Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

4 stars

Scoring Points (Lights Out) by HL Day: New Release Review

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Can two warring team principals in the cutthroat world of F1 ever admit that there’s more to life than scoring points?

On the surface, Kurt Whitford has everything. A successful business. Good looks. Money. A famous popstar girlfriend hanging off his arm. And as the icing on the cake, he’s just been announced as Nebula’s new team principal. The downside? The opposition. It’s seventeen years since Kurt has seen the infuriating and irresistible Gio Rossi, but the man hasn’t changed a bit.

Whatever Kurt Whitford has, Giovanni Rossi can surpass. Well, except for the girlfriend. Despite needing to keep his sexuality on the down low, he’s not that far in the closet. And if Kurt thinks that Gio’s ready to let bygones be bygones, he couldn’t be more wrong. Gio hasn’t forgiven. Or forgotten.

As a long-rooted rivalry kicks off once more and sparks fly both on and off the track, can Gio and Kurt go head-to-head without the media getting wind of their true feelings? Or is their undeniable sexual chemistry about to prove their downfall?

This MM romance from H.L Day features enemies to lovers, opposing teams, secrets that go way back, and suppressed feelings. Set in the high-octane world of Formula 1, it features fast cars, spectacular crashes, heated rivalries, and of course, a HEA.

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The next installment in the Lights Out shared world. This time we get the story of two team principals. Which I liked because…I don’t know a lot about F1 so it was cool to read about what they do. Also, they can’t all be F1 drivers, right?

When I started reading this one, I immediately didn’t like Giovanni. Even at 15 he was cocky. The more I got to know him, the more I realized that he had some Big Feelings for Kurt going back to when they were 15.

Now they are the 2 youngest team principals with a rivalry that plays out in the media even though they haven’t seen each other in person in YEARS. Kurt wants to forget they ever had an issue and move on, but Gio. Nope. Those Big Feelings are in the way. But it takes us a bit to see it.

Kurt and Gio have the hate sex thing DOWN PAT. Like, they wrote the book on it. It’s pretty hot too. But that’s when we start to see that Gio wants more.

It isn’t until someone points out to Kurt some big signs that he realizes what a jerk he is. Kurt has some emotional damage from his dad that doesn’t help things. Oh. And a fake girlfriend. So that’s fun.

Watching them both open themselves up to each other was wonderful. They stumbled a bit, actually talked to each other and realized that they do belong together.

I liked the different view of the sport in this book. It was fun to get more of a behind the scenes thing.

4 pieces of eye candy

Pole Position (Lights Out Series) by Charlie Novak: New Release Review

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Pole position gives a driver the best chance at winning, but can there be a winner when a long-term relationship is on the line?

Mateo Llorente was born to be Formula 1 World Champion. Charming, handsome, and incredibly talented, Mateo is everything a champion should be. Dean Williams has fought for his position in Formula 1 with everything he has, and dreams of podium finishes and championship trophies.

For the past three years, Mateo and Dean have kept their long-term relationship under wraps, but when they both find themselves driving for Cadigan Racing, they know things won’t stay simple for long.

Keeping their relationship a secret is one thing, but dealing with the demands of the season is another. As both drivers rack up points and the media scrutiny puts them under pressure, cracks start to appear in Mateo and Dean’s relationship.

Can their love survive the intensity of Formula 1? Or will winning cost Dean and Mateo everything?

This M/M romance from Charlie Novak features a steamy long-term secret relationship between teammates, and is set in the high octane world of Formula 1 featuring fast cars, driving at the limit, spectacular crashes, heated rivalries, and of course, a HEA.

Each book in the Lights Out collection is a standalone story, and the books can be read in any order

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This is the second book in the shared world of Lights Out set in Formula One racing. This book gives us something not a lot do. An already established relationship between the two main characters.

Mateo and Dean have been Formula One drivers on different teams. But secretly dating for over two years. They thought everything would be so easy after Dean is recruited to Mateo’s team. But it’s not as easy as they thought it would be.

As a couple, privately, everything is perfect. They share a great flat, they adore their cat, their sex life is amazing. And it isn’t even hiding their relationship (or even the fact that they are gay) that is so hard. It’s competing with and against each other.

This isn’t the normal turmoil we get in a romance novel. Honestly, it made them seem more like “real” people.

Of course there is a lot of racing. But being that racing is what ultimately challenges them, it all fits together.

Don’t worry- there are plenty of super hot sex scenes.

And a really satisfying epilogue.

4 pieces of eye candy

Love for the Reaper (The Elite Book 1) by Charlie Cochet: New Release Review

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Devlin “Dev” Espinosa lives in the shadows of the criminal underworld. As a Ferryman, his job is to safely transport “the dead” to their new lives, no questions asked. With no one to answer to, lots of cash, and access to The Anonymous–an exclusive club for the elite–Dev is loving life.

Until Remy Corbin gets into his car.

Remy is just a regular guy working a regular bartending job. At least, that’s what he thought before walking in on his boss taking someone out. Witnessing the assassination paints a target on Remy’s back, and when the bullets fly, he jumps into a stranger’s car.

Dev has no intention of getting involved in Remy’s problems, but something about the guy brings out protective instincts Dev didn’t know he had. Going against his better judgment, Dev vows to keep Remy alive.

Can wild nights fueled by danger and explosive passion lead to more? Or will the hitman on their tail cut their romance–and lives–short?

Love for the Reaper is a part of the multi-author series The Elite. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. What links these books together is The Anonymous, a club beneath the gritty city where only the elite are welcome.

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Books 1-9 in The Elite multi-author series

This book is part of a shared world, but they are all stand alones. Which totally works, but I would have liked to know more about this fictional city they live in. But not a big deal.

Being a novella, we jump right into the action. Very little backstory on the characters. But enough to get who they are and why they are in this place in life.

Almost immediately a murder is witnessed, the two main characters are shot at and go into hiding. Not really hiding, but an agreed upon safe zone for all of the bad guys. Seriously. Kinda silly, lots of fun.

Dev goes against everything he has been up until this point for a guy he just met. And Remy is just a regular guy caught up in a mess who falls in love with a criminal.

Could be an episode of a tv show.

Fun, fast, totally unrealistic but it sucks you in.

If anything screams afternoon beach read- it’s this!

4 pieces of eye candy

Stubbed Toes and Dating Woes by Dahlia Donovan: New Release Review and Giveaway

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Niclas Ruiz loves digging in the dirt for ancient artifacts. He’s obsessed with old words and lives in his own world. His summers are often spent traveling to new places to hunt for treasure with his trusty metal detector while trying not to get lost or stumble off a cliff.

Love has never been high on his priority list. His being autistic and asexual has often been a hurdle for other people. But he’s happy enough to plod along on his own with his horde like a fairy-tale dragon.

But sometimes, he allows himself to dream about a man out of his reach.

Two things about Falk “Grizz” Evensen are certain. He runs a successful security firm and has been hopelessly in love with his best friend’s younger brother for many years. Neither of them has ever dared to test the waters.

When Niclas plans to visit Cornwall for the summer, his older brother convinces Falk to join him under the auspices of keeping him safe.

Is this May-December romance doomed to be derailed by fears of unrequited love?

Will their treasure hunt lead them to true love or fool’s gold?

Author: Dahlia Donovan
Title: Stubbed Toes & Dating Woes
Genre: Asexual M/M Rom-Com
Release Date: May 19th
Word Count: Approx. 30k

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Super cute book!

Things we don’t get a lot of. Realistic representations of ACE characters and neurodivergent characters. This novella gives us both.

Nic has a crush on his brother’s best friend. And his brother’s best friend has a crush on him. And both are asexual. What it takes to get them together is a clueless brother.

I will say that Nic’s brother really annoyed me. WAY WAY overprotective of his brother. I kind of understood when Nic was traveling alone. But after Falk joined him, it was total overkill.

But it was still a fun book to read. Traveling the English coast, digging for buried treasure, finally telling off a coworker who is mean and admitting that they have been in love with each other for years.

And because they were both ACE, there were a couple of brief “this is all I want to do” talks to see that they were both on the same page.

Great beach read!

4 pieces of eye candy

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Dahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.
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Only You (’90s Coming of Age Book 3) by Leta Blake: RB, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

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’90s Coming of Age, Book 3

Join Peter Mandel on his final steps to love in Only You, the highly-anticipated third and final book of Leta Blake’s ’90s Coming of Age series.

Despite the lingering wounds of his past relationship, Peter is ready to take a chance on finding a faithful love and embracing his true self.

Peter and Daniel explore their connection despite Daniel’s complicated home life. But when Adam resurfaces, desperate to win Peter back, Peter must confront his complicated feelings and the painful ghosts of their shared past.

Only You is a powerful and emotional conclusion to the series, and a must-read for fans of New Adult Romance and Coming-of-Age fiction.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Pictures of You (’90s Coming of Age Book 1)

You Are Not Me (’90s Coming of Age Book 2)

The phone rang just as the buzzer on the toaster oven went off. I hissed as I tugged the pizza bagel free and dropped it, steaming, on a plate. Rushing to answer the phone next, anxiety roiled inside me. What if it was Adam?

“Hey, you.”

Daniel.

The peace his voice gave me was like absolution. No matter what I’d done in the past, somehow, I’d ended up here with Daniel on the other end of the line. Everything was going to be all right. Everything was fine.

Daniel would never lie about me, about us, or about who he was and what he wanted. He’d never be like Adam. He’d always be what he’d been right from the start.

Honest.

“Hey,” I answered, a smile on my lips. “I’ve missed you.”

“Me too.”

“My mom leaves Saturday morning. For real this time. Are you still up for that party I mentioned?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Because I’ve missed my friends, but most of all, I’ve missed seeing you.”

“Daniel?”

“Yeah?”

I didn’t know what I’d been about to say. Was I going to tell him about Leslie’s letter? No. I didn’t want to burden him with that. “Nothing. I just wanted to be sure of you.” I didn’t know how else to explain that I’d wanted to confirm that we were together.

“Be sure of me,” Daniel said, pitching his voice lower. “Saturday night, I’ll show you just how sure of me you can be.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Petey, are you okay?”

I laughed. “You’re such a goofball. And, somehow, that’s just not as good as ‘Danny, are you okay?’ Doesn’t have quite the same ring.”

Daniel snorted. “No, it doesn’t.” He paused. “But yes, it’s a promise. You can be sure of me, and also…are you okay? You sound tense.”

I fingered Leslie’s letter and then wadded it up and tossed it into the trash. “I’m good. Just needed to hear your voice.”

“And I needed to hear yours, so we’re even.”

“Yeah.” I took a bite of pizza bagel. “I love that about us.”

That was as close as I’d come to telling him I loved him. Maybe one day soon.

For now, just being on the phone with him was enough.

Whew! From what I have gleaned from social media posts, some of y’all have waited 10 years for this book? Again, so glad I was able to read them one right after the other.

Book 3!

Adam is back in town and went straight to Peter. Who caved like a house of cards. But will he finally FINALLY realize that Adam is the guy who is getting it all? While everyone else barely gets crumbs?

After the ride of the first 2 books, this one is definitely more of a roller coaster at a fair instead of a roller coaster at a theme park. Some ups and downs, but not as drastic.

And let me tell you. Adam who doesn’t get what he wants is a SCARY mofo. I could picture his face at times. Just that angry, evil look meant to make someone scared. Shudder.

Daniel has his own issues, but they are with his family-his mother in fact. So poor Peter keeps dating guys with family issues. Ok, not keeps, but both guys he has dated have some serious trauma. But Daniel manifests his trauma as trying to be the good guy for everyone and not really helping himself.

Shockingly, Peter helps him see that he has to put himself first sometimes. Seems our cute, nerdy outcast Peter has done some growing up.

A lot of the book is Peter and Daniel. Which is fine. Unfortunately, Peter has to reassure Daniel a lot. I wish he didn’t have to do that. I wish Daniel trusted Peter more.

There is a side story going on with the mess that is Minty. That boy. He has some issues and trauma himself. Probably the worst of everyone. I’d like to see him get his happily ever after.

As much as I really loved these books, I feel like the ending was a little anticlimatic. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a HEA and there was drama. But a little more would have been good too.

I still completely recommend these books. Especially if you love angst. And the nostalgia is great too.

4 pieces of eye candy

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

If you’d like to be among the first to know about new releases, you can sign up for Leta’s newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bdn32H

Bonus material for the Heat of Love series, Will & Patrick Wake Up Married series, Training Season series, Smoky Mountain Dreams, Mr. Frosty Pants, The River Leith, and more is available on Leta Blake’s Patreon account. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/letablake

Or you can find out more about her by following her online:

On the web: https://letablake.com

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letablake

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You Are Not Me (’90s Coming of Age Book 2) by Leta Blake: New Release Review

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Follow Peter into the summer following his senior year to face new beginnings, new friends, and old baggage.

After a tumultuous final year of high school, Peter Mandel needs a break. It’s the summer of 1991, and his secret relationship with his ‘best friend’ Adam Algedi is put on hold as Adam goes away to Italy for the summer. On the cusp of adulthood, Peter has a couple of months to explore who he is without Adam at his side.

Enter Daniel McPeak, a slightly older, out, responsible college guy with a posse of gay friends and an attraction for Peter. Drawn into the brave new world of the local gay club, Peter embarks on a whirlwind of experiences—good and bad—which culminate in a hotel room where he has to make the ultimate choice.

But Adam will come back eventually, and there are promises that have to be kept. As autumn draws near and college awaits, can Peter break free of the binds of twisted first love? And what exactly is Daniel’s role in his life – a brief temptation, or something more?

After the emotional roller coaster of book 1, I wasn’t sure what to expect for book 2. We got a different emotional roller coaster.

Now, instead of Adam controlling Peter’s life in person, he does it from Italy. Like omg! This guy has a girlfriend (Leslie), has a boyfriend (Peter) and wants permission to sleep with other people in Italy. Because he has needs. Oy!

Peter, for his part, is still listening to Adam and hanging on his every word while still being angry at the whole situation. He’s also avoiding his high school friends in favor of the couple of gay friends he has gotten. Including Daniel. You can feel the chemistry between them. But Daniel is a good guy and knows Peter is loyal to Adam even if Adam doesn’t deserve it.

Peter goes through some things towards the beginning of the book that he tells Adam about and Adam uses it against him. He is emotionally abuse to Peter and everyone can see it but him.

We get some new regular characters. Minty is the most visible being Daniel’s best friend. He is the type of completely fearless guy who also refuses to realize that HIV and AIDS is a thing. He is out, proud and loud. Tutus and dresses without a care in the world.

We also meet Bobby, Daniel’s PWA-person with AIDS that he helps. Bobby broke my heart. Dying of AIDS far too young. Withering away because in 1991, there wasn’t much that could be done medically. It very much was a death sentence. But Bobby’s wisdom and advice to both Peter and Daniel will probably stick with them forever.

Peter struggles throughout the book between wanting to stay faithful to Adam but realizing that what he feels for Daniel is just better.

Book 1 ended with Adam going to Italy. Book 2 ends with Adam coming home.

Imma just say, I am SO GLAD I got to read all three books back to back!

4 pieces of eye candy