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Jocelynn Drake

Rialto by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: RB, Exclusive Guest Post, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

Someone has it out for Rialto.

Ian Banner is loving his hectic life. He’s newly married, ready to start a family, and opening a new restaurant. All his dreams are coming true.

The last thing he needs is a problem with his restaurant.

But when one attack after another comes, he grows convinced he has another enemy.

Ian tries to handle things by himself, but his friends are soon drawn in when the attacks become violent. That’s when Ian realizes the target isn’t Rialto. It’s him.

Rialto is the final installment in the Unbreakable Bonds series and features sexy times, Daciana snuggles, overprotective family, fire, and of course, code names.

Title:  Rialto

Series: Unbreakable Bonds Series #8

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott LLC

Release Date: December 16, 2019

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 74,000

Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense

 

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4 Cornerstone Locations of the Unbreakable World By Jocelynn Drake

When you’re lucky enough to either be writing a long series around a specific group of friend, or if you’re lucky enough to fall in love with a series like that, you find yourself returning to some of the same locations over and over again. There’s always that one friend’s house where everyone gathers. Or maybe that favorite neighborhood pub where you sit in the same stool every time.

These places start to feel like home as much as your own bed or sofa in your house.

The boys of the Unbreakable Bonds quickly developed four such places that they quickly identified as home and I thought we’d visit those places today.

Shiver

Lucas’s night club Shiver in downtown Cincinnati was one of his favorite and it was the best place to kick off the series. The wild and adventurous night club encapsulated the crazy roller-coaster rides that were ahead of the boys. But Shiver itself was very much described Lucas Vallois – cold, bold, and different from the rest of the crowd. Even in the midst of the all the noise and chaos of the night club, the boys had their own secret hideaway that set them apart.

I think Shiver most closely called to the Lucas and Snow of old. They were cold, unreachable men. Rowe could never be described as cold, so it was a difficult fit for him, but he was always happy to follow his friends wherever they went. Sadly, we never got to see Ian here, but then the chef had his own place in the world.

Rialto

The restaurant created by Ian Pierce and funded by Lucas Vallois, Rialto served as the kitchen and dining room table where this strange little family gathered. Ian’s cooking was to die for, and the boys were always happy to gather here for just another taste. But Rialto was also Ian’s domain. It was the place where Ian started to come into his own, where he found and stretched his self-confidence. It was the one place where he ruled supreme. The Unbreakable Boys had a tendency to bulldoze anyone not speaking loud enough; they tended to overprotect. Standing in Rialto, it was the one place where Ian could be sure that his voice would always be heard. In Rialto, Ian is king.

Rialto has always been a place of family and love. Lucas had his first “date” with Andrei in Rialto. Ian had numerous meetings and important discussions with the boys in Rialto. It was where Ian managed to slowly woo Hollis with his cooking.

Ward Security

If Rialto was the dining room for the family home, then Ward Security was the armory. Of course, if you ask Rowe and Noah, they’d likely tell you it was the toy chest. When you’ve got stubborn, bossy men like Lucas and Snow in your life, it’s hard to claim yourself the undisputed ruler of anything, but Rowe managed to carve out his own territory in Ward Security. The converted warehouse was where Rowe gathered together the very best toys, whether you’re talking about weapons, surveillance, or just random tech. Rowe is a big believer in he who has the best toys wins, and Rowe very much wants to win. But he also wants to be well equipped for any eventuality. He cares a great deal about the people in his employ and he wants them to always be protected against danger.

But more than just toys and gadgets, Ward Security was where the boys came to seek Rowe’s advice. Sometimes they needed his help in uncovering some hidden facts or mounting rescue missions. And sometimes they just needed his expertise on how to proceed. For Rowe, Noah, and Andrei, Ward Security became a second home to meet the other half of their family – the Ward Security family.

The Penthouse

When you received your key to the penthouse, you knew you were a part of something special. Lucas’s penthouse in The Ascent, a condo skyrise in Northern Kentucky, was more than just Lucas’s home. It was a home for all of them. At one time or another, they all slept and ate meals in that penthouse. Ian made breakfast twice a week there. They got drunk so many times in that penthouse. And it was the first home for Daciana Vallois.

Rising above the Ohio River to look down on Cincinnati, the penthouse was a fortress and an escape. When the world threatened, it was the one place they could all run to and be safe for at least a few hours.

For all of the Unbreakable Boys, the penthouse was home.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick tour of the four cornerstone places within the Unbreakable Bonds world. If you’ve not read the series yet, we hope that you make a stop in Cincinnati and meet the boys. The series is now complete with eight novels and four short story collections. Jump into the adventure today!

I’m so obsessed with this series that I didn’t even care who it involved, I love them all! However, in this one, we get to see Ian and how amazing his restaurant, Rialto is doing. He’s got an amazing family, a career that he loves and the man of his dreams who he’s taking the steps to become foster parents with. Ian’s life is as close to perfect as he could’ve ever imagined and boy, did he deserve it.

Hollis is working as a PI, which you know is kinda like his work as a cop, but with fewer rules and red tape, so it’s perfect for him. As long as he gets to come home to the love of his life every night, he can’t complain. Everything’s been quiet, the families are getting settled and, well, it was about time for explosions and mayhem, right?

When someone starts attacking Rialto, Ian thinks it’s probably just someone jealous of his restaurant or his success, especially now that he’s opening a second place. It starts off with little things, like a call to ICE, bad reviews online and surprise visits from the health department… but with anything that comes to these guys, it escalates and does it quickly. Only, it’s been years since Ian’s had any trouble with anyone and the person he had trouble with… Is dead… so, who could possibly have it out for him?

The one thing that drives me crazy about these guys, is their all set to suffer alone. Like, you have this family who SPECIALIZES in finding people, eliminating threats and who genuinely take it as an insult when you keep them out of the loop with things that involve your safety…So, why do you insist on keeping everything from them? I understood Ian’s reasonings this time and was glad that that didn’t last long, but still…

It isn’t hard to figure out the type of person behind all the trouble, and let me tell you, you’ll fall more in love with Ian and his big heart when he discovers the who and the why. I don’t want to give anything away, but I’m so flippin’ petty, I might’ve acted as I’m sure, Snow, Rowe, Lucas and Noah would’ve loved too, but Ian, although fierce when he has to be, especially when it comes to his family… I loved his determination in this one. His forgiving heart and his patience and understanding…. I just loved it all, even though it raised my blood pressure and kept me on edge for a good last hour of the story lol

If you love this family, their shenanigans, cute babies, ridiculous code names and lots of steamy love.. don’t skip this one. It was a great ending, though, I’m still hoping for a spin-off or something so it’s not really over… but even if it is… everyone is in such a good place and they’re all so healthy and happy and together. What could be better than that?! Perfect addition <3

5 pieces of eye candy

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | eMail

http://drakeandelliott.com/

https://www.facebook.com/drakeandelliott/

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drakeandelliott@gmail.com

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

by

Vampires slaughtered my family.

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

But nothing prepared me for Marcus Varik.

Tall, dark, and mind-numbingly sexy.

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

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

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

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

Title:  Claiming Marcus

Series: Lords of Discord #1

Author: Jocelynn Drake

Publisher: Indie

Release Date: 10/31/2019

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 100,000

Genre: Romance, paranormal romance

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The Playlist for CLAIMING MARCUS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Ethan?”

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

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

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

“Ethan…I…”

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

But with Marcus, he felt like more.

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

Because he’s a vampire.

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

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

Wow….

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

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

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

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

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

5 well deserved pieces of eye candy from me!

SO GOOD!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.5 pieces of eye candy

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

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

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

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

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All For Wesley by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

A B&B owner takes on a posh hotel developer in this enemies-to-lovers story with plenty of South Florida heat.

The grudge match is set to get nasty.

Wesley and Nathan are willing to pull out all the stops to achieve their dreams.

They just never expected the heat between them to carry over to the bedroom.

After one reckless night burning up the sheets, Wes and Nathan can’t stay away from each other.

But is there any hope of them having their happily ever after when it means someone has to give up his dream?

All For Wesley is a standalone enemies-to-lovers MM romance with sneaking, spying, family troubles, helpful movie stars, one poorly timed hurricane, and all the feels.

Title:  All for Wesley

Series: Pineapple Grove #2

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake and Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: October 4, 2019

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 67,000

Genre: Romance

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Closing his eyes for a moment, Wesley mentally chastised himself. This whole plan had been insane. Following Nathan into the gym only to trap himself? Freaking brilliant.  At least he knew if the B and B thing didn’t work out, his future was not in private investigation.

Wesley hid among the lockers for what felt like a long time, listening to some low conversations, though none were Nathan’s voice. A couple of lockers slammed shut, and it sounded like people were heading for the shower. When it grew quiet, Wesley released the breath he’d been holding for far too long. He sneaked out from the last row of lockers, aiming to make a beeline straight to the exit and back to Wilton Cottage.

Except Nathan was waiting for him, leaning against the lockers.

In a towel.

They were alone in the locker room.

“You positively suck at being inconspicuous, do you know that? That bright shirt can be seen a mile away.” Nathan chuckled and crossed his arms over his wide, bare chest.

The towel slipped an inch lower, and all Wesley could do was stare at the light-brown happy trail below his navel and wonder how it would feel under his tongue. He could drop to his knees and tug that towel off, wouldn’t take much to dislodge it…

“Blake!”

He blinked up to find Nathan’s eyes narrowed as he stared at him. Heat crept up his neck, and he worked to remember why he was there. Hell, he could barely remember his name right then. His gaze slipped down that muscular chest again. He couldn’t help himself. Damn, but Nathan Randall was built. A lot more than he’d expected. Those damn suits hid all the good stuff.

“Are you even capable of conversation right now?”

“Hmm?” Had that towel moved when his abs contracted?

The soft laugh that met his ears did little to pull him out of his stupor. Had his mouth been dry before? Because now it was watering something fierce.

Nathan stepped closer and lifted his chin with warm fingers. “There’s an…interesting scent coming from you.”

That slammed Wesley right back down to earth. “I stepped in dog shit.” The humor of the situation got to him all of a sudden and he snorted.

Nathan grinned and Wesley was stunned at how such a little thing could transform Nathan’s entire demeanor. Had he really never seen Nathan smile at him? Well, he was sure he had, but there had always been a look of calculation in his eyes. Like he hadn’t really felt the warm emotion that went with the smile. He’d only done it to put Wesley at ease. But this time, the grin was matched with amusement in his eyes and those adorable little crinkles that stretched out from the corners. “It’s not a pleasant smell,” Nathan murmured.

“I promise, I usually smell better.”

“I’m aware.”

Wesley and Nathan, they were a little slow going for me at first, even though I am kind of a sucker for enemies to lovers. I’ve been so ready for Wesley’s story, I just knew he was going to be so sweet.

So, in this one, we have Nathan, a hotel developer who is set to stop at nothing to get Wesley, the owner of a quaint little homey, B&B in Pineapple Grove, right on the ocean. Where the B&B is a place where Wesley spent years transforming it into the perfect place for the members of his community to come and feel at home and welcome, Nathan’s idea to tear down the building and put in a newer and fancier hotel and his “dream” was built on revenge because of his own childhood in the community.

Now, don’t get me wrong… did I see where he was coming from? Absolutely! He had a terrible childhood because of his father and he wanted to show everyone who ever ignored his need for help as a child, that he wasn’t someone to discarded as trashy or unworthy, so what better way to show them, than showing them his success…. But, his dream seemed kind of immature, especially when he started having feelings for Wesley.

And I cannot lie, their back and forth, in the beginning, was a little bit repetitive, the first half of the book was just Wesley snarking at Nathan about wanting to tear his place down… I mean, it was sometimes cute and he got a couple of good digs in, but it was mostly the same thing over and over but at the same time, he was having feelings for Nathan and Nathan for him. When they decided to let their guards down though, I enjoyed them together, especially when Wesley was the type Nathan had needed as a kid and it was impossible to see that he loved and cared about his community so much, oftentimes more than himself. I loved that about him and I loved watching Wesley start falling for that part of him because it felt so important.

Anyway… I don’t wanna give the whole thing away, but there are some bumps and bruises along the way, but if you adore anything this duo writes together, you’ll love one just the same. It’s a nice change of pace from the guns and action sequences I swear that I can see in my head, and it’s sweet and sometimes sappy and I loved every second of it.
Another hit in a pretty awesome series and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for Lincoln and Jamison!!

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.


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Ignite (Unbreakable Bonds Book 7) by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review * 2 and Giveaway

by

Two of Noah’s Army buddies are dead.

Someone has taken shots at Noah.

And now Noah’s former lover, JB, is a target.

Noah, Rowe, and JB team up to track down a killer trying to take out all of Noah’s old Army team in hopes of covering up a dark secret.

But this trip to Washington, D.C. threatens to unravel the perfect life that Rowe and Noah have built over the past three years. JB’s arrival in their lives have Rowe and Noah wondering if they want the same thing for their happily ever after.

Rowe is sure of one thing—nobody threatens his man. And he sets out to show anyone with a hidden agenda what a bad decision that was.

Title:  Ignite

Series: Unbreakable Bonds #7

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: July 26, 2019

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 73,000

Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense

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Noah smiled to himself as he watched Rowe drive them home. His hands slid easily along the leather wheel. Soon those strong hands would be stroking down his body. The way the man kept looking at him during the wedding had him half-hard all evening. He knew it was the wedding—all the romance in the air.

A lingering worry had nipped at him earlier in the day that Ian’s wedding would bring back painful memories of Rowe’s own wedding, but he seemed fine and Noah couldn’t be more thankful.

So, he watched those hands. Being touched by Rowe was like nothing else in this world. The man worshiped his body with an all-in intensity that frankly awed Noah. And he knew that wouldn’t change, no matter how long they were together. He took in his dark-red hair, lit by moonlight, disheveled as usual, and his ripped shoulders and arms. The man filled out a suit well, but he couldn’t wait to peel him out of it.

“Keep staring at me like that, and I’ll be finding a secluded spot to pull over,” Rowe murmured, giving him a steamy look.

“That’d be fine with me. Did I tell you how hot you are today? You should wear suits more often.”

“Soon as we get home, I’ll show you my birthday suit.”

“That’s my favorite suit of all.” Noah grinned.

Rowe pulled to a stop at a red light and turned toward him, his green-eyed gaze hotter than the sun. “You clean up nice yourself. Come here.”

Noah leaned over to kiss him. Brakes squealed sharply. Noah jerked his lips away from Rowe’s before they could touch. A car had pulled up, perpendicular to theirs, in the middle of the intersection. A loud bang quickly followed and the ping of glass breaking. Startled, he looked at the windshield to find a small hole in it.

“Shit, get down!” Rowe grabbed him and shoved him into the seat, covering him with his body just as another shot broke through the windshield.

“Someone is fucking shooting at us!” Rowe stretched over him to reach the glove box where he kept his gun. He yanked it out but stayed down. “Are you hurt?”

Noah couldn’t believe the man covered him, but that was Rowe. “No, I’m fine. You?”

“I’m good.”

Tires squealed again and the roar of the car engine grew softer. A knock on the driver’s window had them both jerking upright. Rowe aimed the gun in that direction, ready to put two in whoever was stupid enough to be standing there. Noah rose, ready to jump out of their truck and attack.

The woman outside screamed and ducked away from the window. “I was just making sure you were all right!” she yelled, and Rowe immediately lowered his gun. “The person shooting drove off, but I got a good look at the car. I’m beside you at the stoplight. The driver just pulled right into the intersection and someone shot out of the front passenger window. Is everyone okay? I called 9-1-1.”

Noah looked out the windshield to find the first hole directly in front of him. He turned and found a matching bullet hole in the seat. It would have pierced his heart. Whoever shot at them had one hell of an aim. Or at least, they would have if Noah hadn’t leaned over to kiss Rowe at that moment. <em>Holy fuck</em>, <em>that was close!</em>

His stomach was in knots as he met his boyfriend’s gaze. “What the hell?”

Rowe rolled down his window, apologizing to the woman for scaring her. “What kind of car was it?”

“A black Volkswagen hatchback.”

“Did you see anyone in the car? Could you tell if either person was a man or woman?”

“The passenger looked like a man. I’m sorry, I didn’t get a good look at the person’s face.”

Sirens sounded in the distance, getting steadily closer. Rowe put his gun back into the glovebox and they both got out of the truck to look at the damage. Two police cars arrived with a roar of engines. The first cop opened his door and stood with his gun at the ready.

“The shooter drove away,” the woman yelled. She was certainly helpful and brave to have gotten out of her car at all. Her red Honda was still parked at the light beside them with several more cars stalled there as well. None of those people had gotten out of their vehicles, but now they did as the police gathered.

Rowe and Noah answered questions but because they’d ducked, they had less to offer by way of explanation than the woman who’d witnessed the whole thing.

“Was more than likely a drive-by,” one of the cops said as he made a few notes in his little notepad. “We’ve had a few of them recently. I’m glad nobody was hurt this time. The others weren’t so lucky.”

But Noah had a feeling it wasn’t some random drive-by.

Fun, sexy, exciting. Yes, yes, yes. Definitely those things. Explosions, gun fights, chases. Those as well. What else would you expect of these guys? The couple of focus in this book are Rowe and Noah. We also meet JB, Noah’s former teammate and lover from when they were in the Rangers. Seems someone is taking out ex military who might have witnessed an ambush years ago in Afghanistan. Two are already dead, Noah and JB are next.

Underlying all of this excitement are Noah and Rowe contemplating their future together. Most importantly, marriage and children.

There isn’t a lot of the original guys in this story, but several do make appearances- the core four and their significant others. But they don’t take a big part of the story at all- definitely supporting players.

Ok, here is my wet blanket. A couple of things really took me out of the story. The first is that Noah and Rowe are the victims of a drive by shooting on the way home from Ian’s wedding. Not only is everything seemingly just taken care of at the scene by the cops, there is no further questioning, no ballistics done on the bullet in their car and they were free to go home, in bullet riddled car, very quickly. Like, meh, no big deal.

Even though these guys are trying to figure out who and why people are trying to kill them, they make time for sex. Lengthy sex. Ok, that’s fine. But you really have sex toys packed?

I won’t tell you the third thing because while it isn’t really a spoiler, it does happen at the end. But it is a minor part of the story that is never finished.

So I am so used to looking over explosions, tons of dead people, destroyed property, because fiction. Because it’s fun. And exciting. And good reading. But yea, those couple things bugged me. I’M SORRY!

It is still a good book. Like I said, fun, exciting, sexy, explosions, etc. Definitely read it if you have been reading all of these books. Because it is worth it. It’s like an action blockbuster where the female hero wears heels all of the time. Like, who cares? but it bugs me.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

I was so excited to see this one pop up because Rowe and Noah have been my favorite! (Don’t tell the others, I think I’m attracted to their crazy!)

So, in the beginning, we see Ian and Hollis getting married through the eyes of Rowe. I loved seeing everyone there for them, seeing as Hollis had to battle the brood for a while before they saw how much he loved Ian, and how Ian needed someone exactly like Hollis to claim him. And if anyone deserved a HEA, it was Ian….loved it….

As we know though, weddings does things to folks and it had both men thinking about where they saw their relationship going. They know they love each other… they know it’s forever and I was a little bummed to know how they felt about marriage and kids and stuff, but only because I’m a sap and I want the whole hog for all of them. There is no denying their love for each other though. On the way home from the wedding, they run into some trouble that the police try and brush off, but both men with their skillset feel that it’s way more than local law enforcement is treating it as.

When an old friend/brother-in-arms/past lover calls and confirms that not only are a couple of teammates dead, but he’s being targeted and fears that Noah will be too… binging him back home with them, they want to get to the bottom of whoever is out to hurt them before they have a chance to come back and finish the job!
JB, I thought was going to be trouble (he’s the old friend/brother-in-arms/ex-lover… I didn’t think Iw as going to like him because I’m so incredibly obsessed with Noah and Rowe and I didn’t want anyone coming in and making them doubt anything or trying to come in between them. I wasn’t a fan…

However, Rowe got his possessive and crazy jealous self and Noah assured him that he had nothing to worry about and JB was actually really charming, incredibly likable and fit in great with the guys and their craziness. I do hope he pops back up in future books because it was obvious that he still had feelings for Noah and unrequited love sucks! I want him to find his happy, he deserves it too.

Now, I won’t get into the who’s and the why’s of who and why Noah and his ex-team is being targeted because it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was flipping through electronic pages and I don’t want to ruin that for y’all. I do feel like I need a mood stabilizer after it though… and it’s crazy how this duo can paint such vivid pictures of all the hilarity and chaos and have me gripping my kindle with clammy nervous hands until all is right in the world again. This one was no different.

If you’ve read any of the others in this series or the ones they’ve spun off from, you should be no stranger to the heart palpitations, the love, the broody, charming, gorgeous, possessive, hilarious family they write about. What starts out sweet, soon turns to hellfire and explosions and kidnappings and violence and murder and bad guys… but then gives us the sweetest weddings, babies, puppys, family and so so so much love that it makes every second of it worth it.

Awesome addition and I can’t wait to see who’s next!

This one gets all the stars!

5 pieces of eye candy

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

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Killer Bond (Ward Security Series Book 5) by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott: New Release Review

by

Daniel Hendricks wants a vacation. Ward Security’s accountant and resident code breaker just needs a little R&R from the chaos and usual shenanigans of the office.

But what was supposed to be a sexy vacation hook-up explodes in his face when he’s mistaken for a rogue secret agent.

Now he’s on the run with CIA agent Edward Raines from Bermuda to Barcelona to Paris as they try to find the secrets the real rogue was attempting to sell before another foreign spy does.

The chemistry between them is off the charts, but how is Daniel supposed to trust a man who had originally set out to kill him?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

What a fun book! Even though this is Book 5 in the Ward Security series– which is a spin off of the Unbreakable Bonds series– it is definitely the stand aloniest of all of them. (Yes, I made up a word. You’re welcome)

The story gets almost immediately into the action. Daniel, quiet accountant for Ward Security, is finally on vacation. He doesn’t care that he is alone. Well, not really. But a super hot guy sits next to him on the beach. Flirting leads to dinner leads to what Daniel thinks is a one night stand. But Edward thinks Daniel is a rogue agent out to sell government secrets to the highest bidder. Until the rogue agent and Daniel are in the same room and the similarity is shocking.

And so begins a very James Bond like adventure. With really hot sex. Because as freaked out as Daniel is at the beginning of this adventure, being lied to by Edward AND realizing that Edward had fully intended on killing the rogue agent (him, but not him), he really doesn’t want a roll in the hay again. Buttttttttttt… he can’t help it.

Edward and Daniel traipse through several European countries trying to not only find the information that was set to be sold, but to also figure out who the real rogue agent’s partner is. I loved how Daniel insisted on seeing the sights while also basically running for their lives. It cracked me up. But hey, if that was probably going to be my one and only time in France, I might do the same.

There is very little mention of “the guys” at Ward Security and mostly only one of his coworkers in involved very slightly. So it wasn’t the typical rousing of the troops to save the day. It was pretty much just Daniel and Edward.

Fun, exciting, sexy….and a happily ever after. Must read.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Killer Bond by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: Release Day Review

by

Daniel Hendricks wants a vacation. Ward Security’s accountant and resident code breaker just needs a little R&R from the chaos and usual shenanigans of the office.

But what was supposed to be a sexy vacation hook-up explodes in his face when he’s mistaken for a rogue secret agent.

Now he’s on the run with CIA agent Edward Raines from Bermuda to Barcelona to Paris as they try to find the secrets the real rogue was attempting to sell before another foreign spy does.

The chemistry between them is off the charts, but how is Daniel supposed to trust a man who had originally set out to kill him?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I swear, every new one of these books, they convince me they’re my favorite. I don’t think anyone will top Rowe and Noah, or maybe Lucas and Andrei… Mmmkay, nevermind, I can’t pick.

So, in this one we have Ward Security accountant, former FBI-guy, Daniel, vacationing in Barcelona. With a head for numbers and a quieter job than the rest of the guys at Ward, he didn’t really feel like he fit in; so he needed some time away.

Sitting on the beach with a good book and a cocktail, he’s surprised when a very charming and good looking man sits next to him and chats him up. Normally shy and more reserved than the other guys, I liked how confident and flirty he seemed with Edward, even if he was still a little shy.

And Edward, who was supposed to be in telecommunications, turns out to be a secret CIA agent with a job to do and mistakes Daniel for someone else, he figures he’ll do whatever he needs to do to get what he needs from Daniel; even if it means seducing him.

Edward, even though he’s kind of a bad guy disguised good guy… I found him incredibly charming, even when he talked about seducing and probably killing Daniel when he was done with him. Their connection was immediate, and even though he tried to keep his distance from him, it proved pretty impossible because Daniel was equally as charming.

When described like a Bond movie, that’s exactly what this was. I was flipping pages almost faster than I could read them. Every time I thought that the danger was over, they were thrust back into it, and I want to explain it all so you’ll see how amazing and heart-pounding this is, but you just need to experience it for yourself.

Also, if you haven’t read the other ones in this series, what is wrong with you?! Stop what you’re doing and go do it! You’ll find yourself fighting over favorites like I do, I guarantee it!

As much fun as the adventure, the site-seeing, the danger and the getting to know each other was with these two, my heart kind of broke a couple of times for Daniel, because he fell for Edward so quickly, and even though Edward was a little bit better at hiding it, he’d fallen for Daniel too. He was actually really sweet and though dangerous and quite deadly… he was protective and possessive and everything we all love from these guys!

There were twists and expectations that I had that turned out to be completely wrong, which I was glad about because in every story I’ve ever read, the ‘handler’ turns out to be a bad guy. I was waiting for that. And just when you think that everything’s over… it turns out to be just the beginning for these two. I was really disappointed by the end. I hadn’t been paying attention and I wanted about 10 more chapters, just cuz!

Overall though, I love this series…. It’s a frequent go-to for me and I love every single couple and every mini-movie that each story feels like. I can’t wait to see who’s next, and I hope to see more of these two in the future…

5 pieces of eye candy