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Never Fade Away by EL Esch: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

November 9, 2021 by Denise

Until death does us part, but it’s knocking on our door…

I’d had enough. That’s how I found myself in a dingy alleyway with my revolver in my hand. I was sick and dying anyway, and there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing except maybe taking back some shred of control by going out on my own terms.

One deep breath. Two… Three… Four…

Surrounded by the darkness of my own mind, this was the only solution I could see, but before I could do something I’d regret, rock star Anno Goodkind crashed into my life and flipped it upside down.

It was supposed to be one casual hookup. No complications and definitely no feelings. No, the most logical thing to do would be to stuff my emotions down so nobody got hurt. Especially not him. But nobody told me that love didn’t give a damn about logic.

CONTENT WARNING: This story has a HEA but deals with heavy themes of illness, suicide, anxiety, and depression. Reader discretion is advised.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I opened my eyes and turned toward Anno. He’d retrieved a guitar from the SUV at some point and was now plucking the strings gently with his fingertips. It was the same one he’d been playing at the concert.

“Haven’t heard this one,” I said.

The multicolored rubber bracelets on Anno’s wrists shook as his hands moved expertly in and out of notes. He rocked his torso to the tune as he played, humming softly. The soft light of the moon traced his face as he moved, accenting his nose and jaw. Looking at him, I felt happy. He seemed so content, so in his element that he radiated a contagious aura of tranquility.

But all at once he stopped, and then he swore. The aura dissipated.

“None of it feels right lately.” He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. He offered me one, but I held up my hand in refusal. After a long drag on a cigarette, he sighed deeply on a puff of smoke.

“It sounded good to me.”

“Ha, thanks.” Another long draw on the cigarette and then he tossed it to the ground and stomped out any lingering embers.

“It was a nice riff. Comfortable, soft… sort of haunting. I dunno, I liked it. Made me feel good.”

“You really think?” He hopped back up on the hood of the SUV and turned on his side toward me.

Why did he sound so uncertain? He was a popular artist. People loved his music. Yet I could hear the quiver in his voice when he asked me if I really believed what I’d said.

“I do.” I nodded. “And I haven’t felt comfortable in a long time. But maybe that’s the booze.” I started to laugh, and then I noticed Anno leaning toward me.

His lips were inches from mine. I could smell the beer we’d been drinking on his breath. He tilted his head and our noses brushed ever so slightly.

Shakily, I slipped my hand around the back of his head. His hair felt freshly cut and prickled along my palm as I gently pushed to close the gap between us.

If you’ve read my reviews you know I love angst. I want to FEEL the emotions. Good or bad. But also, I don’t want to read about fabricated angst. Those dumb fights that the couple has so they break up for five minutes and it’s called conflict just so they can get back together. No. I want real. I want gritty. I want to cry because I am so in their world that it feels like I know them. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten that. Until this book.

Vincent is sick and dying. Although we don’t find out exactly what he has and what is killing him for quite a while. When Anno finds him, Vincent is about to take matters into his own hands. Knowing he is dying anyway, why make it drawn out? Instead Anno shows up…and basically never leaves.

Anno has his own issues. And while this could absolutely lead to some serious codependence, it doesn’t. They call each other on their crap. Vincent doesn’t care that Anno is famous. Anno doesn’t care that Vincent lives in a tiny apartment. They learn about each other, what their demons are and they don’t try to fix each other. I was waiting for that. Waiting for Anno to try to throw money at the “problem”. Wanting to send Vincent to the best doctors, second, third and fourth opinions. But he doesn’t. He respects that Vincent is a grown man who can make his own decisions about his own life.

And they are grown men. Mid- late 30’s and early 40’s. THAT was refreshing.

I almost- almost- hated knowing that this would be a happily ever after. Because, how? I looked down at the percentage left and wondered how. How was this going to wrap up and not be rushed? But the author did it. The epilogue was just the perfect ending. Realistic and not “omg a miracle!”.

So yes, I ugly cried while reading. A lot. A lot a lot. Which just shows how invested I was in these men. Not only as a couple, but individually.

Why I took 1/2 a piece of eye candy away below
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Silly things like Vincent and his bestie met in college and stayed besties. And I get it that whatever he was in college for he went into construction because he loved it. But his bff is a stylist. So…I don’t know what she was doing in college? Or what she did and then went to cosmetology school?

Yes, I am picky. That is well established. Sorry, not sorry.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

I’m a huge gamer, a lover of books and art, and have a fascination for lizards and other small critters that borders on an obsession. Which is probably why I already own 3 and have to actively stop myself from getting more.

I began writing because I always loved the idea that words can create entire universes and characters from nothing but a blank page and an idea. Like one day you have an empty Word document and then in as little as a few minutes—boom! You just created a snarky art school graduate with purple hair whose blood may actually be 90% coffee.

I write Male/Male adult romance. My books usually focus on realistic life topics—stuff everyday people go through and struggle with. I like when we as readers can feel connected to the characters we’re reading about. When we can understand their feelings and then suddenly they become truly human.

Please consider signing up for new release information through my newsletter at my website:
https://www.eleschbooks.com

Connect with Eryn:
Website: https://www.eleschbooks.com
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Not Until Noah (Star Crossed, Book 1) by Lisa Henry: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

November 9, 2021 by Denise

Carter Westlake is on the brink of being Hollywood gold. Cast as the lead in a highly-anticipated sci-fi trilogy filming in Australia, he’s primed to be the next A-list action hero: all-American, hot as hell, and straight. The problem is, Carter can only check off two of those boxes. But that’s okay—his bisexuality can remain a secret until these movies are behind him.

Childhood educator Noah Jones has a plan. Work as a nanny for six months, make some extra cash, and move to the UK to teach. He doesn’t expect his new boss to be a Hollywood star. And he certainly isn’t prepared to fall for the guy.

One kiss sends them tumbling into a secret relationship, even though they both agree it can be nothing more than a fling. Carter needs to stay in the closet for the sake of his career, and Noah’s leaving. But when their feelings continue to grow into something deeper, Carter has a decision to make. Knowing that exposing his sexuality could cost him his career, would he rather carry on living a lie, or risk it all to stand tall in his truth?

Not Until Noah is the first book in the Star Crossed series, where regular guys meet famous ones, and sparks fly.

Title: Not Until Noah

Author: Lisa Henry

Series: Star Crossed, Book 1

Genre: Contemporary.

Tropes: secret relationship/manny and single dad.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Noah went into his bedroom and grabbed his bag of toiletries and the boxers and T-shirt he slept in. He bundled them all together and stepped back into the hallway, intending to head for the bathroom.

Instead, he almost stepped right into Carter Westlake.

He put up a hand to stop them colliding, his fingers sliding over the thin fabric of Carter’s soft shirt and into the dip of his sternum. His breath caught, and his face burned. He took a quick step back.

“Thanks,” Carter said. “For today. Emerson had a great time.”

“I did too,” he said, trying not to stare at the way Carter’s mouth moved. “She’s a great kid.”

“She doesn’t usually warm up to new people quickly,” Carter said. “But she loves you.”

There was something about the way Carter said it, something vulnerable in the slight hitch of his voice, that made Noah’s heart skip a beat. The moment was heavier than a compliment wrapped in a revelation about a child’s sociability should have been. Noah had no words, and the silence between them suddenly shifted and became laden with something that he was terrified to name, except he could feel it. Sudden anticipation in the air, sudden electricity. And Carter’s gaze was holding his as though it were magnetic. He almost forgot to breathe.

And then Carter was closing the distance between them again. “Noah, can I—”

“Yes,” he said, the blood roaring in his skull. It couldn’t be what he thought it was—it couldn’t be—but it also didn’t matter what it was. There was probably nothing in the world that Carter Westlake could ask him that Noah would refuse. Not in this strange moment where the rest of the universe had somehow ceased to exist.

Carter tucked a finger under Noah’s chin—Noah’s breath shuddered out of him—and leaned in to kiss him.

A million frantic thoughts sounded like klaxons in the back of Noah’s mind, all blaring the same urgent, panicked message:

Carter Westlake is kissing you!

Carter Westlake—the movie star—is kissing you!

And he had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do with that information, except maybe enjoy the kiss while it lasted.

He lifted his shaking hand and ran it through Carter’s hair, encouraging him to keep going, and shivered as Carter’s tongue slid along the soft seam of his lips. He opened his mouth, and the sensation of their tongues touching sent a thrum of molten heat through his body. He moaned into the kiss.

No, it wasn’t Carter Westlake the movie star who was kissing him; it was Carter Westlake the man. And he wasn’t sure why, but that suddenly seemed like an important distinction.

Carter drew back for a moment, and his heart seized at the loss. Carter only leaned in again, though, sucking gently on his bottom lip before releasing it and sealing their mouths together once more. Noah’s body thrummed with need. He twisted his fingers in Carter’s hair and shivered as Carter’s hands came to rest on his hips. He suddenly wanted to pull Carter closer, to bring their bodies together as tightly as he could—

His toiletry bag thumped to the floor as he released his grip on it.

The sudden noise broke the spell between them, broke the kiss.

Carter stepped away quickly. “I’m sorry. Shit, I’m sorry.”

The heat in Noah’s body transformed into burning shame.

“That was inappropriate,” Carter said. He wasn’t meeting Noah’s gaze. “I’ll…”

He gestured toward the stairs and then hurried past Noah toward them. He didn’t look back.

Noah’s hands shook. He leaned against the wall for a moment, fighting for breath. Then, his eyes stinging, he stooped and picked up his bag and his pajamas. He hurried to the bathroom, closing and locking the door.

He leaned against the vanity, his back turned to the mirror because he wasn’t sure he could look at himself right now.

And that distinction between Carter Westlake the movie star and Carter Westlake the man—the one that had seemed so significant while they’d been kissing—was a joke, wasn’t it? Because Carter Westlake was also his employer, and Noah was a fucking idiot not to have remembered that. Carter could fire him for this. Would that be better or worse than not being fired, but somehow continuing to stay here and pretend nothing had happened? He had no idea. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. And he could wave any future contracts with CTL goodbye if Karen found out he’d kissed a client.

Stupid.

Stupid stupid stupid.

He buried his face in his hands, squeezed his eyes shut, and groaned.

Stupid, but if Carter knocked on the bathroom door right now and asked if he wanted to kiss him again, Noah wasn’t sure that he’d be able to refuse him. He wasn’t sure he’d want to because nobody had ever kissed him the way that Carter had, and even knowing it was the dumbest thing in the world, he wanted more.

This is the first contemporary book by Lisa Henry that I’ve read. However, considering how much I have loved the Lords of Bucknall series, I knew I wanted to jump into this one. I wasn’t disappointed with this one.

I always love when books are set in Australia, as I loved my brief time there, so it’s always fun to revisit mentally. Not that I was able to stay in a house quite like the one Carter Westlake was renting.

With Carter on the verge of his “big break” with a trilogy of action movies, he is still firmly in the closet, until Noah becomes a nanny for the five months they are expecting to be in Australia. What I loved most about Carter was his fallibility. He was a fantastic father…but still managed to disappoint his child on a few occasions, despite his best efforts. He wanted to be out of the closet, and yet knew he couldn’t until…whenever…and acknowledged that whenever will likely never come.

Noah meanwhile was so good with Carter’s child, not just being a manny, but actually engaging with her, teaching her, showing her the world. It was a lovely relationship. And when things did not go down well between Noah and Carter, Noah deeply felt his love for Carter’s daughter, and how upset she would be. (And she was…and she let Noah know about it. Loved that!)

Side note…Noah’s brother, Dylan…he was a really good character. Written very well, and he was so supportive of Noah. I just loved Dylan.

All around a really good read, and a good start to a new series.

4 pieces of eye candy

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a dog, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Lisa has been published since 2012, and was a LAMBDA finalist for her quirky, awkward coming-of-age romance Adulting 101, and a Rainbow Awards finalist for 2019’s Anhaga.

To connect with Lisa on social media, you can find her here:

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Goodreads
Bookbub
Twitter

She also has a Facebook group where you’ll be kept in the loop with updates on releases, have a chance to win prizes, and probably see lots of lots of pictures of her dog and cats. You can find it here: Lisa Henry’s Hangout.

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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/
Sign up for Anyta’s newsletter and receive a free e-book:
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Contact Anyta:
Join my Facebook group to chat all things Slow Burn Romance:
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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:
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/aimee-nicole-walker
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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/

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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.

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