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The Prince’s Vow: Starian Cycle #3 by Iris Foxglove: Blog Tour, Exclusive Author Interview, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Adrien de Guillory may be the heir to the throne of Staria, but no one in court believes that the submissive, meek-minded prince will ever be king. What they don’t know is that Adrien is hardly the meek, shy creature he pretends to be and that he has his own plans for the future. To see those plans through, Adrien embarks on a journey to Mislia, the land of his mother’s ancestors, to seek an answer to controlling his magic of foresight.

The one thing Adrien’s visions don’t predict is Isiodore de Mortain, his father’s confidante and the subject of Adrien’s long-standing, deeply embarrassing infatuation. Isiodore intercepts Adrien on his way to Mislia. But it’s too late to turn back—the two of them are now stranded on foreign soil, forced to rely on each other in order to get home in one piece. With Isiodore set on keeping Adrien safe and Adrien determined to become the most troublesome prince in Starian history, a storm is brewing over Mislia…one that will surely sweep both of them out into uncharted waters.

(The Prince’s Vow is an m/m dark fantasy novel, set in a fictional world where everyone is biologically either a dominant or a submissive and compelled to satisfy those urges. As such, the biological imperative kink in this story is pure fantasy, and not intended as a representation of real-life BDSM practices or dynamics.)

Title:  The Prince’s Vow

Series: Starian Cycle #3

Author: Iris Foxglove

Release Date: 6/22/21

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 64,000

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, BDSM, AU

(The Prince’s Vow is an m/m dark fantasy novel, set in a fictional world where everyone is biologically either a dominant or a submissive and compelled to satisfy those urges. As such, the biological imperative kink in this story is pure fantasy, and not intended as a representation of real-life BDSM practices or dynamics.)

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

When did you write your first story and what was the inspiration for it?

Foxglove: My family couldn’t afford a computer for some time, but we did have a typewriter for homework purposes. The big rule was that in order to use the typewriter, what you were writing had to be worth it. The first story of mine that was deemed worthy featured a group of fairies who caused a hurricane because they partied too hard, and a girl who told them to kindly knock it off, please. I wasn’t a big fan of hurricanes, to be fair.

Iris: I’m older than Foxglove and brought a word processor to college, LOL. But my first story was honestly very similar to Duke’s Demon — I joke that I’ve been writing some version of that story since I was twelve, but it’s true. I wrote a screenplay (I don’t know why it was a screenplay, to be honest) about a ballerina who was magically transported to an Irish castle and lived with a duke who was possessed by a demon. It was absolutely awful, but I still have it, and it makes me smile to think about how years later I published a (much better) version! I probably have had dozens of old Trapper Keepers filled with half-finished fantasy stories, but that was the first thing I ever finished in its entirety. It was called “At the Edge of Midnight” and my dad made me a cover on Print Shop on our family computer. To be honest, it would be a horrible movie but the concept was there, ha!

Where did the desire to write LGBT romance come from?

Foxglove: Well, I came out pretty young, which was rare in my conservative town, and I spent years carefully cultivating a small collection of LGBTQ fiction. It was important to me to know that there were writers out there who thought that people like me deserved love. Eventually, my room was searched and the collection was discovered—only one book remained hidden. I decided then and there that I would write my own stories to make up for the ones that were lost.

Iris: I’ve been a voracious reader all my life, especially of fantasy, and always wanted to see a story with someone like me in it. Especially because I always wanted romance in my stories, and the characters I wanted to get together were never the ones who did! I also wanted to write stories where people were accepting of all sexualities and genders, especially since so much of my love of fantasy is centered around the “found family” trope.

Briefly describe the writing process. Do you create an outline first?  Do you seek out inspirational pictures, videos or music? Do you just let the words flow and then go back and try and make some sense out it?

Foxglove: We mostly babble at each other excitedly until a plot happens. There are a lot of moments that tend to go like this:

“So what IF, bear with me, but what IF this character…”
“Yes?”
“What if they did THIS?”

“OH MY GOD YES AND WHAT IF THEY DID THIS OTHER THING?!”
“AND THEN THIS OTHER THING HAPPENS?”
“YES!!!!”

It can get a little out of hand, but our brainstorming sessions are ridiculously fun.

Iris: It’s true!! We have so many books planned it’s unreal — the world that we’ve created is so fun, and we’re apparently going to write a story for the entire population 😀 We’re pretty good about writing a scene, then saying, “Hey, do you want to jump in, here?” and switching off. Usually we each gravitate toward a character and write their POV. Sometimes we outline, but it’s normally more of a general plot idea that we tweak as we go along.

We did write one of the books in the Starian Cycle out of order — look, we really love the pairing in The King’s Mage, okay — and after we went back and wrote Exile’s Gift, had to rewrite the fifth one!! So there’s two versions of book 5 floating around our Gdocs, lol.

I write best, personally, with music or thunderstorm sounds. Background noise is essential, but it can’t be anything I’m TOO interested in or I’ll get too distracted!

If you could sequester yourself for a week somewhere and just focus on your writing, where would you go and what would the environment be like?

Foxglove: Is this a magical place where I don’t have to cook anything? Can I go there? Also, my kingdom for a comfortable desk chair! I am a creature of simple needs.

Iris: Honestly if I could go somewhere it was raining and/or snowing constantly, with me in a comfy chair with sixteen blankets and a sweater with too-long sleeves and a huge mug of Earl Grey, I would still find a way to play a mobile game and be distracted. But I have such fond memories of finishing Traitor’s Mercy — I woke up at 5 am after I couldn’t sleep due to the excitement of nearly being done, and went to my then-office in our house and watched the sun rise with tea while I wrote Laurent being dramatic in the snow with Sabre. Then, I watched in real-time as Foxglove finished the epilogue, and immediately opened a doc to start Duke’s Demon! It’s such a happy memory, that feeling of excitement when you type “The End” (which I always do) is so satisfying.

I want to say right off that this is book three in the series and I haven’t read one or two. Which might have made a lot of nuances and sub-plots in this book easier to understand. I love fantasy and this had a really good start. In and amongst a fantasy plot the book had dominant and submissive tendencies which if that’s your jam was well done.

I think the plot got lost in detail a little in the middle, but there are a wealth of characters I am interested in discovering how their story progresses.

Adrien as a character is a delight and very well balanced. Isiodore is good for him even if a little too patient sometimes. I wished I had read the previous two books first.

4 pieces of eye candy

Iris Foxglove is a shared pen name between two longtime fantasy readers who are committed to writing fun, escapist dark fantasy featuring decadent, kinky stories, intricate world building and unforgettable characters.

Author Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/irisfoxglove

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21219026.Iris_Foxglove

Email: irisfoxgloveauthor@gmail.com


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No Flag by Liz Borino: RB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Captain Mike Kelley does not ignore his intuition, so when sexy bartender Will Hayes captures his heart, Mike embarks on a mission to win him over to a Domestic Discipline relationship. Will accepts with one caveat: Mike must promise not to renew his army contract.

Mike agrees, until the army invokes the stop-loss military policy to involuntarily extend his commission and send him back overseas, rendering him powerless and threatening everything he and Will have built. Will, left alone to cope with a new café, must rely on the support of old friends who may no longer be trustworthy.

A horrific terrorist attack on Mike’s outpost changes everything, leaving them both at a loss.

Mike awakens in a hospital with a devastating injury and no recollection of the attack. As the only survivor, his memory may be the key to national security. Mike struggles to cope with his injury and Will struggles with his new role in Mike’s life.

For Mike and Will, “No Flag” meant “come home alive.” Will has Mike back rather than a folded flag, but in the aftermath of war, can they rebuild the life they had before?

Title:  No Flag

Series: After Everything, Book One

Author: Liz Borino

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 06/07/2021

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 67100

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, contemporary, family-drama, military, war, violence, terrorists, disabilities, amputee, bartender, Dom/sub relationship, domestic discipline, OCD

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NineStar Press

Goodreads

Chapter One

The News

July 7, 2012

Bombs exploded on the evening news, one after the other. Body parts flew past the camera. The headline across the bottom of the screen read: “20 Army Intelligence Officers Dead.”

“Early this morning, a bomb exploded in the Army Intelligence building, killing twenty American soldiers from Platoon 518,” the blonde newswoman reported.

Will Kelley squinted as the fuzzy security images played behind the woman’s head, searching through the chaos for reassurance. Nothing. His heart pounded and he tried to swallow but found only dry air in his mouth and throat. The female reporter described the weapons used and structural damage done in vivid detail, which made for sensational television, but failed to answer any questions for the people at home. Victims’ families had to be notified before the media could release their names. So, Blondie would lose her job if she read the list in front of her.

“What the hell are you doing, man? We open in thirty minutes and you’re watching television?” Seth, his roommate, demanded from the doorway of the living room.

“Answered your own question, didn’t you?” Will responded.

“Are you ready?”

“No.” Will did not take his eyes off the screen. “I’ll drive myself.”

“When?”

The report flashed to an increase in allergies in children, so Will switched to another station while typing “Attack on American S2 Building in Afghanistan” into Google. It wouldn’t be that easy though. So, Will tried several more combinations of search terms before finding a video shot by an insurgent involved in the attack. The camera shuddered. Focused on different areas of the chaos. Men ripping clothes off soldiers. Looting. Bodies blown to bits. A man removing computer hard drives. And only one face. On the severed head of Major Evans.

“Will!” Seth jabbed him in the shoulder with a pen. Will forced his eyes away from the computer. “What happened?”

“Mike’s platoon was attacked. Twelve survivors.”

“Shit,” Seth said. “Can you call…?”

Will took a slug from the nearby water bottle. “Who? No one will talk to me. I’m not my husband’s family.”

Seth stared at him for a long moment and said, “I’ll have Casey cover for you.”

Will stood and shook his head. “Why? I can’t do anything here except watch the same videos over and over. May as well see if I can make some money.” He shut his computer and set it on the side table. “Meet you there. I won’t be too late. Promise.” He had to stop himself from scoffing as the meaningless word left his lips.

“Will…” Seth began.

“You wanted me to move, I’m moving! Go. I’ll be there.” He walked toward his bedroom, Seth’s gaze burning into his back. Stopping to throw a glance over his shoulder, he added, “Don’t tell Casey. I can do without her mother-henning me.”

“Will…”

“Please, Seth.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” Will climbed the steps and closed his bedroom door. He leaned against the wood cutting him off from the rest of the world. His gaze roamed the four walls decorated with art prints, a whiteboard, and his wedding picture. Will strode over and fingered the golden frame. Behind the glass lay a photograph of Will and Mike in tuxes in the middle of their first dance. Their smiles easily outshone the gold on the frame. Mike had always been handsome with broad, built shoulders and muscular pecs, leading to abs you could grate cheese on.

But none of that stood out to Will, not on their wedding day of the year before. Mike’s blue eyes radiated a strength and hope. Will removed his wedding band to read the promise inscribed: No Flag.

Please keep your promise, Mike, Will thought as he took a deep breath and tore himself away from the picture and the crushing memories it brought. He had a job to do tonight.

Domestic discipline is one of my favorite tropes and I feel like recently it’s become hard to find. This book reeled me in from the first page. If was well written. The characters were well developed, interesting and assimilated well into the story.

It is definitely a hard fought love for Mike and Will, but oh so worth it. With everything trying to tear them apart; Mike’s deployment, Will’s friends, Mike’s injury, and day to day life Mike and Will stay strong and true to each other.

I felt like the story had so much vivid detail. The storylines were woven together masterfully, I was never confused about what was happening to who or when it was happening. The intimate scenes were shorter with less detail and I found that a refreshing change to my normal reading.

I couldn’t put this book down and I am really excited to read some of the authors other works.

5 pieces of eye candy

Liz Borino has been telling stories of varying truthfulness since she was a child. As an adult, she keeps the fiction on the page. She writes stories of human connection and intimacy, in all their forms. Her books feature flawed men who often risk everything for their love.

When Liz isn’t writing, she’s waking up early to edit, travel, and explore historic prisons and insane asylums—not (usually) all in one day. Liz lives in Philadelphia with her two cats.

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Bad Daddy (Unexpected Daddies Book 3) by Victoria Sue: New Release Review

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Bad so bad.

Caleb DeLuca knew that tattooed, scarred ex-cons didn’t usually get trusted with anything precious. He’d spent the second half of his forty-three years atoning for the lives he had destroyed in the first half and was shocked to get invited to the club his brother-in-law owned. Especially when he found out what type of club it was.

Max was too young, too beautiful, and too fragile for Caleb to get any ideas they could ever be more than friends. Besides which, Max was searching for a man that would inflict the pain he craved, and Caleb was done with hurting people.

Even if that was what they wanted.

Bad Daddy is the story of a man who doesn’t believe he deserves anything good and the boy who finds out sometimes the best things come in most unexpected packages.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

One Cup Of Daddy and a Dash of Love (Unexpected Daddies Book 1) 

A Daddy for Christmas (Unexpected Daddies Book 2)

I haven’t been able to read books 1 and 2 in this series, yet…because life. But I knew I’d be okay jumping into this series, because this author does stand-alone very well. And I really enjoyed this book, so it was a great place to start. I do own at least book 1, so I think I will need to head back and read that soon!

Caleb was the biggest, baddest, sweetest and most caring daddy Dom who happened to be an ex-con. One of the pieces that I loved about him being an ex-con is that although it was a big deal to him, most everyone else didn’t even worry about it. (It does come into play a little bit later in the book, but nothing too bad, because HEA 🙂 ). However, he just didn’t think he was going to be good enough for anyone, much less Max, who knew exactly what he wanted, and that wasn’t Caleb.

Meanwhile Max, who knew exactly what he was looking for passed over Caleb. Until he began to realize that what he was looking for wasn’t really what he wanted or needed. Max needed time to learn more about himself before he could try to find it, and give it to someone else.

I loved that this book was very much about the journey each man went on to figure out what they needed most for themselves, how to support each other and then what they needed from a relationship. It wasn’t just about how they would get together and find their HEA. They needed to figure themselves out first, even if it took them apart from each other at times, and put them in a special room. 😉

This book was a really good depiction of loving yourself before you can love someone else.

4 pieces of eye candy

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

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Nine Star Press

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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

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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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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