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Love Happens Anyway by RJ Scott: Audio Book Review

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Derek is facing yet another Christmas where his life feels out of control. He has a new career that doesn’t feel like his, and parents who would just love to see him settled down. All he needs is a temporary buffer for the parties he has to attend, and for his parents to leave him alone. Enter, Luke.

Luke is twenty-thousand dollars short for the renovations on Halligans; his family’s bar in New York’s Financial District. A favor for a buddy has him agreeing to play the part of boyfriend to a guy with more money than sense.

But when the spirit of Christmas works its magic on the two men, and they begin to fall for each other, Derek runs scared, and Luke needs space.

It doesn’t matter what obstacles you throw in the way of love, or how much you run in the other direction, because, when you’re least expecting it, whether you want it or not, love happens anyway.

Audible

Amazon

Great Holiday Listen!

Super cute story about a down on his luck ex-fireman that hires himself out to his friends escort service to come up with the funds to remodel and re-open his family bar and a super stressed Ad Exec who has himself caught in a snare with a little made up story about a boyfriend that his parents have insisted they meet. Both are in a pickle but maybe together they can both find a happy every after.

Love this one. The characters are well developed, especially for a holiday novella. The story is entertaining without too much drama or over the top sugar.

What can I say about Sean Crisden? He is one of my favorite narrators. He has a way of bringing a story to life with his smooth rich voice.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Educating the Professor by Sean Michael: Exclusive Guest Post and Excerpt

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TCO is happy to have Sean Michael stopping by with a guest post about finding the unexpected when writing a new book, and an excerpt that’s quirky while setting up the story nicely. Educating the Professor looks like it has all the sexy of a Sean Michael BDSM book, and a bit of intrigue to round out the romance. Can’t wait! Thanks for stopping by Sean!

Kenneth Brannigan is a small-town history professor. He’s happy with his life, loves the classes he teaches, and lives in a tiny apartment in a converted house with his best friend, Tim, next door. He’s still recovering from a bad breakup and is content to stick to his comfortable routine. It’s Tim who insists he come to the Queer Alliance’s Rainbow Mixer.

At the mixer, Kenn meets David Burgundy, a new-to-town TA who is working on his masters. Dave is drawn immediately to Kenn and is thrilled when Kenn offers to show him the best pizza place in town. One meal leads to two, which leads to Dave and Kenn spending most of their free time together… and Kenn loosening his self-imposed rules regarding dating and sex for some kinky fun.

Kenn’s ex isn’t going to just let Kenn be, though, and the happier Kenn is with Dave, the less the ex likes it. Will Kenn continue to run away from his past, or will his relationship with Dave help him face it head-on?

Title: Educating the Professor
Author: Sean Michael
Release Date: February 5, 2019
Category: Contemporary, BDSM
Pages: 193

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Thank you to Two Chicks Obsessed for hosting me today!

I love it when a book surprises me as I write it, and Educating the Professor is one such book. I had no idea Kenn’s ex was going to be involved. I knew that Kenn was a sub, but one who was reluctant, who hadn’t done a whole lot. And I knew Dave was his one and only and would be a great Dom for him. They were made for each other.

Then, when I thought the book was about Kenn learning about the lifestyle he’s so fascinated by (online at any rate), his ex showed up and suddenly there’s a very good reason why Kenn hasn’t ever done anything in the lifestyle, why he doesn’t even ever talk about it with anyone. It was a good surprise for sur and I’m glad there was more to the story than I thought.

My characters are good at that – they all come with their own baggage and stories and let me know it on a regular basis!

I hope you enjoy Kenn and Dave’s story; they’re sweet and kinky boys and I had a blast writing them.

Sean Michael

smut fixes everything

Dave grabbed his beer and took a sip before wandering away from the bar. He had to give it to the Queer Alliance—they really knew how to decorate for a Rainbow Mixer. It totally looked like a unicorn had barfed all over the place.

His newly self-appointed best friend, Anita, sidled up next to him. “Looks great, doesn’t it?”

Given that she was on the event committee, he knew she’d had a hand in the decorations.

“Very colorful,” he told her, hoping she didn’t press him. He didn’t like lying, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings either. He was generally more of a black leather and silver buckle sort of man, but this was… impossible to ignore.

She was happy with his answer, bouncing and kissing his cheek.

He was new to the campus, coming to the university to do his masters, and had found a room with five other TAs who lived in a great big old house—frat style, really. And honestly, he was grateful Anita had latched on to him. She knew everyone and everything about the school. She’d been the one to insist that the mixer was the best way to meet people.

It was certainly well-attended—undergrads and graduate students, along with professors, some of whom had the confident joviality of tenured faculty while others appeared more anxious to please. Impressive.

Anita took hold of his arm and began dragging him around, introducing him to everyone. It was a good thing he had a knack for putting together self-reminders for names and faces because he must have met a hundred people in less than an hour. His beer was long gone, and Anita seemed determined to ensure he met absolutely everyone before letting him go get another.

“Have you met Drs. Brannigan and Parker? They’re from the history department.”

“My first history profs,” he joked. He shook their hands, giving the slender blond a longer smile. Pretty. Very pretty.

“I’m Tim, this is Kenneth.” The redhead was bouncy, all kinetic energy. “Anita, you have outdone yourself.”

Dave wondered for one brief moment what it would take to tame that vivacity. A little bondage? No, a lot of bondage. But most of his attention remained on the much quieter Kenneth. With this man the trick would be to make him lose control. It could be a delicious challenge.

“Thank you, Dr. Parker,” Anita said. “I appreciate it. Do you mind if I leave David here with you? I have to check on the snacks.”

“Of course. We’ll make sure he doesn’t get lost.” Tim had a quick smile. “Oh look, Kenn! There’s a reporter. Let’s go talk to him.”

“Go ahead, Tim. I’m not interested in publicity, huh?”

“Oh. Right. I got it. I’ll just go and see what’s what.”

Dave chuckled as the redhead bebopped his way over to the reporter. “If we could bottle that energy….”

“Yes indeed. We all say that twelve times a day.”

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

WEBSITE: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com

BLOG: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/

TWITTER: seanmichael09

INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/seanmichaelpics/

 

Rebuild My Heart by Ariel Tachna: Release Day Review

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A love built to last.

When Derek Jackson is hired to renovate the LGBT bookstore that’s also Owen Hensley’s home, opposites attract. Derek is a big burly blue-collar guy, about ten years older than slight, sweet, and bookish Owen. As they spend time together, it becomes clear that each handsome outside leads to a beautiful interior. Far from the shy twink he appears, Owen has a rock-solid foundation that helped him put himself through college and start his own business. Behind Derek’s strong façade waits a tender heart that’s been battered by a rough family past—something Owen understands.

After Owen’s runaway nephew lands on his doorstep, it throws a wrench in their plans. Derek can’t ask Owen to choose, but he doesn’t think he can take second place with his lover the way he always has with his family. Can they find a way to keep their romance standing?

Title: Rebuild My Heart
Series: Lexington Lovers: Book 4
Author: Ariel Tachna
Release Date: February 5, 2019
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 230

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

So, I’m jumping into this series with book 4, but I’m hoping to go back and read everyone else’s story (especially Thane and Blake), but it didn’t put me off or confuse me in any way, not having read the others just yet. While I’d suggest reading it in order, I reckon it doesn’t have to be, you get to know Thane and Blake as friends of Derek….

Also… shout out to Mary Calmes in chapter four! (fan-girling!!)

Anyway…. So, as I mentioned, Derek helps run Thane’s construction business. Sent to do a bid on a job at a bookstore in town, he finds the proprietor attractive, but not necessarily his type. While I love the blue collar type of guys in my stories, and Derek the handyman was hot in my mental image, he was kind of douchey at first, to me….

Owen has one of those backgrounds that you hear about, but don’t really believe.
Like, his family are the snake handling, cult-like, extreme “church”…. If you can call it that. Luckily, he got away when he went to college, but it didn’t leave him without his own issues (and a somewhat hilariously cheesy vocabulary, “Great Cesar’s Ghost!”…. I mean, tell me you wouldn’t laugh if you heard that). He’s sweet though if not a little shy and I found myself siding with him throughout the book. He also had some ex-drama that seemed a little unnecessary given the other drama of the book, but, it made for a nice karmic kick in the pants.. literally lol, I always love seeing justice being served against douchebags. Which is why I had a hard time with the ending.

We see the two guys get to know one another and take it slow while Derek is doing the remodel of Owen’s shop. They spend as much time as they can together and get to see each other every day, even if only during a workday. While things are going great, Derek has some parental issues that kind of keep him held back. I will say, I did find him incredibly selfish towards the end.

While I can understand not wanting to come second to anyone in a relationship….
Family does not count. I will put any member of my family before anyone I’ve known around a month or even someone I’ve known a long time…and for Derek to pull that card and use it against Owen was just lame and it lost him a lot of points with me. I didn’t like that, or how it was so easily forgiven…. Don’t get me wrong, I understood where he was coming from, I truly did… but if you love someone, you don’t just give up when things get a little inconvenient. I dunno, that bugged me.

I’m still looking forward to reading the others in the series and I hope we get something with maybe Preston and Brent, or maybe someone else I haven’t read about yet… Looking forward to getting to know more about these guys in Lexington.

3 Pieces of Eye Candy

The Other Book by Roe Horvat: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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It was supposed to be just sex… Famous last words.

Tyler doesn’t overthink pleasure and avoids complications. He knows it might be stupid to get involved with his closeted boss, but the temptation is too great. At first, the cold and beautiful Joel Sandstrom seems to loathe Tyler’s guts.

Except one late night at the office, his reasons become clear…and his control breaks.

Every time they touch, Joel’s stony face comes alive, harsh lines smooth out, and for a minute, he looks serene. Happy, even. Just sex – dirty, intense, spectacular sex.

During their covert encounters, Tyler discovers the power he has over the lonesome man, and it’s a heady feeling. What if he could set Joel free and give him peace of mind? When Tyler realizes how much Joel needs him, he doesn’t regret breaking his own rules.

Length: 42,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Roe Horvat

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

(warning: adult language, explicit scenes)

He kissed me. I loved the sensation of his tongue dancing with mine—the constant hunger and desire. Joel inched closer, letting me feel his hardness. Within seconds, we were moaning and clawing at each other, both of us rock hard, dry-humping in my friends’ kitchen. It was the wine, I bet.

I slid down on the floor, and before Joel could protest, I opened his chinos. I took him down my throat. He groaned and leaned back against the counter.

“So…ah! I can’t do…the dishes in their… Oh fuck! Their kitchen,” Joel hissed, and his fingers tugged at my hair. “But. A blow job is…okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” I hummed and licked his slit.

“Damn. Yeah.”

Joel gripped my head and started fucking my face, but his movements stuttered after the first few thrusts.

“Shit,” he blurted, agitated. He inched back, but with the counter behind him he had nowhere to go.

Worried about what had made Joel start, I turned my head and noticed Adam standing in the doorway.

I stood and covered Joel’s body with mine, hiding his partial nakedness from Adam’s amused, hungry eyes. I felt Joel tense in my arms when our chests touched.

“Sorry,” I said to Adam over my shoulder. “Got carried away.”

“I’m glad. You should continue,” Adam responded with a kind smile and came closer, putting an empty tray on the counter next to us—much closer than was necessary.

“Adam,” I said with a warning.

He chuckled. “I know! Sorry. I’m going. Don’t stop on my account.”

I turned to Joel, afraid of how he’d react, but upon meeting his gaze I paused.

Joel’s wild eyes were full of lust. Fear was there too, but the lust eclipsed it. His chest was heaving, and his hard, spit-slick cock was pressed against my abdomen. I felt the wetness seep through my thin T-shirt as he clung to me.

He parted his lips, but no sound came out. His blown pupils flicked between Adam’s retreating back and my face.

The situation clicked into place. Suddenly, I understood Joel’s earlier questions in a different way. Joel wanted me for himself. He also wanted to live—to explore, to let himself feel without the constant pressure and expectations. It didn’t get any safer than this. Here, with my friends, he could do anything, be anyone. I wanted to give him that. I wanted to let him experience what I used to feel, and it could only be more amazing because now there wasn’t only trust, friendship, and desire. There was love, too.

“Adam, wait,” I called.

“Yeah?” Adam asked from the doorway.

“Come back.”

I never looked away from Joel’s eyes. He understood the question in mine and nodded. I kissed him.

I gripped the back of his head and forced my tongue inside his mouth, not letting him breathe. I sensed Adam next to us, watching. I sucked on Joel’s lips and tore my mouth off. Joel chased it. I spoke before he could kiss me again.

“It’s your call. Everything. Whatever you say is the rule, understand?”

“Yeah,” Joel breathed.

I licked at his lips and dropped down to my knees again, Joel’s exposed cock in front of my face. Adam sucked in a breath next to us. I lifted my gaze to check Joel’s expression. He watched me as if Adam weren’t there. At the same time, there was a new energy to him—a new level of excitement.

I took his erection by the root and licked the head slowly.

“Damn,” Adam breathed.

I licked again. Joel moaned, his eyes pinned on my face.

I suckled on the head.

“C, baby, come here!” Adam called.

I half expected Joel to back off after that. But he just tangled his fingers in my hair and moaned again when I sucked harder, taking him in deeper.

I heard Christoffer’s steps in the hall, in the kitchen, and then came his voice from behind me. “Oh.”

“He’s exquisite,” Adam whispered.

“Fuck, yeah,” Christoffer confirmed.

Indeed, Joel was a sight to capture and keep safe for future generations. He bowed his spine, supporting himself on the edge of the counter, his hips pushed forward, rocking slowly into my face. I stroked his ass, tugged his chinos down and kneaded the bare muscle. Joel threw his head back and moaned loudly. He looked like he didn’t care about the audience, yet I could tell, he was trembling with the joy of being watched. And, holy shit, I hadn’t thought I could love him more.

Often with books that are erotica, there are lots of sex scenes, and little in the way of storyline. I’m glad to say The Other Book exceeded those expectations by a mile.

I really enjoyed this book, when I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I haven’t read this author before, so I came into this completely absence of knowledge or expectations.

This book had sex scenes, loads of them…and super sexy ones at that. Whew! HOT! HOT!! HOT!!! Joel learns quickly what he really likes with Tyler, and they spend lots of time exploring.

However, there was plenty of backstory with these two men that assisted in helping Tyler and Joel connect with each other, and grow and learn as individuals. They even connected (in many, many ways!!!) with Tyler’s friends Adam and Christoffer.

Definitely recommend, especially if you want lots of sexy times in your reading tonight. 😉

4 pieces of eye candy

Jan 30 – The Way She Reads, Boulevard des Passions, Diverse Reader, Gay Book Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed, Feb 1 – Sanaa’s Book Blog, Cupcakes And Bookshelves, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, What’s Amy Reading?, Kimmers Erotic Book Banter, Mikku-chan, Xtreme Delusions, Feb 4 – Book Corner Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Mainely Stories, Love Unchained Book Reviews, Feb 6 – Making It Happen, Feb 8 – Mirrigold, Valerie Ullmer, Lillian Francis, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Wicked Reads

 

Queer fiction author Roe Horvat was born in the post-communist wasteland of former Czechoslovakia. Equipped with a dark sense of sarcasm, Roe traveled Europe and finally settled in Sweden. He came out as transgender in 2017 and has been fabulous since. He loves Jane Austen, Douglas Adams, bad action movies, stand-up comedy, pale ale, and daiquiri, with equal passion. When not hiding in the studio doing graphics, he can be found trolling cafés in Gothenburg, writing, and people-watching.

More about the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roe.horvat.98
Twitter: @roehorvat
Website: roehorvat.com
Publisher: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/?n1=authors&id=107

 

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His Kindred Spirit by Sloan Johnson: Exclusive Cover Reveal, Excerpt ad Giveaway

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TCO is excited to once again have Sloan Johnson stopping by today. She has brought her brand new cover from her upcoming Dreamspinner Press States of Love book, His Kindred Spirit, along with a great new excerpt. Make sure you check it out, and leave a comment for the giveaway. Thanks Sloan! Congrats!

Dane has built his life around not relying on anyone but himself. When he travels from New York City to North Carolina at the request of his estranged, incarcerated father, he learns truths he’d rather not know… along with inheriting a share in his grandfather’s inn. But the place comes with complications, including a man he will have to walk away from—but can’t help falling for.

Brook has only known romance through notes left in a mailbox at the end of the beach. When he’s tasked with showing his boss’s gorgeous nephew what makes Sunset Beach and Bird Island special, he’s compelled to take Dane to his favorite place.

Dane never wanted the inn, but when it’s threatened, he steps up to defend it… and keep the man he’s coming to love by his side and in his life. But first they’ll have to clean up Dane’s uncle’s mess.

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

Release Date: March 29, 2019
Category: Contemporary, States of Love
Pages: 131
Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht  http://brookealbrechtstudio.com

Dreamspinner Press eBook

Our conversation faded, and we sat watching the tide creep up the beach with every set of waves. The sound of a girl shrieking in the distance followed by rich laughter made me smile. I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, wishing I felt up to a walk across the island tonight because the weather was perfect for it.

When I opened my eyes, I couldn’t believe what sat on the table. A green notebook with the edges curled up from use. “Where’d you get this?”

Dane’s cheeks turned pink, the corner of his mouth lifting upward in a shy smile. “I figured you hadn’t been out to the mailbox since the night we were there. Thought you might miss your reading time.”

“So you made a four-mile round-trip for me?” Maybe I shouldn’t have been shocked, because that was the type of guy Dane was, but no one had ever gone out of their way like this for me. I didn’t have a lot of dating experience, but I’d never even been able to get any of my boyfriends to walk out there with me. They all thought it was a redneck tourist trap, not worth wasting hours of their time. But Dane, who I’d treated like crap last Saturday morning, had walked out there and brought back a book for me to read without me even asking.

“Go on, pick a page and read it to me.” Dane slid lower in his chair and closed his eyes.

I flipped the notebook open to a random page.

“What’s it say?”

“This one’s cheesy,” I warned him.

“Don’t care. Whatever page you open it to is the one you have to read.” He sat up and smiled. “That’s a new rule I made up. The people who write those notes want to be heard, so let’s hear them.”

Heart. Melting. “Okay, just remember you asked for it. Based on the handwriting and what it says, I’m pretty sure this was a teenage girl, probably out there with her parents, but maybe not.”

“You’re stalling,” he pointed out, smirking again. If I was bolder, I’d have lunged over this table and kissed that cocky grin off his face.

“I met the most amazing guy yesterday, but I probably won’t get to see him again. He was funny and really cute. And he said I had a nice smile. No one’s said that to me before, probably because I had those stupid braces for so long. But he liked my smile…”

I kept reading until the end of the letter, signed with a heart with two sets of initials.

“That wasn’t so bad,” he said when I finished. “I wonder if she did get to see him again before they left. Or if they at least kept talking. I hope so.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a closet romantic, Dane Montgomery,” I teased.

Sloan Johnson is a big-city girl trapped in a country girl’s body. While she longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild turkeys in the fields, while surrounded by concrete and glass.

When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool, and started plotting her first story soon after.

Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?

Leave a comment for Sloan about her upcoming book, and you could win an ebook from her backlist.

Gage (Trenton Security Book 3) by J.M. Dabney: Release Day Review

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The forbidden is the sweetest lure.

Trenton Security’s Public Relations go-to was Hayden Gage. He loved his job, and it kept him distracted from the demons haunting his nightmares. His past wasn’t up for discussion, and Hayden wouldn’t allow it to intrude on his future. Yet, that was easier said than done when his best friend came to him desperate for help, and it put him right on the path to his one weakness.

Young didn’t equal lost.

Derrick Thorpe lived in the shadow of his father’s mistakes. Although he was adopted by Linus Trenton, he wanted to prove that he wasn’t like his biological father. When he was asked to go undercover to help at Trenton Security, it put him in close quarters with Gage. Being Gage’s was only an act, but when lines blur, what happens when the operation ends?

Amazon

 

Another hit with the crazies of Trenton Securities team.

In this one, we have Gage, who you should remember from previous books, and Derrick, who was the former sheriff’s son, adopted by Linus and his brood. Remember him? Well, he’s a man now, and he’s got his sights set on Hayden Gage.

Gage however, like all the other guys that have been brought into the fold, has a troubled past. Much like Derricks, and I was surprised that that wasn’t touched on a little bit more. They’re backgrounds and “daddy issues” as Gage called them once, were very similar. Both of them equally as heartbreaking, living with abusive and sadistic father’s… .Gage tries to keep his distance from Derrick because his rage and anger from a life he left long ago was still at the forefront just begging to be unleashed.

While there is a trigger warning, there is also somewhat graphic details of self-harm. Normally, I’d cringe at this, but it was explained in the most perfectly accurate way, it made it relatable, if that makes sense? Like, instead of judging a person on why they do it…. Listen to actually WHY, someone might do it. If you didn’t understand before, Gage should give you a better understanding. I appreciated that.

So, Gage is set on keeping his distance, and Derrick is mourning the death of a dream that he’s had for far too long about belonging to Gage, but when Gage’s best friend and teammate calls because his daughter’s gone missing… they’re thrust together to try and find her.

Going undercover wasn’t ideal for Derrick, but he knows that if they have any chance of finding the missing girl, he has to do it….and any chance to spend with
Gage, he’s taking that too. However, during the mission, lines get blurred and it’s harder for Gage to deny what he feels for Derrick, and the things he might want from him. It also gives Derrick the option to show Gage that he’s not scared of him, or what he wants… and in fact, it might just be what Derrick wants to.

And fear not, we do get justice for the abused…. I kind of adored Kray and I feel like down the road, he’d have an amazing story to tell… I especially hope to get him a happily ever after. If anyone deserves one, it’s him. I’m also super excited for more of Raul and Pure… I have a feeling they’re just waiting on their third… because if they haven’t figured it out between the two of them yet, something has to be missing. I’m hoping not, because minages aren’t my favorite… but this author makes it work… so I’ll deal if it is…. But I sincerely hope he’s next!

Overall, as always, it’s another sweet and hopeful addition to an awesome, daddy-loving series. I’ll just be over here, impatiently waiting for more!

5 pieces of eye candy from me