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Anyone But You by Brien Michaels: Spotlight Tour with Giveaway

December 9, 2019 by Denise 4 Comments

Murder is one hell of a drag.

Jack Kieza has a problem. He’s deeply attracted to men, but his homophobic family has left him too afraid to act on it. With his thirtieth birthday around the corner, his curiosity gets the best of him, and he finds himself at a gay club. After spending a fiery night with drag queen Sheila Saltue, everything changes. Especially when he discovers her alter ego: his boss, Ryan Swift.

Ryan knew he should’ve said no the second Jack approached him. Now he can’t stop himself from texting Jack every chance he gets. But Jack won’t let him take the wig off during sex, and being Sheila off-stage is wearing thin.

The more time they spend together, the more intense their feelings get, but Jack isn’t ready to date a man yet. When drag queens start turning up murdered, it forces Jack to reexamine his feelings, because what if Ryan is next? While Jack wants their burgeoning relationship to work, it would mean having to admit who he is to the world. And that’s an idea as frightening as death.

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Riptide Publishing

Brien Michaels was hatched shortly before the turn of the century. He grew up in the DMV area and has been creating characters for as long as he can remember, starting with an imaginary friend named Farquad Beaverhausen. Before turning his considerably wicked imagination to writing, he was an actor, aspiring film student, movie theater concessionist, and the first human to enter the seventy-second dimension. Though it is unclear whether he made it back or if Farquad’s evil twin, Brad, has taken control of his body. He’s currently on the run from the Secret Police, who want to bring him in for questioning regarding the whereabouts of erotica authors L.A. Witt and Lauren Gallagher. If you encounter him, please contact his publishers immediately, as he likely should be chained to a desk writing and not out walking children in nature.

Twitter: @BrienMichaels

To celebrate this release, one lucky person will win a $10 gift card to Riptide. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 14, 2019. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

The Christmas Oaks (Laurel Holidays #1) by V.L. Locey: Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

December 4, 2019 by Denise Leave a Comment

Bryn Graham is shocked to find he’s inherited a hunting cabin in north central Pennsylvania. From his grandfather of all people; a stubborn man who went out of his way to make Bryn’s childhood miserable. He’d vowed never to go back to the small, rural community of Kutter’s Summit, not that he didn’t have fond memories of the place. It’s just that he’d rather be celebrating a quiet Christmas back in Nashville with his cat and his contracts.

A couple weeks of hunting, cleaning, and handyman work and he can hopefully put the place up for sale and move on with his life. He never expected to find his childhood friend Parson Greer living in the cabin. Parson is no longer a boy, but a handsome, wary man consumed by the demons of a faraway desert war. When a rekindled friendship shifts into something deeper, Bryn finds himself lost in emotions that a workaholic like him has never made time to experience before.

Can the magic of Christmas, and the soft voice of a man who has seen too much, show him a future where anything is possible?

Cover Design: Designs By Sloan

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Bryan is on his way back to his little conservative town for the reading of his homophobic gandpa’s will, the same grandpa that kicked him out of his life when he found out he was gay… Once really close with the old man and the town that turned their back on him upon his coming out, it was the last place Bryan wanted to go now that he’d made a name for himself in Nashville.

Now, I’m not gonna lie, I like blue-collar guys doing blue collar things, so when I read he was an agent to country stars, I balked a little bit… I figured he’d be hoity toity and up his own a.s.s., but he wasn’t. A little self-important, but I mean, he was an important guy, he was proud of his accomplishments, especially when people didn’t think he’d be much but the gay kid from Kutter Summit.

Planning to get to town, see what his granddad didn’t leave him and he’d be on his way back home in time… what he didn’t expect was for his granddad to leave him the old hunting cabin that he used to take Bryan to when he was younger and they’d do things together…. All before he turned his back on him.

So, this story is set in Bryan’s POV and I liked it, though I would’ve liked to have seen Parson’s… Parson was the only who had Bryan’s back when everyone but his sister turned against him. It was too bad they lost touch because Bryan had missed Parson and his friendship. That ship had long since sailed though, Parson went away to the military and Bryan learned he was back in town, but his sister said he’d come back all messed up…as ones so often do.

He surely wasn’t expecting to go up to the cabin to get it ready to sell and find Parson holed up in there like Paul Bunyan, living off the land, but sure enough, that’s what happened. The Parson he knew was long gone though and in his place was a sexy as sin adult with more than a little demons that he brought back from his time overseas. I loved Parson though, he was impossible not to fall for… having always had a thing for Bryan, he was standoffish with him at first, but, he needed Bryan so badly. Used to being alone because he made it that way, hidden up at the cabin away from the noise and stares… he needed someone to help him work things out in his head…. Now that Bryan was there, he wanted to be that guy….

Of course, with the real world only a phone call away, while Bryan and Parson are falling for each other, Bryan’s life is demanding he come back to Nashville and fix the mess he’d left behind with his career and the spoiled rich people he represented. Ugh… I was glad we didn’t see much of that.

Though my heart broke for Parson, I knew Bryan wouldn’t be able to live without him, and it took him a minute to realize it too, but, well, I won’t spoil the ending, but if you like the sappy happily ever afters, then don’t skip past this one. I adored Parson and Bryan grew on me and I’m also glad he found a little bit of closure from the hurt he’d left behind so long ago. I wouldn’t mind reading more about these two anytime.

5 pieces of eye candy

USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.

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Promise (Single Dads 3) by RJ Scott: Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

December 2, 2019 by Denise 1 Comment

Leo Byrne is a cop, Jason Banks is an ex-con. Even after one stolen kiss, something has to give before Leo can convince Jason that falling in love is even an option.

Adopted at a young age, Leo is part of the sprawling Byrnes family. With his dog Cap, three siblings and a whole mess of nieces and nephews, he is never lonely, and his life is full. Love is the last item on his to-do list, but seeing his best friends Sean and Eric happy and making new families makes him want things he doesn’t think is possible. Kissing Jason at an event to honor his bravery was one thing, but anything other than that is off limits. Until Jason has no one left to turn to, and it’s Leo who helps him at his lowest. Taking Jason and his daughter into his home is one thing, but falling for the ex-con is something else altogether.

Jason made a deal to keep his daughter safe and spent years behind bars as a result. Volunteering as a convict firefighter was as much about helping the community as saving his sanity, but now that he’s out, he doesn’t even have that. He’s lost his future, his self-respect, and has no friends or a place to call home. Worst of all, even after rescuing his daughter he still can’t keep her safe from the man who wants to use her as a bargaining chip for money. Meeting Leo might give Jason a way to keep Daisy safe, but falling for the stubborn cop means the truth has to be revealed, and he could lose everything all over again.

Length: 57,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

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Book #1 – Single – Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Book #2 – Today – Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Oooh, single dads, how I love you!

So, if you’re jumping into book three, then I’ll assume you’ve read books one (the doctor) and two (the firefighter) and now this one, best friend/roommate/chosen family of the others, Leo (the cop). In saying that, I loved the other stories but I didn’t so much remember the situation between Leo and Jason, (the cop and the convict) that happened last book. It gets brought up in this one, a lot, so I suppose I should’ve went back and had a refresh, I didn’t feel like I needed to with as often as it was brought up…..So, I don’t necessarily remember what happened, but apparently, Jason and Leo shared a kiss in what Jason thinks was gratitude and afterward Leo regretted it. Instead of talking about it like adults, it was a pretty big misunderstanding that lasted half the book… however, it also took a backseat to the real problems, which is where this book begins.

While Sean has been busy at the hospital and Eric is away, fighting the wildfires in California, Jason, who you should remember from last book, who was running and hiding with his almost four year old daughter (you will be reminded of this a lot), and he helped save Eric… who told Jason that if he ever needed help, to come find him…which he does… beaten up, exhausted from running, broke and just broken.. he’s gotta keep fighting to keep his daughter safe, but he doesn’t know who to trust.

Working with the FBI who hasn’t done a whole lot to keep them safe and Daisy’s mother in a coma from the guy he’s currently running from, Jason has no choice but to go to Eric and hope he’ll help them. Not counting on Eric not being there, he runs into Leo, Eric’s friend/neighbor/old roommate/chosen brother, and him being a cop is the last thing he needs, because remember, law enforcement hasn’t been able to keep them safe up until then… and the kiss they shared, it left things awkward and misunderstood on Jason’s part.

Leo takes one look at Jason and his daughter and his instincts to turn him in are strong, but Jason asks him to trust him and to give him a little bit of time. Seeing that he’s about to drop and is in no shape okay to take care of his little girl, he gives them someplace to settle until they can figure out what they need to do… of course, Leo hasn’t been able to get Jason out of his head since the kiss, and Jason thinks that Leo couldn’t possibly want him because he’s a cop and Jason’s a criminal….two sides of very different coins, eh?

It bugged me that everything was so secretive for so long, when Leo was doing everything he could to get Jason to trust him. What he’d done wasn’t even that bad and it would’ve made so much more sense for Jason to tell him what was going on so he could help. He needed someone to help him so badly, and here was Leo begging to help and Jason wouldn’t let him. I wanted to shake him so many times, but I understood that he has a child that he had to put first and things hadn’t gone his way when he’d trusted before. So, understandable to a point, but still frustrating. While staying with Leo, both Daisy and Jason learned to trust Leo and it was cute to watch them both warm up to him, especially when Leo was done letting Jason hide from him…. Hello, hot toppy cop. Bonus!

Another thing I loved was Leo’s faith and the way he talked to God. Now, it’s not a big part of the story, but it also kind of is. As most LGBT+ stories kind of shun the community and ruin relationships and self-worth, I loved that Leo not only still believed in God and had faith in Him, but also used it in everyday his everyday life and didn’t think twice about it. He has a great family, too, an adopted one that didn’t care if he was LGBT++++++ or any letter that it might entail. They encouraged him to be who he is and they loved him no matter what. I love love loved that! Great seeing it in a same-sex read. (at least to me)

Overall, I enjoyed the trope…. the guy on the run who ends up with the cop who keeps him safe… I love the single dad, the cute kids, the awesome family and slow burn, as it took Jason a while to trust Leo… so, it was a very cute read if you don’t mind some things being repetitive. This will always be a sweet series for me and I’m so glad that Leo got his HEA and that Jason and Daisy were safe and accepted into the growing family of men in uniforms and their partners and babys.

I can’t wait to see who’s next!

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.

RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:

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For Sam, times infinity by Suki Fleet: Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

November 15, 2019 by Denise

After growing up in care, all Sam wants is to make a home for him and Tommy, his kid brother by choice. But it’s not as easy as he thought, especially when his social worker finds him a job miles away. And falling for the surprising boy at work only makes things harder.

Evra is different, his past a mystery. Being truly himself is not something he’s ever felt safe enough to be with anyone, not until Sam, the shyest boy ever, saves his life at work and Evra finds himself inexplicably trusting him. Wanting him.

Problem is, Sam is leaving, unable to stand being so far away from Tommy. And Evra can’t leave, not when he has consequences to face.

Making things work might seem complicated, but sometimes falling in love has its own consequences.

Length: 60,000 words approx.

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Okay, so, I have a hard time with stories where bad people get away with being bad people and it really seemed like that’s all there were here in the beginning, apart from Sam and Evra, but everyone was terrible to them. I’m also not a big fan of young adult, so I was wary in the beginning of this one.

First we meet Sam and Evra, who work together at the same factory, though in different parts. Work isn’t good for either of them, their boss is terrible, as are the people they work with, both men have a bully that seems intent to make work miserable for the pair of them, but for different reasons. Sam is only there because the home he aged out of helped him find the job, though it was hours away from who he considered his little brother from the home, Tommy. They will break your heart. Sam loved Tommy so much and hearing the two talk, you knew that they only had each other, but unfortunately, Sam not really being Tommy’s brother and the fact that Tommy’s only 13 and has special needs, he needs the care system still, especially while Sam gets established… they’re working towards it though and I was glad to see that for them, even if it did seem that there were hundreds of hurdles in their way.

Evra was a little mysterious for me. Not only his relationship with Mav (who I eventually came to adore, despite he and Karl’s bullying) but also the home they lived in. Taken in as refugees when their shipping container was found, Mav and Evra had come across each other while in care, but was now living in a support house tht tried to help them get established, but didn’t at all because of the tyrant, militant, manipulative person they lived with. How he could dictate their every moment (even bowl movements) was so strange to me and I don’t know how nobody noticed this or how he wasn’t in prison or locked in a loony bin. I didn’t understand that entire storyline. It seemed so unbelievable because who would willingly go along with that?

Evra though, especially because of his upbringing, didn’t understand the whole right from wrong 100% though, he didn’t realize what Berill was doing was wrong. Strange, but not wrong. Not until Maverick found out. I loved how much Mav had Evra’s back. I hate that we didn’t get to see the “consequences” that Beril got, but maybe next book??? I’m hoping so. I cannot handle when bad people get away with being bad.. I need karmic justice… I’m petty that way!

So, it’s a complicated situation for all involved, but together, with all of them being there for one another, things get worked out, all while Sam and Evra fall for each other. It was a bittersweet ending, especially knowing how much the boys had gone through to get to where they ended up… I love happy or happy for now endings, I wouldn’t mind reading more about Karl and Mav. I have a feeling they’ll break my heart too.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

About The Author

Award Winning Author. Prolific Reader (though less prolific than they’d like). Lover of angst, romance and unexpected love stories.

Suki Fleet’s first novel This is Not a Love Story won Best Gay Debut in the 2014 Rainbow Awards, and was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Awards. Foxes won Best Gay Young Adult story in the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

You can contact Suki at sukifleet@gmail.com

If you’re interested in hearing about upcoming releases, works in progress, giveaways and freebies, please sign up to Suki’s newsletter.

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* Disclosure of Material: We may have received a copy of this book from the Author/Publisher with the hope that we would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. We have not been asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review – nor were we compensated in any way. We are posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. *

BLAZE: A Superhero Romance (Heartthrob Heroes Book 1) by Christa Tomlinson: New Release Review and Giveaway

November 11, 2019 by Denise

Fighting villains is easy. Falling in love is hard.

Blaze. St. Louis’s elusive superhero. In the dark of night, he wages war against the city’s criminal masterminds. Once the sun rises, he’s Jordan Wells, quiet custom body shop owner. Jordan has accepted that it’s his destiny to walk alone in the shadows… until the night he meets Daniel. The sweet, untrained submissive seeks a Dom, and Jordan would love to take on the role.

Jordan dreams of dominating the young man, of finding respite from his harsh life as a lone vigilante by losing himself in Danny’s softness. Unfortunately, past trauma has taught the superhero that letting others into his world leads to tragedy. Jordan knows he should let Danny go, but he can’t seem to tear himself away from the submissive’s gentle smiles and soft kisses. Can Jordan risk a relationship with Danny when his life as Blaze is rife with danger?

BLAZE is Book One in a steamy D/s superhero romance series. It has dramatic rescues, hot D/s sex, and evil villains. If you love shipping your favorite superheroes you’ll want to give the Heartthrob Heroes series a try!

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SO FUN!!!!!

I am a total Marvel girl. But I grew up watching Superman (the Christopher Reeves years) with my father. They are just so fun to watch. And now- fun to read.

Much like in the movies, Superheroes are known to exist. But their identities are still secret. And in this story, Danny is mugged while walking to a BDSM club for the first time. But he is rescued by Blaze- a known superhero in St Louis.

Blaze is immediately attracted to Danny and facilitates them meeting “by chance” at a more exclusive BDSM club where Danny suddenly got a year long membership for free. And so Jordan (aka Blaze) takes Danny under his proverbial wing to teach him the ropes of a D/s relationship.

Even though sparks fly between them (heh heh- you’ll see), Jordan holds himself back. Partially because the old “I don’t deserve love” but also because of the whole secret superhero thing.

There’s D/s’ing and superheroing and falling for each other. But also danger in two forms. Beyond all of that are two guys who are kind of normal with each other. Even though they met with the D/s dynamic, Danny is no simpering princess waiting to be rescued or looking for Jordan to take care of him. And as alpha as Jordan is in both of his personas, he never tries to control Danny.

I also LOVED that both main characters are men of color. LOVED IT

The D/s element petered out a bit. It started strong with Jordan giving Danny lessons. But it seems that they got to a certain point and that was kind of it. Jordan never really pushed Danny further. I definitely would have liked seeing more of that.

Overall, a really fun, exciting and sexy read. Can’t wait for the next book.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Christa Tomlinson is giving away an ebook copy of BLAZE to 3 people who comment on this post. If you have BLAZE already, anything from her backlist. Check out that amazing cover!

Claiming Marcus (Lords of Discord Book 1) by Jocelynn Drake: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, New Release Reviews and Giveaway

November 4, 2019 by Denise

Vampires slaughtered my family.

No one believed me until I met some new friends, who promised to help me get justice.

But nothing prepared me for Marcus Varik.

Tall, dark, and mind-numbingly sexy.

But he’s also shy, protective, and adorably eccentric.

Oh God, I should have never agreed to betray him.

Hopefully, it’s not too late to fix my mistake before I lose more people I love.

Claiming Marcus is the first book in an MM paranormal romance series that has vampires, betrayal, annoying brothers, music, heartbreak, hope, sexy times, and a raven named Ozzie.

Title: Claiming Marcus

Series: Lords of Discord #1

Author: Jocelynn Drake

Publisher: Indie

Release Date: 10/31/2019

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 100,000

Genre: Romance, paranormal romance

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The Playlist for CLAIMING MARCUS

Like many authors, I prefer to write to music. Sometimes I will create a specific playlist that I’m listening to and sometimes I will to specific albums over and over again to keep me in a specific mindset.

When I was working on Shiver, book 1 of the Unbreakable Bonds series, most of my writing was done to the Counting Crows’ album “August and Everything After.” After I finished that book, I really haven’t listened to that album much.

I’ve written at least three books to video game scores created by Jesper Kyd. I particularly love the score for Assassin’s Creed II. I still use it a lot to this day. There were also a couple of books that were written to the score for Constantine. That’s some good, creepy music.

For Claiming Marcus, book 1 of the Lords of Discord, I bounced around a lot. This is my first time writing vampires in more than five years so it was interesting trying to find the right mood music and mindset to match the book.

For Marcus, I found myself drifting to Beethoven a lot. He’s got some great, moody pieces that can be melancholy or excited or angry. I could easily see Marcus coming back to Beethoven over and over again to pull some of the angst and venom from his soul.

After he became a vampire, Marcus had more to worry about than just his mother and brothers. He had to deal with being a new creature in a new society. He had to deal with other vampires, which seemed to naturally bring me to Marilyn Manson and Trent Reznor from the Nine Inch Nails.

When it came to the human Ethan, I found myself drifting in a totally different direction. Ethan has a great love of Tori Amos. An accomplished pianist, Tori offers some great songs that match Ethan’s moods. The hardest part was picking just the right ones that matched him. Naturally, his love of a pianist made Ethan a natural admirer of Marcus.

And then, of course, I needed a few more songs that spoke to the love they were trying to nurture in the midst of the chaos.

If you would like to listen to the playlist that I’ve pulled together for CLAIMING MARCUS, you can find it here on Spotify.

Ethan wanted to feel panic and fear when he stared at Marcus. There really was no doubt in his mind that Marcus and his brothers were vampires. A sane person would have taken his brother to a hospital. Ethan hadn’t seen the actual wounds, but just the amount of blood he cleaned up meant that Bel had been seriously injured. No one could heal from that without medical assistance.

And yet, just an hour later, Bel’s color was starting to improve. He was resting on the couch, his breathing falling in a steady rhythm.

Looking at the aristocratic creature seated on the piano bench, streaked with his brother’s blood, Ethan couldn’t see anything but a man exhausted and hurting in ways that he couldn’t fully understand. He trusted Marcus to not harm him. He’d already gone out of his way to protect him from Meryl and Cain.

Ethan wanted to take care of Marcus. It was clear that he was the family protector. He was the one who made the hard decisions and directed the others in order to get things done and keep them safe. But who was there to take care of Marcus?

Taking Marcus’s bloody hand in his, Ethan pulled him to his feet and led him out of the music room. He paused in the hallway. The third floor held four rooms with locked doors. One of them was Marcus’s private bedroom, but he didn’t know which one.

“Here,” Marcus said, pointing to a pair of double doors farther down the hall.

Ethan nodded and led the way, pulling the keys Marcus had given him out of his pocket. He unlocked the doors and pushed them open. There was only one small lamp on the nightstand burning, but it was enough to illuminate the large room with an enormous four-poster bed and a long bureau made of a dark wood. The walls were a dark blue with white trim. The carpet under their feet was so thick it was almost like walking on a cloud.

“Thank you, Ethan,” Marcus murmured. He squeezed Ethan’s hand before releasing it. “You can sleep in the green room if you’re too tired to return home. And you don’t have to come in to work tomorrow…or rather today. You need your rest.”

Ethan turned and smirked up at Marcus. “Work, huh? I thought I was fired.”

Marcus gave him a tired little smile. “I don’t think I technically fired you. Just threatened to do it.”

Taking a step closer, Ethan slowly reached up and touch the top button on his stained shirt. “Well, I think I’m technically here as a friend, because if your employee did this…” Ethan paused and slipped the first button through the hole. “We’d have to deal with a whole lot of HR shit, and we don’t want to do that.”

Marcus swallowed hard, staring at Ethan. He licked his lips as his breathing picked up, but he didn’t say anything to stop Ethan. Yeah, Marcus was attracted to him. Ethan thought he’d picked up a few little tells over the past couple of weeks, but Marcus was overall very careful. The guy was stuck so far in the closet, there was little hope of him ever seeing daylight.

But this wasn’t about Marcus exploring his sexuality. There was still the issue of him being a vampire and holding knowledge of his mother’s killer. This was about Ethan seeing that Marcus got some well-deserved rest.

Still moving slowly, Ethan lowered his hands and unbuttoned the next three buttons before Marcus finally moved, capturing both of his hands in his.

“Ethan?”

“It’s okay,” he said, giving him a reassuring smile. “I’m just helping you. I’m going to turn on the shower and get the water to warm up. Do you want me to help you finish getting undressed?”

Marcus’s mouth dropped open and sort of soundlessly bobbed for a second like he couldn’t get the words out.

Ethan chuckled. He was so damn attracted to this man, to this vulnerable side that he was sure his brothers didn’t get to see. Ethan pulled his hands free and resumed unbuttoning his shirt. He pulled the shirt free of Marcus’s pants to get the last couple of buttons. Hours ago, Marcus had rolled his sleeves up his forearms so that all Ethan had to do was run his palms up Marcus’s strong chest, reveling in the feel of hard muscle. A low groan rumbled in Marcus’s throat and that sound sent blood rushing to Ethan’s cock. Fuck, that was an amazing sound. He smoothed his hands across Marcus’s shoulders, pushing the shirt down his arms and to the floor.

“Ethan…I…”

“Shhh,” Ethan murmured. “Nothing is going to happen. You’re safe.” He leaned up on the tips of his toes and pressed a light kiss to Marcus’s throat. Strong hands immediately clamped down on his hips, holding him in place. Fingers dug into his ass and Ethan nearly moaned. He’d die to feel those hands all over his body. Just the thought had his cock stiffening.

“Not sure if the promise of nothing has me relieved or disappointed,” Marcus admitted in a shaky voice. He looked down and Ethan could feel the slight tremor creeping through Marcus’s muscles. “I’ve…I’ve never—”

“I know,” Ethan interrupted. “That’s why nothing is going to happen.” Well, one of the reasons, at least. “You need someone to take care of you tonight. Shower and then bed. Once you’re tucked in, I’m going to head home, but I’ll return later today.”

Sadness crept into Marcus’s blue eyes, but there was also relief there. He nodded and released Ethan.

“Finish getting undressed, my sexy friend,” Ethan said and sauntered toward the open door across from the bed. He was guessing it was a private bathroom.

He flicked a switch and sucked in a harsh breath as buttery light cascaded over warm marbled and gold fixtures. The bathroom was almost as big as his old apartment. There was a large garden tub that could easily fit three full-grown men, a double sink vanity with a long mirror, and a shower stall that had enough space and heads to cover the same three men who just climbed out of the tub.

There was muffled thump on the floor and Ethan guessed that Marcus had dropped a shoe. “Are you so touchy-feely with all your friends?”

Ethan laughed as he walked over to the shower. “Would you be jealous if I was?”

“Yes,” Marcus hissed, and that single word wrapped in a possessive tone warmed Ethan like nothing else could. He’d had more than a few sexual partners in his life, but no one he’d call a boyfriend and no one who ever felt possessive. He was just a warm body, a tight hole, a great mouth to fuck.

But with Marcus, he felt like more.

Opening the door, Ethan turned the handle, starting the shower. He stuck his hand in the spray, checking the temperature. Still cold. He started to turn to make sure that Marcus had a clean towel, but he jumped when he found Marcus standing directly behind him. The man had moved so silently and so fucking quickly. How had he not noticed him?

Because he’s a vampire.

Oh, yeah. Ethan’s brain kept conveniently forgetting that little fact.

It was even easier to forget when Marcus was standing just a couple of inches away, wearing only a pair of black boxer briefs. He was pale, but it didn’t detract from his beautiful body. Every inch of him was hard. Every. Fucking. Inch.

Wow….

So, I’m not a fan of paranormal. Not even a little bit, but, I haven’t read a story by Ms. Drake that I haven’t been so enamored with and this one was no different. I might have to take a dive into vampire romance, I fear I’ve been missin out!

So, in this one, we see Ethan as a child, when we witness his family being murdered by something he thought was only folklore and urban legends. Seeing his family torn to bits as well as his neighbors in the the apartment complex, hearing it as well as witnessing the aftermath, it’s no surprise that when we meet him again, he’s working with Legion to exterminate known vampires so he can get revenge from the killing of his family that left him all alone.

Getting a job with Marcus Valrik wasn’t easy, but he needed to find out if he was a vampire and if he or his family were the ones he needed to get even with. Turns out, he isn’t, and he’s not even sure he’s a vampire at all, though he’s pretty sure. Marcus and his brothers aren’t anything like you see in the movies and what this legion of vampire hunters expect him to be…they’re almost normal even.

I adored Marcus and even more, I loved his corky and eccentric brothers. I loved the bond they all had and their loyalty to each other and their mother. Being vampires didn’t do anything to change any of that, if anything, the 176 years they’d been vampires together had only made them closer… though they were very different from one another and it showed in the way they lived their lives.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that I loved it from beginning to end and I cannot wait to see who’s next… Hopefully Rafe, though I hope all the brothers get their own story!!!

5 well deserved pieces of eye candy from me!

SO GOOD!

Books with vampires can get really cheesy (uh, sparkly?) or really dark (thank you Anne Rice) or just really dumb (too many to name). But this was really, really well done.

Ethan, seeking revenge for the murders of his family when he was a child, gets hired by Marcus as a PA under false pretenses. Marcus needs help coordinating a move from South Carolina to Connecticut, Ethan is to provide intel to a vampire hate group.

But Ethan slowly gets to know Marcus. Who seems like a nice guy- not a vampire.

And Marcus. The oldest of four brothers- all vampires- who try to take care of their mother (also a vampire) while she teeters on the edge of sanity.

Ethan and Marcus start falling for each other- while we fall for them. Being that they grew up oh, almost 200 years apart, Ethan is out and proud but Marcus is in the closet still and scared. Ugh, my heart. Marcus is so sheltered even though he is nearly 200 years old. He just broke my heart.

Surrounding Marcus are his brothers. Definitely a recurring theme in Ms Drake’s books are the strong band of brothers- by blood or by circumstance. And you end up loving them all for different reasons.

The plot was interesting as well. Trying to figure out who the bad guys were, who killed Ethan’s family and why were ranking vampire government members being killed. It was woven together nicely, while still giving us a good romance between Marcus and Ethan.

So yep, I really loved it. I can’t wait for the next book with the next brother (who I picture as Eric Northman from True Blood). Points off from 5 POEC just because once their sexual relationship began, Marcus seemed way too experienced for someone with literally no experience.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

It started with a battered notebook. Jocelynn Drake wrote her first story when she was 12 years old. It was a retelling of Robin Hood that now included a kick-ass female who could keep up with all the boys and be more than just a sad little love interest. From there, she explored space, talked to dragons, and fell in love again and again and again.

This former Kentucky girl has moved up, down, and across the U.S. with her patient husband. They’ve settled near the Rockies…for now. She spends the majority of her time lost in the strong embrace of a good book.

When she’s not hammering away at her keyboard or curled up with a book, she can usually be found cuddling with her cat Demona, walking her dog Ace, or flinging curses at the TV while playing a video game. Outside of books, furry babies, and video games, she is completely enamored of Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, and fast cars.

She is the New York Times Bestselling author of the urban fantasy series: The Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales. She has just completed a gay romantic suspense series called The Exit Strategy about two assassins falling in love and trying to create a life together. Her newest project returns to her vampire roots with a new MM paranormal romance series. She is also the co-author of the Unbreakable Bonds, Ward Security, and Pineapple Grove series with Rinda Elliott.

https://jocelynndrake.com/

https://www.facebook.com/jocelynn.drake/

https://twitter.com/JocelynnDrake

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1080585.Jocelynn_Drake

jocelynn@jocelynndrake.com

https://www.instagram.com/jocelynn.drake/

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