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North’s Pole by Leta Blake: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Located on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille in beautiful Northern Idaho, Camp Bay Chalet is a discrete and cozy B&B, popular with both locals and minor celebrities for its fabulous holiday weekends.

The pic seen around the world….

The son of Hollywood royalty, North Astor-Ford has lived his entire life in the public’s eye. He knows better than anyone that someone is always watching.

So when one not-so-innocent picture meant for a hook-up accidentally ends up crossposted across all his social media, North is left humiliated and scared. With no one to turn to, he flees to Camp Bay Chalet to be close to the one person he used to count on to protect him from the world.

Liam’s life has been in a holding pattern since the moment North fired him three years ago, even if it was for the best. A romance between a bodyguard and his client would’ve caused exactly the sort of scandal Liam was hired to prevent.

Now that North is back in his orbit, Liam’s going to do what he does best, protect North from the world. And maybe, just maybe, the charm of a Camp Bay Chalet Christmas will be enough to both heal North and bring about the romance they’ve both always wanted.

North’s Pole takes place in the Camp Bay shared universe, but can be read as a stand-alone. Look for more of the Camp Bay universe in Stolen Christmas by Marie Sexton.

Title: North’s Pole
Authors: Leta Blake
Length: 60K
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Christmas, rom-com, light Gay Romance.
Tropes: Himbo + Cinnamon roll, Christmas, new adult.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

North Astor-Ford, son of hotel heiress Susan Astor and actor Deacon Ford, is in piping hot—yes, that’s boiling hot—water! This time over an, ahem, inappropriate upload to his social media accounts. The internet is burning down over this scorching and raunchy shot!

“Why are you looking at that garbage?” I asked my sister.

“What? TikTok?” Maeve ran her thumb over the screen, navigating away from the video discussing the latest bumble my former protectee, twenty-one-year-old North Astor-Ford, had made.

She reclined on the sofa, propping up her swollen feet after a shift on the ER’s hard floors and scrolling TikTok like her life depended on it. “Your ‘garbage’ is my ‘yummy treat.’”

“It’s shameless gossip about a guy who—” I stopped myself.

Maeve glanced up, one perfectly shaped, black brow lifting, as her lips twisted into that annoying smirk, which, as her twin, I was all too familiar with. I’m pretty sure she’d smirked at me like that in the womb.

“It’s also cat-in-Santa-hat videos and old people dancing and puppies in the rain and babies tasting sour things for the first time and KPop idols and holiday memes and—”

“Stop. I get it.”

“Clearly, you don’t.”

“Maybe you’re the one who doesn’t get it.”

Immature and ineffective as a come-back goes, sure, but it was all I had in me when my mind kept circling back to the implications of that TikTok about North.

I gave myself a stern, internal lecture.

You have no right to give a damn anymore when it comes to North Astor-Ford and his sexy problems.

Avoidance had worked in the past, and I could make it work again. I turned my focus to helping my four-year-old nephew put all his Tonka Trucks, Matchbox Cars, and Paw Patrol figures back in the big, blue bin they belonged in. We crawled around on the floor together as Aiden sang the “clean up” song I’d taught him.

A few seconds passed.

“Give me that,” I said, crawling over to Maeve and surrendering to my curiosity.

Grabbing the phone from her hand, I accidentally cued the next video. “How do I…?” I tried swiping up and down, but that just brought me to a video of a black cat eating a holiday-themed treat with a superior expression on his face while a male voiceover narrated the cat’s smug inner-thoughts. “Christ, get that video back, will you?” I thrust the phone back to her.

“Yeah, Christ, Mama,” Aiden echoed. “Get the bideo back.”

“I’ve told you not to teach him to take God’s name in vain,” Maeve scolded. “Mom will have a heart attack.”

“He didn’t take God’s name—”

“He did, Liam.”

“He took His Son’s name in vain.” Shockingly, she didn’t fry me with her glare. “Never mind. Just find that video again.”

She frowned at the phone as she scrolled. “I don’t know why you still care about that spoiled kid. He left you jobless during a pandemic in the middle of a crap economy. You owe him nothing.”

“I know.”

It was true, but it wasn’t the whole story.

I’d never told Maeve the truth about North and why he’d let me go during his senior year of high school. Having a bodyguard, even a nineteen-year-old one like I’d been back then, was always going to be a pain in North’s ass. But having a bodyguard he was attracted to was oh-so-much worse.

I couldn’t blame North for wanting to put himself out of his misery by putting me as far away as possible. The fact it’d helped me out of my misery, too—because the attraction was very much mutual—was something I hadn’t shared with anyone in my family. Though something told me Mom and Maeve both suspected the truth.

“Here,” Maeve said, passing the phone over before heaving herself upright. She patted the sofa next to her. “I want to watch too.”

The TikTok-er was a young brunette woman with hair that was half-long, half-short, but not really a mullet either. She wore enormous peppermint candy-shaped earrings and very long fingernails that were painted with sparkling candy-cane stripes. She seemed more gleeful than outraged as she described North’s mishap.

And it truly seemed like a mishap to me.

Though some on the internet were apparently calling it a gross violation of human decency, and others were saying it was sexual harassment via non-consensual worldwide web exposure.

“It’s true I never consented to see that pic,” the woman said, eyes wide with delight. “But it’s not like I’m mad about it!” She laughed. “If you’re going to upload your tool to the bona fide inter-damn-net in this year of our Lord twenty-twenty-two, at least make sure you’re showing off a nice hammer, am I right? And, oh my God, North Astor-Ford has one divine hammer!” The TikTok-er pretended to gag on a dick before adding, “Just call him Thor! Whew, what a dick pic!”

Not my protectee. Not my problem.

I mentally repeated the mantra: Not my problem. So why did North still feel like my problem?

One of the things I liked about this book is that it was different. Different in that the two main characters have an established relationship (one was the bodyguard of the other) but hadn’t seen each other in 3 years. AND the book doesn’t start with the established relationship. It is explained to us at necessary points in the book. It is a bit strange that Liam became a bodyguard at 19. NINETEEN? Really? And North’s super picky parents were cool with it? I can’t get over that.

That said, there were other good parts. Liam is a caretaker and thrives on it. So when North is back in his life, he has someone to focus on. Someone he really cares about. North needs taking care of. I hate to say someone is dumb, but the one main character, North, is definitely not the brightest crayon in the box.

The setting for the story sounded like a fairytale. A chalet in snowy Idaho at Christmas time.

Liam and North are made for each other. They are adorable of course, but it bothered me that Liam basically ditched his family because of North. Not permanently, obviously. But basically like “sorry, North is here. do not disturb”. And North being that dull crayon is just happy to have Liam all to himself.

There were cute scenes and sexy scenes. North’s parents are ridiculous and his sister is kind of a jerk, imo. And he has the loving grandmother and the nasty grandmother. Liam’s mother is the stereotypical “oh we’ve never met but welcome and let me hug you and do all of the motherly things” mom. Liam’s nephews are super cute, natch, but his sister keeps North at arm’s length.

Cute story, good setting. Some of it was a bit eye rolling. But, yanno, grain of salt. Or flake of sn0w. Whichever.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake‘s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

If you’d like to be among the first to know about new releases, you can sign up for Leta’s newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bdn32H

Bonus material for the Heat of Love series, Will & Patrick Wake Up Married series, Training Season series, Smoky Mountain Dreams, Mr. Frosty Pants, The River Leith, and more is available on Leta Blake’s Patreon account. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/letablake

Or you can find out more about her by following her online:

On the web: https://letablake.com

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letablake

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/LetaBlake

Enter the giveaway for your chance to win 1 of 3 epic prizes:

  • International Gift Basket – 1 AudioCode (US or UK only) of the winner’s choice, a signed bookplate & a $10 Amazon Gift Card
  • US Big Gift Basket – A Signed Paperback, 1 AudioCode of winner’s choice & $20 Amazon Gift Card
  • US Small Gift Basket – 1 AudioCode of the winner’s choice & $10 Amazon Gift Card

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Bete Noire: En Pointe, Book Two (En Pointe Series 2) by Mickie B Ashling: Release Blitz, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Misha Vergara had it all—a promising career as a principal dancer, a thriving stage partnership with Talia Baranova, and the unconditional support of his mentor—until he revealed his true feelings for Henri.

Crushed, and worried about her own reputation, Talia publicly denounced Misha and severed their intricate relationship. Now, thirsting for revenge, she vows to destroy the people he loves. Dating his alleged half brother is only the beginning.

Kazimir Lebedev has done everything he can for his illegitimate son, except acknowledge paternity. When Misha announces he’s bisexual, Kaz struggles to understand. With Talia behaving recklessly and making vicious threats, he can no longer guarantee a good outcome, for any of them.

Finally reunited after a six month separation, Misha and Henri enjoy every sublime moment of their New York vacation. Henri has secretly loved Misha since he was thirteen years old, so being out with him is a dream come true. Until news of an abduction propels them back to St. Petersburg, Russia. Will they weather this latest crisis and grow even closer or will Talia wreak havoc on their newfound bliss?

Bête Noir is a direct sequel to Torn, the first book in the En Pointe Series. The novels should be read in order to fully appreciate the dynamic of these complex characters. Content Warning: Kidnapping, violence, death of a secondary character.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Misha’s POV

As I stood at the back of the theater, enjoying what might be Henri’s last performance at the Mariinsky, I soaked in his arresting presence. Even in the White Rabbit costume, with heavy stage makeup masking his attractive features, he shined like the brightest star in the sky. When we were on stage together, I couldn’t take in the full measure of his talent, but from a distance, I was enchanted by his playful interpretation of the role. It was no surprise the audience was riveted whenever he appeared. His legs were encased in red tights, leaving nothing to the imagination, and I zeroed in on his scrumptious package. My body’s spontaneous reaction to Henri was predictable, and I reached down to adjust myself, looking forward to the lovemaking we would enjoy later in the evening.

After the performance, I waved my ID at the security guards, in lockstep with everyone else. Although they recognized me, I couldn’t deviate from the rules. I took the stairs down to the basement where Henri shared a dressing room with a bunch of other guys.

I received the usual perfunctory greetings, and waited for Henri to shed his rabbit persona. He creamed off the heavy makeup, while fixing his moss-green gaze on my image standing behind him. When his cinnamon complexion peeked through the guck, he smiled in response to my reaction.

I bent forward and whispered in his ear. “You are so hot.”

“Like what you see?”

“Very much.”

“I can’t wait to find out,” he breathed.

“Whenever you’re ready, my love.”

My endearment generated another dazzling smile and he pushed away from the changing table. I tracked his progress like a hawk eying his next meal. Standing in front of his open locker, Henri rolled off the sinful tights, removed his top, and reached for his street clothes. The elastic bands of the jockstrap encircled his waist and disappeared down his ass crack while the front pouch cradled his genitals. I might have drooled at this point, and if we didn’t get away soon I couldn’t be held responsible for my actions. He cackled when he recognized the blatant desire on my face and hurried to cover up.

Grabbing his bag, he reached for my hand. “Ready?”

“Hell, yeah.”

We headed to his apartment to get a change of clothes for tomorrow. When the elevator door opened, there were three men in dark suits waiting outside his door. I pressed the down button before they could react, and we took off running when it dinged open.

“What’s going on?” Henri demanded when we slowed down several blocks later.

I gave him a quick synopsis of my earlier conversation with the minister and the French expletives pouring out of his mouth were jarring. His agitation was contagious, and my own fear rose significantly.

“Why are we going to the hotel?”

“To get my stuff.”

“I’m sure those bastards already know I’m registered.”

“How?” My naiveté  was still in place and Henri scowled at me.

“The all-seeing FSB has a list of every foreigner who’s flown into this country or rented a car, or checked into a hotel. I will stake my life on it.”

“I believe you,” I said. “Shall we try to catch the train home?”

“What about your things?”

“There’s nothing irreplaceable in my carryall. My wallet and ID are in my pocket. What about you?”

“Same. Let’s go,” he said with some urgency.

“Hold on a second.”

“Why?”

“There’s no turning back if you walk away. They’ll blackball you for sure.”

He gave me one of his typical Gallic shrugs. “And if I stick around, I might lose my actual balls.”

I am such a sucker for a book with dancers. BALLET DANCERS. But I should have left this one alone.

This is not a stand alone so you really must read book 1. I did. Although after reading book 2, both could have used a good edit and then one book that flowed better might have come out of it.

The book takes place mostly in Russia, some in Estonia. And for Russian kids (yes, kids, that is coming next) they speak with a lot of American slang. Totally didn’t fit.

Book 1 set the story. Misha, sort of an orphan, is being raised by his biological grandmother (but he doesn’t know that) and he knows his biological father as her son and calls him uncle. But he has no idea of the blood relation. Luckily (?) he looks like his Brazilian mother. He is part of a famous ballet company in Russia. His uncle sponsors him and his 2 best friends. One, Talia, he partners with and it is assumed that when they are old enough they will marry. BUT he is secretly with his other best friend, Henri.

Here’s where I say something about kids. Look, I know it’s fiction. But I just don’t want to hear about two 16 year olds having sex. It’s kind of icky.

I’m also surprised that it took that long for anyone to realize that Misha’s “uncle” is the Russian Foreign Minister and childhood bffs with Putin.

The uncle is a patron of the ballet and sponsors three dancers but his family never goes with him? His wife who loves being rich and seen by those who care? Because it’s the ballet. In RUSSIA.

It was all just too much. I made it through both books but it sounds like there will be a third. No thanks. I’ll be passing on that.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

MICKIE B. ASHLING is the pseudonym of a multi-published author who resides in a suburb outside Chicago. She is a product of her upbringing in various cultures, having lived in Japan, the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East. Fluent in three languages, she’s a citizen of the world and an interesting mixture of East and West.

Since 2009, Mickie has written several dozen novels in the LGBTQ+ genre—which have been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, and German. Some of her backlist is still “Under Construction” as she slowly transitions from traditional publishing to representing herself. Her goal is to have most of her novels back in the universe by the end of 2023. Audiobooks and foreign translations are still available at Amazon and Audible.

Author Links

Website: https://mickiebashling.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickie.ashling/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MickieAshling

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2904716.Mickie_B_Ashling

Email: mickie.ashling@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickieashling/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mickie-b-ashling

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Identity by E.M. Leya: New Release Review

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When a simple DNA test triggers an alert for a kidnapping that happened nearly thirty years ago, Detective Brax Monson is sent to investigate. He questions the accuracy of the DNA testing until he meets the victim and pieces start to fall together.

Oak never dreamed that he could have been kidnapped from his real family at the age of two. Every memory he has is of a loving mother and father who raised him. But being an attorney, he knows that DNA doesn’t lie.

Working together, Oak and Brax must weave their way through the evidence, trying to piece together why Oak was taken. Neither man planned on needing the other, but as they weed through years of lies and deceit, they find that through the darkness, they are each other’s light as they pursue the truth.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

I’ll start this review by saying, I bought this book myself, it was not an ARC. And I don’t often review for the blog with ones that I purchase…not sure why, I just don’t. 🙂 But I could not let this one get away without giving it a ton of praise.

This book was just fantastic, beginning to end. The MC’s who fall in love, they just do fall in love, slowly (I loved how they really followed the ethical line there). There were no miscommunications that didn’t quite make sense, no secrets, no questioning if they wanted someone else. It was just two mature adults getting to know each other and spending time learning the little parts. However, their romance and HEA was almost a side story to the main story, the aftermath of Oak finding out he had been kidnapped as a toddler.

Oak was not abused, he was loved and cared for. He grew up knowing that, and having the best that his “parents” could provide him. He went to school, became an attorney, still talked to his “parents” quite often after they moved further away in their later years. However, in the end, he had been kidnapped by these people. Taken from a family that had loved him, true parents that searched for him for decades, siblings that missed him.

While Oak and Brax dug deep to find out what really happened and why, Oak was able to connect with his real family, learn to love them quickly, and figure out how to deal with the fallout of such a devastating event on everyone.

He handled it as an adult, but what was so fantastic, was how the author took the reader through Oak’s emotions, and how they changed as each new piece was unveiled. Initially he was torn between loving his “parents” and being angry at them for kidnapping him. He continued to transition those feelings throughout the story until the final moments. Just incredibly well written.

I know this was stand-alone, and I would love to see more of this author’s works that are similar…but I immediately went and looked to see what else E.M. Leya had to offer a reader…quite a lot! How do you pick? I definitely will want more, but where do I start? I’m taking suggestions. 🙂

Without hesitation this one is worth every single piece. 5 pieces of eye candy

Dead Serious Case #2 Mrs Delores Abernathy: (MM Paranormal Romance) (Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Departed) by Vawn Cassidy: New Release Review and Giveaway

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In the business of unfinished business…

It’s been over six months since a freak accident left pathologist Tristan Everett able to see ghosts, something he has yet to confess to his boyfriend. Instead, he now has a new calling, one he’s not entirely happy about… help the dead resolve their unfinished business so they can pass into the light, sounds simple right?

Wrong…

When the spirit of a sweet old lady follows him home he has no idea how to help her. When he finds out she’s been murdered by arsenic poisoning, a curiously outdated murder weapon, he once again finds himself tangled up in a murder investigation.

For Inspector Danny Hayes of New Scotland Yard, life couldn’t be better. After moving to London and meeting Tristan he’s ready to move their relationship to the next level, but something weird is going on with Tristan, he’s acting very strangely and with a killer on the loose he’s not taking any chances. He’s determined to discover whatever it is Tristan’s hiding from him.

Surrounded by a bunch of potentially murderous old ladies and aided by his sidekick, deceased drag queen and spirit guide in training, Dusty, Tristan must unravel the mystery of Mrs Delores Abernathy’s unfinished business and find the courage to share his deepest secret with the man he loves.

From author Wendy Saunders writing as Vawn Cassidy, comes the second book in this funny and touching paranormal MM romance/dark comedy suspense series.

Title: Dead Serious Case #2 Mrs. Delores Abernathy
Authors: Vawn Cassidy
Length: 90K
Series: Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Deceased, Book 2
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense, Romance/Dark Comedy.
Tropes: ongoing paranormal romance/comedy/mystery.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Book 1: Dead Serious Case #1 Miz Dusty Le Frey: (Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Departed)

You have to read book 1 before you read this one. Theoretically, it could stand alone, but you won’t want it to, you will want and need to go back, so just go ahead and start at the beginning.

What a treat this one was! Bringing back Tristan, Danny, and the incomparable Dusty (well, not literally in the last case…unless…). Getting to come back into this world was fun, definitely had it’s sad moments, and an HEA or two.

Honestly, in some ways this could have been the end of a duet of books. There were enough HEAs to go around. We get closure in a few things, and Dusty even gets some closure on her life. But, no way do you want this to be the end of the series. (And if you read below, you will see it isn’t. YEAH!)

Tristan and Danny are settling into their relationship, both are even thinking about the possibility of them moving in together. Tristan and Danny spend time with Tristan’s father (if you want to weep a little…wait for Danny and Tristan’s dad…oh the feels!) Meanwhile, Tristan is still concerned that Danny will think him insane if he tells him he can see ghosts.

Tristan happens to be at the care home for his father, when an elderly woman with severe dementia passes away, but he notices that she has the markings to indicate she died by arsenic poisoning, and the case of Mrs. Delores Abernathy has begun. You can’t help but root for Delores to find her closure, as she sticks to the side of Tristan or Dusty like glue.

There are a few other feel great moments and scenes that will pull at your heartstrings, even as Tristan and Danny work to find Delores’ killer.

Some action and adventure in the old folks home, and with Tristan and Dusty, of course. All in all a good romp through the world that only Crawshank could understand.

Definitely recommend this one, and eagerly anticipating book 3. Make sure you check out the amazing giveaway below, with a chance to be a character!

4 pieces of eye candy

Vawn is running a special event to help raise money for the True Colors United Charity!!!!

Details below:

The Prize

One winner will win the opportunity to be written into book 3 – Dead Series (Cold) Case #3 Mr Bruce Reyes. They can choose the profession of their character and whether they are living or deceased. They will also get a mention on the dedication page and receive a signed paperback copy plus a Dead Serious themed swag bag including Dead Serious Character trading cards, a DS tote, bookmarks, stickers, a keyring and a mug.

 

How to enter

Go to the fundraising page on True Colours and make a donation, it can be as much or as little as you’d like. The donation will act as your entry, so you need to make sure your name is on the donation or added to the comments section of the donation. (Anonymous donations will be ineligible simply because I have no way of contacting them if they are drawn as the winner.)

Anyone who would like to make a donation but doesn’t want to enter the competition can also do so, all they need to do is put N/E in the comments section of their donation.

The fundraiser is open until 31st Mar 2023 at which time a winner will be selected at random from the eligible entries.

 

The Charity

In the United States, 4.2 million youth experience homelessness each year, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their non-LGBTQ peers.

True Colors United is a non-profit which began in New York in 2008 co-founded by Cyndi Lauper. Through a wide array of advocacy, training & education, youth collaboration, and technical assistance programs, True Colors United implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQ young people.

 

Their website link – https://truecolorsunited.org

My fundraising page on True Colours – https://my.truecolorsunited.org/DeadSeriousCharacterMe

 

All the details are also on the events page on my website and links are on all my social media

www.vawncassidy.com/events

.                                .

Vawn Cassidy is the MM pen name of British author Wendy Saunders, she lives in the UK with her husband and children. She loves all things MM and is an avid reader herself.
As Vawn Cassidy she writes Paranormal/Dark Comedy/Mystery and Contemporary Romance and more recently is branching out into Historical & Supernatural MM/LGBTQ+ Fiction with her upcoming London Gothic series.
She also has an insane love of Lego and pop culture.

Connect with Vawn:
Website: www.vawncassidy.com
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/VawnCassidyAuthor
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/group/cassidysbayboys
Instagram: www.instagram.com/vawncassidyauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/VawnCassidy
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/vawncassidy
Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/profile/vawn-cassidy
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3y9ars1

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This is Real Release by Barbara Elsborg: Release Day Review

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A snarky English nerd. A hot American actor. When Christmas brings them together, they have more in common than they know…

Murdo doesn’t do Christmas, but this year, he’s looking forward to spending time with an old friend. Elodie’s working on a film starring Murdo’s Biggest Crush, the gorgeous Lukas Olsen. When Elodie asks him to give Lukas a lift from Logan International, Murdo can’t believe his luck. Lukas might be straight, but ogling’s acceptable—right?
Lukas arrives at the airport to find a gaggle of fans but no driver waiting and when he does turn up, the snarky Englishman can’t even remember where he’s parked. When they finally reach their destination, Lukas tries to tip him and Murdo makes his current opinion of Lukas very clear. His crush is over.

Things move from bad to worse when Murdo tells the director that Lukas’s English accent isn’t authentic. But a pang of guilt, and maybe a remnant of lust, has Murdo offering to give dialect lessons to a resentful Lukas. Only once they’re in Lukas’s house, annoyance turns into something far more dangerous, because Lukas isn’t out and never will be. He has too much to lose: career, fans, family and friends.

Yet something about Murdo makes Lukas want to risk it all…

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

A Christmas story that is set at Christmas but it isn’t really a Christmas story even though one of them hates Christmas and the other is filming a Christmas movie. Got it? Good.

Murdo doesn’t hate Christmas, per se, he just doesn’t have fond memories of it and basically tries to ignore it. And since he is on break from his teaching job, he is headed New Hampshire to visit a college friend and go skiing. Alone. It’s fine.

The college friend is the assistant director on a movie filming right by where Murdo was going to ski, so lucky them that they can get a visit in. But she also needs Murdo to pick up the star of the movie at the airport and bring him. The movie star that Murdo has a crush on.

That crush is, well, crushed, when Lukas turns out to be a giant jerk. Even after Murdo successfully avoids a really bad car accident that involved a tractor trailer. How can anyone be mean to Murdo? He is adorable!

Lukas isn’t really a giant jerk. He’s just painfully attracted to Murdo. And deeply in the closet. But then Murdo is sort of but not really hired to help Lukas polish his English accent over the Christmas break. And Lukas can’t resist having Murdo near him.

Once they are at Lukas’ house they get along great. Even though you can cut the sexual tension with a knife. But behind closed doors and in the privacy of his own home, Lukas starts to open up. Flirting with Murdo. Touching Murdo. Even oh so casually saying, ‘oh btw, I’m gay’. Even though he has literally never said it out loud before.

Murdo gives Lukas the freedom and confidence to be who he is. Even though Murdo know that at the end of the day, Lukas will go back in the closet.

The conflict wasn’t what I expected. Ok, part of it was. But not the BIG one. But Lukas insisted that Murdo was innocent. Never, ever doubting him. I absolutely loved that. Lukas also never acted like a Big Star. You know the type that think they are better than everyone.

The epilogue was great and simply answered questions I had. And it was swoony.

4 pieces of eye candy

Love and History: Nerd/Jock MM Romance (The Script Club Book 6) by Lane Hayes: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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The sporty roommate, the professor, and a history lesson…

Holden
Ezra might be the most annoying roommate ever. He’s loud, obnoxious, and full of himself. So what if he’s a tall, muscular, tattooed jock? His tendency to strip to his boxers in the kitchen while helping himself to my food isn’t endearing in the slightest. Nope. Ezra has to go.

However, I have to admit, he’s the perfect fit to play the king for my historic reenactment event. Ezra in a royal robe…oh, this could be quite tantalizing indeed.

He might do it…if he loses a bet.

Hmm…

Ezra
Holden is the kind of dude who wears top hats and great coats while teaching astrophysics to brainiacs. Weird, right? But I gotta respect that level of commitment. And I respect him.

Sadly, Holden doesn’t feel the same way about me.

I guess I can’t blame him. Cranking his gears has been the highlight of my stint in geek land. I’ve never seen anyone get riled about yogurt like him. He makes me laugh. And think. And want things I’d never thought possible.

So yeah, I’ll take that history lesson. And if it leads to something more, I’m in.

Love and History is a bi-awakening geek/jock romance featuring a messy law student, a picky professor, and a lesson neither will forget!

Title: Love and History
Authors: Lane Hayes
Length: 64K
Series: The Script Club, Book 6
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: Geek/Jock, Bi-awakening, enemies to lovers, roommates to lovers, romantic comedy.

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An awkward silence stretched between us, making it difficult to breathe. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t touch him. This wasn’t okay.

“Are you all right?”

I released my grip on his neck and sat beside him, wringing my hands fretfully. “No, I’m sorry. I can’t pretend that didn’t happen. I kissed you and—”

“And I liked it.”

Silence.

“You…I don’t—” I squinted as if that would help me understand him. “That was supposed to be a joke kiss.”

“Got it. I didn’t think it was real,” he replied logically. “We’re roommates.”

“I know,” I whispered.

Ezra cocked his head. “You want to do it again?”

Yes, I did. I one thousand percent wanted to kiss him again. I wanted to touch him too and—

Wait. He was joking.

“Why can’t you be serious about…anything?” I licked my lips nervously and plucked at my duvet.

“I am serious,” he replied with an inscrutable smile. “I told you I liked it. A lot.”

Still joking.

Or was he?

The scientist in me wanted to get off this roller coaster and dissect the moment the world tilted on its axis because something new was happening here. I could practically feel the sizzle of electricity in the air.

“It’s a bad idea. You don’t even like me, Ezra.”

He almost looked hurt as he shook his head and inched away from me.

“That’s so far from true, it isn’t funny. My problem is that I like you too much.”

“Huh?”

He frowned. “You know what? Let’s pretend I didn’t just say that. In fact, let’s agree to collective amnesia about…all of this. Although, let’s be real, a kiss isn’t really a big deal. People make out all the time—girl with guy, girl with girl, guy with guy. Sometimes it’s real, sometimes it’s an itch or an experiment. I met a cute girl on day one of Coachella and…”

I tuned him out as confusion wrestled with a tsunami of desire. I’d spent months ignoring my inexplicable attraction to this man. We were hostile and often waspish foes who couldn’t find common ground to communicate.

But I didn’t want to hear about other people he’d kissed.

I wanted…

I wanted—

I roughly grabbed his neck and crashed my mouth over his.

It’s fun, it’s cute, it’s jock/nerd but a little older. That in between age when they are done with college, or almost done with college, working on master’s degrees or waiting to take the bar exam. Kind of waiting for life to start, straddling the line between total adult and college kid.

And with that goes roommates. Because who can afford a place on their own nowadays? We also add in a bi awakening. Or a bi acting on it? Ezra had a good inkling that he was bi but he never acted on it. And never told anyone. In fact, his reason for not telling his bff was to not steal his thunder. Which is cute.

Ezra does some stupid things to get Holden to notice him more. Walking around in his underwear. Eating Holden’s food. Leaving a mess in the kitchen. He might has well have pulled Holden’s pig tails.

So of course Holden hates Ezra. Except he doesn’t. Because he is hot af. And a nice guy. And pretty smart.

The conflict was a little odd. I really didn’t get that whole student/boss situation. Didn’t make a ton of sense, mostly how the student acted.

Another jock/nerd cute story where the nerd is actually super hot and the jock and actually smart and they love happily ever after.

It was a decent book. I guess I am just over this trope.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, 2018-2019, and 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.

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Blog: www.lane-hayes.com
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