excerpt

Something Borrowed (Confetti Hitched Book 2) by Lily Morton: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

August 8, 2024 by Denise

Stan has never let his blindness hold him back, but he’s beginning to realise his love life is keeping him from moving forward.

He can’t remember a time when he wasn’t in love with his best friend. Rafferty is everything to him—his partner in crime, his confidante, and the person who understands him best. But Rafferty is incapable of reciprocating Stan’s feelings.

As a successful wedding planner, Rafferty is passionately committed to helping newlyweds begin their happily-ever-afters, but after a rootless childhood he’s equally determined not to seek his own. How can he trust in love and marriage when so many of his brides and grooms are repeat customers?

Stan is the glue that keeps the pieces of Rafferty’s life together, and as such Rafferty has always kept Stan safely in the friend box where he can’t lose him. However, lately that conviction has wavered and now Rafferty is bursting with complicated feelings for his best friend. The timing couldn’t be worse because Rafferty has realised he’s in love with Stan just as Stan is moving on.

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a friends-to-lovers story about realising you have the perfect man when you’re on the brink of losing him.

This is the second book in the bestselling Confetti Hitched series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

I moan despairingly when I see the time. “It’s ten o’clock. Oh god.”

“Is there a problem?”

Instead of answering, I tap a familiar number on my phone’s screen. “Come on, come on,” I mutter, pacing as I listen to it ring. “Climb off Lachlan’s dick and answer the phone.”

“Who are you talking to, sweetheart?”

The call connects. “What?” Joe says cautiously into my ear. I can’t begrudge him his air of worry.

“I need a favour.”

He groans. “Last time you said that we got fined for causing a public disturbance.”

“No, this time it’s really bad,” I whisper. “I need you, Joe.”

“Joe?” the man asks from behind me. “Who the fuck is Joe?”

“Who’s that?” Joe asks.

“No one,” I say over the insistent voice of the man who is now frowning at me—the man who appears to think we’re married.

“It doesn’t sound like no one,” Joe says, his voice rich with amusement as my bedmate paces the room and shouts about people who cheat.

“Well, it is,” I say in a quelling voice. “Joe, I’ve got the Hollis wedding today.”

“Yeah, I know. You’ll be fine.”

“That might be true if I’d gone to bed at an early hour in my own bed. Sober,” I add with emphasis.

“Oh god,” Joe says.

I walk back into the bedroom. “I know,” I whisper. “I woke up naked, and apparently, I’m now in some sort of a relationship I have no memory of agreeing to. I leave that sort of behaviour to you, mate.” Joe laughs. “This is serious,” I hiss. I look at my watch and groan. “The bride will arrive at the church in an hour.”

I look over at my bedmate, who’s joined me in the bedroom and is still frowning. I ask him, “I don’t suppose you have a spare morning suit hanging around?”

“I don’t know any dead people,” he snaps.

I just love a Lily Morton. The characters are fun and quirky, there is little to no angst (although there is pining…oh the pining…) and we get a happily ever after.

Right off the bat I loved Stan. His snark and wit, his fierce loyalty to his friends and his family, carrying on the record store for his hippie uncle and functionally blind. Maybe we missed his pity party when he learned he was blind as a teen, but by now he is accepting and moving on with life. Which is why his relationship with Bennett didn’t make a lot of sense because he was so controlling and condescending.

The opposite of controlling and condescending is Stan’s best friend Rafferty. And even though he is a wedding planner, he doesn’t believe in love and commitment. You can thank his selfish parents for that. Stan and Raff can be inseparable if you let them, which Bennett hates.

EVERYONE sees what these 2 numbskulls don’t. That they are obviously in love with each other and belong together and Raff needs to get over himself and his anti romance no commitment self. Especially since they have experience being friends with benefits.

I mentioned the pining right?

I loved these two together. I also loved the representation of a character that has gone blind and is still waiting for the last of their sight to go. So many people think blind only means zero sight. It also showed how they are treated by others. As incompetent or needy or like children. Stan got his barbs in where needed and it made me laugh.

The plot kept moving and I hated putting the book down each night. Great story that was fun, sweet and hot.

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.

The Duality of Swans by Lilly Atlas: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

July 25, 2024 by Denise

A male ballet dancer walks into a rural small town…

Liam, a professional ballet dancer from New York City, moves to the tiny town of Swan, Oklahoma, with a mission. Haunted by what he endured as a teenager, he returns as an adult to conquer his fears and challenge the town’s outdated prejudices. He plans to modernize Swan by opening a dance studio and showing its residents that there’s a place for everyone and all should be accepted.

Tate has never traveled beyond the Oklahoma border and knows little of life beyond his small rural town and blue-collar job. Deeply entrenched in secrecy and surrounded by people who’d never accept him if they knew what he hid beneath the surface, he’s resigned to a life of lies and loneliness.

Liam and Tate’s worlds collide a safe distance from Swan, where they form an instant connection but plan to walk away after one night, no matter how much more their encounter leaves them yearning for. Fate, however, has other plans. When Tate shows up for a renovation job at Liam’s new studio, their initial shock gives way to a tentative friendship with complicated emotions.

The pressures of small-town life, narrow-minded family members, and Tate’s insecurities threaten their budding connection from day one. Liam is determined to show Tate the beauty of living as his true self, but Tate has seen the consequences of such a life firsthand, and they’ve imprinted on his mind.

As they grapple with their feelings and the harsh realities of Swan, Liam and Tate must decide if love is worth the risk. Can they find a way to be together in a world that seems set against them?

Title: The Duality of Swans
Authors: Lilly Atlas
Length: 82k
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

“Okay…” He needed to get this train back on track before he completely lost control. People thought teaching kids was tough, it was nothing compared to a group of mischievous seniors. “Let’s work through the dance a few more times before we run out of time. The senior center’s talent show is in a few weeks, and I’d hate myself if I sent you ladies out there unprepared.”

“It’s so nice of you to do this for us before you officially open, dear.”

“It’s my pleasure, Mrs. Snow. Okay, everyone in their place?” The group of senior ladies all nodded. “And five… six… seven… eight…” He hit the music, and the studio filled with the song they’d requested—Jailhouse Rock. As Elvis belted out the lyrics, the ladies began to dance. It was a bit of a disaster, but they had fun, laughed, and teased each other, so he offered a few corrections. After running it several times, they had it down, and Liam felt comfortable calling it a day.

Dot had other ideas. She’d begged him to play the rest of Elvis’s album. Once the other ladies joined in the pleading, he had no choice but to give them what they wanted. Who could resist a bunch of sweet grandmas itching for a dance party?

By the end of the second song, he was dancing with them, spinning, dipping ladies left and right, and laughing his head off. His friends in New York wouldn’t recognize him. Who would believe that in the span of a few weeks, he’d gone from being a lead performer in the New York City Ballet to choreographing a dance for the local senior center’s talent show?

But this type of dance fed his soul—fun, no pressure, and pure joy. It was the kind of dance professionals often forgot about in their pursuit of perfection. So, he embraced it, crooning along with Elvis and getting his fifties groove on.

He was mid Rock Around the Clock with The King when he spun, thrust his hips, and came to a dead stop. Tate stood propped against the door with his arms folded and a smirk on his handsome face.

Liam rushed to his phone on the floor near the mirror and killed the music.

“Hey!” Mary called out when the room fell silent. “Oh, who do we have here?”

“Leave him alone, Mar. He doesn’t want to be your number six,” Dot said with a snicker.

“Oh, Tate, hello dear,” Mrs. Snow said with a wave for the bad boy lurking at the door.

“Hey, Miz Snow.” He waved before folding his arms again. “So, what are you crazy kids getting up to in here?”

Liam’s face was hot enough to melt off his body. “Uh, we’re just having a quick lesson.”

“This sweet boy is helping us by choreographing a dance for the senior center’s talent show.” Dot looped her thin arm through Liam’s and tugged him closer to Tate. She had a mischievous gleam in her eye that he needed to squash immediately.

This is a new to me author, but seeing decent sized back list, I’ll be reading more! I jumped on this one because my kryptonite was mentioned- ballet dancer. I just can’t resist. And I am very glad I didn’t resist because I loved this book.

The main characters are set up in a prologue set 10 years before. We clearly see what kind of people live in the town of Swan. Backwards homophobic bigots. It was jarring at first just knowing that people really are like that. Heartbreaking. After a traumatic event we jump 10 years to present day.

Liam, a NY ballet dancer packs us his life to move to Swan and open a dance studio. Why? He has his reasons. Swan is notoriously homophobic. So much so that even one town over doesn’t like to mingle there. Ya, that bad.

Which means that Tate, born and raised in Swan is deep in the closet. And he works with two of the biggest reasons- his brother and his brother’s best friend. The type of guys who think you can catch gay from a handshake or being too close. And speaking out against them and their hate will just bring the hate on you as well.

And Tate is a good guy. He wants to do better than what he has known his whole life. He has ambition. But even that is mocked. Tate, his brother Randy, and Randy’s best friend Daryl all work for the same tile company. And when they have a job at the new dance studio, Randy and Daryl let the slurs fly. You can almost see Tate’s heart crumpling.

Liam sees Tate though. For the good person he is. For the closeted gay man he is. And Tate definitely sees Liam.

I loved that Liam really supported Tate. Never gave him an ultimatum. Never said “I’m not going back into the closet” or any of the other cliche things. He does call him out on any bs, but he is also incredibly supportive.

The more Liam supports Tate, the more Tate wants to be free. He wants to be with Liam. Out in the open. He wants to be happy.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some serious stumbles along the way. But grace is given and forgiveness gifted. Because Tate and Liam didn’t play games with each other. They were for more mature than their 25 years.

Tate’s character arc was one to behold. From completely closeted, to defending Liam, to publicly being friends with Liam and more. Each step forward I wanted to cheer for him.

So I was sucked in by a ballet dancer, but I was left swooning by a tile guy.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lilly is a best-selling and award-winning author of steamy contemporary romance. As a Navy wife, mom of three girls, and fur mom to two dogs, she’s living her best and craziest life. Before publishing, Lilly worked for almost a decade as a physical therapist. Now, she spends her days wrangling her crew and giving life to the stories in her head.

Connect with Lilly:
www.lillyatlas.com
www.facebook.com/lillyatlas
www.instagram.com/lillyatlasbooks
www.tiktok.com/@lillyatlasbooks
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Stray Awakening: A First-Time Gay Small Town MM Romance (Rainbow Rescue Cat Café Book 1) by F.A. Ray: RB, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

July 22, 2024 by Denise

. .

I fled my hometown seven years ago. I never planned to come back. I never planned to give up my city life for a small town. And I definitely never planned to fall for another man.

Henry
Tripp Lake, the place I love the most. Working at a cat café on Main Street gives me a chance to get some deserving cats their forever homes.

But when a blast from the past walks into my café, I’m not sure what to feel. Alex was always hot and popular in high school – and straight.

So it’s a shock when he keeps accepting my invitations to hang out. I don’t think I’m imagining the spark between us, but is Alex actually interested in me, or am I letting this straight boy break my heart?

Alex
Tripp Lake, the place I hate the most. I’m only here because of my father’s heart attack. But the second I return home, I remember all the reasons I ran away.

My parents are overbearing. This town is small and boring. And I want nothing more than to flee back to my new life in San Francisco – a life that doesn’t come packed with any surprising new feelings about a guy I went to high school with.

Henry is a ray of sunshine amid this bleak journey home. But I’ve never been interested in a guy before. When a relaxing hike results in my first timid kiss with another man, I start questioning a lot more than just my decision to leave Tripp Lake. Is Henry worth staying in this crappy town for?

Stray Awakening is a small-town MM romance with first-time gay experiences, a sweet ray of sunshine winning over a jaded grumpy, spicy open-door scenes, and, of course, lots of cats. Go to linktr.ee/faraywrites for CWs.

Title: Stray Awakening
Authors: F.A. Ray
Length: 68k
Series: Rainbow Rescue Cat Café, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Henry said the door would be open, but I knock anyway before turning the knob. I find Henry bustling toward me as I open the door to let myself in. I have only a second to drop my laptop bag on the ground.

Is he that excited to see me?

Shit, I’m that excited to see him, especially when I spot that easy smile of his. All of the stress from work and my family vanishes like a puff of smoke blown away by the wind.

I didn’t have a plan when I asked if I could come over here. My thought process was simple: Away. Away from work. Away from my family. Away from all of it. But seeing Henry, seeing him in his slim jeans and casual T-shirt, smiling at me, blue eyes bright with eagerness, changes my plan on the spot.

I bundle him into my arms the moment he reaches me and kiss him hard.

Henry murmurs in surprise before his arms slide around my neck. I hug his body against me and tilt my head to kiss him more deeply. The taste of his lips has become a familiar balm in the weeks I’ve spent in Tripp Lake. I melt against him, tension draining out of me as the warmth of his mouth eases my worries. Merely touching him makes all the nonsense drift away. It’s like I’m rising in a hot air balloon, my worries becoming smaller and smaller as I float away.

Eventually, I need air, but I don’t let Henry out of my arms.

“It’s good to see you,” I say.

His smile widens, joy crinkling the corners of his eyes. My chest tightens with the knowledge that it’s me pressing that happiness into his face. Maybe twenty years from now those little lines will be permanent, and I’ll have had a hand in placing them there.

F. A. Ray started writing fiction as a child and has never stopped. When they aren’t writing, they enjoy rock climbing and hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where they live with their partner and cat.

Visit linktr.ee/faraywrites to find out more. You can also sign up for my Patreon, where I post WIPs, updates, bonus scenes, deleted scenes and short stories that don’t appear anywhere else.

 Catch up with F.A. Ray:
linktr.ee/faraywrites

https://patreon.com/user?u=95880046

https://sendfox.com/faraywrites (newsletter)

https://bsky.app/profile/faray.bsky.social

https://www.instagram.com/faray_author/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085890955881

https://twitter.com/FARayWrites

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The Keeper (Redemption Ridge Book Five) by Aimee Nicole Walker: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

July 11, 2024 by Denise

Sabotaged brakes didn’t kill Rueben Sanchez, but waiting for his assailants’ trial to start just might. A potential witness for the prosecution can’t explore his lusty feelings for the hunky sheriff who saved him, but that doesn’t stop his imagination from running wild. Rueben has already shaped his traumatic mountainside meet cute with Seth Burke into a happily ever after to tell their future grandkids. When the delay threatens to stretch on for years, Rueben feels his dreams slipping out of reach. Should he surrender gracefully or fight for his man?

Pressure and scrutiny are nothing new to Seth, but shouldering his duties has never felt like a burden until they keep him from the man he wants most. Cracking an unsolved murder, safeguarding a high-profile trial, and winning re-election should be enough to keep him busy. But he can’t stop thinking about the perfect weekend he shared with Rueben before everything careened off course. Are they as good together as Seth remembers, or is his memory swayed by the allure of the forbidden? And does he dare to find out?

Late-night phone calls and shared secrets lead to stolen kisses and a lakeside cabin rendezvous. But one encounter isn’t enough, and the two men will risk everything to explore their deepening bond. When a series of chilling events rock the county, Rueben and Seth must put more than their hearts on the line because one misstep could prove fatal.

The Keeper is book five in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. The Keeper contains mature themes and is intended for adults.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Pleasure still curled his toes, and he was already jonesing for more. “Christ, Rue. I can’t get enough of you.”

“I know.” A hint of melancholy tinged his voice. “But I’d rather have this than nothing at all.”

But how long would Rueben be willing to settle for phone sex? If Seth were a better man, he’d encourage Rueben to find someone better suited for him. He was selfish, so instead of saying something to push Rue away, Seth uttered a truth guaranteed to pull him closer. “I’d rather have these stolen hours with you than unlimited time with anyone else.”

“You fucking charmer.” The grin in Rueben’s voice made the risk all worth it.

Seth leaned over and grabbed his discarded T-shirt from the night before and cleaned off his chest and stomach. He heard a s

imilar rustling from Ruben’s end and knew he was tidying up too. A glance at the clock revealed he didn’t need to hit the shower for another hour, which made him glad they’d been too horny to sleep. Seth tucked his free arm under his head and stared at the thin rectangles of pale blue light on his ceiling that hinted at encroaching daybreak on the other side of the curtains. “Scooby Doo or Inspector Gadget?”

Rueben sucked in a sharp breath. “Dude, that’s too tough to answer.”

“Hey, you made me choose between Justified and Animal Kingdom.”

Rueben huffed again. “Scooby, but only by a hair.”

“Cartoon or live-action film?” Seth asked.

“Definitely the cartoon, but I love Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers.”

They continued talking about any random thing they could think of, laughing and needling one another as time stretched on. Seth watched the thin blue rectangles on the ceiling spread to meet in the middle and turn soft pink with dawn. “I need to hit the shower and head to the station.”

“I need to clean up and go to breakfast with the crew.”

That prompted another playful debate about the proper way to cook bacon. When they moved on to discussing waffles versus pancakes, Seth knew he was screwed in more ways than one. He was hungry, running late, and teetering precariously on the edge of love with Rueben.

Alone, Seth and Reuben were always interesting characters. I especially loved that Reuben took Keegan under his wing and the two quickly became inseparable bffs. Seth always came off as serious but also down to earth. He didn’t play games and this book shows us that well.

We all know by now that both “get it out of our systems” and “it’ll be a secret” never work out. The “get it out of our systems” is a hold over from a previous book, which leads to “it’ll be a secret”. They had good reason to keep their relationship a secret, not your normal someone is in the closet thing.

It is pretty funny with Rueben trying to keep it on the down low. Not just that he was messing with Seth, but that he was with anyone at all. All of the guys, and Harry, at the ranch are way too gossipy to not try to get more info out of him.

Seth is up for re-election as sheriff, the crazy cult is still on the fringes awaiting trial. There’s a juicy story there that I won’t divulge but it kept me turning the pages.

I really liked these guys together and I liked that we were taken off of the ranch for different interactions and scenes. They had a maturity about them that just really solidified the relationship for me.

4 pieces of eye candy

Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day.

I’d love to hear from you.

You can reach me at:
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/aimee-nicole-walker
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AimeeNWalker
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/aimeenicole.walker
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Blog – AimeeNicoleWalker.blogspot.com

Want to be the first to know about my book releases and have access to extra content? You can sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/dlhPYj

My favorite place to hang out and chat with my readers is my Facebook group. Would you like to be a member of Aimee’s Dye Hards? We’d love to have you! Click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AimeesDyeHards/

Connect with Aimee:
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F**k, Marry, Kill Me, Daddy (Murder Daddy, Book 1) by Lance Lansdale: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

June 24, 2024 by Denise

. .
SCOTTY
My boyfriend’s been trying to kill me for weeks. Well, I guess he’s my boyfriend. I mean, we’ve never officially been introduced, but he’s always standing in the shadows, watching me. That has to be a good sign, right? The first time I saw him, he was hunched down in my bushes, aiming a rifle at my heart, and he’s turned up with a new weapon every night since. As fun as our silly little game of Murder Daddy may be, I’m getting tired of having to steal my stalker-slash-boyfriend’s affection by disarming him and using his weapons against him.

BRODY
I’ve got to get my head in the game. As my agency’s top assassin, I’ve killed my fair share of men. When Senator Levinson placed his son on my hitlist, I figured it would be a one-and-done. I was wrong. Every time our paths cross, he winds up getting the upper hand. The things he makes me do once he’s pried a gun or a knife out of my hand are downright depraved, and for some reason, I can’t bring myself to stop it from happening. My wife tells me I need to just suck it up and get the job done. My wife’s boyfriend says I’m sweet on the guy, which is absolutely ridiculous. Even if I wanted to take advantage of our open marriage, I’m not gay. This man—this Freakshow—is completely unhinged, and the worst part is, I think I might be just as crazy as him.

F**ck, Marry, Kill Me, Daddy is a high-heat, over-the-top, absolutely UNHINGED, dual-POV, dark romcom that is equal parts insta-love and insta-lust. While one character is married, their marriage is open, and there’s no cheating between them.

Title: F**k, Marry, Kill Me, Daddy
Authors: Lance Lansdale
Length: 78k
Series: Murder Daddy, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary, Dark MM Rom-Com.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

He looks around the room as if a bottle of lube will magically appear. I should probably tell him there’s one in my nightstand drawer, but I’d rather use his saliva again. I love knowing a part of him is inside of me. It’s a physical manifestation of the words he refuses to say. The things he refuses to do to me. A way he can fuck me without actually fucking me. With one finger still inside, I straighten the others, readying them for him. “Lube me up, Daddy.”

He pauses for a moment, considering. At first, I’m pretty sure he’s going to just spit on his hand and then slick my fingers, but he surprises me when he leans forward and sucks all four of my free fingers into his mouth, nursing on them like a calf to a teat. His tongue twirls around each digit, eyes opened, staring at my hole. He stays there for a while, and I realize I’m going to have to be the one to snap him out of his lusty little stupor.

“If you want me to slide another one in, I’m going to need my finger back.”

His eyes blow wide and he pulls away hastily, his hand still locked on my ass. “I don’t,” he practically shouts. “I don’t want to see any of this. You’re forcing me.”

“I know,” I soothe, because I do. “I know, Uri.”

“I don’t like this,” he whines.

“I know you don’t.” Lifting the blowtorch, I give him another smile. “I’m the big, bad twink, and right now you’re at my mercy.” He exhales a sigh of relief and grips my ass harder. The edge is drawing nearer, and I’m about to fall. About to lose myself in the moment, with the love of my life staring as it happens. “I’m—I’m gonna come. I’m about to—about to—”

“Fuck.” He’s so fucking awestruck right now. I’ve never felt more beautiful than I do right now. He’s staring at me like I’m a fucking god.

I can’t do it anymore. I need contact. “Please?” He might not know what I’m asking for, but it doesn’t stop him from nodding. Needing pressure against my shaft, I let the torch fall to the floor, then grip him by the hair and drag him forward until his cheek is against my cock. Thrusting feverishly, I can feel my balls tighten, and I hear Uri gasp in surprise.

“Here it comes.”

“Holy shit,” he whispers. His eyes dart up, and I stare into them, loving the way his face looks with my cock against it. “You’re gonna come on my face?”

“Please,” I whisper. I want him to tell me it’s okay. That he wants this just as much as I do. “Can I?”

His breath hitches and his eyes go dark. “Fuck. Scotty.”

“Please, Daddy. I need it.”

He blinks dazedly at me and opens his mouth, his words caught in his throat. He closes his eyes and inhales deeply like he’s trying to breathe me into him. “Okay. Yeah. Come on me.”

If you’re looking for a serious, angsty mm romance with lots of drama…look elsewhere. This is not gonna be your read. However, if you are looking for a “sweet” grumpy/sunshine, completely unhinged, large step sideways from reality mm rom-com, then this one might be for you. This book was fun, had me laughing through most of it, gasping a little at the level of heat in it, and surprised me with the tears it wrung from me.

Did I expect to love this book? No. Did I expect to like it as much as I did? Still no. But I enjoyed this book way more than I ever thought was possible considering the blurb. The author went completely into their imagination/fantasy-land and pulled out all the funny parts, and left us this book that you could never consider serious, but still want to put Scotty in a little box, safe from all things that could hurt him, including “Uri”.

I won’t give much away, because to truly understand this book, you just have to suspend disbelief and jump into the chaos. However, I will say I was surprised at the depth of emotion I felt when I wasn’t expecting to do more than roll my eyes. It wasn’t that AT ALL.

Go into it with an open mind, making sure to read the trigger warnings because there could be some, and have fun with it. You won’t regret the time spent with Scotty and Brody.

4 pieces of eye candy

Lance Lansdale is the author of We Burn Beautiful and The Househusband’s Guide to Domestic Bliss. He writes swoony romance with an excessive amount of cuddle scenes.

Connect with Lance:
lancelansdale.com
instagram.com/lancetastik
Facebook: Lance Lansdale

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Lost In Someone (Calston Cove Book 2) by JJ Harper: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

June 17, 2024 by Denise

. .

It only takes one night to turn their lives upside down.

Brodie always thought he was straight, but he experiences the greatest night of his life with a man. A total stranger. They never even exchanged names.

It’s the shake-up he needed. He leaves his job and heads down to his best friend, Merrick. Even if that night haunts not only his dreams but also his waking thoughts, he’s determined to make a new life in Devon. He can’t have time for regrets.

Ivan had to leave. His best friend, Drew, let him down, his sort of ex shocked him with disturbing news, and he’s sick and tired of easy hook-ups. The only bright light is a chance encounter with the hottest man he’s ever seen, but he wakes up alone and has no way of finding him.

Resigned to never seeing him again, Ivan returns home to Calston Cove. An apology to Drew leads to a dinner invitation with a few friends.

And a face he never expected to see again.

Are Brodie and Ivan able to recapture the best night of their lives, or is one night all they’re going to have?

When Ivan’s past comes back, threatening to ruin his relationship with Brodie, are they strong enough together to make things work?

Lost in Someone is a bi-awakening story and book two in the Calston Cove series. It can be read as a stand-alone but is enjoyed more by knowing Drew and Merrick’s story in Life After Love.

Title: Lost In Someone
Authors: JJ Harper
Length: 60k
Series: Calston Cove, Book 2
Genre: Contemporary.

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A few minutes later, the house is empty. It seems larger, more echo-y now it’s just the two of us. “What do you need me to do?”

“It’s to do with the bed. Something is not right with it.” He walks back to the open door.

I follow him up the stairs. Ten minutes ago, only a bare mattress was on the bed, but now the stunning brass king-size bed is made up with dark red brocade sheets and a duvet takes centre stage. Candles stand on the windowsill and all along the edge of the skirting boards. Brodie leans against the windowsill, his arms across his chest, his feet crossed at the ankles, the grey April sky highlighting his almost black hair like a halo. The epitome of cool, but his jaw is hard with tension. He’s nervous. Why?

“Hey, are you okay?” He’s practically vibrating. From excitement, nervousness, fear? “What’s wrong?”

He shakes his head, swiping the back of his hand over his eyes. He’s crying. “Brodie, baby. What’s up?”

“I don’t know how to do this shit. I never thought I’d be in love, and to find it in a dark club with a stranger is romance film shit. But here I am, five months into a relationship with someone I respect so much. A man who makes me laugh, who puts up with my sweaty, stinky trainers and my equally sweaty and stinky body. I wanted to do something special to show you how much I love you and want to be with you.” He snuffles, wipes his knuckle under his nose, and chuckles. “Don’t panic. I’m not proposing, but I am asking you to think about moving in here with me. Once it’s all finished, I mean.”

I stare at him and then look around the room. He’d planned this—with Merrick—to make it special. I grab his arms and pull him away from the window into my embrace. “You do this shit damn well, baby. I love you too. So much. We met for a reason that night. It was to lead you here to me. Some serious chaos theory must have been going on to mix our lives, but I’m glad it happened.” I let him go. “I think we’ll be very happy here. You and me.”

“Is that a yes?” He laughs, looking hopeful.

“It’s a yes.” I drag him down until our backs hit the bed. “Do we get to christen this bed now?”

I read and enjoyed book 1 quite a lot. So I was excited for book 2. And I liked it. But not as much as the first.

This time we have Ivan, best friend of Drew from book 1. And Merrick’s best friend from London- Brodie. They have no idea who each other are and have a random hook up that leads to going back to a hotel room for most of the night. Except they never exchanged names.

Oh, and Brodie had never been with a man before. Never really thought about it until that met when he met Ivan. Which is fine, but for a guy he never even thought about possibly being queer to all of a sudden having sex with a man- a stranger- there was no angst. It was a bit too easy for me.

When Brodie decides to make a big life change, he ends up in Calston Cove because his bff Merrick is there. And surprise! Drew’s bff Ivan! They pretty quickly pick up where they left off.

And like a Hallmark movie, everything just falls into place. Ivan and Brodie are in a relationship, more big life changes happen, Brodie just goes with the flow. Ivan freaks out a little, but considering what is happening, not too bad.

And then happily ever after. I really enjoyed the last epilogue as well. We get to witness consequences that we don’t always see. That was super satisfying.

Overall the book was fine. It wasn’t great, but it definitely wasn’t bad. Some more depth would be nice.

3 pieces of eye candy

You will normally find JJ in the living room—typing away—with her dog, Siddiqi. As a hopeless romantic, she dives into her stories, always falling in love with her men, making sure they get the happy ever after they deserve, even if they do have to work hard for it.

As a bona fide bookaholic, a wine-drinking and swear-like-a-sailor type of girl, she has yet to work out how to act her age!! LOL. And she has no intentions of growing up or growing old gracefully.

JJ lives in a small, very quiet, village in Lincolnshire, UK, with her husband and dog, and spends all day dreaming up stories full of really hot men.

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