Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Christina Lee

Just Jack (Aqua Vista Book 1) by Christina Lee: New Release Review

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Aaron

When I’m running on fumes while driving on what feels like the loneliest stretch of road in California, I worry I’m in trouble. Luckily, I happen upon Aqua Vista, a sleepy coastal town with the only pump for miles, and the grumpy owner who is more gorgeous than he has any right to be. When I’m told I’ll need more than fuel to disable the check engine light on my dash, I figure there are worse places to be stuck while my car gets needed repairs.

Jack

After driving the handsome city dweller to a local motel, the last thing I expect is the hot hookup that happens afterward. As soon as his car is ready, he’s on his way home, so imagine my surprise when he shows up a couple of months later with an offer to buy my business. No way I want an out-of-towner to own part of what my family has built here. Even if I’m not always fulfilled by it. Besides, it belonged to my parents, and it’s all I have left of them.

When Aaron decides to spend several days in town, I figure it’s to soften me up to his proposal. I shouldn’t hook up with him again. Or spend time showing him around…but I do. Before I know it, the charming, attractive visitor starts to feel familiar, almost like he belongs here. Like he’s woven himself into the very fabric of Aqua Vista. I’m fooling myself, of course, and it’ll certainly sting when he hits the road. Outsiders never stay, and though I secretly wish he would, I’m no stranger to heartache.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

I love a small town romance. I really loved that this small town is a fictional enclave on the California coast. I spent 10 years living in Northern California and through my travels have seen similar little towns.

Aaron and Jack are the main characters in the book, but I hazard to say the town of Aqua Vista is a character as well. Artsy, quirky, families that go back generations and residents who are fiercely loyal to their town and keeping it the way it is.

Of course Aaron stumbles on the town when his car needs service and being a real estate developer, can’t help but see dollar signs. Jack, who owns the service station, shuts him down quickly.

And while Jack and Aaron play a bit of cat and mouse with each other, Aaron’s business partner wants him to tighten the screws and get Jack to sell. But after spending time in the town, and with Jack, Aaron knows it’ll never happen.

There’s heartache in the town as well. Jack’s parents and brother in law were lost at sea and presumed dead a few years ago. They were a huge presence in the town and their loss is felt by many.

I really enjoyed having a story with more mature, grown men as the focus. The older I get, the older I want the leading men to get. They are only in their 30’s, if I recall correctly, but there is wisdom in years. With that maturity and wisdom comes no silly fights, no ultimatums, no generated drama for drama’s sake.

There were obstacles to overcome, but the author didn’t take the easy way out. Instead, well thought out decisions by the characters were made.

And since this is book 1, I cannot wait to revisit Aqua Vista for book 2.

4 pieces of eye candy

Until We Meet Again (Roosevelt College book 2) by Christina Lee: New Release Review

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Bruce “Bones” Lanning and Emil Ettinger had a decent roommate arrangement at Roosevelt College—other than Bones leaving his dirty socks lying around—so they agree to share the same space again. Their relationship has always been ridiculous banter and competitive streaks, and they assume this year will be the same.

So why are they suddenly enjoying nights holed up in their room together?

Bones can’t figure out what’s changed, why he likes being around Emil so much and why he’s suddenly falling asleep in Emil’s bed. And as far as Emil knows, Bones is straight, so why does he seem jealous when Emil arranges a random hookup, then asks all sorts of questions about what it’s like to kiss another guy?

To put an end to his roommate’s endless queries, Emil kisses Bones, convinced he’s just goofing around. But one encounter leads to another, until Emil begins seeing Bones in a different light. Underneath the clueless, carefree facade lies a deeper emotional underpinning that allows Emil to become more vulnerable too—and maybe even admit that spending time with his roommate is the best part of his day.

Still, Emil isn’t about to become another jock’s experiment, so he makes it clear that their hookups are totally casual. Until they’re not.

*TW: References to the death of a sibling

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

If ever there was a character with golden retriever energy, it’s Bones. College football player, unknown direction for a major, no long term relationships AND living up to the pedestal his parents put his dead brother on.

Emil is pretty much the opposite. Knows what he wants to do, plays in the marching band, also a dancer, would love a boyfriend and an only child who’s parents adore him but don’t push.

Which is why after freshman year rooming together they decide to room together again. Because even though they shouldn’t get along, they do.

You know where this is going, right? But it’s cute. So cute. Especially since they already lived together for freshman year so they aren’t strangers. And Bones is one of those guys who is trying to do better after knowing better. Like when his teammate came out last year (book 1, XOXO, you know you wanna). So he checks himself. He recognizes that just because people are different from him doesn’t mean, literally, anything to him. But it’s cool to see someone actually making an effort.

Experimenting turns into fwb turns into more. All while navigating school and football and marching band and families. Emil is so great as a quiet support system for Bones when he needs it.

These guys were super adorable both together and when they were with their friends. Their budding relationship seemed very natural and didn’t offer those “omg we will be together forever and ever” thing that often makes me roll my eyes.

So although Bones has a sticky family situation, most of the book is pretty light hearted and easy reading. Perfect story for sitting on the couch with hot chocolate when it’s cold out.

4 pieces of eye candy

Love Song by Christina Lee: Release Day Review

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Thirtysomething bandmates, Nolan Metcalf and Ellis Bloom, have been there for each other through thick and thin. So when a life-changing event sends Ellis to the safety of Nolan’s apartment, he’s grateful for the comfort his best friend provides. They’ve never done anything resembling cuddling and sleepovers before, but Ellis finds he needs it just the same.

Soul-deep conversations and tender moments transform into a passion that shocks them both. Since neither has ever entertained the idea of being with another man, they attribute their confusing feelings to their established nightly routine. Determined to spend time apart, they resume their solo lives. But the desperate, achy neediness only returns, and soon enough they’re back in each other’s arms—and beds.

Before they have time to work through it, the real world intrudes. Admitting their secret status would change not only the chemistry of their band but the trajectory of their lives. Plus, their newfound feelings seem as fragile as the beginning notes of a new melody. They’ll need to rely on the solid foundation of their friendship, and even then, it could all fall apart. Will they become a one-hit wonder or a love song that endures the test of time?

*TW: Discussions of past child abuse and a home invasion involving weapons

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

I was pretty excited for this book. It didn’t disappoint. Best friends. Bi-awakening. In their 30s. Recipe for YES!

So many times we get the rock star and the regular guy. What I never see is two regular guys who also play in a band at night mostly for fun. Because they just love it. They don’t aspire to be rock stars. They just want to play music with their friends.

Nolan and Ellis are regular guys. One is a middle school teacher, one works at a music store and gives lessons in various instruments. On Thursday nights they play with two other guys at a local bar. They are also best friends and live in the same apartment building. One directly above the other.

Handy when Ellis needs his friend the most. They are both straight and acknowledge the toxic masculinity out there when Nolan says they can sleep in the same bed. When Ellis has nightmares and Nolan comforts him. When that comforting leads to cuddling. And then more.

Was it a seamless transition from best friends to lovers? Nope. Besides the fact that they both identified as straight, they stumble a bit with family and friends. They recognize that hiding it is also part of their preconceived notions.

At times the language they used was a bit stiff. Making them sound older than they were. But I got over it. Because you could really feel the love between these men.

This was a very easy read with some past trauma that is mentioned as well as the trauma that led Ellis to Nolan’s apartment in the first place. But it isn’t overly angsty at all and definitely focuses more on their budding relationship.

4 pieces of eye candy

Making Waves (Franklin U Series, Book 7) by Christina Lee: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, and New Release Review

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.                               .

Alex Larsen

Remy Duval was my high school crush and secret first kiss, but he’s also so much more. A painter, a tattoo artist, my best friend’s older brother…and Bailey’s sworn enemy. It was easier to keep my distance the past two years, but now that Bailey and I are attending Franklin University with him, I’m only drawn to Remy more. I should be loyal to my best friend, focus on classes and swim team, but the more I see Remy around campus, the harder it becomes to stay away.

Remy Duval

My brother hates me, but that’s nothing new. I’ll take the fall for ruining our family if it means doing the right thing. But as soon as my brother and his best friend show up on campus, I know I’m in trouble. Alex is all grown up, and I can’t help wanting him, especially when he’s in those tiny swim briefs that emphasize everything.

One kiss leads to more, and before we know it, we’re tumbling into secret, no strings attached hookups. But who knew Alex would understand me in ways few others have? And I think, just maybe, I understand him too.

I keep telling myself it’s temporary. Alex doesn’t want to disappoint his best friend and after what my parents went through, I’m not looking to settle down. Making waves is nothing new but the further I fall, the more I drag Alex in the deep end with me.

Title: Making Waves
Authors: Christina Lee
Length: 65K
Series: Franklin U Series, Book 7
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: brother’s best friend, new adult, college, sports.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

“Would you mind holding mine too?” Jordan asked from behind Alex.

“What am I, a coatrack?” I huffed an overly exaggerated breath.

Alex bit back a grin. “If you don’t dance, that’s what you become.”

I shook my head and took Jordan’s jacket off his hands.

My eyes tracked Alex the whole way to the dance floor, where he lifted his arms in the air, closed his eyes, and took in the music. Fucking hell, I could watch him all night.

In the middle of the second song, Jordan stripped off his top, and to my utter amazement, Alex followed suit. He wiped his brow with the fabric, then hung the shirt around his neck. His smile was shy and his eyes hungry as they sought mine. My gaze panned from his hair to his chest, where his nipples stood prominent, either from the cool air hitting them or my admiring eyes. Alex dipped his head and turned away, giving me his back, and that ass…not at all a bad view.

Except it got better and a hell of a lot more interesting when both of them pushed down their pants to reveal their swim briefs underneath. “They draped the pants over their shoulders and kept dancing, receiving appreciative glances from every direction, and I was getting hot under the collar—or rather, Alex’s collar. Even Steve perked up and began dancing with Jordan, his hands as greedy as his eyes.

I waffled between staring openly at Alex and marching onto the dance floor to throw his jacket over his shoulders. Especially when there were more hands and eyes on him as a result, like sharks circling the waters. Alex was eating it up, though, even as his skin flushed pink and his eyes kept darting in my direction every other second to check that I was watching him.

Once the song ended, Alex was winded, his neck rosy red, and he could barely meet my eyes as he slipped his pants back on but kept his shirt hanging around his neck. He left the dance floor alone and made a beeline toward me.

Some angst! Be still my heart! Ok, the angst was meh…

Best friend’s brother, bi awakening. The angst comes from Remy telling his mother that his father has been cheating. Of course that leads to divorce, but Remy’s brother thinks Remy destroyed the family.

Alex is the best friend of Remy’s brother, Bailey, and had a one night thing with Remy 2 years ago. Now that they are all at the same college, Alex is torn between being a good friend to Bailey and following his feelings for Remy.

Listen, Bailey needed a smack upside the head. Like what a whiny little brat! I’m surprised that his mother put up with it. But because Bailey is still mad at Remy, Alex and Remy have to hide and keep their friends with benefits on the down low.

The book was ok. Bailey took up too much page time being a brat and it detracted from the romance between Remy and Alex. And as much as I try to suspend reality when reading but for Remy to be a tattoo artist without going through years of training bugged me.

I appreciated that Alex and Bailey were involved in a different sport (swimming) instead of football or baseball, the usual ones. But for all the talk of their schedules, they made time to have social lives.

Just a bit lacking for me…

3 pieces of eye candy

Once upon a time, Christina Lee was a wardrobe stylist in New York City. She spent her days schlepping clothes, hailing cabs, and on the hunt for the perfect lip gloss, which became a bit of an addiction—along with books and coffee. You could always find her perched in a corner booth of a favorite diner sipping a dark roast and reading.

She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband and son—her two favorite guys. She’s been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher and while very rewarding, they still didn’t feel like an exact fit. It wasn’t until she began writing a weekly column for the local newspaper that the bells went off in her head. She could finally draw from her real-life experiences and vivid imagination to write fiction—and she’s never looked back.

Christina writes romance in different sub-genres, but mostly with LGBTQ characters because representation matters and everyone deserves a happily-ever-after.

Connect with Christina:
https://linktr.ee/authorchristinalee

Pretty Perfect (Boys in Makeup Book 1) by Christina Lee and Riley Hart: New Release Review

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Jesse
After spending the first part of my life trapped in a small town where it wasn’t okay to be a makeup-wearing boy who liked boys, I swore I’d leave and never be anything but loud, proud, and unapologetically me. I’ve kept that promise. I’m following my dreams, have an apartment with my bestie, and get to dance my nights away at one of the hottest gay bars in Portland.

The only downfall is Dane, the sexy bartender with a perma-scowl always aimed my way. The tension between us is so strong that even the clubgoers notice, and they eat that stuff up. Our boss makes us dance on the bar together every Friday night. I might shake my booty a little more with Dane just because I love getting under his skin. It’s not my fault he doesn’t know how to have any fun…but I kind of want to teach him.

Dane
I got burned bad by my last boyfriend. Thankfully, my sister, Bree, and my niece, Hailey, make my days a whole lot brighter. I’m getting back on my feet, including a decent job as a bartender. But working in a gay club makes it harder to keep to myself. No way do I want to get reeled in by another charming, pretty face and get hurt again, and definitely not by someone like Jesse, whose audacity frustrates me to no end.

So why do I want to shove him against the wall and screw that boldness right out of him?

Only…sometimes he’s pretty sweet, especially with Hailey. As we go from enemies to angry hookups to friends, our feelings are changing and moving into uncharted territory. This can’t go anywhere. Jesse and I are like oil and water; we just don’t mix…right?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Did you see that cover? And it is my my favorite author collaboration- Christina Lee and Riley Hart. I don’t know what it is but these two write as one. I cannot tell that two authors wrote this book. The voices are seamless.

So, yes, the cover sucked me right in. I am a sucker for men in make up. And I love the juxtaposition of him wearing his hair in a crew cut. Jesse is a complex character who comes off as a flighty go go dancer, but he has so many layers. Above all he is just a charismatic guy who draws people in. Not many can resist Jesse. He is just that guy you can’t help but like.

Dane, at first, only sees that top layer. But Jesse keeps pushing his buttons until he caves. And it still takes him a while to throw away all of his preconceived notions about Jesse.

Add in a cute kid, a shy roommate, parents who try to understand but just can’t and mix it with a healthy dose of guilt- you’ve got a good story.

Dane has a great relationship with his sister and niece. Although they lost their mother years ago, they aren’t defined by that at all.

Jesse’s parents, on the other hand, broke my heart. They still loved Jesse but him being queer really warred with their beliefs. They were pretty isolated, owning a working a farm, so they really had no experience with queer people. But they really wanted to try. That was just so heartwarming.

I can’t WAIT for book 2, which shows you not only how much I enjoyed this book, but how much they could make me care about a secondary character and wanting his happily ever after.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Science & Jockstraps (Ace’s Wild Book 1) by Riley Hart & Christina Lee: Release Day Review

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Shy science guy Liam and fun-loving jock Isaiah have been roommates since their freshman year in college. On the surface, they couldn’t be more different. What the rest of the world doesn’t know is that tucked between basketball, classes, and hanging with friends are some of Isaiah’s favorite moments—just Liam and Isaiah in their room, watching documentaries or goofing off. Liam certainly never imagined Isaiah would become one of his favorite people, but their friendship was pretty much solidified the first time Isaiah saved Liam from a killer spider.

When Isaiah discovers Liam is looking for a hookup to help him explore a secret kink, the idea of anyone touching Liam that way sparks a protective instinct Isaiah has never felt before. Then, Isaiah confesses that he’d like to be the one Liam experiments with, and Liam is completely bowled over—equal parts thrilled and wary of ruining their friendship.

From the first sting of Isaiah’s palm, Liam’s fantasy finally comes to life. The more they explore together, the closer they become, uncovering feelings neither were willing to admit before. But outside the haven of their room, reality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Isaiah isn’t out, and worries about his college basketball career. And Liam won’t be someone’s secret, not after he promised himself he’d stop hiding and being afraid.

Deciding how to navigate the world together will be the final exam they’ll need to ace.

***PLEASE NOTE: For the first 90 days of this title’s publication, all sales and page reads will be donated to The LGBT Community Center of Cleveland and The LGBT Center of Raleigh.

**Science and Jockstraps is part of a multi-author series of books that take place in the same fictional town. Each story can be read in any order. The connecting element in the Ace’s Wild series is an adult store owned by Ace and Wilder. The main characters from each book will make at least one visit to Ace’s Wild, where they’ll buy a toy to use in their story! The only characters who crossover to each book are Ace and Wilder. And with various heat levels, there’s sure to be something for everyone!

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Fun, fun, fun!

I love a series that is loosely connected and by different authors. Think Bluewater Bay or Tucker Springs. And now we have Ace’s Wild, a new series connected by an adult store owned by Ace and Wilder. And there are a ton of authors. No one is writing more than one book and they are being released quickly. I want to say every two weeks? Anyway, this is book 1 by two of my favorites- Christina Lee and Riley Hart. They have co-authored before and I have always enjoyed the books.

Oh! And the first 90 days of sales and page turns (Kindle Unlimited) go to charity! How is THAT for awesome?

Now to the book!

Isaiah and Liam are pretty much polar opposites, but being roommates in college for over a year now, they have become good friends. Until Isaiah snoops- by accident- and sees that Liam has a kink he’d like to explore. And the more Isaiah thinks about it, the more he wants to be the guy he explores with.

We watch as they navigate this new kink…and new feelings. And the fact that Isaiah isn’t out as bisexual.

There could have been a lot of angst, but it was light instead. Being a shorter book, they guys had to work through the conflict quicker. That being said, it wasn’t rushed at all. The story flowed with the relationship without the awkward “Three months later” starts of chapters.

Both Liam and Isaiah are lovable guys. It was totally adorable how Isaiah did a bunch of research so that he would do it correctly and not hurt Liam. He was pretty swoony to be honest.

We also got our first taste of Ace and Wilder- the couple that ties all of the books together. They are going to be a funny couple.

So yes, read it. College age, unintended romance, funny, a little kinky. It is well written and the change between authors is so seamless you cannot decipher who wrote what.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy