Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Book Reviews

Hometown Christmas by Garrett Leigh: Quick Review

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Yani Nicolaou is sworn off love for good. After fleeing a bad break-up in London, the only blood, sweat, and tears he has left are for his gyro stall at the Christmas market. Rebound fling? No thanks. He’s sticking to one-night-stands.

Ex-army vet Gavin Richie has even less capacity for romance. Managing a homeless shelter while recovering from injury keeps him far too busy. So what if he’s often alone? He’s content being single, or so he thinks until a chance meeting lights a spark he can’t ignore.

Yani is the warmth and affection Gavin hadn’t known he was missing. As Christmas lights up the city, their lives entwine in more ways than one. Falling for each other is easy. Holding on is harder, unless a hometown Christmas proves their love can last longer than the festive season.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

One of the things I love about Garrett Leigh‘s books is that they are unapologetically British. The slang, the cursing, the food, the wide spectrum of nationalities. It is just so fun and refreshing. It really brings me into that world instead of “Americanizing” all of the language and white washing the characters. And it gives me fun new curse words for my arsenal.

Yani and Gavin were each minor characters in previous books and when they meet now- sparks fly. Their one night stand turns into more, but no feelings. The dreaded FEELINGS! Ha. There are feelings everywhere.

I loved that even after they had a sexual encounter and couldn’t stop thinking about each other, instead of immediately getting naked again, they take the time to get to know each other. Including sleeping in the same bed but only kissing. Swoony sweet.

They basically work opposite hours at different jobs, but make the time to see each other when they can. And fall for each other a little more each time.

So after the first hot and heavy, it turned into a slow burn. But it was totally worth it.

A great Christmas story with a sweet love story.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

The Christmas Deal by Keira Andrews: Quick Review

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Will fake boyfriends become the real deal this holiday?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—except ex-Marine Logan is jobless and getting evicted. Worse, he’s a new single dad with a stepson who hates him. A kid needs stability—not to mention presents under the tree—and Logan’s desperate.

Then he meets lonely Seth and makes a deal.

Can Logan temporarily pretend to be live-in boyfriends to increase Seth’s chances at a promotion? If it provides a roof over their heads for the holidays, hell yeah. Logan considers himself straight—he doesn’t count occasional hookups with guys—but he can fake it. Besides, with his shy little smile, Seth is surprisingly sexy.

Make that damn sexy.

Shocked that Seth has only been with one man, Logan can’t resist sweetening their deal to teach him the joys of casual sex. No strings attached. No feelings. No kissing.

No falling for each other.

Easy, right?

The Christmas Deal is a steamy holiday gay romance from Keira Andrews featuring fake boyfriends, bisexual awakening, a clueless single dad with an angry preteen, and of course a happy ending.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Fun and filthy and sweet and sexy as all get out.

To be honest, I didn’t like Logan at first. I get that his life was total crap, but he just seemed like a jerk. But the more I got to know him and his story, the more I liked him and felt badly for the hand he was dealt in life.

Seth was pretty adorable in that “I don’t even know how adorable I am” way. He deals with his crappy situation a by pretending to be happy.

Seth and Logan both need each other for different things- and Logan’s sister offers the perfect solution. Fake boyfriends for the holidays. Add in a teen going through his OWN crap, an overly friendly boss from Texas and a small group of people helping to pull this off, and you actually get a good story that isn’t totally cliche.

Religion did a number on Seth and his views on sex. He isn’t really a prude, he just doesn’t really know better. But let me tell you, Logan knows better. **fans self** He has the filthiest mouth I think I have ever read in a book. And he doesn’t do it to embarrass Seth, but to show him how awesome sex can be.

There was depth to the story, the heart breaking stories of Logan, Seth AND Logan’s stepson had me in tears more than once. I really loved how each of them helped the others to at least partially overcome their past.

Did I mention Logan’s filthy mouth? Ya. That.

We get not only a happily ever after (how could you not in a Christmas themed book?) and a 5 year jump epilogue which was super satisfying.

4 pieces of eye candy

A Fluid State by Rob Browatzke: RDB, Excerpt and Release Day Review

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Patrick returns from a tour of duty to find his son very different. Peter is dressing in girl’s clothes, and his hair is too long, and he’s obsessed with drag queens. None of that sits well with Patrick. Patrick then meets the drag queen Ann Moore, and starts to hang out with them.

Andrew is one of River City’s best drag queens. As Ann Moore, he dazzles adults and children alike. When one of those children’s fathers wants to find out more about what his son is enjoying, Andrew is happy to guide him. It doesn’t hurt that Patrick is ridiculously hot. Hot and straight though.

The friendship that forms is unlikely, and even more unlikely, Patrick and Andrew find themselves faced with a chemistry they cannot deny.

Book Title: A Fluid State

Author: Rob Browatzke

Publisher: Self Published

Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza

Release Date: January 3, 2020

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: Gay for You/Out for You

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length:  70 000 words/272 pages

It is a standalone book.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“So,” Andrew said, when they were relocated back to the couch, sitting facing each other, beers in hand.

“So.”

“First off, let me, well, set you straight on something. Kent and I aren’t dating, so don’t feel bad about that.”

“Good,” Patrick said. “I’d hate to have some gay guy come at me for hitting on his boyfriend.”

“Is that what it was? You hitting on me?”

Patrick looked away. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

“Well, what’s going on in that head of yours?”

“You,” he said. “You’re going on in my head. You and only you. Ever since we met. I thought it was all about Peter, but no, it’s about me. You’ve gotten under my skin, Andrew, and I don’t know how to get you out of me.” Their eyes locked. “And honestly, I’m not sure I want you gone.”

“But you’re straight.”

“I’ve always thought that. I’ve never been attracted to a guy before this.”

“Never? Not even in school? Some guys experiment, you know.”

“Never. I’ve looked back and there’s never been anything to make me think I’d ever be into a guy.”

“So you’re into me?”

Patrick’s face turned pink and he looked away. “I don’t know. Yes. Yes, I am.” He swallowed hard and looked back at Andrew. “Look, I know this is out of the blue, and I know what you said at the pool, and-”

“What did I say at the pool?”

“That, you know, that you’re not attracted to me.”

It was Andrew’s turn to blush and look away. “Well, since you’re being honest, I guess I should be too. Patrick, of course I’m attracted to you. You… well, look at you. I just said that to set your mind at ease. I was enjoying hanging out. I am enjoying it. I didn’t want you to freak out thinking I found you attractive or worried that I was going to try to jump you.”

“And it ended up being me that jumped at you.”

Andrew looked at him and grinned. “Seems that way.”

“So.”

“So.”

“Here we are then, both attracted to each other. What do we do now?”

This was soooo hard for me to get into… let’s discuss.

Patrick is masculinity personified. He’s a soldier, his dad was a soldier and I think he had hopes of his son being a soldier….But two years in the desert is a long time and when he gets back, he has to get to know his son all over again. His son who wears “girl” clothes and is obsessed with drag. Now, coming from a family of 100% straight folks and being bi, I get it… it’s a lot to spring on someone, especially if in the two years you’ve been trying to keep up with your son, this is something he and his mother kept from you…I get where he’d be confused and a little worried about his son, when my son came out at 13, I had worry myself. Life will be harder, but only because of people like Patrick and people who use that ignorance as justification to be hateful.

So, Patrick is very straight, very confused and very ignorant (and I don’t say that as him being stupid, I mean, as in, he’s not educated on gender fluidity or any parts of the LGBT+ community) For someone so genuinely confused, he randomly asks to have dinner with the drag queen that reads to his son once a week at the library…(which, such a cute idea, I wish everywhere did this)… It all happens so quickly, their conversations, the way they speak (internally and externally, it’s a lot) and the way they jump to conclusions and everything just seemed so fast and clinical, I didn’t feel any chemistry between the two at all. Patrick is a real….peach. (And I say that with 100% sarcasm) I was FURIOUS when Andrew had dinner with him and Patrick jumped the gun once again and acted like a jerk and then ANDREW was the one apologizing. What? Why? Why would you apologize to him for something that could’ve been taken as a joke or an expression or literally anything other than how he completely overreacted by a simple wording of something. If anyone should’ve been offended by the blatant disgusting ways someone said something, it should’ve been Andrew. Patrick gets testy when Andrew “generalizes” his straightness and masculinity, but that’s literally ALL Patrick is doing. I’ve never heard someone say so many wrong things in the completely wrong way… I hated it. Literally, I hated it.

And I love me a good GFY, especially involving soldiers and overly masc men, but, I just didn’t feel it here. I wanted to so badly, but I just didn’t feel any chemistry between the two or even understand how either of them could about each other. Andrew, you know Patrick is straight, and not only straight, but stupid straight (okay, I called him stupid there, not ignorant, and read the first few chapters, you’ll know why)… but then Patrick…you’re in the desert for two years, surrounded by guys and never been tempted? Never had chemistry and thought, maybe? Or even imagined it or been tempted by situational “what happens in the desert stays in the desert because desperate times calls for desperate measures”? But then, this guy that you continuously offhandedly offend and genuinely do not understand, and that’s what gets ya?

My head hurts.

Now, in saying all that, if you can jump past all that and get to Patrick opening his mind a bit, and their unconventional start, they were hot together. Patrick bottoming, I did not see coming.. hello…

I had a bit of trouble with the bullying aspect. I hate when bad guys get away with being bad guys and Tommy and his dad both and the people in the restaurant, it was all a lot in the way of how nasty the lgbt community gets treated and I just don’t like when people get away with that, especially in books where I like a HEA…which these two did get, so, if you can make it past the first quarter of the beginning, and like angsty, worth it in the end, reads, you might enjoy this one. I might not have been in the right frame of mind for it or something, but I was happy that they ended happy and together. Plus, I love me a hot dad, so, win/win, right?

Rob Browatzke has been writing for as long as he can remember, and is pretty darn excited for someone else to be reading his stuff finally! When it comes to gay bars and booze and drugs and drama, he knows what he’s talking about. He came out in the mid-90s, and liquor and drama went hand in hand. He has 20+ years of experience working in gay clubs in Edmonton, Alberta, and you’ll always find his love for his other career permeating the stories he tells. Rob is now 9+ years clean and sober, although there’s still a bit of drama once in a while, for old times’ sake.

Rob loves the growing market for gay fiction and m/m romance. There are some incredible authors out there, and it’s important to be able to see in print (or on the screen) stories about people just like us. Coming out, our relationships, the issues we face, we all have stories to tell. And this book is just one of the stories coming out of Wonderland.

Feel free to stalk him online. He’s on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @robbrowatzke.

Author Links

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter @robbrowatzke  | Instagram @robbrowatzke

LUST HATE LOVE (Fallen Angel Book 4) by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine: Release Day Review

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USA TODAY bestselling authors Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank continue the story of sexy Fallen Angel rockers Killian and Levi in LUST. HATE. LOVE.

As the sexy, charismatic bassist for world-famous rock band Fallen Angel, whatever Killian Michaels wants, Killian Michaels gets.
Or at least that was the case until the band’s gorgeous new manager, Levi Walker, shot him down after a blistering first kiss.

For Levi, managing these five guys is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he’s not about to let a case of sexual desire get in his way. He’s efficient, professional, and plays by the book. But tension simmers beneath Levi’s cool exterior every time Killian’s near, and soon enough the passion boils over, consuming them both.

As the Corruption tour takes them from country to country, a heated game of cat and mouse ensues. Levi tries to deny the irresistible pull of Killian’s seductive nature, but with an attraction as strong as theirs, it’s only a matter of time before the lust-filled hate turns to love.

LUST. HATE. LOVE. is the fourth book of the Fallen Angel Series and follows a new couple in the band. It can be read as a standalone or following ANGEL.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

The two authors. Whew. They sure can write a smoking hot book. And characters we tend to fall in love with. And while there have been quite a few series of 3, 4 or even more books based on one couple (or throuple), this is one book. Start to finish is their story. No cliff hangers, no questions left unanswered, nothing. And…that makes me super happy. I undoubtedly LOVE the first book in a series. And then I definitely like the second a lot. By the third, I get a little bored. But I still read them because I want to get the story as the authors intended. So ya, one book made me happy.

We met Killian, the de facto “head” of the band with the first book in a previous series. And you don’t even need to read that series before reading this one. It stands alone well.

We also meet Levi, the new band manager, at the end of the last series. This is his absolute dream job- managing one of his favorite bands. Except that he is totally attracted to Killian, Killian is totally attracted to him and Levi has a strict hands off the client policy.

As such, there is a lot of cat and mouse. Killian the cat chasing Levi the mouse.

It was fun to watch, seeing when Levi would give in. How he would give in. Where he would give in. And yep, some seriously hot sexy times there.

We don’t get a ton of Halo and Viper- although their presence is definitely known. And we get a little side story involving three others. That was fun.

So even though this was technically Killian’s story, it was a good wrap up to the series without focusing on Halo and Viper.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

The Dichotomy of Angels by N. R. Walker: New Release Review

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Nathaniel and Chasan are no ordinary angels.

Destiny chose them to be twin flames, fated mates. But Nathaniel has avoided Chasan for nearly a thousand years.

When sent to Earth on a mission to live and work together, Nathaniel comes face-to-face with his destiny. Short-tempered, petulant, and grumpy, he hates the idea of being fated to anyone and has chosen an existence of isolation rather than spending time with the calm, kind, and serene Chasan. But now he has no choice.

One is fire, the other is air; a true dichotomy of angels. Together they will be ignited, or they will be extinguished. This assignment will seal their fate either way.

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85,000 words. A sometimes-funny, sometimes-serious story about love, destiny, and other heavenly disasters.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Proof that I will read anything by N.R. Walker: I am an atheist and things like angels make me roll my eyes. Then she writes a book about angels. GIMME!

I will say this-it was the most non-religious angel book ever. Even with the heaven and hell and Saint Peter and Michael. Religion took a back seat to the story.

Nathaniel and Chasan are a bit like fated mates. But since a failed mission nearly 1000 years ago, Nathaniel has kept away from Chasan. Rarely doing missions (going to earth as a human to help someone), instead choosing to mostly work the hell department with brief detours to the canine department. But St Peter put his foot down and is making them work together on the next mission-without telling them exactly what it entails.

Down to earth they go- New York City in fact- to be married preschool teachers. Nathaniel is horrified, Chasan is delighted.

And it was fun. Fun to read about them navigating life as humans- especially Nathaniel who hadn’t done it in nearly 1000 years. And they have no “angel powers” and Nathaniel can’t curse. It’s pretty hilarious.

Their mission becomes clear to Chasan, but Nathaniel is still clueless. And it is just heartbreaking. Feeling that heartbreak for a character seems to be a specialty of NR Walker. You just fall in love with them.

There is definitely angst, a bit of romance and some really funny lines. Even the two men as preschool teachers was swoony.

This is a great book to just hide under the blanket and devour.

4.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

The Layover by Roe Horvat: Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Eight years ago, Ondro Smrek fled Slovakia and the bigotry that drove his first lover to take his own life, but the demons proved impossible to outrun. Desperate for somewhere to belong, Ondro is returning to start over.

During a layover in Basel, Switzerland, he meets Jamie, an American living in Scotland who is as brilliant as he is beautiful. Jaded Ondro never would have guessed he could fall in love during a brief layover—until now.

When he is put in a position to offer Jamie comfort without hope of recompense, Ondro doesn’t hesitate and soon catches a glimpse of the home he longs for. But with their separation looming, confessing his feelings can only lead to pain and humiliation. Life has taught Ondro not to hope, but then, he never believed in love at first sight either…

Length: 115 pages

Amazon US – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link

Interesting, different, sweet, a little sexy…

First thing that drew me to this book is that one of the main characters, Ondro, is from Slovakia. Not a country we see a lot in books. Plus, how were they going to have a HEA or even a HFN after being together for only 5 days.

Spoiler alert- the author did totally make me believe that after 5 days together they would have a happily ever after.

It’s a short book and I don’t want to rehash the blurb. But I will say these things. I loved how the author didn’t have sex to fall back on when they were together. They actually got to know each other over the five days.

They also had well developed backgrounds and stories. All of which made them who they are today and just made them all the more interesting to read about.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

4 pieces of eye candy

Queer fiction author Roe Horvat was born in the post-communist wasteland of former Czechoslovakia. Equipped with a dark sense of sarcasm, Roe traveled Europe and finally settled in Sweden. He came out as transgender in 2017 and has been fabulous since. He loves Jane Austen, Douglas Adams, bad action movies, stand-up comedy, pale ale, and daiquiri, with equal passion. When not hiding in the studio doing graphics, he can be found trolling cafés in Gothenburg, writing, and people-watching.

More about the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roe.horvat.98

Twitter: @roehorvat

Website: roehorvat.com

Publisher: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/?n1=authors&id=107

 

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