4 stars

Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker: Quick Review

January 19, 2017 by Denise

synopsis

Calvin Lynch and Troy Hoffman have been best mates since they were fourteen years old. They’re both hard-working tradesmen, both love weekends away fishing, both gay, but have never been single at the same time. Until now.
What is supposed to be a weekend away fishing with a group of mates, changes at the last minute when friends bail out in an attempt to give Cal and Troy some alone time.
With more than just hooks on the line, can these two see what’s been right in front of them the whole time?
The Perfect Catch is a short story about falling for your best friend hook, line, and sinker.

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jennifer

Sigh…. I just love every single thing I’ve ever read by this author…

Cal and Troy have been best friends since they were teenagers. Having feelings for one another but to worried about ruining their friendship, neither of them wanted to say anything. Sure, there were times when both of them wanted to say something, but it never seemed like the right time. Now, Cal and Troy and a couple of their other friends a camping trip to just get away for a while.

Both of them are finally single at the same time and their friends use that as an excuse to get them alone together for the weekend. Seems like everyone realizes how they feel about each other, except each other…. So, at the scheming of the friends, they set off on their fishing weekend alone together.

It starts out just the same as I suspect every other trip goes; they hang out, fish, camp and all that… but then one notices the way the other looks at him and thinks, hmmm.. maybe our friends are right… They joke back and forth about hookin’ up, like guys do, but suddenly there’s a seriousness along with it… THEN, a night in the tent together proves to tempting to not try…

Of course, when they come back, some doubt and worries have things awkward for a time, but everything works out in the end; they’re too cute together not to.

I’m such a sucker for a HEA and these guys got a good one. Best friends to lovers is the best. I could have read pages and pages more about these two, and when they finally get together… shew! Hot!

4 pieces of eye candy for me 🙂

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A Coal Miner’s Son by T.A. Chase: Release Day Review

January 4, 2017 by Denise

synopsis James Callahan is the only son of Nicholas Callahan, owner of the Willow Hollow mine in West Virginia—but he’s never considered himself any better than the miners. He’s best friends with Owain Rees, one of the miners’ kids, and he’s been attracted to Cai, Owain’s older brother, for years. James gets the feeling he might not be the only one sensing the tension between them, but Cai avoids him religiously.

Cai has been working the mine since he was sixteen. He acknowledges James is cute, but he’s grown up privileged while Cai’s family has always been working class, and Cai fears that chasm is too wide to cross. When family drama pushes them together, will Cai and James see they’re more alike than they realized?

Take a leap of faith as two men from different worlds, employer and employee, rich and poor, discover that love transcends social barriers.

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

Title: A Coal Miner’s Son
Author: T.A. Chase
Release Date: January 4, 2017
Category: Contemporary, States of Love
Pages: 107

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Dreamspinner Press

jennifer
Owain and James have been friends for as long as they can remember.
James’s Dad ownes the Willow Hollow mines that the little town in West Virgina sit in.
James has always had a crush on Owians brother Cai but, Cai never gave him the time of day because just like a lot of other people in the town; they thought James was like his father….

Let’s talk about James’ father. He was pompous and self-important, I didn’t care for him at all and I was glad James stood up to him about the things that we’re important.

We have other stories going on within the story; like Cai and Owain’s sister leaving her husband who was a drunk and physically violent, so they were dealing with that. That’s actually what helped Cai get over his aversion to dating the boss’s son. Then, we have their sister, who honestly, is another weird spelled name and I don’t remember it; but she’s going to school to be a doctor and the town pitches in to keep her in school, because they know she’ll come back and the town will finally have a doctor. Not many know that James is a big contributor to her though; and the rest of the town, even though they’d probably not like knowing that he buys groceries for the small town and helps them out with things they need.

He’s a genuinely nice guy and he has the means to help. I wish the town would have been more appreciative. I did like the small town feel of this story though, living in a ridiculously small town, I really enjoy the concept of the town being more like a family and everyone helping everyone. I like that Cai and James didn’t hide their relationship once they got together and for the most part people seemed accepting. I liked how James thought about the miners and their families and was good to everyone. He was truly a really nice guy.

This book is a different read than what I’m used to, but I’m glad I gave it a chance. If you’re looking for a low angst book with a “FINALLY” type of relationship lol, you’ll enjoy this book.

4 pieces of eye candy for me

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Love and Snowball Fights by J.R. Loveless: Quick Review

January 2, 2017 by Denise

synopsis

Lane Freeman supposed there were worse places to be dumped than a place named Christmas Valley. After being ejected from the foster care system, he spent the past five years hitchhiking and moving around. But six months of a steady job at Tal’s Bar and Grill, an apartment, and even a three-legged cat have him almost ready to risk putting down a few roots when Tal’s brother comes home for the holidays.

Dallas firefighter Trey Jenkins reluctantly accepts that Lane isn’t like the other drifters who’ve come through his brother’s place. A fragile attraction begins to bloom between them in spite of the many reasons they each have to fight it. Trey wants to give Lane a family, but experience has taught Lane to depend on no one but himself. Will winter love burn hot in the town called Christmas Valley or will Lane return to his wandering ways?

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Dreamspinner Press

deanna review

I really enjoyed this one, J R Loveless is a new author to me and I wasn’t disappointed.

Lane is extremely shy, almost painfully so. His parents died when he was 15 and he bounced around from foster home to foster home until he was 18. Then he roamed from place to place never allowing anyone close, until he lands in Christmas Valley.

Lane starts working at a restaurant as a bus boy and slowly the owner, Tal earns his trust. Then Lane finds a cat and before you know it, he’s put down some roots. He’s still extremely quiet and uncomfortable around strangers, but he’s taking care of himself.

Then Lane meets Trey, Tal’s brother who can only be described as rude. Trey is so used to Tal being taken in by a sad story and then being hurt when someone steals from him that he assumes Lane is doing the same thing. Without giving Lane a chance, Trey warns him about hurting Tal. Lane is so upset by the confrontation that he begins planning his escape from Christmas Valley and Trey.

Tal finally corners Trey and explains just how bad a life Lane had before coming to Christmas Valley. The story has Trey looking at Lane in a new light and he knows he has to do everything he can to repair the tenuous relationship he has with the skittish man.

As the two work together in the restaurant, Lane becomes more comfortable in Trey’s presence. A huge snowstorm leaves Lane and Trey snowed in together and Lane realizes that he’s fighting a losing battle trying to keep him feelings for Trey at bay. Trey only has until the snow melts to prove to Lane that he’s worth the gamble.

Great holiday read. I love stories with strong characters that don’t realize how strong they are. Lane is as strong as they come, but he didn’t realize it about himself. Trey may be physically stronger, but Lane is an emotional fortress.

If ever there was someone that deserved a happily ever after its Lane. I. So glad he got it.

J R Loveless is a new author to me, but I am definitely going to read a few more. Very enjoyable story, great scenery and characters.

4 pieces of eye candy

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The Virgin Manny by Amy Lane: Release Day Review

January 1, 2017 by Denise

synopsis Growing up and falling in love…

Sometimes family is a blessing and a curse. When Tino Robbins is roped into helping his sister deliver her premade Italian dinners when he should be studying for finals, he’s pretty sure it’s the latter! But one delivery might change everything.

Channing Lowell’s charmed life changes when his sister dies and leaves him her seven-year-old son. He’s committed to doing what’s best for Sammy… but he’s going to need a lot of help. When Tino lands on his porch, Channing is determined to recruit him to Team Sammy.

Tino plans to make his education count—even if that means avoiding a relationship—but as he falls harder and harder for his boss, he starts to wonder: Does he have to leave his newly forged family behind in order to live his promising tomorrow?

Title: The Virgin Manny
Series: The Mannies
Author: Amy Lane
Release Date: January 1, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 228

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Dreamspinner Press

denise review

One of my favorite romance tropes is the virgin. It totally takes me back to the Harlequin romances I read as a teenager, that were “oh so dirty” at that time, and I had to read under the covers with a flashlight.

Amy Lane‘s version, the Virgin Manny is such a fantastic entry with this trope. Tino is such a family man, really doing everything he can to make his family proud of him, helping whenever he can, and graduating college was so important to him. Finding a way to do it debt free was not in his plans, but when Channing steps in to request help, Tino finds the offer to good to refuse.

Seeing their relationship grow, and seeing Tino realize that “life is what happens” when all your plans are just that, plans, allows him to become an even more solid presence for his family, as well as Channing and his nephew. Even as he sees plans for family members change, he wrestles with change, but still is able to focus on the important things in life.

Tino’s family was great. I loved them all. And the “bad person”…totally gets what is deserved. THAT is a happy ending. 😉

4 pieces of eye candy

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Add Love and Mix by Sean Michael: Quick Review

December 26, 2016 by Denise

synopsis Firefighter Jason “Jase” Weller and EMT Scott Bronson are living the perfect life. They work together in jobs they love, they live together, and in their downtime, they still can’t get enough of each other. It’s been six amazing years. Then on Christmas Eve, Jase’s former lover Elsa shows up with a six-year-old girl in tow. The strung-out junkie claims Kerry is Jase’s daughter and it’s his turn to care for her, and then she walks out.

Shocked at both the fact that Elsa is now a junkie and that he has a daughter he never knew about, Jase nonetheless steps up to the plate as her father and Scott offers his full support. Having an instant family comes with plenty of challenges, and the two men work to deal with sweeping changes in their lives and to make things right for Kerry.

It’s not going to be easy, and their new circumstances test them and their relationship like nothing ever has. They’ll need all the love they have for each other, and the love they discover for their daughter, to keep from breaking apart.

Title: Add Love and Mix
Author: Sean Michael
Release Date: December 26, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Holiday
Pages: 206
jennifer

I love Sean Michael’s way he writes about daddies and mannies and cute kids that you can’t help but fall in love with. This one was no different.
Jase and Scott have been partners for the last six years. They work together as emergency responders, Jase a firefighter and Scott an EMT, at the same firehouse; working the same shifts and being content just the two of them, happy, together and in love. Everything was perfect for them.
Then, an ex of Jase’s stops by and drops a huge surprise in his lap, in the form of an abused and mistreated daughter; Kerry. Her mother was awful, treated her so badly, it was heartbreaking. She spoke to her and about her in the worst way and it showed in everything Kerry done. Jase had no idea she even existed or he would have done all he could to save her, and jeeeez, had it been me, it would have weighed heavily on me, all the years that she’d been mistreated. It was incredibly sad.

Together though, Scott and Jase tried to give her normal and happy. They worked therselved to the bone to do right by her and to get her to understand that they loved her and that they weren’t going to do anything to hurt her or leave her like her mother did. Half of me expected the whole time for her mother to come back and try to get her back to sell her or something, but thankfully; she doesn’t.
It’s tough though, the guys are doing everything that they can to do what they need to do to ensure that this little girl is taken care of and safe and Scott starts to feel a little cornered, a little but like he’s doing all this stuff because he has to and I hated to see that. I could see where he was coming from especially about the marriage and the proposal at first. That would have hurt my feelings so bad. I could see where he’d feel like, just someone fitted in just because things needed to be done. That wasn’t the way it was, by no means; you can tell how much these two love each other throughout the whole thing, their chemistry and adoration they showed was apparent, but I could see where it might feel like that, due to the circumstance and timing of everything.

So, it wasn’t an easy road. Things got pretty hard for a while, luckily, they both had amazing, supportive, helpful parents who were there to help at every turn. Everyone pitched in and helped and loved Kerry the minute they met her and it didn’t take long for Kerry to turn into a happy, healthy little girl with two loving daddies and some amazing grandparents; even if she did take things out on Scott for a time. That was hard to read too, I hated it for him, especially because he had done so much and sacrificed and turned his life upside down to do everything he could for her and Jase and I’m sure it would have felt like a slap in the face.

In the end though, it all worked out. Love usually does, in the end, doesn’t it? It was an incredibly sweet, low angst, happily ended story and I wouldn’t mind reading more about this couple and their sweet little girl if another one were to happen to come out lol, but if not, it ended perfectly happy and I was pleased with the way it turned out for them.

If you like hot guys with cute kids…. Check this one out, this author does them best!

4 pieces of eye candy, from me!

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12 Days of Kissmas: Charlie Cochet

December 22, 2016 by Denise

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TCO is so excited to bring you 12 Days of Kissmas. We have 12 of your favorite authors ahead over the coming days, bringing you beautiful pictures of men kissing that the authors have chosen themselves, along with exclusive posts, excerpts, and giveaways. The idea sprang from a conversation with an author that just turned into a “what if…”, and when I started asking a few authors, they immediately said they were in. Make sure you enter the giveaways, as there are lots of them! Thanks for stopping by, and a HUGE thank you to all the authors for their generosity, and loving spirit. Happy Holidays to everyone!

Guest Post

ccochetjackrudy Hello, all! Hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season! I’m so happy to be here joining in on the 12 Days of Kissmas event! For my picture, I decided to doodle a little something myself. Back for the release of The Heart of Frost, I drew a holiday kiss between Jack and Rudy. I had so much fun with it that I decided this would be a great opportunity to draw another one. This year we have Calder and Donner’s story: Disarming Donner, so I decided to draw their kiss.

donnercalder

Kisses in the North Pole City Tales series range from innocent and sweet, to explosive and passionate. Hey, even Christmas elves need a little lovin’. There’s nothing I love more than writing that first kiss between characters who’ve been trying so darn hard to stay away from each other, whether they’re enemies to lovers, second chances, or friends to lovers, there’s always some hesitancy, some reason why they shouldn’t, and when they do, ready the fire extinguishers!

In Disarming Donner, Calder is a Dockalfar—dark elf. He’s dangerous, wields dark magic, and is feared. The Dockalfar are not romantic by nature. The males don’t couple with other males, and the majority have no interest in being loved. Calder is not like most Dockalfar. He has no desire to be feared. Ever since he was a tiny elfling, he’s wanted nothing more than to be loved, but who outside his own kind could possibly love a Dockalfar? He’s resigned to living his life without love. And then he meets Donner, a prim and proper Christmas elf with lavender eyes who plays beautiful music and finds Calder absolutely scandalous. What could possibly go right?

As a beloved Rein Dear and Christmas elf for Mayor Kringle, Donner prides himself on his flawless reputation, good sense, and wise decisions. Donner never does anything until he’s thought it through properly. He’s certainly not one to get flustered, infuriated, or fall prey to romantic nonsense. At least not until the most unlikely of elves begins chipping away at Donner’s defenses.

Calder is a Dockalfar—a dark elf. He’s wicked, untrustworthy, and armed with lethal magic. At least that’s what everyone thinks. It’s easy for them to believe the worst and mistrust him before they’ve even spoken to him, but Calder is out to prove that he’s more than his Dockalfar blood, especially to a certain Rein Dear who has caught his eye. But it will take more than sweet words for Donner to admit what’s in his heart.

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denise review

So, I have read most of Charlie Cochet’s work (in some cases, MULTIPLE times) and yet, I realized I haven’t read even one of her holiday novellas, so Disarming Donner was the first. And, as I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Donner tried so hard to be stand-offish and proper, looking down on Calder, because he was a Dockalfar, and Calder’s brother hurt his good friend. However, as he saw the softer side, the romantic and loving side of Calder, his heart melted (which may or may not be a good thing in North Pole City! J). And when Calder needed help, Donner stepped right up to help him, and found a little more reason to appreciate Calder.

Calder meanwhile, a sweet, romantic Dockalfar immediately found a connection with Donner, and pressed his romantic attention gently and sweetly. He was gentle and loving to Donner, as well as all the reactions he received from the townspeople, showing how much he merely wanted to be accepted and loved.

Another winner by Charlie, and now I can’t wait to go back and read all the others in this series.

4 pieces of eye candy

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meet the author

charlie_cochet_by_madison_parker Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

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 reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

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For a chance to win Hell & High Water, Mending Noel, Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts, tell us what you think of this amazing artwork by Charlie.

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