Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Book Reviews

Blog Tour Stop Review and Giveaway: Fourth and Long by Michele Micheal Rakes

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Synopsis:

Irus Beaumont, cornerback for the Highlanders, has an issue with his nemesis: wideout for the Pirates, Jackson McCoy. Partly jealous over Jackson’s skill and ability to scrub coverage, Irus also struggles against an unbearable attraction to the receiver. Firmly ensconced in the closet, Irus also has a no football player rule, leaving his desires for Jackson unfulfilled. Anti-gay sentiment in the league keeps Irus closeted, even though he’d rather be out and proud.

When Jackson McCoy suffers a gay bashing at the hands of his team mates after winning the national championship, he finds himself traded to the Highlanders. Spring training brings out Jackson’s competitive nature, eliciting the aggression of his new team’s cornerback, Irus Beaumont.

In practice, Irus hurts Jackson badly. The injury places Jackson on the reserve roster. Jacks has plenty of time to contemplate his life, career, and his attraction to the sexy cornerback. Off to Orlando for the best rehab where guilt inspires Irus to call him every evening, Jackson can’t stop thinking about Irus, or what the season holds for his team.

Denise’s Review:

I
happened upon this book and author when my peer blogger Bec from Bike
Book Reviews (bikebookreviews.blogspot.com) raved about it. I read
something about hot men on men action, football and a nice size length
(he he) and decided that this was a book that needed my immediate
attention. So I was excited to get on this blog tour.

I
will admit that I didn’t read Saving Kane, the first in this series, so
I came into this book blind but it can definitely be read as a stand
alone. **Warning, there is discussion of childhood sexual abuse.**

These two men, both broken in different ways, were able to find in each other a missing piece to heal the other. 

How Jackson and Irus get together is not your typical m/m romance setup. After a gay bashing, Jackson is traded to Irus’s team, and they become something alongside adversaries. Irus injures Jackson, and they bond following that, as Jackson heads to Florida for rehab.

There are several storylines here that converge, to bring these men to their HFN. Coming out in a sport that is notoriously violent, and being gay just makes it even more challenging. A sexual abuse case that rivals the Penn State one is prevalent. My favorite though, is Miss Beulah, who you will meet through Irus. What a fantastic character, and honestly left me wanting more of her story. I loved that Mikey gave her more purpose than just a side character who pops in and out for moral support. She does that, but has a much bigger place in the story, and I love that Mikey went there with her.

This book is a HFN, as there is more to come for these characters, and the football team. There will be resolution for the football teams, and I forsee a legal trial ahead. However, it was great to see Jackson make good strides ahead in his issues, as he found a soulmate in Irus, who epitomized the big scary football player with a heart of gold. I cannot wait to see where these characters end up.

If I hadn’t known there was another book coming, I might have rated this book 4 pieces of eye candy for leaving us out in the cold at the end. But fortunately the author has been redeemed as book 2 is in the works. 🙂

So, this was an easy 5 pieces of eye candy for me. Hot men, football and an involved and long story. All the things I absolutely love about reading.

Michele Rakes Guest Post: Sex in Romance Novels


Remember back in the day, when if you were lucky, you got
that great paragraph on page 69? Some novel by Kathleen Woodwiss with the
reluctant heroine? The man she was to fall in love with her captor and when he
forces himself upon her… Instead of suffering a tragedy, she blossoms under his
one scornful love.
Bullshit, yeah? Still, though, you recall that spark of
excitement from reading something that usually took place off stage left? There
is a debate on sex in romance novels, either gay or straight, and everyone has
an opinion. Yes, like assholes, but everyone is entitled to that opinion. We
want what we want and we like what we like. Some of us want lust. A few of us
crave the carnal. There are characters meant to suffer and survive. Desire
motivates a lot of people in reality and art seems to imitate that, badly at
times.
There are readers who are over the moon to have the bedroom
hours kept in the dark. As well as those of us who chomp at the bit to see the
guy lashed to the bed with a bit in his mouth. Some of us have dark desires and
some of us have lovey squishy yearnings… And there’s books for all of us.
In my opinion the debate isn’t what books should have, but
what books are for which readers. Desire is a base instinct within humans. Animal
lust. Initial attraction is fueled by this desire. Gay. Straight. Bisexual. We
have people in our lives we love and desire. When a couple first gets together,
there is that flush of heat, the insatiable need to live in each other’s skin.
We fuck like bunnies. Then we fuck some more. Personally, I
like that kind of reality in the books I read. Have I read books with too many
sex scenes? Yes. Only because they no longer propelled the characters forward
in their arc. Each scene needs to grow something between the main characters,
whether it’s hate and anger, love and lust, or the heartfelt desire to spend
the rest of their lives joined at the hip. Sex in a novel must be there for
more than just the feels. We love the feels, but we need movement. We must have
our characters moving in time or else the story becomes stagnant. No amount of
sex is going to save a stagnant story.
Sometimes, I feel l’ve put too much sex in my stories, but
when you’re writing about a character addicted to sex what’s a writer to do?
Make sure every scene accomplishes something vital to the characterization or
plot. A beta reader sent me an honest critique. It was for Fourth and Long. He said
(a paraphrase), “I was thinking, oh not another sex scene, but then I was
surprised. The character’s had grown. They changed. Irus became less selfish.
The scene was about Jackson.” This made it new. Made it more about the feelings
of the two characters involved. There was depth. Emotion. Growth.
Sex, like violence, can’t be gratuitous. In real life,
violence, death, and sex affect real people. For someone involved, it matters,
and for fictional people, it should matter too. There are people who read these
books because they like the idea of sex, just not the real form and function.
These scenes sweep them away into a world of love, lust, and emotion. A world
they either gladly or unhappily watch from outside the window, looking in with
glorious wonder.
On the flip side, there are folks who don’t want to be
bogged down in sex scene after sex scene. Even one is too much. They want plot.
The good guys pitted against the bad with love winning out in the end. The
feels are enough.
So, how should we write?
We write what the characters need and let the readers find
us. If your characters are wanting to fuck like bunnies, let them, but only
show us the most important moments.

All else can happen exit stage left.

Extended Excerpt:

If you didn’t get to read the Extended Excerpt posted on TCO’s page recently, check it out here:
http://www.twochicksobsessed.com/2015/04/extended-excerpt-and-giveaway-fourth.html

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Purchase Links:

Amazon
Loose ID
ARe

B&N


Author Bio

Michele Micheal Rakes lives in a small town in the shadow of a big
mountain. She works as a surgical technologist assisting in the removal of
tonsils and testicles. She has three grown children, two psychotic Egyptian
Mau’s, a husband with hair down to his ass, two Harley’s, and a ferret named
Teeny Tiny Ferret Feet (husband insists her name Little Feet, we all know he’s
wrong).

Contact Michele Rakes:

@MicheleRakes
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8295571.Michele_Micheal_Rakes
https://m.facebook.com/michelemichealrakes
https://www.facebook.com/michele.rakes.1

https://michelerakes.wordpress.com/2014/12/20/michele-micheal-rakes-author-page/

Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: Closet Confessions by Kindle Alexander from Night Shift Anthology

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Y
Night Shift is now available
6 NEW novellas — Never Before Released 
100% of the proceeds will be donated to charity
Ad5
Barnes & Noble – http://bit.ly/19xzO9j
Authors: Toni Aleo, Kindle Alexander, Sawyer Bennett,
Chelle Bliss, Eden Butler, and Brenda Rothert
Synopsis:

Summer in the Big Easy is hot. Inside Tulane Medical Center the temperature is on the rise.

A doctor nursing a broken heart. A wounded warrior with no interest in love. A single father finding the girl who got away. A combat nurse trying to adjust to civilian life. Two lost souls looking for love. A former detective looking for answers and an FBI agent who finds more than he bargains for.

Desire. Lust. Excess. New Orleans will never be the same.

Six never before released stories that will leave you breathless.

Dirty things happen in the dark.

Denise’s Review of Closet Confessions by Kindle Alexander


What can I say? Another lovely story from the amazing team of Kindle Alexander, and for some very worthy causes as well.

These two men showed their sexy and very naughty sides in this fun, engaging novella. Finding some time on the night shift to sneak away for a closet rendezvous. Meanwhile, metaphorically, one of these lovely men was still in the closet, trying to figure out how to trust enough to walk out with his partner, out and proud. 
Fun, flirty, very sexy and worth every moment. Would love to see a follow up with these men at some point. 😊



Learn More About These Authors 

Toni Aleo is the author of the Assassins Series, Bullies Series, Whiskey Prince, Let it be Me, and the Spring Grove novels. She lives in Clarksville, TN with her husband, and two beautiful children. She enjoys taking pictures, writing, shopping and going to as many hockey games that she can! Click here to visit her website.

Kindle Alexander, best selling and newly award winning author, is an innovative writer and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica. It’s always a surprise to see what’s coming next! Happily married with too many children, and dogs, living in the suburbs of Dallas. Click here to visit her website.


Sawyer Bennett, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company which lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and three big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate. Click her to visit her website.


Chelle Bliss, USA Today bestselling author, writes stories about real-life scenarios with fantasy Alpha males. Her works include humor as well as steamy sex. Her work includes her best selling series Men of Inked. Click here to visit her website.


Eden Butler is an Amazon best-selling editor and writer of Romance, Mystery and SciFi and Fantasy novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum. Her debut novel, a New Adult, Contemporary Romance, “Chasing Serenity” launched October 2013. Since that time Eden has published six books and novellas including the Amazon best seller, “Thin Love”. Click here to learn more about her.

Brenda Rothert is a proud indie author who loves writing stories that make readers laugh, cry and occasionally, yell at their e-readers. Her Contemporary Romances include Unspoken; The Now Series – Now and Then, Now and Again and Now and Forever, and The Fire on Ice Series – Bound, Captive, Edge, Drive and Release. Her latest release is Killian, the first book in her new hockey series, On the Line. For more information about Brenda’s books, visit her website at www.brendarothert.com.

100% of the proceeds will be donated to:

 

keith
The Keith Milano Memorial Fund – The Keith Milano Memorial Fund was established to help raise awareness about the devastating deadly disease that is Mental Illness. Keith’s spirit and laughter is kept alive through our efforts to increase awareness about mental illness and to raise money for education and imperative research. Click here to learn more 

pancanwhite
Pancreatic Action Network – The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is fully committed to providing the most comprehensive set of programs and services to fight this very difficult disease. Our commitment and passion are driven by our mission: to advance research, support patients and create hope for anyone facing pancreatic cancer. Click here to visit the Keep the Memory Alive page

preds
Nashville Predators Foundation – At the inception of the Nashville Predators’ franchise in 1997, we not only made a commitment to develop a successful hockey team and organization, but also believed and committed to fulfilling a recognized responsibility to play an important role in our home community. Click here to learn more

 

Giveaway:

Blog Post and Review: Falling (Fall or Break Book 1) by Barbara Elsborg

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Synopsis:

Harper is no longer behind bars, but it doesn’t feel like
it. Ten years serving time for a crime he didn’t commit have left him shut
down, numb, and a frozen wreck over the simplest of choices.
He’s acutely aware of the dark-haired young man checking him
out in the supermarket, but he’s too deep in panic mode to even meet the guy’s
gaze. Afraid the slightest move will trigger a fall that will never stop.
Fresh off a long-term relationship with a controlling man,
Malachi is stuck living with relatives who think he’s a waste of oxygen. The
tall guy in the long, gray coat is the first bright spot he’s glimpsed in a
long time…though the man’s unblinking stare at a bottle of shower gel is a
touch alarming.
Hard experience tells both of them to turn away before lust
turns to hopeless attraction, and inevitably to disaster. But once their sparks
connect, the arc of electricity is too strong to deny. Even if the cost is too
much to bear.
 Author Blog Post:

When I come to think about where to set my stories, I
usually go for somewhere I know quite well. In contrast to the very first
novels I wrote that I set in New York (I’d never even been to America) and
Bogota (I’d never been there either) There was no Internet in those days to
research what places were like. 
Nowadays it’s possible to find details of just
about anywhere on Earth. But Falling is the first book I’ve actually set in the
town where I live. Guiseley in West Yorkshire. I had to invent the street for
the house my heroes live in but the swimming pool is there, the retail park is
there and so is the supermarket where the pair first meet. 
Did it make it any easier using a place I knew well? No, not
really because I had to make sure I had all the details right. You can’t get
caught out if you make a place up but if I’d said there was a TK Maxx in the
retail park and there wasn’t, you can bet I’d have had people telling me I was
wrong. 
Though setting the book in Guiseley did have one impact on
an early reader because she lives just down the road from me and found it a bit
freaky to read a book set in the town where she lives. I’ve tended ot stick to
Yorkshire, Derbyshire or London for my settings. Places I do know well. But the
book I’m working on now is set in Dorset. I know nothing about Dorset. Thank
goodness for Google!
Denise’s Review:
Do you know what I like most about reading romance novels? That I KNOW for sure, I will be getting an HEA, or at the very least a HFN. That knowledge served me well while reading this book!!!

There were times where I questioned it…where I wondered, would these men be able to find a happy ending. Thank goodness, Ms. Elsborg did not disappoint me.

Harper, a man just leaving prison after 10 years for a crime that he was framed for, has to learn how to get by in a world that is different than when he went in, and doesn’t want him back in it. It was truly tragic to see the way he was treated.

Meanwhile Malachi, who himself was being treated by his brother in law like a piece of trash, had just left a controlling relationship, finally trying to stand on his own two feet, despite being unable to find a new job.

These two had so much to work through on their own: hatred, bigotry, violence. Then they had to find a way to work through things together, in order to be with each other on solid and common ground.

My heart broke for Harper each time he was met with hatred and anger for something that he didn’t do. My heart broke for Malachi who was subjected again and again to such cruelty at the hands of his family, both past and present.

In the end, Malachi, who know matter what he faced, always was thinking of others, always had a smile on his face, and a pleasant word, would go to the depths of his pain in order to save Harper from a life of continued pain. Malachi showed his love by putting Harper’s life ahead of his own.

This story was tragic, and yet, so full of love, it was hard not to root for these two lovely men right from the beginning. It was a book I found myself checking often to see how close to the end it was, not because I wanted it to be over, but because I wanted to get to the HFN part. It did eventually come, and I was so happy for them, in a way I haven’t been for a long time in a book. That much tragedy deserves a truly happy ending.

My final determination for this book is 4.5 pieces of eye candy. And if there is another book ahead in this series, I will be at the head of the line to read it. Fantastic job, Ms. Elsborg.


Author Bio:
Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of
England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone
without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her.
Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine
biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide. (Try
saying that fast)

After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy,
devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has
time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop. Her
books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, sometimes two bad boys for each
quirky heroine, and more recently two bad boys all on their own. She hopes her
stories are as much fun to read as they are to write.

You can find out more about Barbara and her books at www.barbaraelsborg.com,
catch more of her scintillating wit at her blog on the same site, and if you
want to tell her how much you love her books, please, email her!
bjel@btinternet.com
https://www.barbaraelsborg.com
I’d like to offer one commentator an ecopy of any book from
my backlist. And if you’d follow me on Facebook, I’d appreciate it. Thanks!

  

Where to find Falling:
http://amzn.to/18uG8Nt
https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5374/falling
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23521523-falling

Book Review: Silver & Black by Tyler May

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Blurb:

Does love have a cost?

Brian Silver is CEO of the world’s largest coffee house chain in the world, Silver Coffee. Growing up in a wealthy family, Silver had it all: money, fame, and any man he wanted, but that was never enough. Silver wants more. After a tragic health event that leaves him vulnerable in life, he realizes that business will not bring him the happiness he needs, and he’ll do anything to find that happiness.

Greyson Black is a coffee house barista in one of the Silver Coffee chains in downtown Manhattan. Greyson is finishing school and determined to find the best path for his life. When Brian Silver makes a “surprise” stop at the franchise, he’s more than intrigued by the young, gorgeous Greyson. Silver knows there’s only one thing that he must have now, and he will do whatever it takes to get him.

When Silver and Greyson get together, sparks fly. Silver is perfect in Greyson’s eyes, but is love blind? A mysterious stranger is out for Greyson, and the mind games have just begun. Greyson starts to question everything, including Silver’s advances. When Danger is lurking around every corner, no one is safe. Greyson will have to determine if love is worth the danger and excitement.

Can attraction be fatal, or will attraction be the saving grace Greyson needs? Will Silver’s secrets ruin them or will someone else have the first shot?

Love is blinding, but suspicion is the real killer.

Silver & Black is a gay mystery romance. 18+ for gay sexual content, language, and some violence. 




MORGAN’S REVIEW 
Tyler May has given us another brilliant story to add to her collection. I have yet to find something from her that I don’t like. 
Brian Silver is the CEO of Silver Inc. He is rich, beautiful, and used to getting his way, but the man has a heart of GOLD. He would do anything to help other people and would give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it. Greyson Black is a college student working as a barista at a local coffee shop called Silver Coffee. He is a genuinely sweet guy with a really difficult past. Between the loss of his mother, dealing with a deadbeat Father, and a list of other problems, Grey has had it pretty rough. 
One morning after arriving to work Grey meets Brian, the owner of Silver Coffee. From there the story takes off with tons of awesome twists and turns that keep you guessing. The chemistry between these two is beautiful and I loved the banter and teasing. Silver is such a good person. He would go to any length just to make sure Grey is happy and the sex scenes were scorching without being overdone. 
All of the characters were very well developed and I really like getting to see how each person in the story has their own personality. This held my interest from the very first page and I didn’t want it to end. Be ready for nail biting suspense and just a wonderful read. 
I can’t wait for the next installment, Titanium. I would definitely recommend this book as a must read. 
5 pieces of Silver and Black eye candy. 
Purchase Link:
Amazon

About the author:

Tyler May was born and raised in the great state of Michigan, and still happily resides there. She is a stay at home mom to her three beautiful children. Tyler’s passion for reading came later in life when she found a love in romance novels, more specifically the male/male genre.  After drawing inspiration from some wonderful authors and encouragement from friends and family; she penned her first full length novel: Angel of Darkness.  Tyler draws inspiration from the simple things in life and will never take that for granted. Since Tyler is a LBGT author, she has three hopes when a reader picks up her book(s): She hopes that her books will teach tolerance and equality.  She hopes to convey the truth behind the infamous saying, “love is love.” She hopes that the book is more than a story―that’s it a journey with an important message.  Tyler’s favorite quote and something she always has tucked in the back of her mind as she writes her fictions: “Everything you can imagine is real.”―Picasso.

Blog Tour, Double Review and Giveaway: After the Fire (Through Hell and Back #2) by Felice Stevens

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Title: After the Fire
Series: Through Hell and Back #2
Author: Felice Stevens
Genre: Adult, Gay Romance
Release Date: February 24, 2015
A single bullet destroyed the dreams of Dr. Jordan Peterson. With the man he loved dead, Jordan descends into an endless spiral of pain that nearly costs him his friends, his career and his life. When Jordan meets the aloof Lucas Conover, the investment banker’s mysterious past and unexpected kindness shocks Jordan back to a life he thought was lost forever.
Betrayal and abandonment by the foster brother he’d worshiped as a child taught Lucas Conover never to trust or believe in anyone. Living a solitary life did little to free him of the nightmare of his past; it reinforces his belief he wasn’t meant to fall in love. Working closely with Dr. Jordan Peterson forces him to meet another person whose suffering equals his own and Lucas can’t shake the unexpected the first man to ever get under his skin.
Mutual respect and rising desire bring Jordan and Luke closer than they ever imagined, and each man must come to terms with their past as they struggle to create a future together. And learning to trust in themselves and love again after tragedy and a lifetime of pain, may be the only thing that saves them in the end.

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Amazon Amazon CA Amazon UK Amazon AU LooseId

Denise’s Review:

When I first read A Walk Through Fire, as most of you know, I ugly cried when Keith died. I also may have (I will neither confirm nor deny) sent Felice Stevens more than one threatening message that she “better fix this”. 🙂  I’m very happy to say that with After the Fire, she did a wonderful job of fixing poor, broken Jordan. He has a LONG way to go during this book.

At the beginning of ATF, Jordan is drunk, taking Xanax, and has pushed away everyone in his life who has meant something. Taking his grief and his anger out on those around him, and barely waking up some mornings. It was truly heart breaking to see what a man as confident and strong as Jordan had done to himself to bring himself to such a dark and lonely place.

Meanwhile, Lucas, Ash’s long lost foster brother, learned the meaning of being alone at 17 when he was completely abandoned, without a word from his foster family. As he moved through life, making very few connections, he felt that relying only on himself was the safest road for him.

As these two meet, and find a sexual attraction, Jordan becomes even more angry, confused, and feels he is betraying Keith’s love. At the same time, Lucas feels nothing but hatred for his foster brother Ash, and refuses to even meet with him.

These men learn to walk the road of love and forgiveness together, as they work through very real issues of grief, anger, addiction and most of all, how to find love in a world that sometimes just doesn’t make sense.

Felice does an amazing job with this book, showing all the cracks in these men, and how with the love of one other, those cracks can be filled, and they can be stronger than before.

I cried in this book, absolutely. Not the ugly cry of Keith’s death, but a steady sadness for all these two men endured to heal themselves, and then to heal each other. Felice has a way of bringing emotions out, and shining a light on all aspects of love. Not only the ones that are happy and light-filled, but the darkness that sometimes gathers with those that you love.

Felice is still a new author on the m/m, having only published her first book, Rescued (http://amzn.to/1Dy5rXF) last August, but she has quickly become a “must read” for me. (And YES! Another stray animal makes an appearance in here.)

I know that Felice has already written Brandon’s story, book 3, and is waiting to hear about publishing it. I know that there will be many of us beating down her door looking to get that in our hot little hands. I am anxious to see how she brings Brandon back to the fold.

Five tear-stained pieces of eye candy from this girl!!!

Morgan’s Review:

Jordan is a broken man. After the death of his former partner Keith, grief has taken over his
entire life. He shuts out his friends and turns to alcohol and anxiety drugs to help him cope. He
is forced back into the world of the living when Lucas contacts him to head a community project
Keith had started before his death.
Having grown up in an unstable foster home Lucas has demons of his own. After a brutal
encounter with his foster father leaves him in a hospital alone and battered, he is forced to live
on the streets and do things he still feels shameful about years later.
The attraction between these two is powerful and something neither of them expected. Jordan
is surprised when he feels attraction again after everything his heart has been through. Luke is
still having trouble coping with the loss of both of his foster brothers and feels everyone will
ultimately let him down. These two have a long struggle ahead of them.
This is a beautiful story with brilliant characters and Felice did an exceptional job. This
installment is a wonderful follow up to A Walk Through Fire and Felice has quickly become one
of my favorite authors. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series.
Five pieces of candy read for me.
After the Fire Excerpt © Felice Stevens 2015
“Damn, you look like shit.” Ash’s sharp gaze raked him up
and down. “Ow.” He rubbed his arm when Drew elbowed him. “Don’t get mad at me,
baby. You know he does. Look at him.” 
“Can we come in, Jordy?” Drew’s kind smile strangely made him feel worse, not
better. 
He said nothing and pulled the front door wider for his friends, leaving them
to trail behind him back through the house and into the spacious kitchen. Sunlight
poured onto the terra-cotta floors and glinted off the glass-fronted maple
cabinets. The kitchen was his pride and joy, and when he and Keith bought the
brownstone, it had been the only room he cared about decorating. Jordan had
always loved staring out of the large bay window as he relaxed with his cup of
coffee in the morning. 
“Did you have a party?” Drew tipped his head to the table, still cluttered with
vodka bottles. 
“Party of one, more likely.” 
Jordan heard Ash’s muttered remark, and despite a throbbing head and a roiling
stomach, he lashed out. 
“Shut up, Davis.” He and Ash had never had the easiest of relationships, and
even though Jordan knew how happy Drew was, the man still irritated the hell
out of him. 
“Why, Jordan? The truth hurts?” Ash’s voice, oddly enough, neither condemned
nor derided him. Instead, it held an overall note of sadness, mixed with
empathy that pulled Jordan up short. “You sit here, night after night, refusing
our dinner invitations, as well as any social contact with Rachel, Mike, or
even Esther. Don’t think we don’t know what you’re doing and why.” 
Jordan winced. Shit. A kindhearted, sympathetic Ash Davis was almost worse than
the usual sarcastic attitude he dished out to everyone. “I’m not in the mood
for company; that’s all.” 
“And I call bullshit on that. You’re still mourning Keith, and I get that, but
that doesn’t mean you don’t go on living. When your only company since he died
has been vodka or whiskey, you’re heading for disaster.” 
“Jordy.” Drew slung an arm around his shoulder. “I’m worried about you. You’ve
lost weight, skipped days at the hospital, and I was told that during surgery
last week—” 
“Are you checking up on me?” He pulled away from Drew, shaking with anger.
“What the fuck, man? You’re not my goddamn keeper.” Humiliation, shame, and a
sense of despair tore through him as he turned away from his two friends to go
back and sit at the kitchen table. He ran his hands over the battered wood of
the long farmhouse table. He remembered how happy he and Keith had been to find
it in the small Pennsylvania town they’d stumbled upon oneSaturday. Making love
on top of it after lugging it up the stairs of the brownstone was a memory
etched forever in his mind. He gripped the edge of the table to steady himself. 
A few deep breaths settled him, yet he couldn’t face his friends. 
For over thirty years he and Drew had been friends; the man knew him better
than anyone else. People might think Drew Klein was sweet and easygoing, but
Jordan knew the core of steel within his friend. Drew refused to back down if
he thought he could help. True to form, Drew dropped into the chair right next
to him, challenging and direct. 
“Jordan. Look at me.” 
It took an effort to tear his gaze away from the tabletop, but he inhaled a
deep breath and smiled into Drew’s face. “What is it?” 
Drew seemed taken aback that Jordan was smiling and not lashing out with his
usual anger. “I’m not checking up on you. It’s common knowledge that you showed
up to your first surgery since Keith died and had to wait an extra hour to
start because you had the shakes.” Drew’s mouth thinned to a hard line. “Are
you crazy showing up drunk for surgery? You could lose your fucking license,
for God’s sake.” 
“I wasn’t drunk. I was overtired and hadn’t eaten since lunchtime the day
before.” 
Behind him he heard Ash snort with laughter. “Are you fucking kidding me,
Jordan? You can come up with a better one than that.” 
“Fuck off, Ash,” he shot back. “I couldn’t care less about your opinion.” 
“Do you care about mine, Jordy? Don’t lie to me.” Drew’s stare remained
unflinching, his eyes soft and knowing. “I know you’re still having a hard time
moving on from Keith’s death, but it’s going to be a year soon.” 
“It’s only been nine months. God almighty, did you expect me to forget him
already?” Horrified, Jordan swept his hand across the table, sending the empty
bottles and food containers crashing to the floor. “Could you forget Ash so
quickly? Keith and I were together for almost four years. Stop pressuring me to
move on with my life. It’s over for me. There will never be anyone else.” 
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I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending just around the corner. I started reading traditional historical romances when I was a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn’t until I picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth’s court that my interest in romance novels became renewed.
But somewhere along the way, my tastes shifted. While I still enjoys a juicy Historical romance, I began experimenting with newer, more cutting edge genres and discovered the world of Male/Male romance. Once I picked up her first, I became so enamored of the authors, the character-driven stories and the overwhelming emotion of the books, I knew I wanted to write my own.
I live in New York City with my husband and two children and hopefully soon a cat of my own. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

HOSTED BY:

Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: Sight and Sinners by Susan Mac Nicol

by

THE MEN OF LONDON
From Charing Cross to Waterloo, there’s no escaping love.
SEEING THROUGH…
28-year-old Draven Samuels has a tragic past, but as an investigator with a high-profile London company he now gets what he wants. Tough, sarcastic, and sceptical, he has no patience for lies and even less for people who waste his time. Even if they’re as beautiful as the wild and dark-haired Taylor Abelard. Especially when they’re talking over the body of a murder victim.
THE DARKNESS
Psychic Taylor Abelard is used to people calling him a freak. He can see past events and feel the ghostly vibrations of people close to him who’ve passed on. It’s why he doesn’t get too close to the living. But this time, against his better judgment, despite Draven’s mocking rejoinders, Taylor will get closer than ever before. The mystery surrounding a dead friend will lead the two men down a dark and seedy trail of blackmail and lies. Add in the heartbreak of a family tragedy, and events lead them straight into each other’s arms. By the end of this night, all their demons will have risen—and been banished with the dawn.
PURCHASE LINK
http://www.boroughspublishinggroup.com

Denise’s Review

I loved Gideon and Eddie’s story, in Book 1 of The Men of London story, so I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into the second book in this series, Sight and Sinners. 

This is Taylor and Draven’s story. Taylor is a psychic, specifically one who sees people who have already passed, which leaves him with nightmares, and sometimes in a catatonic state. Meanwhile, Draven is a bit of a man-ho, but very quickly turns his ways, once he meets up with Taylor again. To say their first meeting was inaspicious would be understating it. However, once Draven truly sees the power in Taylor’s gift, he cannot deny it, even finding it frightening in its  effects on Taylor.

As these two work together to solve a mystery around a friend’s death, they heat up the bedroom, and begin to fall in love. The challenges ahead for them both brought a bit of an ugly cry, I must say. Taylor having to give devastating news to the man he loves, then finding himself turned away for it, was tough to read. What should have brought them together tore them apart, until Draven realized how wrong he truly was.

The situation they dealt with would be challenging for anyone to deal with, causing many to turn away from their loved ones. With Taylor’s powers added to the mix, it could bring some level of comfort, for sure, but also a lot of anguish. Watching these men walk through these hours together gives you hope that love really can help to heal hurt.

I couldn’t help but cry for about the last 25% of this book (which Ms. Mac Nicol gleefully enjoyed when I told her), but the love was just stunning between these men, and I couldn’t help but be gleeful myself at reading their story. And having some glimpses at Taylor’s best buddies, Eddie and Leslie was great! I am excited to see what kind of man can take on such a beautiful man as Leslie. That will be a lot of fun, for sure!

As always, Susan Mac Nicol reads are amazing, and enjoyable, and I always look forward to reading them again! And one of the things I have enjoyed about this series so far has been that the two stories are vastly different, despite being based around Galileo’s, the restaurant. Very different love stories, for very different men, but in the end love will win! 🙂

Sight and Sinners (Men of London Book 2) gets 4.5 pieces of eye candy, and looking forward to the finish to this trilogy.

TRAILER
 Sight and Sinners .mp4
THE MEN OF LONDON SERIES BOOK 1
LOVE YOU SENSELESS
One of London’s up-and-coming chefs, Eddie Tripp has just the right recipe to drive tragedy from the mind of Gideon Kent—and leave him senseless with desire. 



THE MEN OF LONDON 
From Soho to Norwich, there’s no escaping love. 


A TASTE OF FOREVER 
An award-winning chef with his own restaurant and an inexhaustible passion, Gideon Kent once had everything. Then came tragedy. It stole more than Gideon’s home. He hasn’t cooked since. 


Until Eddie Tripp. Fun-loving and vivacious, the Norfolk redhead’s a real up-and-comer in Gideon’s kitchen—and other places. Slim where Gideon’s broad, easy-going where Gideon is growly, he and Gideon seem polar opposites, and yet Eddie conjures flavors that would tempt anyone with a taste for perfection. The sauce of love is already simmering, and this pair is about to dine on the most delicious dish they’ve ever prepared. Because Eddie’s been Gideon’s missing ingredient all along.

Love You Senseless Purchase Link:
Amazon
Susan Mac Nicol is a self confessed bookaholic, an avid watcher of videos of sexy pole dancing men, self confessed geek and nerd and in love with her Smartphone. This little treasure is called ‘the boyfriend’ by her long suffering husband, who says if it vibrated, there’d be no need for him. Susan hasn’t had the heart to tell him there’s an app for that…
She is never happier than when sitting in the confines of her living room/study/on a cold station platform scribbling down words and making two men fall in love. She is a romantic at heart and believes that everything happens (for the most part) for a reason.  She likes to think of herself as a ‘half full’ kinda gal, although sometimes that philosophy is sorely tested.
Lover of walks in the forest, theatre productions, dabbling her toes in the cold North Sea and the vibrant city of London where you can experience all four seasons in a day , she is a hater of pantomime (so please don’t tar and feather her), duplicitous people, bigotry and self righteous idiots. 
In an ideal world, Susan Mac Nicol would be Queen of England and banish all the bad people to the Never Never Lands of Wherever -Who Cares. As that’s never going to happen, she contents herself with writing her HEA stories and pretending, that just for a little while, good things happen to good people.

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