lgbtq

Charlie Sunshine (Close Proximity, Book 2) by Lily Morton: Audiobook Review

February 14, 2022 by Denise

Sometimes love is a lot closer to home than you think.

Charlie Burroughs can’t keep a man. All he wants is a good relationship like the ones he sees his friends having, but none of the men he picks ever work out. Despite him trying to be the perfect boyfriend, the men are either threatened by his looks or his epilepsy or a combination of the two. It’s lucky that he has his best friend Misha to turn to. The two of them are closer than peas in a pod and fiercely loyal to each other. He can’t imagine his life without Misha in it.

Misha Lebedinsky is the complete opposite of his best friend. Being the support system for his mum and twin sisters leaves Misha with neither the time nor the inclination for a relationship. Quick and frequent hook-ups are his favourite means of communication and any other pesky emotional needs he has are met by Charlie, who he’s devoted to. He lives a life of happy compartmentalization with no intention of ever changing.

All of this changes when the two best friends move in together. Being in close proximity means that they suddenly start to see each other in a very different light. But Charlie struggles when his drive to be the perfect partner clashes with the fact that he’s in love with a man who knows every little thing about him. And even if he can get past that, can a relationship ever work with a man who’d need a dictionary to tell him what love means?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a love story about a sunny librarian who has relationship written all over him and a cynical banker who doesn’t even have it in his blurb.

Amazon Ebook – KU

Audible

My original book review from last year here.

Story wise, I don’t have a lot to add to the review. I really enjoyed the book, the quirky characters and the representation of a disability. So let’s talk about the narration, which is ultimately what I am reviewing, right?

Overall, I enjoy Joel Leslie’s narration. He isn’t one to shy from verbalizing sex scenes well and his tone is very nice. Within the story you can tell who is speaking by the tone, which is very helpful as I tend to flip to the beginning of a chapter to see who is speaking because I can never remember.

This is the second Joel Leslie in a row that I have listened to, so maybe I need a break. Although the characters are differentiated by voice within each book, those same voices seem to carry from book to book. Charlie sounds like the main character in the one I just listened to that was a different author. Misha the same. Charlie’s step dad Aidan has the same Irish lilt as Blue Billings.

I probably wouldn’t have really noticed that much if I didn’t listen to Joel Leslie back to back.

My biggest complaint is that when it is an intimate scene- not just sex wise- his tone goes from a regular speaking voice to almost a whisper at the end of each sentence. It gets to a point that it is almost hard to hear. Like the difference of watching a tv show and then the commercials are so much louder. I’ve tried with ear buds, through my car stereo and with a bluetooth speaker. All the same. I understand WHY he is doing it, but I feel like I miss so much because I am straining to hear. If I turn it up, the regular speaking voice is far too loud.

Ultimately, I think I need a Joel Leslie break. I am sure I will go back to listening to him, but some new voices and better modulation would be great.

3 pieces of eye candy

In Step: Painted Bay #3 by Jay Hogan: Excerpt and Release Day Review

February 10, 2022 by Denise

When hearts collide on the dance floor.

Karma. You reap what you sow, and KANE MARTIN isn’t looking for forgiveness.

But the arrival of ABE TYLER in Painted Bay has Kane dreaming of the impossible. The sexy, silver fox choreographer is determined to pull Kane out from the shadows, but Abe’s career isn’t about to shift to Painted Bay, and Kane’s life is in neat little boxes for a reason.

A past he isn’t proud of.

A family he’s walked away from.

A job he doesn’t deserve.

A secret he’s ashamed of.

But life’s dance can make for unexpected partners, and learning to trust and keep up with the footwork is the name of the game.

Two steps forward, one step back.

It takes two to tango.

Trigger Warning: Contains references to past abuse and bullying.

In Step: Painted Bay #3

Author: Jay Hogan

Genre: MM Romance

Standalone: Yes

Amazon

Off Balance: Painted Bay #1 – Kindle Unlimited

On Board: Painted Bay #2 – Kindle Unlimited

Apart from the rain clearing, nothing had gone right on the mussel farm all day, and everyone was in a foul mood by the time we docked at six, in the dark and much later than usual. We’d let Martha know not to hang around, and the entire wharf was cloaked in evening shadow apart from a glow in Morgan and Judah’s boathouse and another in the studio out back.

Were Judah and Abe still working? I knew Morgan didn’t like Judah pushing himself too hard. Then again, it was none of my business.

We cleaned up and left Patrick talking furtively on his cell while the three of us, and Mack, headed toward Leroy’s SUV, still bitching about the pissy day.

“Is Patrick seeing someone?” I glanced back. “He’s been very close-mouthed about his social life lately. And he’s been on his phone a ton.”

Leroy snorted. “Wasn’t aware he ever had a social life.” He caught the rugby bag Fox threw his way from the SUV.

“Didn’t think you guys had training on a Friday?”

“We normally don’t,” Leroy grumbled. “But our beloved coach has decided we need to win this bloody game tomorrow afternoon against Russell United, and we apparently sucked big hairy donkey balls at Wednesday’s run on the paddock. Like another lot of drills is gonna somehow raise our standard of ball handling from pitifully woeful to hands of steel. If there isn’t a beer in this after we’re done, I’m gonna be fucking ropeable.”

Fox chuckled and pulled Leroy into a kiss. “You’re such a big softy.”

“Idiot.” Leroy wriggled free but failed to hide his lopsided grin.

“Do you need me to take Mack home?”

The dog cocked her head at her name and Fox opened the rear door, waving her in. “Nah, she likes to run with the team. Tires her out.” He headed for the passenger seat, buckled up, and then pinned me with a look. “And here’s a novel idea. Since Patrick only needs you tomorrow morning, maybe you could actually leave the bedsit for once and go have some fun.”

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”

Fox rolled his eyes and I waved them off. So, I didn’t have a life. There was nothing new about that. I threw my bag over my shoulder and set off up the hill, my attention drawn to the glow in the studio and the upbeat music leaking through the fire door, which had been propped open with a chair.

The closer I got, the slower my steps, until I found myself at a complete stop about ten metres from the open door. I glanced around but I was alone. Beyond the studio lay Madden land and the hill up to the homestead. Judah’s boathouse, the wharf and Painted Bay were out of sight to my right, at the front. And behind me, the road was flanked by a steep, bush-covered bluff up to the township perched on top of the hill.

Feeling like a spy in some low-budget movie, I detoured down the small bank and picked my way across the sodden grass to the open fire door, the muffled thuds of feet hitting the floor growing louder by the second. The studio floor sat about thigh height, and I dropped my bag on the damp ground and sneaked my head through the opening.

The room was about twenty by thirty metres, big enough for Judah’s kids to comfortably move around with their wheelchairs and canes and other equipment that might be necessary, but tonight there was only one person using the space. Abe. And I was instantly spellbound.

His body flew across the room in a whirlwind of turns and leaps in sync with the rhythmic bass so loud it rattled my spine and thundered in my chest. Big band music—horns and saxophone, and double bass and piano, and drums. Memories crashed through my head and almost took my knees from under me—my mother dancing in our kitchen, my tiny hands in hers, spinning and laughing, dipping me, spoon in one hand like a mic as she crooned words that never seemed important at the time. The music was everything. How had I forgotten that?

A word popped out at me. Swing. This was swing music.

I startled as Abe landed a jump close to where I was hiding, so close I could pick out the small holes in those soft-as-butter leggings. The thin material outlining every fibre of muscle in his thick thighs and the bunched muscles of his arse, his cock nestled soft and large in his groin. The waistband rolled low on his flat stomach tight with ridged abs over a steel core lightly dusted with hair. The cut-off T-shirt wet with sweat and clinging to his toned chest and budded nipples.

Holy fucking hell.

I barely contained a yelp, ducking back into the shadows until the sound of his feet fell into the distance and I risked another look. Perspiration coursed down his face, his dark hair threaded with silver pulled into a topknot that bobbed with every leap and turn, eyes closed like he was dancing by feel, led around the space by some invisible force. And I stood transfixed, my ridiculous dick thickening in my jeans like the traitorous fucker that it was.

And still Abe danced, sliding past the open door where I crouched watching, his voice low with the music, singing, stray words catching in my ears, arms wide, then high, then circling into a spin. Around and around until he suddenly stopped, dancing on the spot, tap, shuffle. Whatever the fuck it was called. His body dipping and rocking to the beat, a wide smile on his face.

And then he was off again, and I lost myself in the pure, raw joy of his energy, pretty sure of only one thing: that I’d never felt anything close to whatever Abe was feeling in that moment—the energy of life rippling through him, power and hope and emotion. I’d never felt that, not even close. There was a magic to it, and heat and lust and wonder. A hunger I’d never allowed myself to feel ripped open in my heart. In that moment, Abe was alive to his core, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that felt like.

You definitely need to read the first two books in the series. There is a lot of background story that plays out.

I really enjoyed the first two books and I couldn’t wait for Kane to get his happily ever after. He was ostracized already by so many people. Partly because of how he acted in high school and partly because of his father. Mostly because of high school.

Kane has a story to tell, though. But no one wants to hear it. He wasn’t looking for absolution for what he did to Judah back then. And then Abe showed up. Abe, an independent choreographer that knows Judah and is there to help with the recital for the disabled kids dance class.

Kane has NOT had an easy life. Like so many kids, he hid it well. But he is dealing with an alcoholic, homophobic father (who doesn’t know Kane is gay) who wants Kane to sign over his half of the farm that was willed to him. Kane’s father is the classic bully. I think a lot of us know or knew at least one. But because of his father, Kane has been in the closet his whole life. The only time he had one foot out of the closet was when he was in college. But that was never about relationships and only about taking care of needs.

I loved how Abe saw everything from a different perspective because he was an outsider. He had no preconceived notions of Kane. He saw a guy who was shy and quiet, wasn’t included in things but had a killer blush.

I really loved these two guys coming together. There was a 14 year age difference which isn’t necessarily huge, but I think Kane needed that maturity in his life. Kane is really so tender hearted- obvious with the way he was with the litter of kittens in a previous book, the cat he kept, the rabbit he is fostering and the other cat he is fostering so the cat can lose weight. It was just adorable.

And Abe really is a down to earth person, even though he has been living a nomadic lifestyle for 20 years. He genuinely CARES about Kane, well before they developed a sexual relationship.

After Kane’s ENTIRE story is out, not only to Abe but also the Judah, Leroy and various parents and boyfriends it was kind of like, oh. Kane ISN’T still this jerk bully from high school. And once they realized that, they really rallied around him when he needed help. I loved it.

There is a HEA, naturally, but I really like how it was done. Which wasn’t necessarily the easy way out. I hope we revisit them if there are more books in the series.

4 pieces of eye candy

Heart, Humour, & Keepin’ It Real

Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year. She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She’s travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor.

Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel

Find Jay in all the places: https://www.jayhoganauthor.com/landingpage

Suspiciously Sweet by Samantha SoRelle: Exclusive Excerpt and Release Day Review

February 8, 2022 by Denise

Trevor Hill has a secret.

By day he’s a mild-mannered journalist, but by night he’s the hottest—and most hated—food critic in town. When he walks into Nana O’Neill’s Bakery looking for his next scathing review, the last thing he expects is someone like Owen behind the counter. The scowling man looks more like a bouncer than a baker, but after one bite, Trevor is in love—with Owen’s baking at least.

Owen O’Neill has secrets of his own.

Scarred, tattooed Owen would rather be in the kitchen whipping up pastries than dealing with actual people. But with the business failing, he can’t bring himself to kick out any repeat customers, even ones as annoying, dismissive, sarcastic, funny, and gorgeous as Trevor.

All Owen wants is to be left to run his little bakery in peace—a task made more difficult not only by Trevor’s distracting presence, but also by the legions of fans that show up following a review by a famous yet secretive critic…

A 35,000 word novella, Suspiciously Sweet is as light and fluffy as a genoise sponge, but served hot and filled with plenty of spice!

Amazon

Just inside the front door, a man in an expensive coat was eyeballing the bakery with interest, his eyes flicking from the long wooden counter to the glass display case to the small tables along the front window with their chairs still stacked on top. He was unwinding a scarf from his neck with quick, fluid movements and turned sharply at the sound of Owen’s voice.

Owen just had time to notice dark hair and a darker smile before he caught the guy’s eyes and oh.

Oh, damn.

He couldn’t make out what color they were at this distance—that’s what he got for living fast without dying young—but the man’s eyes glittered with humor and intelligence, like he was the only cat in a world full of mice, and he enjoyed toying with his prey before eating them alive. He looked like he was smart, he was a dick, and he knew it.

He was gorgeous.

Alarm sirens immediately went off in Owen’s mind. No matter what he might wish, hot, well-dressed men had no business anywhere near him. Besides, maybe it was the long legs encased in perfectly tailored pants, or the hint of gold at his wrist where his watch peeked out from a perfectly pressed shirtsleeve, but there was something about this guy that he instinctively didn’t trust.

He frowned at the stranger. “You’re not Yvonne.”

The man quirked an eyebrow at him. The sirens blared louder.

“And you don’t look like a ‘Nana O’Neill’, but I’m not one to assume,” he said, turning toward the front window where the words “Nana’s O’Neill’s Bakery” could be read in reverse on the glass. Everything about him was neat and precise, from the way he moved to the clothes he wore to the crisp staccato of his voice. The only exception was his hair. It might have started the day as neat as the rest of him, but Owen was delighted by the way the wind had tousled it around the man’s head with wild abandon, revealing just a hint of gray at the temples.

Late thirties, Owen figured. Maybe a little older if he’d had as cushy a life as his clothes suggested. About the same age as Owen himself, but Owen knew for a fact he showed every single one of his years. Lifting heavy sacks of flour seven days a week kept him in good shape, but every time he forgot to shave for a few days he noticed a little more silver in his stubble than he remembered.

Feeling suddenly shabby in his stained shirt and apron, he raised a hand instinctively to stroke his chin, nearly upsetting the tray of tarts and undoing all his hard work. It hadn’t been that long since he’d shaved, had it? What was today anyway? Wednesday? Or was it Thursday? They all ran together.

He set the tray on the counter.

“Nana O’Neill’s been dead for years. Now what do you— Fuck.” Owen swore as the timer for the croissants went off. Without thinking, he pointed a finger still caked in flour and tart filling at the man. “Stay.”
He turned to go into the back, then paused. “And don’t steal any goddamn tarts.”

Heart pounding, Owen scowled at himself as he walked back into the kitchen. Smooth, O’Neill. Real smooth

What a cute little read.

First, we have Owen, who inherited his grandmother’s bakery after she passed away while he was in prison. He’s brash and broody with a mouth like a sailor, but he’s sweet once you get to the heart of him. I had a hard time believing he was once considered a bad guy because despite his gruff and defensive attitude, he didn’t seem like a guy who would do the wrong things and land himself in prison off and on. Maybe I just have a soft spot for him or maybe he’d been a different person in that past life, I dunno… I adored him as the grumpy bakery owner though and I’m happy Trevor appreciated him too.

Trevor is a secret food critic with a well-known voice of the cities eateries. He’d been surprised by a foul-mouthed even fouler tempered bakery owner while checking out the place to write his column.
Intrigued by the surly owner, he had a little fun with him at the expense of Owen and had fun going back in to try new things while secretly being super impressed with not only the man and his one worker/friend, Yvonne.

It was easy to see that these two had chemistry, even if they did try to hide it behind sarcasm and subtle digs. Once Trevor tells the city how amazing this little hidden hole in the wall is, business is booming for Owen, which means he needs help of all kinds that Trevor is more than willing to give him.

Of course, he has a secret though because he can’t tell Owen that he’s the foodie that keeps writing all these wonderful business improving things about Owen’s bakery, or that he lusts after the tattooed and ill-tempered man. Luckily, secrets don’t stay secret for long and though Owen seems to have a low opinion of himself, he puts himself out there for Trevor and is not disappointed.

I enjoyed the quick read wouldn’t mind reading more about these two in the future. They’re cute!

4 pieces of eye candy

Samantha SoRelle grew up all over the world and finally settled in Southern California when she soaked up too much sunshine and got too lazy to move.

When she’s not writing, she’s doing everything possible to keep from writing. This has led to some unusual pastimes including, but not limited to: perfecting fake blood recipes, designing her own cross-stitch patterns, and wrapping presents for tigers .

She also enjoys collecting paintings of tall ships and has lost count of the number of succulents she owns.

Bona Fide Fake (Experimental Love Book 2) by Rebecca Raine: New Release Review

February 8, 2022 by Denise

My new fake boyfriend may not like me, but he needs me. There are worse foundations for a relationship.

Ned
Toni Fairweather is a liar and a fake. I suspected it the day we met, but when he lies to his friends about being my boyfriend, I know for sure. I’ll play along with his deception, but Toni will owe me – big time.

I have my own reasons for needing a boyfriend. Someone who can handle me. Someone who can keep me in line. Toni is demanding enough to fulfil every requirement.

I don’t need to like the man… to obey him.

Toni
I never meant to fake a relationship with the lead singer of a local rock band. But the fib popped out over lunch with my best friend, and now I’m expected to present my new boyfriend at his engagement party next month.

The good news? I’m not the only one in need of a date.

Being boyfriends for a month shouldn’t be hard, but I do have one condition: this won’t be some fake boyfriends deal. I want a real relationship, and Ned’s going to give it to me.

Bona Fide Fake is Book Two in the Experimental Love series by bestselling Australian author, Rebecca Raine. This 80,000 word fake boyfriends romance can easily be enjoyed as a standalone. It’s a fun read with some angst and plenty of steam. Perfect for lovers of the first book in the series, The Experiment. HEA guaranteed!

Trigger Warnings: Discussions of past experience of bullying. Past relationship involving manipulation and the threat of exploitation. Angst level: Moderate.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Well this was a pleasant surprise. I liked the premise, but fake boyfriends have been done before so it wasn’t something new. What was new is how broken these men were in different ways and how being together helped heal. Add in some light Domination and submission and it was a page turner for me.

There is a character connection to the previous book, The Experiment, but it isn’t necessary at all to read. And I hate to say this but I didn’t like The Experiment very much. Another reason this book was a pleasant surprise.

Toni is the life of the party and everyone’s friend. “Fabulous, as always” as he says. Completely put together, he was unapologetic for liking cocktails instead of wine or beer, of dressing well, having his hair perfect, speaking with a bit of flamboyance he was known for. His best friend tries to call him out for not being real, not letting anyone in, but Toni scoffs it off.

Ned is a former wanna be rockstar. He is back home in Brisbane, bartending and singing lead for a local popular bar band. And that is as far as he wants to go. He no longer has the stars in his eyes of celebrity. He also hasn’t dated in the three years he has been home.

They come to a mutually beneficial agreement to be fake real boyfriends for about 6 weeks. But in those six weeks they get to know each other pretty well. And yet, there are still facades up. So, break his heart before he breaks yours, right?

These guys had depth. They had deep seated issues that made them who they are. And while one of them needs to exorcise his demons, the other needs to show the world his true self. But first they have to struggle to do those things together.

I just loved these two together and the trust and intimacy that grew with them. Toni being everyone’s friend without considering many to be his friend hit me right in the feels.

4 pieces of eye candy

Charlie Sunshine by Lily Morton: Audiobook Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway

February 7, 2022 by Denise

Sometimes love is a lot closer to home than you think.

All of this changes when the two best friends move in together.

Being in close proximity means that they suddenly start to see each other in a very different light. But Charlie struggles when his drive to be the perfect partner clashes with the fact that he’s in love with a man who knows every little thing about him. And even if he can get past that, can a relationship ever work with a man who’d need a dictionary to tell him what love means?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a love story about a sunny librarian who has relationship written all over him and a banker who doesn’t even have it in his blurb. This is the second book in the Close Proximity series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Amazon – Ebook – Kindle Unlimited

Audible – Audiobook

Goodreads

I lean more heavily against the counter, enjoying the peace that usually descends at this time of the morning. The first rush is over, and now the library has an air of quiet bustle. We’ll pick up again as it gets closer to lunch and people come in to use the computers. I can feel tiredness tugging at my body, but I refuse to give in and straighten up instead.

“Why didn’t you take the first break?” Bethany asks chidingly.

“Why would I do that?” I pull the stack of books towards me that the little sex pest left behind and grab the Tipp-Ex from the drawer.

“Charlie.” Something in her voice makes me look up. “You look knackered,” she says quietly.

“I’m fine,” I say automatically. “Just a few late nights.”

“Oh really? You would need to have lived the life of Mel Gibson to earn the massive circles under those pretty eyes.” I smile but don’t answer, and she sighs. “You’re on break next,” she says firmly. “And you’re going to stay up there. I’m sure you’ve got stuff to do in your office. Like sleep on the sofa or pass out on the floor.”

A deep voice comes from the side of us. “That sounds like my day. You didn’t tell me that you’d gone into banking, Charlie.”

I look up and can’t stop the wide grin creeping over my face at the sight of my best and oldest friend. “You’re one letter off.”

He laughs. The happy and unrestrained sound doesn’t fit his appearance. He’s clad in a black pinstriped suit that cost more than I earn in a month. With his tanned face, dark wavy hair, and big white grin, he looks expensive and entirely out of place in here.

He jumps as an old lady pokes him in the back. “You waiting or just taking up space?” she asks querulously.

I bite my lip to hide a smile. “He’s taking up space, Mrs Bishop,” I say in a loud voice as her hearing aid squeals.

“What’s wrong with his face?” she immediately asks in her overloud voice.

“We haven’t got enough time to list that.” I smile at her and gesture at her pile of books. “Those all coming back?”

“They are.” She leans close. “And I have to say there was a name and telephone number in the back of one of the books.”

“Oh, yes?” I say warily.

She nods. “I had such a lovely chat with the bloke.” She pauses. “Although he kept asking to see my zits. I’m not sure what all that was about.” She sniffs disapprovingly. “I’m a little too mature for acne.”
I manage to repress the huge laugh, but Bethany isn’t so lucky, and I nudge her to send her over to log a customer onto a computer.

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

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

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

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Devil’s Dance by Garrett Leigh: Release Blitz, New Release Review and Giveaway

February 4, 2022 by Denise

Opposites attract. The outlaw biker and the accountant. Straightlaced vs straight to hell. Or heaven, depending on how you look at it.

And you can look at it any way you like, doesn’t mean it’s true. Either way, falling for snarky Alexei Ivanov is the lightbulb moment I’ve been waiting for my whole damn life. Or at least since my head got turned by someone else. A man I call brother, but he’s so much more than that.

I’ve loved Saint Malone for years. My loyal wingman has owned my heart so long I figured it had died of yearning for him. But Saint is as fragile as he is deadly. I don’t know how to help him until Alexei brings me to life in ways I can’t describe.

He opens my eyes, and I see them both.

I love them both.

With the weight of the underworld bearing down on me, I just gotta stay alive long enough to tell them.

Devil’s Dance is the first in a hurt/comfort, dark romance, MMM duet from the world of the Rebel Kings MC. Expect: tattoos, leather, and an enigmatic Russian hitman.

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

Length: 96,000 words approx.

Rebel Kings MC Series

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Saint’s Song (Book #2) – Preorder

This is an MC romance. That isn’t necessarily romantic, although there are definitely moments, but it also isn’t your typical MC book.

Cam was voted in as president after his father was killed. There are still some “old school” guys in the club, but a lot of younger guys too. Ones that have no problem with rule changes. And changes to their business. Cam doesn’t care what kind of motorcycle you drive. He wants the MC to go almost totally legit. And being gay or bi is no big deal. There’s still the unwritten rule of hands off Cam’s siblings and MC members shouldn’t get together. Which makes Cam keep his hands off of Saint who he has loved since almost forever.

Then he meets Teddy, who he thinks will be a one off. But they have some serious chemistry and can’t necessarily stick to the one off plan. Teddy is also Alexi. A financial planner with a regular cell phone and a cell phone that gets calls from Russia. He is very tight lipped about his past so there are certainly secrets there.

Even with Cam’s focus on Alexi, he still loves Saint. Alexi sees it but is also intrigued by Saint. Saint is SO quiet and introverted and seems to suffer in silence. He would take a bullet for Cam but never say how he feels out loud. Alexi sees what is unspoken between Cam and Saint, and he is fine with it.

So waiting to see how that would happen, how it would play out, kept me staying up to turn the pages. What would be the circumstance? Who would start it? Where would they be? By the way? Totally worth the wait.

There is also a plot with the MC. They want to go legit. But another MC is running human trafficking through their territory. Cam wants it ended. Not only because he doesn’t condone trafficking, but also because his father trying to stop it is what got him killed. The MC gets an unlikely ally in bringing it to a stop.

I adored Saint. I just wanted to hug him. Seeing Cam really take control of the MC was great. And Alexi…we know a lot of his secrets now, but I feel like there is more to uncover.

This is book one of two. Apparently book 2 explores more of the relationship growing between the three men together. Because as a triad we didn’t get a whole lot. So I definitely want more. But there are other characters I would love to see get their happily ever after as well. Fingers crossed for more books.

4 pieces of eye candy

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

a Rafflecopter giveaway