thoughts, Austen might roll over in her grave, secrets and confessions under sparkly stars, mutual pining, the world is unfair, pining-pining-and-more-pining, Finley turns naughty thoughts to actions, so what there are rules?, maybe they shouldn’t have done that, jealousy is an ugly green beast, Austen might like this now, forgetting is impossible, more impossible is choosing between heart and home.

Finley Embraces Heart And Home

Love, Austen (Book 4)

By Anyta Sunday

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Emerett Has Never Been In Love (Love, Austen Book 1)

Cameron Wants To Be A Hero (Love, Austen Book 2)

Bennet, Pride Before The Fall (Love, Austen Book 3)

Ethan slips to my side, perfectly pressed in his spotless uniform, face free from the shadows of a cap. His hand moves to my bag and I feel the shudder of the zip. “It was open,”’ he says, and I know immediately he’s seen my test, pinned behind my smaller math textbook, the red-circled Achieved at the top right-hand corner.

I can’t look at him. My insides heave up my throat and the pressure stings my eyes.

“Um. See you at home, then.” I pound down the last of the path and emerge onto the parking lot. I’m halfway across when Ethan catches up and snags my hand.

His fingers wrap insistently around mine and our eyes catch. He tugs me toward his car and urges me inside.

“You’ll get in trouble,” I say as he slides into the driver’s seat.

Ethan stares out the window, then grabs his seatbelt, drawing it slowly across his chest. “I’ll be careful.”

Book 4 of the Love, Austen series where each book is a reimagining of a literary classic. This is the first one that I hadn’t read the original or seen any of the no fewer than 3 adaptations. No matter really. You don’t need to know the original at all. Nor do you need to have read the first three books.

The synopsis makes it sound like you get to know Finley and his mother before she gets married. But really you don’t. It starts almost immediately from his mother and her new fiance Tom announcing that they were engaged and would be moving to Tom’s mansion “Manfield”. Tom also has a son just a year older than Finley so he gets a brother, STEP brother, in the deal as well.

The entire book spans almost 10 years I think. From them as 15-16 year olds to nearly graduating college. So to say it is a slow burn is putting it mildly. The sexual tension is there from just about the beginning. But it doesn’t really read as sexual tension- more like 2 teen boys crushing hard on each other but trying to ignore it. But over time they become closer and closer, but never crossing the imaginary line.

What isn’t a help is Ethan’s father might be homophobic. Or at least have very clearly defined roles that people should fit in to. And his son shouldn’t play dress up when babysitting the neighbors, nor should he want to be an early education teacher as it won’t make him enough money.

We watch the boys grow close, support each other, help each other, become big brothers, finish school and have a gap year each- separately. Have other relationships, go to college and move out. But they are steadfast in their devotion to each other.

There’s a bit at the end with Tom (Ethan’s father, Finley’s step father) that had me in tears.

And I LOVE that not only is one of the characters Maori, but Finley’s mother strives to keep that culture alive in her children.

This one is will absolutely tug at your heart strings.

4 pieces of eye candy

I’m a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of emotion, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.

My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Thai.

Contact: http://www.anytasunday.com/about-anyta/
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Contact Anyta:
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 www.anytasunday.com

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Sailor Proof: An LGBTQ Romance (Shore Leave Book 1) by Annabeth Albert: New Release Review *2

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The sexy Navy chief and his best friend’s adorkable little brother…

It’s petty, but Naval Chief Derrick Fox wishes he could exact a little revenge on his ex by showing off a rebound fling. His submarine is due to return to its Bremerton, Washington, home base soon and Derrick knows all too well there won’t be anyone waiting with a big, showy welcome.

Enter one ill-advised plan…

Arthur Euler is the guy you go to in a pinch—he’s excellent at out-of-the-box solutions. It’s what the genius music-slash-computer nerd is known for. So when he finds out Derrick needs a favor, he’s happy to help. He can muster the sort of welcome a Naval Chief deserves, no problem at all.

Except it is a problem. A very big problem.

When Arthur’s homecoming welcome is a little too convincing, when a video of their gangplank smooch goes enormously viral, they’re caught between a dock and a hard place. Neither of them ever expected a temporary fake relationship to look—or feel—so real. And Arthur certainly never considered he’d be fighting for a very much not-fake forever with a military man.

Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters. Discover a new Carina Adores book every month!

Amazon

Harlequin/Carina Press

When Annabeth Albert writes a military romance (or let’s face it…all her books) you need to plan to read it, and maybe even read it in one sitting. Yes, to both of these for this reader. 🙂

There’s a lot of fun in this book, fake homecoming kiss, and a weeklong family reunion that allows Arthur to finally break away from the little kids table. But some serious issues as well, because family almost always can make things that may not have been an issue otherwise feel like the weight of the world. On top of it, Arthur’s brother, Derrick’s buddy, doesn’t make it any easier.

Seeing how Derrick stood up for Arthur, and his passion, while still doing the little things to help him, so sweet. Even as Arthur states multiple times that he would never date a military man, having seen the issues with his parents, he can’t help the feelings. These two start out as a fake romance, but quickly start to respect and like each other, before it goes any further.

Albert’s ability to take real life difficulties, infuse romantic gestures and sweetness, all while bringing the heat, is something few other authors can manage. I enjoy each and every moment of it.

One thing that I appreciated was Arthur having an important conversation with his mother, finding out what it really meant to be a military spouse from her perspective. It brought it back to a real world issue that military families must have to deal with every day.

These two were sweet and fluffy (also, Arthur’s BFF was bad ass!), but still heartfelt and sexy. Everything I love about Albert’s books. 🙂

4.5 pieces of eye candy

I have a thing for military men that Annabeth Albert writes. I don’t know why, but I just love them. And this is the start of a brand new series! Yay!

You like tropes? Which is your favorite? Because this book has a bunch, but at the same time it feels a bit fresher. We’ve got fake boyfriend, best friend’s brother, forced proximity and virgin. Whew.

What starts out as a fake welcome home kiss to make an ex jealous, to then being fake boyfriends at a weeklong family reunion, Derrick and Arthur are adorable. Arthur being Derrick’s best friend’s little brother. But, yanno, they are just faking it right?

Until Derrick sticks up for Arthur who is a musician in a family of military men. Arthur already had a crush on Derrick, but then Derrick starts to have a crush on Arthur.

Most of the book is spent at the weeklong family reunion. Where they really get to know each other and start falling for each other. It was sweet and a bit romantic (finding Arthur good coffee….swoon) and definitely sexy.

After the reunion, life gets in the way a bit, but at the same time it’s a true test for them.

I really liked this story, although it did take me a little bit to become invested in them as a couple. Partly because there was almost no background story on either of them. We just jumped right in to the homecoming and pretend boyfriend welcome home kiss. But once I was in, I was in and I devoured their story.

There’s very little angst at all, but there is some…stress shall we say. It isn’t over the top fluffy either. Just a good story that I could actually see happening in real life. I guess that’s what I like about Ms Albert’s books- they are very “real life” to me.

4 pieces of eye candy

Gone But Not Forgotten (TIN Book 1) by Charlie Cochet: New Release Review with Exclusive Giveaway

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Codename: Chaos.
Former THIRDS agent turned TIN operative Dexter J. Daley is a legend. Just ask him, he’ll tell you. Chaos isn’t so much a codename as it is Dex’s state of being. As a spy for the Therian Intelligence Network, Dex has spent the last four years bringing down the bad guys. Hell, his middle name is literally Justice. But a new mission brings him face-to-face with a different kind of monster, one with a weapon that can alter the course of history. Failure is not an option, but as the mission goes from dangerous to deadly, Dex finds himself up against a far more terrifying force, and this time, there’s no escape.

Codename: Atlas
As former team leader for Destructive Delta and now a TIN operative, Sloane Daley knows what it feels like to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. But no matter the challenge, Sloane knows that together, he and his husband, Dex, can overcome anything. When their latest mission takes a personal turn, Sloane is forced to confront the very thing that created him. Looking back to a past he thought he’d left behind is the least of Sloane’s problems, because the greatest threat he’s about to encounter… is his own husband.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

It’s been 84 years since we last saw Dex and Sloan. Ok, that is a bit of an exaggeration. But it has been a while. So like all fans of the THIRDS series, we were salivating for this book. And it didn’t disappoint.

We don’t even pick up where we left off. The last we saw of the guys was at their wedding. Where, of course, chaos ensued. But still. Now we are 4 years later. They have both gone through their TIN training and field training. They have had some ops, but nothing too major yet. Until this one.

Dex is older, wiser and more mature. And while we still get glimpses of the Dex we grew to know and love, this Dex is way more James Bond serious during an op. Which, he had to be because they are acting roles to infiltrate a “Therian auction”. So there isn’t a cheesy doodle or gummy bear in sight.

The whole op is complicated and complex. There are young Therians who are obviously not there because they want to be, there are mega rich people who basically keep them as pets. And the man leading the auction is working on humans getting Therian traits without having to shift. When he kidnaps the son of a Senator, TIN is brought in. With Sloan and Dex leading the charge.

Dex, in super expensive clothes, acting all cool and suave was SO HOT. I love his goofy self, so I think that’s why I loved this side of him as well.

The “omg I love yous” got a little much sometimes, but they are schmoopy like that AND they are bonded. So I got over it.

During the big showdown (no spoilers) I was reading with my eyes bugging out and my mouth hanging open. OH. MY. GOD. And it was left pretty open ended (but not a cliffhanger) to be explored in the next book. Because I really need to know where that is going!

There are familiar faces that make appearances, which is cool since we’ve grown to love them all as well. But again, this isn’t THIRDS. This is TIN.

4 pieces of eye candy

Charlie Cochet is the international bestselling author of the THIRDS series. Born in Cuba and raised in the US, Charlie enjoys the best of both worlds, from her daily Cuban latte to her passion for classic rock.

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found devouring a book, releasing her creativity through art, or binge watching a new TV series. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

Join Charlie’s newsletter and stay up to date with Charlie’s latest releases, receive exclusive content, giveaways, and more! https://newsletter.charliecochet.com/

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One commenter on this post will win an ebook copy of any backlist from Charlie Cochet.

Playing It Safe (Sydney Smoke Rugby Series Book 7) by Amy Andrews: Release Day Review

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Donovan Bane loves playing rugby for the Sydney Smoke. And if that means he has to keep his sexuality a secret, that’s a sacrifice he’s prepared to make. At least until after he retires, anyway. He doesn’t want to be the first pro rugby player in Australia to officially come out while still playing. The team doesn’t need the media shit storm and he’d rather be known for his footy skills. Which means no dating, no relationships, no sex. Nothing but playing ball.

Until one man suddenly changes everything…

Beckett Stanton is out and proud—and not looking for a guy who isn’t. Been there, done that, complete disaster. Unfortunately, on the first day of his new job working for the Sydney Smoke, he locks eyes with Donovan Bane and he’s a goner. Big, gruff, and athletic isn’t usually Beck’s type, but for some reason this man is ticking all his boxes. And it’s clear the feeling is mutual. It’s also clear that Donovan is not out, and doesn’t plan to be anytime soon. Still, Beck can’t resist being the man to show Donovan everything he’s been missing.

For the first time, Donovan doesn’t play it safe and allows himself to indulge in things with Beck he knows he can’t have. But when their relationship gets serious, he knows he has to choose between the career he loves and the man he loves, because how can he possibly have both?

Amazon

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, as I believe they are all m/f. However, when I saw this one pop up on NG, I was super intrigued. First, Australia, Sydney to be exact, which I love, with a little New Zealand thrown in there, have always loved the home of the Kiwis, and on top of it sports romance. All great things in my book. I don’t know anything about rugby (although I did get to watch an All Blacks match when I was in NZ), known as footie Down Under, but I can’t imagine I wouldn’t love it.

Poor Dono…he struggled so hard to be true to himself, love his family, and just keep working his career, knowing someday he could be an out FORMER player. He never counted on falling in love. He always felt his teammates, the team leadership, the fans would hate him, and bring pain to his only child, simply because he was gay. He truly felt he had no options.

Meanwhile Beck swore he wasn’t going to do the whole boyfriend in the closet piece ever again, and kept to that, for some time at least. He told himself he could keep it separate and casual, but Dono knew exactly what he wanted, it was a challenge for him to agree to it.

This was an insta-love/lust that turned into a slow burn, allowing these two to become friends, getting to know each other on a level that was far beyond the hot sex that came later. Even though they hid away from the world, they spent time doing domestic things, cooking together, ordering in, watching movies and old rugby matches, laughing and having fun together. They dated behind closed doors, until they had no other options.

Definitely some crying, and a super happy ending. Would definitely recommend.

4 pieces of eye candy

Amy is an award-winning, USA Today best-selling, double RITA nominated, Aussie author who has written eighty plus contemporary romances in both the traditional and digital markets. Her books bring all the feels from sass, quirk and laughter to emotional grit and panty-melting heat.

She loves good books and great booze although she’ll take mediocre booze if there’s nothing else. For many, many years she was a registered nurse which means she knows things. Anatomical things. And she’s not afraid to use them!

She lives in a pretty little coastal town where she gets to look at the ocean all day.

To keep up with her new releases you can join her mailing list here – http://www.amyandrews.com.au/newsletter.html

The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad: A Gay M/M Cowboy Romance (Farthingdale Ranch Book 3) by Jackie North: New Release Review

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“If Austin has forgotten what love is, maybe Clay can show him the way.”
Happy-go-lucky Clay keeps busy with hookups at the local bar after working hard at the ranch. Those hookups used to be fun, but now they leave him empty.

Austin is reeling after a difficult divorce. His wife took everything, including full custody of his daughter, Bea, who is only nine.

Austin doesn’t know where his life is headed, but at least he’s got a roof over his head, and a new job as accountant at Farthingdale Ranch.

The job is exactly the kind of work he loves. The only problem is he’s distracted by Clay, who is gay. Austin is straight. There’s no way this can work.

A gay m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, single dad, out for you, midnight rendezvous, friendship between men. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I see single dad and I jumped right in, I didn’t even notice that it was the continuation of a series, but that’s okay.. it didn’t take me out of the story and I didn’t feel as though I missed anything because of it, though maybe a smidge because now I wanna go back and reread everyone else’s stories!

In this one though, we meet Austin, who is going through a thing with his ex, whom he shares a daughter with and though I didn’t like her much at all, she’s manipulative and bossy, I have to say I also just didn’t like them together. I thought she was overbearing and too much and I wished he would’ve figured things out for himself without blaming her so much. I understand the coming out process though and there is no right or wrong way to do it, and everyone is different, so I enjoyed watching him come into his own, especially with the help of his friend Clay. I could’ve done without the ex though….

Clay… is something else… my heart broke a little bit for him because although he claims to be a hit it and quit it kinda guy, he wants the happily ever after so bad, he can taste it. I like his character a lot, he’s described as happy-go-lucky and he pretty much is. He doesn’t let much get to him and this ranch that he works at …. I want to wish it real so I can visit or ya know, move in….

I liked watching these two dance around each other and their attraction, especially once Austin realizes his feelings are more than he thought they could be, starting as friends and letting things develop as they did. It was real and though sometimes exhausting, it felt genuine and not forced or fabricated. Despite the ex, it’s pretty low angst, I also loved the daughter, Bea, who seemed to be a pawn to the mother and I didn’t like that that never gets resolved. She just….gets to stay with her? After all the ways we see Mona (of course, her name is Mona) shows how crap of a mother she can be? Be prepared for that because I hate when people get away with being bad people and I didn’t feel that part got resolved in the way that left me satisfied, but again, life isn’t always happily ever after and I’m hoping that she eventually gets better?…. fingers crossed….

Overall though, this is a slow burning, low angst, super cute story that was easy to get lost in and once I picked it up, I didn’t put it down until I was finished. I’m interested to see how everyone got to here, so I’m going to go back and read the first two but am looking forward to seeing what comes next!

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

The Vicar and the Rake (Society of Beasts Book 1) by Annabelle Greene: Quick Review

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As a young man, Sir Gabriel Winters left behind his status as a gentleman, turning his back on his secret desires and taking a self-imposed vow of celibacy. Now a chaste hard-working vicar, his reputation is beyond reproach. But, try as he might, he’s never forgotten the man he once desired or the pain of being abandoned by his first love.

Edward Stanhope, the Duke of Caddonfell, is a notorious rake, delighting in scandal no matter the consequence. With a price on his head, he flees to the countryside, forced to keep his presence a secret or risk assassination. When Edward finds Gabriel on his estate, burning with fever, he cannot leave him to die, but taking him in puts them both in jeopardy.

With the help of a notorious blackmailer, a society of rich and famous gentlemen who prefer gentlemen, and a kitten named Buttons, they might just manage to save Edward’s life—but the greatest threat may be to their hearts.

Amazon

Book 2: The Soldier and the Spy

I love historicals, and yes, I say that every time, but it truly makes me happy to read an m/m historical. Because I know there are people out there that believe that being anywhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum is only a thing that has been around for 20-40 years. It’s not, there is evidence, lots of evidence dating back as far as historical records, and even further back before paper could record anything.

This book was so well written, and yes, it’s a debut book by this author, but it was just so well done. The characters were so rich and had depth, but also kept true to themselves, even as their worlds were crumbling around them in one way or another.

The fact that Gabriel and Edward knew each other as children really helped this story to feel true to the time period of the book. They likely would not have crossed paths much at a later point in their life, despite the mess that Edward found himself in. Maurice was a conundrum to me. He supported his brother no matter what, but seemed to have a bit of an icy heart…until he looked into someone else’s eyes. 🙂

The background mystery, I will say, did get a bit confusing for me, and I was surprised at the end. However, following along with the suspense seemed to really take some of the focus away from the romance for me. Some of the questions weren’t answered, some were cleaned up quite neatly.

Also, there was a cute cat, and that should be worth an additional 1/2 star there. 🙂

All in all, I thought this book was well done, and fully fleshed characters. Just needed a little more smoothing of the suspense for me.

4  pieces of eye candy