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holiday romance

On Circus Lane by Lily Morton (Wright Brothers Book 1): Release Blitz, Exclusive Author Interview and New Release Review

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The first time Bee Bannister met Tom Wright, he couldn’t stand him.

Everything about the man aggravated him—his perfect hair and body, his confident arrogance, and the way he looked straight through Bee.

Which is why it’s such an unpleasant shock to find that he’ll be sharing space with him while on a Christmas holiday with friends in Scotland.

However, as the days fly by and snowy Edinburgh begins to work its magic on him, Bee discovers that sometimes first impressions can be very misleading. Tom is kind and funny, and somehow, rather than looking through Bee, he actually sees and likes all of him.

The two men grow closer, but will Bee follow his heart or his head when the holiday ends? And can relationships that start so badly ever lead to love?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a festive romantic comedy about enemies to lovers and the magic of Christmas.

This is the first book in the Wright Brothers series.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

EXCLUSIVE Q&A WITH THE AUTHOR:

What is a behind-the-scenes anecdote or interesting fact about the creation of On Circus Lane?

In the book Bee is very busy in the run up to the holiday and doesn’t pay attention to the group chats. When he gets to Edinburgh he finds that he can’t get into any of the tourist attractions because he didn’t know you had to buy tickets. This actually happened to me, and it changed the trajectory of the book.

I’d gone to Edinburgh with my husband to do a research trip and I’d planned to take my characters into the big tourist attractions like Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. However, we couldn’t get tickets for the castle, and when we went to the palace they were cleaning it. I was so upset because I needed that info for the book, but then my husband said, “Isn’t it more fun to find unusual things, rather than just focusing on what everyone else is doing?” This led us on a quest to find little things for Tom to show Bee and in the process make him fall for him.

Do you read in the same genre you write? Do you have any favourite series or books?

I do read in the same genre. I love MM. I’m an avid reader so I have far too many favourites to list all of them. Some series that are at the top of my reread list are the Snow and Winter books by CS Poe, Adrien English by Josh Lanyon, the Marshalls series by Mary Calmes, the Soulbound books by Hailey Turner, and the Better Than series by Lane Hayes. There are so many more but those are the ones that came to mind immediately.

Now that you’re finished with this book, what’s next on your writing schedule?

I’m torn between the next book in my Model Agency series, or the final book in my paranormal romance series, Black and Blue. I’m writing both stories next year, so it’ll come down to which character has the loudest voice – Xavier or Blue. It’s Clash of the Titans!

If you could spend the day with one of the main characters in your book, which would it be, and what would you do together?

It would be Tom. Bee is incredibly clever and very focused on his lists of things to see and do in Edinburgh, while Tom is much more relaxed and easygoing. He has a way of taking the seriousness out of everything for Bee and finding off-the-wall interesting things for them to do. I like the care and attention he pays Bee and his innate understanding of what makes the man tick. We all need someone to understand us like that and love us for who we are.

What are your favourite tropes or themes to write in a book? Is it/are they in this book?

I love writing forced proximity. It’s so much fun to see how being close together can override preconceptions or provide the spark to make friends turn to lovers. On Circus Lane features forced proximity. Bee dislikes Tom intensely when he first meets him, but then he finds himself sharing an apartment with him while on holiday with a group of friends. The closeness lets him see how wrong his first impression was of the man as they’re thrown together in Edinburgh.

As I settled in and started reading this book I was quickly confused. Jack? Arlo? Friends? But they are together?

*does some digging*

I see. Lily Morton wrote Merry Measure a few years ago and is officially Wright Brothers Book 2 and this newest is book 1. Once I got that sorted I was ok. It also helped to know that Steven, Jack’s boyfriend, wouldn’t be around forever.

Back to the story. Bee and best friend Ivy and a rag tag group of friends and relations decide to go on vacation in Edinburgh. And although there was a bit of a miscommunication? Missed connection? between Bee and Tom and a lot of stony glares thrown at Tom during the drive, Tom felt that gut punch of “this is my person”. Too bad Bee is not a relationship kind of guy.

I did love that Bee, the child prodigy academic who tends to miss most of what is going on around him, is the one and done guy. Nice flip on the stereotype.

He’s also confident in himself and knows he can catch a guy for a night. But apparently not Tom.

And so Tom courts him in a way. Sneaking on his phone to google things to do that Bee would like. Offering to take him shopping and sight seeing. Offering tea and toast in the morning in their shared accommodations. It’s really rather sweet.

Bee is semi oblivious to this because he is still stung that his masculine wiles haven’t worked on Tom. Everyone else sees it though.

I love both the romantic nature of the story as well as the reading about the various spots in Edinburgh they visit. The group of friends was fun as well. Not expecting the group to stick together during the day, only hoping that they can get together for a meal every night. Except for the aforementioned Steven. Why he got so much page time in Bee and Tom’s story, I’ll never know. He was a pompous ass and too much energy was devoted to him.

Toward the end of the book we get to visit with Tom’s (and Arlo’s) parents again which is always fun. They are unique and fun characters.

And I adored the romance of Tom and Bee being present for each other. Tom at first especially. He LISTENED to Bee. He was interested in what he had to say and made sure to give him his focus. That, to me, is one of the most romantic and intimate things between 2 people.

I really enjoyed this book (except for Steven) and when I finished it, I reopened Merry Measure because On Circus Lane ends where Merry Measure begins and I wanted to see Jack get his happily ever after again.

For reference, Merry Measure review here.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008647656545

Facebook Readers Group: www.facebook.com/groups/SnarkSquad

Twitter: www.twitter.com/LilyAuthor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lilymortonauthor

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LilyMorton-Newsletter

Deck The Palms (An Annabeth Albert Christmas) by Annabeth Albert: New Release Review

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Nolan Bell has a very Merry problem this holiday season…

As a native New Yorker, I’ve always dreamed of my name in lights on Broadway. But when my Army officer brother calls in a favor, I wind up in Hawaii to help his family while he’s deployed.

A winter in paradise doesn’t sound too bad until I become the substitute choir teacher at a middle school near the base. Wrangling a bunch of tweens while planning the annual school holiday lights festival is a far cry from playing Peter Pan.
Enter Merrick “Merry” Winters, the school’s grumpy but hot shop teacher. I can win over any audience, but Merry’s a tough sell. And I need his help to make the festival successful.

The more time I spend with Merry, the less grumpy he seems, and the more I like the guy. He’s the third generation of a legendary North Shore surfing family. He’s committed to raising his twin boys on the island as a single dad. And like me, he doesn’t have time for an inconvenient but undeniable attraction.

As disasters pile up, the only holiday magic Merry and I seem to be making is with each other. What starts as a harmless fling becomes the only present I want under my tree.

If I want this romance to last past New Year’s, I have to decide which dreams are truly worth chasing.

Can Merry and I catch a wave for a future together before the sun sets on this holiday season?

A brand-new holiday romance from the author of the beloved The Geek Who Saved Christmas starring two middle school teachers in over their heads in an opposites-attract, fish-out-of-water romance. Deck the Palms features a slightly grumpy single dad and a sunny city slicker navigating family dynamics amid holiday small-town romance vibes with a side of Hawaiian sunshine. Guaranteed low-angst, feel-good, happy ending with a heaping helping of holiday spice!

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

This book was so fun! First, I LOVE that it was set in Hawaii. Unexpected just because in the US, Christmas usually means snow and cutting down a tree and hot chocolate and ice skating. But with this we got the rainy season, a foil tree, Hawaiian shaved ice and surfing.

Another thing I loved is that the native New Yorker was Mr Sunshine and the Hawaiian born was Grumpy. These guys were raised completely opposite. One hippie surfer family, the other uptown NY snobs. Luckily Nolan doesn’t take after his snobby parents.

There’s also twin boys who are pranksters, nieces who Nolan is helping with while his sister in law recovers from giving birth for the third baby and a charter school that has seen better days. Oh, and throw a holidays lights show incorporating all of the kids.

Ms Albert doesn’t shy away from the realities of living in Hawaii. From the Naval base to the natives being priced out of their island and the over running tourism. And she did that without being preachy at all. She also shows us different parts of the island. From the surfing on the north shore to the tourism of the bigger cities and the realities of so many teachers working a second job just to afford the rent.

Working together on the holiday show gives Nolan and Merry time to explore being together. Even for a short time. Because Nolan is going back to Broadway, right? Wink wink

I think this was my favorite Christmas book this year.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Ice & Sweet: An MM Christmas Romance by Charlie Novak: New Release Review

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Falling for my crush at my ex’s Christmas wedding? Piece of cake!

Making the cake for my ex-fake boyfriend turned best friend’s wedding the week before Christmas was easy. Carting it halfway across England in the snow was not. Especially not when a blown-out back tyre leads to me coming face to face with my long term crush for the first time in five years.

I’ve known André since his days of boyband superstardom, but since I was supposed to be dating one of his bandmates, I was never able to act on my feelings. But now we’re both single and stuck in a hotel for the weekend with our interfering friends who seem determined to push us together.

But maybe André and I don’t need a push. Maybe all we need is a chance to see if the spark we felt all those years ago is still there.

After all, it is Christmas. And that means anything could happen.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

This book just made me happy. The two main characters are connected to other side characters we know. So that brought in mentions of other characters who already had their happily ever after. But they stayed out of the way and didn’t demand the spotlight. So even though we didn’t know Andre and Luke, they are still part of the world we know in Charlie Novak’s books.

Being that the book started at a wedding two weeks before Christmas, I was thrilled to know that this wasn’t a two strangers meeting romance or an enemies to lovers romance or even a friends to lovers romance.

Rediscovering each other as people, but on a different deeper level than before. Neither afraid of PDA or moving too fast or being too clingy. They also had a similar background, which put them on more of an even playing field, in terms of status. No worries there.

There were, in fact, no worries. Ok, a bit about their odd work schedules, but still. No worries, no angst, no drama. Just two guys falling in love right in time for Christmas.

4 pieces of eye candy

Catered All the Way: An MM Holiday Christmas Romance by Annabeth Albert: New Release Review

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Tis the season for a hopeless crush on my older brother’s best friend…

This year will be different. I’m all grown up, my gaming channel is a huge success, and I finally have the confidence to make my move on Atlas Orion, the hottest chief in the navy.

However, I don’t intend for my smooth move to be covering Atlas in cranberry sauce. Not at all how I want to reintroduce myself to my new roomie and coworker. Atlas is in town to help save Seasons, my family’s historic holiday gift shop and event space. Seasons is booked solid with catered parties, so we need to avoid any more disasters.

Like my malfunctioning air mattress. We’re down to one bed, two dudes, and a whole lot of holiday-fling temptation. Atlas has never been with a guy, but I don’t have to do much persuading. And what better way to explore than a secret romp? No strings, and no one has to know.

The problem? With every passing week, I fall harder for Atlas, who’s far more than his drool-worthy muscles and heroic job. He’s kind, funny, makes me breakfast in bed, and each midnight snowball fight brings us that much closer to heartbreak.

Atlas can’t stay in Kringle’s Crossing forever, and I can’t imagine leaving the only place I’ve called home. Our feelings run deep, but is it a holiday illusion? Can we find our way to a lasting future?

CATERED ALL THE WAY is a brand-new, full-length holiday romance from the beloved author of THE GEEK WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS. Lovers of stand-alone swoon-worthy Christmas stories will fall for this geek + military pairing. Full of spicy first times, bisexual awakening, quirky small-town residents, and guest appearances from some fan-favorite characters, this only one bed, brother’s best friend romance is sure to find a place under many trees! Dual POV and the happiest of endings guaranteed.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

I love Christmas romances. They are my version of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Except way better.

Annabeth Albert has brought us another adorable, sweet, hot romance just in time for Christmas. Set in the idyllic Kringle’s Crossing, we have Zeb, full time gaming streamer and part time cater waiter and retail worker for his family’s business. Every year he straps in to work the crazy season from Thanksgiving until Christmas. His brother’s best friend, Atlas, is due to arrive on leave from the military to help out. So Zeb finagles it so that Atlas stays with him instead of with Zeb’s brother. Not because he has a crush or anything. 😉

Atlas rather quickly realizes how attracted he is to Zeb. Which is a first for him. Zeb has no problem offering himself up on a platter for Atlas to experiment with. But of course the no strings attached experiment quickly grows strings. And they also have the shared history from when they were teens and Atlas was at their house often hanging out with Zeb’s brother.

There were actually quite a few little, or not so little, details that really caught my interest. Mostly because they gave the story and the characters that much more depth. And it wasn’t just Zeb and Atlas. But also Zeb’s brother and wife. The backgrounds of the men, their jobs, family issues and even a non-binary side character. So great to see that when if there are other LGBT+ characters they all seem to be close friends with each other. Nix worked there and was friendly, but they had their own life going on.

There were Easter eggs for those long time readers. Always fun. And selfishly, I love when a book is set in an area I sort of know. Kringle’s Crossing is fictitious, but other towns and areas mentioned were quite real.

This book will definitely hit you in the feels. Especially if you have experienced any of the situations that these characters have. Ultimately, you’ll be left with a smile and maybe a little Christmas cheer.

4 pieces of eye candy

The Naughty North Pole Series by Deanna Wadsworth: Series Tour

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Series Blurb:

Welcome to the wacky and sexy world that is The Naughty North Pole. In this series you will be treated to a whole new version of Santa’s Workshop, where parties last for days, true love happens over a glass of butterscotch, and the elves have candy-flavored cum. You’ll never think of Christmas the same again!

Pip’s Boxing Day Wish Blurb:

All Pip wanted when he came to the North Pole as one of Santa’s elves was to belong. He thought he would finally find acceptance by his peers after Santa’s sister Ms. Claus selected him and two elves for a wild night of debauchery on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, the morning after the hot four-way, it seems Pip’s reputation has gone from juvenile delinquent to tramp.

And to make matters worse, the sexy green-eyed elf Erik appears determined to ignore him despite their Christmas Eve connection. When Santa sends Pip on a special assignment with Erik on Boxing Day, will it be the most awkward day of his life or will Pip get the wish nearest and dearest to his heart?

 

A Gift for Santa Blurb:

Since birth, demi-god Nick Claus has heard the demands, wishes and dreams of all humans. Unable to grant the wishes of adults because they want love, health, and peace on Earth—things he cannot provide—Nick has devoted his eternity to granting the wishes of children by bringing them toys on Christmas Eve.

But what about the things Nick wants? Will he ever find the love he craves? Or will he continue to pretend the North Pole has not become lonely and Christmas is all he needs?

Enter Jack Frost.

The winter sprite has been teasing Nick and flirting with him ever since the first kiss they shared, centuries ago. With a saucy proposition, Jack convinces Nick to take a few minutes out for himself despite the busy Christmas season. The catch is, Jack hates Christmas.

Will Nick be able to melt the heart of Jack Frost, or will he end up getting frostbite from this sexy, naughty sprite?

 

Fun & Games with Rudolph Blurb:

Lars is the sarcastic elf who runs Santa’s Mail Department and he follows the dating rule of “no repeats”. But lately he’s been having a romantic textlationship with another elf, via the dating app Elf4Elf. When his cyber boyfriend goes AWOL after a misunderstanding, Lars realizes too late that there is more to life than sex, work, and cookies.

On Christmas Eve, Santa asks Lars to personally deliver a gift to Rudolph—a former reindeer handler who left the North Pole because of a misunderstanding. Rudolph lives on the secluded Sugar Plum Ridge and the only way to get there is by sleigh. Lars just can’t get a break!

When a sudden blizzard forces the two elves to hole up in Rudolph’s cabin, will they find a way to make their own fun and games or will one surprise ruin it all?

One thing is certain: after this night, they both will believe in the magic of the Naughty North Pole!

 

Series: The Naughty North Pole Series

Autor: Deanna Wadsworth

Titles Ms. Claus’s List, Pip’s Boxing Day Wish, A Gift for Santa, Fun and Games with Rudolph, and Everybody Hates Fruitcake

Genre:

Ms. Claus’s List: PMM Poly Romance, Christmas, Erotic,

Pip’S Boxing Day Wish: MM, First Time Romance

A Gift for Santa: MM Enemies to Lovers Romance, Christmas, Erotic

Fun & Games with Rudolph: MM Internet Romance, Friends to Lovers, Christmas

Everybody Hates Fruitcake: MM, MFF, Poly Romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. She loves music and dancing, and can often be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the innerworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.

Social Media Links:

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Measuring Up by Dani Hermit & Curtis Star: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and New Release Review

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Monarch Springs is full of hot guys… So why is Aiden determined to be in love with the only one that he can’t stand?

Up-and-coming interior designer Aiden Hart came to Monarch Springs for an intriguing job and an escape from his old life. Redecorating the tourist trap that is the Monarch Mansion in a small town in Pennsylvania sounded like the exact opposite of his trainwreck of a life in Miami. Not to mention a way to jumpstart his DIY celebrity career.

Aiden didn’t want to think that his new start was cursed. But being assigned to work with the disgraced former TV carpenter Brett Jeffries at the last minute and breaking down by the side of the road not two minutes later made being cursed sound reasonable.

Things started looking up when a hot mystery man in a beat up truck stopped to rescue him. This flannel-wearing angel was not the kind of hot that happened in Miami. This was salt-of-the-earth, lumberjack, bearded, knows how to change a tire, H-O-T hotness.

Of course, his hot savior turned out to be none other than Brett Jefferies.

And that was only the start of Aiden’s problems. From a traitorous cat to exes showing up at the worst possible times, he still has to somehow get this remodel done before Christmas.

However, falling in love with the job, the town, and, worst of all, Brett, was not on Aiden’s Christmas list.

Title: Measuring Up

Author Name: Dani Hermit & Curtis Star

Word Count: 62K

Genres: small town romance, contemporary romance, romcom, gay romance

Tropes: hate to love, meeting the love interest before you know who he is, the hot ex shows up

Amazon – All Regions

“You know I’m not afraid of hard work, Brett. I don’t have your guns but I work out.” Aiden removed his fashionably torn sweater to reveal a tight navy blue t-shirt. “But it’s warm in here. I wasn’t expecting such an aggressive Indian summer.”

Brett probably wouldn’t notice but Aiden got a lot of numbers at the club in this very tee. Although that was seven years ago when he was usually covered in glitter and had just enough of the designer party drug of the day to offer to suck off somebody as yummy as Brett with ease.

The shirt was faded and paint-stained but Aiden still felt slightly bolstered with confidence when he wore it. He wasn’t intending to take his sweater off but now that he had, he wondered what Brett thought of him. Would he look at him the way the guys in the club did? Not likely. Not now that Aiden was about five years too old for that scene.

Aiden grabbed a brush and bucket of soapy water. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. Being over thirty and having lost his club boy appeal somewhere in the course of his failed committed relationship, Aiden often felt invisible.

“Are you sure about that?” Brett came up behind Aiden and squeezed his upper arms, lingering at his back for a solid minute. He walked away, not paying attention to the effect he had on Aiden. “I’m going to grab some more supplies. How about you start over there? I’ll start on this other side and we’ll meet in the middle?”

Aiden had to steady his breath. He was far too close to swooning around this guy. He stomped up the ladder to start washing the top of the wall. He tried to use the scrubbing to air out his irritation.

“Stupid jerk.” He muttered under his breath. “No reason to mock me. Maybe I haven’t gotten to the gym in a while. You can’t act like your stupid sexy self doesn’t know you have driven me crazy since the moment I met you. Stupid sexy jerk.”

Returning with more cleaning supplies from the truck, Brett set to work on the far side of the room. After about half an hour of silence, he paused and turned to Aiden. “Hey, pretty boy,” he called out. “Do you mind if I put on some music?”

And now he’s calling me pretty boy. Why would he do that? Oh yeah, cause he’s a stupid, stupid sexy jerk who knows he’s sexy.

Aiden began scrubbing even harder as if the wall had wronged him. “Yeah sure, but just know you are revealing a lot about yourself. So many secrets are spilled by what you listen to.” Aiden didn’t want to bother moving the ladder so he reached out as far as he could with the sponge while he waited to hear what Brett would put on.

Brett opened a door on the built-in cabinet that wasn’t far from where Aiden was scrubbing and plugged his phone into the stereo unit hidden inside. He hit play and classic rock began blaring out of the speakers that were concealed all over the house. Brett quickly adjusted the volume down to a more reasonable roar. Out of the corner of his eye, Aiden watched him as he lingered a moment, enjoying the song.

Aiden wasn’t paying attention to how far he was leaning, and the ladder he was sitting on started wobbling. Before he could correct his position or get his balance back, Aiden was tipping over. He closed his eyes and prayed he would hit the floor and not smash into the pile of tools that were nearby.

The current running tracks of thought in Aiden’s head came out of his mouth as he fell right into Brett’s arms. He couldn’t stop himself from hitting Brett’s chest as he ranted in an awkward attempt to get his heartbeat under control.

“Stupid, sexy jerk who rescues puppies. Of course, you are gonna catch me when I fall off the ladder.”

For his part, Brett didn’t say anything, he just let Aiden wear himself out. He stared into Brett’s eyes, his anger and fear played out, not sure what to do or say. It wasn’t like Brett was moving to set him down on the floor. The fact that the big man wasn’t dropping him like a hot potato was making Aiden’s heart beat fast again and his head filled with all the silly notions he was trying to avoid.

“Would you rather I let you crash to the ground and break your pretty neck?” Brett asked, not letting go of Aiden though he looked like he was tempted to drop him on his butt now that he was out of harm’s way.

Okay, this has gone on way too long, right? Why isn’t he putting me down?

Okay, this is a cute book. I’ve never read anything by this team of authors, so really not sure what to expect, to be honest. The cover wasn’t my favorite, and that is usually a call to me as a must read. It had some really fun elements…(I’m a crazy cat lady, so of course the ‘traitorous cat’ called to me.)

Aiden comes to this new town to start over. It’s a bit of a meet-cute after a car breakdown. I love inner monologues that really seem like they are talking to me and themselves, and Aiden’s inner monologue made me laugh.

Brett, the sexy lumberjack, just let Aiden get into his own little messes, I thought. Which made me laugh just a bit more.

There was a bit of a plot hole that I didn’t quite understand, but that sometimes happens.

Overall, a funny, cute holiday story.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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Dani Hermit & Curtis Star are a married pair of writers who have been perfecting their craft even longer than they have been perfecting their marriage – over 20 years for both! It was a mutual love of slash fic and writing deep, angsty stories that lead to their love for each other.

It has been a rocky road full of pitfalls and potholes that has lead to the current format of writing boy’s love serials that are becoming the bedrock of the Hermit & Star brand.

Author Website: https://hermitstarbooks.com/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/hermitstarbooks

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/hermitstarbooks

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hermitstarbooks/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dani-Hermit/e/B00BG3335E/