Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

gay

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

by

.                                     .

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Raising Wayne: A Single Dad LGBTQIA Biker Romance (Oh, Baby!) by MZ Arthur: Release Day Review

by

FROM EXCITING AUTHOR OF LGBTQIA ROMANCE M.Z. ARTHUR

An Oh, Baby! story

Book one in the Knights in Ink series

A little miracle leads to true love.

In need of a quick cash infusion to pay off a loan shark, tattoo artist Doug “Zim” Zimmer gives of himself, literally, with plasma and sperm donations. He’s happy to help whoever needs either or both, and when the bills are paid he thinks nothing more of it.

Two years later, a handsome redhead holding an infant with Zim’s eyes shows up at the studio. Architect Clive Mulcahy, having assumed custody of his nephew after his sister’s death, wants a clearer picture of Wayne’s parentage in order to be a good father. The acquaintance he hopes to strike with Zim for the sake of Wayne’s happiness soon grows into a relationship neither expected, but both are willing to embrace.

Amazon – All Regions

Brand new author alert! Unless they are another author with a new pen name, but I don’t think so. It wasn’t glaringly obvious, but I could tell it was probably a first time author.

I liked the premise and the story didn’t disappoint. Nice twist on a traditional MF romance when the mother shows up on a guy’s doorstep with a baby and says surprise.

It was still a surprise for Zim, just a different kind of surprise. A baby from his sperm donation and a hot guy uncle raising the baby.

Zim and Clive have good chemistry even though they have pretty much nothing in common. Zim came off as way more genuine, with Clive being a bit stiff and formal. I expect that formal talk from the lawyer types, but he was an architect.

I was left a bit disappointed in the lack of mourning that Clive seemed to do. Or even freaking out that he all of a sudden has a baby. Very clinical.

As a whole, not bad for a first shot. Short and sweet, didn’t rely on sex as a page filler with a happily for now. Good quick beach read.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Tongue-Tied (Franklin U 2 Book 1) by Christina Lee: New Release Review with Giveaway

by

Confessing feelings for your best friend takes being tongue-tied to a whole new level.

AUSTIN
Dex has always been my best friend, so it’s no surprise that we attend Franklin U together. We’re complete opposites. Dex is charismatic and outgoing. Me? Let’s just say I wish I could infuse some of his confidence into my veins. Making friends is hard enough, but trying to meet guys? Even with Dex’s help? I’m useless. Maybe it’s because Dex is all about hooking up, but I want my first time to be straight out of the pages of the romance novels I read.

DEX
After a string of mishaps, I swore off helping Austin land guys. But when he asks me to show him the ropes with practice sessions, I get the feeling he’s desperate. Our dates are pretend, so why am I getting so into them? I want to make Austin happy, but the line between friendship and something more is getting really damned blurry. The fluttery feeling, that electric energy every time we touch…it’s addicting. I’m getting overprotective, not only of my time with Austin, but with douchebags who might break his heart.

Eventually, the pretending has to end so Austin can strike out on his own. But how do I tell him I’m not ready to let him go, when every attempt at confessing leaves me tongue-tied?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Friends to lovers is always a fun trope. But a lot of times there is pining on one side way before the other figures it out or one person didn’t realize that they were gay/bi/pan (not straight), etc. But in this book they are both out and proud. But have never harbored secret feelings for each other. So watching them both figure it out is fun.

We’ve “known” Austin for a while as he works at the coffee cart at the college (he is also a student). College kids + coffee = Austin the barista who often has his nose in a book. Romance. And he reads it all too. No problem with traditional MF romance because he focuses more on the romance than on the sex.

Poor guy has zero game and stumbles over words, or his own feet, when there is a cute guy around.

His best friend, Dex, is the opposite. Naturally. Outgoing, finds hook ups easy and has no interest in romance at all.

They’ve been best friends for a long time and roomed together at college. Until Dex got a chance to move into a frat with other guys who are in his major and Austin encourages him to go. There’s some adjustment after being joined at the hip, but it just makes Austin more aware of how awkward he is with guys.

So Dex offers to practice date him. And honestly, it is the cutest. Dex is all in on it. Pretending that they are getting to know each other, planning real dates, etc. And it was because he wanted Austin to gain confidence. He had no ulterior motive at all.

But of course, after a couple dates…more practicing. Of other things.

Austin and Dex have a fun friend group around them as well. Dex makes new friends at the frat and Austin gets a new roommate when Dex leaves. The new roommate was great trans representation without taking over at all. He was a great character. Even though he is straight, I think, he’s dating a woman anyway, I hope he pops up again.

I really enjoyed these guys discovering an unexpected relationship together.

4 pieces of eye candy

.                             .

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

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

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

Connect with Christina:
https://christinalee.net/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

by

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
Instagram – http://instagram.com/aimeenicolewalker
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:
https://linktr.ee/AimeeNicoleWalker
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Joint Penetration (Hot Under the Collar Book 3) by Katherine McIntyre: Release Day Review

by

Liam Kelly is in love with his best friend. His straight, freshly divorced best friend, who wants to experiment…with him.

Ollie

The last thing I expected from my wife was a divorce. I’d checked all the boxes off—cozy house near my folks, joined the family business as a contractor, and married right out of high school. Except the more I think about how distant we’ve been, the more our split makes sense. And the more time I spend blowing off steam with my best friend, the more I want to actually…blow him.

Liam

Have I been hopelessly in love with Ollie my entire life? Yes, yes, I have. Has he been married for the past decade? Yes, yes, he has. However, when his wife calls it quits, my heart can’t help contriving scenarios where he might not be as straight as he seems. And when those scenarios start coming true—from scorching looks to playful grapples until we go much further—I throw myself into the deep end.

The second we start hooking up, I can’t hold back the feelings I’ve been clutching tight to for over a decade. But if this ends up a rebound for Ollie, a blip before he looks for a new wife, I won’t only be out a best friend but the love of my life.

Joint Penetration is a high heat, low angst M/M best friends to lovers romance with a bi awakening, birdwatching jokes, and a loud, nosy family that reads as a standalone.

Amazon – All Regions

I hadn’t read the previous books so I can say this definitely works as a stand alone. Everything else is true too. High heat, low angst, bi awakening, bff to lovers….

Which made this a fun book to read, albeit a little unbelievable at times. Especially the beginning.

Listen, I love a bi-awakening or gay for you. But there’s usually some introspection. ESPECIALLY when it’s your best friend. But nope, he was pretty much all in from the get go.

Still, it was a cute story with good characters and super hot scenes. It didn’t lag or drag on at all and kept me reading. It was a fun beach read that was well written. There’s not a lot for me to say about it, but it’s worth the read.

3 pieces of eye candy

Level Up: Franklin U 2 – Book Four by Max Walker: RB, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

Joey ‘Jay’ Cruz

Moving to San Luco wasn’t my choice. I was kicked out of my old school because of a protest I organized that went south. Now, I was attending Franklin University with only a semester left until graduation and not knowing a single soul.

Until I meet Ryan Redpine at a frat party. He’s handsome, muscular, has a great smile, and I quickly find out he’s the son of a CEO hell-bent on destroying the environment.

I push Ryan out of my mind, deciding to keep my sanity and morals intact.

But fate had other plans. When Ryan ended up as my surprise dorm mate, avoiding him became impossible. And so was avoiding the feelings that started to develop… Maybe getting expelled wasn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. Maybe it was actually the best?

Ryan Redpine

Jay entered my life like a lightning bolt.

I’d never met someone I was so attracted to, and someone who clearly didn’t want me. The moment he learned about my dad, he shut me out. Then I get reassigned to his dorm. Cue complications, especially when his bed breaks and we’re forced to share.

Things quickly heat up, but Jay’s adamant about keeping us under wraps. He’s planning this big protest at the beach for an oil drilling project and doesn’t want my family name tied to it.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Well, I hate to say it, but this was a disappointment. I’ve generally enjoyed other books by Max Walker, this one left a lot to be desired.

The premise of the son of a gazillionaire who’s company has no problem destroying the environment for the all mighty dollar falling for the guy who leads protests against companies destroying the environment sounds good, right? But I feel like so little of that was part of the story.

The whole “why do you hate me?” thing. Uhm, duh. He hates your dad and by extension you? It’s not a mystery. But Jay never really acted like he hated Ryan at all. And Jay was worried about being seen with Ryan because of the ties to his dad, but nothing came of that either.

There were other plot points that kind of seemed like they were just thrown in there. Jay also is part of the theater program at the college. The reason that he was at FU for his final semester is brought up like twice even though it was pretty major and traumatic.

The big protest was kind of a bust for me too. (spoiler-ish!! you’ve been warned!) Ryan’s dad refused to listen to him and kicked him out of his office. BUT listens to Jay? And is all of a sudden ready to go green? Ehhh. Didn’t ring true at all.

There was a lot- A LOT- of sex scenes. And it just felt like filler after a while. There was a completely unnecessary sex scene in the epilogue! Come on.

The plot wasn’t cohesive, too many sex scenes versus plot and the characters just didn’t ring true for me.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

Max Walker lives in Atlanta with his partner of over 14 years. He’s the best-selling author of the fantasy series, Magic & Marvels, along with his contemporary series, Stonewall Investigations & The Book Club Boys. He’s incredibly excited to be enrolling at FU with a group of exceptionally talented authors.

Connect with Max:
https://maxwalkerauthor.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway