Book Reviews

If Only In My Dreams by Keira Andrews: Book Reviews

November 23, 2015 by Denise

To be home for Christmas, they must bridge the distance between them.

Charlie Yates is desperate. It’s almost Christmas and his flight home from college has been delayed. For days. Charlie promised his little sister Ava he’d be home for her first holiday season since going into remission from leukemia. Now he’s stuck on the opposite coast and someone else grabbed the last rental car. Someone he hasn’t even spoken to in four years. Someone who broke his heart.

Gavin Bloomberg’s childhood friendship with Charlie ended overnight after a day of stolen kisses. With years of resentment between them, they don’t want to be in the same room together, let alone a car. But for Ava’s sake, Gavin agrees to share the rental and drive across the country together.

As they face unexpected bumps along the road, can Charlie and Gavin pave the way to a future together?

Amazon

Author Name: Keira Andrews

Book Title: If Only in My Dreams

Publisher: KA Books

Release Date: November 19, 2015

Genre: M/M holiday, contemporary, new adult

Tags: Christmas, holiday, contemporary, new adult, road trip, enemies to lovers

Heat Level (1 being no sexual content, 5 being erotica): 4

Pairing (Male/Female, Male/Male, Female/Female, Ménage): M/M

Length: 42,000 words

Book Links:

Goodreads Book Page

http://www.keiraandrews.com/contemporary/if-only-in-my-dreams/

I don’t usually read YA/NA. Not that I have found it to be bad, just because I usually find (and this could totally be in my mind!) that our life experience is so different, I find it hard to connect with the characters. However that being said, I will always read anything by Keira Andrews. She has yet to disappoint me (made me want to throw my kindle, yes, but disappoint, no), and everything I have read I have just loved, and been pleasantly surprised by, in some way.

If Only In My Dreams was another surprise love for me. I had just been asking for an enemies to lovers book, and there comes Keira’s Christmas book to save my day. Gavin and Charlie really worked for me. To have been friends, and then secretly loving each other all this time, made sense. Teenagers find ways to create their own problems, and just don’t know how to get out of them. These two young men did just that. Yet, when thrown together, they find a way to connect back to each other, and bring themselves to another level in their relationship. They had pain, anger, and leftover hostility, and they had to work through it to find a way to meet each other in the middle.

Coming home and dealing with the families they each had wasn’t easy. Charlie’s family truly had no concerns about him, other than his safety, so allowing a man he loved into his life was simple. However, dealing with Gavin’s family, put a fresh coat of pain on all the things they had already dealt with. Yet, they handled it like adults, and moved forward until the time came for healing to begin.

I’m putting my request in now for this couple for next year for a holiday novella from Keira. Maybe see where they are while they are in college? Just a thought. 🙂

4.5 pieces of eye candy for me!

Holiday stories are some of my favorites. There’s something magical about love that starts during what’s been touted as the most wonderful time of the year. If Only in My Dreams by Keira Andrews brought so much hope, love, and healing that I’m sure it’ll leave me smiling the rest of the day.

Okay, so the concept of Charlie running into the boy who broke his heart when they were younger on the complete opposite side of the country and needing to rely on his help to get home might be far-fetched. But it works! Especially because Charlie is so desperate to get home.

There were times when I wished Gavin and Charlie had gotten over the past a bit sooner since this is a novella, but if I’m being honest, I don’t think that would have worked. We needed to see and feel their struggle. We needed the pain to make their reconciliation that much sweeter. And it was!

When I reached the end of the book, I was left wanting more. Not because anything was missing, but because I’m dying to know if Gavin and Charlie are able to make it work once they head back to school. They’re still going to have struggles to overcome, but I truly think they’re going to make it. Maybe they’ll even give Gavin’s mom those grandbabies she was so worried about and prove to her that being gay doesn’t mean they’re missing out on anything in life, it simply means their normal doesn’t look the same as “traditional” families.

If Only in My Dreams will definitely be added to the list of Christmas books I re-read every November and December.

4.5 pieces of eye candy.

After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal, and fantasy fiction, and—although she loves delicious angst along the way—Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.” You can find out more about Keira and her books at her website, and on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter for news, giveaways and more.

Found at the Library by Christi Snow : Book Review * 2

November 16, 2015 by Denise

His entire life, Tommy Garrett has dealt with self-doubts. He thought he’d conquered the majority of them until a chance meeting with an author brought his illiteracy to the forefront…again. Growing up with un-diagnosed dyslexia has left Tommy barely able to read, but books are his Nirvana. Now he spends his life creating art dedicated to the love of those “untouchable” items.

Robert McIntyre, Mac, is a best-selling, highly celebrated author. But his point of view has become a little bit too narrow…until Tommy opens his eyes. That chance meeting has changed everything about his world. He has no idea how to find the beautiful man he met, and offended, at the library book sale. But when he does, Tommy’s life is in crisis-mode. It’s the holidays and Mac can’t just standby when Tommy needs help, whether Tommy wants it or not.

Two artistic men. One shared passion for books.

Life is hard, and sometimes when conflict arises you have to write your own plot twist to pull yourself out of the fray.

The minute I saw the blurb on this book, I knew I was going to bump it up to the top of my TBR and read it ASAP. I read it in one sitting, and loved every second of it. I fact, I would love to see a follow up on Mac and Tommy at some point…well, I can ask can’t I? 🙂

I love Christi Snow’s writing. She injects such creativity into her writing. It isn’t a simple book where boy meets boy, they fall in love. She injects humor, some seriously hot scenes, and a creative aspect that you won’t find in other books. To have a man who loves books, yet has such severe dyslexia that his reading skills are very low, yet his entire goal is to take beautiful books that are basically tossed away by their owners, and make them into even more beautiful works of art.

Meanwhile, Mac, an author who is offended at the idea of someone taking books, especially his books and “destroying” them, has to find a way to work his way back into Tommy’s good graces. How he does this is really a sweet gesture at a time when Tommy needs support more than ever.

This is more than just a sweet, sexy holiday story. It’s a book that goes to the heart of family, pre-conceived notions, and finding your passion. I just loved these two, their interactions, and how they were willing to set aside their expectations and just let it all happen.

A must re-read.

My final rating is 4.5 pieces of eye candy.

This was a beautifuly written book. I adore Mac and Tommy. Mac is so sweet, and such a wonderful guy. I loved how he tried to take care of Tommy, even if his way of doing it was a little crazy. My heart went out to Tommy and everything he had to go through. He is such a strong character. His way of expressing his love of book and the story they told was so original and awesome. I really wish I could have jumped into the story and seen his art. I thought Mac and Tommy were so right for each other and I liked the creativity shown throughout this story. The ending was perfectly done in my opinion and I can’t wait to get more from this series.

4 pieces of eye candy.

Amazon

Aftermath by Cara Dee : Book Review

November 15, 2015 by Denise

Austin Huntley and Cameron Nash are like night and day. One is a family man, works in a nice office, drives an expensive car, and is content to be content. The other one is an antisocial car mechanic with a short fuse.

Some things don’t change. Others definitely do.

After surviving a five-month long kidnapping together, they struggle to return to normalcy, all while realizing that they’re more drawn to each other than they ever could’ve imagined.

“I know I’m not normal, but I’m not fucking stupid.”

“Define normal,” Austin countered quietly, meeting Cam in the doorway. “And for not being normal, you’re the only person in the world who makes sense right now. What does that say about me?”

Warning: This story contains violence and scenes of an explicit, erotic nature between two men and is intended for adults, 18+.

Wow. Just wow. This was a book that I bought months ago, on a recommendation, and then just hesitated to read. Whether it was that I was scared that it would be too violent, or that I wouldn’t get an HEA, I’m not sure. But I will say it right now, I was dead wrong. This book was so well done, and hit all the marks, I couldn’t have been happier with it.

Yes, there is violence in it, but what I appreciated about the way it was written was that it was presented as flashbacks. This allowed the reader to get caught up in the lives of Cam and Austin as they were in present time, while still learning throughout the story what they went through during their five months of hell. So, although you are sad, and heartbroken, you don’t have to worry about crying your eyes out, before you move to happier times.

Cam and Austin for me were just a perfect match for me. Opposites, but they clearly were falling in love in the cell they were locked in, finding comfort and strength in each other, while they worked to get out, gun or no gun.

What a fantastic story, and I honestly am excited to see what the second book in the series will bring.

5 pieces of eye candy for me, without question.

Amazon

Promises (Bounty Hunters #1) by A.E. Via : Promotional Tour and Giveaway

November 6, 2015 by Denise

Title: Promises

Series: Bounty Hunters #1

Author: A.E. Via

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: October 17, 2015

Duke Morgan owns and operates one of the largest bail bond companies in Atlanta. Not only does he bond criminals out of jail, he and his notorious group of bounty hunters will also track them down and ensure they show up for court.

Roman ‘Quick’ Webb is Duke’s business partner and best friend. Both men are in their forties and have given up on the happily ever after with the ranch-style home, and white picket fence. They’d both tried it and failed miserably. But they have their friendship and they have the business.

When Quick’s son, Vaughan Webb returns – after seven years – from studying abroad with his law degree in hand, he’s back to claim what he’s always wanted…his fathers’ best friend… Duke Morgan. Vaughan has always claimed to be a classic gentleman with an old soul. He didn’t party and screw up in school like his buddies. He was focused and dedicated to becoming the man worthy of Duke’s love.

It’s a complex and messy situation as Duke and Quick figure out how to still be best friends when one of them is sleeping with his friend’s one and only son. But when Duke is hurt on the job, all the unimportant trivialities fall to the wayside and Vaughan and Quick put their heads together to save Duke.

Part I of the Promises story is about Duke and Vaughan. Part II will be about Quick and his realization that it’s not too late for any of them to find love.

“Let me tell you, this is going on my M/M favorites shelf and it’s in my top three A.E. Via books ever written.” ~ Gay Book Reviews

“AE does Alphas so well….another thing she does his power bottoms well. Add that to a sexy age gap and well, its one unexpected surprise.” ~ Diva Discussions

“No one writes alpha men like AE Via! I just had to say that. Even if she claims this is not as rough alpha as her others, I’m sorry, I was still fanning myself!” ~ Diverse Reader

I was so happy when I found out Duke was getting his own story. He really needed to have someone special. Lucky for him, Vaughan knew he was just that guy. Both of these characters were well written and I enjoyed this story very much. Vaughan had known for a very long time that he wanted Duke. He made his plans to finish school and get his life together so that when all was said and done he would be in the perfect position to claim his man. I loved the devotion and absolute certainty that Vaughan had about him and Duke. He left Duke with no real option but to be with him. When Duke gets hurt Vaughan steps up and does what he can to fix the situation. All in all a extremely well done story that I will be reading again.

Five pieces of eye candy.

A.E. Via is still a fairly new author in the beautiful gay erotic genre. Her writing embodies everything from spicy to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.
When she’s not clicking away at her laptop, she devotes herself to her family—a husband and four children, her two pets, a Maltese dog and her white Siamese cat, ELynn, named after the late, great gay romance author E. Lynn Harris.
While this is only her eighth novel, she has plenty more to come. So stalk her – she loves that – because the male on male action is just heating up!
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 on upcoming work, free reads, and where she’ll appear next.

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The Making of Matt by Nicola Haken: Blog Tour, Review, Teasers, Excerpt and Giveaway

October 20, 2015 by Denise

Title: The Making of Matt

Series: Souls of the Knight

Author: Nicola Haken

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: October 19, 2015

Matt Carter, self-proclaimed sex-god and drummer for world renowned Souls of the Knight, didn’t have the time or inclination for planning his future, preferring to fill his days with music, women and alcohol. He didn’t want or need anything else in his life.

Until the band parted ways and he found himself no longer living the dream.

Bored and lonely, with too much time and money on his hands, Matt turns to his best friend, Alex Clark, to help devise a new direction to take his life in. Together, they embrace their newfound venture, as owner and manager of one of L.A.’s hottest gay clubs – Kaleidoscope. For the first time, Matt has a plan. He knows where life is heading.

Until a devastating phone call turns his whole world upside down, sending him straight into the comforting arms of his best friend and leading him to doubt everything he’s ever known or believed about himself.

Alex had always been content with his unrequited feelings for his rockstar friend, but as Matt starts to question if he might actually feel the same, he runs as fast as his feet will allow.

Has Matt gone too far? Has his reputation as an irresponsible womanizer who refuses to take life seriously, finally managed to push his best friend away for good?

Or is Alex hiding secrets of his own?

HELL YEAH……Now that was exactly how I had hoped Matt’s book went. In book 1 I thought Matt was…well a twat….in book 2 he still was, but I was warming to the fact that he is completely different person behind closed doors. Now that his book is here I am so stinking excited that we finally see what Matt & Alex’s friendship was like and how it would morph into a relationship!

I loved how Alex knew exactly who Matt was both inside and out. Their friendship started in “Taming Ryder” and continues on into The Making of Matt. Matt & Alex are best friends who have completely different personalities and completely different tastes (or so we thought). While Matt is being Matt – Alex is trying to not let Matt affect him. He is trying to keep things platonic. He is trying to just be a friend but every time he walks in on Matt and another bimbo it gets harder and harder. Tragedy strikes, which brings Matt & Alex closer than normal. So what happens when Matt takes a chance and throws caution to the wind? Well…..A hell of a lot of tears, yelling, miscommunication and a secret so shocking I squealed…..not a happy jumping up and down squealing. NO – it was an OMG-I-DID-NOT-SEE-THAT-COMING and OMG-WHERE-WILL-THEY-GO-FROM-HERE and OMG-THEY-BETTER-GET-THEIR-HEA squeal!

Once again Haken takes us on an emotional rollercoaster. Matt & Alex go through some trying times and with the help from Uncle Sawyer (I heart him) they might be able to get passed them. They are faced with obstacles no one should have to deal with and you’ll find yourself hoping they come out on top. Haken was brilliant in the story she gave us. It was real, raw and in your face, but it was exactly how Matt would want it.
You NEED to read this. You will WANT to read this and once you start you will not be able to put it down.

****WELL F%UCKING DONE MS. HAKEN****

5 pieces of eye candy for The Making of Matt.

This was a refreshing GFY read. Matt is a “go with the flow” kind of guy, so when he finds himself attracted to his friend Alex it’s not a big drama. That’s not to say there aren’t bump in the relationship. I really liked Matt’s attitude and personality in this story. He would be someone I would love to hang out with. Alex has his own issues to deal with. I liked the way after the initial drama about Alex’s issue, both guys just kind of tackeled it head on. I do think Matt would have saved himself some heartache if he would have just told Alex what was going on with him instead of trying to hide it. Overall, i think the characters and the storyline were well writting. The flow is good and I really liked that it wasn’t an insta-love book.

“Matt, are you telling me you think you’re in love with Alex?”

“No! Yeah…fuck I don’t know. I can’t be, right?”

“If you’d asked me an hour ago I’d have said ‘don’t be so fucking ridiculous’, but after listening to you, fuck I really don’t know. Answer me this, you said he touched your dick and you freaked. Why, if you kissed him first?”

“Because I almost came right there in my fucking sweatpants and it scared the shit outta me. It made me question everything I’ve ever known. I mean come on, you can’t just turn gay, right?”

Just saying it out loud sounded fucking ludicrous.

“You’ve lived an extraordinary life, Matt. Maybe it’s something that’s always been there but never had an opportunity to come out.”

“I’ve met plenty of guys, Saw. Never once have I been attracted to a single one of ‘em.”

“Have you ever had your dick out of a woman long enough to actually get to know a guy before though?”

“Touché.” I laughed, not just at Sawyer’s comment but at the whole situation I found myself in. “This is all Jake’s fault, you know.”

“And how the hell do you figure that?”

“Because everything was fine before he came on the scene. We were happy living for the music and women, and then he shows up with all his fucking gayness and passes it on to you. Then, like the pair of you were some kind of butt bandit magnets, Ryder comes along. Then like the gift that keeps on giving the gayitis spreads and suddenly life is all gay porn, gay clubs and gay fucking underwear. It’s gayness overload, dude! I’m fucking telling you that shit is contagious.”

Sawyer snickered, rolling his eyes at the same time. “Is there such a thing as gay underwear?”

“According to Ryder,” I said, shrugging before undoing the button on my jeans to expose the branded hem of my underwear. Sawyer raised his eyebrow, one side of his mouth curling up into a smirk. “They’re comfortable,” I said, feeling the need to defend my favorite pair of shorts. “What the fuck am I gonna do?”

Nicola lives in Rochdale, England with her husband and four children (six if you include the dog and cat!) She is the author the author of the m/m romance Souls of the Knight series, and is currently working on a standalone with new boys, James and Theo, due for release early 2016. When she is not busy playing with her imaginary book friends (or talking about them with real life friends!) she can usually be found carrying out her ordinary mum/housewife/all round slave duties. Oh, and if the kids ever ask, she moonlights as the Pink Power Ranger while they’re sleeping…

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Triple Play by Sloan Johnson: Release Day Review, Book Blast and Giveaway

October 13, 2015 by Denise

Triple Play
by Sloan Johnson
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Romance, Sports

Triple Play

Amazon • Nook • Kobo • iBooks

Drew Jackson seemed to have it all. He has a family who loves and supports him, a tight circle of friends, and is a rising star with the Milwaukee Mavericks. Then, it all begins to unravel. Cam, the only man he’s ever loved, falls head over heels for Drew’s teammate. He makes a critical mistake in the playoffs that he’s not sure he’ll be able to recover from. And then, his world really crashes around him…

Eric Sapp may no longer play for the Mavericks, but he’s still one of the guys. No one could have imagined how much his life would change when he agreed to help his former teammates mourn the end of their run for the pennant. After stopping a brutal attack, Eric is forced to face the feelings that’ve been growing for his roommate, Drew. That’d be much easier if Drew wasn’t hell-bent on pushing everyone away as he recovers.

Neither of them were counting on Bryce Shaw. He and Drew enjoyed the one night they spent together, but knew it was unlikely they’d be anything more since they lived in different parts of the country. After Bryce is relocated to help a failing LGBT homeless outreach, he wants to explore something more with the Mavericks’ short stop.

As much as Eric wishes he could be the one to help his friend, he knows Bryce holds the key to Drew’s recovery. Will pushing the two back together be the biggest mistake of his life or will they all learn there is strength in numbers?

You know the feeling you get on Christmas morning! The excitement, anticipation and all out good feeling that morning brings. Well – that right there is exactly how Triple Play made me feel. It was like taking a package from under the tree and slowly unwrapping all of the yumminess, getting giddy from what you were seeing and loving all of the juicy scenes.

I generally don’t read blurbs. The main reason is I like to be surprised. I don’t want the blurb to give me too much of the story so after the first few chapters of Triple Play I immediately thought the story would be a love triangle. I prefer to stay away from those as they are not my cup of tea…..NOW…..I really, really, really, really hate giving any spoilers away BUT there is no way around this one and if you read the blurb you already know that this little gem is a MENAGE. Yes you heard – a ménage. I was so stupidly excited when I realized it was not a love triangle. OK – well now that I feel horrible for telling you that I think it is only fair that we meet our fabulous TRIO….

Drew Jackson, rising star with the Milwaukee Mavericks, just had the worst day of his life and its not over yet. Unfortunately it only gets worse.

Eric Sapp, former Mavericks player & roommate to Drew, comes to the rescue of a man in need. After the traumatic event he realizes he is starting to have feelings for Drew.

Bryce Shaw (aka Sex On A Stick), is relocated back to Milwaukee to help a failing LGBT homeless outreach. He is best friends with Jason and an acquaintance of Drew.

Drew goes through a difficult time and needs Eric to help function. What Drew didn’t realize was that he needs Bryce just as much. Drew doesn’t want to give up whatever is going on between him and Eric as well as him & Bryce. Will Eric feel as if he should step back and allow Bryce to go forward with Drew? Will Bryce be forced to leave the only thing he has loved and hand over to another man? Could three work instead of two?

Holy Bananas Sloan Johnson did me in and gave one hell of ride with these three delicious men. I love ménages….like really love them, especially when they are done with such flawless writing. The character development was superb. I adored the fact that the previous characters from Wild Pitch & Curve Ball were popping up all over the place. Triple Play was fun, entertaining, heart breaking, and just an all around fantastic story. It had just the right amount of sexiness with some hot-panty-melting sex. Johnson had those pages on fire to the point I was blushing. She did a sparkling job in making the ménage more than just sex – more than just a quick night of fun. She made it raw, real & so, so right! FREAKING BRILLANT!!!!!!!!!!

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a unbelievable story with one KICK A$$ characters. If ménages are not your thing please give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

5 SEXY STARS – Reviewed for Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Bryce, Eric, and Drew stole my heart. My heart broke when Drew was hurt, but I really liked that Eric stepped up to help. These three guys together was so good, once you got past the initial getting together part. There were a couple times in the beginning before they actually got together where I was frustrated with the situation. I loved Bryce’s take charge attitude that led up to the three of them getting together. Their interactions with each other and how they make the relationship work was very well done. They way they stood by each other, and stood up for each other was beautiful.

Also in the Series

About Sloan Johnson

Sloan Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s life. While she longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass.

When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and started plotting her first story soon after.

Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?

Now, Sloan is a tattooed mom with a mohawk and two kids. She’s been kicked out of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself with a good book and forget she has somewhere to be.

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