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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Book Excerpts

December Daddy by Leta Blake: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and New Release Review

December 27, 2022 by Denise

.                                     .

Matthew Angel is stuck. He’s 41 and spent his life denying who he is and what he truly wants—until he stumbles upon a unique offering at a specialty charity auction:

A Christmas Daddy experience. 

Erik Garner has given up on relationships. After his last boy left, he decided it’s better to skip the heartache and stick with casual, short-term contracts. His offer of an exclusive, one-night-only Christmas encounter is all he’s willing to give.

Matthew’s older than expected, but his shy smile and eager surrender charm Erik. What starts out as a business transaction quickly gives way to a wild, thrilling intensity neither expected.

One night isn’t enough.

Good thing there’s a blizzard on the way…

Title: My December Daddy
Author: Leta Blake

A Boy for All Seasons Novel

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Erik

That’s the cycle, because I’m good at my role, and despite how tawdry it sounds, my preference does run young. And young men don’t want to settle down with their first Daddy. They want to go out and explore the world, be free, make mistakes, and, hell, maybe even be the Daddy one day themselves.

That’s what I know, but despite my runaway mouth, I’m not going to tell Matthew this.

Even if we hit it off—and we have—and even if our one night together from the auction is fantastic, and even if we end up arranging another few nights just for the hell of it, there’s no way we’ll fall into the kind of Daddy/boy relationship I crave.

He lives in Nashville.

He’s middle-aged.

He has a life of his own, and there’s no reason to think he’d want to leave it.

I need a boy to live with me—for me to care for, feed and clothe and scold and fuck.

No, Matthew is one night. For a charity auction. Maybe we’ll add a few hookups afterward if it’s hot enough for us both. But then it will be over. He’ll move on and hopefully come out of this experience with some good memories, enhanced self-respect, and a readiness to start looking for healthy relationships with men local to him.

“I hope it works out for you,” Matthew says, but he sounds as doubtful as I feel. Which isn’t great. I need him to believe I can handle him, and I need him to forget all about my scabbed over inner wounds. I never should have shown them to him.

“Let’s not focus on that.”

“Right. We should talk about the details of our night, shouldn’t we?”

The light from the windows glistens on the white strands in his hair, and gleams against the dark. His eyes glow a greener hazel, and I find I’m happy he requires extra time and care. I don’t want to rush the day away. I’m enjoying drawing out this time with Matthew. If we nail down the details, and wrap things up, I’ll have nothing to do but head back to my shared, rented house to be confronted by the loneliness I’ve felt ever since Brandon left. Matthew is so much more interesting than that.

Glancing at my phone to check the time, I say, “The afternoon is still young. I’d enjoy spending more time with you, if you feel the same.”

Matthew’s eyes light with pleasure. He lowers his lashes, but his lips lift at the edges, almost as if he’s trying not to show how happy he is I’m not ready to send him packing quite yet. “I have some time.” He glances at his phone’s lock screen and seems to ponder a moment before meeting my gaze. “In fact, I can stay for dinner if you’d like. My treat.”

“No,” I say sternly.

He winces, and I realize I haven’t been clear enough.

Note to self: Matthew needs absolute clarity.

“I’ll pay. You’re the boy in this December Daddy Experience. Don’t forget that.”

“Oh. I suppose I did win you, and you didn’t come cheap.”

I laugh. “No, I didn’t. But when you’re with Daddy, he always pays. Understand?”

“Yes.” I can see in his eyes he wants to say ‘yes, Daddy’, but holds it back.

Wow! According to my Kindle stats I’ve read over 100 books this year (I can’t even believe that!), and one of the last ones of the year, is also one of the top 3 I’ve read this year. I honestly wasn’t quite sure what was ahead in this book, other than knowing what a stellar author Leta Blake is, but otherwise, sometimes daddy kink can be not well done. However, this book…blew all that away.

One of the things I loved most about this book was some of the real emotions that played out. Matthew struggled with the fact that he loved his parents, and missed them, yet knew that they did not know him or love him as they should have. He wasn’t able to be out, and he never felt worthy of anyone’s love. He punished himself with his previous encounters. He even allowed himself to grieve, settle their estate before he let himself begin to come out of the closet. These feelings all made sense for how he grew up, and for the process of grieving, and learning about himself. Yet, when he saw that auction, and he stepped in, he was scared, but willing to take a chance on something completely out of his comfort zone. He was continuing to grow and change, even at the “older” age of 41.

Meanwhile, Erik was such a sweetheart, but definitely had some daddy issues. He took care of Matthew from beginning to end. He kept telling himself it was all about the one night that Matthew purchased. Yet they could not allow themselves to let go. He treated Matthew with respect, but also with so much care, even before he found out how innocent Matthew truly was. As he taught Matthew what it would be like for his next Daddy, it really was about creating the emotions that they both craved in each other. Also, Erik loved and cared for his mother too, which shows great character.

The book is split into four sections, which made a lot of sense for how the story played out. I loved that Matthew, when their time was up, respected himself enough to return home, and allow Erik to figure out exactly what they could be. It still made me bawl…but still, it was about real world emotions and situations, which just made it that much more heartfelt.

This is definitely a book to sit back and just enjoy to story, the affection that slowly grows between these two…and also read it again next December. 🙂

This was an easy 5 pieces of eye candy

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

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

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

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

On the web: https://letablake.com

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

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/LetaBlake

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Excerpt, Book Review, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Denise Tagged With: 5 stars, author, bdsm, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, daddy kink, Daddy/boy, excerpt, exclusive, gay, Leta Blake, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance

To Trust and To Touch by Vivi Anne Hunt: New Release Review and Excerpt

December 23, 2022 by Denise

.                                  .
Every Friday night, Alex goes to the infamous sex club, Kink World, to perform. He goes in, takes his money, and gets out. No complications and definitely no touching. It’s in the contract. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned, and one night’s incident pushes him into a chance encounter with a man who is the very epitome of the word ‘safe.’

After years of focusing on being a single dad to his adorable baby daughter, Sigh is venturing out into the world of dating, starting at his brother’s club on Friday night. He’s not too excited about any of it until a chance encounter with a man covered with vine tattoos reminds him of the needs he has ignored for far too long.

Will Alex be able to let someone touch him? Will Sigh break through Alex’s defenses and learn what exactly happened to him? Will the two men be able to start again?

Title: To Trust and To Touch

Author: Vivi Anne Hunt

Genre: MM romance, gay romance, bisexual, LGBT, contemporary romance

Tropes: age gap, hurt comfort, single parent

Page count: 225 (52,000 words)

Content warnings: mature language, content, and violence

Trigger warnings: SA (off page), PTSD, unaliving, mental health, therapy

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

It’s Wednesday, my night at Kink World, and I’m running late. I have to speed my bike through a couple of intersections, but I come out unscathed. I could die about a dozen ways riding like this. I know it won’t be that easy, though. When I go, it won’t be soon and it won’t be easy. It’s someone else, who is lucky. I’ve never been lucky in my fucking life.

I almost crash into the building’s entrance, regain my balance, and tie the bike to a nearby rack. Quick as lightning, I sprint to the entrance and knock three times. A small window opens. “Pass?”

I roll my eyes. “It’s me, Frank, open up.”

The window closes and the big gate opens, revealing a smirking individual. “Oh, you’re still with us, are you, Shade?”

Shade is my pseudonym at Kink World. My stage name, if you will.

“As long as there are greedy, horny fuckers in the world, I’ll always be employed, my friend.”

I struggled with this book initially. Alex was kind of an ass at the beginning, as you can see by the quote right above this. But I pushed past it, because it felt like there had to be more. I am so happy I continued to give it chance though because To Trust and To Touch did end up living up to my hopes, even if it was hurt/comfort (which is mostly not my jam).

You have two MC’s that were quite different. Alex with the tragic event of his past (it takes a long while to learn what it is, but man…), and so he ends up working at Kinkworld as a side job, by allowing others to watch him, but they cannot touch him. If they do…well, the guy could put them down to the ground in moments, after years of practicing martial arts.

Meanwhile, Sigh seemed a bit too good to be true. Not that I didn’t enjoy their cute milkshake dates, or the love of Sigh’s daughter towards Alex, but it was a bit too easy at times. There were just areas that gave me pause, feeling that the characters wouldn’t act that way in that circumstance. Although when they met was hilarious as Sigh is talking to his daughter, while Alex thinks he’s a Daddy talking to his boy/girl.

This was a lot of hurt/comfort for me which I struggle with it at times. However, the characters drew me in and it allowed me to ignore some of the little things I saw. Those small issues didn’t pull me out of the story. Reading the description of Alex’s assault was…rough for me. I had to stop for a bit.

Overall, there were a lot of very strong issues that were tough for me as a reader, but some heartwarming things as well to create a good balance. A good book if you are in the mood for all that.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

.                                 .
Vivi Anne Hunt is a writer of steamy mm romance books and a big fan of the tropes age gap and hurt comfort. She loves writing and reading about men loving and protecting each other fiercely. She’s also a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Filed Under: Book Excerpt, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, TCO Reviewer: Denise Tagged With: 3.5 stars, author, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, romance, Vivi Anne Hunt

Measuring Up by Dani Hermit & Curtis Star: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and New Release Review

December 19, 2022 by Denise

.                                               .

Monarch Springs is full of hot guys… So why is Aiden determined to be in love with the only one that he can’t stand?

Up-and-coming interior designer Aiden Hart came to Monarch Springs for an intriguing job and an escape from his old life. Redecorating the tourist trap that is the Monarch Mansion in a small town in Pennsylvania sounded like the exact opposite of his trainwreck of a life in Miami. Not to mention a way to jumpstart his DIY celebrity career.

Aiden didn’t want to think that his new start was cursed. But being assigned to work with the disgraced former TV carpenter Brett Jeffries at the last minute and breaking down by the side of the road not two minutes later made being cursed sound reasonable.

Things started looking up when a hot mystery man in a beat up truck stopped to rescue him. This flannel-wearing angel was not the kind of hot that happened in Miami. This was salt-of-the-earth, lumberjack, bearded, knows how to change a tire, H-O-T hotness.

Of course, his hot savior turned out to be none other than Brett Jefferies.

And that was only the start of Aiden’s problems. From a traitorous cat to exes showing up at the worst possible times, he still has to somehow get this remodel done before Christmas.

However, falling in love with the job, the town, and, worst of all, Brett, was not on Aiden’s Christmas list.

Title: Measuring Up

Author Name: Dani Hermit & Curtis Star

Word Count: 62K

Genres: small town romance, contemporary romance, romcom, gay romance

Tropes: hate to love, meeting the love interest before you know who he is, the hot ex shows up

Amazon – All Regions

“You know I’m not afraid of hard work, Brett. I don’t have your guns but I work out.” Aiden removed his fashionably torn sweater to reveal a tight navy blue t-shirt. “But it’s warm in here. I wasn’t expecting such an aggressive Indian summer.”

Brett probably wouldn’t notice but Aiden got a lot of numbers at the club in this very tee. Although that was seven years ago when he was usually covered in glitter and had just enough of the designer party drug of the day to offer to suck off somebody as yummy as Brett with ease.

The shirt was faded and paint-stained but Aiden still felt slightly bolstered with confidence when he wore it. He wasn’t intending to take his sweater off but now that he had, he wondered what Brett thought of him. Would he look at him the way the guys in the club did? Not likely. Not now that Aiden was about five years too old for that scene.

Aiden grabbed a brush and bucket of soapy water. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. Being over thirty and having lost his club boy appeal somewhere in the course of his failed committed relationship, Aiden often felt invisible.

“Are you sure about that?” Brett came up behind Aiden and squeezed his upper arms, lingering at his back for a solid minute. He walked away, not paying attention to the effect he had on Aiden. “I’m going to grab some more supplies. How about you start over there? I’ll start on this other side and we’ll meet in the middle?”

Aiden had to steady his breath. He was far too close to swooning around this guy. He stomped up the ladder to start washing the top of the wall. He tried to use the scrubbing to air out his irritation.

“Stupid jerk.” He muttered under his breath. “No reason to mock me. Maybe I haven’t gotten to the gym in a while. You can’t act like your stupid sexy self doesn’t know you have driven me crazy since the moment I met you. Stupid sexy jerk.”

Returning with more cleaning supplies from the truck, Brett set to work on the far side of the room. After about half an hour of silence, he paused and turned to Aiden. “Hey, pretty boy,” he called out. “Do you mind if I put on some music?”

And now he’s calling me pretty boy. Why would he do that? Oh yeah, cause he’s a stupid, stupid sexy jerk who knows he’s sexy.

Aiden began scrubbing even harder as if the wall had wronged him. “Yeah sure, but just know you are revealing a lot about yourself. So many secrets are spilled by what you listen to.” Aiden didn’t want to bother moving the ladder so he reached out as far as he could with the sponge while he waited to hear what Brett would put on.

Brett opened a door on the built-in cabinet that wasn’t far from where Aiden was scrubbing and plugged his phone into the stereo unit hidden inside. He hit play and classic rock began blaring out of the speakers that were concealed all over the house. Brett quickly adjusted the volume down to a more reasonable roar. Out of the corner of his eye, Aiden watched him as he lingered a moment, enjoying the song.

Aiden wasn’t paying attention to how far he was leaning, and the ladder he was sitting on started wobbling. Before he could correct his position or get his balance back, Aiden was tipping over. He closed his eyes and prayed he would hit the floor and not smash into the pile of tools that were nearby.

The current running tracks of thought in Aiden’s head came out of his mouth as he fell right into Brett’s arms. He couldn’t stop himself from hitting Brett’s chest as he ranted in an awkward attempt to get his heartbeat under control.

“Stupid, sexy jerk who rescues puppies. Of course, you are gonna catch me when I fall off the ladder.”

For his part, Brett didn’t say anything, he just let Aiden wear himself out. He stared into Brett’s eyes, his anger and fear played out, not sure what to do or say. It wasn’t like Brett was moving to set him down on the floor. The fact that the big man wasn’t dropping him like a hot potato was making Aiden’s heart beat fast again and his head filled with all the silly notions he was trying to avoid.

“Would you rather I let you crash to the ground and break your pretty neck?” Brett asked, not letting go of Aiden though he looked like he was tempted to drop him on his butt now that he was out of harm’s way.

Okay, this has gone on way too long, right? Why isn’t he putting me down?

Okay, this is a cute book. I’ve never read anything by this team of authors, so really not sure what to expect, to be honest. The cover wasn’t my favorite, and that is usually a call to me as a must read. It had some really fun elements…(I’m a crazy cat lady, so of course the ‘traitorous cat’ called to me.)

Aiden comes to this new town to start over. It’s a bit of a meet-cute after a car breakdown. I love inner monologues that really seem like they are talking to me and themselves, and Aiden’s inner monologue made me laugh.

Brett, the sexy lumberjack, just let Aiden get into his own little messes, I thought. Which made me laugh just a bit more.

There was a bit of a plot hole that I didn’t quite understand, but that sometimes happens.

Overall, a funny, cute holiday story.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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Dani Hermit & Curtis Star are a married pair of writers who have been perfecting their craft even longer than they have been perfecting their marriage – over 20 years for both! It was a mutual love of slash fic and writing deep, angsty stories that lead to their love for each other.

It has been a rocky road full of pitfalls and potholes that has lead to the current format of writing boy’s love serials that are becoming the bedrock of the Hermit & Star brand.

Author Website: https://hermitstarbooks.com/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/hermitstarbooks

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/hermitstarbooks

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hermitstarbooks/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dani-Hermit/e/B00BG3335E/

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Excerpt, Book Review, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Denise Tagged With: 3.5 stars, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, excerpt, exclusive, gay, holiday romance, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance

Sleigh Ride with Kellan by Sophia Nixs: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

December 14, 2022 by Denise

.                                  .

A rugged, bearded mechanic becomes my knight in shining armor.

Traveling three hours to make my twin daughter’s Christmas come true.

I never expected him.

We are the complete opposites and he infuriates me like no one else.

Love was never on the cards for me.

A blizzard holds up my plans and I end up staying the night with him.

Everything I never thought I wanted.

I thought being stranded at Christmas was the only surprise I was in for. How wrong was I?

Title: Sleigh Ride with Kellan
Authors: Sophia Nixs
Length: 20K
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: Grumpy sunshine, Close/ Forced proximity, Secret Billionaire, Alpha male.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

I hated waking up early but I knew that Kellan needed to be back on the road as soon as he could; especially with only two days until Christmas. He needed to get back to his girls. I hated leaving him alone sleeping away in my bed but I’d never seen anything so perfect before as I creepily stood and watched him for a few moments before I got dressed and left him. I bet with the girls it was rare for him to have a full night’s sleep or to even sleep in this late. At least this way he could travel home refreshed and ready for the excitement of Christmas ahead.

I ensured Pip was okay and cleaned up the mess he had made before topping up and giving him a hand fed treat of some wet food and water. I grabbed my truck keys and Kellan’s car keys, determined to try and fix this mess he’d got himself into and help him on his way, while hopefully making sure his Christmas dreams didn’t shatter before his eyes.

I just needed to hope my skills were up to the job because no matter what, I couldn’t be the man to destroy two little girl’s hearts. They needed Kellan and one way or another, I’d get him back to them, even if I ended up buying him a brand new car myself.

This was a quick read, and since I haven’t read anything by this author (or her original pen name), I figured I’d give it a shot.

This is 100% insta-love. If you don’t like insta-love, this isn’t going to work for you. It was a sweet and sexy story, with a cute dog, even cuter twins and a little bit of alpha male thrown in.

Kellan, as a foster parent, was all about just getting back home to his girls with the puppy that they so desperately wanted. But as can happen in the winter, blizzard comes along and takes out the car, leaving Kellan and little Pip in a dangerous place. Eli, the son of the people Kellan purchased the dog from, came to the rescue. As a mechanic he could take care of the issues. However, first they had to stay at Eli’s for the night.

This was a feel good story, with insta-love, and an ever so patient man left back in Pennsylvania. Eli never called or even texted for three weeks. That seemed odd to me. I know he was giving Kellan space, but even a “I’m thinking about you” would have been good. And Kellan never once looked Eli up on his phone? “Man of my Dreams”? I guess I struggled with that a bit.

Probably my biggest issue, and it’s one I very rarely bring up, was the editing. When I receive ARCs, I very rarely comment on editing, as often the book hasn’t been through a final round of edits, etc. However, it needed a good edit, from either an American editor, or one who is very experienced in editing America based books. One of the MC’s was from Manhattan, the other Pennsylvania. Somebody should have caught things like “we’re a right pair” or “stay at mine”. It does jump the reader out of the story.

In the end, a lovely holiday ride. It did have a very happy ending, with the twins falling in love with Eli instantly, when Kellan introduced them. Couldn’t ask for more from a holiday romance.

3 pieces of eye candy

.                                .

Sophia Nixs is a romance author from the United Kingdom that writes steamy contemporary MM romance.

Sophia is a romantic at heart, she adores everything to do with love. In her eyes, when someone finds loves that’s all that matters.

Sophia’s dream is to live in the countryside where she can write her stories from her book nook whilst looking out at the gorgeous scenery in peace and quiet.

Connect with Sophia:
https://www.facebook.com/SophiaNixsAuthor
https://www.instagram.com/sophianixsauthor
Amazon Page | Goodreads | BookBub a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Book Excerpt, Book Review, Giveaway, New Release Book Blast, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Denise Tagged With: 3 stars, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, novella, review, romance, Sophia Nixs

The Humbug Holiday by Lane Hayes: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

December 13, 2022 by Denise

.                                              .

Two grumpy bears and a holiday season neither will forget…

Joe

So this sexy silver fox rolls into my small New England town and buys a run-down old house in need of renovation. That’s where I come in. My job is to do some basic repairs, so he can write in peace. Yep, the hotshot is a bestselling author, but that’s not why I recognize Cameron Warren.

No worries, I won’t let a one-night stand make things awkward. I could use the work, but is he seriously asking me to help him buy a Christmas tree too?

No way.

Cameron

I’m a good-natured guy all year long, but I have to admit…I hate the holidays.

There. I said it.

This season, I’m hiding away on the opposite side of the country in a picturesque village. My family isn’t excited about my decision, and the only way to assure them I’m fine is to deck the darn halls. Or hire someone else to do it.

The handyman might not be the logical choice for an elf, but his grumpy act makes me smile. Which makes me think the holidays might not be so “bah-humbug” this year after all.

The Humbug Holiday is a bisexual, age-gap romance featuring two grumpy bears who find unexpected magic and learn to embrace everyone’s favorite time of year!

Title: The Humbug Holiday
Authors: Lane Hayes
Length: 35k
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday.
Tropes: Bears, Second Chance, Holiday Romance, Romantic Comedy.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Audible – Narrated by Michael Dean

Goodreads

A playful smile ghosted over Cameron’s full lips. “You’re stubborn, but loyal. You’re extremely private, but I can’t tell if that’s a protective mechanism or defensive. You’re a loner.”

All true.

“Anything else?”

“Well…I think you have a bit of a God complex,” he replied carefully.

I narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me?”

“You’re a control freak. In a perfect world, you’d like to control or manage others’ expectations. You hate that you care what others think, but you do. That probably has something to do with the fact that you come from a good place and you don’t like the idea of anything tainting it. Big cities have a way of desensitizing. Trust me. I know how that goes.”

I was too taken aback by the ultra-personal read to reply immediately. Surprise gave way to righteous indignation and anger.

I glowered as I moved toward him. “What the fuck? You don’t know me or anything about my life or—”

“Hey, relax.” Cameron held his hands up in surrender. “It’s an observation, not an insult.”

“Well…don’t observe me. It’s creepy,” I growled. “Especially coming from someone who writes murder mysteries.”

A slow-moving pirate’s smile took over his face. “Fair point, but as you said, it’s my job to watch and take note of my surroundings.”

I cocked my head, studying his chiseled features and proud carriage in those designer duds. Everything about Cameron Warren screamed “special,” and I had no doubt that was the case. But I was still smarting after his astute analysis. I couldn’t help wondering how much of his dapper bear façade was for show.

“Hmm. Maybe. Or maybe you snoop to dodge your own reality.” I shrugged. “Just a thought.”

He arched a brow but didn’t speak.

Was it my imagination or was the air suddenly buzzing? My gaze darted to the darkening skies out the window, but the sizzle of electricity was all us. I couldn’t read any signs.

Were we joking? I mean, we were throwing some personal shit out there. We were both guilty of being borderline rude…and too familiar. It should have felt unsafe to have someone poke at me for a reaction, but damn it…it turned me on.

He turned me on.

Okay, I have a very soft spot  for grumpy bears…my dad was one. Bah Humbug! all the way for him. But he had the softest heart buried in that grumpy face that he was so well known for. So, there was zero chance I was passing up not only a grumpy bear book, but two grumpy bears and a holiday story to boot. I was not disappointed.

I will admit, I’ve not read a lot of Lane Hayes’ books…I’ve seen the error of my ways, I promise! This book just hit me in so many good ways. These two did not love the holidays, and both with very good reasons. However, those around them did (all the older ladies who would not let them just be by themselves was so funny to me!) and so because they loved those people, they “suffered” through the holiday season, with all the gruff exterior they could muster. Until they met their match in grumpiness in the other.

Joe was hit hard in the past by a former lover/boss, as well as some nasty allegations against him, and came home to essentially lick his wounds. After being in that situation, I’m sure you would want to be somewhere where people love you, appreciate you, will leave you alone a bit, and that feels comfortable. A bit like curling up with a hot cocoa under the covers.  Cameron meanwhile, needed a change of pace, a slower one in order to breathe, away from his aunts, and everyone wanting a piece of him back in California. He had his own demons to battle with regards to the holidays that had been sitting in the background for decades.

These two somehow found a way to learn to like the holidays again, through the magic of being with each other. Or at least, they probably always liked it a little, but came to realize that they did, by finding each other. It was a gradual process, but fun to see the progression.

This book wasn’t super funny, although definitely had its moments. “I picked up a red bulb and gingerly attached the hook to the tree. Okay, that wasn’t so bad.” But it just felt so good to read. Seeing these two big old grumps learning they can be happy inside, and with each other, even if they feel the need to keep up their front to the outside world for their own sanity.  Until, of course, everyone just knew they truly loved the holidays. It did my heart more good than I would have ever imagined. It’s definitely on the read again list.

4 pieces of eye candy

Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, 2018-2019, and 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a not-quite-empty nest.

Connect with Lane:
My Readers’ Group, Lane’s Lovers: https://bit.ly/3aIbMYg
My Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3cICfaK
Blog: www.lane-hayes.com
Twitter: twitter.com/LaneHayes3
FB: facebook.com/LaneHayesAuthor
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/lanehayes
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/lane-hayes
Instagram: instagram.com/Lanehayesauthor
Goodreads: goodreads.com/LaneHayes

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Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Excerpt, Book Review, Giveaway, New Release Book Blast, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Denise Tagged With: 4 stars, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, excerpt, exclusive, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, Lane Hayes, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, Release Blitz, release day review, review, romance

Vow Maker (Mixed Messages Book 4) by Lily Morton: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

December 8, 2022 by Denise

.                                   .

Dylan Mitchell wants to get married.

However, after seven years of being engaged, that’s looking slightly doubtful. After going through ten wedding planners, they’re gaining a reputation somewhat akin to Henry the Eighth on the wedding circuit.

Gabe has vetoed symbolic dove releases, forests of flowers, fire-eating performers, and puce as a wedding colour. He’s confounded an army of wedding professionals, and now Dylan, the man who knows and loves him better than anyone, has joined the ranks of the confused. Can anything please his fiancé and get them to the altar?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes the sequel to Rule Breaker. A romantic comedy novella full of family chaos, meddling friends, sexy bathroom encounters, and love. Always love.

Title: Vow Maker

By: Lily Morton

Series: Mixed Messages, Book 4

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Book 1: Rule Breaker

Book 2: Deal Maker

Book 3: Risk Taker

“Okay. I can certainly see what I can do, but at this short notice, many big venues are booked. They’re probably booked until you both draw your pensions.”

“Really?” Dylan asks.

I stir. “Even if we throw obscene amounts of money at the venue?”

Joe blinks. “You’re going to gazump a bride?”

“If necessary,” I say silkily.

“Well, I like a brave man. Brave or foolhardy? I’ll leave that to posterity and whoever does the speech at your funeral.”

“We are not doing that, Gabe,” Dylan says firmly. “For shame.”

I sit back in my chair. “I sense my bloodthirsty nature isn’t suited to a marital discussion.”

“You’d be amazed,” Joe says cheerily. “You’ve obviously never been near the Harrods bridal department during a sale. Russell Crowe could have done all his research for Gladiator in one fell swoop.”

Engaged for SEVEN YEARS? That’s bonkers. But I digress.

Dylan and Gabe were my first story by Lily Morton. And probably many people. We just fell in love with the cranky, perfectionist boss and sassy, sarcastic assistant. It was hard not to. Two more books with other couples followed and we’ve circled back around to the originals.

Now I am going to admit that sometimes I feel like follow up books like this are thin. No real substance, just wanting to be a people pleaser that sells. But this one didn’t feel that way for me at all. I was thrilled to pick up seven years later and watch them try to plan their wedding. As soon as they could find a wedding planner.

The wedding planner they do ultimately hire had a very easy chance of taking over the story with pratfalls, etc. But nope. He mostly stayed in the background, gently guiding both men toward their goal.

Of course we get a little Ivo, Henry, Jude and Asa. And Dylan’s boisterous family.

In the end, they get their perfect wedding and we get the perfect end to a great story line.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

Lily has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

Connect with Lily:
Facebook | Lily’s Snark Squad Facebook Group
Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Website | Newsletter
Amazon Page | Goodreads | BookBub

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Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Excerpt, Book Review, Giveaway, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4.5 stars, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, Lily Morton, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

5 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨EXCERPT: DON’T FALL by Author E.M. Lindsey releasing July 1st!#PreOrderNowa.co/d/00RZxM7K “Leo,” I murmur. I have no idea what I’m doing. I have no idea what’s meant to come next. All I know is that he wants me and that he fist-fought his own brain to admit it.And I don’t think the moment will last if I hesitate for even a second.This is my first and only chance with him.“Lean back,” I tell him. I have no idea where any of this is coming from, but the way he obeys me is fucking heady. It’s going to ruin me for the rest of my life, for any other person I ever sleep with after this.I’m going to leave most of my heart and part of my soul on this bedroom floor, and I won’t be coming back for it.Leo stares up at me under his long, dark lashes. He’s the same man I’ve always seen: shattered, exhausted, shaped by injury and grief. The man who doesn’t believe he deserves a second happily ever after. But he’s also something else now.Not quite mine, but I’m allowing myself to say he is, only for this moment.Lifting higher onto my knees, my hands creep along his thighs and I begin to tug the robe open. He doesn’t stop me. He watches with fevered eyes, one turned in slightly, but still so fucking focused on the way I’m touching him.I’m terrified something I say or do is going to break this spell and he’s going to banish me from this space, so I take my time drawing the tie on his robe open so I can see all of him.And every inch is fucking gorgeous.#emlindsey #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

1 week ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨It’s cover reveal day for HUNT ME by @authoremlindsey & @coraroseauthor releasing August 7th!#PreOrderNowbooks2read.com/u/388EGa Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥Strangers to Lovers🔥Stalking as a Love Language🔥Deaf Drag Queen🔥Panty Wearing🔥Autistic character rep🔥Coffins as a special interest🔥Cemetery flower bouquets🔥Only One Bed🔥Forced Proximity🔥MM RomanceDoing Deaf drag isn’t supposed to come with threats to my life, damn it. I’ve had a stalker before, and apparently—even after involving my friend from the FBI—he’s decided to come back and make my life hell.But this time, however, a slightly terrifying stranger shows up to play hero.He knocked my stalker on his ass and left me with blood smears on my jaw and a kiss on my lips so devastating, it threatened to rearrange my whole life. And then he disappeared into the shadows.But just when I think I’ll never see him again, I find him haunting my steps everywhere I turn.It’s not long before I realize hunting me might be his love language, and god help me, I think I’m into it. Especially when each time he catches me, he leaves me breathless and wanting more.My stalker is still around, but being with Archie is worth whatever the unwelcome blast from my past wants to throw at me.After all, having a boyfriend with a thing for knives, coffins, and funeral flowers is a great way to protect myself, and if his obsession and love for me isn’t enough to take my stalker down, my determination to get my happily ever after will.Hunt Me is the first book in the morally grey rom-com series Murder Hearts. It’s a spicy, MM stalker-to-lover romance with forced proximity, coffins as a special interest, an Autistic MC, a Deaf Drag Queen who doesn’t have time for anyone’s BS, stalking as a love language, a set of lovable murder brothers, an unhinged cat café, and a steamy, swoony, happily ever after.✨INFLUENCERS: Sign up here for this amazing release: bit.ly/HUNTMESIGNUPCover Credit:BreathlessLit#coverreveal #corarose #emlindsey #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

1 week ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨TEASER: THE GEEK AND THE GHOST by Cambria Hebert releasing July 10th!#PreOrderNowa.co/d/07PLBaC9 Why you will love this book…🔥Hero with a villain complex🔥Pocket-sized Geek🔥Over the top possessive🔥MC Rescue Fantasy🔥Banter🔥Chronic illness rep🔥Touch him and die🔥Size difference🔥Dude in distress (suspense)🔥Hurt/Comfort🔥Homeless MC 🔥MM RomanceI’m about thirty seconds from a toe tag and my own freezer at the mortuary when he materializes from the shadows and fights like hell to keep me breathing.I had no idea homeless disasters like me got guardian angels—or that guardian angels punch people and smoke—but suddenly, there he is: a hero dressed all in black who ghosts me so hard I consider calling a medium.But that would be a waste of money I don’t have.I thought I’d never see him again, but just as I’m about to eat a bullet, he appears, using his body to protect mine. I might have swooned—okay, fine, I do but only on the inside—if it weren’t for the fact he thinks bleeding is an adequate apology for implying I’m a prostitute and running off with my heart.Spoiler alert: It’s not.Now the man with a PhD in vanishing, a tattoo that totally offends me, and eyes with their own force of gravity is suddenly stuck to me like glue and being wildly inconvenient about it.And he won’t stop calling me a pipgeek. What even is that?He insists I trust him, but I can’t trust anyone, not even my own body. Unfortunately, when the resident drug lord calls in that favor I foolishly owe, things go from bad to catastrophic with alarming enthusiasm.On the upside, having a villain with a hero complex for a stalker means staying alive will be easy.But not getting hurt again is a whole other story.✨INFLUENCERS: Sign up for this awesome release: bit.ly/TGATGSIGNUP#cambriahebert #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

1 week ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨ It’s cover reveal day for HEAL ME, LOVE ME by @authorkimberlyknight & @rachellynadams releasingAugust 3rd! Pre-Order now at your favorite book vendor as it will be exclusive to Amazon on release day!#PreOrderNowAmazon a.co/d/0aP00KacApple apple.co/4b8fn3HNook bit.ly/4alb3OmKobo bit.ly/44usF6UWhy you will love this book…🔥MMA/Sports Romance🔥MM Romance🔥Second Chance Romance🔥First Love🔥Secret Relationship🔥Hurt/Comfort🔥Emotional ScarsHeal Me, Love Me is a enemies to lovers sports romance and book 2 in the Off the Mat duet. It is not a standalone novel.Rowan Cross knows exactly what it costs to lose Keaton Stafford.He’s already done it once.After years apart, Rowan and Keaton finally stopped fighting their feelings for each other. The walls between them are down, the secrets are behind them, and for the first time since they were teenagers, a future together feels possible.Then a single kiss threatens to destroy it all.What Rowan sees looks a lot like betrayal, reopening old wounds and shaking the fragile trust they’ve only just begun to rebuild. But walking away from Keaton has never been easy, and that kiss is only the beginning of what still remains between them.They survived being enemies. They gave in to wanting each other. Now they have to find out if what they rebuilt is strong enough to last.For Rowan and Keaton, forever won’t come without a final fight.✨INFLUENCERS: Sign up to review this awesome release: bit.ly/HMLMSIGNUP��Start book 1 in this duet, Fight Me, Break Me, available now in KU a.co/d/0aSoP40p#coverreveal #kimberlyknight #rachellynadams #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

1 week ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨TEASER: DRIPPED by @charlienwrites releasing July 9th!#PreOrderNowmybook.to/lickittwoWhy you need to #ONECLICK this book…🍦Boss x Employee🍦Hooking Up For Stress Relief🍦“Just For The Summer”🍦⁠Late Night Kitchen Dates🍦Friends To Lovers🍦Oops We Caught Feelings🍦Supportive & Nosy Friends🍦Pet Names🍦Spicy & Sweet⁠🍦MM romanceFulfilling my childhood wish of opening an ice cream shop is meant to be a dream come true, not a stress-inducing nightmare. And it’s not meant to make my friends concerned for my health either. But I’ll be fine! All we have to do is survive the summer and then I’ll be able to breathe again. My employee Owen has a different idea, though. He’s seen me watching him swim every morning, and he knows I think he’s ridiculously hot, so he proposes a simple solution to my stress: a summer-long, no-strings hook-up arrangement. It’s the perfect plan on paper. Except, the longer summer goes on, the more I’m developing feelings for the sunshine swimmer who loves my dream as much as I do. But I can’t tell him that. Because Owen doesn’t plan to stay. And I can’t ask him to. Even if letting him walk away would be the worst decision I’ve ever made. Meet Darcy and Owen in the second book of the Lick It! series, set around an artisan ice cream parlour on the Yorkshire coast. It features a stressed out shop owner and his very laid back employee who’s determined to help his boss relax, a ‘just for the summer’ hook-up, late night kitchen dates, friends to lovers, oops we caught feelings (but we’re not talking about it), supportive and nosy friends, pet names, delicious ice cream, and plenty of sweetness and spice. ✨INFLUENCERS: Sign up to review this awesome release: bit.ly/drippedsignup#charlienovak #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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