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Confessions: The Princess, The Prick and The Priest by Ella Frank: New Release Review and Excerpt

by

Everyone said our love wouldn’t work.
That it was too hard, too complicated, too messy.
Oh how I enjoy proving everyone wrong.

My men are smart, sexy, sophisticated—
and most of all, crazy about me.
The only problem is trying to explain
that to my big, opinionated Italian family.

But after all we’ve been through, we deserve a
happily ever after. And if there’s one
thing I know about my guys, they always
manage to have a few surprises up their sleeves.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I’m not sure why everyone dreads their thirties.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s going to be the best decade ever ~ Robbie

 

Six Months Later…

“LOVERS, I’M HOME,” Robbie Bianchi called out to his boyfriends, as he juggled several shopping bags in one hand and kicked the front door shut behind him. He stuffed his car keys into the pocket of his shorts, and as he evened out what he was carrying, he took the stairs that led him up to the first floor of their new home.

With the same smile on his face that he’d left with that morning, Robbie headed across the hardwood floors past the dining room, and into the kitchen, where he spotted a note waiting for him: We’re upstairs, princesse. Come find us when you get home.

Robbie grinned at the messy crown drawn above the i in princesse, but then quickly did as he was told. With one hand on the steel rail, he took the stairs two at a time, and as he reached the second floor where the bedroom was located, he walked inside to find it empty except for the fish swimming around the tank that lined the wall facing their bed.

Dropping his shopping bags on the end of the mattress, Robbie headed up to the final floor, where he knew his men were waiting for him. He opened up the glass door that led to the penthouse deck, and when he stepped outside and the warm rays washed over him, Robbie took in a breath of fresh air.

Ah, he’d always loved summer. Everything about it. The sun, the smell of the freshly cut grass, and the clothes—or lack thereof—Robbie thought, as he reached for the edge of his white tank top and drew it over his head.

As he tucked it into the back of his shorts, Robbie scanned the wide deck, his eyes roaming over the wooden slat floor, the hot tub over in the corner, and the glistening water of the lap pool surrounded by the potted greenery bordering their rooftop oasis.

This space had been the final selling point with all three of them when they’d made the decision to leave the condo after what had happened there with Jimmy. It was the perfect place for Julien to relax and do his yoga, for Priest, who loved a good soak to clear his mind, and for Robbie, for whom it was all about the calm he got from finally seeing his men happy and at peace. And that was exactly how he found one of them right now. There, stretched out on one of the sun loungers, was the brand-new reason that Robbie loved summer—an almost-naked Julien Thornton.

Dressed in tight, black, barely there swim shorts that left little—okay, nothing—to the imagination, the only other thing Julien was wearing was a pair of Aviator sunglasses. His rich, olive-colored skin was glistening with water droplets as he lay sprawled out with his hands behind his head, and oh my God was he a feast for the eyes.

As Robbie walked to the end of the lounger, his eyes roamed up Julien’s toned legs to his muscular thighs, and ended at the bulge that tight material was cupping like a glove.

Oh yes, this was hands down the best part about summer now, and luckily for Robbie and Priest, tanning was a favorite pastime of their seriously sexy Frenchman.

“Bonjour, princesse.” Julien’s honey-toned voice wrapped around Robbie, informing him that he’d been caught staring. But he didn’t care—not one little bit.

“One second, please. I’m concentrating here,”Robbie said, his gaze trailing up all he could see to finally land on Julien’s face. “Now, sorry, what were you saying?”

Julien chuckled as Robbie walked alongside him. “Bonjour, princesse.”

“Oh, yes,” Robbie said, and bent down to brush a kiss across Julien’s lips. “Bonjour, Jules.”

Robbie went to straighten, but before he got too far away, Julien took hold of the back of his neck and craned up for a deeper kiss. Robbie’s lips parted, and Julien slipped his tongue inside, making Robbie’s cock jerk to attention, as he braced his hand on the back of the lounger and sank into the deliciousness that was all Julien.

*fans self*

I’m still not over the cover of this book. After the covers of the three before. I am not even one of those people who get all worked up about a cover. But DAYUM.

We’ve come to the end friends. We got Robbie’s story, Julien’s story and finally Priest’s story. Interwoven with their individual stories was the building of the relationship between the three men. What started out as ridiculously smoking hot in Robbie’s book got a little less so in each consecutive. BUT, there was also a lot of story to tell.

I will say that in book 1, Julien and Priest have this type of arrangement in their marriage because they are both dominant and while Priest is strictly a top, Julien is vers. Bringing in a third lets them both be toppy doms. And Robbie has no problem being their bottom who is on the submissive side of things. That played a big role in book 1, but less so in the next two. Finally in this book it is mentioned once. Mentioned with one sentence. Not enough for me.

There was nothing shocking in this final installment. No more skeletons in the closet, families are introduced, no drama, no angst. It was a nice, tidy wrap up to their story. I could have done with a bit of drama. A bit more of working out how the three of them work, but no.

I will say I have never read a menage book where it was so obvious how much these three men loved each other AND how equal they were with their love for each other. That should have been hard to do being that Priest and Julien were not only an established couple- they were married. But it was effortless here.

There are a couple more nit picky things (seriously, Julien almost never seems to work. Chef owners of an enormously popular and new restaurant work 80 hours a week), but, like I said, nit picky.

This is a must read if you read the first three. All four are worth it.

3.5 Pieces of Candy

.

Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite contemporary romance, Sex Addict. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”

Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Phillips.

Connect with Ella:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ella.frank.31/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EllaFrank2012

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellafrank1/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ella-frank

Stay up to date with Ella by joining her mailing list:  www.bit.ly/1hEYtgn

Join Booke & Ella’s Naughty Umbrella: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBrellas/

Website: https://www.ellafrank.com/portfolio

The Kinsey Scale by CJane Elliott: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

Life is good for Eric Brown. He’s a senior theater major, an RA for a freshman dorm, and has a great circle of friends. Single since sophomore year, Eric isn’t looking for love. But then Will Butler—fellow senior, co-RA, and the cutest guy Eric’s ever seen—walks into his dorm. Will has a girlfriend he sees off campus—a minor disappointment that becomes a major problem when a housing shortage causes Will and Eric to become roommates, and Eric is forced to witness Will’s hotness day in and day out. For protection, Eric asks Jerry, his ex-boyfriend, to pretend they’re still together. Jerry warns him it’s a stupid idea, but he reluctantly agrees.

Too bad it won’t save Eric from losing his heart.

Will Butler has never believed in himself. His dysfunctional family saw to that. Although Will has loved music since childhood, he’s never seriously considered pursuing it, and the person he’s dating doesn’t encourage him. Then he and Eric Brown become roommates, and everything changes. Eric believes in Will and his talent. He’s also gorgeous and playful and fast becoming Will’s best friend. And that’s not good, because Will is hiding some big things, not only from Eric, but from himself.

Title: The Kinsey Scale
Series: Campus Connections
Author: CJane Elliott
Release Date: November 9, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 78

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Hello, all! CJane Elliott here to share my new release, The Kinsey Scale. Thank you to the Two Chicks for hosting me on The Kinsey Scale Blog Tour.

Our heroes, Eric and Will, started out seemingly opposite in interests and temperament. But when they become co-RAs for a freshman dorm and have to room together, they slowly get close – so close that Eric’s ex Jerry warns Eric that he thinks Will is falling for him. Eric, confident in his belief that Will is straight, laughs it off.

In today’s blog tour stop I’ve brought you an exclusive excerpt that takes place in early March after Jerry tells Eric of his suspicion about Will’s feelings. Eric and Will have been roommates for months by now and they’re having some deep conversations. In this one, Eric talks about how coming out made him aware of his “tribe” of like-minded weirdos. Will has a surprising response.

“Hey, roomie!”

Eric jumped. Will had snuck up behind their usual spot in the student lounge and spoken loudly right into his ear.

“Agh! Stop doing that.” Eric peered around as Will snickered and settled himself into the adjoining armchair. “Where’s your shadow?”

“Amber? I think I shook her off.” Will snuck a glance behind him. “Warn me if she comes in.”

“Allison probably took her down with a single karate chop. Cat fight over William!” Eric laughed a little too loudly. Will gave him his “are you nuts?” look.

Eric had been watching Will like a hawk ever since Jerry’s revelation. Hung up on him? Eric couldn’t see it, but it was enough to put him on edge, enough to make him even more aware of how attracted he was to Will. Still, he should cool it with the corny hetero jokes. Jerry told him he was overcompensating.

Will stretched and yawned. “Ready to go over the kids?”

Eric checked to make sure the coast was clear of Hutchinson residents. He and Will did a weekly review of each of their freshmen. It helped detect any budding issues or concerns they needed to address. “Yep. You got the list?”

“Yep.” Will pulled out a piece of paper. “Abby.”

“Hmm. I haven’t seen her around much lately. How about you?”

“She came to that get-together thingy we had a few weeks ago and seemed okay.”

Eric swatted Will’s knee. “Thingy? You mean our ‘Yay, we made it through February’ bash, emceed by the Dynamic Duo, aka us?”

Will smirked. “Yeah. That. Okay, next is Alex.”

“He’s fine.”

“Agreed. Andrew.”

“Andrew worries me.” Eric said that every week. He thought about the slight effeminate kid who was so clearly on the rainbow spectrum and yet hadn’t come out to anyone as far as Eric knew. Andrew was a loner and sometimes the target of bullying by the frat guys. Will and Eric worked hard to slap that nonsense down as soon as it erupted. They also traded off checking in with Andrew daily, dropping by his room, trying to seem casual about it.

“Yeah.” Will knit his eyebrows. “Not much we can do beyond what we’re already doing.”

“I wish he’d come out and get it over with,” Eric blurted and then bit his lip.

Will’s face got red. “Why? It could make more problems for him. Like if his family’s homophobic, they could throw him out. He’s already getting heat from the frat assholes.”

“But he’d find friends inside the queer community. God knows there’s enough of us around.”

“You’re the one who’s always saying people need to come out when they’re ready and not to push them.” Will’s voice rose, and he seemed to be getting upset, which was unusual for chill Will.

“I know, I know. It’s cool. I’d never force him. But I remember when I came out. I was around his age, and it was so liberating. It helped me find my tribe.”

“Your tribe?”

“You know—all the other weirdos and nonconformists. Queers. Artists and creative types. The fringe of society, the marginalized swath of humanity.”

Will snorted. “Very poetic. But as white males, you have to admit we’re privileged compared to, say, a black trans woman.”

“And as a straight white male you’re the most privileged of all,” Eric shot back, then regretted it when Will’s expression grew thunderous. “Sorry. Why are we even having this fight?”

Will dropped his shoulders with a wry smile. “Yeah. I don’t even know. I guess I felt left out of your tribe or something.”

“Are you kidding? You qualify on general coolness. Plus, duh… you’re a creative type, remember? Songwriter and singer. And you have to admit you’re kind of weird, which I love.”

“Aw, jeez.” Will blushed and looked pleased. “You say the nicest things.”

A swelling of emotion formed a lump in Eric’s throat. He wished… he didn’t know what he wished. Will was cool, creative, weird, and so fricking attractive, especially right that moment. “I only say the truth, roomie.” He shifted in his seat. “Hey, let’s get back to the list. I have dress rehearsal soon.”

Come on, boys, you’ve stretched this out long enough! I’m happy to say everything comes to a head soon after this conversation, and these guys will take the bumpy road to their happy ending.

The Kinsey Scale by CJane Elliott is my first read by this author. The story follows two college RA’s who become roommates when no other options are available, and eventually are glad that they have one room together. 😉 It takes some time during their senior year, but eventually they get their HFN.

I enjoyed the story, although it was a slow burn. Eric believed that Will was straight, and he himself had been out for quite a while, so going back in the closet was not an option. Will, meanwhile, wasn’t quite as forthcoming with where he fit on the Kinsey Scale, until the subject came up in a group conversation, and then things become a bit more transparent. There is a bit of heat later in the book, but for most of the book, they aren’t able to get themselves to the right place to give it a shot.

As Eric used his ex to try to push off the temptation of Will, Will was learning that he had not allowed himself to be in a situation that was beneficial to him, and was trying to move on from that previous relationship.

This was a short, sweet story that wrapped up easily with not too much angst for the characters. I’d definitely read the next book in the series.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

 

After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

CJane is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality and is particularly fond of coming-out stories. In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her family supports her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.

CJane is the author of the award-winning Serpentine Series, New Adult contemporary novels set at the University of Virginia. Serpentine Walls was a 2014 Rainbow Awards finalist, Aidan’s Journey was a 2015 EPIC Awards finalist, and Sex, Love, and Videogames won first place in the New Adult category in the 2016 Swirl Awards and first place in Contemporary Fiction in the 2017 EPIC eBook Awards.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | eMail | Instagram

http://www.cjaneelliott.com/

http://www.facebook.com/cjane.elliott

https://twitter.com/CJaneElliott

cjaneelliott@gmail.com

http://www.instragram.com/cjaneelliott

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Hawaii Five Uh-Oh by Z.A. Maxfield: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

by

Sarcastic cop Theo Hsu returns home to Hawai‘i after realizing he wants more from his life, and also, less. He hopes to reconnect with his past and make amends with his mother, who remarried a cool, distant man, leaving Theo unsure where he stands.

It doesn’t take him long to figure out where he wants to stand, though: right next to his childhood best friend, tattooed detective Koa Palapiti. Theo would like to upgrade their relationship, but Koa is putting out some seriously mixed signals. It’s a mystery Theo can’t let go, but just as they start to connect, kidnapping, murder, and a deadly game with international stakes get in the way. Koa wants to keep Theo out of it, and if it comes to a choice between him and Koa’s partner, Freddie Ortiz, Theo doesn’t like his chances.

But even if Koa wants to push him out of the investigation, and his life, Theo still has a few tricks up his sleeve. It’ll take all his special gifts, ingenuity, risk-taking, family ties—and even some kinky undercover work—to save the day… and the man he never should’ve let get away.

Title: Hawaii Five Uh-Oh
Series: Plummet to Soar: Book 2
Author: Z.A. Maxfield
Release Date: November 13, 2018
Category: Mystery/Suspense, Light BDSM
Pages: 196

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Dreamspinner Press

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Hi everyone! Thanks so much for welcoming me to the Two Chicks Obsessed Blog.

My Plummet to Soar books are a series of barely related books, super loosely based around “Plummet To Soar”, a fictional self-help book written by Mackenzie Detweiler, who fell from a tourist helicopter and lived to tell the tale.

Each of the books features some person touched by reading Plummet to Soar, for good or ill, whose life has changed because they were forced to rethink what they have, and what they truly want.

Today, I thought I’d share five things you might not know about each of the main characters, starting with Theo Hsu:

  1. Theo’s father forced him to take combat martial arts and play the violin all through school. Sometimes dirty fighting got in the way of orchestra class. He liberated himself from the instrument by giving it to a homeless guy in Madison the day after he graduated from the police academy.
  2. Once, on a dare, Theo dug a cold hole and spent the night in it. His island-born ass nearly froze off but he discovered it was true–you could use ice to insulate yourself from brutal weather, as long as you did it right.
  3. As a kid, Theo and his best friend Koa used to write adventure stories together. When they were tweens, the stories got a little more intense, and some carried the flavor of Theo’s kinkier longings. What Koa doesn’t know is long after he moved, Theo kept writing. He would often take the stories and put them in envelopes, address them to Koa, but then chicken out. He burned them all in a backyard fire before he moved to Bear Lake, Wisconsin for his first job.
  4. Theo likes to have his feet rubbed, but not tickled. He can’t stand to be tickled, anywhere. Even his hair is ticklish.
  5. Once, Theo got stuck in his squad car, beneath a giant statue of Babe the Blue Ox, in a snowstorm, with Mackenzie Detweiler and his kleptomaniac lover JD in the back getting busy. FML!

And Koa!

  1. Koa’s family wasn’t wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. To get by, his mother decided she should probably get a job. Her friends begged her to make the candies she always gave as gifts available at local craft fairs and swap meets. Soon, demand far outstripped the amount she could make by herself. What Theo won’t tell you is he’s at least as good a candy maker, maybe even better, than his Auntie La-La, who took over the business when his mother died. He helps out during holidays and other brisk business seasons, and also, whenever he needs to destress.
  2. Koa enjoys all kinds of water sports—surfing, stand up paddle-boarding, and kayaking, but his favorite is paddling through big waves as part of an outrigger team. That’s when he closes his eyes and pretends he’s one of original navigators of Oceania, and there’s nothing but the sea, the stars, and his fellow teammates finding adventure together.
  3. Koa gets weekly mani-pedis because he’s a vain bastard. He sneaks outside Waikiki to a place where nobody knows who he is because he’d hear all about it from his partner Freddie and the rest of the crew in the bullpen if they caught him. He likes his toenails cut square, his hands moisturized, and his fingernails buffed to a high sheen, thanks.
  4. Koa’s family is an amalgam of the many different people who make up Oceania, but Koa is acutely aware he’s not a true native of Hawai’i. He belongs to the Islands. He believes he fits in. But there’s always a yearning inside him that will go unfulfilled. To make up for it, Koa tries a hundred percent harder to be faithful to the motto: The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
  5. At Theo’s mother urging, both Koa and Theo took up cultural dance. But Theo’s dad forced him to quit early on. Koa kept at it, even after Theo left the Islands. It was hard work, and there was no real reason for him to do it without Theo, except he was good at it, it pleased his Theo’s mom and, most especially, Koa plays a long game. Dance was a carefully calculated strategy to remain close to Theo and keep involved with his family. In that way, Koa bided his time until Theo came back. And it worked, because Theo’s mom asked him to pick Theo up from the airport when he returned, making him the first person from the past Theo laid eyes on.

I hope you enjoyed this little bit of insight into the characters from Hawai’i Five Uh-oh! It’s a bit romance, a bit suspense, and a whole lot ZAM!

I hope you read Hawai’i Five Uh-oh—and don’t forget to review it on your favorite review sites! Reviews really do make a book visible to a wider audience. They help me, my publisher, and gay romance as a genre in general! Many thanks in advance!

Thanks again,

ZAM

Koa glanced his way. “Pics or it didn’t happen.”

“I never did it,” Theo admitted. “I’m saying it’s theoretically possible.”

Silence stretched out between them again. It was a long ride, and as Koa drove, Theo flew his hand out the window and marked the buildings he remembered. So much had changed. He’d changed.

When they pulled into Theo’s mother’s driveway, Koa turned to him. “I hope you don’t mind, I don’t have time to come in. Say hi to your mom.”

“Okay.” Disappointment warred with relief in Theo’s heart. Relief came out a winner. The last thing he needed was disinterested bystanders. “Pop the locks, I’ll just get my things from the back.”

He stepped down, went around, and hauled his things out. From the outside pocket of the lightest one, he pulled a signed copy of Plummet to Soar. He’d put it there to give to his mother because he’d assumed she’d pick him up. He had other gifts for her, so it didn’t matter.

“Hey, brother.” He smiled awkwardly and waved for Koa to roll down the window. “Present for you.”

“Mahalo. Really?” Surprised, he took it and gave it a quick perusal. “Hey, it’s autographed to you. You sure?”

Theo nodded. “That book changed a lot of things for me. I hope you enjoy it.”

Koa’s dark eyes—when he lifted his gaze—held some earnest question Theo couldn’t begin to answer. They widened. “I don’t suppose you ever figured out what happened at the end of that thing you were writing…?”

“You remember that shit?” He said the words like Sheesh, who remembers? As if he hadn’t just been thinking that very thing. Obviously now he understood what those ridiculous stories were, but at the time?

Looking back, Theo blushed with shame.

Koa gave his lower lip a quick nibble. Theo’s dick sat up and got ready to beg. Down, boy. “I think when last I read, our plucky heroes were in a Malay prison.” Koa glanced at him. “Sentenced for a crime they didn’t commit.”

“Tunneling their way to freedom.” Theo nodded. “One of those boys always got himself jammed up, and the other saved the day.”

“Well, you write what you know.” Koa was laughing at him.

Theo didn’t take lead and he wasn’t much of a follower. Sidekick was more his style. But in those stupid stories, he always, always saved the day. Maybe with Koa he’d wanted to try taking the lead….

Koa asked, “Wasn’t one of them about to be caned?”

“Yeah?” Theo admitted hoarsely. At the time, news stories of corporal punishment—as applied to dumb Westerners in places like Malaysia and Taiwan—had fired his imagination, for a lot of reasons. Some not so wholesome.

Koa snorted. “You dug writing that dark shit. The beatings. The extra, extra tight male bonding. Admit it.”

“Hell yeah.” Motherfucker. You went there. I cannot believe you went there the second you saw him again. “I never finished writing any of those. But there’s always time, you know?”

Koa glanced over again. This time, unmistakably, he checked Theo out. “Maybe you should.”

Holy mother. Had Koa just…?

Did he just…?

Koa’s SUV was well clear of his mother’s property before Theo had the words to respond.

 

A Plummet to Soar Story

Feckless, luckless, and charming, Mackenzie Detweiller is the author of a self-help book one reviewer calls “the most misbegotten motivational tool since Mein Kampf.” He’s maneuvered himself into a career as a life coach, but more often than not, his advice is bad. Really bad.

It’s even getting people hurt… and Mackenzie sued.

It falls to Mackenzie’s long-suffering acquisitions editor, JD Chambers, to deliver the bad news. He chooses to do so face-to-face—to see if the spark he senses between them is real when they’re together in the flesh. Unfortunately, a snowstorm, a case of nerves, a case of mistaken identity, and finally a murder get in the way of a potential enemies-to-lovers romance.

There are many, many people who have good reason to want Mackenzie dead. JD must find out which one is acting on it before it’s too late for both of them.

Amazon ebook

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Dreamspinner Press

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Kobo

Nook

Goodreads

Z.A. Maxfield started writing in 2007 on a dare from her children and never looked back. Pathologically disorganized, and perennially optimistic, she writes as much as she can, reads as much as she dares, and enjoys her time with family and friends. Three things reverberate throughout all her stories: Unconditional love, redemption, and the belief that miracles happen when we least expect them.

If anyone asks her how a wife and mother of four can find time for a writing career, she’ll answer, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you give up housework.”Links:

Website: http://www.zamaxfield.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorZ.A.Maxfield
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ZAMaxfield

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zamaxfield/?hl=en
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2738500.Z_A_Maxfield

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2A01S43

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/z-a-maxfield

Giveaway: box with Hawai’ian Island-related items, valued at 25.00
Shipping: DOMESTIC ONLY

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Rabi and Matthew by L.A. Witt: New Release Review

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A queer retelling of Romeo & Juliet, except no one has to bury their gays.

A decades-old family rivalry is reaching a boiling point as the patriarchs vie for a seat in Congress. Democrat vs Republican, Muslim vs Christian, Hashmi vs Swain — the Midwestern town of Arbor Hills is one spark away from an explosion of violence. So when two men find themselves irresistibly drawn together at a party, only to discover they were born on opposite sides of a bloody battle line, Matthew Swain and Rabi Hashmi know they should leave well enough alone.

The pull between them is magnetic, though, and it’s too strong to ignore. Unable to resist, they meet again in secret. Generations of hatred can’t temper the passionate love growing between them, but two men falling for each other in the middle of a war zone can’t hold back the inevitable clash.

And when decades of political, religious, and personal strife finally come to a head, there will be blood.

Word count: 59,800; page count: 237

Amazon

Riptide Books

Wow. This book was brutal and heart breaking and still gave me hope.

How these 2 guys didn’t know who each other were already, I’ll never know. I am also going to let that slide because the rest of the book was just so good.

This book is filled with racism and homophobia and Islamaphobia. Just so you know. There are passages that are just vicious. Dialogue that is just so mean you can’t imagine people saying it. But they do, everyday.

This modern, gay retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Political adversaries, Rabi and Matthew’s fathers are running against east other for political office. And it is the bible thumping, super conservative white guy versus the Muslim, leftist liberal. The discord between the families goes back 1 or 2 generations. It’s ugly. It’s also very topical.

There was still a lot of focus on Rabi and Matthew and their blooming romance. It was so sweet. So romantic. It was a bit swoony. When they are found out though, it is really, really ugly. I don’t understand hate like that. Hate because someone is a different color, different religion, different sexuality. And it is so real. I think that is what gut punched me the most. Knowing that these people are out there with their vile hate.

I’m sure you all know how Romeo and Juliet ends. But no so with Rabi and Matthew. Because as the author says, too many gays have died. Time for them to live.

Fire and Agate by Andrew Grey: Release Day Review

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When Chris Anducci is moved off jail duty and into the sheriff’s office, he doesn’t expect his first assignment to be protecting a witness against a human trafficking ring. Knowing the new sheriff doesn’t abide screwups, Chris reluctantly agrees to work the case.

Pavle Kasun has spent the last four years of his life at the mercy of others. When an opportunity presented itself, he took it, resulting in his rescue. Now the safe houses he’s placed in are being threatened and he needs protection if he is to have any sort of chance at a life.

Chris opens his home to Pavle, but he doesn’t expect Pavle and his story to get under his skin… and stay there. Soon they discover they have more in common than either of them thought. Slowly Pavle comes out of his shell and Chris finds someone who touches his heart. But as the men looking for Pavle close in, they will stop at nothing to get him out of the way. But even if Chris can keep him safe, he might not be able to protect his heart if Pavle moves back home.

Title: Fire and Agate
Series: Carlisle Deputies: Book 3
Author: Andrew Grey
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Category: Mystery/Suspense
Pages: 193

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

 

I love this series and all the guys we’ve met so far.

I don’t think anyone will top Donald, Carter and little Alex for me, but Pavle and Chris are a very close second…. In this one, we get Chris’ POV, which I’m grateful for, because I don’t think I could’ve handled all of the things that Pavle had gone through, being brought to America four years ago and sold into sex slavery….which is a very real thing in our country and I can’t believe it isn’t talked about more. While it’s true that women and children are more likely to be victims, boys and men aren’t safe either… as is proof with Pavle.

When Pavle gets a note to his neighbors, he’s finally freed from captivity, and Chris is selected to keep an eye on him since someone is out to make sure he can’t testify. There’s a bit of a language barrier there, but Pavle’s English isn’t terrible. He’s picked up a bit being held in America, though originally from Serbia. He’s very untrusting at first, with very good reason, but the more Chris shows him that he’s safe, and gives him choices that he’s never had, he slowly starts trusting and opening up to Chris.

There are so many amazing people that help too; Chris’ Nanna, who also came from Serbia, once upon a time… the social worker, Marie, Briggs, who works with Chris, the Reverend and his wife and son, Red and Terry make a few appearances, and just everyone who fell in love with Pavle when meeting him. It was so easy to do. I loved loved loved watching him get comfortable and learn how to live happily. Sighhhhhhh, loved it.

Of course, being that these hot cops were there to look after Pavle, the threat is still very much out there. We don’t find out the why’s or really the who’s, but just know that justice is served with them and they get what’s coming to them. I love karmic justice and though I feel like they got off easy, I try to tell myself they’re fictional people and wishing them a slow and painful death, doesn’t reflect on me as a person LOL…. Okay, maybe it does, but I’m okay with it.

Through slowly gaining Pavle’s trust and watching him come into his own, Chris falls in love with him… cuz, of course he does, and though he’s wary about Pavle’s feelings for him are coming from the wrong place…. They aren’t, and Pavle falls in love with him too. It’s a rocky road for sure, but they get there in the end. Together.

What an awesome addition to an already awesome series. I can’t wait to see who’s next!

5 pieces of eye candy from me

Remote Access by Rinda Elliott: New Release Review

by

Blackmail turned Lane Becker into a thief at the age of fourteen.

After ten miserable years, he’s finally free. To make reparation for his crimes, Lane plans to steal back a priceless Metropolis poster and return it to its rightful owner. But to find it, he has to break into the home of Hayrick Letsen, the man who turned his life into a living nightmare. The last thing Lane expects to encounter is Letsen’s nosy but crazy-hot security guard.

Quincy Holt’s life has been ruined. He’s infamous in Oklahoma as a cop on the take, but what no one knows is that he was unofficially undercover, trying to get the goods on Letsen — the most wanted fence in the business. When that failed, he was left with no other option but to take a job as Letsen’s security guard.

Lane and Quincy are on the run from their mutual enemy while trying to right past wrongs. Neither expected a thief and a cop to have the kind of wild, off-the-charts chemistry that could very well end up breaking their hearts.

Amazon-Kindle Unlimited

 

What can I say? If Rinda Elliott writes it, I’m gonna need to read it! And this being her first solo book in several years (and with this awesome amazing cover!), I really wanted to see what came running out of that brain of hers! She did not disappoint in the least.

 

As with any book this author has a hand in, mayhem is going to ensue, and it does, almost instantly, but with a very creative twist. A (former) cop falls in love with a thief with a good heart, and they bring along a group of people who show their own big hearts, but were up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

First, I must say, DAMN, this woman can write some seriously HAAAAWWWWWWTTTTTTT sex scenes. I’m fairly certain I’ll be requesting a new kindle for Christmas this year, as she melted the thing right up. Whew!!!!!

One of the things I absolutely loved about Lane was that even though he was small, he was confident in himself, and confident in his attraction to Quincy. He flirted shamelessly with Quincy…and even the poor waiter…when they first met. He didn’t hide behind his concerns, or even question the age difference. He knew what he wanted, and he let Quincy know with certainty.

Quincy meanwhile, a good cop, who tried to make as much right as he could for the people he cared about, didn’t even try to question his feelings. He was all in…once he got past the “kid” thing. 😉 They were good together, supportive of each other, and even though they knew they would have to end their fling at some point, it was obvious they respected each other for all their talents as well as what they were trying to accomplish.

There were several twists and turns, lots of suspense, and a few gut wrenching moments as Lane dealt with the grief and guilt he would carry the rest of his life. So, finding an HEA wasn’t easy for them. Many bad things had to happen, but once they realized they could make it work, they didn’t just wrap themselves up, they brought those they loved into their fold, setting up quite a few HEA’s ahead for other characters, with little hints of what’s to come.

Oh, and the title…once you find out what it’s for…brilliant way to bring it full circle. The series name too, just love it! Fits so perfectly.

Can’t wait to see what’s next in this new series!

4.5 pieces of eye candy