Charlie Novak

Summer Kisses (Kiss Me Book 2) by Charlie Novak: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

July 19, 2021 by Denise Leave a Comment

Aaron’s Plan
Then:
1. Get a better job
2. Learn more skills
3. Get money for restaurant
4. Don’t fall in love with Josh

Now:
1. Finesse menu
2. Stop being angry at Josh
3. Swear less (Ben’s idea)
4. Stop wanting to kiss Josh
5. Get Michelin stars
6. Stop being in love with Josh

Josh’s Plan
Then:
1. Start new job
2. Try not to burn out
3. Don’t fall in love with Aaron
4. Seriously. Don’t. It will only end badly…

Now:
1. Survive the summer
2. Get a new job?
3. Don’t get involved with Aaron again
4. Don’t think about kissing him
5. Don’t think about his smile
6. Don’t think about how much you still love him

Summer Kisses is a 78,000-word contemporary MM romance featuring two chefs with a complicated history, clashing egos, cheese toasties, and two summers that will change everything. It is part of the Kiss Me series and can be read as a standalone.

Content Warning: This novel contains mentions of drug use and issues of alcohol abuse.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Aaron POV

Ten minutes later we staggered out of the shop, weighed down with several bags.

“Shall we go back?” Josh asked.

“You just want to try your new grape drink,” I said with a wry smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with grape.” Josh nudged me playfully as we walked along Goose Gate. “You keep saying I whine about mushrooms, but I’ve never heard someone bitch so much about a drink flavour.”

I shrugged and grinned. “Do as I say, not as I do.”

“Fuck off.”

“I can if you want, but I’m taking the dumpling stuff with me.”

“Remind me why I like you again?”

“I didn’t think you did.”

“That’s true. I don’t,” Josh said. His smile was so wide it made my chest ache, a storm of emotions threatening to overtake me. Why had we resisted this for all those years?

We dragged everything back to the flat, and I left Josh to unpack while I made a quick trip to the Tesco Express around the corner to grab some chicken. When I got back, Josh slid the orange-flavoured Charmander drink across to me.

“Where do we start?” he asked.

“First,” I said, cracking the tab and taking a long sip. It was sweet and not quite what I’d been expecting, but in a good way. “We need music.”

I grabbed my phone, hooking it up to the old Bluetooth speaker that perched on the edge of one of the shelves. I grinned, putting my playlist on shuffle, and waiting to see Josh’s reaction when the first song came on. I’d always had eclectic musical taste, from death metal to chart-topping pop, but I thought most people associated me more with the former.

Josh stared at me as the familiar beat line of “Shake It Off” kicked in, his mouth falling open. “Seriously? Taylor Swift?”

I shrugged, taking another sip of my drink. “Don’t diss Taylor. She’s awesome.”

“You know,” he said, leaning in to give me a kiss, “every time I think I’ve got you figured out, you surprise me.”

Since discovering Charlie Novak, her books are an auto-read for me. Funny, snarky, sexy with interesting characters who aren’t cookie cutter style.

This is book 2 (easily a stand alone) and I did really enjoy it. We met Josh and Aaron is book 1- they are chefs where Patrick is a pastry chef. Seeing the friendship between Aaron and Patrick even more was a delight.

The book goes back in time to when Josh and Aaron first met and wanna be chefs in London. Their flame burned bright and fast and came to a crashing halt one night. That was when all of Aaron’s secrets came to light.

They didn’t see each other for a while and are faced with each other again in a new restaurant. Cooking together. Over the span of several years, we see the animosity between them. But really, they just wanted each other.

Aaron was a total jerk during those years. Josh pretty much saved his life by walking away and Aaron treated him like crap. Yanno, until THAT NIGHT.

They can’t keep their hands off of each other now. But they never really talked about what all went down before. Instead, they just had more sex. And honestly, I almost think there was too much sex in the book. That’s saying something for me. I would have liked to see them mature more together, grow together. Which they do, but so.much.sex.

This story was a little different from previous with the alcohol abuse and drug use. Although that part of the story was told well and compassionately. And mixing angst with snark is one of my favorite things. But I needed more. They went from boiling hot to ice cold to boiling hot again. No gradual rise in temperature.

I still highly recommend. I love books set in restaurants that really show the reality of working back of the house. And I REALLY want Ben’s story…

4 pieces of eye candy

Charlie lives in England with her husband and a dachshund named Biscuit. She spends most of her days wrangling other people’s words in her day job and then trying to force her own onto the page in the evening.

She loves cute stories with a healthy dollop of fluff, plenty of delicious sex, and happily ever afters — because the world needs more of them. Charlie also believes that loves comes in all shapes and sizes.

Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with cooking, pole-dancing, reading and ice-hockey. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…

Connect with Charlie:

Website: https://charlienovak.com/
Newsletter https://charlienovak.com/newsletter-sign-up/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/charlienovakauthor/
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/charlie-novak
Twitter https://twitter.com/charlienwrites
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/charlienwrites/
Facebook Group, Charlie’s Angels https://www.facebook.com/groups/charlienovaksangels/

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Beautifully Unexpected By Lily Morton: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway

July 16, 2021 by Denise

Sometimes love comes when you least expect or want it.

Magnus Carlsen is determined to grow old disgracefully. At fifty-two, he doesn’t believe in keeping anything. Men, sofas, books—everything gets jettisoned, eventually. He’s divided his life into happy compartments. A successful trial lawyer, he spends his days lecturing jurors, exasperating judges, and striding arrogantly around courtrooms. He fills his nights with a parade of handsome young men who want to make him happy. Why date someone his own age to discuss back pain, retirement-planning, and corns, when he can date men who don’t care to discuss anything at all?

However, when one of these sunny young men shows an inclination for dramatic scenes, Magnus meets his new neighbour. And his whole world implodes.

Laurie Gentry is nearly the same age as Magnus, but that’s where the similarity ends. He’s messy and creative and nosy and mysterious. He’s everything that Magnus has spent a lifetime avoiding. So, why can’t he get Laurie out of his head?

Luckily, Laurie is only in London for the summer. Magnus can uncover Laurie’s mysteries and indulge their annoyingly hot attraction, and Laurie will be gone before complications arise. A few months isn’t long enough to lose his heart. Is it?

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a romantic comedy about two footloose older men and how one summer in London brings something quite beautifully unexpected into their lives.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

I come back out to find him examining a picture on the wall. It’s a six-foot landscape of the Danish coast done in sepia tones. “This is so good,” he says. “Your mum?”

I nod. “She gave it to me when I was twenty-one.”

He whistles. “Nice present.”

“I’d have preferred a motorbike,” I inform him. He gapes at me and I wave my hand. “Shall we?”

He peeps through the open door of my study at the mess of papers on the desk. “We definitely should.”

We leave the flat, and, as I lock the door, he leans against the wall watching me. “You seem busy,” he observes.

“I have a trial starting on Monday. I’m just getting a few things straight in my head.”

“Are you nervous?”

I look at him incredulously. “No.”

We walk towards the lift. “You thrive on your job, don’t you?” he says.

I shrug. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

“Even living in such an artistic world? Your dad was a poet laureate and your mum a painter. Being a barrister is such a departure.”

“I was the shame of the family,” I say solemnly. “My mother was so embarrassed when I got my law degree that she wouldn’t tell anyone what I did for ages. She thought I should be doing something creative, so she’d tell people rather vaguely that I did something with paper. Half of her circle were convinced I was an origami expert.” He laughs. “It is true. I still get handed paper and asked to make a swan.” I consider that. “The only thing worse would have been if I became a policeman. But then I’d have had to arrest half of her boyfriends.”

“Did she have many?”

We walk out of the building into the sunshine, and I slide my Ray-Bans down over my eyes. “Define many.”

He starts to laugh. “Ouch!”

“Usually at this point, a man would be full of sympathy for me.”

“I’m not most men,” he informs me truthfully. “Anyway, that’s a lie. Your young men would probably be pretending to listen to you while wondering which knot to tie on their genital decorations.”

“You could be right,” I say slowly. “Good grief, I always thought they were interested.”

“Probably just bored into submission,” he says in a comforting tone.

Read Erin’s review here.

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily 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 bought her first Kindle.

She 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 could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

Natural Twenty by Charlie Novak: Quick Review

March 1, 2021 by Denise

Plants are easier than people—that’s Leo’s rule of thumb. After all, nobody really wants a man who looks like he belongs in a biker gang but would rather spend his time buried in books and flowers. It’s just easier to be single. Until he meets the owner of the new book shop.

Jacob Morris knows two things: he’s really attracted to the man who runs the local flower shop, and he doesn’t date. Not when he’s still healing from a bad breakup, has a new business to run, game nights to organise, workshops to host, and a website to build.

When friendship blooms into something more, Leo and Jay must decide whether to roll the dice and take a chance on love or keep forging ahead on their quests alone. Will their roll yield a one or a perfect, natural twenty?

Natural Twenty is an 80,000-word contemporary MM romance featuring Dungeons & Dragons, secret flower language bouquets, a spoilt Staffy (or two), and a best friend who is basically a gothic prince. It is book one in the Roll for Love series and can be read as a standalone

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

So, okay, I have a thing for big beefy tattooed guys who you think can squish you into little bits if you were to find them in a dark alley somewhere, but are actually romantic softies that wouldn’t hurt a fly. Well, we get that in Leo.
He’s big and intimidating and can be awkward when it comes to socializing and being around people, but he has a big ol soft heart and it’s impossible not to completely fall in love with him from the beginning. Owning a flower shop, he tends to stay behind the scenes when he can, but when a new bookshop opens up down the block, his employee Emily encourages him to take some flowers to the new owners to welcome them to the hood and congratulate them on their grand opening. That’s where he meets Edward and Jay.

Now, Edward, I will say, I was smitten with. I hope he gets his own story next, but Jay completely took Leos breath away and they bonded instantly over books and cosplay and dungeons and dragons. I will admit that I had to skim over all those bits, I haven’t a clue what any of that is, but it was cute to see how excited they all were over it.

The two of them, as well as Edward and Emily and her husband, they all become friends, having bi-weekly I think it was, game nights and stuff… I adored these secondary characters as well, so the fit so well in the stories, I could see where each guy needed them around. With their budding friendship though, it was impossible to not feel the connection between the two, though neither of them were ready for a relationship or to jump into anything. I was glad to see them take it slow, but I definitely wanted to shake them both a couple of times, Jay especially when he tried to push Leo away. He more than sweetly made up for it, but I was rooting for them from the very start.

Because Leo felt awkward and Jay was still healing from a toxic relationship where his ex cheated with his best friend and never even apologized for it, I could understand his hesitation. Being betrayed like that sometimes never heals, but Leo was patient and understanding and sighhh, he was just perfect.

I don’t want to give too much of the story away, I’ve been told recently that I do that and people straight come for me, so I’ll just say…. if you like a slow burn, with friends to lovers, good friends and cute puppy… you will adore this story. I know I did!
I really wanted that ex to get a peek at Jay and Leo and know what he lost and how happy he is without him, but I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next!

4 Pieces of eye candy

Charisma Check (Roll for Love Book 2) by Charlie Novak: New Release Review

February 3, 2021 by Denise

Hatred is complicated, clothing is simple—Edward doesn’t need a man, and he certainly doesn’t need cosplayer and tattoo artist, Izzy Montes, AKA The Masked Gentleman, Edward’s ultimate nemesis.

Edward and Izzy have been antagonising each other for over three years. Their rivalry is fierce, and Edward is determined to keep Izzy at arm’s length. Which would be all well and good… if they weren’t engaging in a secret, heated hook-ups.

Forced to appear together at a film premier in LA, Edward is determined to get in and out with minimal damage to his reputation… and his heart. But Izzy Montes proves to be a complication Edward couldn’t have predicted. Biting, funny, and charming in equal measure, he’s the one man Edward needs to loathe.

He’s also the one man Edward can’t get out of his mind.

Not that Izzy plans on letting him.

Charisma Check is a 80,000-word contemporary MM romance featuring comic conventions, snark, many costume changes, and only one bed. It is book two in the Roll for Love series and should be read as part of the series.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

SO FUN!

Ok, Charlie Novak is a new-er to me author. I had read one of hers fairly recently and then when this because available I read book 1 first (must read!) and then immediately went to this book.

We met Edward in book one as the best friend of Jay. A professional cosplayer who has the natural ethereal look that makes him so successful. You can tell what a nice guy Edward is, but at one comic con, another cosplayer rubbed him the wrong way and declared themselves mortal enemies. Except they keep finding themselves naked in bathrooms together…

Izzy started cosplaying with his little brother. He was a total amateur when he met Edward the first time, but with practice makes perfect and he just continues to get better. One of the biggest differences is that Izzy has a full time job and cosplaying is just a hobby for him.

So enemies who meet periodically at various comic cons, who end up having quick and dirty hate sex and avoid each other like the plague. Until they are both hired to cosplay a movie premiere. In Los Angeles.

A comedy of errors- or karma- have them sitting together on an 11 hour transatlantic flight AND sharing a hotel room. And being that they are cosplaying a COUPLE, they are posing together and kissing for cameras. All while hating each other. Honestly, it was hilarious.

Because much of their story exists only at comic cons, the time frame spans a few years. Until Izzy’s full time job lands him in the same town Edward lives in. And then Edward’s best friend Jay gets involved. And there are invitations to game nights at the book store. And then not necessarily hate sex, but more friends with benefits sex. But they’re not really friends, right?? HA!

This is one of my favorite enemies to lovers I have read. Mostly because they seemed to pretend to hate each other right from the beginning. But everyone- from Edward’s PA to their friends and people that they meet at the movie premiere- all see right through it.

Hate sex, not hate sex, sex with kinky toys, and pretty panties. This book was hot, funny, sweet and yummy.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Strawberry Kisses by Charlie Novak: RDB, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

November 23, 2020 by Denise

Patrick’s To Do List:
1. Tell family I’m gay
2. Make giant cake for anniversary party
3. Convince Connor to be my fake boyfriend for the weekend
4. Try to keep my hands off Connor
5. Make sure Connor doesn’t find out I’ve been in love with him for the last three years

Connor’s Steps for Success:
1. Perfect pole routine for Chrome Stars
2. Continue search for perfect music
3. Survive weekend with Patrick’s family without mauling him while sharing a bed
4. Prevent feelings from exploding like a glitter bomb
5. Make sure Patrick doesn’t find out I’ve been in love with him forever

Strawberry Kisses is a 78,000 word standalone, contemporary MM romance featuring a sweet pastry chef, sassy pole dancer, a nosy but loving family, fabulous make-up, fluffy feels, and copious amounts of cake.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Patrick

Connor took my hand, leading me through the empty house towards the stairs. I followed without hesitation. When we got to the stairs, he paused, stepping onto the bottom step and looking at me over his shoulder. “Don’t worry. We won’t do anything more than you’re comfortable with. But I do want to find out what you look like when you come.” He turned and leant in close, his eyes burning with heat. “I bet you look fucking gorgeous.”

Then he turned and started walking again, leaving me speechless behind him. I nearly tripped up the stairs as I followed. My eyes never left his perfect, round ass, which swayed enticingly in front of me. I couldn’t think of anything except his last few sentences. God, I wanted this to be good for him.

I wanted to be good for him.

I wanted to kneel down in front of him and worship him from head to toe because Connor was my world and I needed him to know just how much I adored him. Even if I could never tell him, I hoped I could show him so, when all this was over, he’d never forget what had happened between us.

Connor opened the bedroom door and ushered me inside, clicking it shut behind us and sliding the lock into place. I knew nobody would come looking for us, but it was nice to know nobody was going to come barging in on the off chance we were missed. He took my hand, pulling me towards the bed. I swallowed, feeling suddenly too hot in my shirt, like my skin was on fire, and I just needed to jump into a pool to cool off.

“Take off your shirt,” Connor said. His voice was soft but firm, and my hands moved before he’d even finished speaking.

His eyes roamed over me appreciatively. Part of me felt like I should be nervous because I looked nothing like the man I thought Connor deserved, but then I remembered he wanted this. He wanted me.

Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with cooking, pole-dancing, reading and ice-hockey. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…

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Natural Twenty by Charlie Novak: Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

August 27, 2020 by Denise

Title: Natural Twenty
Author: Charlie Novak
Length: 80k
Series: Roll for Love, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary
Tropes: Nerds, secret flower language bouquets, small-town vibe, shop owners, tattoos

Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Jay

I was still half looking at Leo though, and the table slipped from my fingers and dropped onto my foot. “Mother fishcakes!”

I cringed, squeezing my eyes tightly as my toes throbbed. The table wasn’t the heaviest thing in the world, but it had landed awkwardly on my foot, and I was only wearing Vans. I’d always been clumsy as fuck, and my knees were covered in scars from falling over on the playground or out of trees as a kid. It hadn’t gotten any better as I’d gotten older, except these days it was more dropping heavy things onto myself or tripping downstairs. And there’d been one memorable trip to Accident and Emergency when I’d gotten glass in my foot.

“Are you okay?” Leo asked.

“’M fine.” I shoved the table off my toes. “Totally fine.”

“Sit down for a minute.” Leo’s voice was gentle but firm. I opened my eyes to see him standing right in front of me, looking down with eyes full of worry. It was moments like this, when we stood close, that I realised how much taller he was than me. I barely made five foot six on a good day because I was a complete short arse, and Leo must have been well over six feet. My face was eye level with his chest, and I was trying not to focus on the way his body sat under the thick, knitted jumper he was wearing, or how beautifully broad his shoulders were, or how I just wanted him to wrap his arms around me.

Leo put his hand on my arm, gently steering me into a chair before kneeling in front of me. “Is it okay if I take your shoe off?”

“You don’t have to. It’s really not that bad. It just stings a little.” I looked away, trying not to squirm in my seat while my face and neck grew impossibly hot. “I just banged it.”

“True, but I’d rather check they’re not bleeding or obviously broken.”

“Okay.”

Leo gave me a little smile and eased off my shoe. I probably should have been embarrassed I was wearing pink socks with little avocados all over them, but I thought they were cute. Apparently, so did Leo.

“Are those avocados dancing?” He sounded amused as he gently tugged at my sock, and I felt the warm, rough touch of his fingers against my skin. This should not be making me feel the way it did—embarrassed, awkward, and almost turned on. Apparently, my body had decided that any touch from Leo was a good one, even if it came from him trying to check for broken toes.

“Y-yeah. I’ve got another pair with doughnuts on.”

“They’re cute. Like you.” Leo stilled, and my heart stopped. I wanted to say something, but I had no idea what it should be. My brain seemed to have frozen, and all I was getting were fucking error messages.

So cute!

Because Leo felt awkard and Jay was still healing from a toxic relationship where his ex cheated with his best friend and never even apologized for it, I could understand his hesitation. Being betrayed like that sometimes never heals, but Leo was patient and understanding and sighhh, he was just perfect.

4 pieces of candy for me!

Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with cooking, pole-dancing, reading and ice-hockey. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…

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To celebrate Charlie’s new series release, we are giving 2 lucky winners the chance to win an e-copy of Natural Twenty or a $20/£20 Amazon Gift Card & a e-copy of Natural Twenty!

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