Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

JJ Harper

Asking For A Friend by JJ Harper: Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

.                                        .

Lando writes about romance for a living yet shuns it in his life.

After too many failed relationships, Lando Hardwick has enough. No more dates for him. His taste in men is abysmal. He always falls for the ones who are only looking for fun.

Hesketh Trent has stopped searching for a boyfriend. They only see him as a walking cash machine, only care what he can buy them. What has happened to romance, love?

Getting soaked by scolding coffee is the worst way to start the day, but hell’s bells, the man is divine. Even though the man ticks all his boxes, no way is Lando giving him his phone number. He’ll be like all the rest: one hot night and he kicks him out the door.

But Hesketh doesn’t give up so easily. The cute redhead with no brain-to-mouth filter intrigues him as no man has ever done.

A cat and mouse chase is on, with Lando as the mouse. Once Lando is caught, they can’t stay away from one another.

Until Hesketh makes a mistake.

Thank god for mutual friends who won’t give up on them and push them together when they’re both too stubborn to take the next step.

Asking For a Friend is a stand-alone MM novel with a group of sassy men, a larger-than-life ginger cat called Flanaghan, a stubborn writer, and a man who can plan events but not his own life.

Title: Asking For A Friend
Authors: JJ Harper
Length: 56k
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: slow burn, sweet vs stubborn.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Lando licks the wine from his lip and sets his glass down on the counter. His eyes dart to my groin and darken. Then his mouth hits mine, and our bodies line up. He’s as turned on as I am.

But what to do about it? It’s not how I wanted the evening to start, but it’s how I want it to end. It looks like Lando is on the same page as me. Reluctantly I break the kiss and pull back a little.

“You make me feel things I don’t know what to do with,” he says breathlessly. He rests his hands on my chest, pressing his fingertips into my shirt.

“What does that mean?” I keep my hands on his waist, wanting him to feel me. To connect with me.

“I’ve stayed away from relationships. You know that. But you, you make me want it, a relationship with you.”

I grin, making sure my dimples pop. He groans and lays his head on my chest. “Dammit, Hesketh.”

“Would it make you feel better if I tell you I want to be with you? As your boyfriend, in a relationship. Exclusively.”

As he lifts his head, his eyes are sparkling, glittering with unspoken emotion. “I think I’d like that very much.”

“Good.” I kiss his forehead. “Now sit there and pretend you’re not watching my arse as I get dinner ready.”

“I can do that.” He’s so quiet I look over my shoulder at him. He’s chewing at the edge of his thumb. A nervous habit I’ve seen him do before. I wink, and he smiles, so I turn back to the food. “Your hand twitches when you want to hold mine but don’t know if you should. You talk about Ellis and his family more than you do your own. You always peel the edges of your coffee cup when you’ve finished. You’re honest and kind. And I trust you.”

My knife clatters on the chopping board. I swivel around and take the few steps to Lando. When I cup his face in my hands, he parts his lips and sighs. Our mouths collide, and I slip my tongue inside, tasting the wine as well as him. I can’t get enough of him. He tastes divine. We dip in and out of each other’s mouths. Lando’s hands have found their way under my shirt and creep up my back. Mine are tangled in his hair.

When we break apart, Lando slicks his puffy bottom lip. “Maybe we should go and fuck. I don’t think we’re going to get dinner anytime soon.”

I’ve read a couple of books from this author, and this one sounded like a fun one. I was hoping for a light hearted read, but that wasn’t exactly what I got.

Lando and Hesketh really need a class in communication. They took miscommunication to a whole new level in this book. They “dated” for a couple of months before they went on their first date, but all those lunches seemed to just allow them to learn surface things about each other. So, when the big things happened neither knew what was going on with the other and a huge wall leapt up between them that neither stubborn person was willing to breach.

Probably my biggest issue with this book was the “breakup”. It just seemed improbable to me (small spoiler here) that Hesketh would go an entire weekend with his long lost brother and fiance, and never once think about Lando and the fact that he just didn’t show up for something they had been planning for quite a while. Yes, he put his phone on silent, but how, if you love someone do you just completely forget their existence for an entire weekend? The idea of forgiving him for that was just unbelievable to me. I did understand one of them chasing the other for a while, then when they were getting back together, the other one chasing him down. But I just didn’t understand completely forgetting about your lover for three full days.

The other issue I had was Hesketh’s temper. He seemed to blow up at the smallest things. Every person is different, as are their tempers, but it was really hard to like someone who threw a tantrum over a holiday they didn’t know about (this seemed to be an unnecessary scene to me), or because someone was working and so involved in work that they missed the start of lunch.

The side characters were all fantastic, for sure. And Lando wore his heart on his sleeve, even as he told his parents to F off, he was kinder than most would have been.

This one just didn’t work well for me.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

You will normally find her in the living room—typing away—with her wayward puppy, Siddiqi. As a hopeless romantic, JJ dives into her stories, always falling in love with her men, making sure they get the happy-ever-after they deserve, even if they do have to work hard for it.
JJ lives in a small, very quiet, village in Lincolnshire, UK, with her husband and dog, and spends all day dreaming up stories full of really hot men

Connect with JJ:
Find out more: http://jjharperauthor.ctcin.bio
Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorJJHarper
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jessjhoney
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessjharper
Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/ha7whyj6
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jj-harper
Check out my website: https://www.jjharper-author.com
Sign up to my newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3u7qLYc

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Haydn (BAR 28, Book 5) by JJ Harper: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway

by

.                                         .

Haydn
I’ll never find a boyfriend. Who would want me? I’m too shy, too geeky, too ugly. And I carry a truckload of baggage.

A few hookups, some quick groping in the dark, is all I’ve had, but I want more.

A man who takes over the reins every now and then. A man who tells me what to do and takes care of me.

Jonas is the man I’ve dreamt about. Quiet and funny, kind to patrons and staff alike. When his voice turns to steel, all I want to do is drop to my knees before him.

Too bad he’s my boss. No way would he be interested in me. And even if he is, can I trust him with my past?

Jonas
I’ve given up on finding my man. My brothers found their happily ever after, and I’m happy for them. But it’s not in the cards for me. Believe me. I’ve tried. I’ve had boyfriends, but as soon as my instinct to control kicks in, they broke up with me.

One look at Haydn and I know he’s the one for me. A ray of sunshine, bubbling with energy, and so eager to please.

He has secrets he’s not willing to share. I’m a patient man, though. I’ve waited thirty-six years for the perfect man. I can wait until he trusts me and opens up to me.

Haydn is an MM romance featuring hurt/comfort, low angst, instant attraction, a bubbly geeky boy, and a man who likes to be in control. It’s book 5 in the BAR 28 series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. This book is based in the UK and is written in British English.

Title: Haydn
Authors: JJ Harper
Length: 72K
Series: BAR 28, Book 5 (other books also available for review)
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: hurt/comfort workplace romance, low angst, instant attraction, nerd/boss.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Check out Bar 28 on Goodreads

“Will you come inside for a moment?” There I’d said it. Now I had to find the strength to tell him and show him what had happened to me. Kieran was away for the night, which gave me the peace and quiet I needed.

Jonas looked surprised but nodded. “If you’re sure, then yes, I’d love to.”

I unbuckled my seat belt and opened my door. His car door clicked shut. Then footsteps thudded on the pavement. I could do this. If I wanted any chance of a relationship with this gorgeous man, I needed to swallow my fear of how he would react.

“I’ll leave if it gets too much for you.” He spoke quietly and touched my elbow, just a brush, but it bolstered me.

I felt stronger, braver. He understood me. I wanted him here with me, in my own space.

Inside, I went straight to the staircase. I had my own living quarters. Kieran and I got on brilliantly, but we didn’t live in each other’s pockets.

Without hesitation, I opened the door to the living room and let him walk in first. Would he love it as much as I did? It was a converted bedroom and had just enough space for the large sofa I’d found on eBay. The purple velvet was very regal and utterly ridiculous. I’d found the oak coffee table and faux Tiffany lamps in charity shops. They shouldn’t go together, but they fit. Over the years, I had made this place my own little haven by adding throw pillows, kitsch picture frames, and colourful glass bottles. I loved browsing at markets and car boot sales for the best bargains. Hence my bookcase full of books. My pride and joy was the collection of cellophane-wrapped comic books given to me when I was eleven. Some of them were first editions and worth a lot of money. Would he think keeping them was childish?

Jonas had moved around, taking it all in. He felt so right here. His hand found mine, and he entwined his fingers with mine. “This is a gorgeous room. Very you.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“Good, it is one. This room is intriguing, welcoming, and fun. Just like you.” He squeezed my hand.

“Would you like a drink? I’ve got tea, coffee, water, diet Coke, or beer.” Now he was here, flutters stirred in my belly again. I needed to start the conversation, but it was difficult.

“I’m good for now, thanks.”

“Okay, so why don’t we sit down, and I’ll get to the point.” I waited until he sat in the corner of the sofa, then perched on the other end, balancing on the edge.

“Haydn, we don’t have to talk. You don’t need to explain yourself to me. I like you, and my feelings for you won’t stop with a story from your past. It can stay there for as long as you like. Forever if needs be.”

“That’s why I want to tell you because I like you too. We’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but if we have any chance at taking it further, you need to know. You don’t know everything about me, and what I’m about to share with you could change how you feel about me or if there could be an us. I promise I won’t be offended if you only want to be friends with me.”.                                    .

You will normally find her in the living room—typing away—with her wayward puppy, Siddiqi. As a hopeless romantic, JJ dives into her stories, always falling in love with her men, making sure they get the happy-ever-after they deserve, even if they do have to work hard for it.
JJ lives in a small, very quiet, village in Lincolnshire, UK, with her husband and dog, and spends all day dreaming up stories full of really hot men

Connect with JJ:

Website: https://www.jjharper-author.com
Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorJJHarper
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jessjhoney
Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/ha7whyj6
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessjharper
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jj-harper
Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/3CsWs2A
Harper’s Honeys: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HarpersHoneys/ a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tide To You (Destination Daddies Season Two) by JJ Harper: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

.                                  .

When a much-needed holiday turns into so much more than sun and sand.

Hudson

Why have I even entered that competition? I never win anything. Ever.

Colour me surprised I won a weeklong holiday in a resort for Daddies and boys. And at the right time too.

A break from work.

A break from bad choices.

A break from being seen only as a sugar Daddy.

The Hôtel Plaisir looks the perfect place to unwind, relax, and have some fun. Even more perfect is the beautiful young man waiting for me. He’s everything I’ve ever looked for. He’s also the host for the week, which makes him out of bounds.

Doesn’t it?

Yannick

The chance to organise my own event and prove to my father I can be trusted to run our family hotel landed in my hands thanks to Cuffd and their competition. The winner gets an all-inclusive week at our resort.

I didn’t expect him to be my dream Daddy.

I didn’t expect to hurt so much when he played with the other boys.

I didn’t expect to give myself to a man who will leave.

But it is too good to pass up. Even if it breaks my father’s trust.

Tide to You is part of the Destination Daddies Season Two multi-author series. It features an older, jaded Daddy and a boy who knows he has more to lose than his heart. Each book can be read as a standalone, but there are so many destinations and Daddies to discover, why not grab them all?

Title: Tide To You
Authors: JJ Harper
Length: 56K
Series: In the Destination Daddies, each standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Kink.
Tropes: Holiday romance, Daddy/boy. Includes some mild BDSM.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

I can’t tear my eyes away from the erotic and compelling sight. Hudson looks up, his lips still on Roddie, but his eyes blaze and fix on me. I turn and flee the room, rush through the gardens, past the pools, and onto the beach.

I come to a halt, drawing long breaths into my lungs, then drop onto the still warm sand. I sit with my knees bent, my forearms resting on them, and stare out at the ocean. I love it here. Even as a child, I would sneak out to listen to the soft swell of the water as it broke on the shore. It calms me, even though I know the current is treacherous, that under the smooth surface, the undertow could take you away before you’re even aware. I lie back and gaze up at the stars. The sky seems to be so full of them tonight, each shining as dazzlingly as it can. The brilliant, almost full moon casts a silver glow over all it touches.

My anxiety slips away. I’m in no hurry to go. I have nothing I need to be doing. The twinkling stars and the gentle laps of the water on the sand soothe me. My mind empties.

A cool wind picks up, and goosebumps break out over my skin. Time to go inside. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.

After brushing as much sand as I can from my clothes, I stroll back to the hotel. On the terrace, a solitary figure walks towards the rooms. The moonlight lights up his silver hair. Hudson.

He’s alone. Where is Roddie? I thought they would be spending the night together, for sure. My heart lifts a little, knowing he isn’t wrapping his strong arms around another body tonight. I go through the private door, a small smile on my lips.

After my shower, as I lie in my bed, the smile is still there. Sleep comes quickly.

This book is part of a multi-author series, Destination Daddies, Season Two, where the winners of a contest on the Cuffd app receive a weeklong vacation in resorts around the world. I love the premise behind this, and did read a few of the books from Season One. Men meeting other men with the same wants and needs, Daddy/boy.

This one is based around a business owner and architect from the UK, choosing his holiday in Southern France, where he meets and falls in love with the part owner of a luxury hotel that caters to many special weekends, one of them being a Daddy/boy weekend.

One of the best things about this is that it isn’t just about what Hudson and Yannick are looking for, but also the friendships they develop with the other Daddies and boys through the week. As in, I am definitely curious to see if any of those characters make another appearance in the future. 🙂

This book had insta-love, with both men realizing what they wanted within two days of Hudson arriving at the hotel, and they never really questioned it. There was no back and forth, does he love me or not. They knew almost immediately that they had found their other person, and it was left to them to figure out how to make it work with the two of them having successful businesses in two entirely different countries.

Along the way, we learn a little bit about the actual fathers that Yannick had, and how they both lived their lives somewhat neglecting Yannick. I was slightly confused during the early parts of the book, as it seemed that the father (Thomas) Yannick lived with was stern, but still loved him. Later it turns out that the absent father is the one Yannick is able to turn to when he’s struggling with Thomas about running the hotel. There was also one other piece that I didn’t quite understand why it wasn’t presented a bit earlier in the book, as I felt it was key to understanding why Yannick felt so passionate about the hotel.

Yannick and Hudson, despite their 20+ year age difference, had a lot in common, and seemed to fit right from the beginning. Although days one and two were…a bit difficult for Yannick to see, they did find their way into each other’s arms, dealt with the absent father, and his unpleasant husband, and decided how to move forward with their HEA.

A good beach read, especially with the beach being so prominent in the story. 🙂 Sit back and enjoy the silver fox, and his sweet boy.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

.                                      .

You will normally find her in the living room—typing away—with her wayward Great Dane, Siddiqi. As a hopeless romantic, JJ dives into her stories, always falling in love with her men, making sure they get the happy-ever-after they deserve, even if they do have to work hard for it.
JJ lives in a small, very quiet, village in Lincolnshire, UK, with her husband and dog, and spends all day dreaming up stories full of really hot men.

Connect with JJ:

Website: https://www.jjharper-author.com
Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorJJHarper
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jessjhoney
Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/ha7whyj6
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessjharper
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jj-harper
Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/jjharper
Harper’s Honeys: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HarpersHoneys/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Square One by JJ Harper: Release Day Blitz, Review and Excerpt

by

Xander is angry and fed up of being signed off work for something that was out of his control. He loses himself in alcohol and one-night stands, anything to dull the pain in his head.

Jonah is enjoying the freedom away from his small-town life, living life to the full in a big city. A few weeks away from starting his job as a firefighter, he embraces the nightlife and the men found in the clubs. One man, in particular, catches his eye, and not even exchanging names, they spend a night lost in each other, and then another. Still not bothering to find out any more about each other, they go their separate ways.

Until they find themselves face-to-face at work.

Unable to stay away from each other, they embark on something that soon morphs into so much more. Deeper, more intense, looking a lot like love.

But will it be enough when Jonah hears some life-changing news and he turns to Xander for support?

Square One is part of the Under The Uniform series by Aubergine Publishing.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Waking up, I stir and move my hand across the bed, finding it empty. I hate it when he does this. I want us to wake up lazily wrapped around each other, then mess around, getting all hot and sweaty again. Listening out, I can hear him moving around downstairs. I look to see where my clothes are because I have come to learn that Jonah doesn’t do mess. Not one bit, so it’s no surprise to see them folded neatly on the chair in the corner by the window. Before I can move to get out of bed, I hear him whistling softly, almost under his breath as he comes back upstairs.

Pushing upright, I lean back on the headboard and wait for him to come back in. I smile when I see him with a tray full of coffee cups and toast.

“You’ve brought me breakfast.” I laugh softly as he blushes slightly.

“Yeah, I woke up and was hungry, so I thought I’d bring it all back up to you too.” He hands me the tray, then slips his joggers down his legs and folds them neatly on the end of the bed. Climbing back in next to me, he drops a soft kiss on my eager mouth.

“This is awesome. I can’t remember the last time I had breakfast in bed. Thank you, Jonah.” I kiss him again.

Looking at the tray, I see he’s done more than just coffee and toast. There’s orange juice and waffles with some strawberries too. His eyes shine bright with happiness as he reaches over and snags his mug and a slice of toast.

“What do you want to do today?” he garbles at me with his mouth chewing his toast noisily. This should annoy me, but with him, it seems cute.

“I’ve got boring stuff like my laundry and a trip to the supermarket. I got back later than I thought yesterday and really only had time to shower and change before coming here.” I look at him as I grab a strawberry. “What about you?”

“I don’t have anything planned, so I can hang out with you if you’d like?”

“You won’t be too bored. It’s only Tesco and dirty clothes?”

“Nope, I’ve missed you. I’d like to spend it with you, if you don’t mind.”

I grin at him and kiss his cheek. “I’d like it too.”

So, after breakfast and a lot of fooling around in bed that ended with needing another shower, we make it out of the house.

Looking up at the clear blue April sky, I can feel the warmth of the spring sun on my face. I smile at Jonah as he slides his Oakley sunglasses on.

“You look fucking sexy, Jo. C’mon before I drag you back inside.” I hold out my hand for him and give it a squeeze as he clasps it.

“Yeah, we’ve done enough of that this morning.” He chortles.

“Never. There’s no such thing as too much sex! As a gay man, you should be ashamed of yourself.” I pull him up to me and kiss his grinning mouth. “Get in the car,” I mumble against his lips.

Okay, so two hot firefighters, that’s really all I needed to want to read this book. I kind of went into it blind apart from that… LOL, I’m easy. So, in this one, we have Jonah and Xander.

Xander is off on medical leave until he can get his head sorted after a call gone bad where they lost a twelve year old little girl. Although there was nothing he could do, he carried the weight of it, and understandably so… I can’t imagine how hard it must be to be a first responder of any kind. I liked the realness of his situation and the way it was handled…. In this aspect at least. There are other parts of this story that I did not agree with, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

Now, meeting at a club, Jonah and Xander have an incredible connection, though they don’t catch each other’s names the couple times’ theyd run into each other. What I didn’t like was that everyone seemed to sleep with this bartender Curtis…. Literally, everyone; even Xander’s ex that pops up out of nowhere. And they’re all okay with Curtis, knowing that he sleeps with everyone, including their boyfriends?? Even Xander didn’t care that he’d slept with the ex, as well as Jonah, after he slept with Jonah?? I didn’t like that at all…. I’m a slut shamer. Absolutely.

Anyway, after another weekend hookup without exchanging names, Xander is set to go back to work. He’s been cleared, and the next day he’s back on rotation…. Problem is… the nameless hookup he can’t stop thinking about is his new partner! Then…. They go from 0-100 in about a day. Neither of them do relationships, neither of them hook up with the same person twice, but the first day they work together, they decide that after two weekends of hooking up…. They’re boyfriends….. they didn’t call it that til the next week, but that’s what it was. It felt like the story should’ve been over at 50%….. but then we get thrown a curve ball.

Jonah has a son…. A teenage son with the only girl he’s ever slept with. His teenage best friend from 15 years ago. Cliché, eh? Except she was supposed to have had an abortion and moved away back then. Unfortunately, when her husband- that has raised Jonah’s son his entire life, finds out that Jonah’s son (Christian Grey- yes, that’s his actual name) Kit (nicknamed, thankfully), when he finds out that he’s gay, he flips and all the sudden doesn’t want to be his dad anymore…. And Kit’s mom just goes along with it. Of course, she cries… but are you kidding? You’re going to choose a homophobe over your child???

I didn’t like how everyone kept blowing this kid off. I understood that it came out of left field for Jonah, and he needed to get his head around it and all, but, even he said that if it was going to cause problems with Xander, he’d choose Xander…. What is wrong with these people? This is a kid…. YOUR kid, and for neither of them to put that kid first, made me sick. And I loved Xander and Jonah together, even if it did go at warp speed and the dialogue was cringy at times… I enjoyed them together, they were good for each other. But, seriously…. You’re going to make the whole second half of the story about the kid, but, nobody really cared about the kid. Least, not in my opinion.

Anyway, I loved Xander’s family, but we get a face full of Jonah’s mom several times. She seems awful, but then she just disappeared. No more mention of Kit’s mom, after she said okay, the kid can live with you so I can keep my husband….(okay, she didn’t say that, but it’s what it felt like to me)

Overall, I felt there was a lot going on in this story, and a lot of it I didn’t agree with….I kind of felt on the fence with it, but it ended well.

Cute. I’ll go with 3 pieces of eye candy for me on this one.

 

You will normally find her in the living room—typing away—with her dog, Maud. As a hopeless romantic, JJ dives into her stories, always falling in love with her men, making sure they get the happy ever after they deserves, even if they do have to work hard for it.

As a bona fide bookaholic, coffee-addicted, wine-drinking and swear-like-a-sailor type of girl, she has yet to work out how to act her age!! LOL. And she has no intentions of growing up or growing old gracefully.

JJ lives in a small, very quiet, village in Lincolnshire, UK, with her husband and dog, and spends all day dreaming up stories full of really hot men.

Website: www.jjharper-author.com

Author page:  http://www.facebook.com/findingme.series

Author page: http://www.facebook.com/jjhoney.writes

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1581214565505453/

Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/jessjhoney

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13597701.J_J_Harper

Tumblr:  https://www.tumblr.com/blog/superjjhoney

Pinterest:  https://uk.pinterest.com/jjhoneywrites/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jessjhoney

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jj-harper

Amazon author page

https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00VMP2V90

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00VMP2V90

Harper’s Honeys: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1581214565505453/

Sign up to my newsletter here

http://eepurl.com/bSKDrL

 

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