Lily Morton

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

December 21, 2024 by Denise

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is the first book in the Wright Brothers series.

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EXCLUSIVE Q&A WITH THE AUTHOR:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*does some digging*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For reference, Merry Measure review here.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

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

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

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

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

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

Twitter: www.twitter.com/LilyAuthor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lilymortonauthor

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

Something Borrowed (Confetti Hitched Book 2) by Lily Morton: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

August 8, 2024 by Denise

Stan has never let his blindness hold him back, but he’s beginning to realise his love life is keeping him from moving forward.

He can’t remember a time when he wasn’t in love with his best friend. Rafferty is everything to him—his partner in crime, his confidante, and the person who understands him best. But Rafferty is incapable of reciprocating Stan’s feelings.

As a successful wedding planner, Rafferty is passionately committed to helping newlyweds begin their happily-ever-afters, but after a rootless childhood he’s equally determined not to seek his own. How can he trust in love and marriage when so many of his brides and grooms are repeat customers?

Stan is the glue that keeps the pieces of Rafferty’s life together, and as such Rafferty has always kept Stan safely in the friend box where he can’t lose him. However, lately that conviction has wavered and now Rafferty is bursting with complicated feelings for his best friend. The timing couldn’t be worse because Rafferty has realised he’s in love with Stan just as Stan is moving on.

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a friends-to-lovers story about realising you have the perfect man when you’re on the brink of losing him.

This is the second book in the bestselling Confetti Hitched series, but it can be read as a standalone.

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I moan despairingly when I see the time. “It’s ten o’clock. Oh god.”

“Is there a problem?”

Instead of answering, I tap a familiar number on my phone’s screen. “Come on, come on,” I mutter, pacing as I listen to it ring. “Climb off Lachlan’s dick and answer the phone.”

“Who are you talking to, sweetheart?”

The call connects. “What?” Joe says cautiously into my ear. I can’t begrudge him his air of worry.

“I need a favour.”

He groans. “Last time you said that we got fined for causing a public disturbance.”

“No, this time it’s really bad,” I whisper. “I need you, Joe.”

“Joe?” the man asks from behind me. “Who the fuck is Joe?”

“Who’s that?” Joe asks.

“No one,” I say over the insistent voice of the man who is now frowning at me—the man who appears to think we’re married.

“It doesn’t sound like no one,” Joe says, his voice rich with amusement as my bedmate paces the room and shouts about people who cheat.

“Well, it is,” I say in a quelling voice. “Joe, I’ve got the Hollis wedding today.”

“Yeah, I know. You’ll be fine.”

“That might be true if I’d gone to bed at an early hour in my own bed. Sober,” I add with emphasis.

“Oh god,” Joe says.

I walk back into the bedroom. “I know,” I whisper. “I woke up naked, and apparently, I’m now in some sort of a relationship I have no memory of agreeing to. I leave that sort of behaviour to you, mate.” Joe laughs. “This is serious,” I hiss. I look at my watch and groan. “The bride will arrive at the church in an hour.”

I look over at my bedmate, who’s joined me in the bedroom and is still frowning. I ask him, “I don’t suppose you have a spare morning suit hanging around?”

“I don’t know any dead people,” he snaps.

I just love a Lily Morton. The characters are fun and quirky, there is little to no angst (although there is pining…oh the pining…) and we get a happily ever after.

Right off the bat I loved Stan. His snark and wit, his fierce loyalty to his friends and his family, carrying on the record store for his hippie uncle and functionally blind. Maybe we missed his pity party when he learned he was blind as a teen, but by now he is accepting and moving on with life. Which is why his relationship with Bennett didn’t make a lot of sense because he was so controlling and condescending.

The opposite of controlling and condescending is Stan’s best friend Rafferty. And even though he is a wedding planner, he doesn’t believe in love and commitment. You can thank his selfish parents for that. Stan and Raff can be inseparable if you let them, which Bennett hates.

EVERYONE sees what these 2 numbskulls don’t. That they are obviously in love with each other and belong together and Raff needs to get over himself and his anti romance no commitment self. Especially since they have experience being friends with benefits.

I mentioned the pining right?

I loved these two together. I also loved the representation of a character that has gone blind and is still waiting for the last of their sight to go. So many people think blind only means zero sight. It also showed how they are treated by others. As incompetent or needy or like children. Stan got his barbs in where needed and it made me laugh.

The plot kept moving and I hated putting the book down each night. Great story that was fun, sweet and hot.

4 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She 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 got her Kindle.

Lily 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 would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

French Fancy by Lily Morton: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

August 24, 2023 by Denise

. .

Pip Simmonds is the twinkiest twink in London. He’s loud, proud,
and packed to the brim with sass. But when he’s laid low by illness, even his hotpants lose their sparkle and his worried boss sends him to the South of France to recuperate in his holiday home.

Cap Ferrat is beautiful, and the periwinkle-blue villa is luxurious, but the real draw for Pip is the villa’s other resident—his boss’s younger brother, Olivier Durand.

Olivier owns a perfume empire and has spent his whole life running from any other form of commitment. He’s worldly, carefree, wild, and the perfect choice for a holiday fling.

Drawn together by proximity, the two men become lovers and friends and then something more. Something special. But will their special bond hold true after summer’s end, when they both must return to their real lives?

This is the second book in the bestselling Model Agency series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Title: French Fancy
Authors: Lily Morton
Length: 396 pages
Series: The Model Agency, Book 2
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

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“Good morning,” he says, one dark eyebrow rising. “You slept well, Pip?”

“I did.” I sit down at the table genteelly. “It’s amazing what a nighttime swim does for you.”

His eyes twinkle with amusement. “I will take your word for it.” He cocks his head, and a strand of hair falls across the olive skin of his cheek like a comma. “Pip? Is that your real name?”

“No, it’s Phillip.”

“Philippe. I like that.”

“Well, it sounds a lot nicer in French.”

“What doesn’t?”

“You do not,” Elise scolds me. “Speak in French. How will you ever correct your terrible accent if you do not speak it here?”

I roll my eyes. “It’s not my fault my French teacher comes from Newcastle.”

“Parle-moi en français,” she chides again.

“You are learning French?” Olivier’s face is lively and interested.

Elise puts a plate of food in front of me. “Eat all of that,” she scolds. “Still too thin, Pip.”

“That is not for me?” Olivier says. “If this were a queue in a shop, I should be complaining loudly.”

She rolls her eyes. “To have made food for you at this time of the morning would have required psychic talents to know you were getting up. And if I had that gift, I would be on the stage, no?”

“I can get up early,” he says.

I warm to him even more. His face is mischievous and naughty, and it doesn’t take Elise’s indulgent smile to know this is familiar banter for them.

She waves her hand, dismissing his statement. “Sometimes, if there is enough temptation.”

“There can never be enough temptation,” he tells her solemnly.

She grimaces at him and heads back towards the range. “And coffee and a cigarette are not part of a nutritious diet,” she throws over her shoulder.

“According to you.” He winks at me.

I’ve been staring at him and heat washes over my face at being caught. But then I rally and grin at him. “Nice to see you with all my clothes on,” I say in French.

He’s taking a sip of coffee and accidentally inhales, spluttering over the table.

I am pretty sure that everyone who read The Sunny Side has been eagerly awaiting Pip’s book. He was a scene stealer that everyone noticed. And now almost a year later, here he is.

Seems our Pip was quite ill and insisted on returning to work too soon. But Jonah, his boss, put him on a plane to recuperate further at his family’s villa in the South of France. Poor Pip. However will he manage? Spoiler alert: he’ll manage just fine.

Jonas’ brother, Olivier, shows up at the villa seemingly without a care in the world. It was quite unexpected as he tends to be a workaholic spending most of his time in Paris. Curious.

First thing I noticed was that Pip wasn’t nearly as snarky and attention seeking as he was in The Sunny Side. Part of that was definitely him still being sick. But I think part of it was that he didn’t have to be over the top to get attention from Olivier. I mean, at work in London he is surrounded by models. And while he is a good looking guy, he is short and probably would be easy to look past. But at the villa, Olivier only has eyes for him. As a friend. Mmmmhmm.

Olivier is so oblivious. EVERYONE sees what is going on. Except for him and Pip. Even the grouchy next door neighbor- a famous photographer. And the house keeper. And Olivier’s best friend.

He takes the time to show Pip all of his favorite places and things. Pip has never had a man shower him with so much attention. And Olivier is a GENTLEMAN.

Even after being kind of tricked? but not really? into sexy times by Armand, Olivier’s best friend, they still each insist on that whole friendship label.

But then Pip is recovered and headed back to London. Olivier has huge work fires to put out in Paris. An emergency brings them back together and STILL these dummies can’t figure out what is going on between them. It’s almost comical.

But of course they do and there is a great happily ever after. Well deserved too.

I have to say that the visuals painted by the author were truly amazing. I ended up googling the town and the pictures were just as she described. The town, the sea, the villas, the flowers…just all so stunning. It isn’t often that an author can make me picture so clearly in my mind a place I have never been.

Also, don’t you worry. Pip is still a sassy, snarky guy. But it’s all done with love.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She 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 got her Kindle.

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

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The Sunny Side by Lily Morton: Audiobook Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

July 3, 2023 by Denise

. .
Jonas Durand is successful, rich, and controlled. He owns a prestigious modelling agency and has the world at his fingertips, but a turbulent childhood has taught him to be focused and never deviate from a plan.

Dean Jacobs threatens that stance. He’s one of the world’s most sought-after supermodels, but he’s also laidback and lighthearted and free in a way that Jonas has never quite managed.

Dean has always been interested in Jonas and has never made any secret of his admiration, but from the beginning, Jonas put him in a neat little box labelled, “Don’t touch,” turned the key, and never looked back.

However, the universe seems determined to thwart Jonas’s plans. Over the course of one hot summer, the two men come together, and Jonas’s well-ordered life becomes something a whole lot wilder.

Moving from the glamorous worlds of London and Paris Fashion Weeks to the sleepy South of France, Jonas finds himself liberating partridges, chasing his supermodel, and falling in love.

From bestselling author Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy set in the fast-paced and snarky world of modelling. This is the first book in the Model Agency series.

Title: The Sunny Side
Author: Lily Morton
Narrator: Joel Leslie
Length: 11.1 hours
Series: The Model Agency, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy.

Amazon – Ebook – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

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“We’ll be bringing Mister Jacobs up in a bit,” he adds.

I stare at him. “He’s not being charged, then? My lawyer is on his way.”

“No need for that.” He leans closer. “He was really brought in just to keep the peace. No one was hurt, and as the hotel doesn’t want to press charges and neither does the lady concerned, then there isn’t anything that needs to happen. We just left them in the cells to sober up.”

“What exactly happened? Mr Jacobs wasn’t very forthcoming when he rang my assistant.”

“I’m surprised he could speak. He was rather drunk when we brought him in, and he’s slept through most of his time in the cell. I wish they were always that obliging.”

“Oh, he’s always obliging,” I say grimly.

He looks behind me, and as there’s no one waiting, he unbends a little. “Apparently, he was in a hotel room for the night and went to the bathroom. When he came out, he went right rather than left and ended up naked in the hotel corridor.”

I sigh and pinch my nose. “Oh god,” I say faintly.

His mouth twitches into a half-smile. “Then he compounded his error by letting himself back into the hotel room. The only problem was that it wasn’t his hotel room, and the old couple it belonged to were rather startled to find a six-foot-four naked supermodel trying to get into bed with them.”

“That old couple?” I say, pointing to the woman who was before me in the queue. She’s holding hands with an older man who I presume is her husband. He nods and I sigh. “Fuck my life. So, then what happened? Tell me he wasn’t brawling with those two old-aged pensioners?”

He snorts. “Oh, don’t worry, sir. It wasn’t them. That was his…” He hesitates. “His partner for the evening.”

I look up, my stomach roiling. “Who?” I ask sharply.

“I’m afraid I can’t divulge names, sir.”

I wave my hand. “Don’t worry about it. I doubt he’ll ever see him again anyway.”

“Like that is it, sir?”

“You have no idea. So, what happened after that?”

“The young gentleman that Mr Jacobs was with was under the impression that Mr Jacobs had found new company for the evening and had abandoned him. So, he stormed into the room and proceeded to drag him out.”

I stare at him. “It is very late,” I say slowly. “I only got back from New York this afternoon. I have sat in more aeroplanes this week than Douglas Bader. My brain might be a little blurry, but I’m sure you said that Dean’s hook-up thought he’d left him in his bed and tried to score with an octogenarian.”

He bites his lip. “I believe that’s a fair summing up, sir. The young man dragged him into the corridor. Mr Jacobs objected strongly, and there was a bit of a scuffle.”

“Was anyone hurt? Was there property damage? I fail to see why this was a police matter.”

“Well, they were both naked, which caused a bit of a stir amongst the other guests.”

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She 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 got her Kindle.

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

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Confetti Hearts by Lily Morton: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review *2, and Giveaway

March 15, 2023 by Denise

. .

Joe Bagshaw doesn’t believe in love or marriage anymore, which is rather a hindrance for a wedding planner.

His own marriage was a whirlwind affair that ended before the ink could dry on the wedding certificate. Nevertheless, even with his divorce pending, he’s getting by. Or at least he was until he finds himself snowed in at a remote Scottish hotel with the wedding party from hell, a terrible ABBA tribute band, and his soon-to-be ex-husband.

Lachlan has missed Joe from the second his husband walked away. He wants Joe back and is prepared to do anything to get him. Being snowed in together seems to offer the chance Lachlan needs, but does he have what it takes to get Joe to trust in love and their marriage again?

From bestselling author Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy about love, matrimony, and the best of second chances.

This is the first book in the Confetti Hitched series.

Title: Confetti Hearts
Authors: Lily Morton
Length: 81k
Series: Confetti Hitched, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary romantic comedy.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

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“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” Lachlan says, looking a little awkward.

“Well, unless you get married and can’t organise things on your own, it would be unlikely.”

“Joe,” Louis snaps. “I’m waiting.”

I ignore him and grin at Lachlan. “So, how long are you here for?”

“Until tomorrow.”

“Well, this has a familiar feeling.”

He studies me, his eyes dark and knowing.

“Joe?” Louis snaps.

I spin to face him. “Louis, do you remember ignoring my words of advice? In fact, do you remember the lovely afternoon when you called me a nagging old woman?”

He shuffles his feet. “I thought it would be fine.”

As if on cue, a cascade of clothes comes sailing past us. Freya has obviously moved to the second balcony. Maybe she’s filled in the other pool and is looking for other options. The clothes land in the pool and sink, rather like the subject of the song currently playing. “Recent events are proving that’s fairly wide of the mark.”

He rallies. “Well, I think you’re being paid as our wedding planner. You got an enormous amount of money to do your job so you should get on with it.”

I put my hands on my hips. “And are you married now?”

“Yes, but—”

“But me no buts, Louis. You’re married. Ergo my work is done. I’m the planner. The clue is in the title. Are you expecting that I’m going to stay with you for a few years afterwards and smooth your way through life? Maybe until you’ve had your fifth child. Does that need to go into my job description now? I’m a wedding planner. Not Nanny McPhee.”

He subsides. “I’ll wait.”

“Thank you,” I say graciously.

Right guy, wrong time. Grumpy, sunshine. Forced proximity. Second chance love. This book was filled with all of the tropes. And I loved it.

Part of the book, I think less than half, is a series of stories of Joe and Lachlan together. How they met. How they accidentally met again. How they met on purpose, etc. It’s quite a whirlwind romance between the two. But that ends when they break up and we get a six month time jump.

Joe is a wedding planner in Scotland for a client’s wedding. And so is Lachlan. His ex he hasn’t spoken to in 6 months. The ex who broke his heart. And then there is a snowstorm stranding them at the hotel/wedding venue. And GASP! no rooms left for Joe so he will have to room with Lachlan.

Over the course of just a few days, they finally LISTEN to each other. Talk to each other. Figure out what happened. Admit their true feelings. And while they had some distractions, including a manager who is sick and devil like twins, they were able to focus on each other without regular life interrupting.

I really enjoyed how they came together on something they will do every year to solidify their marriage. They are also, finally, on the same page.

There were some weddings in there that offered some great humor as well as some smoking hot sex scenes. A page turner for sure.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

It seems like I’m always gushing about Lily Morton‘s books, but there is a solid reason. As I’ve said before, this author is one of the best in this genre in romantic comedy. Hands down. In fact, I very rarely highlight books at all, even less so with ARCs. I had over 10 highlights of some of the most hilarious parts of this book. I’m not going to quote here, because you have to read them yourself, but a couple of ones to watch for are 1) Acapulco 2) game night. I could NOT stop laughing. (I might have scared a cat off my lap…she’s fine, she resettles quickly. 😉 )

Some of my favorite tropes were in this book. Second chance at love, only one bed, and a marriage planner who didn’t believe in marriage. And it all worked so well!

These two took a while to figure their sh1t out. They were both idiots in one way or another…mostly Lachlan, but Joe was not that much better. Lachlan was so afraid of commitment (despite asking Joe to marry him) that he basically pushed Joe out the door. Meanwhile, Joe, Mr. Impulsive, wasn’t exactly a great communicator (they both sucked at it, tbh). His go-to was run, far and fast.

When they finally have no choice but to be in the same room together, they slowly start to work their way through the mess they both made of their marriage. Lachlan turns out to not be a bad guy, just was stupid there for a while. In the end, Lachlan did a lot of great things to help Joe, while Joe was working on what would have been one of the most stressful weddings.

I didn’t get a chance to read Vow Maker because it came out right after I had a pretty major leg injury, and I’m sad that I didn’t get to meet Joe that way, and now I need to go back and read that one, to finish off the Mixed Messages series, which is also hilarious. **Seriously if you haven’t read Rule Breaker with Dylan and Gabe, and the emails…oh, you have to…in fact, maybe I need to go back to that now! Apparently, I will be reading Lily Morton again for a while. 🙂

Loved this one, grab it, read it, laugh with it, and enjoy the happy. And now…who do we get next in this series? Hmmm….

Off to read the additional short story! Yeah!

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She 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 got her Kindle.

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

The Skeptic (Arcana Books, Book 1) by Lily Morton, Narration by Joel Leslie: Audiobook Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Audiobook Review and Giveaway

March 8, 2023 by Denise

. .

As the best friend of a psychic, Will Buchanan can’t help but believe in the dead. It’s the living that he finds to be problematic. However, after a spate of betrayals, he finally has the chance of a new life within his grasp, and he’s not going to risk it for anyone or anything. Staying safe is the name of Will’s game.

Jem Dawson defines the word temporary. A talented cameraman, he’s here today and will undoubtedly be gone tomorrow chasing adventure and danger. But, while he’s in York, he’s made it clear he wants Will, and Will can’t help liking the charming daredevil.

This inconvenient attraction results in Will accompanying Jem to the site of a notorious poltergeist outbreak. A malevolent spirit has targeted a family, and now the ghost hunting team for whom Jem does camerawork are going to be locked down in the house for three days.

The house is strange and filled with sinister and violent undercurrents. One by one, the group experiences threatening incidents, and as events escalate, Will has to ask himself if he’s risking not just his heart but also his life with this impulsive gesture.

This is the first book in the Arcana Books series featuring characters from the bestselling Black and Blue series.

The Sceptic

By Lily Morton

Arcana Books, Book 1

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“Cheers.” Jem takes a sip before putting the mug down and fiddling with the little paper label.

“You okay?”

He smiles. “Just working out what to say.”

“Don’t think. Just say what’s in your head, Jem.” I look around. “I had some biscuits somewhere. Biscuits always help.”

With a rustle of paper, the packet of chocolate bourbons slides slowly across the counter, coming to rest in front of me. Jem’s mouth falls open.

“Thanks, Rosalind,” I call. I kick his ankle, and he jerks.

“Oh. Okay, thank you, Rosalind,” he says, obeying my silent urging.

I smile at him and push the packet towards him. “Take one.”

He reaches out his hand, and we both stare as the packet is moved very firmly away from him.

“Erm,” I say.

He tries again, but once more, the packet moves until it settles by my side.

He bites his lip. “Either she thinks I need to go on a diet, or she doesn’t like me.”

“Why wouldn’t she like you ?” I ask in amazement.

He smiles. There’s a breath of cold air and the smell of lily of the valley, then we both watch as his cup is pushed away from him, and his bag is lifted from the chair and set at his feet.

“Rosalind,” I sigh. I hesitate and then look imploringly at Jem. “I’m going to do something now. Can we please forget what is about to happen and never mention it to another living soul?”

“I don’t think I can promise that,” he says solemnly. “This has the feel of something good.”

I take a breath. “Rosalind, this is Jem. He’s a friend, and he means well. He’s very nice, and you’ll like him. I promise.”

An invisible hand runs through my hair, and I shiver at the cold blast of air.

Jem stares at me, his eyes wide. “She just ruffled your hair. Wasn’t she a famous murderess?” he whispers.

“Yes. But it’s rude to mention it,” I say firmly. “Say hello.”

“This isn’t a prank, is it? There aren’t any cameras in here, are there?”

“At least thirty recording your every move. Say hello.”

“H-Hello,” he finally stutters. “Lovely to meet you, R-Rosalind.”

The cold wind eddies around us, sending the biscuits rolling off the table. Then, the cupboard doors fly open one by one before the kitchen door slams shut. Footsteps thump loudly on the stairs. The warmth slowly returns to the kitchen, and I get up and close the cupboard doors. When I settle back into my chair, I find him staring at me.

Is there a Lily Morton book that I haven’t loved? Haven’t found one so far. Yes, I like some more than others, but this author writes humor better than most any author in this genre, and The Sceptic is no exception. Even with the mystery surrounding the house that Will and Jem are helping at, there are lots of little snarky moments, courtesy of Jem, quite a bit, but also Will as he became more comfortable.

I will not give anything away about the mystery and suspense in this story, except to say that I would have been out of there pretty quickly myself. 🙂

Will, Blue Billings’ best friend, definitely got the short end of the stick more than once in his life, and someone who was a gentle giant like him, I don’t know how that character wasn’t hard and cynical. I would guess the only reason he wasn’t cynical and hard was because he had his best friend for so many years. Instead, he was looking forward to going away to college, now that he didn’t have to take care of Blue. However, with the circumstances he had dealt with, it was fairly easy to see how he didn’t trust that anyone would be there for him, when the chips were down. Jem, though, did not let him down, and that had to have been just one more reason why Will was willing to let his heart feel again.

Jem, a photographer with mad wanderlust (his word), but also felt a strong pull towards the gentle man who he met through Blue. He was quick witted, funny, and determined to work his way into Will’s heart slowly. It was very sweet how he let Will know right away that he was chasing after him. And Will, slowly became less nervous around Jem, until he realized he wasn’t any longer. They were very much opposites, yet their personalities meshed so well together, supporting and caring for each other.

And the hugs-the sweetness of the hugs! There just isn’t enough simple hugs in romancelandia, and we need to correct that.

As usual, Joel Leslie knocks another one out of the park. I don’t know how he does it to, be honest. He’s able to give each character distinct voices and mannerisms, no matter their gender. The listener knows who is speaking/narrating at all times, whenever he is on tap for a book. His voice can wrap you up in the story, exactly like one of those comforting hugs between Will and Jem. When you are done, you feel better for having spent the time in a marvelous story with a marvelous narrator.

The blurb on this says it is the first book in the series, and I am hopeful there is more to come. I do enjoy my romance filled with suspense.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She 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 got her Kindle.

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.