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Healing Their Wounds (City of Fountains Book 3) by Hayden West: RB, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

Sometimes you have to face the past to heal old wounds.

Craig Donaldson has been through a lot in his life. There’s one good thing that has come from it—his son. Owning his own business is hard but he’s making it work. Landing in the hospital after a car accident brings into his life someone he wasn’t sure he needed. The problem is, Craig isn’t positive he’s willing to expose himself to more wounds.

Dr. Hobert ‘Bobby’ Pearson loves his job at the hospital. Being the disappointment of his family isn’t something he is happy with. It seems as though when he gets close to someone he feels he could start a real relationship with, the past shows up and he’s again left alone. His family leaves fresh wounds in their wake. This new patient he has, however, hits all kinds of emotions inside him.

Will they be able to heal together? Or will past pain keep them apart?

Healing Their Wounds by Hayden West

Book 3 in the City of Fountains series

General Release Date: 29th March 2022

Word Count: 15,470

Book Length: NOVELLA

Genres: CONTEMPORARY, EROTIC ROMANCE, GAY, GLBTQI

Amazon

First for Romance

Goodreads

Craig leaned forward, his heart caught in his throat. Perspiration dripped down his face, and he shuddered as excitement thrummed through him. So close. Oh God, he was close. So close.

He tensed, words lodged in the back of his throat, almost ready to be released but Not. Quite. Yet. Fingers curved, digging for purchase on something, anything, around him.

A few more seconds. He could hold out. He wouldn’t let go until he was sure. That strain on his body didn’t matter two seconds later.

He erupted, launching up from the hard bleacher seat he’d been on as he watched his son and his team compete in the semi-finals of the Little League World Series.

“Yes!”

All around the parents and friends of the team were cheering beside him. His son, Cody, was twelve this year, and it was his last year to participate. And Cody’s double had allowed his teammate to get that winning run.

Craig’s legs were weak as he continued cheering. He wanted to sink back down to the seat, but wouldn’t. Tears burned his eyes as he watched all of his son’s teammates gather and cheer to celebrate their win.

“Congrats, Craig.”

He accepted the hug from the father of another player, Christopher.

“Same to you. This is great for them.”

The man crossed his arms and nodded. “Sure will help line up the women.”

Craig frowned. “They’re twelve.”

Christopher smirked. “Never too young to start.”

Craig disagreed. “Yeah, they are. And it’s not happening with my boy.”

The man’s wife dropped between them with a squeal. “What are you two talking about? Colleges that will come after them?”

“Something like that,” Christopher said.

Emily kissed Craig’s cheek. “Congratulations, Craig.”

“You too, Emily.”

The blonde bounced down a few more bleacher steps to continue chatting it up with other families. Their son was one of the pitchers on the team.

“I just mean,” Christopher continued, “I need him to know he should have a bitch on his arm, not be sucking dick, isn’t that right?”

Holding Christopher’s blue eyes, Craig clamped his mouth down on his initial response and weighed his words. The last thing he wanted to do was make the year difficult for his son.

“Right now? Right now, I’m going to be the supportive and very fucking proud father of my son. I’m not thinking of his choice in a partner, because he’s twelve.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I’ll support my son regardless, because it’s not only his choice but as his parent, it’s mine to support and love him unconditionally.”

Leaving before he put his fist in the man’s face, he walked to the steps and made his way down, progress hampered by all the celebrating. Not that he minded.

Okay, I’m coming into this short read, right in the middle. I had no idea who these people were or anything about the previous stories, but it didn’t take anything away from this story, so I was thankful for that because I saw a single dad and…well….they’re hot, right?

In this one, it’s action from the second you open the book. We meet Craig, who is at his son’s little league game and they’ve just won. In the first few pages, you get a homophobic teammate’s dad and a terribly obvious, terrible mother of his own child. Both of these people and their hateful views seemed so out of the blue and it was a lot all at once, then, the next paragraph… an accident. So, it was a lot, all at once. In saying that…

Because it’s a quick read, we don’t get to know much about Dr. Pearson (Bobby) other than he seems outspoken and kind of invasive for a doctor. I found it kind of charming but putting myself in a patients place it seemed kinda weird to me. He spoke to Craig as if they were old friends and it didn’t feel like a patient/doctor relationship at all.  Craig was also very cussy, and I’ll admit, I’ve got a mouth like a trucker, but it was all so overused and unnatural. Cody’s dialogue too… how old was this kid? 12 or 30? I’m unsure.

I had a hard time with Craig’s ex, Cody’s mother. I have a hard time believing that people actually act that way. That they say things like that out loud, knowing how stupid they sound. I was cringing at her character the entire time.

When the ex finds out that Cody is going to be on TV because of his baseball championship that is called “World Series Finals” or something like that, she all of a sudden wants to be in his life again, and even takes them all to court.

It was a quick read and angsty read, so if those are your things, I’d say this one is for you.

3 pieces of eye candy from me

Hayden West lives in the Pacific Northwest, enjoys being outdoors, and hanging out with friends when not working on the next novella to be released.

Find Hayden at their website and blog.

Author Links

Website: https://authorhaydenwest.wixsite.com/authorhaydenwest

Blog: https://authorhaydenwest.blogspot.com/

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Punching the V-Card by Leta Blake: IG Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

Best friend’s hot older brother? Check. A weekend alone? Check.

Finally punching that V-card? Oh yes.

Carl has a pesky “innocence” problem that requires a solution. His best friend’s brother Devon is the perfect answer.

Devon’s experienced, gorgeous, and Carl’s been secretly crushing on him for ages. Carl doesn’t want to “lose it” to just anybody. Everyone says the first time should be special—and what’s more special than sharing it with the guy of his dreams?

It’s not like Devon won’t enjoy it. Solving this so-called problem is an objectively fun experience for most people! The plan is totally win/win!

Shockingly, Devon agrees. But even though it goes better than either of them ever expected, Carl’s moving across the country soon. It’s not possible to have more. No matter how much they both want it.

Right?

Punching the V-Card by Leta Blake is a is a high heat, NO ANGST, new adult gay romance featuring a best friend’s hot older brother, scorching first times, and falling in love with the guy of your dreams.

Title: Punching the V-Card
Authors: Leta Blake
Length: 35k
Series: Standalone.
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, and very light BDSM/Kink, almost nonexistent, but the themes are still there.
Tropes: Best friend’s older brother, losing virginity, whirlwind romance, first love, virgin baby dom and natural older submissive, forced proximity (to a degree), new adult.
Content: Very light BDSM theme.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“I keep some supplies up here,” Carl said, approaching a sizable fallen tree that was hollowed out inside, and the massive, nearly bench-shaped rock beside it. “Lighters, candles, gummy bears, that sort of thing.”

“Gummy bears?” Devon said, watching as Carl knelt in the pine needles and peered into the log using his flashlight. “Checking for snakes or other ghoulies,” he said before reaching inside and tugging out a Ziplock bag. Inside, sure enough, Devon could make out a package of gummy bears, a lighter, a few tea light candles, and what looked like a pack of cigarettes.

“Do you smoke?”

“Huh?” Carl glanced at the bag and grimaced. “Hope and I tried it. Thought it might look cool on stage, you know? But, ugh. I’d rather eat ass than smoke a cigarette.” A sudden grin cracked over his face and his eyes lit up even brighter. “I guess I mean that literally now. I’d much rather eat ass. That only leads to orgasm, unlike cigarettes which lead to coughing, gagging, and smelling like, well, cigarettes, you know?”

Devon watched Carl take a seat on the big stone bench, and he climbed onto it, too. It was big enough that they could sit cross-legged facing each other.

“Okay,” Carl said, pulling out the tea light candles, the lighter, the gummy bears, and a piece of chalk that Devon hadn’t noticed before. “First we draw a pentagram, like this,” he said.

And Devon watched, surprised, as Carl did draw a big pentagram between them. “What are you doing?”

“Magic,” Carl offered, with a little grin. “Fairy magic.”

Devon blinked at him.

“Kidding. But, yeah, sometimes I like to cast a spell or two. It can be fun.”

Devon shrugged, a nagging uncertainty in his gut, but he watched as Carl put a tea light on each point of the pentagram before lighting them.

“Now, we have to focus on what we want,” Carl said.

“What we want?” Devon repeated.

“Like when I did this last week, I focused on you agreeing to this weekend, and look. It worked.”

“You cast a spell on me?” Devon asked, trying to not feel a little weirded out by that. The forest around them smelled of wet dirt, disintegrating leaves, and fresh air, but the light that sparkled off the water droplets all around and filtered through the swaying tree tops did feel otherworldly. Plus, he was tired, so tired, and drained, and kinda horny still. He felt a little possessed, actually.

“J-just a l-li-li—ugh. A small one,” Carl said, with a shrug. “Do you c-care?”

The stutter. He was anxious now.

Devon looked at the small, flickering candles and up into Carl’s glittery eyes. He didn’t care. If he was told that he was hypnotized into this weekend, he’d be happy about it. If he was told that he’d been put under a powerful elf’s spell, he’d be glad. The time he’d spent with Carl was already the most interesting and arousing he’d ever had.

This book had so many surprising elements in it…in fact, the LEAST surprising element was that Carl had been in love with Devon for years. Just a few of the surprises…Devon’s sister set up this weekend punching of Devon’s V-card. Carl, who began the weekend seemingly shy AF, barely saying a word, turns out to be a baby Dom. Meanwhile, Devon immediately falls in line with it, showing a submissive side, when it is obvious he NEVER would have thought that of himself before this weekend. That two young men were able to have that much sex, and eat so little food (ha ha).

This was one very steamy novella, with two really well fleshed out MC’s for a novella. Carl is leaving for LA to begin a music career, while Devon is not leaving TN because his parents want him to do all the right things. Carl has a stutter that really only shows when he is nervous or emotional. Devon meanwhile has no idea what he wants to do with his life, but he knows he can’t go anywhere. He needs to finish college, then get a job…in what, he doesn’t know. They were honestly exactly as many young people that age, just trying to figure out what was next for them.

This was high heat, low angst, very sweet in places, had a hopeful future and some fun thrown in. It may not be for everyone, as it has A LOT of sex, but it still tells a very good story, as this author always does.

4 pieces of eye candy

Enter the #Giveaway for your chance to win a $15 Amazon Gift Card. Follow @LetaBlake & Comment on any Instagram host photo with #PunchingTheVCard Tag friends & share on your IG stories for extra entries, make sure you tag GRR! Good luck!

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Uniquely Average by Susan Hawke: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

A twenty year age gap, a neurodivergent ‘boy’ and a gray ace of a ‘Daddy’, both lonely and unable to find their match… until now.

Ethan Humboldt is a cocky, confident chef with zero filter and even less humility. He’s also a very good, neurodivergent boy who’s been searching far too long for the perfect Daddy. At thirty, Ethan knows what he wants—and what he needs. The only problem? Finding a caregiving type of Daddy to provide it.

Danvers Jones has more money than he knows what to do with and nobody to spend it on. He’s not looking for a fling, Dan needs someone to pamper. To romance… to adore. As a romantic gray ace, nothing else will do it for him.

Newly retired, Dan has one final mission—to find his former best friend’s long lost son and deliver a trust fund. After that, Dan’s determined to start fully living his life, which starts with the right partner. Only problem? Dan requires the type of person who’ll need his unique brand of Daddy.

Danvers and Ethan aren’t expecting to meet their perfect match in a random meet cute gone wrong, but when does life ever go according to plan?

This stand-alone novel is a full-length, 43k non-age play Daddy romance. The core of this story was previously published as a 15k short in the USA Today bestselling “Dirty Daddies 2021 Anthology.” It’s now been reworked and lengthened to provide the tale as originally intended.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Watching for Daddy’s reaction to breakfast, I tried not to stare while taking a bite of my own. I’d served us perfectly cooked Eggs Benedict, complete with Canadian bacon and my own special hollandaise. My secret? A bit of OJ and a dash of orange zest.

It felt like my heart was beating in my throat when he finally took that bite. Pinching my lips tightly shut, I squeezed my legs together with my hands rhythmically patting my knees. I knew I was stimming, even before my hands started going, but I wasn’t concerned.

And why should I be? Some repetitive motion because I was excited was perfectly fine, a fact my doctor had drilled into me. As long as I wasn’t flapping my hands too much or letting my excitement turn to stressed anxiety, I’d be good.

And yes, I did need to remind myself of this every time and this was also okay.

Thank you, Dr. Stapleton. Years of work, God only knew how much money spent, and now I could calmly explain to myself why I was excited and how it was okay for a little light stimming.

Gasping, I jumped when a light knock on the table jerked my attention away from myself. I looked around the room, desperately trying to anchor myself again—I’d been that startled.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Did I frighten you?” And just like that, Daddy’s voice gave me the anchor I was looking for.

“Huh? I guess I was zoned out, lost in my head. I was being stupid, going through a bit of rationale in my head, and I guess I was deeper than I thought if I never heard you speak.” And, now I truly had a reason to be upset but… I glanced down to see my hands resting quietly on my legs. Huh. So much for the stimming.

I couldn’t understand why, but Daddy looked upset. He held up a finger, waving it back and forth. “That’s a no-no, sunshine. Never call yourself stupid, not on my watch. Especially when you are anything but. In fact, now I think I would enjoy hearing what had you lost in thought. Trust me, I wasn’t adding anything to the conversation. All I said was how these were the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever eaten.”

It felt like my chest exploded with a surge of rainbows and glitter and hearts and all the other things that made my mother squeal like a little girl. At least when I felt myself smiling, I didn’t have to question why. “Sorry about the whole stupid thing, I can respect that rule. But we can agree to disagree on what you consider fascinating conversation because I want to hear more about how much you enjoyed my eggs.”

Daddy started chuckling as he loaded his fork with a fresh bite. “I’m not exaggerating, these are amazing. Definitely the best. I might be prejudiced because I have a crush on the chef, but I don’t think so. And since we both know you tell it like it is, how about you simply agree with me and I can focus on eating instead of talking? Sorry not sorry, sunshine. But this deliciousness needs to get in my belly.”

Why did his dorky side make me like him more? That was a question. One I wasn’t certain how to answer. But quite frankly, I shouldn’t be this enamored by an outdated Austin Powers reference—or the Daddy with the worst Scottish accent ever who’d given it. And yet, here I was with another crazy question I knew I couldn’t answer.

It was super hard not to find it cute when Daddy powered through his breakfast, finishing before mine was half done. I gave up and started laughing when he actually lifted his plate and began licking it clean.

Finding a romance with anyone who is neurodivergent is difficult. I have looked for them, as someone I am very close to is on the spectrum. Finding a romance where one of the main characters is neurodivergent, is very rare, so I was excited to pick this one up, and I wasn’t disappointed.

What I loved most about this book was that Ethan wasn’t portrayed as a lost man, someone who hadn’t known anything about himself until he found his true love. He was a confident chef, tried to be a good person by using the social cues his mother had drummed into him, and knew enough about himself to know that a Daddy was exactly what he wanted and needed in his life, in the bedroom and out…but definitely NOT in his business. He just hadn’t found the correct Daddy. He didn’t hide this part of himself, and in fact, his mother presented Dan with the contract that they would use for the one week trial. It was so refreshing to see all of this, all the while still having many of the same issues that someone on the spectrum might have; i.e. lack of eye contact, zero filter, anxiety, etc.

Meanwhile, Dan himself knew enough to know that he really wanted a boy that he could cherish, and found all of Ethan’s differences from “normal” to be adorable, and exactly what he wanted in his life. He saw himself as being on the ace scale, although in the book he does discover that perhaps it isn’t as cut and dry as he once assumed. So, he was willing and able to grow and change in their relationship as well.

Portraying someone on the spectrum with a “normal” life (I keep putting that in quotes because it comes up several times in the book, and is simply a descriptor, and not an indicator that Ethan wasn’t as normal as the next person) can be difficult, because no one is the same, and yet, there are many areas that will be seen in many people. But the author did a great job of showing that they can fall in love, they can feel, they can have a great sense of humor (which Ethan does!), and still may need to avoid eye contact, flap their hands, and try to wheedle a puppy out of their Daddy. 🙂

This was sweet, a little sexy, funny, and all around, a read well worth the time.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.

I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.

Connect with Susan:

Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram

Website |  | Facebook Group: The Hawke’s Nest

Amazon Page | Goodreads | BookBub
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His Heart Knows by Riley Long: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

People fall in love with their best friends all the time. But for me, the circumstances of this unrequited attraction are even more agonizing.

I am gay.

My best friend, Sawyer, is not.

Since we were fifteen, I’ve harbored this torturous crush. Now, as we both enter our thirties, it seems time to resign myself to the fact that nothing is going to come of it. Ever.

Or so I thought…

One night, a bottle of gin and a little uncharacteristic self-pity were all the inspiration I needed to launch into a ramble about being alone because I’m bad at everything – even kissing. Determined to prove me wrong, Sawyer decided to shut me up with a kiss.

I know he meant for it to be innocent.

Turns out it was anything but.

Sparks flew as we unlocked a side of Sawyer he never knew existed. Now, more than anything, he wants me by his side forever. But this realization comes with its own set of obstacles. Can we learn to lean on each other as we build a future together? Or will the stresses of our day to day lives tear us apart?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Ricky tapped on my open door with his fingertips and leaned against the door frame. “You were out late.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Crashed at Sawyer’s place. You know how it is.”

“Do it?”

I shot him an unamused look. “Yeah. You do.”

“You sure you didn’t…” He made a crude gesture with his fist and his index finger. Before I could say anything, he held up his hands in defense and laughed. “I know, I know. Just friends, right?”

“Right.” I sounded more uncertain that convincing though and Ricky picked up on it and latched on like a cat on catnip.

“Oh my God, what happened? Please tell me you finally fucked that man.”

I snorted. “I didn’t—” But my throat tightened and I had to stop to clear it. “It was just a blow job. Which I’m sure he regrets.”

“Why would he regret it?”

I gestured to myself. “You honestly think we’re in the same league?”

“Stop it. You were a football player and still have the body for it, except you’re also in grad school and that automatically makes you the smartest person in this room. And he looks like a fucking sculpture of man and makes eyes at you like you’re the only human in the world and the sun shines from your ass. You’re perfect and you deserve someone who cares about you like that.”

“Just because you didn’t go to grad school doesn’t mean you’re stupid.”

He pushed himself to standing. “I am not the point here. Focus on the blow job. Tell me everything.”

“Fine, fine.” I shooed him out of my room. “At least let’s sit in the living room, though, and not stand in my damn doorway.”

Ricky took a seat in his favorite spot, the overstuffed leather recliner, and patted the arms the way he did when he was excited about something. “Okay. Spill.”

This was a sweet, sexy friends to lovers story that I mostly enjoyed.

Axel and Sawyer are total opposites. Axel, poor, raised by a single mom who loved him with everything she had. Sawyer is the son of 2 lawyers who grew up with a cook and housekeepers and anything he wanted. When Axel moved to a new town he and Sawyer just clicked.

Now they are nearing 30, Axel is in grad school, he is out and proud but doesn’t date much and works at a bookstore. Sawyer is a lawyer in a prestigious firm hoping to make partner in 5 years like his father, he is straight and his mother is always trying to set him up “with a nice girl”. But those two have that best friend chemistry that is hard to find.

The premise that got them to kiss the first time was a little contrived, but it got the job done. They very quickly fell into a relationship after the first morning after freak out.

Sawyer seemed to be just fine with the fact that he was suddenly in a real relationship with his best friend. Even though he had never been with a man before. You’d think he had plenty of experience.

The story was far from perfect (see above about falling into a relationship with little issue), as well as Sawyer recovering from a family issue quickly and the continuity issue of he has an older brother, he’s an only child, he has an order brother, he’s an only child. Seriously, how did that not get caught it beta reads or edits?

Fluffy beach read that doesn’t take a lot of mind power at all, but it’s not bad.

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Riley Long is a wife and mother living a quiet life in Virginia, with her husband, son, and one goofy pit bull. She passes her evenings writing, reading, and watching bad television (or not so bad television). For fun, Riley participates in NaNoWriMo, GISH, and reads with her book club, the BAMFs. She likes things with silly acronyms. The craziest thing Riley has ever done involves whipped cream and hugs. Riley writes sweet and sexy romance, with a special place in her heart for hipsters and musicians.

Connect with Riley:
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/riley-long
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13515411.Riley_Long
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerrileylong
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/writerrileylong/boards/
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Website: https://rileylongwrites.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriterRileyLong/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/RileysReaders
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Only For Ollie by Lisa Henry: New Release Review with Giveaway

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Xander Finch is a top-ranked MotoGP rider, desperate to get back to the circuit after an injury. He’s going stir-crazy in his parents’ house in Ventura while he works on his recovery. Xander has tunnel vision when it comes to his sport—it’s all he’s ever wanted to do in life. When he hires a massage therapist to help speed up his recovery, he’s not expecting the guy to completely flip his universe on its head.

Ollie Baker is living in his car after a disastrous break-up, and jumps at the chance to earn some extra cash through massage. Xander Finch might be hot as hell, but Ollie’s not going there. He’s never going to let some rich guy screw him over again. Besides, Xander’s straight. Isn’t he?

When their friendship deepens into something more, Xander discovers that Ollie makes him feel a way that nobody ever has before, and maybe motorbikes aren’t his only passion after all. Navigating Xander’s newly discovered demisexuality isn’t the only challenge they’ll have to face if they’re going to be together, because Ollie’s been burned before. It’s hard for him to trust Xander, to believe that he’s really willing to make room in his life for Ollie as well as his racing—assuming he recovers enough to race at all.

Only for Ollie is the third book in the Star Crossed series, where regular guys meet famous ones, and sparks fly.

Only for Ollie

Star Crossed, Book 3

By Lisa Henry

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Sometimes you read a book that just makes you want to sigh, in a good way. I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series, and this one is no exception.

I felt HARD for Ollie and all he was going through for the first third of the book. Living in his car in the driveway of his best friend’s house, uncomfortable walking into the house because her husband was an ass, getting fired because someone wanted a handy as part of his massage, all while trying to go to school and hopefully finish his degree. Every day he kept getting up, kept trying, tried to ignore that the world was beating him down. And yet, even when Xander offered him help, he made sure to draw lines in the sand (wobbly, as he put it) so that he didn’t end up dependent on someone again that could take it all away in a heartbeat. Arguing about a hotel room for $400 a night, when there was a perfectly good hotel down the road for much less…and Xander “coming out” because of it was a funny moment.

Xander, meanwhile, injured and grumpy, until he starts talking to Ollie as he’s being massaged. At that point, he begins to understand why he’s never felt any sexual attraction, why he just kissed his previous girlfriend, because she wanted him to. He was demisexual, and needed that connection first, and found it in a clumsy massage therapist with a huge heart. Xander fell in love with Ollie, with very little internal drama for himself. It felt natural to him, once he figured out why he was feeling things he’d never felt before.

I really appreciated that Xander’s injuries were not glossed over. Concussions are huge, and affect everyone differently, physically, as well as mentally. And Xander had a long way to go to heal, but also to understand that when he made poor choices about his health, he wasn’t just potentially hurting himself, but others around him. Ollie was forgiving, but even then he drew a hard line, and Xander respected that.

Xander’s family was amazing, and let Ollie know that no matter what he would have help, even as they were friends. Then later, once their relationship was out, he was instantly family. No questions, no hateful comments (which Ollie had every reason to be gun shy about), just love and joy for a person for their beloved son.

This book didn’t have any real angst, but lots of warm, loving moments. It was tender and really highlighted that even if you have little in common, you can still be proud of all your partner accomplishes, and love them unconditionally.

One small issue I had…the author for this book is from Australia, but the book is based in California. There were several instances of Australian or UK English words being used versus American words. This happens, and isn’t a big deal, but it can throw you out for a little bit.

I recommend this book, and this entire series. I’m not sure if this is the last book or not. The previous books have introduced us to the main characters for the following books, and I didn’t see anyone that I would expect to be the next MC. The covers are great on these books, by the way!

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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Dirty Work (Book One of the Dirty Deeds series) by TA Moore: Blog Tour, Exclusive Author Guest Post with Short Story and Giveaway

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I’m so very excited to once again have TA Moore with us giving us a little prelude to her newest book series, Dirty Deeds. She’s bringing us Chapter 3 in the short story prequel. Make sure you check out all the blog posts in the series, and enter the giveaway!

Crime Scene Cleaner [kraɪm siːnˈkliːnə] – Cleans up crime scenes…before the cops know there is one.

People always say ‘you can’t go home again’. It turns out that doesn’t count as a guarantee…especially not during a global pandemic.

After the jobs in LA started to dry up, crime scene cleaner Grade Pulaski was forced to pack up and move home. He loves his family, but the last thing he ever wanted was to face the ghosts he’d left back in Sweeny, Kentucky.

Also, the place just sucks.

He certainly isn’t going to stay any longer than necessary. The plan is to save up enough money to move back to LA and give his business a kick-start. The problem is that, as previously mentioned, Sweeny’s a hole and the locals are anything but professional.

Now a body has gone missing, Grade’s reputation is being held hostage, and people keep asking whether his Dad really did run off with 100 grand of meth in the back of Dodge. Plus, even though you shouldn’t sleep with your employers, crime lord Clay Traynor is exactly the sort of bad idea that Grade can’t resist. Tattooed, bad news, and dangerous.

…oh, yeah. Grade’s job is to clean up the crime scene before the cops know someone’s dead. That’s why he needs to sort this out before he gets a bad review on dark net Yelp.

Title: Dirty Work (Book One of the Dirty Deeds series)

Author: TA Moore

Publisher: Rogue Firebird Press

Release: March 4

Amazon

 

Thanks for letting me pop in to talk about my latest book, Dirty Work, which comes out on March 4. This is the first book in the Dirty Deeds trilogy and I had a lot of fun with it! It’s available online – https://books2read.com/Dirty-Work-Dirty-Deeds-Book-1 – and I hope you like it! I had a lot of fun writing it!

I also hope you enjoy ‘Clean Hands’ a short story prequel to the series.

Clean Hands – Chapter Three

“Do you want some jerky?” Shannon asked. They held up the vacuum packed baggie of meat and cocked their head to the side expectantly. “Original or spicy?”

“Neither,” Grade said.

“Well, I’m hungry,” Shannon said snottily. “And I’m getting the spicy.”

“Get the original,” Grade told them. “It’ll sting less when you puke it back up later.”

Shannon pulled a narked face and ripped the packaging open with their teeth. They gnawed on a long strip of it resentfully as they shuffled along behind Grade. The smacking wore on Grade’s last nerve, but he tried to ignore it as he navigated his way around the angles of the two shitty security cameras.

Back home Grade would have gone to the hunting goods store, or the gas station off the Wildcat Highway that stocked everything a hunter might have forgotten to pack for a month in the woods: MREs, ammo (you’d be surprised), and porn magazines. LA’s economy wasn’t quite so dependent on providing every convenience for someone while they shot shit in the woods.

So the local restaurant supply store it was. Lucky enough Shannon worked part-time on a couple of local food trucks, so they had a membership card to the Depot.

Grade had subbed out tarps for a couple of rolls of heavy duty black plastic bags, but he’d actually managed to get almost everything else he needed. Bone saw, pruning shears, a meat tenderizer, and now he just needed…

“Do they have cleaning supplies?” he asked.

Shannon swallowed the mouthful of chewed meat. They nodded and pointed to the far corner. “Yeah,” they said. “Over there.”

The wheel of the trolley squeaked, repetitive and annoying, as they headed that way. Grade kept his head down.

“It wasn’t our fault,” Shannon said.

“Yeah,” Grade said. “I don’t care.”

Shannon was silent for all of two seconds before they blurted out. “It wasn’t my fault.”

Grade stopped in front of the rack of cleaning supplies to look them over. He grabbed a bucket. That hadn’t been on his list, but now that he thought about it he didn’t think he’d ever seen a bucket at the house so better safe than sorry. Once that was in trolley he added two massive bottles of bleach and one of Ice Machine sanitizer, because it sounded particularly clean.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yeah,” Grade said. “I just still don’t care, and I definitely don’t want to talk about it in the middle of a store. Either shut up and live with it, or get a therapist. Leave me out of it. Got it?”

Shannon looked nonplussed. They fidgeted with the torn bag of jerky as they headed for the tills.

“Shit,” they muttered suddenly. “Are we going to look like a serial killer or something? Should we throw in, like…”

They cast around in a panic and grabbed a catering pack of toilet paper rolls off a shelf. Blunt, painted nails dug into the plastic and dimpled the paper below as they held it up expectantly for Grade.

“Then we’ll look like serial killers with the shits,” Grade said. “Put it back. It’s past one am. You think whoever caught the night shift in here cares what the hell we buy? They want to go home tonight, not deal with the cops. Let them have that.”

Shannon stared at Grade over the top of the pack. “We might be out,” they said.

“Then use your hand,” Grade snapped. “Put it back.”

He didn’t bother to wait to see if Shannon did as they were told. The back of his neck itched persistently as he got to the till and started to move everything onto the belt. The tired looking girl behind the register didn’t even bother to look as she scanned things through. Grade watched the total on the register go up with each purchase and his chest tightened uncomfortably as he did the math in his head. It wouldn’t leave him broke, but his safety margin would be down to fifty quid and sleeping in bus stations on his way back to Sweeny.

Shannon wouldn’t have it. They spent money like they were allergic to it. They probably didn’t have enough in the bank for the now empty bag of jerky that was sheepishly added to the end of the belt.

Grade didn’t even bother to ask. He just paid in cash, took his receipt, and headed to the car.

“That bone saw was 80 bucks,” Shannon said, his voice thinned to a squeak from the shock of it. “Couldn’t you have got a cheaper one?”

“Don’t skimp on your tools,” Grade said. “That’s what my mom taught me.”

“Usually that’s a dad thing to say,” Shannon said with a nervous chuckle. “You know, dad wisdom is always about cars and shit.”

“Yeah,” Grade said. “Well, mine’s dead.”

That shut Shannon up. It wouldn’t last, but Grade leaned into it while it did. He needed to focus on not thinking about what he was about to do. There was only so much disassociation could do for you, he didn’t think it was a good time to test it. They packed their haul into the back of the car in silence.

“Shit,” Shannon said abruptly as they froze in place, the only thing moving their lips and the nervous twitch at the corner of their eye. “It’s the cops.”

The police cruiser turned into the parking lot and rolled slowly along as the cops inside checked the shop fronts and alleys.

“Yeah,” Grade said. “It is.”

Shannon stank of spicy jerky and the sudden hit of sweaty, panicked adrenaline. They licked their lower lip and shifted their weight as they glanced toward the road. Grade could feel the tension as Shannon got ready to do something stupid.

“Calm down,” he said. “We’re not doing anything wrong.”

Shannon gave him a panicked, disbelieving look and leaned in close. “Are you fucking kidding?” he hissed. “There’s a dead drug dealer in the garage, and we’re going to…going to get rid of him.”

Nope. Apparently disassociation was still going strong. Grade calmly tossed the black plastic bags into the back of the car.

“Yeah, but right now we’re just putting stuff in the car,” he said. “Nothing illegal about that.”

Tour:

4th March – mmromancereviewed

7th March – Reading Reality

9th March – Two Chicks Obsessed

10th March – Boy Meets Boy

11th March – Love Bytes Reviews

TA Moore is a Northern Irish writer of romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and contemporary romance novels. A childhood in a rural, seaside town fostered in her a suspicious nature, a love of mystery, and a streak of black humour a mile wide. As her grandmother always said, ‘she’d laugh at a bad thing that one’, mind you, that was the pot calling the kettle black. TA Moore studied History, Irish mythology, English at University, mostly because she has always loved a good story. She has worked as a journalist, a finance manager, and in the arts sectors before she finally gave in to a lifelong desire to write.

Coffee, Doc Marten boots, and good friends are the essential things in life. Spiders, mayo, and heels are to be avoided.

Website: www.tamoorewrites.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMoorewrites/

Twitter: @tamoorewrites

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