excerpt

Elliot, Song Of The Soulmate (Love, Austen Book 5) by Anyta Sunday: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

October 29, 2021 by Denise

When you have the love of your life, you hold on tight.
You don’t let go.

Debate champ extraordinaire Elliot Anneston is a master in persuasion. He wins at everything. Until he meets sexy Scottish transfer Wentworth McAllister. Suddenly he doesn’t know what’s up and what’s up. The world is a whirlwind of feeling, and when it comes to the debate of his life, to lose is inevitable. How can he not, when his argument is a lie?
I can’t love you. I don’t.

When you lose the love of your life, you don’t get a second chance.
Or do you?

~ ~ ~

“Elliot, Song Of The Soulmate” is a contemporary gay retelling of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion”.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Their first official date was a midnight picnic at the beach. They chose a full moon and a sheltered bay, and they shared their hopes and dreams over crackers, grapes, cheese, and Elliot’s mum’s lemonade.

“What do you want to do when . . . well, when you’ve finished school?”

“Study psychology, and travel the world.”

Waves rushed to shore and breezes sprayed sand over them. Wentworth hooked his arms behind his head and stared at the stars, smirking. “You can do that living on a boat, you know.”

Elliot snickered, shaking his head. Wentworth, Wentworth, Wentworth. “Let’s make a rule.”

Wentworth rolled onto his side and propped himself on his elbow. “What kind of rule?”

“The kind we follow and don’t break.”

“What is the purpose of this rule?”

“To discourage distorted expectations.”

“Why do I have a feeling I won’t love this?”

Probably because he wouldn’t. “Rules are meant to be respected, not loved.”

Wentworth grumbled. “You’ll make an excellent Head Boy next year.”

“I might not get elected.”

He scoffed. “You’ve more than convinced the student body. Now what rule do you want me to follow, Head Boy?”

Elliot felt as light as the breezes around them. “I want us to enjoy each moment.”

“Done!”

“And, not talk of the future more than a week ahead.”

“But—”

“Promise me.”

“Two weeks ahead?”

“Wentworth.”

Wentworth pressed his lips together on a laugh, and nodded. He caressed a lock of hair off Elliot’s face. “Whatever makes you happy, bumblebee.”

These books keep getting better. This is the first of the series that I don’t know of or haven’t read the book it is loosely based on. But no matter. And even though this is book 5, it stands alone really well.

I feel like this is the first book in this series that was really ANGSTY. Meeting in school as teenagers, Elliot and Wentworth were practically inseparable. Wentworth made a declaration the night the met about their future. But they knew they were 17 and had a lot of life to live first. But they still wanted to do it together. Until life got in the way and Elliot broke Wentworth’s heart.

Fast forward 15 years. Wentworth followed his dreams and became a fairly famous singer/songwriter. And his most popular song was about their break up. But life brings them back together again. With a lot of hurt feelings, words unsaid and a love for each other still there but hiding under the pain.

Watching the navigate work together without being together, other people flirting with them, keeping an emotional distance from each other- ugh. It all just broke my heart. Because it just felt so real. They didn’t come back together after 15 years, throw out some “I’m sorrys” and jump into bed together.

There was a real maturity about both of them that they got from the 15 years of life they had apart and in the end, I felt that it made them that much stronger together.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

I’m a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of emotion, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.

My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Thai.

Contact: http://www.anytasunday.com/about-anyta/
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Contact Anyta:
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Bad at Love by Aimee Nicole Walker: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

October 28, 2021 by Denise

Bad at making decisions or bad at love? Either way, Kendall Blakemore doesn’t trust his judgment. He falls too hard, too fast, and always for the wrong guy. Needing a major shakeup, Kendall moves into his own place for the first time and seizes a new career opportunity. But everything he thought he wanted turns out to be the last thing he needs. When loneliness threatens to derail Kendall’s good behavior, he decides to rent out his spare bedroom. What could go wrong? Try a tenant who’s temptation incarnate.

Bad at commitment or born to roam? Either way, US Deputy Marshal Kurt Dandridge feels trapped. Maybe staying in one place for too long is the source of his unhappiness, or maybe it’s because he’s engaged to the wrong person. Finding his fiancé in bed with another man takes care of one problem but creates another. Ridge needs a place to live. He’d leave Savannah altogether if not for his vow to apprehend an elusive fugitive. Renting a room from Kendall Blakemore seems like the perfect solution until Ridge finds himself falling for the alluring man. Would one kiss derail his course? And could he stop at just one?

Hurts so good. Chemistry burns between them—hot, consuming, and impossible to ignore. And why should they? Kendall and Ridge are consenting adults who know the score. Being bad has never felt so good, but it’s a slippery slope to navigate. One misstep could have disastrous consequences for both men.

Bad at Love is a standalone novel within the Sinister in Savannah universe where both characters first appeared. It is not necessary to read that series first. Bad at Love is a romantic suspense that’s heavier on the romance than the suspense.

Title: Bad at Love
Authors: Aimee Nicole Walker
Length: approximately 100,000
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Tropes: hurt/comfort, opposites attract, and forced proximity.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Ridge pushed a glass of milk toward him, but Kendall waved it off.

“Not choking, just clumsy.”

“Doubt it,” Ridge said. “I watched you glide to my table.”

“It was more of a saunter.”

“It was graceful and fluid.” Ridge’s eyes darkened, and Kendall was quite sure of the direction his thoughts had gone.

Damn it. Kendall’s mind followed down the same path. He’d definitely invite his fist to the slumber party when he got home. He needed to head in that direction and catch as much sleep as possible, but thoughts of never seeing Ridge again kept his ass planted firmly in the chair.

“What sorrows are you trying to drown in a plate of wings?” Kendall asked, hoping to steer the conversation in a safer direction.

“I feel like this is all give and take here,” Ridge replied. “I’m doing all the giving while you’re lying back and…” His cheeks turned bright pink. “That wasn’t very appropriate.”

“Please,” Kendall said, casually waving him off as if his dick weren’t stiffening in his spandex boy shorts. No, he wasn’t imagining himself at the mercy of Ridge’s big body as he rammed into him over and over.

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

Kendall met his gaze once more. “Really? That’s the cheesiest pickup line ever. It’s almost a dad joke.”

Ridge winced. “Ouch.”

“Sorry.” Kendall took a deep breath. “You have a deal, but you’re going first. Spill.”

“I caught my fiancé in bed with his boss about twenty minutes ago.”

Whoa. “Seriously?”

“Uh-huh.” Ridge’s lips curved upward at the corners.

“And you’re smiling?” Kendall couldn’t imagine something so awful.

Ridge tilted his head for a second as if considering his circumstances. “Yeah, I am. The asshole did me a favor. I mean, I’m not thrilled about finding a new place to live, and I’m going to miss Sammy.”

“Who’s that?”

“Todd’s cat.”

“Todd, huh?” Kendall asked. “That’s the male equivalent of Karen.”

Ridge laughed. “So it is.” He took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I really loved that cat.”

Kendall leaned closer. “Want someone to steal the cat for you? I’m not qualified, but I know a guy who knows several guys.”

Ridge assessed him through narrowed eyes. “You really are trouble.”

Sighing, Kendall said, “I don’t try to be.”

“It just comes naturally?”

“Something like that.”

You can check out Erin’s 4.5 piece of eye candy review here.

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:
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Dark Horse (The Braided Crop Ranch Book 3) by AE Lister: RB, Exclusive Excerpt and New Release Review

October 25, 2021 by Denise

Adam Marsland has a plan.

He’s been managing the Braided Crop Ranch for six years and wants to bring everybody he can find back for a week of games, competition, and celebration.

Henry Swift was a ponyboy at the BCR during its very first year. He learned to trot, pull a cart, and submit to his trainer. He’s never quite left the experience behind and is excited to receive Adam’s invitation to return.

But it’s not only the Ranch and its sex-positive atmosphere pulling Henry back to the seclusion of the Muskoka wilderness.

Ever since their first frantic and lustful encounter in the woods, Henry’s had a thing for Adam Marsland and his memories of his tumultuous time on the ranch have haunted him for years. Adam’s still at the ranch, and now Henry can go back and discover if the older man has any regret for the way things turned out in the past.

But the gymkhana Adam’s planning means the return of a plethora of ponyboys and trainers and Henry wonders if he will have trouble reminding Adam how much they wanted to be together back then, and how possible it might be for them now, in the midst of the excitement and testosterone.

No one ever said love was easy, but Henry is determined to make the most of his chance.

Title: Dark Horse

Series: The Braided Crop Ranch, Book Three

Author: AE Lister

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 10/19/2021

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 64100

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, BDSM, pony play, age-gap, entertainment, humiliation, voyeurism, exhibitionism, over 40, second chance, reunited

Amazon

Nine Star Press

Goodreads

As I grabbed my bag and headed toward the main house, my nerves got the better of me. I stopped at the steps to the front porch and waited a few moments to get myself together. I took a deep breath, tousled my hair so it wasn’t sitting flat from the heat, and walked forward.

The door creaked open, and I stepped inside the air-conditioned interior. I glanced to the end of the hall where Adam had spoken of placing a gift shop to sell photos and other items related to the BCR. And there it was—a stylized horseshoe on the sign that said Snacks and Souvenirs. I grinned, then focused on the young man at the front desk. There had been so many cars going through the gate they’d posted a staff member there, so I hadn’t yet spoken to anyone at the main house.

“Hi, there,” I said. “I’m registered for the gymkhana.”

The young blond man looked me up and down and pulled out a pen. “Can I have your name, please?”

“Swift. Henry Swift.”

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice say, “Connor, can you get me a readout of everyone who’s arrived so far? I think we’re still waiting for—”

I looked up to see Adam Marsland walking toward me, having emerged from his office. He stopped dead when he saw me.

The hairs on my arms stood up, and my face flushed as our gazes met.

“Henry?” he said, sounding awed. “Is it you?”

“Yeah,” I nodded, grinning.

He looked just the same. Maybe there was a little more salt and pepper in his dark hair, and the wrinkles beside his eyes were deeper. But he was even more handsome than I remembered.

Suddenly, he was embracing me, and I couldn’t believe how familiar he felt after all this time. Six years without him and I still felt this way?

He pressed me against his body, a little longer than having been good friends would have dictated was appropriate, then withdrew as if I’d burned him. He glanced around us, laughing nervously.

“It’s wonderful to see you! You’re just as gorgeous as I remember.”

I blushed. “Aw, shucks. Thanks. You look just the same.”

He held my gaze, and the energy that had sparked between us all those years ago was still there.

This is the third book in this series, with the manager of the ranch being one of the MC’s. The ponyboy is someone the reader hasn’t met before, having been at the ranch the first year it opened, six years prior.

I struggled a little more with this book, than book 2. Not as much with the main characters. They were working their way back to each other, after having had a fling when Henry had been at the ranch the first time. When the event was announced, Henry decided to go and try to work it out with Adam. My struggle was more with returning characters.

Kamal and Owen return for the gymkhana, as well as Jensen, Luke and Noah. And I just can’t seem to get the dynamic with Kamal and Luke. It’s clear that Luke gets off on being humiliated, and that’s cool, and Kamal doesn’t have a problem dishing that out, also cool. However, it’s just such an odd space to be in, and watch from the sidelines. In any other type of book, I would likely see this as a prelude to cheating, and turn away from it instantly. However, these books have sex, a lot of sex, sex between couples, sex between strangers, so it’s obvious that there are a lot of open relationships. But these two are just a bit too angry at each other for my tastes.

I did like the development between Adam and Henry, and really enjoyed having the owner show up and the entire ranch put a show on for her. It was fun to read, even as Adam stressed himself out for it.

3 pieces of eye candy

Spellbound (Fallen Messengers, Book 2) by Ava Marie Salinger: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

October 19, 2021 by Denise

Can Cassius and Morgan overcome an elusive enemy and save a young girl’s life?

Eden Monroe has spent her entire existence believing she has no magic. Shunned by her mother Brianna and the magical bureau Hexa, she runs away from home when she is forced to embrace a future she never chose, only to fall into the hands of ghastly monsters from the Nine Hells. After being rescued by a mysterious Dryad with secrets of his own, Eden realizes there is more to her past and future than she could ever have imagined.

When San Francisco PD asks Argonaut to assist them in solving a series of strange bank robberies, Cassius Black and Morgan King uncover a disturbing plot that points to an unknown artifact hidden somewhere in the city. Their investigation soon has them crossing paths with a desperate Brianna, who seeks their help in finding her missing daughter. When the witch reveals the shocking circumstances surrounding her daughter’s birth as well as the deadly magic sealed inside the young girl’s body, the Argonaut agents realize their case is linked to Eden and the weapon of devastating power the bank robbers are after.

Can Cassius and Morgan defeat the malevolent organization behind it all and save Eden from her cursed fate? Or will the young girl suffer a destiny worse than death itself?

Spellbound is the second novel in the gay urban fantasy romance series Fallen Messengers. If you like your paranormal adventures full of action, magic, snark, and a host of steamy angels and demons, then you’re not going to want to miss this jaw-dropping, fun-filled ride!

Spellbound

Fallen Messengers, Book 2

By Ava Marie Salinger

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

It was dark by the time Eden logged out of the public computer. She shivered when she stepped out of the cafe. A chilly wind was blowing across the city from the bay, heralding the change of seasons. San Diego in autumn would be warmer than San Francisco. She hunched her shoulders and zipped up her parka.

I should buy some food before I go back.

She got Chinese takeout at a small restaurant close by and decided to eat it while she headed for the hostel. A strange feeling settled over her as she strolled along the half-empty streets, her steps light. It took a while for her to figure out what it was.

Freedom.

She had never felt as relaxed and carefree as she did in this moment. It was as if a giant weight had finally been lifted off her shoulders.

For the first time in years, Eden experienced a surge of optimism.

Getting away from my mother and Hexa was the right thing to do.

She’d almost finished her food and was wondering what to do the next day when a sudden stillness descended around her. Eden slowed and stopped, her skin prickling.

She’d cut across a narrow lane running past a cemetery and church, a shortcut to the hostel. She looked over her shoulder, unease quickening her pulse.

The path behind her was deserted.

Eden stared into the shadows for breathless moments before turning to resume her route. Something shifted in the gloom some hundred feet ahead of her. She froze.

A figure was blocking the lane exit. Another stepped into view next to it. A stench wafted toward Eden. Her eyes widened.

It was the smell of rotting meat.

The guttural rasp that reached her next had her belly clenching in terror. It was a hungry sound. One that craved mayhem and death.

Eden knew instinctively that she was in mortal danger. Yet, her limbs refused to budge.

Move! MOVE, dammit!

The figures lunged toward her.

She twisted on her heels, her body finally unfreezing, the carton of cooling food dropping from her grasp and spilling onto the ground. She staggered to an abrupt halt in the next instant, her breath locking painfully in her throat. Two more shapes were racing along the ground toward her from the opposite end of the lane.

They were not human.

Eden whirled around and jumped onto the fence to her right. She scaled it in a flash, climbed over, and landed awkwardly in the grounds of the cemetery, cuts blooming on her hands from the barbed wire.

The night closed in around her as she darted between trees and bushes, the gravestones looming out of the shadows silent witnesses to the chase. She didn’t have to look behind her to know her pursuers were hot on her trail. She could smell their foul breath on her heels and sense their murderous gaze on her back.

She emerged into an open area next to a water fountain and saw a faint light in one of the rear windows of the chapel that abutted the church. Her heart thumped with a wild burst of hope.

“Help!” Eden shouted. “Please, help—!”

She tripped and fell, her words choking off to a gasp. Air whooshed out of her as she hit the ground hard. Her head struck the courtyard paving. Stars exploded across her vision.

Eden lay stunned for a moment, the world swimming dizzyingly around her.

Get up!

She gritted her teeth and crawled onto her hands and knees, sticky wetness trickling down her forehead from the gash in her hairline. Growls sounded behind her, hot and ravenous.

Eden fumbled for the knife in her pocket, her fingers made clumsy by panic. She staggered to her feet and turned, knuckles white on the handle of the blade, knowing she would have to make her final stand here.

The monsters loomed out of the shadows, their grotesque shapes finally taking form under the starlight. A whimper tumbled from Eden’s lips, unbidden.

I didn’t like this as much as book 1. Sorry. I actually enjoyed the YA secondary characters more than Cassius and Morgan which for those readers wanting a pure MM storyline with character development it may be a little disappointing.

It was still a good book but I would class it as fantasy with romantic elements more than a romance.

I’m not going to rehash the plot but save to say there was a lot of action for those that want it and a large supporting cast.

Just not for me.

3 pieces of eye candy

Ava Marie Salinger is the pen name of an Amazon bestselling urban fantasy author who has always wanted to write scorching hot M/M urban fantasy. In 2021, she launches FALLEN MESSENGERS, her first M/M urban fantasy romance series. She also writes contemporary M/M romance as A.M. Salinger. When she’s not dreaming up hotties to write about, you’ll find Ava creating kickass music playlists to write to, spying on the wildlife in her garden, drooling over gadgets, and eating Chinese.

Subscribe to Ava Newsletter and receive a free prequel short story to Fractured Souls (Fallen Messengers #1) here: https://www.amsalinger.com/subscribe/

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Rings of Lust (Rings Trilogy, Book 1) by Finn Dixon: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway

October 7, 2021 by Denise

Lucas
My parents had warned me a relationship would be a disaster for my gymnastics career, threatening to pull their financial support. So, I floated from one guy to the next for years.

And now, at the biggest event of my life, I found myself lonely and wanting more. And the one guy I wanted it with was Cam.

He went to the same college. He was on the same team. Just not my team.

Ugh…I had a crush on a straight guy.

Camden
”Maybe you just need to get laid?” my teammate had suggested.

Here I was, my first Olympics and all I could think about was sex. My first and only time was terrible, to say the least and I was hesitant to try again. Hell, I wasn’t even out of the closet either.

But the Olympic Village was pretty much a buffet of abs and glutes, and it was athletes only. Coach did tell us to loosen up. Maybe it was time to do just that…but like, naked and with another guy.

I can totally do this casual anonymous thing, right?

Rings of Lust is a full-length MM novel, the first in a trilogy, that has a cliffhanger ending and an eventual HEA, just not in this book. Be prepared for third wheel sarcasm, platypus babies, rippling Olympian muscle, and teenage sexual escapades just behind the scenes at the world’s biggest athletic event.

Title: Rings of Lust
Authors: Finn Dixon
Series: Rings Trilogy, Champions Series, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary
Tropes: Jock, friends to lovers, semi-forbidden romance, workplace (ha!) romance.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

We were all done. Our events were over. And we were in third. One place away from not getting a medal. And it was crazy because we had done so well. Japan and Ukraine just did better today. We were waiting for China and Great Britain to finish. China was on rings, not their strongest event, and Great Britain was on floor. Something technical had delayed their routines. I was waiting for the numbers from the coaches. We all were. Luke was on my left side, Tyler was next to him. Graham was to my right, with Grant pacing in front of us. I could feel the seat vibrate as Luke’s knee bounced up and down. I was just as antsy. I looked up as Noah came over.

“We need China’s last guy to get below a 14.400, and Davies needs less than a 15.400 on floor.”

“For us to medal?” Luke asked.

“Yup.”

Damn. It kind of sucked, hoping that someone else would do poorly so you could medal. But that’s how it was. It’s not like the other teams wanted us to do good either.

I couldn’t watch, so I put a towel over my head. I felt Luke’s hand find mine under the towel and we held onto each other as tight as one would when you were hoping for your first Olympic medal.

It wasn’t just a big deal for us. The men’s team hadn’t medaled in the team finals the last five Olympics, making it over twenty years. They were close last time, having come in fourth. I hoped it wouldn’t be the same today.

I heard them announce Sheng Jiang, and I had to force myself not to hold my breath. It was hard to judge a routine simply from the crowd’s reactions, but I heard Luke say, “I don’t think it was good enough. He cut a few holds too short and wobbled a lot. I bet his execution score is low.”

And sure enough, Luke was right.

“Thank you, Jesus,” I heard Graham say.

“One down.” I could see Grant’s feet going back and forth.

I squeezed Luke’s hand.

Coach came over to us. “Let’s go, gentlemen. We’re watching this one together. Our country’s watching us, and we will be model sportsmen no matter the outcome. Whatever happens, I’m proud of you, and you should be too.”

“Ugh,” I groaned slightly, but complied, dropping the towel on the seat. The four of us stood up and joined Grant. We had our team jackets on. I’m sure someone had a flag ready in case we needed it. Tyler was the first to put his arm around Luke, and the trend continued down the line. The five of us, connected as one. And then we waited.

Finn Dixon is a full-time zookeeper in hot-as-balls Florida that writes hot-as-balls MM romance in his free time. A long-time fan of the genre, he is dipping his toe into the pool of sizzling and spicy writers already out there and hoping to score.

If you liked that opening paragraph, or the self-deprecating sense of humor that came with it, you’ll love his style of writing. When he isn’t being sarcastic or trying to make someone laugh, he spends his other free time annoying his boyfriend, snuggling with two kitties, and giving car-walks to his beloved dog.

Finn also likes watching gay films and shows with happy endings (giggity), playing Animal Crossing, re-watching Jurassic Park, and travelling when he can afford it.

And yes, I like jocks, but I promise all my books won’t be about them.

Or will they?

Catch up with Finn:
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Pick Me (The Sunday Brothers, Book 1) by May Archer: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

October 6, 2021 by Denise

The job at Sunday Orchard was supposed to be temporary.

A chance to gain some work experience. To have some fun. To get away from my overprotective brothers. To maybe, possibly encounter some lumberjacks in their natural habitat before moving on to the dream career that awaited me in the city.

I had not expected to be welcomed into a family of gorgeous and weirdly efficient lumberjack-types myself. Or to find a purpose in the tiny Vermont town whose claim to fame seemed to be apple-based products and copious amounts of charm.

And I most definitely hadn’t expected to fall for Knox Sunday, my grumpy, burly, fifteen-years-older, reluctant roommate, with his infuriating lectures, his hot-as-fire body, his superior attitude, his snarky humor, and his stealth cuddles.

Now I find myself making excuses to delay my big dreams… just for a little while.

But Knox has unfulfilled dreams of his own. A career he walked away from. A big city life in Boston he left behind when he returned to his hometown to help his family. He claims he’s not looking for anything permanent, and I’ve never been one to put down roots.

My big life is waiting for me somewhere other than Little Pippin Hollow. So why does it feel like I’ve finally found the home of my heart?

And how can I get Knox Sunday to… pick me?

Title: Pick Me
Authors: May Archer
Series: The Sunday Brothers, Book 1

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

My life had been a circus before Gage Goodman had showed up, it was true. But it had been a rational, well-organized circus. Three tidy rings, safety nets all around, and the shit had been shoveled regularly.

Then that… that… kid had come to the orchard two weeks ago, all sunshine-smiley and messy-haired and smelling like the ocean, taking over every single one of my spaces with his sly smile and his hilariously awful t-shirts and his dark eyes that showed his every emotion, and suddenly my life was a chaotic shit show run by rabid twin monkeys called lust and frustration that made me do stupid things like re-download the Grindr app in the dead of night just to check out who might be located twenty feet away from me—seriously, LumberjackLuvr? What kind of a user name was that, Goodman?—and blurt out things like, “Sure, I’ll go to lunch at your best friend Jack’s restaurant with you, Webb,” which was tantamount to me agreeing to Webb’s nosy matchmaking bullshit with his friend and Webb knew it.

I LOVED this book!

I had read a few of May Archer’s books before and I quite liked them. But there was something about this book that made me really love it. It is a spin off of a previous series that I haven’t read (too many books, too little time), but you absolutely don’t need to have read the previous. Only 1 detail wasn’t fully explained from the previous books, but it was kind of a big-ish detail, which is why I am taking away 1/2 a piece of eye candy. Ok, one other thing. I’ll get to that.

This books is snark + grumpy. You know they attract each other like moths to flames. The snark comes from Gage, newly out of college who scores a job at an apple orchard in Vermont. Being from the Keys in Florida, that is about the polar opposite of what he is used to. But he is all in. They need him to revamp their website, build an app and help them streamline everything.

Except his office and roommate at the new job is the oldest brother of the family who own and run the orchard. Knox is 15 years older than Gage, cranky and on a mental health sabbatical from his high stress job in Boston. So ya, of course, sparks.

There is a whole big cast of characters- Knox’s siblings and uncle, his uncle’s boyfriend, etc. They all welcome Gage with open arms and pretty immediately treat him like family. But that is just how they are. And Gage is a great guy. But naturally Knox has to fight it and be a jerk. At first.

We all know that Knox can’t hold out forever, they start the classic “FWB” thing, nothing serious, except it is and even though they think it is a secret it totally isn’t.

So some of the things I loved about the book. Gage is snarky. BUT he isn’t constantly snarky. I hate when it is over done. But it isn’t at all here. So when it does pop up, it is perfect. I also really felt like Gage spoke like a real 24 year old. Not a 24 year old as written by a 40 year old (I have no idea how old the author is, just throwing a number out there). It felt authentic.

Even though Knox is the oldest, the farm was left to his brother by design. He feels a bit like an outsider being back after working in Boston for so long. But he just needs to open his eyes to his family around him.

With a small town and a big family, you know there is going to be some people being super nosy into what others are doing. But these guys aren’t like that. Ok, except Webb who is scheming to get Knox together with his best friend Jack. But they all really live and coexist with each other without stepping on toes or fighting and I really enjoyed reading about a well functioning family.

Oh, the only other thing that knocked me down 1/2 a POEC is that Gage is helping with the irrigation system, which is kind of odd because he is all computers. I mean, he took a trip to Boston just to get some kinds of parts for it. Just seemed out there.

So 100% read this book. I can’t believe I have to wait until May for book 2. Sigh.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

May is an M/M author who lives in Boston. She spends her days raising three incredibly sarcastic children, finding inventive ways to drive her husband crazy, planning beach vacations, avoiding the gym, reading M/M romance, and occasionally writing it. She also writes MF romance as Maisy Archer.
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