Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Book Reviews

The Color Of Summer by Anna Martin: RDB, Release Day Review *2, and Giveaway

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Tattoo artist Max Marshall rushes into his hometown of Sweetwater, West Virginia—and is promptly pulled over for speeding. Max’s luck isn’t all bad, though, because he recognizes the deputy, Tyler Reed, Max’s childhood best friend’s older brother.

Reconnecting with Tyler helps Max settle back in, and it also leads to attraction. But when he tries to explore that connection at the grand opening of his tattoo studio—by kissing Tyler—awkwardness ensues. Max wants more, but has he misread Tyler’s signals?

As a single father raising a six-year-old daughter, Tyler doesn’t have much time to date. He’s ignored his attraction to men for years, but he can’t stop thinking about the kiss he shared with Max. If he can handle the complications of dating in a small town and the possible consequences to his career, this romance could blossom with all the colors of summer.

Length: 71,000 words approx.

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Design: Reese Dante

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Cute story, low angst, plus a kid…

Max comes home to Sweetwater, WV (if that doesn’t give you a clue as to the cuteness level) and immediately gets pulled over by his best friend’s older brother. But from there they form a friendship, which Max tests with a kiss. Cue perceived straight boy introspection, worry about job (big manly men cops) and his daughter.

But they decide to forge forward slowly. Tyler because not only is this dating a guy thing new, he hasn’t dated in years. And Max, the proverbial bad boy tattoo artist who doesn’t commit. Well, I think he is supposed to be like that but doesn’t put up much of a fight when he ends up spending tons of time with both Tyler and his daughter.

The writing is a bit stuttery for me. (Yes, making up words again). Although I know this author has a few books under her belt, the writing just isn’t smooth. It was a decent story though. It kind of reminded me of a traditional Harlequin romance. Formulaic, sweet, some sexy scenes, the big drama to bring them closer, the misunderstanding, etc, etc.

There were a few things left hanging, some unresolved tiny plot points. I don’t want to say what they are because you might not even notice.

I’ll call this a good beach read. Easy to pick up and put down, you won’t get lost in the story, but you’ll still be entertained.

3 pieces of eye candy

A tattoo artist and a single dad/cop…. Nuff said.

Max (the tattoo artist) is back in his hometown after his mother suffers a stroke and he wants to be closer to home. I like how close he is with his family, his mom especially. Upon entering town, he gets pulled over by his old friend’s brother, Tyler.

Tyler is the cop (duh) and single dad. Should’ve been swooning my socks off, but his back and forth kind of wore on me. I get with his occupation and him being a single parent, that coming out and even accepting oneself would be a tricky log to hop over… I didn’t begrudge him that, but he didn’t feel confused about it to me, it was just yes I am, no I’m not, but I am, and let’s not bring it up again.

But, I liked these two together and their friendly banter and easy conversation, even from the very beginning was cute and felt real. I’ve never read this author before, but sometimes dialogue gets a little cringy just for filling space I fell like, and I didn’t get any of that from this story… It was low angst and slow moving, … I’m not emotionally confident enough to handle a bunch of drama in my happily ever afters.

I loved Max’s relationship with Juniper, I’m always a sucker for kids in these stories, because I too was a single mom, once upon a time and finding a guy to step in and be great with your kids is tricky and it doesn’t always work, but when a Tyler finds himself in a situation and Max moves in to help him out, I couldn’t help but fall in love with all three of them.

The only thing that really bothered me was Tyler’s view of his sexuality and the back and forth. I hoped he would seem more sure and it wasn’t just a convenience thing, because even though I could tell that they had genuine feelings for each other… and they become this happy family in the end, they didn’t even say I love you…. I kept waiting on it, and it never happened, so it felt unfinished to me. I dunno, maybe I’m being too picky.

Overall, it was a sweet read and cute for anyone like myself who enjoys hot dads, cops or tattoo artists.

3 pieces of eye candy from me

Anna Martin is from a picturesque seaside village in the southwest of England and now lives in the Bristol, a city that embraces her love for the arts. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English literature at university before attempting to turn her hand as a professional writer.

Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, Anna is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theater (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), going to visit friends in other countries, and reading anything thatís put under her nose.

Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, prereading, and creative ass kicking provided by her best friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept responsibility for anything Anna has written.

https://www.annamartin-fiction.com/

http://www.facebook.com/annamartinfiction

http://www.pinterest.com/annamartinficti/

http://instagram.com/missannamartin

http://www.twitter.com/missannamartin

 

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Prophesy: Book II: The Bringer of Wrath (The King and Alpha Series 2) by A.E. Via: Blog Tour, New Release Review and HUGE Giveaway

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Shifter and Vampire True Mates story.

Alek’s older brother, Justice—the Alpha Zenith—was the first shifter to mate with a vampire in many generations, and it was believed the rare, fated pairing would stop at him. But, it hadn’t. Aleksei ‘Alek’ Volkov was second beta, next in succession to the most powerful shifter in the world. He was proud of his title and he took his duties seriously. It was all he had. Until his true mate literally showed up on his doorstep.

While his brother—the overachiever—excelled at having a vampire as a mate, Alek wasn’t that optimistic he would. He wasn’t averse to love, and he’d often thought of how different his life could’ve turned out if he’d ever experienced the emotion. His life was a mess and he’d worn a mask of stability for a majority of that time, only showing his siblings and pack what they needed to see—a strong Volkov alpha. Not the damaged man he was, with a tortured soul and a rogue wolf.

Alek dropped his heavy head in his hands. Now, for some reason, I’ve been granted a true vampire mate. And not just any vampire. The intimidating Belleron Liatos. Lord High to the King and the leader of his army.

Belleron ‘Bell’ Liatos had come to the states for one reason—his best friend and Vampire King, Chadwick Bentley. He certainly didn’t come to be pounced on by a wolf that could act independently of its master. Not only was his destined cherished a complicated and confused man; but he was also unaware of the powerful presence that lurked in the shadows of his soul. Bell didn’t know he’d be the key to unlocking an exceptional triad that would play a critical role in fulfilling the prophesy.

This story DOES NOT contain or even mention MPREG.
No multiple pairings. No cliffhangers. Ends with a very HFN.

Warning: This book is M/M paranormal: If you DO NOT like alpha men shifting into large wolves, or vampires feeding from their destined beloveds, than this may not be the novel for you.

Length: 87,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Jay Aheer @ Simply Defined Art

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Prophesy 1 –

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(Currently only 99c/99p)

I’m not normally the biggest fan of paranormal/shifters/vampires. I mean, I like them usually, but it isn’t the first book I reach for. UNLESS it is by one of my top ten authors. Then gimme!

You absolutely have to read book 1. Do not even attempt to read this without that knowledge.

There is a lot that goes on in this book. A LOT. One of the big goings on is with Alek- the shifter of focus in this story. Honestly, I get it but I was like whaaaa? for a while. Maybe because I don’t read a lot of these types of books. Definitely interesting though.

Belleron (Bell) is his love interest. No surprise there as Alek quite unceremoniously and without warning bit Bell mere moments after seeing him. Even though Bell accepts him as his mate, there is a lot of trust issues there to unpack.

But first! Drama! A rogue coven of vampires in England are trying to take over so as to eventually oust the Vampire King Chadwick Bentley. Who is also Bell’s best friend. Oh and Bell is Wick’s number two man. And Alek is Justice’s number two. And Justice is with Wick. Vampires and shifters! A vampire that also shifts! Oh what a tangled web. This is why you need to read book 1.

While there is a lot going on in the book, there is also a lot of Bell and Alek getting to know and love each other. Even simple things like going fishing for the day or out to the symphony and dinner. Even though it was a nice break from all of the drama, I feel like the Big Bad (Buffy the Vampire Slayer™) was dealt with too cleanly with little pay off.

I was definitely sucked right into this world. When book three comes out, this book will need to be reread because there is that much in there.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for five years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over fifteen years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great new up and coming MM authors.

A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her. Writing.

A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

Now that she’s gotten over her 10 books published hump, she’s kind of known now for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes, but she won’t push herself into a whole other genre. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.

Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.

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His Steady Heart by Nell Iris: Pre-Release Day Review

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Ashley Buchanan—Buck—moved back home to take care of his sick mother when he was 22. That was the first time he met Pippin, the neglected 6-year-old boy next door. Fifteen years later, Buck—a caretaker by nature—offers up his couch for Pippin, who needs a break from his mom and a quiet place to sleep.

Pippin Olander is a ray of sunshine despite his emotionally lacking upbringing and works hard to make a better life for himself. Even though he’s fiercely self-sufficient, he learns to accept help from Buck, his rock and only steady presence in his life.

Their friendship deepens and grows into something more as they spend more time together. But when other people try to throw a wrench in the works, when Pippin’s independence is triggered, can Buck and Pippin trust in the love they’ve found?

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This is a first for me with this author, and I have to say, it was exactly the kind of fluffy read that I needed today! So, so very cute.

Ashley moved home to take care of his mother when he was 22, though it’s merely mentioned, we don’t see any of that; but that’s where he met Pippin, the six-year-old boy who’d moved in next door with his mother. Selfish, neglectful and downright stupid is how I’d describe her, especially with the way she treats Pippin, and always has. Ashley, or Buck as he’s known to everyone else, and his mother though, kind of took him in and looked over him the best they could.

Now though, after seeing Pippin on his porch in the cold because his mom was “entertaining” another male visitor, Ashley has had enough and gives Pippin a key to his house to get out of the cold when that happens, or just whenever he needs to.

Ashley is sweet in the way that he’s always looking to take care of people in his life, and Pippin is no different. He’s been the constant in his life, the steady. While it’s true that Pippen is 16 years his junior, it doesn’t stop him from seeing the man that he’s grown into. Pippin is independent and very sweet and considerate and loyal, despite the mother he grew up with. I was hoping to get Pippin’s POV, some, but it was really well written from Ashley’s.

I loved that these two weren’t what most would assume, like just because Ashley is a big burly man with the beard and fur and tattoo’s, that he’s the “Daddy” type, or the “top” …. He’s so sweet and soft that you can’t help but love him…. And I love that just because Ashley is younger, smaller and the more subdued type, doesn’t mean he isn’t just as fiercely protective, possessive and sweet as Ashley.

I really enjoyed it for the short read it was. And I keep saying sweet, because…. well it just was. I do wish we’d have dished some karma back on the mom and the ex that popped up for a second, but… still… I’m just petty that way.

4 pieces of eye candy

T.A.G. You’re Seen by A.G. Carothers: RDB, Excerpt and Giveaway

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Attention: This book contains explicit sexual content between consenting assassins and not so innocent professors. There are depictions of masochistic masturbation, male chastity, breath play, watersports, humiliation, and torture by eighties hair bands with ginger sprinkles on top.

Phew! Now, that that’s out of the way, Hi. I’m Mr. No your friendly communications agent for The Assassins’ Guild AKA T.A.G.

I’ve been authorized by the head honcho himself, Mr. H, to release approved records from the agent files.

Agent Code Name Mr. W was recovering from a near death debacle by way of an easy assignment in a small mountain town. Red flags sprang up immediately around the seemingly innocent English professor. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery Jacob Peters presented, Mr. W made plans to do what he did best, watch , wait , and then capture and interrogate.

But even the best laid plans can go awry and what Mr. W discovered derailed his plan to kill Jacob.

Find out what brought Mr. W to his knees in this first release from the archives of The Assassins’ Guild.

Book Title: T.A.G. You’re Seen (The Assassins’ Guild, Book 1)

Author:  A.G. Carothers

Cover Artist: Amai Designs Samantha Santana

Release Date: May 21, 2019

Genre/s: MM Thriller Romance MM BDSM Romance

Trope/s: criminals and outlaws, first time, forbidden love, hurt/comfort, rescue, thrill of the chase

Heat Rating: 5 flames

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T.A.G. You better hope you’re not it!

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Shortly, after the cock cage incident, Dad sat me down to have The Talk. I knew by then that I liked dick. At first, I thought maybe it was because I was around men all the time and hardly ever any women, but one day I pulled up cameras from the women’s locker room just to see. Yeah, even the more masculine looking females did nothing for me. I got off my dad’s laptop quickly before he caught me and went back to my room to look at the gay porn I had smuggled from the sex shop. So, my dad sits me down and I’m worried. Even as isolated as we were on the compound, I had access to the outside world. I knew how homosexuality was viewed. Yes, there were changes being made and it was more accepted now, but I still worried.

I was sitting at the kitchen table when Dad came in with a dildo in one hand and a weird looking toy in the other one. It looked scary from afar. He put them down on the table along with a condom and a bottle of lube before he sat down. I was already blushing and ready to make a dash back to my room, but he pinned me with that look he got when he was dead serious and started his explanation. He showed me how to put a condom on, which I rolled my eyes at because duh. That was proceeded with a long talk on all STDs, how you can catch them in non-sexual ways, symptoms, and pictures. He pulled up pictures on his laptop. I was mortified, but damn if I was going to make sure I used condoms no matter what.

He then picked up the item that I had been avoiding looking at. It was multicolored and just weird looking. It turned out to be a big silicon asshole more or less. It was weird. Later, I found out why it looked so weird, but that’s just not something I want to think about. Although, I did end up buying a few dildos from the fantasy dildo company it was from when I got older. But back to my horrifying sex talk with my dad. He opened the lube and briefly went over the best kinds of lube to use and when. At this point, it hadn’t occurred to me how my dad knew all this stuff. He was my dad. He knew everything as far as I was concerned. He then showed me how, if I were to have sex with another man, how to prepare them or myself for it using the silicon asshole of course. He explained things like the prostate and other key erogenous zones of the male genitalia. By the end, I knew I was scarlet and dying of embarrassment. If my dad was embarrassed in anyway, he didn’t show it. He was very clinical about it. He used his instructor voice and could have been going over the parts of a P-90, he was so unphased.

He never once said anything about women. The next day, I went to his office and asked him, “How did you know?”

He quirked an eyebrow at me and said, “Yoshi, do you really think Mr. Th (that was his assistant) got you stuff from the adult store in town without my permission?”

I turned beet red and stuttered, “No, sir.” I thought I was in huge trouble and kept my eyes on my feet.

My dad pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight, surprising me. “I’m not mad. I’m glad that you went to him rather than try to sneak off on your own or do something irresponsible. I figured you weren’t ready to talk to me about those kinds of things and that’s okay. Just know that I’m always here if you need me and I’ll never judge you.” I nodded and hugged him tight, not realizing that I had started crying. I hadn’t really thought how much I was worried about it until I felt the relief his words brought me.

“I love you, Dad.” The words came out more of a whisper than I intended.

He pushed me to arm’s length, so he could see me and wiped my eyes. “I love you too, Son. Now, go out to the range. You have a test tomorrow.” I nodded and headed to the door. I had my hand on the knob when he spoke again. “Just so you know, I’m gay too.”

I turned my head in shock. The surprise evident on my face, my eyes wide. He furrowed his brows at me. “What? Did you not think I had a love life, too?”

I tried to pick my jaw up off the ground to answer. “No, Dad. Honestly, I never thought about you having a relationship much less sex.”

Dad burst out laughing then. “Well, I do.”

I stuck my fingers in my ears and started singing, “Lalalalala. I don’t want to know, Dad.”

My dad sobered then and cleared his throat. “Do you think if I found someone I really liked that you’d be okay if I brought him round?”

I took my fingers out of my ears and went back and threw my arms around him again and squeezed tight and then let go. “Yeah, Dad.” Before things could get any more awkward, I dashed out the door and closed it behind me. I hissed traitor as I passed Mr. Th’s desk and went out to the range.

 

A.G. Carothers is actually a dragon very cleverly disguised as a human. They are a non-binary author of LGBTQIA Romance and Urban Fantasy, who enjoys writing original and entertaining stories. They are very excited to share the worlds they’ve created with you.

A.G. currently lives in Tennessee with their platonic life partner, who is not a dragon. They yearn to live back in Europe and will some day. In their spare time they are addicted to losing themselves in the lovely worlds created by other authors

A.G. is committed to writing the stories they see in their head without restrictions. Love is blind and doesn’t see gender, race, or sexuality.

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Winter’s Promise (Captured Heart Book 1) by Giovanna Reaves: New Release Review

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A promise broken, is a promise not treasured.

Winter Di Matteo

Winter made a promise to his best friend Caroline the day she died that he would take care of her son. He was ready to put finding his mate on hold, making Connor his top priority. Until a knock on his front door changes his plans.

Creed Makami

For twenty-four years Creed served his country proudly and was ready to start living as a civilian. A few months before retiring from the service, devastating news about his brother Richard and his mate brings him home quicker than expected. Finding out that he has a nephew, gives him a new mission.

Two men and the baby in the middle.

What happens when Winter, and Creed meet? Will they deny their attraction to each other as they try to keep their promise to their loved ones?

Title: Winter’s Promise

Series: Captured Heart Book One

Author: Giovanna Reaves

Genre(s): Gay Romance, MM, Omegaverse

Length: 165 pages

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I love a good fated mates tale. This one was good, it had a little bit of everything: heartbreak, instant connection, intrigue, and a cute baby. Together Winter and Creed forge ahead with a life neither one planned for, but that the universe saw fit for them to have. As they learn more about each other and parenthood the sparks start to fly. When Creed starts to get suspicious about how Richard and Caroline died, the author takes you on a little detour that I didn’t necessarily see coming. The secondary story line of suspense and intrigue was just enough to keep the story fresh and interesting without overpowering the primary romantic story line.

Overall, a great story. I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

4 pieces of eye candy

Giovanna (Gia) Reaves is the alter ego for a dreamer. A dreamer who spends her days and nights creating worlds from her imagination. Being an avid reader, allowed Gia’s imagination to take hold. With the encouragement of her loved ones, Gia has given in to the voices in her head, putting their words and wolds to paper. Gia is also a mother, wife, and veteran. Gia is also a serious chocoholic and loves to read MM Romance just as much as she loves writing them. The sweeter the better, especially, on a snowy or rainy day is how she likes to fill her days when she is not writing.

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The Hate You Drink by N.R. Walker: Release Day Review

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Erik Keston, son of the Keston Real Estate empire, knows what it takes to be successful. Despite his inherent wealth, he holds his own. He works hard, he’s grounded, he’s brilliant. He’s also secretly in love with his best friend.

Monroe Wellman lost his parents three years ago and never grieved, never recovered. Inheriting the family company and wealth means nothing, and his spiral of self-destruction is widespread and spectacular. Dubbed Sydney’s bad boy, he spends more days drunk than sober, and the only person who’s stuck by him through it all is his best mate.

But when Monroe hits rock bottom, Erik gives him an ultimatum, and his entire world comes to a grinding halt. It’s not until the haze lifts that Monroe can truly see what he’s been searching for was never in the bottom of a bottle. It’s been by his side all along.

* * *

An 80,000-word friends-to-lovers story about fighting the demons within and trusting in the love that takes its place.

“Because when all you drink is hate, that’s all there is inside you.”

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

 

Wow…

What a relevant topic of today. Addiction.

I’ve gotta say that this one was incredibly emotional for me, as someone who not only has struggled with alcohol addiction but also grew up with an alcoholic father, it was so well written and described every part of the recovery process perfectly.

Erik and Monroe have been best friends since they were 18 and met in college. More than best friends though, one cannot function without the other, and since Monroe lost his parents in an accident three years ago, he’s needed more from his friend than is healthy. Using alcohol as a way to cover up all the feelings and grief associated with losing his parents that he didn’t have a great relationship with, he let himself get carried away with his addiction.

Erik though, man… there would never be a more patient and supportive friend, but support can so easily turn into enabling and it’s a fine line between the two if you don’t know how to handle someone with an addiction. Erik cared so much, love his friend so much that he let him get away with so much, as long as it kept him happy. But, with any kind of addiction, if left untreated, it just gets worse and worse, and Erik was afraid that if Monroe didn’t get control of it, he’d end up in prison, or dead. His family used their connections and set up a type of intervention to get Monroe some help, but wow, it was not easy.

I loved that we got to see the addiction from both POV’s. I love how raw and painful it was, but that’s honest. I liked the way it was described because it isn’t just the one with the diseases battle to beat, it affects so many people, the people closest to you especially. Monroe hurt his best friend time and time again. He hurt his father’s old friend, and lawyer Jeffery, and Erik’s parents and sister as well. He realized this after he was forced to listen to their intervention, and it was enough to make him want to get help. It was heartbreaking for all of them.

They were all there for Monroe, but they needed to be there for Erik as well, and he was such a strong person… his love for Monroe kept him strong because he needed him to get better. Their relationship may have seemed co-dependant, and maybe a little bit, it was, because they needed each other’s happiness to be truly happy… but with the help of Saul, the therapist, (who is the epitome of amazing) they got through it and used it in a healthy way.

I know addiction is stigmatized and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth when someone mentions it… but like with these two, it can grab ahold of anyone and it’s so easy to get lost down this rabbit hole of numbness and easy ways to forget; and it’s hard to pull yourself out of it. Almost impossible to do on your own, and I loved how real and honest it was with the whole process. Not everyone has success stories, not everyone has support systems and if Monroe didn’t have Erik, I don’t think he would’ve had anyone else.

Each of them had to prove that they could handle things on their own so they could be better for each other. It was emotional and sometimes a struggle and I shed many tears for both of them. What an awesome read though, I really enjoyed it. And the ending was perfect and they both deserved it after all their hard work. It just tied everything together perfectly. I definitely recommend!

5 pieces of eye candy from me!