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Book Reviews

The Worst Best Man by M.J. O’Shea: Release Day Review

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The-Worst-Best-Mansynopsis

It was her special day… but his worst nightmare.

A rekindled romance wasn’t part of the plan.

Despite his American background, August O’Leary is the most sought-after wedding planner in London. Naturally, Libby and Edward come to him for a wedding the city will never forget. But Edward is an international businessman, so the details are left to Libby and her best friend—who happens to be the love of August’s life and the one who broke his heart eight years ago: Christopher Burke.

How’s August supposed to pull off the event of the year with Christopher distracting him and old feelings crashing the party uninvited?

Christopher has let money and status dictate his life, but no more. His failure to stand up to others’ expectations cost him his future with August—one he hoped would include marriage. Now he has to face August’s hurt and anger and prove he’s still the best man to make August happy.

Title: The Worst Best Man
Author: M.J. O’Shea
Release Date: February 1, 2017
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 208

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michelle review

The Worst Best Man is the first book I’ve read from O’Shea and I really enjoyed it.

The story is set in UK with one of the MCs, August, being from Boston. He works for a party planning company in which he has an extended family with the people he works.

Christopher is best friends with one of the brides (Libby) who is a client of August. With August planning the wedding and Christopher being the Best Man I was excited to see how they would find their way back to each other.
O’Shea does a wonderful job in keeping the story flowing throughout the book. It’s nice when the 2 MCs already know each other (even if it has been a while since they’ve seen each other) so there isn’t a need to go slow….We get to jump into the nitty gritty of getting reacquainted (after the groveling of course) and onto the love story.

Both characters were likable but I adored August the most even though, at times, I felt he gave into easily were Christopher was concerned. Their story was sweet, endearing and a pleasurable read. I will definitely be checking out more from O’Shea.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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Thick & Thin by Charlie Cochet: Release Day Review includes Giveaway

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thick-and-thinsynopsisIn a matter of days, Dex has been kidnapped, tortured, killed, revived, become half Therian, offered the chance to become a spy, and accepted a proposal to marry his jaguar Therian boyfriend, Sloane Brodie. It’s been a lot to take in, and although Dex is still trying to wrap his head around everything that’s happened, he knows he has to move forward.

After the events of Smoke & Mirrors, Dex and Sloane find themselves in one of the most frightening situations of all: revealing the truth to their Destructive Delta family. When the dust settles, nothing will ever be the same, and it’s up to Dex to prove that in the face of change, the one thing that will always remain the same is family.

Title: Thick & Thin
Series: THIRDS: Book Eight
Author: Charlie Cochet
Release Date: February 1, 2017
Category: Mystery/Suspense; Paranormal: Werewolves/Shifters, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 95

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denise review

Every time I read something by Charlie Cochet, I am so impressed. She continues to amaze me with the depth she adds to all her work, whether its a THIRDS novella or her holiday series. Thick & Thin is no exception. It isn’t just the depth of the characters or emotions that are so impressive. The depth of the stories are so multi-leveled that although these COULD be read as stand alone, a reader would miss so much of the setup for future, from beginning to end.

To start Hell & High Water with Dex, and learning quickly in that book that his parents were killed in the riots, when he was only 5 years old, to then come full circle to Thick & Thin, and get a better understanding of what actually happened takes planning, plotting and more planning. In book 2, you see set up that comes to fruition several books later, and so on.

With Thick & Thin, Charlie takes a short novella, packs a super punch, leaves the reader hanging (only slightly), and wanting more of what is ahead for the entire family of Destructive Delta. In addition, this was a necessary component to the series. Although people have been dying for the next book, this was needed to prepare the reader for what was coming. Her completion of one or two story arcs, in a 95 page novella, and setup for Seb and Hudson’s book is such a great balance of loving what you’re reading, and wanting what is ahead.

Sometimes in a book series with so many books, the reader can get bored, and move on, yet there is absolutely no chance this reader (or most) is moving on, and the second I get my hands on book 9, I will be hiding away from the world so that I can soak up every word of it.

Not a single spoiler! You NEED to read this! That is all. 🙂

4.5 pieces of eye candy

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Inheritance by Sean Michael: Release Day Review

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inheritamcesynopsis

Cash McCord’s life is pretty much perfect. He owns the family ranch, loves his work, and invites the occasional cowboy into his bed. But everything is turned upside down when his brother Jack and Jack’s wife Val are killed in a car crash, leaving behind six kids.

Cash is made guardian of the children, along with Val’s brother, Brad Rafferty—a man who couldn’t be more different from Cash if he tried. A Yankee, Brad is a video-game developer who works twelve-to-fourteen-hour days at his desk. They lock horns as soon as they set eyes on each other. Neither man is happy to have the other around, but neither is willing to give up custody of his nieces and nephews.

It’s up to these two polar opposites to keep the kids together and give them a family again. But first they’ll have to keep from killing each other.

First Edition published as Inheritance in Family Matters by Torquere Press, 2008.
Second Edition published by Torquere Press, 2013.

Title: Inheritance
Author: Sean Michael
Release Date: February 1, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 80

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Dreamspinner Press

 

jennifer

Ok, so I’m pretty sure Cash is the one who lost his brother Jack and Brad lost his sister Val. I kept getting who was related to whom mixed up, but by the end, I think that was it…So, both passed away in a car accident and left six children behind. I couldn’t imagine, how sad. Fortunately, they both had brothers who they wanted to care for them. They were as opposite as night and day, but it was what their siblings wanted and they didn’t want to be without the kids, so they saddled up and dealt with it as best they could. Sure… it went to blows once or twice and they fought about it quite a bit. Cash wanting to go back to his land, his farm and continue his life and Brad wanted to stay in the home the kids’ parents left to them.

Then, in the midst of arguing and fighting about where to live and when to go, they start hookin up…. Literally every few pages is hot steamy time and I’ll admit, I did start to skim after a bit….which is rare to me, because the steamy part is the best, right? I couldn’t get over the dialogue though… All the “buddies” and the “man”. I’d never call someone buddy in the middle of sex lol, maybe cuz I’m a Midwestern?? I’m not sure… It just never clicked with me though…

Once the guys finally got a routine going, Brad’s mom shows up and makes trouble. Then she makes a lot of trouble and she’s just a nasty, terrible person. Prejudice because she doesn’t feel like 2 men should raise a family and off pouting because she didn’t get asked to be the one to raise the kids, in the will….She’s just a bitter ol’ nasty woman and I was glad that in the end they took the kids away to the farm and got her out of their life. At least, that’s what I hope happened because kids being around someone like that, learning that terrible behavior…. I’da hated that for them, because they all loved their uncle’s Cash and Brad. They were good for them.

I would have liked to have seen the Granny get a little karmatic justice, but meh…. I was content with the way the things ended and of course, I love me a HEA… and everyone ended up happy and healthy and together. Can’t ask for more than that, can we?

Overall, a pretty good read…the only problems I had were my own personal preferences…they in no way took away from this story at all in any other way…Sean Michael has a knack for writing mannies and stories with kids. Can’t wait to read more!

4 pieces of eye candy for me.

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deanna review

Great story, it pulled me in from the beginning and I read it in one sitting.

Cash and Brad inherit custody of their 6 young nieces and nephews when their parents are killed in a car accident. The only stipulation to the will is that Cash and Brad raise the kids together. Cash is a rancher from Texas and Brad is a video game developer, they really don’t have a lot in common except for the kids.

Brad and Cash fumble along trying to keep the kid’s lives as normal as possible while trying to get to know each other and figure out what the future holds. Cash wants to move everyone to his ranch in Texas. Brad balks at the idea at first not wanting to uproot the kids from the only place they’ve ever know. As Cash and Brad get to know each other better they begin to build the foundation for what they hope will be a relationship that far outlasts the raising of children.

Brad’s mother tries to interfere with how he and Cash are raising the kids and Brad starts to rethink Texas. Just maybe a new start on a sprawling ranch is just what everyone needs.

This was a great read, the story was just deep enough to feel for all the characters without getting lost in the grief that might have overshadowed the story. At some points the scenes were chaotic but raising six kids will be like that and made it seem authentic.

The one strange point for me was that Brad’s sister had me been married to Cash’s brother for well over 13 years yet neither Brad nor Cash knew the other was gay. How is that possible?

The unexpected villain was grandmommy dearest. I was expecting a more climactic conclusion to the storyline. I didn’t think she would have given up where her character did in the story. I kept waiting for her to pop back up in Texas.

Overall, a very entertaining read but then again Sean Michael’s books usually are.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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Sight Unseen by Susan Mac Nicol with Nicholas Downs: Release Day Blitz and Review

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Sometimes we don’t see love coming ♡

Based on an idea from L.A. producer and actor, Nicholas Downs, Susan and Nicholas have developed a story straight from the heart.

In a gripping tale of lovers fighting against the odds comes a story of universal appeal about rejection and acceptance and finally finding what is real and true.

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synopsis

Tragedy brings together a reserved but brilliant sculptor and an outgoing gallery owner, friends whose love was sidetracked but was always meant to be deeper.

BLINDSIDED

SoCal natives, Nate and Cody have been friends since childhood. Both knew they were different—and the same. At seventeen, a stolen weekend in the Florida Keys drove their connection deeper and hotter than either could imagine. They were meant to be together. Then, for reasons only Nate knows, suddenly they weren’t.

They’re still friends. Best friends. But they’ve moved on and found other partners. The yearning remains, however, despite the long-ago secret that drove them apart, when tragedy strikes, both men find themselves in the dark. They must grope their way back to who and what they are…which they will find in each other’s arms. Sometimes, losing one’s sight can open one’s eyes—and heart.

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GOODREADS

Click “want to read” and add to your TBR shelf

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BOOK TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sNjNYnBUq0

Heather's Review

From the moment you start reading Sight Unseen, you know it’s not going to be a fluffy story. It’s heartbreaking to see Nate in the moments after his life is forever changed. As if that isn’t enough, the man who should’ve been there for him…isn’t.

Luckily, Nate has Cody. Cody is the best friend who refuses to let Nate give up– on his passion or on himself. At times, he pushes too hard, but it’s because he loves Nate and knows he won’t be happy if he’s still missing a huge chunk of his life.

This is not a steamy, sexy read. It’s a love story. A beautiful, if at times painful, story of two men who love one another falling in love with each other. It’s definitely in the re-read folder on my Kindle!

4.5 pieces of eye candy

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SIGNING NEWS

Author Susan Mac Nicol is going to the States.

Would you love to meet International Bestselling Author Susan Mac Nicol & L.A. producer and Hollywood Actor Nicholas Downs? Now is your chance!!

It’s a dream come true for Sue and she’s honoured to be signing Sight Unseen with Boroughs Publishing Group and actor Nicholas Downs at this conference from 25-26th March.

If you’re interested in attending this signing, either as an author or a reader, here is the link.

https://caldreaminwriters.com/

The 2017 conference will be at : Embassy Suites in Brea, California.

Address: 900 E Birch St, Brea, CA 92821

There will also be a very special signing event at The Abbey, an iconic gay club in West Hollywood. Nicholas and Sue will be there to enjoy the evening, meet fans of both their genres in film and publishing and be available to sign books, chat and have some fun. If you’re in the area, please pop down and see them, they’d no doubt love to see you.

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This is the room they’ll be signing in, isn’t it fabulous. It’s the Cabana Bar.

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CONNECT WITH SUSAN & NICHOLAS

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Twitter: @SightUnseenPR

Instagram: @sightunseenla

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Sight-Unseen-The-Project-1547502492221078/

Susan

www.susanmacnicol.net

Nicholas

www.nicholasdowns.com

Susan Mac Nicol Author Page
https://www.facebook.com/authorsusanmacnicol/

Nicholas Downs Fan Page
https://www.facebook.com/Nicholas-Downs-97159977384/

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Afraid to Fly by L.A. Witt: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

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synopsis

Once a fearless fighter pilot, Commander Travis Wilson is now confined to a desk. It’s been eight years since the near-fatal crash that grounded him, and it still rules his life thanks to relentless back pain.

Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser almost drowned in a bottle after a highly classified catastrophe while piloting a drone. His downward spiral cost him his marriage and kids, but he’s sober now and getting his life back on track. He’s traded drones for a desk, and he’s determined to reconcile with his kids and navigate the choppy waters of PTSD.

Clint has been on Travis’s radar ever since he transferred to Anchor Point. When Clint comes out to his colleagues, it’s a disaster, but there’s a silver lining: now that Travis knows Clint is into men, the chemistry between them explodes.

It’s all fun and games until emotions get involved. Clint’s never been in love with a man before. Travis has, and a decade later, that tragic ending still haunts him. Clint needs to coax him past his fear of crashing and burning again, or their love will be grounded before takeoff.

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Riptide Publishing

 

denise review

Did you ever finish a book and think to yourself “Wow, that touched me more than I thought it would”? Afraid to Fly by L.A. Witt just did that to me. This book was not overly angst filled. It wasn’t filled with huge catastrophes that the MC’s had to get through in order for them to find their HEA. There were no bad guys getting in the way of the good guys seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

This was, at its core, a story about two men who had some of the darkest things happen to them, and trying to find a way to allow themselves to get past some of the intense pain and guilt and simply love again.

PTSD is no laughing matter, and having two main characters with PTSD brought on by their years in the military really helped open a tightly held door up, at least for this reader. PTSD is quite often portrayed as constant flashbacks, terror at every turn, being unable to hold down a job, and being unable to acclimate to society in general. These characters show you the quieter side (that was the best phrase I could think of) of PTSD. It is something people live their lives with every day. They go to school or work, they cook and clean, they make and keep friends, they fall in and out of love and hopefully find new love. Through all that, they cope in the best way they know, by trying to move forward, while still acknowledging what has molded them into the person they are today. Even down to the sex scenes, the representation of what life would really be like for these men spoke of realism.

I loved Clint and Travis together. They were a mess, to be sure. Even as they fell in love with each other, they couldn’t help but continually doubt themselves, and their ability to keep the other person engaged and excited to be with them. And really, isn’t that life, so often? We have fears, our self-confidence waivers, and we think there’s no way this other perfect person would want to stay with us. And yet, these two do, they find a way-with the help of lots of friends and family-to ignore the internal doubts and continue to forge ahead on their relationship.

These men trusted each other, even when they couldn’t trust themselves. When their own brains, emotions, or bodies said that what they were doing was going to fail, they trusted each other. With PTSD, that can’t be easy, yet Ms. Witt managed to portray the emotions of what was clearly a huge challenge to these men in a raw, honest way that hit you in the gut as you read it, and made you want to the book to be over right now, so they had their HEA, and continue on for pages and pages, so you could see how they would work through it.

Such a wonderful portrayal of two men just trying to make it through each day, and come out a little more happy, a little stronger, and loving one another even more.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

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meet the author

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

Website: http://www.gallagherwitt.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GallagherWitt

giveaway

To celebrate the release of Afraid to Fly, one lucky winner will receive $10 in Riptide Publishing credit and two books of choice from L.A. Witt’s backlist! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 21, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

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Fire and Hail by Andrew Grey: Release Day Review

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firesynopsis

Carlisle Cops: Book Five

Brock Ferguson knew he might run into his ex-boyfriend, Vincent Geraldini, when he took his first job as a police officer in Carlisle. Vincent’s attitude during a routine traffic stop reminds Brock why their relationship didn’t last.

What Brock doesn’t expect is finding two scared children in the trunk of a Corvette. He’s also surprised to learn the kids’ mother is Vincent’s sister. But his immediate concern is the safety of the two children, Abey and Penny, and he offers to comfort and care for them when their mother is taken into custody.

Vincent is also shocked to learn what his sister has done. For the sake of the kids, he and Brock bury the hatchet—and soon find they have much more in common than they realized. With Abey and Penny’s help, they grow closer, until the four of them start to feel like a family. But Vincent’s sister and her boyfriend—an equal-opportunity jerk—could tear down everything they’re trying to build.

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Dreamspinner Press

 

jennifer

First, I have to say that I’m in love with this series and I really thought it would be impossible to top Donald and Carter’s story with little Alex; it was just as amazing though. I loved Brock and Vinny although Vinny was a little harder for me to get to know in the beginning…. Let’s break it down…..

Brock is a new Carslile police officer, we first see him doing traffic patrol when we start his story. It’s a pretty boring day even though he had to stop an ex that had broken his heart one summer in college. Cut to another call at the end of his shift, he sees the ex’s sister who has done something terrible…. Locked her kids in the trunk of her car while she takes a joyride in a fancy convertible with her friend. Obviously, she’s not mentally stable. Brock is the one who finds them first and they trust him, making it next to impossible for the softhearted Brock to leave them when they have to call Donald at protective services.

Turns out, Vinny hasn’t seen his nephew Abey since he was a tiny baby and has never met his niece Penny and as secretive and guarded as Vinny was when Brock knew him; he was completely different when it came to those kids. He done everything in his power to protect them from his sister and the dangerous people in her life, and there were quite a few, including one of Brock’s exes. I thought that that was a little far-fetched, who he ended up being to Abey and Penny and who he was to Brock…. Small world I guess….

As a mother myself, I couldn’t believe how selfish and self-centered the kids’ mother was and for that reason, I just couldn’t see her ever redeeming herself. The kids were much better off without her and Brock and Vinny loved them so much, even from the very beginning.

It was a long, tedious fight but everything worked out in the best way possible in the end and I loved getting to catch up with the rest of the crew, even seeing Terry and Red…. I was so happy for Terry!!! I’m so glad we, as readers got that.

Overall, this story was just another great addition to an already amazing series. I can’t wait to read more… perhaps the new guy that was briefly mentioned coming to work for Vinny? Ya just never know, but I’m really looking forward to finding out!

5 pieces of eye candy for me!

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