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Winter of the Owl (Seasons Of The Likoi, Book 1) by Iris Foxglove: Release Blitz, Exclusive Excerpt and New Release Review

January 7, 2022 by Denise

Sava has the best house in all of Lukos. He built it himself, dreaming of the day when he and Milan, the man he loved, could live there and brave the harsh winters of Lukos together—only to be devastated when Milan was found dead in the spring. Fraught with grief, Sava resigns himself to spending his winters alone.

Then a stranger appears on his doorstep, and everything changes.

Victor is a scholar from Gerakia, a land known for its long summers and vibrant history, and he has never been more unprepared in his life. Abandoned on the inhospitable island of Lukos after a disastrous relationship, Victor has to adapt quickly to survive. It helps, of course, that he’s taken in by Sava, who has the biggest heart of any man Victor has ever known. Victor and Sava start to make a home together, growing close as snow falls outside, but the true danger of a Lukos winter is closer than they suspect…

Winter Of The Owl

Seasons Of The Likoi, Book 1

By Iris Foxglove

Amazon

Goodreads

“I must be the worst submissive in Lukos. Can’t cook, can’t start a fire, scared of ghosts—” He jumped again as the wind howled outside, and Sava raised a hand as though to steady him before drawing away again.

“I don’t know why you say these things about yourself,” Sava said. “When you just started a fire, and you’ve shown yourself to be clever and eager to learn.”

“Sorry.” Victor wrapped his arms around himself. “Can you believe I used to be too confident?”

Sava frowned slightly. “Did something happen to change that?”

“More like someone.” Victor sighed. “As long as we’re talking about unpleasant things. You know I spoke of a … mate, before. Someone I thought would be one.”

“The one who sent you here. You don’t have to speak of him.”

“I know. But I should.” Victor huddled under the blankets. “He was my teacher, I guess. I took a class with him, on … we call it philosophy. It’s where a lot of people argue about how to think.”

Sava narrowed his eyes. “Don’t they already know how?”

“Yeah, you’d think so. But David taught it, and he always left these really critical notes on my papers. Usually—in my other classes—I got top marks, so I was mad about it. If I failed, I’d have to go home, so I went to his office. Where we could talk alone. And he offered to give me lessons, and I … oh. Oh, no.”

Sava sat up as Victor covered his face with his hands. “What? Did he force you?”

“No. It’s that I’m embarrassed at the thought I’ll now be a cautionary tale to other students, about the dangers of seducing your professors.” Victor groaned into his hands. “But I thought I loved him, and then when I became too much trouble for him, he got rid of me. He said there was a trip planned to visit Lukos, and he’d arranged for me to join the group. So. Well. Fuck.”

“He thought you were trouble?” Sava’s voice was colder than Victor had ever heard it. “So he sent you here to die? You?”

“You say that like it’s surprising.”

“Is he the one who did this?” Sava leaned closer, and Victor fell back, catching his breath as Sava lifted his chin with one hand. “Made you feel small?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Yes. I think so.” Victor was finding it rather hard to think with Sava radiating warmth over him, holding him still. “I didn’t think about it at the time, but he was always saying how, you know, ugly I was, and—”

Sava made a sound so close to a growl that Victor shivered. “I do not know this man, but I know you enough, Victor, to know he is a liar. If he were in Lukos, he would be punished for breaking our laws and casting aside a man like you. I would cast him out myself if I could.”

Victor couldn’t speak, and Sava looked him in the eye, his calloused fingers firm but so gentle on Victor’s chin. “You forgot how valuable you are, little owl, but you can learn again.”

A sweet fantasy story about a young orphaned scholar who fancies himself in love with an older more powerful man and is tricked when the other man decides he is a nuisance to be gotten rid of, and is basically dumped on what appears to be a frozen wasteland and left to die.

The native people there are honorable and take in the young man. He goes to live with Sava who has lost his mate so lives on his own.

It’s not difficult to imagine they fall in love despite the obvious baddy who resents Victor for taking Sava who he considers is his.

I honestly didn’t feel the dominant/submissive angle did anything to the story, either the plot or the characters and could easily be ignored.

Having said that it was an easy uncomplicated read when you’re in the mood for one.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Iris Foxglove is a shared pen name between two authors, Avon Gale and Fae Loxley. Together, they’re writing fantasy with an emphasis on biological imperative kink (“BDSM alternate universe” or “D/s-verse”), complex worldbuilding and unforgettable characters.

You can follow Iris on twitter @irisfoxglove, or sign up for Iris’ newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hrhA6z

Iris is also on Patreon! Check it out for extras and all sorts of goodies here: https://www.patreon.com/irisfoxglove

On A Midnight Clear by Lily Morton: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

January 7, 2022 by Denise

It can safely be said that Lord Barnaby Greenwood is not having the best of Christmases.

He’s penniless, up to his eyeballs in debt, and about to lose his estate. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that when a local property developer offers a lot of money to buy King’s Wood from him, Barnaby is very tempted. But his father had always impressed on him that the green wood was sacred and must be protected at all costs, so he finds himself saying no.

He knows this will result in the loss of his home, but duty comes before everything. However, that fateful decision leads instead to a magical Christmas for Barnaby, complete with an old god who grants him a favour, and a beautiful statue that comes to life.

Cosmo is perfect for him. He’s funny and kind and completely enraptured with Barnaby, and for the first time in his life, Barnaby falls in love. But how can this lead to anything but heartache, when on the last stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, Cosmo will go back to being a statue and take Barnaby’s heart with him?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a truly magical romantic comedy.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

I shake my head. “This is real, isn’t it?”

He looks steadily at me. “This is magic, Barnaby Greenwood. It is the furthest thing from reality that can be.”

I bite my lip. “It’s incredible. Nothing like this ever happens to me.”

“Well, that is sad. Good people deserve good things.”

“How do you know I’m good?”

He throws his head back and laughs merrily. “Oh, Barnaby. Do you forget your youth so easily?”

I flush. “Oh my god, you were listening to me? You could hear me?”

He winks. “I was. Statues can hear and understand. Apart from one exception per day, we are marble and granite, bronze and alabaster, but we can still hear and understand. And nothing interested me so much as your tales of school woes and your terrible crush on the games teacher.”

I rub my nose awkwardly. “He was rather good-looking. That’s fairly mortifying and rather boring for you. I do apologise that you had to lie unable to move and just listen to my adolescent angst, although that does make you an ideal companion for a teenager.”

“Barnaby, I have lain in this house as a statue for hundreds of years. I have seen generations of your ancestors be born and die, and nothing has caught me as much as you. So many pass through this room and they look, but their glances are brief, and their eyes move on as quickly as bees to flowers. You would come and sit and talk to me as if I were human, and I found that extraordinarily pleasing. So, I kept an eye on you for that, and what I saw saddened me.”

“Why?”

His mouth turns down at the corners. “Because when you were young, you burnt bright as a flame. You were sweet and happy, and to see that youthful fire and energy dissipated by money problems and grief is saddening to me.”

I sigh. “There isn’t much that I can do about that, I’m afraid.”

He watches me for a long moment, his pale green eyes intent and warm. “There is a lot that we can do.” He stands up. “Let us go.”

“Go?” I echo, staring up at him. “Go where? Have you missed the fact that you’re bloody naked?”

“We have much to do,” he says, ignoring me. He clicks his fingers at the dog, and he jumps down, taking a position at his master’s foot, a pose similar to the one he adopted as a statue. “And very little time to accomplish things.”

I gape at him and then have to scurry to catch up with him as he sweeps out of the room, his canine shadow at his heels. “Wait. Where are you going?” I pant. “What do we have to do?”

He doesn’t reply, making his way down the long corridor instead.

To me at least, Christmas is the most magical holiday. Starting when we are kids and most of us grew up believing in Santa and the decorations and lights and food and family. So a book, set at Christmas with LITERAL magic in it? Yes, yes, yes.

This is not the first book that Lily Morton has written that is set at an old estate that was formerly owned by a duke or a something or other with great status. And as it is passed down through the generations, people no longer make money by status alone and the estate is starting to fall into disrepair.

But this estate is bordered by woods that are, apparently, filled with magic. And when Barnaby (owner of the estate) is being pushed into selling those woods, magic comes to light. In the form of Barnaby’s favorite statue. Who comes alive. He will only be alive until the stroke of midnight on Christmas and while Barnaby has no idea how a now living statue can help him financially, he was going to take advantage of his dream man being a living, breathing man.

Cosmo not only shows Barnaby magic, but also love. Being treasured and loved for who he is. And with Barnaby being in his early 40’s, it is a perfect example of how not everyone is a well built 20 something as a main character. 40 something, kind of broke and perhaps a bit soft in the middle are worthy of love.

Cosmo also helps Barnaby figure out how to save his estate.

This was such a fun, magical romp. Statues that come to life for an hour. Statues that come to life for more than an hour. History and secrets and Christmas. Townspeople and employees and…magic.

This is must read and I think it might be a reread for me next year at Christmas.

4 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

Lily has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

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Nowhere to Run by Andrew Grey: Quick Review

January 3, 2022 by Denise

Roy Unger is greenhorn running from his past. He’s gotten a ranch job and works hard to prove himself every day. Since leaving home in a hurry, he’s come to realize that this job is the only thing standing between him and starvation. He isn’t going to mess it up, no matter how much Brad might drive him to distraction.

Brad has been around the block more than once. He’s a cowboy through and through, complete with a failed rodeo career and a love life that could only be described as hopeless. He’s worked hard and kept his head down. Roy makes him want more, but Brad has come to realize that what he wants isn’t what he gets.

Brad knows what desperation feels like and how important it is to fit in. When he decides to help Roy get over his fear of horses, the two men spend more time together, leading Roy to share confidences about his troubled past. Listening builds trust, which shifts into so much more. But before they can have any sort of future, they need to deal with Roy’s past, which could ruin everything.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Andrew Grey always has books that are sweet, sexy and are so varied in their locations, I think he must research for months to get his info correct. (Seriously, in this book, when Roy is cleaning out a stable, there’s information about what is put down on the ground…and who knew it was anything other than hay?)

This one has sweet Roy, who is pretty much as sweet and virginal as you can get for a ranch hand. He’s hiding out to stay away from some unpleasantness at home. His goal was just to keep his head down, not get in any trouble, and make some money. Fortunately, he landed somewhere that didn’t ask a lot of questions, and seemed to want to take in a lost soul.

Brad, meanwhile, had his own issues, after having spent most of his young life dreaming of riding in a rodeo, then his first time, he is thrown and injured. He’s made do with the hand he’s been dealt, and seems to have spent time loving what his new life is. He takes Roy under his wing, teaching him how to ride, standing up for him until Roy could stand up for himself, and figure out how to address the situation at home.

I had a bit of a hard time staying in the story when Roy just decided to go home and deal with the issue. It threw me how he had gained that much confidence in just a few days time. It was a novella, though, so there has to be grace for that. Roy did seem to be able to step back into his parents’ lives and not allow them to step all over him, and much of that was due to Roy being at the ranch, not just being with Brad.

Overall, a nice little cowboy novella, although I’m not sure I would re-read it.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Playing Our Song by LA Bryce: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

December 29, 2021 by Denise

Jase is famous around the world, and Garrett’s well-known in his neighborhood. They’re two singers. One is living his dream, and the other is living his brother’s.

Jase’s boyfriend’s hostility has increased toward him, making their relationship toxic, but too focused on his band, Jase lets it slide, causing him to almost miss out on the kind of love that lives in his fantasies.

Garrett made a promise to his brother when he passed. But a mistake in its interpretation almost causes Garrett to live out his brother’s dream instead of reaching for his own.

Can these men spot and remove the obstacles stopping them from making beautiful music together before it’s too late?

Amazon

Jase tells Garrett about his writers block and suggests they write together

“Hey. What are you doing here?” Garrett’s smile told Jase he didn’t mind Jase just stopping over.

The knot in Jase’s stomach untied. “I grew stir crazy at home. Needed a fresh space.”

Jase handed Garrett a beer, then pulled a chair over.

Garrett took a swig of the beer, and his body relaxed. “How are things with the new album?”

Jase hesitated for a moment. Maybe he needed this. To talk to someone concerning the rut he’d been facing. Gain insight into what he was missing. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, then opened his eyes. “Shitty,” spilled from his lips.

Garrett leaned forward, his brows furrowed, and a frown marred his face. “What do you mean?”

“I’m trying to come up with new material. In two months, we’re back in the studio, and I’m working with nothing.”

“What’s the problem?” The concern emanating from Garrett helped Jase share his fears.

“I don’t have a clue. I had a couple of decent days, and now I’m stuck. Everything I write turns into the same tune. There’s nothing else. I keep hitting a wall.” Jase’s shoulders sagged, and the usual nerves he’d been dealing with came crashing back, causing an ache in his stomach.

“What do you think’s holding you back?”

Jase scrubbed his eyes. “I have no idea.”

“Has this happened in the past?”

“No. Maybe.” Jase’s gaze moved to his fidgeting hands. “Back when I first started writing for the band. When I first started having deadlines—the stress would block my brain. But since then, no, I haven’t had a problem. I have no idea why whatever is happening is happening now.”

“I can see the stress being a problem,” Garrett said. “If I sit, ready to write, I have the hardest time. It’s once I’m busy doing something else that the ideas come to me. That’s the reason I’m always traveling with a notebook.”

“Me too,” Jase agreed. “But right now, the pages are blank. The flow’s dried up.” Jase took a drink. Both men sat silently—Jase with too many thoughts. Then one pushed forward, and with no filter, Jase blurted out, “We should do something together.”

Garrett twitched. “What?”

“Shit. Why didn’t that come to me sooner? We should write something together.”

“Yeah, right.” Garrett smiled and rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, right. It’s a wonderful idea.” Goosebumps covered Jase’s arms. “Your style is just what the band needs.”

“I’m sure something’ll come to you.” Garrett peeled pieces of the label from his beer, no longer looking at Jase. “I don’t think you need my help.”

“That’s exactly what I need,” Jase insisted. “You’re really good.”

“Thank you.” A flush swept across Garrett’s face.

“I’m serious. Your songs rock.” The urge to shake Garrett was strong. “Together, we could do something great.”

Garrett continued to pick at the beer label. “I’m sure whatever you write will end up awesome, but I’m not sure I could add anything to it.”

Jase fisted his hands and whispered, even though he wanted to shout. “Bull shit.” Jase had had enough.

“Your songs are as impressive as any I’ve written.”

Garrett’s laugh sounded hollow. “I’m not too sure about that, but thank you!”

“You need to cut yourself a break.”

Garrett just shook his head.

I’m a fan of rock star romances. I love seeing the behind the scenes stuff, how they live, etc. But this was just…boring. There was nothing really WRONG with it (except the whole lack of management, record companies, photo shoots…), it was a nice story, but there was no real heat or passion. It was just forgettable.

Jase, rock star extraordinaire, is with a crappy boyfriend who ignores him constantly, whines when they are together, doesn’t answer calls and blames everything on his career. HELLO! Red light dude! Jase just comes off as a doormat. Who puts up with that?

He meets Garrett when he stops into a restaurant and Garrett is the entertainment. Jace is immediately drawn to the music, and obviously to Garrett but somehow he doesn’t see it. They end up writing some music together but Jace is hot and cold. Mostly because of the stupid boyfriend.

I’m sure you can see where this is all going…

The book was fine. The story was fine. The sex scenes were fine. But just fine isn’t good enough for me.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

L.A. is a contemporary M/M romance author who loves her men to work hard, play hard, and love hard.

She’s always lived in the northeast and has recently stretched her boundaries and moved farther north — the more relaxed lifestyle giving her more time to write — in theory anyway.

Among the things she loves besides writing and her family are her friends, those she writes with and those she writes about, reading, games (the kind with boards, not in love), her dogs, Nutella and Bok Choy, and the men and women from the military, past and present, who keep us safe.

When she finds herself stuck at the keyboard, her fingers refusing to move, her characters refusing to talk, she likes to take a break, blast some music, and dance like no one is watching her or sing her heart out into her hairbrush microphone.

She’s living her happily ever after and wants the same for all her characters. L.A. believes love comes in all different packages and each should be wrapped in a ribbon and cherished.

Connect with LA:

https://labryce.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LABryceAuthor/

https://twitter.com/labryce_author

https://www.instagram.com/labryce_author/

https://www.pinterest.com/labryce_author/

To celebrate the release of Playing Our Song, LA Bryce is giving away a awesome Kindle Fire 10!!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

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Save Me: Love in the Pacific Northwest Book 1 by Beck Grey: Audiobook Review

December 28, 2021 by Denise

Deputy US Marshal Jamie MacDougall assumes his latest assignment is just another security detail, but when he finds himself falling for the gorgeous key witness he’s sworn to protect, it takes everything he has to keep things professional.

When Ashley Pandy enters the WITSEC program, with a new identity and a new life far away from Seattle and Jamie, he tries to move on, but a year later, with no hope of seeing him again, he still can’t forget the man who stole his heart. Ashley walked away from love for noble reasons.

Jamie let him go because it was the honorable thing to do. When a foolish decision gives them a second chance to be all kinds of wrong, can they finally get it right?

Amazon

Audible

As a Deputy US Marshal Jamie McDougall has sworn to protect those in his care. This time around, protecting Ashley Pandy, Jamie is having a hard time keeping it professional. They are both drawn to each other but they know this thing has an expiration date, Ashley is going into WITSEC and transferring out of Jamie’s life as soon as his trial is over.

Once Ashley has started his new life in a non-descript city he can’t stop thinking about his Marshal. Jamie also has a hard time moving on, sort of stuck in a holding pattern wondering how to get over the man he may never see again, when fate intervenes.

Ashley’s new life and his old collide and the only person he knows and trusts is Jamie. Running to Jamie could be the best or worst decision of his life depending on whether they can outrun trouble.

The story was interesting and the character building was good. The author tends to focus on a lot of extraneous detail which doesn’t keep the story moving forward. The story gets stuck around the middle, the characters spend several chapters stagnate and then bam the whole story is wrapped up within two chapters. The ending is a little unbelievable but ends is a HEA so I still enjoyed it.

The narrator is new to me and I did enjoy his performance. The cadence of his voice is nice, sometimes I did have a hard time deciphering which character was speaking but overall a great job.

3 pieces of eye candy

If You Love Something by Jayce Ellis: Release Day Review

December 28, 2021 by Denise

“A lovingly drawn depiction of Black family dynamics.” —Publishers Weekly on Learned Reactions

A marriage lost is found again in this cheeky new romantic comedy from acclaimed author Jayce Ellis.

As executive chef at one of the hottest restaurants in DC, DeShawn Franklin has almost everything he’s ever wanted. He’s well-known, his restaurant is Michelin starred and he can write his own ticket anywhere he wants. Until his grandmother calls him home and drops two bombshells:

1) She has cancer and she’s not seeking treatment.

2) She’s willing half her estate to DeShawn’s ex-husband, Malik.

Make that three bombshells.

3) That whole divorce thing? It didn’t quite go through. DeShawn and Malik are still married.

And when DeShawn’s shady uncle contests Grandma’s will, there’s only one path back to justice: play it like he and Malik have reconciled. They need to act like a married couple just long enough to dispense with the lawsuit.

Once DeShawn is back in Malik’s orbit, it’s not hard to remember why they parted. All the reasons he walked away remain—but so do all the reasons he fell in love in the first place.

Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters. Discover a new Carina Adores book every month!

Amazon

Carina Press/Harlequin

Having read a previous book by this author, Jeremiah, I was looking forward to reading another book by this author who portrays her Black MC’s with great depth and clearly uses her #ownvoice. This book did not disappoint at all.

There was so much going on in this book, and I loved every second of it. The story just worked so well.

DeShawn seemed to have it all, executive chef at a starred restaurant, famous, does a weekly television, men on his arm for all the events, and a dog he adores. However, when his grandmother calls, his entire world changes. Meanwhile, Malik is at the opposite end of the spectrum, working in his family’s restaurant that is just a short time from having to close due to changes beyond his control. Unhappy in his life, with his brother, with the bright spot being his dog.

DeShawn’s dying grandmother, while she didn’t intend to keep any secrets about DeShawn and Malik’s divorce, or lack thereof, she did try to use it to bring them back together. All of these things were so very indicative of real world issues. DeShawn not calling Malik to tell him, because he put it off. Malik not calling DeShawn for the same reason. Avoiding a problem as long as possible. A restaurant that is all old school, with no carry out, no quick foods, dying while the world goes on around them. Even gambling issues.

Through it all, it wasn’t an instant fix. There was a lot of hurt, anger and loss, from years past, thrown in that needed to be dealt with in the present. Then they could deal with the rest of their issues, from the divorce that wasn’t, to the uncle who was determined to get all of his mother’s money, to saving Malik’s family restaurant. All of this, while trying to pretend they found each other again, and fell right back in love.

Also, the fact that the dogs were instantly buddies…warmed my heart so much.

I absolutely loved this book, beginning to end.

5 pieces of eye candy