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4 stars

The Quiet House (Black and Blue Series Book 2) by Lily Morton: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Levi Black has mostly recovered from the events of a year ago. The only lingering effects are that he’s much more well known in York than he’d like to be, and he’s a lot more cautious about walking around his house naked. However, those events brought him the capricious and fascinating Blue, so he’s not complaining. On the contrary, he’s happy, in love, and looking forward to Blue finally moving in with him. And if sometimes he wonders what Blue sees in a boring cartoonist, he keeps that to himself.

Blue Billings is finally ready to throw off the memories of his past and move in with the person who means the most in the world to him. His psychic abilities have grown in the last year to his mentor Tom’s consternation, but Blue is determined to look on the bright side. He’s also focused on ignoring all the warning signs that he’s received lately.

However, even deeply buried secrets have a way of rising to the surface. And when a surprise from Blue’s past turns up and draws them away to a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors, Levi and Blue must fight for their survival once again.

From bestselling author, Lily Morton, comes the second book in the Black & Blue series. The books are intended to be read in order.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

The Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings (Black and Blue Series Book 1)

I make my way down the hall and throw the door open, laughing. “So, you did need a hand—”

A stranger stands on the doorstep.

“Sorry,” I say. “I thought you were someone else.”

The man turns slightly to face me. “It happens.”

He’s tall and burly with very wide shoulders. He has a tumble of black and grey hair that frames an eye-catching face with full lips and very light blue eyes. I’d put him in his mid-fifties, and he has an amused look on his face. With that and his dark clothes, he looks rather saturnine. I feel a wave of unease run over me which is startling in its intensity.

“Can I help—” Before I can finish the question, the door is seized from my hand and slammed in the man’s startled face. “Shit,” I mutter. Flicking the catch, I pull the door handle. The door doesn’t budge. “Rosalind,” I hiss. “Please open the door.”

She’s become very protective of Blue and me over the last year. The other week she refused to let the gas man in to read the meter, and although it was a lovely thought, it didn’t go down too well with the gas company. “Rosalind,” I prompt. There’s a very protracted pause and then the door slowly opens.

The man is still standing there with a wry expression, no trace of surprise at having the door shut in his face.

“Sorry,” I say. “The wind caught it.”

“Aye,” he says. His voice is deep and rumbling. He looks up at the house. “I’m sure that happens quite a lot around here.”

A smile still plays on his lips, and I’m seized with the sudden feeling that I know him. Rather than easing my concern, my worry grows and my next question is rudely abrupt.

“Can I help you?”

He watches me, his eyes intent. “I’m here for Blue Billings.”

It’s no secret that I am a big Lily Morton fan. And I really loved the first book in this series. While it still contained some snark that Lily is famous for, there was also mystery and ghosts and psychics and it was just so fun. So I couldn’t wait for book 2.

So worth the wait.

Blue and Levi and now in an established relationship going on a year now. Levi’s house only has one ghost and she is welcome, even if she gets mad when they are messy. Everything is happy. And then Blue’s father- whom he has never met- shows up with a proposal to spend a few days at one of the most notoriously ghost ridden houses in England for a few days. The owner of the house wants to turn it into a macabre hotel and wants genuine ghost stories to tell. So of course hire someone who can see and talk to ghosts. He finds out his boss, friend and mentor, Tom was also invited, so they pack up the car and go.

What follows is very Willy Wonka-ish when they arrive and find that they are not the only ones invited. They are the only ones with the gift though. And there are ghosts EVERYWHERE. And they are not happy.

Blue’s 2 former partners are also there, which doesn’t make for a fun time for him. But the quirky owner of the castle seems oblivious to the tension. Blue is also hoping to maybe get to know this man who is his father while he is there.

If you are easily frightened by scary things in books, you might get scared. Because the focus of the book really is on the ghosts and this castle or manor where they live. Blue and Levi are solid and there’s isn’t even a silly conflict that tears them apart before bringing them back together.

Tom is a treasure and I loved reading about he and Blue trying to figure things out.

If you read and enjoyed the first book, you’ll enjoy this one as well.

4 pieces of eye candy

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

Connect with Lily:
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Nothing Special VIII: SWAT Ed.: Fox & Bull by A.E. Via: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review *2 and Giveaway

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A fox can set many traps to catch his target—but this one only needs one to catch his.

Dominic “Bull” Walker is used to the simpler things in life. Give him his own land to work, a strong horse, and twelve hours of daylight, and he is a contented man. But when someone threatens to take away the successful ranch that took him two years to rebuild, he’ll accept any help he can get to defend it.

Mandel “Fox” Tucker is a sixth-generation SWAT soldier. It’s embedded in his bones to protect and serve his community. So when he gets word of the vandalism occurring on the Walker Ranch, he quickly volunteers the free time he has, thanks to his recent suspension.

The brief visit Fox had with Bull four months ago had been a contentious—but powerful—encounter. Therefore, he’s not surprised when he shows up on his doorstep unannounced and has to pull out some of his best tricks to get past the six-foot-four, stubborn Texan.

Fox is only there to safeguard what’s most important to Bull. But being on the ranch brings an awareness to him that he embraces with both hands. Nature, peace… love—things he never found in the city.

This book contains the love story of two new characters. It is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
There are no multiple pairings or sharing. Ends in a very HEA.
Trigger Warning: Mild police violence. Scenes are not graphic.

Amazon US – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

“Hey,” Fox said, staring up at him. “I’m going to find who did this…and when I do…I’m going to make ’em pay.”

Bull realized Fox was almost standing on top of him they were so close. But his aura exuded protectiveness and power that Bull needed whether he wanted to admit it or not. “I haven’t made any enemies, Fox. I’m not that kinda man. I don’t go looking for trouble.”

“You don’t have to, Bull. Sometimes trouble comes looking for you.”Fox nodded towards the house where a couple of Bull’s maintenance workers were tacking plywood over the missing window. “Let’s go inside and eat breakfast, then we can work out what you’re gonna tell your employees.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like. I don’t want you to tell anyone I’m a cop. Not yet anyway. It’s best to let people feel comfortable around me, and no one is ever comfortable talking to a detective,”Fox said. “We’ll just say I’m here doing land surveys. No one really knows what those guys do in that line of work. I think their job is to just walk around on land. Besides, you don’t want a small town spreading gossip that you got a detective snooping around your place of business.”

“That would definitely turn people off from bringing their kids around here. I can’t afford to lose any business right now. Especially during the cold season,”Bull said gravely. 

“Then let’s hope it doesn’t take me long.”Fox put his hand on Bull’s shoulder and squeezed, the firm, reassuring touch reaching him even through his thick black Carhartt coat. 

“Yeah. Let’s hope,”Bull muttered as he followed Fox back to the house because there was nothing else he could do. He’s only been here a few minutes, and he’s already talking about hurrying up. If that wasn’t enough for Bull to get his head out of the clouds, he didn’t know what would be. At thirty-three, Bull was in the settling-down phase of his life. And men like Fox were not catchable.

We, as a fandom, have been eagerly awaiting this book. The sparks between Fox and Bull were just too hot to ignore.

Most of Ms Via’s books- especially involving the SWAT guys or the guys from narcotics- are action packed roller coasters. This one is tame by comparison. But it works because this story is 99.8% set on Bull’s ranch.

Fox volunteers to check out the ranch after he is benched at work again. Also handy since he has had the hots for Bull since he met him.

Instead of our usual cast of characters, this time we get Bull’s father, their housekeeper, Bull’s best friend, and other random ranch hands.

Don’t worry. God and Day and the others make more than one appearance. But Atlanta PD is not the main focus here.

Instead the focus is on Fox and Bull dancing around each other, figure out who is vandalizing the ranch and Fox figuring out where he belongs.

The heat was NOT turned down at all in this book compared to others. Ms Via can write a sex scene as well as she can write an action scene. Both keep you glued to the pages.

If you are a fan, you’ll definitely want to read. And this really can be read as a stand alone, but going back to book 1 is not a waste of time at all.

4 pieces of eye candy

Sighhhh, I love all of them. I’m always ready for more of this series!

You know how you’re waiting for something for a long time and then you finally get it and then you’re kinda scared of it because you want it to be everything you hyped it up to be but are scared it won’t be? Yeah… this isn’t like that. This was well worth the wait and definitely worth the read.

I’ve been intrigued by Fox and Bull since we were first introduced to them and I loved getting to know them both better in this one. I’m going to try to be as spoiler free as I can because I got in a little bit of trouble in my last review and I don’t want to do that again lol

So, first, Fox and Bull had already known each other and I like the meet again scenario that’s a little different in this book. I also really dig a hot cop and a cowboy because uhmm, duh. Why are we not funding more of this?

I absolutely adored Fox, though my heart hurt for him and all he’d been through and put up with to get where he was. I loved Bull for being this sort of safe place for him.

I loved catching up with some of the rest of the guys, even though I was a little torn with my normally unwavering love for God in this one. I didn’t think that could ever happen, but jeez, what a jerk (this is not the first name I called him but it’s the one safest for my review LOL) I can see where he was coming from, the tiniest bit, but I really felt like he was trying to come in between these two and I really didn’t like that. It clouded my opinion of him slightly, though I still love him so… ya know…

Sidenote: I did not like Dale. I’m not fond of love triangles and I was worried that this one would be. It wasn’t, thankfully, but I still wasn’t a fan of him.

I like the way things progressed here, it was a slow burn, and I feel like it was what both of them needed because both were afraid of getting hurt. I loved their witty banter (especially Fox and Dale) and how fun it was watching them learn to trust each other and slowly give in to their feelings for one another.

It was really sweet as much as it was dirty and sexy and all the other fun words that you expect from Queen V. (Can we call her that? I think that should be a thing)

Anyway… I’m not sure that anyone will ever top Ruxs and Green for me, but these two were entertaining, sweet, heartbreaking, funny and I was really rooting for them. I liked that there wasn’t a lot of angst and though there was drama, it wasn’t enough to make me think that they wouldn’t come out together in the end. I loved the ending and other than a brief wtf moment from God, it was perfect!

A great addition to an already amazing series that I cannot wait to start all over and re-read them again!

5 pieces of eye candy

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for six years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay literature for over twenty years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great, new up and coming MM authors.  

A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her. 

Writing. 

A.E.’s novels embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths. 

She’s recently celebrated her 20th book anniversary, and is well-known for her hardcore, love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.  

Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com  for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peek at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next. 

Author Official Website: http://authoraevia.com

A.E. Newsletter Signup: https://goo.gl/4hfuMh

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/aeviaauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorAEVia

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Ponyboy (The Braided Crop Ranch Book 2) by AE Lister: RB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Owen Lipke is looking for adventure. When he hears about a ranch in the Muskokas catering to kinky men who don’t want to settle for backroom amateurs, he signs up in a second.

At the Braided Crop Ranch, Owen finds what he’s looking for: A sex-positive space with safety protocols and Doms (trainers) who know their business. And a stable full of well-behaved ponyboys to prove it.

Owen thinks his trainer, Kamal, is hot as hell but finds being a ponyboy isn’t as intuitive as he expected. As he struggles to learn the basics of equine pet play under the firm hand of his trainer, he finds himself falling for the experienced older man.

And perhaps Kamal is developing a thing for the young, adventurous newcomer. But there are rules about fraternizing with staff at the ranch. And Owen wonders if it’s wise to fall in love with the pragmatic trainer who unravels him layer by layer to expose his deepest needs and most secret proclivities.

But perhaps wisdom is overrated. And maybe the rewards of adventure are only achieved when you abandon caution and take a huge leap of faith.

Title:  Ponyboy

Series: The Braided Crop Ranch

Author: AE Lister

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 04/12/2021

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male, Male/Male Menage

Length: 71200

Genre: Contemporary BDSM, LGBTQIA+, BDSM, pony play, puppy play, cowboys, entertainment, sex toys, menage, rewards, punishments, insta-love, voyeurism

Amazon

Nine Star Press

Goodreads

Shadows and dim lighting made the inside of the club appear deceptively edgy. The Stocks boasted a selection of the most overrated brews and clientele in the city, in my opinion. But this particular club was one of the few places I could go to try to find the kind of man I was looking for.

“Hey, Lipke, what are you doing here again?” Sandro smiled, clapping a hand on my shoulder and taking the stool next to me. “I thought you had the real deal? You know, a nice cozy apartment with your man.”

“We broke up,” I said, staring at the bar and trying not to let the fact I didn’t feel much disappointment about the end of my relationship bother me.

“Ah, shit, that’s too bad,” Sandro replied, but I saw a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes as he motioned to the bartender. “Hey, a drink for my buddy here, Paulo.” He turned back. “What are you having, Owen?”

I shook my head and tossed the dark hair out of my eyes. It was getting way too long in front. I’d been meaning to get it cut, but I was so unmotivated to do anything these days. “Thanks, but I’m hoping for some action tonight.”

I never trolled for Doms with alcohol in my system. I’d learned that lesson a long time ago.

“How about a Coke, then?”

“Okay, sure. Thanks.”

He was trying to butter me up because he wanted to hook up. He’d tried with me before, but I had been in a relationship that didn’t allow for “extras” so I’d had an excuse to turn him down.

“A Coke for Owen, please. And a ginger ale for me,” he said, throwing a tenner on the bar.

“Thanks,” I said again, looking Sandro over and wondering if he could give me what I wanted.

He wasn’t a bad-looking guy; a little heavier in the gut, but it worked for him. He had a decent “Daddy” vibe going on and appeared to be pushing forty. Maybe he had the experience to give me something…more. Something solid and demanding and ruthless.

The Stocks was an underground fetish bar, where I’d come innumerable times to find the type of hook-up I was after. But anyone I’d ever gone home or played downstairs with, had disappointed. It wasn’t operating on the down-low. The club was literally underground, which made it even darker and dingier inside than most places—almost claustrophobic.

Everyone played games. That was often the point with fetish and BDSM, and a lot of guys were perfectly happy with that. But I was tired and bored with it all.

I’d had a connection with Simon, my ex, but even he couldn’t give me what I wanted in the end. I couldn’t define that particular desire but I knew I hadn’t fulfilled it—ever.

At night I’d dream about a Master who took total control, put me in my place easily and perfunctorily, without a thought to my comfort, yet took care of my needs like they were his own. This mystery man became a shadowy, elusive presence in my waking world. I’d never encountered an actual human being who could measure up to the Dom in my dreams. Maybe no one ever would.

Maybe I should make the most of what I could get, here and now.

This is the second book in the series, and I enjoyed this one much more than the first. The first book didn’t quite work on the romance level for me. Meanwhile, Ponyboy really hit a lot of high notes in the romance department, especially for a specific genre such as bdsm, with pony and puppy play. Not all bdsm books need to be romances, and certainly not all romances need (or should be) bdsm. That being said, if you are going to do a bdsm romance, it needs to feel like there is a romance happening, and not just sex for the sake of showing bdsm. The first book didn’t do that, but it didn’t hit romance touchpoints for me. Ponyboy definitely had a much more romantic feel to it.

I also really enjoyed seeing Owen find and discover something about himself that he had no idea he was looking for. He had never seen or experienced pony play, but as soon as he moved into the arena (pun intended) it felt natural to him. He wanted to be the best pony Kamal had ever had.

Meanwhile the romance between Owen and Kamal flowed naturally. They just found a connection, and small things along the way that worked for them. Whether it was discovering puppy play was a thing they enjoyed, to Owen being a bit of a smart ass, to even spending time out in nature. Their relationship evolved, which any and all relationships should.

Their communication was on point. They talked (when Owen was able to speak 🙂 ) and had discussions about what was right for them, in both bdsm, as well as their lives. And they disagreed, and still found a way to each other.

**small spoiler** There isn’t necessarily “cheating”. However, some readers do not want their MC’s having any sort of sex with others, and there was definitely some of that going on in the book.

Overall, a good portrayal of a part of bdsm not often seen in books.

4 pieces of eye candy

AE Lister/Elizabeth Lister is a Canadian non-binary author with a vivid imagination and a head full of unique and interesting characters. They have published many other books, one of which (Beyond the Edge) received an Honorable Mention from the National Leather Association–International for excellence in SM/Leather/Fetish writing.

Author Links

Website: https://www.aelister.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aelister.elizabethlister/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizbethlister

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Velvet Cuffs (Kink Awakenings Book 3) by Charley Descoteaux: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Josh Keller never thought he’d host a wedding reception—his kink club is a place where he tends bar and chains willing men to the padded wall in his private room. He also never thought he’d see the love of his life again. When both happen on the same day his life will never be the same.

Pax Dupont never stopped loving Josh, not when they fought and broke up and not during the fifteen years they spent a thousand miles apart. Coming face-to-face with the man he left behind is a surprise, but learning Josh is part owner of the club intrigues Pax enough to share his own love of silk, lace, and domination.

Will Josh and Pax put past hurts behind them and admit their feelings still run hot, or will Pax’s attempts to dominate Josh break them up for good?

Warnings: This book contains a brief scene of violence and a hero in peril, mentions of past abuse of a child, grief over the death of siblings, a man who loves the feel of silk and lace, and one who thought he understood his own kinky nature.

Velvet Cuffs
by Charley Descoteaux
(Kink Awakenings, #3)
Publication date: April 5th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

He went in search of the grooms. He’d seen them arrive, heard the cheers and congratulations from his post behind the bar, but waited for the energy to settle before seeking them out. He caught sight of Eoin’s dark red hair near the cake table and smiled. It figured they would be there—as the man who served them probably half of their meals, Josh wasn’t surprised that Wes wanted to get at the cake before sampling the savory dishes.

The grooms had both been at the monthly meeting that morning to have pictures taken with the wedding cake. Wedding photographers are busy in the summer and one of the guys Eoin works with had a friend who squeezed them in.

A perk of that was the gal had two weddings to shoot that day, so she couldn’t stay for the reception. The downside, all the guests were encouraged to snap candid shots and tag Wes on Instagram with the pictures. Josh wasn’t camera-shy, but he didn’t exactly love the idea of having his face plastered all over social media. He had Facebook and Instagram accounts to show off his blades and support fundraisers for various LGBTQ youth activities, but as far as he knew, his face wasn’t there.

He approached the table and had just rested a hand on Eoin’s shoulder when he heard someone say his name. The voice sounded familiar in a way that made his throat tight, but he turned to look anyway.

“Josh?”

Josh froze. Standing in front of him, radiating charisma, was a sleekly-muscled man with the perfect amount of scruff surrounding his full lips and dark hair that nearly reached his ass. Rock star hair that looked like it had spent days in a braid only it grew out of his head like that. Josh knew because they had grown up together, had spent the first seventeen years of their lives joined at the heart.

“Pax?”

He should have known that at some point his high school sweetheart would return to Oregon, but he hadn’t thought in his wildest dreams that Pax Dupont would show up at his club.

“Josh?”

At least he seemed as thunderstruck as Josh felt. If Josh hadn’t been panicking inside he might have found it amusing, seeing Pax speechless. It hadn’t happened much as far as he knew. Maybe never. But at that moment Josh was too busy holding himself back to be amused by anything. The feelings warring inside him rooted him to the floor—he wanted to run and hide but also to grab Pax in his embrace and never let him go. Neither seemed like decent options. Running would only draw attention to the drama, and he’d given up the right to touch—let alone embrace—Pax a long time ago. He pulled himself together as best he could and tried to act natural.

Small talk, that’ll save me. What do people talk about at a wedding reception?

“How do you know the grooms?” Josh covered his relieved sigh with a quick sip of his punch. Falling back on etiquette, on the rote give-and-take of small talk, had gotten him through more than a few social occasions. He’d done a lot of listening and learning in the years since he’d met the other club owners. If panic still hadn’t been on the table, Josh might have been proud of himself for remembering the question and using it as a shield, proud of himself for keeping his voice level and even pleasant.

“How do I— What? I haven’t seen you for half a lifetime and that’s what you want to know?”

“This is a wedding reception. It’s Wes and Eoin’s day.” Josh leveled a stare with absolutely nothing behind it but a pleading hope that Pax would let it go, wouldn’t try to have the conversation he seemed to want. At least not right there, in front of the wedding cake with the grooms coming up beside them. The area surrounding them had grown quiet and Josh saw heads turning in his peripheral vision, neither of which helped him find more words. “How do you know them?”

Pax sputtered for a moment and then said, a little too loudly, “Eoin. I work with Eoin. At the clinic.”

Josh nodded. He’d exhausted his ability for small talk, it seemed.

This is a true second chance romance, and what I liked about it most was that it was very realistic. These two men have loved each other for the entire time that they had been apart. Never wavering from that, and honestly never finding another man to love during that time.

In addition, their breakup reasons…completely relatable to that age range. When you are 18, ready to take on the world, anything small in your path seems insurmountable, and you are selfish, unable to find compromise. That is exactly how these two men ended up on different paths, and found their way back so many years later.

Josh’s path was definitely not one that you would normally see forged (hahaha little inside reference there) for someone of his age, being handed a large wad of cash for someone to whisk his mother away to another country, but it allowed him to find what he needed to do in life. Finding his kinks…well that turned out to be waiting for Pax.

Meanwhile, Pax had no idea he had kinks. He forged a completely different path, and I will admit I was very curious how he ended up in that particular area of work, as it definitely would not be something most people think of as a career path of choice. However, he clearly was passionate about it.

It took a bit for these men to get out of their own ways, and communicate enough to find their way back to each other, but it was very well done, and seemed perfect for them.

**There was one scene that was very difficult for me, especially as someone who lives very close to the area where George Floyd died. (Don’t worry…small spoiler…nobody dies!) However, I did have to read it slowly, because it brought up some frightening moments.

Well done second chance romance

4 pieces of eye candy

Charley Descoteaux is the author of the Buchanan House Love Stories. Book One is a USA Today Must-Read Romance.

Charley has always heard voices. She was relieved to learn they were fictional characters, and started writing when they insisted daydreaming just wasn’t good enough. In exchange, they’ve agreed to let her sleep once in a while. Charley has survived earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods, but couldn’t make it through a single day without stories.

Charley also writes under the pen name Charli Coty. Under that name you’ll find LGBTQIA+ fiction that’s a little different but always has a happy ending.

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Silky Smooth: A Bold Brew Story by A.M. Arthur: Release Day Review

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Falling in love isn’t always smooth sailing.

College drop-out Nicolas Cannon has a secret he’s been hiding for all his adult life. A secret that has left him isolated and mostly friendless—until the day a very friendly parrot flies into his life. In his search to discover the parrot’s owner, Nicolas meets the handsome, enigmatic and much-older Alex Durant. But Nicolas has become fond of Alex’s pet Calamity, and the pair develop an unexpected friendship over their love of the bird.

Alex Durant is a man with money and power, but he’s also haunted by his past with an abusive ex. Calamity saved Alex’s sanity, and he’s surprised at how easily he shares her attention with Nicolas, a young artist who arrests Alex’s attention. As their friendship takes a brand-new, sexy turn, Nicolas discovers Alex also possesses something else he never expected: a shared love of silky underthings. But Nicolas isn’t out to his family, and that decision may test his fledgling relationship with Alex to the breaking point.

Silky Smooth is a stand-alone story in the multi-author Bold Brew shared universe, centered around an inclusive coffee shop set in a fictional college town. Each steaming hot coffee shop romance can be enjoyed alone, but collect all ten for the most fun! My 40k word story features a reclusive artist, a lonely restauranteur, an emotional support parrot, age gap, and satin underwear.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Book 6 in the Bold Brew series that are connected through the cafe they all frequent, so they can be read in any order. Same world, different characters.

In this installment we meet Nicolas and Alex. Nicolas who dropped out of college his senior year due to bullying and Alex who is newly divorced and dealing with some trauma of his own. Alex has an emotional support parrot (seriously) who escapes when he is on a business trip and Nicolas finds him outside of the cafe.

Extremely introverted, he is wary of this bird who offers affirmations, but is good heart compels him to take the bird home and hopefully find his owner. After a week though, he was kind of enjoying the company and routine of having a pet. So of course that is when the owner shows up.

Even with a 15 year age difference, Alex and Nicolas are obviously drawn to each other. But it is never awkward. Their romance, albeit fast, just seems smooth and natural.

This was a fairly quick read that didn’t have much angst. Nicolas’ issues were dealt with, but Alex never really got any closure. That is probably my only real criticism.

As a fan of A.M. Arthur, I felt like this story harkened back to her earlier books. I really enjoyed it.

4 pieces of eye candy

Dressed in Desire: An M/M Daddy Romance (Club DeSires Book 1) by Quinn Ward: New Release Review

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He left home to find acceptance. When he falls for a supposedly straight bouncer, can he awaken the man who’s everything he needs?

Living in the shadows has always been easier for Maverick. One trip to Annandale was all it took for him to see what life could be like if he let both sides of his personality shine. After all, what good was a closet filled with pretty clothes and killer makeup skills if he couldn’t show them off?

His best friend thought he was crazy for moving cross-country, but it was exactly the move he needed to finally live in the light.

John’s known as the token straight guy at work. But can he claim that when one encounter with a pretty boy has haunted him for months? His attraction to men isn’t the only thing that’s fully awake after they meet again. Yes, he wants to see if he’s more than just bi-curious, but he also wants to be the one to take care of Maverick and show him how special he is.

When a chance encounter leads to a love John never expected, can he accept who he is and be the Daddy his boy deserves?

Dressed in Desire is the first book in the Club DeSires series, set in the kinky town of Annandale. While there are cameo appearances from characters in the other series, you can jump in wherever you are without a problem! This book features a bi-awakening for an older man, and the genderfluid boy who sometimes wants to be Daddy’s princess. Together, they’ll explore kinks that might be better left as fantasies..

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I saw Daddy in the description and jumped on this one, I didn’t care about anything else. Unfortunately, I hadn’t read any of the other ones in this series, or pertaining to this series, so I feel like there are several couples that I might’ve missed out on. I’ll be fixing that. In saying that, I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything major….

So, first, we meet Maverick, who lives in a close-minded town where he feels he can’t really be himself. Liking makeup and dressing pretty, he couldn’t live openly where he was. Even if he did hate the prospect of leaving his best friend Tanner behind.

Moving to Annandale to stay with some friends he met online, he was excited to start over someplace new, they even offered him a job at one of the clubs they were opening. And that’s where he officially meets John. (he met him once before but that must’ve been another book that I haven’t read yet, but they did know each other slightly in passing)…

John is the token straight guy who’s working construction on the new club with a couple of friends he’s recently got to know. He knew the kind of club it was and had no problem with it, even if it wasn’t necessarily his thing… he’d been with a guy once, and though that guy was exactly what he wanted, he’d never been attracted to a guy before, so other than thinking about the guy non-stop since he’d last seen him, he didn’t expect a gay club to be a problem….nor did he expect to run into the guy he couldn’t get off of his mind…to be there.

I don’t want to give anything away because I loved this book so much and finding out the little surprises and little tidbits was half the fun. There is a part where there’s a bit of sharing, but not enough for my psycho self to be jealous or think it’s out of the way. It fit perfectly into this and I really hope there’s a part in this series for Doctor B…or Blake, as he’s otherwise known as. There’s also a new kink explored that I’ve never experienced or even read about, and I’ll admit that it’s new to me but it has me intrigued. I’ll have to find more books on this one later….

I like that these two took it slow because John was trying to figure out where falling for a man fit into his life with his brother and his brother’s biker club he’s trying to get John to join, and understandable, Mav wanted to take it slow because John kept putting his foot in it in the beginning and he was wary for a minute about getting hurt… It all worked out in the end though and the way it’s navigated and worked through felt real. I like that in stories…the ones that feel real.

Overall, I loved this one and I cannot wait to see who’s next. I’m definitely going back and read the couples that I missed. I’m looking forward to it!

4 pieces of eye candy