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Catching His Fall (Mesa Boys Book 1) by Christie Gordon: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

by

Max has a plan. Tanner doesn’t do plans. Plan or not, they’re better off together.

Max Thompson has a few problems. He’s spending too much time at the skatepark watching a mysterious, unattainable young man he refers to as skater boy. Meanwhile, his college fund is running dry in his senior year at Arizona State University and it’s time to find a roommate to help with expenses. Hopefully one that’s not too weird this time. He’s spent his college years staying away from love to focus on school, but he can’t get skater boy out of his head.

Tanner Donahue is a hardworking assistant manager at a grocery store, who likes to skateboard and play guitar in a cover band in his spare time. But Tanner has his own problems. The first being the fact that he hooked up with and fell for his roommate and coworker, who has decided a relationship with a guy is not what he wants. It’s time for Tanner to find a new place to live and learn from his mistake.

When Tanner shows up on Max’s doorstep with his guinea pig, Stan, hoping to rent the room Max has available, Max jumps at the chance. Max soon realizes he’s going to have to walk a fine line if he’s going to make Tanner his own while living together. It doesn’t help that Tanner’s old roommate wants him back, and Tanner’s family situation is complicated at best. As truths are revealed and problems pile up, can Max and Tanner navigate what’s thrown at them to come out together?

Catching His Fall is a roommates to lovers, opposites attract romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a determined college student and a bad boy skater with a heart of gold who only wants to please. This is book one in the Mesa Boys series. Each book features a different couple.

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Max stood in the doorway, fixated on skater boy. No. Tanner. Skater boy had a name. And good God, he had the most stunning hazel eyes. And holy shit he was even hotter up close. His cock pulsed. Even my dick is happy to see him. Even? His heart thumped in his ears. He needed to say something. What the hell was he supposed to say? The roommate Gods were shining bright on him today. Oh, holy fucking hell fuck. He had to make him live here. He just had to.

“Uh, hi?” Tanner waved.

Oh, my God, that’s so cute. Max cleared his throat, then swallowed, struggling to find his voice. “Hi.” Pull it together. He’s going to think you’re weird. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Come on in. I’m uh, Max.” He stepped to the side. What could he say to sell the place? He had to lay it on thick.

Tanner walked inside, over the gray, wood laminate floor, and scanned the main room, nodding his head. “Pretty nice place you got here.” He pointed to the couch. “You uh, buy your furniture at IKEA?” He lifted the edge of his mouth.

“Yeah, pretty much everything in here is from there.” Max bit his lip. “B-but I got the good stuff, not the real cheap stuff. Didn’t want it falling apart on me.” He offered a quick laugh. He sounded like an idiot. “D-do you have your own furniture you want to use? I’m cool with that, too, we can move stuff around.” His gaze fell to the tight black jeans hugging Tanner’s perfectly round ass under a gray, long-sleeve t-shirt. Even that was better up close.

“I was going to leave my stuff for my old roommate. I got it all at Goodwill.” Tanner stopped and faced him with a sly grin. “I love IKEA actually. All my bedroom furniture is from there.”

Max rubbed his palms on his thighs. How did they get so sweaty all of a sudden? “Oh, good.” He stalked behind him, fixating on the wide shoulders and down to the way his tight ass swayed in his skinny jeans. “S-So, your bedroom is, is right in here.” He sauntered past Tanner to the extra bedroom and turned on the dome light in the ceiling. “I mean, if you want to, to move in with, with me.” He needed to quit stammering. The guy would think he had a speech problem or something. He drew a deep breath.

As Tanner strolled in the room, his shoulder brushed Max’s chest.

Max’s breath caught and his heart stuttered. If Tanner moved in, how was he going to handle it? He’d have to find a way to settle down. This was too intense. “Uh, so you’ll have this room and we’ll be sharing a bathroom.” He swallowed hard. His mouth was dry. He needed water or maybe a beer would be better? “I hope that’s okay?”

Tanner turned inside the bedroom, perusing the black and white desk and laptop with two large monitors resting against one wall. “So, you’re using the room now, or did you have another roommate who’s in the process of moving out?”

“Oh, I was going to use this room for my online classes and studying. I didn’t have a roommate this year.” Max chuckled. “I haven’t had very good luck with roommates, well, except for Josh, but he has a place, and he doesn’t want to move again or be far from campus.” Shut up, you moron. He huffed. “Do you want a beer or something? ‘Cause I could really use one.” He pursed his lips. What was Tanner thinking about all this?

Tanner’s gaze found his and he spread a wide smile over his mouth. “A beer sounds awesome, man.”

“Okay.” Max headed for the kitchen, stubbing the toe of his sneaker on the edge of the gray rug under the coffee table, then stumbled and righted himself. “Fuck.”

“You okay?” Tanner called out.

Christie Gordon started writing gay and M/M romance fiction after becoming preoccupied with anime and in particular, the boys love and yaoi genres. She’s always had stories in her head and always enjoyed writing, so she took up fiction writing classes at a local community college and published her first book with eXtasy Books back in 2009. Christie likes to write complicated characters with painful pasts that refuse to be ignored until the characters are forced to face them head on. Angst? Yes. Happily ever after? Always. It’s the struggle to get there that counts.

Christie’s day job is in the high-tech industry with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration. She currently lives in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area and enjoyed eight years in the Bay Area of California but grew up in Minnesota. She shares a home with her partner of twelve years, a musician by night and a coder by day, who is currently in three bands, giving her plenty of time to keep writing. She is also a mother of two sons, one currently in college for engineering and the other preparing for nursing college. Her one-eyed, rescue pug is always by her side, snoring the day away.

Connect with Christie:
Newsletter: https://christiegordon.com/newsletter/
Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/christiegordonauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/christiegordon
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChristieGordonAuthor
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Christie-Gordon/e/B002CLWVCA
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/christie-gordon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christiegordonauthor/
Website: https://www.christiegordon.com

To celebrate Christie’s new release, we are giving you the chance to win 1 of 3 eBooks of your choice from Christie’s backlist!

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All American Boys, Part 2: Blog Tour with Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

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Welcome to the All American Boy Series

Are you ready to set sail with these hot new boys from the All American Boy Series?

The All American Boy Series is proud to deliver 9 new MM romance books in the shared world experience you’ve come to know and love. All books are standalone novellas with some cross-over elements.

Join us for Gay Romances from Shane K. Morton, BL Maxwell, Kris Jacen, David Michael, Layla Dorine, Sierra Hill writing as K.C. Kassidy, Miski Harris, TL Travis, Elle Keaton

Week Two’s releases include:

Devin’s Boys by Layla Dorine releasing April 11th

Pretty Boy by Sierra Hill writing as K.C. Kassidy releasing April 12th

Boy Overboard by Miski Harris releasing April 13th

Summer Boy by TL Travis releasing April 14th

Not a Boy by Elle Keaton releasing April 15th

Devin’s Boys by Layla Dorine

Releasing April 11th

Coming home was supposed to be the end of something, until Mikal barreled into his life….and he wasn’t alone.

For Devin McKay, music has been his lover, his drug, and his best friend for as long as he can remember, but there was always something he denied himself while he pursued it. Now that his band has broken up and he’s returned to his hometown of Stoney Brook, he’s settled into a new, somewhat drunken routine, while he tries to get accustomed to this new phase in his life. The last thing he expected was an old friend to send a troubled young musician his way.

Mikal needs help, or rather, his best friend, Moon, needs help getting over the blinding bouts of stage fright that have been plaguing him for the last year. He’ll do anything to get to the root of Moon’s issues, even follow along with the unorthodox methods Devin prescribes for them. After all, Devin was a success in the industry, while Mikal and Moon have been struggling to get a foot in the door.

They aren’t the only ones struggling. Moon’s longtime friend with benefits, Derrick, spends most days rudderless and pretending to be okay. There are things he needs that Moon tries desperately to give him, but Moon has needs too. All their pieces have jagged edges, but with a little twisting and turning, and a lot of songs, they might discover a way they can all fit.

“Don’t put him down when he tried!” Mikal snapped. “Don’t be like everyone else. If you’re helping him just to cut him down, then we don’t need your help.”

The slow smile that crossed Devin’s face was one Mikal didn’t understand and wasn’t sure he particularly liked either. “You sure told me.”

“I mean it too,” Mikal growled, because now his head was reeling and he was confused.

“Of that, I have no doubt.”

Despite the way Mikal glared at him, Devin never looked away. He just calmly sipped his drink, chair back in that precariously reclined position as the occasional ice cube slid off the table and clattered on the floor. “He wasn’t alone in case you were interested. Looks like he may have found another crutch. Tall, blond, not a bad guitar player, smoldering fuck me eyes, jacked-up body with a hint of a swagger.”

Rolling his eyes, Mikal waved down the nearest waitress. “Sweet Old Fashioned please.”

She flashed him a small smile and a quick nod before hurrying away.

“You don’t seem surprised, and yet, I get the impression you’re pissed.”

“Because I am!” Mikal snapped. “Derrick is…”

“So that’s his name. Hmmm, I might have to introduce myself the next time.”

Throwing up his hands, Mikal grumbled the smattering of French curses he remembered from when his grandfather was alive.

“I believe the phrase should be Osti de tabarnak de sacrament, de câlice de ciboire de criss de marde,” Devin replied, quirking an eyebrow at him. “You kinda mangled the hell out of it.”

Mikal flipped him off without giving it any thought, which only prompted a chuckle from Devin, who seemed entirely too amused about the whole situation.

“Tell me something,” Devin asked, leveling a steady gaze at him. “Were the three of you ever a band?”

Snorting, Mikal shook his head. “Derrick plays country. Fuck that noise.”

“Is it noise because you don’t like country, don’t like Derrick, or a mix of both?”

Tracing his fingers over the smooth wood, Mikal struggled with that answer, because it was both easy, and complicated. The gist of it all was that for various reasons, he couldn’t have either of them the way he wanted them, and it grated on him that they could have each other in whatever way they chose. Was enough to make him rethink his position, just to know the feel of both of them wrapped around him.

“Wasn’t that hard of a question,” Devin quipped as Mikal’s drink was sat down on the table beside his hand.

“You’d be surprised.”

“Not likely.”

Grumbling, Mikal took a drink to avoid answering.

“I’m starting to get the impression that music has nothing to do with what you don’t like about Derrick, or Derrick and Moon together.”

“So?”

Lifting his drink to his lips, Devin regarded him over the rim. “You asked for my help, remember? Don’t get pissed at the methods. If yours worked, you wouldn’t need me.”

“With the music, not anything else.”

“Everything you’ve got going on in your life is going to affect your music. If you don’t know that by now, then maybe we need a little remedial session on where music comes from and how emotions shape everything to do with it.”

The glass was cold beneath Mikal’s fingertips. He should have set it down, warmed them up on his jeans. Instead, he swirled the ice in a circle and watched the liquid slosh. “Most people would consider it bad form to say someone has fuck me eyes when you’re sorta hitting on someone else.”

“Only sorta? Guess I’d better up my game.”

 

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Pretty Boy by Sierra Hill
writing as K.C. Kassidy

 

Releasing April 12th

Finn
It’s true what they say. Possessing a pretty face has its perks, especially one I’ve relied on since I began modeling at seventeen. It’s paid for my college education and sent me around the world – all without taking a single dime from dad.
But it never got me what I truly wanted: his approval.
That’s the reason I’m in Stoney Brook, Maine.
To make a difference and prove to my dad I’ve changed.
What I don’t expect in this lobster fishing town is to catch feelings for a certain lobsterman. But Mason Proctor reeled me in, hook, line, and sinker.

Mason
I’m a homebody whose twenties are passing me by.
Something I hadn’t realized until I met Finn Caldwell, the pretty boy who breezed into town and hooked me with his smile. I want to be more like him; daring and fun.
The problem is my dad’s lobster business keeps me anchored down in a job, a town, and a future I don’t want.
I’ve played the role of good and loyal son long enough. I need to break free and live life on my own terms. But I don’t have it in me to cut ties and tell my parents the truth.
Finn and I may be different, but we both have something to prove. He needs to prove his worthiness to his father.
I only need to prove my bravery to one man.
Myself.

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Boy Overboard by Miski Harris

 

Releasing April 13th

Why must Fate insist on having the last word?

Spoiled rich kid Riko Walker has spent the past year roaming the New England coast, working hard to maintain the rudderless image his father believes. Riko doesn’t need his father, or anybody else. Until a beating leaves him broken and alone in the middle of nowhere.

Braxton Harper’s inner voice screams “don’t get involved!” when he finds a bloodied and beaten young man in a heap on the roadside. He’s gotten good at ignoring that voice, loading the stranger into his truck and promising a place to rest and heal.

The Titanic-sized chip on Riko’s shoulder makes Braxton want to drop this ungrateful brat and be on his way. After all, no one handed Braxton anything in life. He’s worked hard for what little he has. If Riko doesn’t want help, why bother?

Fate has no patience for their stubbornness, throwing the two together time after time. How can sparks fly between two so different men? And can move they move past ugly beginnings to find their common ground?

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Summer Boy by TL Travis

 

Releasing April 14th

Summer romance is not for those who are led by their heart.

For Jonah Thomas, life is wake up, eat breakfast, go to work at his family’s restaurant Ahoy Matey’s. Lather, rinse, repeat. Next! His hometown, the sleepy little Stoney Brook, Maine, doesn’t offer much for someone like Jonah.

He’s not really living and has no clear path in front of him. Jonah merely…exists.

Party boy, Micah Hannigan is determined to enjoy the summer before his final year of college. Stoney Brooke, Maine is not on his bucket list. Two weeks there with his family is a life sentence, especially when his friends are living it up on the beaches of Florida where he should be.

Micah has plans, lots of them but he’d never factored in meeting the beautiful and intriguing Jonah Thomas.

It’s crazy how love always finds a way when you least expect it.

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Not a Boy by Elle Keaton

 

Releasing April 15th

Henry should have kept on walking by when he spotted the younger man sitting alone on the beach. He should never have stopped, never sat down, and certainly never kissed him. Because now Henry is experiencing feelings. And he doesn’t like it one bit.

Things happen for a reason, even random hook-ups. Ben was supposed to get off work early that night. It was no accident the sexy stranger stumbled on his beach hiding spot. The Kiss was destined, as well as what happened afterward. It wasn’t as if Ben believed in love at first sight, but this was damn close.

It’s a good thing Henry lives three-thousand miles away or he might do something stupid, like ask for Ben’s phone number.

Ben’s hometown boss begs him to return and he agrees, only regretting not being able to say goodbye to his snarky divorce lawyer. But all the wanting in the universe isn’t going to bring them together again, he doesn’t even know Henry’s last name. Besides, home is on the west coast, not Maine.

Sometimes the universe is a funny place.

#foundfamily #agegap #acceptance #oppositesattract #boynextdoorisnotaboy
All American Boy Series: Semi-Sweet MM Romance

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Check out the other Books in the
All American Boy Series

Week One’s releases include:

The Boy is Mine by Shane K. Morton released on April 5th

Green Eyed Boy by BL Maxwell released on April 6th

Sailor Boy by Kris Jacen released on April 7th

Boy on the Horizon by David Michael released on April 8th

 

Series subscriber page:
www.subscribepage.com/all-american-boy-series

Series Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/allamericanboyseries

The Authors:

Shane K. Morton
BL Maxwell
Kris Jacen
David Michael
Layla Dorine
Sierra Hill writing as K.C. Kassidy
Miski Harris
TL Travis
Elle Keaton

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Forever, Again (Shelby Beach Romance Book 4) by Skylar M Cates: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Their lives didn’t turn out as they’d imagined as boys, but they never forgot each other.

Personal trainer Oliver Knox is strong and graceful, dedicated to his clients, and fiercely loyal to friends and family. But the thing he takes pride in the most, his business, is failing.

Single father and entrepreneur Nico Kastellanos knows success is hard-won and tries to give back to those who, like him, have to fight for their dreams. His one regret is how things ended with his childhood best friend. Their friendship and their secret kisses linger in his mind.

When Oliver unwittingly hires Nico’s PR firm to breathe life into his failing gym, their connection rekindles instantly. The chemistry is potent, the memories heart-wrenching. They’re no longer awkward, troubled kids. They are men who know what—and who—they want.

Will Oliver and Nico finally get their long-overdue forever together, or will the ghosts from their past continue to haunt them?

Note: Forever, Again, is a friends-to-lovers, heartfelt, second-chance romance set in the Shelby Beach world. Forever, Again can be read as a standalone or enjoyed with the series.

Title: Forever Again
Authors: Skylar M. Cates
Length: 70k
Series: Shelby Beach, Book 4 (Books 2-4 available for review)
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: best friends/reunited years later, single parent.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

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“We’ve been seeing each other for weeks, but I’m nervous too. Something has shifted, hasn’t it?”

Oliver’s breath hitched. Something had shifted. Everyone said love was simple, but it wasn’t. It was layered and complicated. And there were different levels of love.

Childhood love. Adult love. Instant love.

Lasting love.

Still shaky, Oliver made his way to Nico. He had loved Nico in secret. Could Oliver love him in the light? Where every flaw would be exposed, Nico’s and his own? He hadn’t realized how heavily those fears had been inside of him until this moment.

Finally accepting the loan had been like turning a glaring spotlight on, and he’d been fearful of what he’d see.

Only he’d seen Nico. Standing with him, whatever path he chose. And something had shifted. The fears oozed away. The darkness stopped pressing on his chest.

And now, his heart could beat, could soar.

Oliver smiled. Slowly, at first, and then wider and wider. By the time he reached Nico on the couch, he was weightless, gliding on air.

Oliver swept him up and wrapped his arms around him.

“What the hell.” Nico laughed.

Oliver spun him in his arms. And, just the way he’d always fantasized about that long-ago hotel room night, he carried Nico to the bed.

Undressing, touching, kissing, Oliver kept some part of them linked. Nico’s braces and their clothes came off, but they never ceased caressing each other. Usually, he used sex to forget himself, to escape for a while, but this was the opposite.

Touching Nico, Oliver was totally himself. His skin flushed. Joy bubbled through him as they kissed. Nico’s lips on his made his pulse pound. Their tongues, tasting and teasing, made him ache. Their torsos pressed, leaving no space between them. It was timeless. Today felt like yesterday and tomorrow converging. Their touches were more than a memory. Without beginning or end. Without distance or boundaries.

No music except the music of their bodies. No light needed, except their hearts.

This book is fourth in the series, although I haven’t read any of the previous. However, the cover for The Christmas Lights Battle (Book 1) is so darn adorable, I think I have to go back and read it anyway. I didn’t feel lost at all by not having read the previous books, although you do get to see all the previous couples make appearances in this second chance romance, friends to lovers book.

This book is super sweet, with an MC with an ongoing disability (yeah for representation!), although sadly that disability led to abuse from his father towards his mother. The other MC is his high school sweetheart (are they sweethearts if they aren’t out?) who was left in pain with no answers, and built a wall that nobody has been able to tear down in all these years.

It took a lot of plucking at those bricks, over and over and over by Nico, to get through that wall. Even when he did, Oliver patched it right back up again, not trusting himself when it came to loving someone. For me, it was a bit too much of back and forth by Oliver. He kept seeing Nico, falling in love with him and his daughter, but then pulled back often. He did finally let go, including swallowing his pride some, but it seemed a bit too prolonged for me.

Nico definitely had his reasons for leaving, and it would be easy to condemn him for making a “promise” to show up that night. However, at that age, how many people are able to make those types of decisions, taking people outside themselves into account? It’s unlikely, especially with the differences in situations. Also, I really didn’t understand the name thing, especially after he was of age. That one was a complete mystery to me. What a fantastic father though!

This one didn’t quite hit the fluffy beach read that I was expecting, and had some unexpected pieces that didn’t work as well for me. Overall, a sweet romance, that brings back characters from previous books, that should make readers of this series happy.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Skylar M. Cates loves a good romance. She is happy to drink coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Her novels feature strong and passionate men. Skylar loves to craft stories where realistic characters are challenged with emotional situations. Although lately the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar loves to chat with folks from all around the globe.
Connect with Skylar:
https://twitter.com/SkylarMCates
https://www.facebook.com/skylar.cates
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cxODzT

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Punching the V-Card by Leta Blake: IG Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

Best friend’s hot older brother? Check. A weekend alone? Check.

Finally punching that V-card? Oh yes.

Carl has a pesky “innocence” problem that requires a solution. His best friend’s brother Devon is the perfect answer.

Devon’s experienced, gorgeous, and Carl’s been secretly crushing on him for ages. Carl doesn’t want to “lose it” to just anybody. Everyone says the first time should be special—and what’s more special than sharing it with the guy of his dreams?

It’s not like Devon won’t enjoy it. Solving this so-called problem is an objectively fun experience for most people! The plan is totally win/win!

Shockingly, Devon agrees. But even though it goes better than either of them ever expected, Carl’s moving across the country soon. It’s not possible to have more. No matter how much they both want it.

Right?

Punching the V-Card by Leta Blake is a is a high heat, NO ANGST, new adult gay romance featuring a best friend’s hot older brother, scorching first times, and falling in love with the guy of your dreams.

Title: Punching the V-Card
Authors: Leta Blake
Length: 35k
Series: Standalone.
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, and very light BDSM/Kink, almost nonexistent, but the themes are still there.
Tropes: Best friend’s older brother, losing virginity, whirlwind romance, first love, virgin baby dom and natural older submissive, forced proximity (to a degree), new adult.
Content: Very light BDSM theme.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“I keep some supplies up here,” Carl said, approaching a sizable fallen tree that was hollowed out inside, and the massive, nearly bench-shaped rock beside it. “Lighters, candles, gummy bears, that sort of thing.”

“Gummy bears?” Devon said, watching as Carl knelt in the pine needles and peered into the log using his flashlight. “Checking for snakes or other ghoulies,” he said before reaching inside and tugging out a Ziplock bag. Inside, sure enough, Devon could make out a package of gummy bears, a lighter, a few tea light candles, and what looked like a pack of cigarettes.

“Do you smoke?”

“Huh?” Carl glanced at the bag and grimaced. “Hope and I tried it. Thought it might look cool on stage, you know? But, ugh. I’d rather eat ass than smoke a cigarette.” A sudden grin cracked over his face and his eyes lit up even brighter. “I guess I mean that literally now. I’d much rather eat ass. That only leads to orgasm, unlike cigarettes which lead to coughing, gagging, and smelling like, well, cigarettes, you know?”

Devon watched Carl take a seat on the big stone bench, and he climbed onto it, too. It was big enough that they could sit cross-legged facing each other.

“Okay,” Carl said, pulling out the tea light candles, the lighter, the gummy bears, and a piece of chalk that Devon hadn’t noticed before. “First we draw a pentagram, like this,” he said.

And Devon watched, surprised, as Carl did draw a big pentagram between them. “What are you doing?”

“Magic,” Carl offered, with a little grin. “Fairy magic.”

Devon blinked at him.

“Kidding. But, yeah, sometimes I like to cast a spell or two. It can be fun.”

Devon shrugged, a nagging uncertainty in his gut, but he watched as Carl put a tea light on each point of the pentagram before lighting them.

“Now, we have to focus on what we want,” Carl said.

“What we want?” Devon repeated.

“Like when I did this last week, I focused on you agreeing to this weekend, and look. It worked.”

“You cast a spell on me?” Devon asked, trying to not feel a little weirded out by that. The forest around them smelled of wet dirt, disintegrating leaves, and fresh air, but the light that sparkled off the water droplets all around and filtered through the swaying tree tops did feel otherworldly. Plus, he was tired, so tired, and drained, and kinda horny still. He felt a little possessed, actually.

“J-just a l-li-li—ugh. A small one,” Carl said, with a shrug. “Do you c-care?”

The stutter. He was anxious now.

Devon looked at the small, flickering candles and up into Carl’s glittery eyes. He didn’t care. If he was told that he was hypnotized into this weekend, he’d be happy about it. If he was told that he’d been put under a powerful elf’s spell, he’d be glad. The time he’d spent with Carl was already the most interesting and arousing he’d ever had.

This book had so many surprising elements in it…in fact, the LEAST surprising element was that Carl had been in love with Devon for years. Just a few of the surprises…Devon’s sister set up this weekend punching of Devon’s V-card. Carl, who began the weekend seemingly shy AF, barely saying a word, turns out to be a baby Dom. Meanwhile, Devon immediately falls in line with it, showing a submissive side, when it is obvious he NEVER would have thought that of himself before this weekend. That two young men were able to have that much sex, and eat so little food (ha ha).

This was one very steamy novella, with two really well fleshed out MC’s for a novella. Carl is leaving for LA to begin a music career, while Devon is not leaving TN because his parents want him to do all the right things. Carl has a stutter that really only shows when he is nervous or emotional. Devon meanwhile has no idea what he wants to do with his life, but he knows he can’t go anywhere. He needs to finish college, then get a job…in what, he doesn’t know. They were honestly exactly as many young people that age, just trying to figure out what was next for them.

This was high heat, low angst, very sweet in places, had a hopeful future and some fun thrown in. It may not be for everyone, as it has A LOT of sex, but it still tells a very good story, as this author always does.

4 pieces of eye candy

Enter the #Giveaway for your chance to win a $15 Amazon Gift Card. Follow @LetaBlake & Comment on any Instagram host photo with #PunchingTheVCard Tag friends & share on your IG stories for extra entries, make sure you tag GRR! Good luck!

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Uniquely Average by Susan Hawke: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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A twenty year age gap, a neurodivergent ‘boy’ and a gray ace of a ‘Daddy’, both lonely and unable to find their match… until now.

Ethan Humboldt is a cocky, confident chef with zero filter and even less humility. He’s also a very good, neurodivergent boy who’s been searching far too long for the perfect Daddy. At thirty, Ethan knows what he wants—and what he needs. The only problem? Finding a caregiving type of Daddy to provide it.

Danvers Jones has more money than he knows what to do with and nobody to spend it on. He’s not looking for a fling, Dan needs someone to pamper. To romance… to adore. As a romantic gray ace, nothing else will do it for him.

Newly retired, Dan has one final mission—to find his former best friend’s long lost son and deliver a trust fund. After that, Dan’s determined to start fully living his life, which starts with the right partner. Only problem? Dan requires the type of person who’ll need his unique brand of Daddy.

Danvers and Ethan aren’t expecting to meet their perfect match in a random meet cute gone wrong, but when does life ever go according to plan?

This stand-alone novel is a full-length, 43k non-age play Daddy romance. The core of this story was previously published as a 15k short in the USA Today bestselling “Dirty Daddies 2021 Anthology.” It’s now been reworked and lengthened to provide the tale as originally intended.

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Watching for Daddy’s reaction to breakfast, I tried not to stare while taking a bite of my own. I’d served us perfectly cooked Eggs Benedict, complete with Canadian bacon and my own special hollandaise. My secret? A bit of OJ and a dash of orange zest.

It felt like my heart was beating in my throat when he finally took that bite. Pinching my lips tightly shut, I squeezed my legs together with my hands rhythmically patting my knees. I knew I was stimming, even before my hands started going, but I wasn’t concerned.

And why should I be? Some repetitive motion because I was excited was perfectly fine, a fact my doctor had drilled into me. As long as I wasn’t flapping my hands too much or letting my excitement turn to stressed anxiety, I’d be good.

And yes, I did need to remind myself of this every time and this was also okay.

Thank you, Dr. Stapleton. Years of work, God only knew how much money spent, and now I could calmly explain to myself why I was excited and how it was okay for a little light stimming.

Gasping, I jumped when a light knock on the table jerked my attention away from myself. I looked around the room, desperately trying to anchor myself again—I’d been that startled.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Did I frighten you?” And just like that, Daddy’s voice gave me the anchor I was looking for.

“Huh? I guess I was zoned out, lost in my head. I was being stupid, going through a bit of rationale in my head, and I guess I was deeper than I thought if I never heard you speak.” And, now I truly had a reason to be upset but… I glanced down to see my hands resting quietly on my legs. Huh. So much for the stimming.

I couldn’t understand why, but Daddy looked upset. He held up a finger, waving it back and forth. “That’s a no-no, sunshine. Never call yourself stupid, not on my watch. Especially when you are anything but. In fact, now I think I would enjoy hearing what had you lost in thought. Trust me, I wasn’t adding anything to the conversation. All I said was how these were the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever eaten.”

It felt like my chest exploded with a surge of rainbows and glitter and hearts and all the other things that made my mother squeal like a little girl. At least when I felt myself smiling, I didn’t have to question why. “Sorry about the whole stupid thing, I can respect that rule. But we can agree to disagree on what you consider fascinating conversation because I want to hear more about how much you enjoyed my eggs.”

Daddy started chuckling as he loaded his fork with a fresh bite. “I’m not exaggerating, these are amazing. Definitely the best. I might be prejudiced because I have a crush on the chef, but I don’t think so. And since we both know you tell it like it is, how about you simply agree with me and I can focus on eating instead of talking? Sorry not sorry, sunshine. But this deliciousness needs to get in my belly.”

Why did his dorky side make me like him more? That was a question. One I wasn’t certain how to answer. But quite frankly, I shouldn’t be this enamored by an outdated Austin Powers reference—or the Daddy with the worst Scottish accent ever who’d given it. And yet, here I was with another crazy question I knew I couldn’t answer.

It was super hard not to find it cute when Daddy powered through his breakfast, finishing before mine was half done. I gave up and started laughing when he actually lifted his plate and began licking it clean.

Finding a romance with anyone who is neurodivergent is difficult. I have looked for them, as someone I am very close to is on the spectrum. Finding a romance where one of the main characters is neurodivergent, is very rare, so I was excited to pick this one up, and I wasn’t disappointed.

What I loved most about this book was that Ethan wasn’t portrayed as a lost man, someone who hadn’t known anything about himself until he found his true love. He was a confident chef, tried to be a good person by using the social cues his mother had drummed into him, and knew enough about himself to know that a Daddy was exactly what he wanted and needed in his life, in the bedroom and out…but definitely NOT in his business. He just hadn’t found the correct Daddy. He didn’t hide this part of himself, and in fact, his mother presented Dan with the contract that they would use for the one week trial. It was so refreshing to see all of this, all the while still having many of the same issues that someone on the spectrum might have; i.e. lack of eye contact, zero filter, anxiety, etc.

Meanwhile, Dan himself knew enough to know that he really wanted a boy that he could cherish, and found all of Ethan’s differences from “normal” to be adorable, and exactly what he wanted in his life. He saw himself as being on the ace scale, although in the book he does discover that perhaps it isn’t as cut and dry as he once assumed. So, he was willing and able to grow and change in their relationship as well.

Portraying someone on the spectrum with a “normal” life (I keep putting that in quotes because it comes up several times in the book, and is simply a descriptor, and not an indicator that Ethan wasn’t as normal as the next person) can be difficult, because no one is the same, and yet, there are many areas that will be seen in many people. But the author did a great job of showing that they can fall in love, they can feel, they can have a great sense of humor (which Ethan does!), and still may need to avoid eye contact, flap their hands, and try to wheedle a puppy out of their Daddy. 🙂

This was sweet, a little sexy, funny, and all around, a read well worth the time.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.

I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.

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His Heart Knows by Riley Long: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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People fall in love with their best friends all the time. But for me, the circumstances of this unrequited attraction are even more agonizing.

I am gay.

My best friend, Sawyer, is not.

Since we were fifteen, I’ve harbored this torturous crush. Now, as we both enter our thirties, it seems time to resign myself to the fact that nothing is going to come of it. Ever.

Or so I thought…

One night, a bottle of gin and a little uncharacteristic self-pity were all the inspiration I needed to launch into a ramble about being alone because I’m bad at everything – even kissing. Determined to prove me wrong, Sawyer decided to shut me up with a kiss.

I know he meant for it to be innocent.

Turns out it was anything but.

Sparks flew as we unlocked a side of Sawyer he never knew existed. Now, more than anything, he wants me by his side forever. But this realization comes with its own set of obstacles. Can we learn to lean on each other as we build a future together? Or will the stresses of our day to day lives tear us apart?

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Ricky tapped on my open door with his fingertips and leaned against the door frame. “You were out late.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Crashed at Sawyer’s place. You know how it is.”

“Do it?”

I shot him an unamused look. “Yeah. You do.”

“You sure you didn’t…” He made a crude gesture with his fist and his index finger. Before I could say anything, he held up his hands in defense and laughed. “I know, I know. Just friends, right?”

“Right.” I sounded more uncertain that convincing though and Ricky picked up on it and latched on like a cat on catnip.

“Oh my God, what happened? Please tell me you finally fucked that man.”

I snorted. “I didn’t—” But my throat tightened and I had to stop to clear it. “It was just a blow job. Which I’m sure he regrets.”

“Why would he regret it?”

I gestured to myself. “You honestly think we’re in the same league?”

“Stop it. You were a football player and still have the body for it, except you’re also in grad school and that automatically makes you the smartest person in this room. And he looks like a fucking sculpture of man and makes eyes at you like you’re the only human in the world and the sun shines from your ass. You’re perfect and you deserve someone who cares about you like that.”

“Just because you didn’t go to grad school doesn’t mean you’re stupid.”

He pushed himself to standing. “I am not the point here. Focus on the blow job. Tell me everything.”

“Fine, fine.” I shooed him out of my room. “At least let’s sit in the living room, though, and not stand in my damn doorway.”

Ricky took a seat in his favorite spot, the overstuffed leather recliner, and patted the arms the way he did when he was excited about something. “Okay. Spill.”

This was a sweet, sexy friends to lovers story that I mostly enjoyed.

Axel and Sawyer are total opposites. Axel, poor, raised by a single mom who loved him with everything she had. Sawyer is the son of 2 lawyers who grew up with a cook and housekeepers and anything he wanted. When Axel moved to a new town he and Sawyer just clicked.

Now they are nearing 30, Axel is in grad school, he is out and proud but doesn’t date much and works at a bookstore. Sawyer is a lawyer in a prestigious firm hoping to make partner in 5 years like his father, he is straight and his mother is always trying to set him up “with a nice girl”. But those two have that best friend chemistry that is hard to find.

The premise that got them to kiss the first time was a little contrived, but it got the job done. They very quickly fell into a relationship after the first morning after freak out.

Sawyer seemed to be just fine with the fact that he was suddenly in a real relationship with his best friend. Even though he had never been with a man before. You’d think he had plenty of experience.

The story was far from perfect (see above about falling into a relationship with little issue), as well as Sawyer recovering from a family issue quickly and the continuity issue of he has an older brother, he’s an only child, he has an order brother, he’s an only child. Seriously, how did that not get caught it beta reads or edits?

Fluffy beach read that doesn’t take a lot of mind power at all, but it’s not bad.

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Riley Long is a wife and mother living a quiet life in Virginia, with her husband, son, and one goofy pit bull. She passes her evenings writing, reading, and watching bad television (or not so bad television). For fun, Riley participates in NaNoWriMo, GISH, and reads with her book club, the BAMFs. She likes things with silly acronyms. The craziest thing Riley has ever done involves whipped cream and hugs. Riley writes sweet and sexy romance, with a special place in her heart for hipsters and musicians.

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