blog tour

Audio Tour Strong Enough & Love at First Sight by Cardeno C : Reviews

April 26, 2016 by Denise

Strong Enough: Family Collection

Written by: Cardeno C.
Narrated by: Ezekiel Robison
Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins

LISTEN TO AN AUDIO CLIP

When a casual hookup turns into the potential for love, staid Spencer realizes he wants to build a life with vibrant Emilio.

When 22-year-old Emilio Sanchez sees handsome Spencer Derdinger walking by his construction site, Emilio makes it his goal to seduce the shy professor. Getting Spencer into bed isn’t difficult, but Emilio soon learns that earning the trust of a man deeply hurt will take time and patience. With a prize like brilliant, sweet Spencer on the line, Emilio decides he is strong enough to face the challenge.

Spencer is surprised when he’s approached by the gorgeous construction worker he’s admired from the safety of his office window. Acting spontaneously for the first time in his 38 years, Spencer takes Emilio home. When the casual hookup turns into the potential for love, Spencer realizes that if he wants to build a life with Emilio, he’ll need to be strong enough to slay his personal demons and learn to trust again.

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I enjoyed this book quite a bit when I read it the first time a year ago. Spencer, a sweet man who has been hurt by love more than once, shy and insecure. Meanwhile Emilio, young, but confident, and willing to go after the man he wanted as soon as he saw him. Emilio is one of my favorite characters that CC has written. Despite his age, Emilio knows his mind, knows what he wants, and isn’t afraid to go after it. He’s all the things that Spencer needs in his life.

As much as I enjoyed the book when I read it, I loved it even more when I listened to Ezekiel Robison’s audio version of the book. His narration has gotten better and better as he has done this series, and my enjoyment of his narration of this book was off the charts. He was great, including accents and voice changes that worked well for both main characters.

The story of these two men was sweet, and sexy, and really touched your heart as you learned all that Spencer had been through, and that Emilio only cared about taking care of Spencer, and helping him to heal and love. These two, such opposites, attracted in the best way possible. They filled holes that the other didn’t quite realize they had.

Story: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Love at First Sight: Home Collection, # 4

Written by: Cardeno C.
Narrated by: Alexander Collins
Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins

LISTEN TO AN AUDIO CLIP

The moment naïve, optimistic Jonathan Doyle glimpses a gorgeous blue-eyed stranger from afar, he believes in love at first sight. Unfortunately, he loses sight of the man before they meet and then spends years desperately trying to find him. Just as he is about to give up, Jonathan gets a break and finally encounters David Miller face to face.

Successful, confident David turns Jonathan’s previously lonely life into a fairy tale, giving him more than he ever imagined. But the years spent searching were hard on Jonathan, and he’s terrified his young son and scandalous past will destroy his blossoming relationship. For David and Jonathan to build a future together, they’ll both have to dig deep: David for the courage to share himself in a way he’s never considered and Jonathan for the strength to tell the truth.

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Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Smashwords

Once again, the Home Series by Cardeno C has found a way to capture my heart with another story about how life goes awry, but there is that one person who helps make it all better. Jonathan was such a sweet man who honestly wanted nothing more than to be loved. He didn’t have grand expectations of ruling the world. He wanted to be loved completely by the navy blue eyed man, from the moment he saw him. Surviving the intervening years was a challenge for him, one that is only slightly discussed in the book, until he meets back up with David in Emile City, holding back his secrets.

Meanwhile, David was living his life with short relationships where the most random things would cause a breakup, because he hadn’t found what he was looking for. When they finally found each other, they clicked. They just worked together, even having different lives and goals, they worked as a couple. Their focus was on each other, and of course Samuel, and quickly finding a life together.

Alexander Collins, as always, does a great job of narrating. Because so many of the books in this series I have only read through Alexander Collins’ narration, his voice is now synonymous to the Home Collection for me. I’m not sure I would read them again, because I have enjoyed his narration so much.

Story: 4 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 4 pieces of eye candy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever- after sunset.

Cardeno’s Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, “You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day.”

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Dare to Hope by TM Smith: Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

April 21, 2016 by Denise

Dare to Hope

an All Cocks Story book 4

Virtual book tour

Tristan is the second oldest of the Brennan brothers and the odd man out. Most of the Brennan men have careers in law enforcement, but as a psychiatrist, Tristan chooses to help people in a different way. Quiet and restrained, he is content to hover in the background of his more gregarious brothers. Then he meets two men, each broken and damaged from losses beyond their control.

Gabriel Simenson is mourning his lover’s death. The random act of violence that took Gio’s life has left everyone at All Cocks reeling. The only thing keeping Gabe from drowning in misery is the friendship he’s forged with Micah, the newest model at All Cocks. He continues to struggle, and at the urging of his All Cocks family Gabe agrees to counseling with Tristan under one condition: Micah t go with him.

Micah Solo can relate to unbearable loss, having lost his leg and so much more in Iraq. The past two years he has been alone, adrift and vulnerable — the memories of war haunting his dreams, spilling over into his daily life. At All Cocks, Micah has found the acceptance he craves and the family he lost, but still he yearns for happiness and peace within.

The friendship between the three is instant, the mutual attraction evident. They circle each other, wanting more, yet unsure if it is truly possible. Is life the mundane reality they’ve each come to accept for themselves or do they dare to hope?

The All Cocks Stories is a series set within the world of online gay porn.

*Warning* Micah’s PTSD is told in detail, including flashbacks to his time in Iraq.

Grab your copy now!

This story was so brilliant. I absolutely adored Tristan, Gabriel, and Micah. I thought TM Smith did a wonderful job creating this threesome. Unlike so many other MMM books that I have read she did a wonderful job balancing these three characters. She did a wonderful job of creating characters that drew you and made you feel what they felt. The story itself was very well done. Each characters story was told very well and the entire book flowed. This series keeps getting better and better and I cannot wait for more.

5 pieces of eye candy

“There you are.” Gabe bounded down the stairs, stopping and hugging Micah when he reached the step just above the one Micah stood on. “Tristan and I were waiting for you, thought you might like to go into the city with us for dinner.”

Micah’s first thought was to refuse, but the excited look in Gabe’s eyes made him rethink that. “All right, I guess, just let me go change first.”

It didn’t take him long to change and head back downstairs, finding Gabe and Tristan waiting on the porch for him. Just before he walked out the kitchen door, he heard Gabe talking quietly to Tristan. “I think getting out will do him some good; he rarely leaves the house and that can’t be good for his mood.”

Micah froze with his hand on the door knob. Of course his gut reaction was to deny every word Gabe had just uttered, to tell the man to fuck off and ask why the hell the two of them were talking about him. How dare they feel fucking sorry for him! Closing his eyes and taking a few deep, calming breaths, Micah shook off the need to rush to anger, telling that devil on his shoulder that Gabe and Tristan were his friends, only concerned about his well-being.

He jerked the door open a little harder than he probably should have, stepping out on the porch and letting the screen door slam shut behind him. The loud bang didn’t affect Micah the same when he was causing the noise as it did when he didn’t know the sound was coming. Gabe and Tristan both jumped to their feet. “Fuck a duck, Micah!” Gabe shouted. “You trying to give a guy a heart attack?”

Read the other books in the All Cocks Series…

Gay for Pay – Book 1

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Fame and Fortune – Book 2

How to Deal – Book 3

All Cocks Series Box Set

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A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia;
TM Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. A Texas transplant, she now
calls DFW her home. Most days she can be found curled up with a good book, or
ticking away on her next novel.

Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and
decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her writing, she is
passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights. Because, seriously people,
Love is Love!

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Selfie by Amy Lane : Blog tour, Review and Giveaway

April 19, 2016 by Denise

One year ago, actor Connor Montgomery lost the love of his life to a drunk driver. But what’s worse for Connor is what he still has: a lifetime of secrets born of hiding his relationship from the glare of Hollywood. Unable to let go of the world he and Vinnie shared, Connor films a drunken YouTube confession on the anniversary of Vinnie’s death.

Thankfully, the video was silent—a familiar state for Connor—so his secret is still safe. He needs a fresh start, and a new role on the hit TV show Wolf’s Landing might be just that.

The move to Bluewater Bay may also mean a second chance in the form of his studio-assigned assistant. Noah Dakers sees through Connor’s facades more quickly than Connor could imagine. Noah’s quiet strength and sarcastic companionship offers Connor a chance at love that Hollywood’s closet has never allowed. But to accept it, Connor must let Vinnie go and learn to live again.

**For the Selfie blog tour, Amy Lane has written a few monologues from Vinnie’s video blog, set prior to the crash that takes his life. These monologues, performed by Nick J. Russo of Dark Night Sound, correspond to scenes or memories referenced by Connor in Selfie, giving you a unique look at this off-screen character.

Please visit http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/selfie and select the extras tab for all six monologues, which will be updated there as they are published.

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Riptide Publishing

I never know what to expect from an Amy Lane book. Sometimes I walk away with just a general feeling of happiness and joy, other times, I’ve used an entire box of tissues, and still want to curl up in a ball on the couch. Selfie was somewhere in between. Connor and Noah put the pieces of my heart back together again, after my heart felt so sad from Connor’s grief over losing Vinnie.

Noah, clearly one of the most patient and loving man ever, was willing to wait for Connor to finish grieving, and even was willing to take a backseat to Vinnie’s ghost. What kind of man could be so selfless, and put himself out there for that kind of potential heartache? Yet, he did, and he was supportive of Connor, no matter what happened.

It seemed that Connor’s biggest issue was not necessarily his grief of Vinnie, but not being able to express his grief to anyone but his agent. Not Vinnie’s family, not the world that saw the movie star, even initially not to Noah. That allowed his grieving process to not even begin until the anniversary of Vinnie’s death, when he began to blow it all out of the water.

And let’s not forget Vinnie’s “ghost”, who we find out was not the saint that he originally is seen as. Vinnie was a fairly selfish man, who loved a man who was willing to give up everything to have a chance at their happiness. His ghost was a bit selfish as well. But in the end, he goes away quietly, after a difficult goodbye with Connor.

My heart broke for Connor having to go through all this, and for Noah who had to watch from the sidelines, and could only be supportive. But thank goodness it’s an Amy Lane novel, so there is an HEA!!!

There were a couple loose ends I would have loved to see tied up a little more neatly, but in real life, those likely would not have been tied up anyway, so sometimes you have to let things go.

Definitely recommend. And I would like to re-read this, from the point of view of knowing Vinnie and his ways. I wonder if my read will be a different feeling…

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Amy Lane exists happily with her noisy family in a crumbling suburban crapmansion, and equally happily with the surprisingly demanding voices who live in her head.

She loves cats, movies, yarn, pretty colors, pretty men, shiny things, and Twu Wuv, and despises house cleaning, low fat granola bars, and vainglorious prickweenies.

She can be found at her computer, dodging housework, or simultaneously reading, watching television, and knitting, because she likes to freak people out by proving it can be done.

Connect with Amy:

Website: com
Blog: blogspot.com
Twitter: @amymaclane
Facebook group: Amy Lane Anonymous
Goodreads: com/amymaclane

About Nick J. Russo

Nick J. Russo has been a professional performer for over a decade, but has been voicing audio books for the past few years. He has voiced several titles throughout the romance, sci-fi, supernatural, and thriller genres, and has recently started his very own sound studio; Dark Night Sound. On top of voice acting, Russo manages Dark Night Sound with his fiance and works with a staff of four up and coming narrators. In his free time, Russo is a drummer in a pop/rock cover band, loves to travel, and dreams of one day being able to voice a role in an animated comedy series.

To celebrate the release of Selfie, one lucky person will receive e-copies of Amy’s entire backlist with Riptide, and an Amy Lane t-shirt. Leave a comment to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 23, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Imperfect Harmony by Jay Northcote : Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

April 15, 2016 by Denise

Imperfect harmony can still be beautiful…

John Fletcher, a former musician, is stuck in limbo after losing his long-term partner two years ago. He’s shut himself off from everything that reminds him of what he’s lost. When his neighbour persuades him to join the local community choir, John rediscovers his love of music and finds a reason to start living again.

Rhys Callington, the talented and charismatic choir leader, captures John’s attention from the first moment they meet. He appears to be the polar opposite of John: young, vibrant, and full of life. But Rhys has darkness in his own past that is holding him back from following his dreams.

Despite the nineteen-year age gap, the two men grow close and a fragile relationship blossoms. Ghosts of the past and insecurities about the future threaten their newfound happiness. If they’re going to harmonise in life and love as they do in their music, they’ll need to start following the same score.

Author Name: Jay Northcote

Book Name: Imperfect Harmony

Release Date: April 15, 2016

Pages or Words: 66,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Jaybird Press

Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh

Luckily there were still some parking spaces outside the church hall where Maggie’s choir met. John made sure they arrived a little early so Maggie wouldn’t have to walk too far. She was managing well on one crutch, but she still tired easily. After he parked, he got out and hurried around to help her out of the passenger door.

“Thanks, love,” she said, patting him on the arm. “I can manage now.”

A vicious gust of wind whipped a strand of hair into her face. It was dark, still sleeting, and probably slippery underfoot. There was no way John was going to leave until she was safely indoors. “I’ll just see you inside. Let me take your bag.”

Maggie let him have it without argument, and he popped it over his arm. He hovered close to Maggie as she made her way slowly to the double doors. He held one open for her and was hit by a blast of warm air. Then he accompanied her inside as she crutched along the corridor towards an open door. Yellow light flooded out, and the sound of a tenor voice singing “I Can See Clearly Now” raised the hairs on the back of John’s neck with its pure, clear beauty.

“I thought you said the emphasis was on fun rather than perfection?” he said quietly. “He’s got quite a voice.”

“That’ll be Rhys, our choir leader,” Maggie said with a smile. “Come and meet him, even if you’re not staying.”

Maggie paused when she reached the doorway and put a finger to her lips. They listened and waited for Rhys to finish singing. John peered over Maggie’s shoulder, hoping for a glimpse of the man the voice belonged to. Rhys, John presumed, was alone in the room. With his back to the door, he stood at a table pushed to the edge of the room, shuffling through some papers as he sang. All John could see of him was that he was small and slight, and quite young, based on the cut of his clothes. A hood covered his hair.

When he finished, Maggie started clapping.

Rhys wheeled around. “Oh my God! You made me jump.” He pushed his hood down and his face lit up as he beamed. “Maggie. How are you?”

John’s eyes widened as he took in Rhys’s front view as he approached Maggie and gave her a careful hug. His hair, which was shaved at the back and sides, was long on top and dyed peacock blue. His eyebrow was pierced, his arms were covered with tattoos, and the front of his T-shirt was emblazoned with a glittery equals sign in rainbow colours. All in all, he was at least twenty years younger than John had expected and completely unlike how John would have imagined a choir leader to look. In this dingy church hall in their small market town, Rhys looked like a bird of paradise that had accidentally ended up in a cage full of sparrows.

Being a music lover and a fan of Jay Northcote, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Imperfect Harmony. Of course, the icing on the cake was that this is a May/December story, which I also love.

Unfortunately, I was left trying to figure out how I feel about the book. The pacing felt off from what I’ve gotten used to with Jay’s books. The first third of the book felt like too much detail about the music and not enough about John and Rhys. Then, they got together, but that almost felt too easy because I didn’t have a clear picture of what they’d experienced in the past and how that shaped their present. When the book ended, I was happy to see them together, but I still wished there was a clearer picture of why they were going to work.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

Where to find the author:

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Happily Ever Chapter, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie,

Oh My Shelves, Gay Book Reviews, Man2ManTastic, Andrew Q. Gordon, QUEERcentric Books,

The Hat Party, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Unquietly Me, Bookaholic Confessions,

Full Moon Dreaming, Molly Lolly, Alpha Book Club, My Fiction Nook, Dawn’s Reading Nook,

Velvet Panic, Attention Is Arbitrary, Open Skye Book Reviews, V’s Reads, Multitasking Mommas,

Louise Lyons, Kirsty Loves Books, MM Good Book Reviews, Foxylutely Book Reviews,

Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Inked Rainbow Reads, Outrageous Heroes,

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Three Books Over The Rainbow

Win a title from Jay’s backlist, just by leaving a comment here. What appeals to you about this book? 🙂

Knit Tight by Annabeth Albert : Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

April 12, 2016 by Denise

It’s no secret that Portland, Oregon, has some of best restaurants, shops, and cafés in the country. But it’s the hard-working men who serve it all up that keep us coming back for more…

One of Portland’s hottest young baristas, Brady is famous for his java-topping flair, turning a regular cup of joe into a work of art. Every Wednesday—aka “Knit Night”—hordes of women and their needles descend on the coffeehouse, and Brady’s feeling the heat. Into the fray walks a tall, dark, and distractingly handsome stranger from New York. His name is Evren, and he’s the sexy nephew of Brady’s sweetest customer, the owner of the yarn shop down the street. He’s also got a killer smile, confident air, and masculine charm that’s tying Brady’s stomach in knots. The smitten barista can’t wait to see him at the next week’s gathering. But when he tries to ask Evren out, his plans unravel faster than an unfinished edge. If Brady hopes to warm up more than Evren’s coffee, he’ll have to find a way to untangle their feelings, get out of the friend zone, and form a close-knit bond that’s bound to last a lifetime…

Author Name: Annabeth Albert

Book Name: Knit Tight

Series: #PortlandHeat

Book: Four

This, and all the books of the series, can be read as a standalone as each features a new couple.

Release Date: April 12, 2016

Pages or Words: 43,000

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Kensington

Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

“Why? Am I turning you on?” My hand wandered over my fly. Not stroking, just firm pressure. We’d danced past sexy talk, far out of the friend zone, now meandering into something dark and heady. I pressed hard against my aching erection as I waited to see how far Ev would let himself go.

“Perhaps. I told you some things, now you tell me. What is your favorite thing?”

“Uh. The long, slow grinding ending in oral that you just described sounds amazing and hits a lot of my buttons. For the record, I’m totally good with…mess. And I like giving oral. Love getting my throat fucked. Being pinned down while grinding or getting my throat fucked, that gets me going.”

Ev was silent a long moment. Perhaps I’d pushed him too far. “Tell me about this throat fucking. How do you like it?”

Aw yes. I’d never had phone sex, but I had a feeling we were about to head in that direction. “Where are you right now?”

“In my bed. With a closed door. Are you going to ask me what I’m wearing next?”

“Knitted underwear?” I laughed as I headed for the bathroom—the one room with a lock. My usual jerk-off method was a locked door and a longer-than-necessary shower.

“Sorry to disappoint. Pajama bottoms. I worry Hala Mira could need me in the night.”

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize to me. I share a room with a ten-year-old. I’m going to the bathroom now, though. And locking the door.”

“You require a locked door to tell me about giving head?”

“I require a locked door, a quiet house, and about three hours to show you,” I countered. “Fuck, Ev. I want you to wear me out.”

“Oh, I could. Do not doubt that, Brady. You want me to wear your throat out? Use you so much you need me to feed you some gelato after?”

“Fuck yes,” I whispered. “I’d like it if you were on the bed or in a chair and I were kneeling in front of you. Or you were standing in front of me. Me on my knees is the key thing.”

“You ever try with your head over the edge of the mattress? It happens that this bed is the perfect height for that…”

“Oh yes. Tell me more. I want to jerk off while you fuck my throat like that.”

“Ah. But I don’t want that. Perhaps we will need to find other occupation for your hands.”

Oh man. Ev knew how to turn my crank big-time. “I’m good with having my hands tied.”

I could tell from his inhalation that it worked for him, too. “How flexible are you?”

“Bendier than I look. I had to do yoga stretching exercises to rehab a skateboarding injury. Turns out I dig it.”

“Nice. Very nice. I like your mouth very, very much.”

“Like the beard? Because if you want my mouth more…exposed, I can work with that. Beard is pure Northwest laziness on my part.”

“The beard is…part of the appeal. Your mouth is very full and your beard always seems like it’s…teasing. I think I want your hair down, though, yes?”

“Go for it.” Getting into it, I pulled my hair free of the ponytail, let it flop against my shoulders. Spit gathered in my mouth like I really was about to get a go at Ev’s cock. Fuck. Just the thought had me throbbing. I unzipped to get a little more breathing room. “I want to—”

Knock. Knock. Knock. “Brady, are you in there? I don’t feel so good,” Jonas called through the door.

Fuck. I kept my curse to myself. “Just a minute, buddy,” I called.

“You need to go?” Ev said in my ear. “I understand.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

“Another time, Brady, another time.”

Even if he just meant the phone-sex version of the fantasy, part of me thrilled to his words. And I was pulling hard for the in-person

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Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.

Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency

Where to find the author:

https://www.facebook.com/annabethalbert

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

Twitter: www.twitter.com/AnnabethAlbert

Tumblr: www.annabethalbert.tumblr.com

Fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/annabethsangels/

NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/Nb9yv

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Divine Magazine, Full Moon Dreaming,

Oh My Shelves, Posy Roberts, Book Lovers 4Ever, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

BFD Book Blog, The Hat Party, Decadent Delights, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy,

Alpha Book Club, Bayou Book Junkie, Unquietly Me, My Fiction Nook, Happily Ever Chapter,

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, A.M. Leibowitz, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings,

MM Good Book Reviews, Molly Lolly, Gay Media Reviews, Kirsty Loves Books, Havan Fellows,

Dawn’s Reading Nook, Man2ManTastic, Mikky’s World of Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words,

Multitasking Mommas, 3 Chicks After Dark, Rednecks and Romance, Velvet Panic

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Undercover Lovers by RJ Scott: Book Blast, Excerpt and Giveaway

April 8, 2016 by Denise

Title: Undercover Lovers

Series: Bodyguards, Inc. #4

Author: R.J. Scott

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 31, 2015

Even if Ross and Kyle make it out of this alive, will the secrets in Kyle’s heart stay safe?
Kyle gets caught up in a case that is entirely unrelated to Bodyguards Inc. Not only does he abruptly need time off, but he has to have absolute trust and complete support from Ross without being able to tell Ross a thing.CIA Agent Stefan Mortimer needs Kyle’s help with a case of a geneticist and a missing formula. Trouble is being led right to Kyle’s door, endangering the life of the team he has built and the man that he loves.Going undercover, with Ross as his husband, is the worst kind of torture in so many ways, but it is the only answer. Kyle and Ross may well live through this but Kyle is convinced his heart won’t survive.

“…Sensual and sexy, RJ Scott delivers another winner in the Bodyguards Inc. series. Undercover Lovers hit the mark…”

“Sensual and sexy, RJ Scott delivers another winner in the Bodyguards Inc. Series. Undercover Lovers hit the mark.” ~Evelise from S.E.X. Reviews

“This is easily my favourite book of the series so far. We have waited for Ross and Kyle’s story and in all honesty that wait was more than worth it!” ~Prism Book Alliance

Chapter 1

As soon as Max left the room, Kyle reached for the phone. He hesitated, with his fingers an inch from the handset, and listened to its beep indicating a call waiting.

Stefan Mortimer was at the other end of the call. That was a name Kyle hadn’t expected to hear again for a very long time, and the fact the man had contacted Kyle didn’t bode well. Especially considering Kyle thought, his and Stefan’s association had been put to bed a long time ago. A twinge of guilt accompanied the memories. He’d been the one told to leave, he was the one who’d had no choice but to go, but leaving Stefan behind had never sat well with him.

A combination of anxiety and fear fluttered in his chest as he picked up the handset and pressed the button to connect.

Only to be offered a line that was dead.

“Stefan?” Kyle said to the empty air. For a second he held the receiver to his ear, then, very deliberately, replaced the handset in the cradle. Kyle rested his head on his hands, scrubbing his face to clear the tension. When the door opened, he knew it was Ross. He always knew when it was Ross.

“He got cut off,” Ross announced.

Kyle nodded. “So I see.”

Ross sat down in the visitor’s chair directly opposite. “Is he a new client? Should I start a file for him?”

“No, an old….” How could he describe Stefan? Ex-lover, partner, old friend? “Someone I knew.”

Ross eased forward in his chair, his gray eyes bright with interest. “Knew? Like you used your experience as a spy to know?” he asked in his usual inquisitive tone.

“From before,” Kyle said. He was deliberately vague. As he was every time anyone at Bodyguards Inc. skirted near what Kyle used to do for a living. Ross loved to tease that Kyle had been CIA black ops. To be honest, Ross wasn’t that far from the truth—but that had been a long time ago now.

Ross frowned but didn’t keep it up.

“So, Max, then,” Kyle said. Changing the subject was probably the way to go. He couldn’t believe he’d just had Max in here telling him that he and Prince Lucien were an item. How the hell could the same thing happen to Bodyguards Inc. again after Ben and Adam had both fallen for their charges? “He crossed the line.”

“Seems like it’s getting to be a habit around here. First Adam, then Ben, and now Max. And I hear Lorna has a new boyfriend from her last case. Next it will be you.” Ross looked down at the iPad in his lap. “Or me,” he added.

The words were a knife through Kyle’s heart. Imagining Ross with anyone other than him was something guaranteed to put him in a bad mood. “Don’t have time for that,” he lied. If Ross took even one second to notice his boss as anything other than his boss, then Kyle would make time. But that was as likely as a snowy day in hell.

Ross chuckled. Like that was a joke. Like Kyle didn’t mean every syllable of it.

“Anyway,” Ross continued. “Max seems happy, and his prince is a hundred times cute. Did you see Lucien’s eyes? I’ve never seen eyes that dark before, and his hair. Can you imagine burying your fingers in hair like that? And he’s a prince.” Ross threw up a hand and smirked as he did so.

There was that stabbing again. Jealousy for real. Kyle didn’t have to analyze what he was feeling. Ross was talking about how sexy another man was, and abruptly, Kyle was in a headspace that screamed possessiveness. The idea of Ross finding himself a guy like Prince Lucien? Someone who pressed all his buttons? Someone Ross could fall in love with? That was enough to have the anxiety of Stefan’s phone call twist into something much worse. Jealousy.

“I have a solution,” Ross announced. “We need to vet all our clients, and if there’s any hint they are gay and single, we don’t take them on. But, that wouldn’t work for Lorna—she’s straight, and she still met someone. Hmm, we should relabel ourselves. This could be a good marketing thing.”

“Ross—”

Ross ignored the warning in Kyle’s single word and instead drew an imaginary banner in the air in front of him. “Hire a bodyguard: meet the man for the rest of your life.”

Now it was Kyle’s turn to ignore Ross. He had too much on his mind to find Ross as sexy and cute as he normally did; he had to focus. “Take a note. We’ll need to do some research and dig up a couple of new bodyguards,” Kyle said. He needed to concentrate on the company—on BI—and making sure what he had built was stable and secure.

“Take a note?” Ross muttered as he thumbed through his iPad. “Who even does that kind of thing?” Then he stopped at a page on the screen. “So yes, that is what I wanted to talk about. We have two new applicants you need to meet up with and do the usual due diligence. One is ex-MI5.” Ross raised an eyebrow at that and turned the screen so that Kyle could see the face that went with the application. “Look at Mr. Tall, Dark and Ripped,” he said.

“Ross, Jesus…”

Ross coughed to hide a laugh. “In summary, we are mostly down to the wire. I’ve turned down that reality show we worked on last year. And—” Ross sighed. “—Michael’s wife called in. He’s broken his leg.”

“Broke his leg how?”

“Skateboarding.”

“What the hell?”

Ross shrugged. “Maureen said he was teaching his nephew how to—” Ross peered at the screen. “—air and backside, whatever that means.”

Kyle sat back in his chair. He’d need to do the usual. ‘The usual’ was flowers, or chocolates, or whiskey, or something useful, along with a personal note from him and the reassurance that the operative would still be paid enough to keep going. All the operatives at BI were self-employed, but Kyle considered himself a good boss, and he had the finances to back up any support needed. “I’ll write something up.”

“Well, hang on. Listen to this before you decide. Michael then called in, straight after his wife. Turns out he can’t stand the idea of being at home. Apparently all four grandkids are staying for the summer holidays, and he’s desperate to get out, so he’s coming into the office.”

“You’re okay with that?” Kyle asked. Ross hated people interfering with his systems, and his stationery.

“Yeah, Michael’s okay. I’ll give him rules, and he’ll stick with it. He’s not like Adam.”

Kyle was too stressed to listen to another of Ross’s reasons why Adam was a wanker, as Ross so succinctly put it. Nor did he want to hear further elaboration as to the most recent place Adam had put Ross’s stapler. He resolved to change the subject, but he didn’t need to when the phone rang again. Before Kyle could reach it, Ross leaned over and picked it up.

“BI, how can I help?” There was silence, and Ross cast a glance at Kyle. “I’ll just pass you over.” He gave the handset to Kyle. “Stefan Mortimer.”

Without being asked, Ross left the room and pulled the door shut behind him, and abruptly Kyle had no excuse not to talk to Stefan.

“What’s wrong?” he said, cutting to the chase. There was no need to use his name. Stefan and he had been closer than lovers for three years, and they knew each other like no one else ever could. Under fire, behind enemy lines, undercover—they’d done it all.

“Thank fuck,” Stefan said. His voice was shaky, or was that the phone line? “I’m in the hospital,” he added. Then he coughed, as if his body wanted to underline such a defining statement.

Kyle and Stefan had done their time in hospital beds, and both had the scars to prove it, but why was that something Stefan needed to break protocol to announce? Something awful, earth-shattering… something important.

“Talk to me,” Kyle demanded without elaboration.

“K, Jason is dead. I fucking killed him.”

Stefan’s partner was dead? “Shit, Stefan—”

“I sent you it all. It’s been a week, fucking hope it gets there. I need your help.”

Kyle quickly went through the list of possible delivery options in his head. There was no email from Stefan, no voice message, nothing on the boards—which left the one thing that could work: good old-fashioned snail mail. Sent as something that may not make sense to anyone else. A standard spook-type thing.

“Okay.” He didn’t have to say anything else. If Stefan was contacting him after all this time, if Stefan needed his help, if Stefan was in trouble…. “I’ll look for it.”

“K?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks.”

Then the phone was dead. Kyle realized he had been gripping the handset so hard that his fingers were numb. He uncurled his grip and replaced the handset in the cradle, then pressed the intercom. “Ross, can I get the mail?”

“You’ve had it.”

“I need the other mail.”

Ross didn’t argue. “On it.”

Company protocol was to have what Ross called “other mail” stored for a few months. Ross never argued with why Kyle needed to look through it every so often. He probably put it down to his boss being an eccentric American. Just like he did with most of the other things Kyle did that Ross called weird.

A couple of minutes later Ross backed into the room. In his arms was the recycling box. He placed it in the center of the table and then left. He didn’t ask why Kyle wanted it in his office.

Methodically, Kyle worked his way through rejected CVs, some marketing letters, even a pile of pizza menus. Although how junk mail had made it up the driveway in the middle of nowhere to the manor house, he didn’t know.

Right near the bottom, in familiar writing with a Los Angeles stamp, was what he was looking for. A letter from a marketing company talking about search engine optimization. There, in a flimsy business card, was a tiny chip. Sometimes the old ways were the best ways.

Kyle stood and locked the office door as quietly as he could, then crossed to the wall safe and opened it. Pulling out the chip reader, left over from a much earlier time in his life, he inserted the chip and waited for it to read. Wiring it to the printer was a little more problematic, but finally he managed it, and before too long he had a sheaf of printed information. His blood ran cold at page one, and by page ten he realized what he had agreed to would be something a little more involved than “just helping out.” He pulled out his Glock and the cartridges, putting it into the top drawer of his desk, then locked the chip and the reader into the safe. He retook his seat to reread what had printed.

Grasping the papers in his hand, he unlocked his office door.

“Do we have anyone not booked out?”

Ross looked up from his desk, a frown on his expression and black ink on his cheek. The same black ink spread over his desk, and he looked flustered. “Fucking ink cartridge exploded on me,” he said.

“Do we have anyone free?”

Ross blinked at Kyle as if he couldn’t believe Kyle wasn’t taking the ink situation seriously. “No,” he said. “I told you, we’re backs to the wall at the moment. Unless you want to push up interviews for new operatives.”

“Fuck.” Kyle cursed and thought on his feet. Not even Jen was here at the moment. His sister and her husband were on a second-honeymoon, trying-for-a-baby thing that had her out of touch for a month of love on a beach.

Timing sucks.

Kyle thought on his feet. He had no choice. It was Ross or nothing. “Okay, get Michael in here.”

Ross sighed visibly, then wiggled his fingers in front of him. “Ink,” he explained. Then added, “Michael’s coming in tomorrow—”

“Jesus Christ, Ross! Just get Michael here today.”

Kyle went back into his office and shut the door. He hoped to hell that Ross would do his regular thing and just get on with it, that he wouldn’t come in and start asking questions.

The cover was simple—a couple on honeymoon. He’d done it before. But this case was different. This time he needed to blend in, in a very different way. This time he was a newly married man, and he needed a bride. Or a groom. Someone who would be his backup in an extremely toxic situation.

It could only be Ross.

Ross wasn’t just his PA. He wasn’t quite as well trained as the bodyguards on BI’s books; he just found his peace in paperwork and running BI alongside Kyle. But he knew how to handle himself.

Not with guns. Not with the CIA. Not with this. It’s too much. He argued with himself. Ross will be okay.

Then it hit him. What would he do if he had to spend time with Ross away from the office? How many of the secrets he held inside would come out? But there needed to be more than just Kyle himself on this; he needed someone else. And that someone else would have to be Ross, which was where the problems began. Ross wasn’t interested in Kyle; Ross didn’t want anything of what Kyle could give him.

Ross didn’t know Kyle was in love with him. Wanted him. Had wanted him since the first day they met.

Ross didn’t know that Kyle had tried and failed to find someone who actually looked back at him with anything like affection.

So how could he ask Ross to do what needed to be done?

He turned the sheets of paper one at a time and made notes on a pad, not looking up when Ross came into the office and took his regular seat.

“Michael’s coming in,” Ross announced.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry I shouted.”

Ross shrugged one shoulder. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

“I need to take a case.”

“What case?” Ross asked. He sounded confused, and Kyle wanted to explain, but he couldn’t look up at Ross, let alone make words that explained what the hell was going on. “You don’t take on cases. What happened?”

“There’s something I have to do.”

“Is it a something that is connected to Stefan Mortimer? You looked really shocked to hear his name.”

Kyle glanced up at the question. Ross’s gray eyes looked troubled. “What I can tell you is that this is a job for the two of us, me and you.” He held up a hand to stop Ross talking. “I need you to back me up on this. For a week, maybe ten days tops, we need to go undercover.”

“I don’t know how… I mean… I’m not….” Ross began. Then he sighed. “I don’t understand.”

“All I can tell you is that we’re needed, and this is a matter of national security.”

Ross’s eyes widened. “Like James Bond-type national security?”

“Not as dramatic as that. We need to get to a place called Stratton Bridge, and I’m sorry, but we have to leave today.”

“What about my clothes? My laptop?”

“You can go home, get some clothes, take a laptop to stay connected to the office. When we get there, though, you will have a cover.”

“Wait. Is this a bodyguard job? You’re looking out for someone and you need me there to run the information side?”

“No, yes, and no.” Kyle sighed. “You have to trust me on this when I say it’s important, but I need something more than information.”

Ross sat forward in his chair and looked deadly serious. “I do trust you, Kyle. You know that.”

“Then all I can say is we’re going undercover, both of us. I’ll be with you every inch of the way.”

Ross smiled and pushed his hair back off his face, leaving a streak of black on his forehead; evidently, he hadn’t managed to wash off all the ink. “Undercover. Cool. What as? I could be a doctor or a teacher. Probably more a teacher, I guess. Not sure I’d be able to handle—”

“My husband,” Kyle broke in. “The room we have, it’s more of a suite.” He recalled the information Stefan had given him: the block booking of the only available room, which had just been renovated. “We need to be on our honeymoon. Trust me, it’s the best cover.”

Ross’s lips were in a round O, surprise on his face. “We’re acting—” He coughed to clear his throat. “—married?”

Kyle focused in on the streak of black, trying not to let any emotion show on his face. “They only have the one room, just open after renovation, the honeymoon suite. I need your decision now.”

While he waited tensely for Ross’s reply, Kyle considered. He could go on his own, and when asked where his husband was, he could easily pretend he was getting divorced from his pretend husband. But why would he still need a honeymoon suite? He’d nearly talked himself into that one when Ross looked at him directly.

“Okay.”

So many emotions passed over Ross’s face that Kyle couldn’t identify them all. He saw confusion, excitement, disappointment, the whole gamut of emotions. Then he saw Ross pull himself straight, and the smile returned. “We need a magnificent back story,” Ross said. And with that he’d agreed to play his part, and his and Kyle’s cover story was in place. “I’ll get some stuff. Give me thirty.”

Ross left, and Kyle listened for the distinctive growl of Ross’s black and red motorbike. He couldn’t help himself; he looked out of his window to the parking area below and saw Ross astride the beast of a machine that allowed him to zip around the country roads here.

“You’ll kill yourself, Ross,” he’d said when Ross had pulled up a few months ago as proud as a mom with a new baby.

“This, old man, is a Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, and it’s not dangerous, it’s fun.”

Ross reminded Kyle far too often that there were ten years separating them, but being thirty-five, Kyle didn’t feel like an old man. He just preferred his Jaguar to the danger of the open road in nothing more than leather and a helmet.

“Says the man who moaned all last Friday that he had a paper cut.”

And now, there he was. He’d pulled on his leathers, and fuck, he looked like sex on legs. That gorgeous ass in leather, a black biker’s jacket hugging his slim figure. So different to the patient, organized, stapler-loving Ross that Kyle had in his head. This Ross, the one on the bike, was wild and sexy and asking to be—

Kyle had to stop himself, and he cursed Stefan for dropping him in the shit from a great height. He and Ross, in a honeymoon suite, for a week—maybe more—and with Ross wanting a magnificent backstory when Kyle couldn’t imagine what this case was going to bring him.

Espionage, agents, attempted murder, a favor to a friend thousands of miles away, and a new line in environmental disaster. Not to mention being undercover as married: with the man he was head over heels in love with in real life.

Just how wrong could this possibly go?

RJ Scott has been writing since age six when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies and was told to write a story. Two sides of A4 about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born. She reads anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror; however, her first real love will always be the world of romance. From billionaires, bodyguards and cowboys to SEALs, throwaways and veterinarians, she writes passionate stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and more than a hint of happily ever after.

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