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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Cara Dee

Alfie: Part Two (Alfie & West Book 2) by Cara Dee: Excerpt and Release Day Review

February 24, 2025 by Denise

MM Romance • Part 2 of 2 • Second Chances • Irish Mafia • Family • Hurt/Comfort • Age Gap • Revenge • Opposites Attract
When two broken hearts have reached their limits, it’s time for a mobster to play dirty in order to let the healing begin. Don’t worry, Alfie has a plan.

That very second, the moment West said those words…I almost shattered. Again. I’d put myself out there. I’d begged him for a second chance. I’d told him I’d give up everything for him and our kids—but he’d shot me down. And now, when I let him know that I was changing my last name back to O’Dwyer, he had the balls to say his name suited me better. He stood there in front of me, trying to act like his eyes weren’t burning with unshed tears, and admitted that he didn’t know how to let me go.

Not long after, I nearly broke into a million pieces again, when Dad called and said that Mom was in the hospital. That she’d been assaulted.

No words could describe the rage that flooded me, and I couldn’t hide it from West either.

He was about to find out just how far the Sons of Munster would go to avenge their own.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Alfie: Part One – Kindle Unlimited

West Scott

We automatically snuck around the corner of the house, where we’d have more privacy. If Trip came out, we’d hear him and have time to hide the evidence.

It wasn’t our first rodeo.

“Colby mentioned you look like shit lately.”

I frowned. “Pardon?”

“Not in those words. He said you’re tired.”

Well, thanks a lot.

I swallowed uncomfortably and pretended to find the hedges interesting. They needed trimming soon.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Fuck, not that question.

No, I wasn’t fucking okay, and it wasn’t okay that he looked to be okay.

The pressure on my chest increased, and I took a quick pull from the smoke.

“It’s been a lot at work before my vacation,” I said. That wasn’t too much of a lie.

“Oh, right. You’re off for five weeks now.” He exhaled some smoke. “Any plans?”

I shook my head and peered down at his wrist. I wanted to give him the watch.

Would he find me utterly insane? I had no real reason, aside from missing him. Missing the days we sometimes surprised each other with little gifts, missing the days he casually adjusted my tie for me, missing the days of closeness and intimacy.

I just plain missed him.

“Would, uh…” I cleared my throat. “Would you accept a gift from me?”

“Huh?” He looked over at me.

“Or is it too weird?” I wasn’t sure. “I saw something after a meeting in the city last week, and I—” I stopped short, my heart rate picking up, and I handed him my smoke. “I’ll be right back.”

I rounded the corner again and walked briskly toward the guest room’s terrace door. I’d left the box on the bed—

“Yeah, it’s kinda weird!” I heard Alfie holler.

Right, but it was too late now. I was committed. I needed his reaction to it, because a gift like that would evoke his unfiltered honesty. That was what I was after. My initial sentiment about the gift was genuine. I’d simply wanted him to have it. But now, I…I couldn’t cope without something changing the status quo, and I was too chickenshit to do it myself.

I’d brought this misery upon myself. I’d left his house. I’d set boundaries. Respectable boundaries, in my opinion. Boundaries my mind was set to keep, whereas my heart wanted to flush them down the toilet.

I grabbed the box on the bed and walked out again.

I was an idiot. More than that, I was selfish and disrespectful and downright heartless, because this would undoubtedly trigger anger too. Rightfully so. He’d view it as my toying with his emotions.

Deep down, what I really wanted was for him to save me from myself.

Alfie waited for me around the corner, and he extended the smoke to me.

“Here,” I said. “I saw it in a store, wanted you to have it, ordered it, and…so, here.”

He had suspicion and weariness written all over him as he accepted the box. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what it was. I hadn’t gift-wrapped it, so the brand was embossed on the surface, and—

“Vacheron…” He trailed off and shifted where he stood. “Are you fucking kidding me, West?” There was no heat to his question, only exhaustion.

I took a quick drag from the smoke, unable to speak.

“You don’t just see this kind of watch in a store,” he told me, lifting the lid. “You find it online and order it, usually for a CEO in the private sector who’s retiring after fifty years of making everyone rich.”

He trapped his smoke between his lips and picked up the leather pouch the watch came in, and he detached the strap.

“I did see it in a store,” I said. “In a catalogue picture they had on display.”

He rolled his eyes but said nothing.

I stubbed out my smoke and stashed it in the tailpiece of the drainpipe for later.

My nerves were officially shot, and if I spoke, emotional nonsense would fly out. I wasn’t much of a crier, but I’d reached my fucking limit for what I could handle. My stomach felt tight and unsettled, I couldn’t escape the pressure on my chest, and my eyes burned.

Alfie swallowed as he saw the watch, and without thinking, he dropped the smoke and put it out under his shoe.

Say something.

“No, you know what?” he said without looking away from the watch. “This is the kind of gift a wife gives a random cabana boy to piss off her cheating husband.”

His comment did something to the air around us, deflating it somehow, and it sucked the words out of me before I could think twice.

“That’s specific. But a cabana boy wouldn’t care about something so classy.”

“It’s probably the cheating husband’s favorite brand.” Alfie didn’t miss a beat, and he glanced up at me. “Who’re you tryna piss off, West?”

Wait, what?

“Nobody.” I frowned.

“Try again.” He pinned me with an intense stare I wasn’t sure I’d ever received before. “You don’t give someone a sixty-grand watch for nothin’. Are you fucking with me? I can think of one gift you’d give your ex-husband, and it’s a Father’s Day present from the kids.”

The fact that he was in the right ballpark of what that watch cost put me on edge for some reason. I hadn’t expected him to expose me to that degree, and it threw me off.

“Happy early Father’s Day, then,” I replied stiffly.

“Quite the fuckin’ upgrade from the perfectly acceptable mug you had them give me in June,” he snapped. “I guess I’ll tell them to choose something other than a tie for you next year? Maybe a yacht would be more appropriate? You have a birthday comin’ up too. You want a house in the Hamptons?”

I gnashed my teeth. “If it bothers you so much, I’ll return it—”

“Fuck no! You gave it to me—it’s mine.” As he spoke, irritated and ever so unpredictable, he removed his old watch. “It’s mine. Put it on me. Fuck me, it’s breathtaking—but you’re off your damn rocker, West. Tell me why you gave me this.”

Roll with the punches, roll with the punches, roll with the punches.

“I wanted you to have it.” I got to touch him again, even if it was only his wrist.

“Bullshit. We’ve been over this. Is this platinum?”

I had to take a calming breath and slow things down. When Alfie grew heated and started thinking out loud, it was too easy to get swept away by his ranty monologue.

“It is. And I did want you to have it,” I insisted. “But yes, I anticipated a signature Alfie Scott reaction to go with it.” I pretended to struggle with the double clasp of the watch, just so I could brush my fingertips over the ink around his wrists.

Since the first time I’d seen his inked body, I’d discovered numerous designs I wanted to ask him about. I’d spotted our children’s birthdates, of course. Ireland, Puerto Rico, and Italy were heavily represented in the artwork. But so was I, which meant he’d chosen to eternalize memories from our years together even when he’d been trying to recover from our divorce.

I remembered the restaurant I’d taken him to for our first date, and it couldn’t be a coincidence he had the street sign for that address inked right there on his arm.

“O’Dwyer,” he said quietly.

No.

I swallowed hard. That was a gut punch. Nausea crawled up my throat.

“You changed it back?” I finished fastening the watch and had to withdraw my hands.

He studied his watch and brushed his thumb over the crown. “Not yet, but it’s on my list for next week.”

Fuck.

“Scott suits you better.” I had absolutely no right to say that.

He chuckled and peered up at me with the biggest fuck-you smile I’d ever seen.

“If it wasn’t for this watch, this is where I woulda told you to go fuck yourself,” he said. “Don’t do this to me, West. Just don’t. It’s cruel.”

I knew it was, and I felt like the biggest piece of shit on earth.

I was desperate, though. I woke up broken, and I went to bed broken. I’d made a decision that made it impossible for us to get another chance, and yet that was all I wanted.

I had to clear my throat as more emotions threatened to surface, and I didn’t know how to be honest with him without losing my composure.

Fuck composure.

“I…I don’t know how to let you go,” I managed to get out. He immediately clenched his jaw and looked away. “I can’t even fake it anymore, Alfie. I can’t sleep, I have little to no appetite, and I—”

A continuation of book 1, obviously. So read that first.

Again, like book 1, a solid story. Not only the romance and the sex, but the STORY, the characters, which I prefer over a book that is basically all sex.

Do I think one plot point from book 1 was resolved a bit too quickly and easily? Yup. But pretty much everything else was well written, the story flowed even with 8 gazilion characters and there is a new sub plot in this book that needs to be resolved as well.

Seeing West become more comfortable with the morally gray Sons of Muenster while Alfie becomes more entrenched was great. Kind of like he just gave it up to the universe. He loves Alfie, wants him back, wants to be a family again, so he’s willing to turn a blind eye when he has to. And his “bromance” with Shan is epic.

I’d love to see them get another book but apparently they will be popping up in other books, just not as the main characters. But I will look for them.

4 pieces of eye candy

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. 

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. 

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write. 

Find Cara on social media here: https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

 

Filed Under: Book Excerpt, Book Review, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin, Uncategorized Tagged With: 4 stars, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, Cara Dee, excerpt, gay, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, release day review, review, romance

The Story of Danny Rose (Hillcroft Group Book 1) by Cara Dee: New Release Review

November 20, 2024 by Denise

The Hillcroft Group, #1 Standalone Age gap Military DD/lb
“Try to read his file from the Army from another perspective. Less stone-faced, devoid of emotion, SAS operator and more as…oh, I don’t know, the loving, caring, nurturing Dom that you are.”

There was nothing like kicking off your vacation by realizing someone had broken in to your cabin. More than that, he was waiting when you arrived.

This young guy had plagued my dreams when I’d spent two months with his detachment a couple years ago. He was cocky, volatile, and resourceful. Resourceful enough to track me down, piss me off, and get himself invited for steaks and beer.

I was quickly going to learn there was a lot more to him than being a soldier with boundary issues, though. Starting the moment I accidentally spotted a small stuffed animal in his backpack.

He changed everything. The story of Danny Rose went from anecdotes I occasionally shared with recruits, to…becoming my whole bloody life.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

This book was mostly what I had hoped for. Back to a couple who get together but take the time to get to know each other. Not immediately off to a Game at McLean House or in a scene.

Danny and Emerson met briefly years ago. Danny never forgot Emerson though and after he left the military, tracked him down. Partly because he wanted to be a PMC and partly because he just wanted him.

We got a brief bit of their story previously in a short involving the Tenley twins. This expands on that story. And while it was expanded, and I did enjoy it, the near immediate “I’m a little” and “I’m a Daddy” great, let’s explore that together immediately, was a bit too fast for me. Again, more flirting. More fun. The PMC guys need a little fun and joy in their lives. Also, more background into the characters.

Having the Tenley twins in the background of the story was really fun. Seeing them as 20 year olds, taking orders, being voyeurs without apology and getting insight into how they became the growly Doms we know and love was interesting.

We are also introduced to several characters I am sure will be coming up in future Hillcroft Group books, as well as some excellently placed Easter eggs. I hope that future books in this series can focus more on the couple and less on the missions they are sure to be on, but that remains to be seen.

4 pieces of eye candy

Filed Under: Book Review, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4 stars, author, Book Reviews, Cara Dee, gay, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, release day review, review, romance

R for Rough (Camassia Cove Universe #17) by Cara Dee: Release Day Review

September 27, 2024 by Denise

Standalone • MM • Primal Play • DD/lb • Age gap • Interrogation Play • Coworkers • Camassia Cove Universe
Apply the right amount of war paint and rehearse your safewords for Griffin and Tracy’s romance. They may start out as two chefs working awkwardly together, but they share a desire that soon brings them together, forcing them to address the tension between them.

I didn’t know why Griffin hated me so much, but it was wearing me down. I walked on eggshells around him at work, and I hated that I still wanted him. I saw him in my dreams, my fantasies, and…frankly, in some nightmares too. And then I freaking saw him at a munch, and I almost lost it. Just how much did we have in common?! Was there no way for us to coexist? My friend Abel firmly believed Griffin and I belonged together, but I didn’t know what that guy was smoking.

Something had to give, though—and that made me think of what my grandpa used to tell me as a kid. I’d been too young to wield an axe, so he’d chopped wood while I had walked along the tree line to collect kindling. Then when I came across a branch I couldn’t break, he’d say, “It’s just a matter of finding the right pressure point. You can do it, Tracy.”

Maybe that could be applied to Griffin too.

It was just a matter of finding the right pressure point.

This story takes place in Cara Dee’s Camassia Cove Universe, a fictional town where all books stand on their own, unless otherwise stated, and the reader can jump in wherever they want.

Amazon – All Regions

I’ve read A LOT of Cara Dee books. Probably 90%. A lot of them have kink. But what really drew me in were the relationships. The connections, the falling in love, getting to know you stories. And lately, that is really missing from the kink books.

This can be read as a stand alone, even though it’s in the Cammisa Cove world and we even get a few guest stars from McLean House. And being that it was kind of a stand alone, I was really expecting and hoping for a relationship that beings, grows, flourishes…. but instead we got some cursory back story, very little one on one time and then another kinky game.

And I am not going to yuck someone’s yum, but this kinky game was 100% not for me. Rough play? sure. Primal play? ok. But basically beating the crap out of each other and calling it kink? Not my jam. I was actually a bit disturbed at points.

I really wanted to get to KNOW Tracey and Griffin. But I didn’t.

3 pieces of eye candy

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. 

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. 

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write. 

Find Cara on social media here: https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

 

Filed Under: Book Review, New Release Book Blast, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 3 stars, author, Blog Tours, book, Book Reviews, Cara Dee, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, release day review, review, romance

The Guy in the Alley by Cara Dee: Release Day Review

May 24, 2024 by Denise

MM Romance • Standalone • Hurt/Comfort • Age Gap • Blue-Collar Romance • Found Family
Get comfortable for a love story that promises Chicago grit, sizzling heat, a playful rivalry between a White Sox diehard and a Cubs fan, and an autistic boy’s dream to see the ocean.

There was nothing like starting the new year with a snowstorm and trying to keep a sinking ship afloat in the middle of Chicago. Trace Kalecki had grown up at the Dearborn Clover, an Irish sports bar that’d been in his family since the late 1800s. He loved the place. He lived and breathed the Clover, from its staff and the sports memorabilia on the walls to the creatively named items on the menu and the soup kitchen they hosted twice a week. But the business was a damn headache too.

One night, when he was wrestling garbage bags out to the dumpsters in the alley, he heard a broken plea for help.

Ben O’Cleary was mostly hoping the snowstorm was going to finish him off once and for all. He was cold, hungry, drowning in defeat, and now wounded, too. Wasn’t it just great? Almost fifty years old, and he couldn’t take care of himself, much less his son and his old ma. Ashamed and shattered, he asked a young man for help, and…maybe that was the start of something new?

That guy, Trace…? He had an offer for Ben.

The Guy in the Alley is a stand-alone spinoff following The Guy in the Window. While the main characters from the first book do cross over briefly, it’s not necessary to read it to get the full enjoyment of The Guy in the Alley.

Disclaimer: No fans of the White Sox, Cubs, Red Wings, Dallas Stars, Preds, Cleveland, Canucks, Minnesota, St. Louis, or Green Bay were seriously injured in the making of this book. Probably no Yoopers either.

Amazon – All Regions

“Please…”

 I released the bags and instantly turned to the opening of the alley, where I spotted a dark form hunched against the wall.

 “Please help me,” he rasped.

 A dozen scenarios ran through me at the speed of light—a thought that prompted my next move. In a hot second, I’d retrieved my flashlight, and I directed the beam at his head.

 “Show me your hands,” I said, approaching slowly. “I can help you, but you gotta show me you’re cooperative.”

 He flinched and ducked his head, and I noticed he was clutching his side. Gun? Wound? Was he injured or just a good actor?

 My training and experience had kicked in the moment I’d heard the man’s voice, so I registered every movement and trait. His jeans were wet but not dirty, he was significantly older than me, taller too, white, plenty of silver in his short hair, he was breathing heavily, down jacket—good condition but not new.

 “Are you hurt?” I asked.

 He sucked in a breath and nodded, and he lifted one of his hands. “Please help me. They took my car.”

Was the car a bigger issue than whatever injury he’d sustained?

 When I was only some six feet away, I lowered the light to the side of his stomach he wouldn’t let go of, and I saw the tear in the fabric. His fingertips were bloody too.

 “I’ll call 9-1-1,” I said.

 “No!” he choked out.

 I stopped reaching for my phone and hitched my brows. Suspicion rose, though surprise did not.

 “If you could just—” he coughed. “Fuck. I’d like to inspect the damage myself.” He heaved a breath, and I lifted the flashlight a little. Enough to get the outer circle of the glow to catch his face. His expression was pinched with pain. “Could I please use the b-bathroom?”

 Yes, he could. “Sure.”

 I went with my gut feeling and quickly pocketed my flashlight. Then I closed the distance between us and took charge. He winced and recoiled as I gripped his arm to guide him to the kitchen entrance, which reminded me. He must’ve seen me sweating the garbage route in order to assume I worked here.

“Do you need me to call someone?” I asked. “A spouse? Shelter? 3-1-1?”

 He breathed through clenched teeth and shook his head.

 Fair enough.

 I helped him up the stoop and let out a short whistle when Tonya walked through the hallway.

 She turned to me, her surprise following.

 “Can you get me a first aid kit, hon?”

 “Yeah, of course.” She scurried off.

 The staff bathroom was right here in the hallway, so it wasn’t a long walk. I flicked on the lights, then ushered him to sit down on the toilet.

 He sucked in a sharp breath and scrunched his face.

 He had a small scar on his stubbly chin.

 His jacket seemed dry enough, but he needed to get out of those jeans. They were wet all the way up to his thighs.

 “Do you live far away, sir?” I pushed down his jacket, revealing an old hoodie underneath. That, too, had been torn by what I could assume was a stab wound. “Are you homeless? Doubled up somewhere?”

 A small pocketknife fell from his jacket. No surprise there.

 “They took my car.” He let out a whimper, and it took me aback to see tears rolling down from the crow’s-feet in the corners of his eyes.

 The man was in serious pain, though I suspected that car was, in fact, a bigger loss to him.

 “Did you live in that?” I asked quietly.

 He drew an unsteady breath and mustered a small nod.

 Fuck.

 I dropped the jacket on the floor and side-eyed the shower. Which was more a storage for cleaning supplies and buckets. But we’d let people wash up here before, especially in the winter when it was vital to keep their heat up.

 “Trace, here’s the kit.” Tonya returned with our kit from the kitchen.

 “Thanks. Marisol isn’t working tonight, is she?” I went for the man’s hoodie next.

 “No, afraid not. You need a nurse?”

 I nodded. “Can you get me Jamaal?”

 At least he’d almost been a corpsman when he’d decided to quit the Navy dream. His older brothers were all military, but he’d discovered it wasn’t a life for him. Together, we should be able to help this guy get patched up.

 Tonya stalked out again, and I made quick work of shedding my own coat and gloves before I got the man to lose his hoodie. And…that revealed two more shirts underneath. Sounded about right for someone living in their car.

 Oh, this could be a long night for me.

 I scratched my forehead and cursed my folks. They’d made me this way. They’d made me give a fuck. Fucking assholes.

 “Protect the business first, son. Without it, we can’t help others or ourselves. Then we open the doors to those in need.”

 I had a long list of shelters, organizations, and emergency housing that came in handy every week, but at this hour… Fuck, they’d all be full—or there’d be an opening down in fucking Dolton, and they’d close before this guy could get there.

 By the time Jamaal arrived on the scene, I’d gotten the man to shed the last shirt, and in another time and place, I would’ve appreciated the view a lot more. Now, not so much. He was fucking shaking.

 I gave Jamaal the little information I had while I grabbed a stack of towels. The largest would have to function as a blanket for now, and I draped it around the man’s shoulders.

 In the meantime, Jamaal went down on one knee to inspect the damage and open the aid kit.

 “What’s your name?” Jamaal asked.

 “Ben—ah, fuck.” He groaned in pain and dug his fingers into his thighs.

 I stuck to the background, ready to assist, but it looked as if dressing like a Russian doll had protected him. The wound wasn’t deep, and it appeared to be a clean cut. Jamaal borrowed my flashlight to make sure, and then he poured a generous amount of wound cleanser.

 Ben wasn’t talkative. When we asked him what’d happened, he just repeated that “they took my car” and added, “I don’t know, four of them—they took it. They fought me off and took it.”

 “You sure you don’t want me to call someone, man?” I asked. “You should at least report the crime and—”

 “No,” he gritted out as Jamaal applied antiseptic cream. “What’s the point? I don’t have insurance.”

 Of course he didn’t. Insurance wasn’t exactly a priority in his case.

 I was just rambling bullshit. I was asking all the questions that the authorities believed mattered or should be asked for whatever reason. The reality looked a lot different, and the 311 system was nothing but a glorified audiobook that read shit off the government website. High on promises, low on action. More often than not, they dispatched you to 911 if something needed to be done. AKA, sending the cops.

 I handed Jamaal the lidocaine next.

 At least the bleeding had slowed down.

 “If you pop a fever, you need to go to a hospital,” he told Ben. “Or if the wound changes color and gets infected. We’re not fuckin’ around with sepsis, okay?”

 Judging by the sight of Ben’s torso, this wasn’t his first run-in with sharp objects. His form was equal parts cut and stocky; he had muscle definition and some padding. And a handful of scars where his chest hair didn’t grow.

 All right, time for me to be useful again.

 “If you’re willing to stick around a couple hours, I have a dryer upstairs for those jeans,” I said. “We’ll get some food in you too.”

 Ben sniffled and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I—I-I don’t—” He clenched his jaw and wouldn’t make eye contact, a sight I’d encountered way too many times.

Here’s something I never thought I’d say about a Cara Dee book. It was so sweet! I know! I’m shocked myself. But this is a zero kink, stand alone story. And it’s so sweet.

First, it’s set in Chicago and I feel like this really embraced Chicago and made it a character in the book. The sports rivalries, the Irish bar, St Patrick’s Day, the food, the beefs. I feel like this would be a completely different book if it was set somewhere else.

We are also shown the reality of the unhoused. Yes, some are addicts. But some are just regular people who got hit with bad luck over and over again. Like Ben. Who had the house in the ‘burbs and owned a contracting business. But one thing after another led him to live in his car while his disabled and autistic son lived in a tiny 1 bedroom with Ben’s mom.

Trace is a younger guy who took over the family bar- an institution in Chicago that had been open for like 100 years or something. Trace works all of the time, pinches pennies buying food to feed the homeless twice a week and lives above the bar. He finds Ben outside in the alley when he was taking out the trash. Ben is cold and hurt and Trace has to help. But Ben is not one to take handouts. So after Trace helped him, Ben helped out in the soup kitchen.

Cara Dee did a great job of highlighting some of the problems facing low income people without being preachy. Single moms who can’t pay for childcare. People with no car so how did they get to a job. Even lack of clean clothes is a huge hinderance.

We also meet Ben’s son Alvin. 18 years old with autism. Again, I feel like Alvin was treated with respect as a character and not a stereotype. Trace also takes the time to understand what Alvin needs and never, ever rushed anything.

Ben still has his struggles and is hard pressed to accept any help for free. Until he just couldn’t stay away from Trace anymore.

Ben and Trace had a hard won HEA. And it was worth every page.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. 

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. 

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write. 

Find Cara on social media here: https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

 

Filed Under: Book Review, New Release Book Blast, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4 stars, 4.5 stars, author, book, Book Reviews, Cara Dee, gay, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, release day review, review, romance

On the Double (The Renegades Book 3) by Cara Dee: New Release Review

August 23, 2023 by Denise

The Renegades #3 • Romantic Suspense • Action • MMM
“It’s a fine line between not revealing your arsenal and creating disorder by showing your strength.”

Funny how calm you could feel when someone had ripped the heart out of your chest.

River and Reese Tenley had grown up on the fringes of society, spending most of their adult years as private military contractors in places nobody else wanted to go. It’d been the two of them against the world, and they’d never believed their missing puzzle piece had existed—until they’d met Shay. The young man who’d quickly become their everything.

So the moment he was kidnapped… The moment those sick bastards took Shay, the twin brothers had nothing left to lose.

Amazon – All Regions

Oh man do I love the Tenleys. They are my favorite relationship in the various worlds of Cara Dee. I could almost feel their guttural pain when Shay was kidnapped in book 1. Hearing about what they were doing in southern California to find those responsible should have been shocking, but I honestly expected no less of them.

But now they have met up with everyone else- and a couple new additions-in Columbia. The cartel baddies are there. And so is Shay.

All together in the jungle the guys formulate a plan. With help from Crew and Adrien working undercover on the inside, they want Shay out.

It’s fast paced and nail biting. But there are still small moments of humor which are so necessary with such a tense situation. Everyone played their roles perfectly. It was brutal and bloody and the smoke hasn’t even cleared yet. But there is still one more book to go to wrap everything up. I can’t wait.

4 pieces of eye candy

Filed Under: Book Review, New Release Book Blast, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4 stars, author, book, Book Reviews, Cara Dee, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance, romantic suspense

Enemy Combatant (The Renegades Book 2) by Cara Dee: Release Day Review

August 7, 2023 by Denise

.                                    .

The Renegades #2 • Romantic Suspense • Stockholm Syndrome • Hurt Comfort • Action • MM
“The best intelligence is the knowledge that your enemy doesn’t know you have.”

Crew Finlay’s ego had taken a hit or two. He couldn’t lie. As a Marine, he’d been one of the best. As a private military contractor, he’d…messed up a bit. Or failed spectacularly. Whatever. And now? A year into his new gig, working in private security for Elliott Jones, Crew had a lot to prove. He refused to screw this up too. They had people to bring home. So when he found himself holding a cartel freelancer hostage, he steeled himself and vowed not to fall for the bastard’s lies. As if Crew would believe this man was an undercover Fed. Come on.

Nah, this tall, older drink of water was full of it. Adrien Mercier, or whatever his real name might be, was going down. Until one day, when Adrien turned the tables, and then Crew was the one sitting with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Amazon – All Regions

Poor Crew. He’s actually a good soldier but so far not a great PMC and he is still making stupid mistakes in book 2 of The Renegades. He is paired up with Ryan (Darius’ brother) in Europe trying to track down one of the bad guys.

One of the biggest stupid mistakes wasn’t solely his. Since Ryan was in on the mission to kidnap this cartel guy, he can take responsibility for him actually being an undercover Fed. HA!

After securing a place to stay in Italy, Ryan goes off to help out with another part of the mission leaving Crew along with their prisoner. He starts off pretty well with the mild torture techniques. Cooking himself delicious food but none for his captive. Sleeping on a cot with a mattress. Swimming in the cool lake when it’s a million degrees out.

After the truth comes to light, the chains and hand cuffs come off. And the pants. And there’s Crew’s next mistake. Because now HE is the prisoner.

The rest of the book is spent on a yacht with no land in sight while Adrien waits for word about the cartel guy he’s been working undercover for. He wants to wrap this up and go home. He has worked undercover on and off for years. But Crew wants this guy alive because he believes he knows where the hostages are. (yes, you absolutely need to read book 1)

There’s a lot of different names, countries, cartels, who is working with whom, who is trying to kill who, etc, etc. It twisted my brain, but that’s just how I am. Obviously this is a very well thought out plot.

And then there’s more naked times. And then Crew makes another bad decision. Bad according to his friends. I guess we’ll find out in book 3 if his decision was good or bad.

But I will say, I need more Crew and Adrien please.

4 pieces of eye candy

Filed Under: Book Review, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4 stars, author, book, Book Reviews, Cara Dee, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, release day review, review, romance

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

We are two chicks who love books (m/m romance with an HEA) and enjoy our eye candy. http://twochickso

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy is with The Author Agency.

1 week ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
Sweet Vengeance (Sins of the Father book 2) by Riley HartMy review! 4 1/2 pieces of eye candy!I loved the first book and the characters. Even though they were all morally gray. Except for Ollie, Dean's roommate. He's the opposite of them. He is studying to be a lawyer.But Cillian has had an eye on him. Cillian has always accepted that good sex is good sex and if it happens with another man, no problem. So when we get the "only one bed" thing after Ollie is hurt- you know things will happen.Now this could have been tough because Cillian and his BFF Rory usually do threesomes with a girl between them. No sexual contact between them, but they love sharing a woman. It's like their thing. They love each other platonically, but they also love that intimacy. So how would that play out with Ollie? And I have to say, it was done well. Really well. It lead to one of THE hottest sex scenes I've ever read. But at the same time it wasn't raunchy or gratuitous. It was...perfect.If you've read book 1 (READ BOOK ONE!) you'll be pleased to see Tiernan and Dean together. And Aslin still finding her footing as a single woman in college away from prying parental eyes.Are they still the bad guys? Yup Do we still love them? Also yup! Cillian has met his match in Ollie and I am here for it! ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy is with The Author Agency.

1 week ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
Meet Riley Hart:Riley Hart’s love of all things romance shines brightly in everything she writes. Her primary focus isMale/Male romance but under various pen names, her prose has touched practically every part of thespectrum of love and relationships. The common theme that ties them all together is stories told fromthe heart.A hopeless romantic herself, Riley is a lover of character-driven plots, many with flawed and relatablecharacters. She strives to create stories that readers can not only fall in love with, but also seethemselves in. Real characters and real love blended together equal the ultimate Riley Hart experience.When Riley isn’t creating her next story, you can find her reading, traveling, or dreaming about readingor traveling, and spending time with her two perfectly snarky kids, and one swoon-inducing husband.Connect with Riley Hart:www.instagram.com/rileyhartwrites/Blurb:CillianI can’t figure out why I’m so intrigued by Ollie Gibson.He’s nothing like me—soft where my world is hard, sweet and kind while I’ve grown up aroundviolence.But there’s a fire to him that sparks the one inside me, loyalty that calls to me, and bravery Irespect even if it gets him in trouble.When Ollie’s hurt and we don’t know if the men who attacked him will come back for more, Ican’t stop myself from claiming him. There’s nothing I won’t do to protect him, even go behindhis back for vengeance.I crave him—both the sweetness and the fire, the innocence and the dirty boy he turns intounder my touch.I’ll kill for him, turn my world upside down for him, share my pain and secrets with him. Olliehelps me deal with it all—even the drama with my father.It’s supposed to be temporary. I’m not supposed to want more, but I’m determined to keep him,and for a reason I can’t understand, Ollie wants me too.The future lawyer and the criminal. The Good Samaritan and the killer. We’re living betweentwo worlds, this place where vengeance can be sweet and our differences don’t matter. But weboth know it can’t go on like this forever. If the violence of my world doesn’t tear us apart, oneday Ollie will walk away…and I don’t know how to let myself lose him.Content Warning: Sweet Vengeance contains discussion and grief over the loss of a parent,violence, darker themes, drug use, and morally gray characters with no redemption arc. Thisis still a Riley Hart romance though, so you can expect a happily ever after for our guys.Buy Link:geni.us/SweetVengeanceAvailable in KU ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨EXCERPT: SWEET VENGEANCE by @rileyhartwrites releasing October 8th! #PreOrderNowgeni.us/SweetVengeanceAs soon as they leave, closing the door behind them, Cillian pulls the chair up to my bedside. “You need pain meds? I can get the nurse in here to give you some. You really should get some rest. Those fucking pigs shouldn’t have bothered you.”“Don’t do that. Don’t pretend to be nice. Don’t pretend you’re not exactly like the people who hurt me tonight.”The smile slides off his face. Cillian pushes his hands into his slacks. What even is that? Why does he dress like that all the time?His voice is steady, unemotional when he says, “I don’t pretend to be anything other than what I am. I know I’m not the hero. And I might be the bad guy, but I sure as shit am nothing like those motherfuckers who hurt you tonight. Three on one? Those fucking pussies don’t belong in the same universe as we do.”“Because you wouldn’t attack an old man? That makes you better?”“I never said I was better. I told you, I know who I am. Get some fucking sleep, Kitten. You look like shit.”I feel like it, but still, I flip him off. “Don’t call me that.”“Why? It’s what you are. Rory said you’re our brave little bunny, but you’re not. You’ve got some sharp claws, and you know how to use them. It’s my favorite thing about you.” And then he winks, and damned if heat doesn’t flush to my groin.I don’t want him, I don’t want him, I don’t want him.He’s supposed to be everything I hate in this world. He stands for everything I hate…yet I can’t hate him.“I’m not your anything,” I say.He shrugs. “Whatever you say, Kitten.”I don’t have the energy to argue with him, and luckily, the nurse comes in, ready to medicate me, as if she obeys everything Cillian says too…and she didn’t even have to hear him say it to know he wanted her to do it.#rileyhart #mmromance #kindleunlimited #bookstagram #booktok The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy is with The Author Agency.

1 week ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

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Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

2 weeks ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
Nothing Special IX: Fire and Smoke by AE ViaLet's call it 4 1/2 stars. This book had everything! God and Day being God and Day, the expansion of a story line from a short story which brings us a new couple, checking in on all of the other couples we've cheered for over the years and...Vasquez. *Angry eyes*With everything above, there were several story lines within the main plot. Which was, of course, to get the bad guys. But we also get Wes and Law, childhood friends who became Hollywood pyrotechnics specialists and a couple; God and Day who, dare I say, stumble a bit in their relationship; Vasquez who still wants revenge and a task force that thinks it is indestructible.I loved bringing in Wes and Law to God's team. Zero police experience. Just two guys who like creating fire, smoke, fireworks and explosions for Hollywood movies. But God sees how they could really be an asset. Their "training" is not much more than "don't die", but what they bring to the table is something new and valuable.I gasped out loud when trouble was brewing with God and Day. Don't mess with my boys!And if Ms Via makes me like Ramon Vasquez....The ending was so perfect. Even if she never wrote these characters again, I would be satisfied about their endings. But we are not seeing the last of them. Thank goodness. ... See MoreSee Less

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