Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

N.R. Walker

SIR by N.R. Walker: New Release Review

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Founded over four hundred years ago, Sanctus Infinitus Redemptio is a private and very elite society where dominance and submission are revered. Steeped in tradition and excellence, every Dominant and every submissive, and their pairing, is selected with great care.

When Hunter Vargo is brought into the Sanctus, his need for strict dominance sees him paired with the wrong Master. But only a short time later, mistreated and his trust broken, he’s recalled, his collar removed. The Grand Master knows it will take a special kind of Dominant to restore the sub’s faith and trust.

Sig Bruckner’s world is perfect. He has a great job, he has high standing within the Sanctus, and he has Levin, the very best submissive. When he’s asked to take on a second sub, a submissive with issues and a rule not to touch him, Sig’s world is turned upside down.

When his Dominance, his patience, and self-control are tested, and when Sig’s relationship with both subs is pushed past his limits, everything begins to unravel. Yet Sig knows every good Dom learns from their subs, and he’s no exception. He might not be able to fix everything on his own, but perhaps the three of them together can.

Sig Bruckner is about to learn who’s really in control.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

One thing you can definitely say about N.R. Walker, she never writes the same story twice. Which is amazing. All of her books are unique to her (hello, androids?) and I’ve yet to find one I didn’t like. So when I saw she was writing a BDSM book? Sign me up.

But this is no ordinary BDSM book, of course. Instead, this is a whole society built around BDSM that lives among non-society members, but members outnumber non by quite a bit. They are, of course, completely secret.

The society places Doms and subs together. They pride themselves on their match ups. But this one went wrong with hard limits crossed and trust destroyed. So they ask the “nice” Dom to take on this sub, even though the Dom already has one sub and with the stipulation that it is a week trial and no sexual touching.

Well ok then.

What follows is a Dom and sub welcoming a new sub into their homes and lives. And even though they aren’t to have sexual contact, the sex isn’t lacking. It is just a little more creative. They are open and mostly honest with each other, Hunter thriving as a sub, but the fact that it is a “trial basis” looms over them.

The story flowed really nicely with no “filler”. Even though the entire book happens in a week, it didn’t feel stuffed full of information or rushed at all. I really loved watching these 3 men learn to be together as a unit.

It is definitely BDSM lite, which is kind of obvious from the beginning with Sig being called the nice Dom. But it is also explained how everyone, Dom and sub are different in their preferences.

AND THEN there was an epilogue. Listen, I love a good epilogue. But I really thought, hoped, wished, that this would be the first book of at least several. PLEASE! I need more! More of Sig, Levin and Hunter but also more of the SIR society. Yes, I am being a greedy brat, but that’s how much I enjoyed it. The set up screams for more. So, pretty please?

4 Pieces of Candy

The Hate You Drink by N.R. Walker: Release Day Review

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Erik Keston, son of the Keston Real Estate empire, knows what it takes to be successful. Despite his inherent wealth, he holds his own. He works hard, he’s grounded, he’s brilliant. He’s also secretly in love with his best friend.

Monroe Wellman lost his parents three years ago and never grieved, never recovered. Inheriting the family company and wealth means nothing, and his spiral of self-destruction is widespread and spectacular. Dubbed Sydney’s bad boy, he spends more days drunk than sober, and the only person who’s stuck by him through it all is his best mate.

But when Monroe hits rock bottom, Erik gives him an ultimatum, and his entire world comes to a grinding halt. It’s not until the haze lifts that Monroe can truly see what he’s been searching for was never in the bottom of a bottle. It’s been by his side all along.

* * *

An 80,000-word friends-to-lovers story about fighting the demons within and trusting in the love that takes its place.

“Because when all you drink is hate, that’s all there is inside you.”

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

 

Wow…

What a relevant topic of today. Addiction.

I’ve gotta say that this one was incredibly emotional for me, as someone who not only has struggled with alcohol addiction but also grew up with an alcoholic father, it was so well written and described every part of the recovery process perfectly.

Erik and Monroe have been best friends since they were 18 and met in college. More than best friends though, one cannot function without the other, and since Monroe lost his parents in an accident three years ago, he’s needed more from his friend than is healthy. Using alcohol as a way to cover up all the feelings and grief associated with losing his parents that he didn’t have a great relationship with, he let himself get carried away with his addiction.

Erik though, man… there would never be a more patient and supportive friend, but support can so easily turn into enabling and it’s a fine line between the two if you don’t know how to handle someone with an addiction. Erik cared so much, love his friend so much that he let him get away with so much, as long as it kept him happy. But, with any kind of addiction, if left untreated, it just gets worse and worse, and Erik was afraid that if Monroe didn’t get control of it, he’d end up in prison, or dead. His family used their connections and set up a type of intervention to get Monroe some help, but wow, it was not easy.

I loved that we got to see the addiction from both POV’s. I love how raw and painful it was, but that’s honest. I liked the way it was described because it isn’t just the one with the diseases battle to beat, it affects so many people, the people closest to you especially. Monroe hurt his best friend time and time again. He hurt his father’s old friend, and lawyer Jeffery, and Erik’s parents and sister as well. He realized this after he was forced to listen to their intervention, and it was enough to make him want to get help. It was heartbreaking for all of them.

They were all there for Monroe, but they needed to be there for Erik as well, and he was such a strong person… his love for Monroe kept him strong because he needed him to get better. Their relationship may have seemed co-dependant, and maybe a little bit, it was, because they needed each other’s happiness to be truly happy… but with the help of Saul, the therapist, (who is the epitome of amazing) they got through it and used it in a healthy way.

I know addiction is stigmatized and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth when someone mentions it… but like with these two, it can grab ahold of anyone and it’s so easy to get lost down this rabbit hole of numbness and easy ways to forget; and it’s hard to pull yourself out of it. Almost impossible to do on your own, and I loved how real and honest it was with the whole process. Not everyone has success stories, not everyone has support systems and if Monroe didn’t have Erik, I don’t think he would’ve had anyone else.

Each of them had to prove that they could handle things on their own so they could be better for each other. It was emotional and sometimes a struggle and I shed many tears for both of them. What an awesome read though, I really enjoyed it. And the ending was perfect and they both deserved it after all their hard work. It just tied everything together perfectly. I definitely recommend!

5 pieces of eye candy from me!

Upside Down by N.R. Walker: Blog Tour and New Release Review

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Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, a librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But he when he realises adding the label ‘asexual’ might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.

Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.

A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Loved it. So much.

N.R. Walker continues to amaze me in her ability to write completely different stories all of the time. This time we get two asexual main characters. And it is hilarious. HILARIOUS. Laugh out loud in bed funny.

Ok, let’s back it on up for a sec. First of all, one of the main characters is a librarian. Which is awesome. And his best friend is also a librarian. Also awesome. Underlying everything in the book there is a quiet theme of telling us how awesome libraries are and that they aren’t just for checking out the latest best seller for free. YAY! Libraries!

Jordan, the librarian, is adorable. And so, so funny. His funny isn’t forced at all. It is just totally natural and it sucks you right in. But he is also grappling with the fact that he may be asexual. Grappling only because he doesn’t want another label. Even though that label could very well help him understand himself and his complete disinterest in sex. But he is still gay. And he still likes men. In fact, he has a bit of a crush on a guy on the bus he takes home from work everyday. He just doesn’t want to have sex with him.

Hennesey is a great character in his own right. He isn’t just there to listen to Jordan be funny. If that makes sense. You can picture him smiling and watching Jordan as he goes on one of his rambles. Besides being the “headphones guy” on the bus that Jordan crushes on, he also runs the Asexual support group that Jordan’s best friend convinces him to go to.

Because both Jordan and Hennesey are asexual, there is no sex in this book. None. Zero, zip, zilch. Instead of dealing with the “sexual tension” while a couple gets to know each other, they get to know each other. There is nothing in the way. No finish line as it were. They are there to know each other, to see how they are as a couple. And the way they do it is just adorable.

Because Jordan is coming to terms with being asexual, there is a lot of explanation of what exactly asexual is. And how it is different for everyone.

I could go on and on. I stayed up past my bed time to finish this book. I could seriously go back to the first page and read it again immediately. It is going in my “read again” folder on my kindle.

So, ya. Read it. Love it.

4.75 Pieces of Candy

Cronin’s Key I,II,III by NR Walker: Audiobook Reviews Narrated by Joel Leslie

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NYPD Detective Alec MacAidan has always been good with weird. After all, his life has been a string of the unexplainable. But when an injured man gives him cryptic clues, then turns to dust in front of him, Alec’s view on weird is changed forever.

Cronin, a vampire Elder, has spent the last 1,000 years waiting for Alec. He’d been told his fated one would be a man wielding a shield, but he didn’t expect him to be human, and he certainly didn’t expect that shield to be a police badge.

Both men, strong-willed and stubborn, are still learning how to cope with the push and pull of being fated, when fate throws them another curveball.

Rumors have spread quickly of turmoil in Egypt. Covens are fleeing with news of a vampire who has a talent like no other, hell-bent on unleashing the wrath of Death.

Alec and Cronin are thrown into a world of weird Alec cannot imagine. What he learned in school of ancient pharaohs and Egyptian gods was far from the truth. Instead, he finds out firsthand that history isn’t always what it seems.

History isn’t always what it seems.

With the battle of Egypt behind them, Alec and Cronin are enjoying the thrill of new love. Though fate doesn’t wait long before throwing them back into the world of weird.
They know Alec’s blood is special, though its true purpose still eludes them. And given Alec’s inability to be changed into a vampire, Cronin is free to drink from him at will. But the ramifications of drinking such powerful blood starts a ripple effect.
With the help of Jorge, a disturbing vampire-child with the gift of foresight, Alec and Cronin face a new kind of war. This time their investigations lead them to the borders of China and Mongolia—but it’s not what lies in the pits beneath that worries Alec.
It’s the creator behind it all.
In the underground depths of China, amidst a war with the Terracotta Army, they will find out just what the Key is, and what Alec means to the vampire world.

History isn’t always what it seems….

Twelve months after his change, Alec MacAidan is still getting used to his many vampire talents. While most vampires would give anything to have more than one supernatural power, Alec craves nothing more than peace and time alone with Cronin. But when Alec meets entities from outside this realm, he’s left powerless in their presence.

Zoan are half-lycan, half-dragon creatures that have slipped through time and reality, seemingly undetected by man and vampire. Or have they? They bear an uncanny resemblance to gargoyles, leaving Alec’s view on all things weird to get a whole lot weirder.

This new quest leads Alec, Cronin, and their band of friends to Paris, Rome, and Moscow, where they learn that gargoyles aren’t simply statues on walls. In the underground pits beneath churches all over the world, Alec discovers the Key’s true destiny. Facing the Zoan might take every talent he has. And he may need help from the dead to get them all out alive.

Cronin’s Key I – Audible

Cronin’s Key II – Audible

Cronin’s Key III – Audible

I’m going to review all of these three books at once, because I literally listened to them back to back to back. There was no real way to separate them.

I read the original stories when they first were released as ebooks, and even though I rarely read any sort of paranormal, and then on top of it, nothing that is vampire (literally nothing, this is the only vampire series I have ever read), I consumed these books immediately. NR Walker is such a fantastic story teller. She draws the reader in from the beginning, layers in so much history, and fantastical situations, you don’t know if they may or may not be real, and you honestly don’t want to go look it up, on the off chance you find out it wasn’t real. She sucks you in, grabs a hold of your lapel, and doesn’t let you go until the end of each book. You can say this about all of her books. I haven’t read one yet that I haven’t loved.

Cronin and Alec are so fantastic together, they really do fit as a team. And the secondary characters never feel secondary. All of them feel as vital to the book as the MC’s. There is such history, and backstory, that it literally takes all three books to understand exactly how everyone fits into the puzzle. (And later, you find out even more in book 4, which I never saw coming!)

I’ll admit to having a little trepidation with listening to these stories on audio (I actually bought the first one when it was released, and then didn’t listen to it) because I loved these stories so much, I didn’t want to take the chance that it wouldn’t live up to what I remembered.

And then along came Joel Leslie. When Joel Leslie speaks to me in an accent, I can’t stop listening. I don’t even really want to. His voices are so distinct, so varying for each character, you know exactly who is speaking, without even hearing the “…Cronin said”. His voice is so rich and distinct, that you sink into the story even more than you would if you were reading it. Not all books should be audio, I don’t think. However, if you have Joel Leslie as your narrator, you can guarantee you are going to get a fantastic reading of the book, which will enrich your experience as a reader.

These books are fantastic all on their own. Add in an amazing voice to give the characters life, and you take it to another level.

Stories: 5 pieces of eye candy
Narration: 5 pieces of eye candy

Cronin’s Key IV: Kennard’s Story by N.R. Walker: New Release Review * 2

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Kennard and Stas have been enjoying being newly bonded mates, hidden away for the last six months in Stas’ cabin, deep in the forests of Northern Russia. When they get a visit from Alec, Cronin, Eiji, and Jodis, Kennard and Stas decide to return to London where they get news of a supernatural disturbance in India.

Excited for a new adventure, the band of friends embark on a journey like they’ve never seen before. Following a trail of snakes and serpents, they slip through gates into timeless dimensions all over the world, leaving them without their vampire powers. Even Alec is powerless as they follow a trail of gates and doorways to their final destination.

But the bad guy isn’t who they think it is, and Kennard will need to draw on his past to save their future. Because history is never what it seems…

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Cronin’s Key I

Cronin’s Key II

Cronin’s Key III

Confession time. I read books 1 and 2 a long time ago. And I remember being like, meh, whatevs, about them. I never read book 3. So when this was coming out, I figured I would give them another go. And I am so glad I did. I love NR Walker. Before this there wasn’t a book of hers I didn’t like. I must have been in a bad place or something.

Anyway…the first three focus on Cronin and Alec. Kennard was a side character who helped them on their “adventures”. He deserved his own story. And he got it. Although he met his fated mate in book 3, so book 4 was really more about the adventure than the romance. Which was still super fun, but not really a romance in my eyes.

That being said, I think their adventures (for lack of a better spoilery term) are awesome. The way the author ties together real history and changes the perspective is so clever. I honestly don’t know how she gets her brain to do those things.

This one was shorter then the previous and I think that really had to do with skipping over the first 6 months of Kennard and Stas together. But since they were holed up together in a remote cabin in Russia with no outside contact, it was just a lot of sex.

We still get Cronin, Alec, Eiji and Jodis. There is still a ton of cool history and lots of vampire goings on. And as fun as these adventures are to read about, these guys need a break to just relax for a bit.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

I love NR Walker‘s work, everything she writes. When I first hooked into Cronin’s Key, I had to be pulled and dragged to read it because “I don’t read paranormal”, “I don’t want to read vampires”, blah blah. I was wrong, just plain wrong. I loved this series, just loved it. In fact, before I read Cronin’s Key IV, I went and listened to all three of the audiobooks back to back first (that review is ahead, as well), to get re-acquainted in preparation for this one. This series proved to me I should read anything and everything NR Walker writes, without question.

I have to admit, I was a bit perplexed by this book initially. Because Kennard met his fated in Book 3, and clearly realized it immediately, it was hard to see how it would be Kennard’s story. And for a portion of the book, I thought that it was feeling like it was still Alec’s story, just from Kennard’s point of view. Again, I was wrong. Yes, it did have a little of that feel initially, but as the reader got into the story, you realized that it went much deeper than that, and really was Kennard’s story–and a great one at that.

I don’t know how the author is able to mix all that history with a different perspective on what actually happened, but it is amazing, and as a reader, very engaging. She keeps it fresh and inventive, and makes the reader wonder if it really could have happened the way that these adventurous vampires know it to be true.

As usual with this group, there were lots of laughs, lots of harassing, even as they faced their villains, but they fought together with everything they had to get each other out of it all.

I’m not sure there is more story here for this group, but I could see a few more adventures ahead. Maybe not additional romances, but definitely some adventures. Doesn’t matter…as I said, I’ll read anything NR Walker writes. Grocery list anyone?

4 pieces of eye candy

A Soldier’s Wish (The Christmas Angel Series) by N.R. Walker: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

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The year is 1969…

Gary Fairchild is proud to be a hippie college student, and he protests the Vietnam War because he believes in love and peace. To him, it isn’t just a counterculture movement—it’s a way of life. When tickets to the Aquarium Exposition—3 Days of Peace & Music, or Woodstock, as it was better known, go on sale, there’s no way he isn’t going.

Richard Ronsman is a sheltered farm boy who lives in the shadow of his overbearing father. He’s hidden his darkest secret to earn his father’s love, but nothing is ever good enough—not even volunteering for the Vietnam War. And with just a few days left before he’s deployed, he’s invited by a striking hippie to join him at a music festival.

Three days of music, drugs, rain, mud, and love forged a bond between these two very different men that would shape the rest of their lives. They share dreams and fears, and when Richard is shipped off to war, they share letters and love. For Richard’s first Christmas home, he is gifted a special angel ornament that just might make a soldier’s wish come true.

This story is one of seven stories which can all be read and enjoyed in any order.

The Christmas Angel Series

In 1750, a master woodcarver poured all his unrequited love, passion, and longing into his masterpiece—a gorgeous Christmas angel for his beloved’s tree. When the man he loved tossed the angel away without a second thought, a miracle happened. The angel was found by another who brought the woodcarver True Love.

Since then, the angel has been passed down, sold, lost and found, but its magic remains. Read the romances inspired by (and perhaps nudged along by) the Christmas angel through the years. Whether it’s 1700s England (Eli Easton’s Christmas Angel), the 1880’s New York (Kim Fielding’s Summerfield’s Angel), the turn-of-the-century (Jordan L. Hawk’s Magician’s Angel), World War II (L.A. Witt’s Christmas Homecoming), Vietnam-era (N.R. Walker’s Soldier’s Wish), the 1990’s (Anyta Sunday’s Shrewd Angel), or 2018 (RJ Scott’s Christmas Prince), the Christmas angel has a way of landing on the trees of lonely men who need its blessing for a very Merry Christmas and forever HEA.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Christmas Angel – Eli Easton – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Summerfield’s Angel – Kim Fielding –  Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Magician’s Angel – Jordan L. Hawk – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Christmas Homecoming – L.A. Witt – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Shrewd Angel – Anyta Sunday – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Christmas Prince – RJ Scott- Amazon US | Amazon UK

Gary and his friends are on a break from school and on their way to Woodstock, cuz… heck yeah, they are!
Classified as a “hippie” and don’t judge me because I was born in the ’80s, but neither Gary or his friends really felt like the classic “good-for-nothing, earth-hugging, vegan-types-of-the-new-millennium we have these days lol He was amazing. The wisdom he had, and his compassion and patience. You can’t help but fall in love with him immediately.

Anyway, on the road an entire hour, Gary and his friends decide to stop at a little diner on the way. That’s where Gary sees a sad looking solider, sitting alone at a table looking like he might cry. Now, maybe it’s the day I’m having or maybe it’s the other’s I’ve read in this awesome, Christmas-time series, or maybe it’s a tiny reminder of what seems like everyone has forgotten….Vietnam. Either way… I was crying from the beginning. Happy Monday!

Richard has just visited his family before being shipped out, and having enlisted for the wrong reasons and being confused about who he was, and why… I was so glad that he found Gary. Like I mentioned, Gary was so compassionate and so full of wisdom. He helped Richard acknowledge who he was when he offered him the lifeline of 3 days at Woodstock.

I adored their time together, dancing, singing, experimenting… and just being. It hurt so bad when those days were up and Richard had to go. No stranger to ugly crying, I didn’t even try to hold it back. Deciding to write to each other while Richard was away, it broke my heart to see him go.

Those letters though… those letters were everything. Getting to know each other and keeping each other sane in a time when everyone overseas needed a little bit of sanity. They fell in love through those letters and made plans for their future, and I believe it was probably the only thing that kept Richard going. And that Gary was going on with his life, making plans for them to be together when Richard finally returned. It was sweet and hopeful, and I was dying for them to finally get their happily ever after.

Unfortunately, there were so many obstacles in their way. War and destruction, of course, but also it’s hard to imagine, in today’s world, but it wasn’t long ago, and it still is in so many places, illegal for two people of the same sex to be together. Doesn’t that just seem insane? Like, literally, inconceivable. Who’s business is that? How would you prove it, if you suspected it? People were really arrested for it? What a sick and sad time to be a minority. It’s getting better all the time, but I look forward to a day when there is no distinction at all. No gay marriage, just marriage. No, same-sex relationships, just relationships. Here’s to hoping!

But, together, again with Gary being so amazing, patient, persistent and reassuring, they got through it all together. I know I said it last book, but this one might just be my favorite. Not only because I love this author, but because once I started it, I couldn’t even go to the bathroom, I didn’t want to put it down.

I loved all of it. Gary’s best friend Kat and his amazingly accepting and wonderful parents…. So sweet. And the quotes. I highlighted more in this short story than I ever have, any book, ever. It was all so profound. Just… if you haven’t, you really should read this one, and of course, we get the Christmas Angel. I can’t wait to see who she blesses next.

What a great Christmas read. Loved it!

5 pieces of eye candy

Dec 2 – Boulevard des Passions, Gay Book Reviews, Dec 4 – Lelyana’s Reviews, Dec 6 – Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Megan’s Media Melange, Dec 8 – Xtreme Delusions, My Fiction Nook, Dec 10 – Mirrigold, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Sexy Erotic Xciting, Open Skye, The Secret Of Ko, Rainbow Book Reviews, Dec 12 – Bookaholic & Kindle, Dec 14 – Making It Happen, MM Good Book Reviews, Dec 17 – Momma Says: To Read Or Not To Read, Lillian Francis, Wicked Reads, Two Chicks Obsessed, Dec 19 – Drops Of Ink, Kimmers Erotic Book Banter, Bayou Book Junkie, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, Dec 21 – Bonkers About Books, Book Corner Reviews

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things…but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since…

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