Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

new release

A Sweet Man (The Men of Halfway House Book 7) by Jaime Reese: Quick Review

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Two men. One sweet dream of family and forever.

Gabriel “Bull” del Toro loves his fast-paced globe-trotting job, but aches for an honest relationship and the trust that comes with it. After a few too many heartbreaks, he’s nearly given up hope of finding that special someone.

Until Ben.

Born deaf, Ben is used to working twice as hard for what he wants, but risking a newfound friendship on an impossible dream is scary. After all, there’s one lesson he’s learned: everything is temporary—freedom, friends, even family.

Neither man expects the undeniable spark between them or for every moment together to fuel that connection. For the first time, a happily ever after is within reach, but they must trust that the dream of acceptance, family, and a place to call home is more than a sweet fantasy.

It can be forever.

Although part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

What a beautiful, lovely story. I’m not sure I wanted it to end.

Ben has not had it easy, to say the least. Growing up deaf, and really being almost ignored as a deaf child. His mother basically tossed him aside, his sister, well, she was a piece of work, and people he thought were his friends, just used him until he was sent back to jail.

Bull could not have been more patient or more supportive with Ben. He didn’t try to turn him into something he wasn’t, he just wanted to find a way to be friends. I loved that texting was important to them initially, since Ben was mostly a lip reader. But Bull was so patient, and just slowly worked with Ben, no pressure, as they became closer on his sign language. It just became a part of their interactions, but not the sum total.

Ben had so many people in his corner, and he was not aware. It was so heartbreaking when someone(s) hurt him intentionally. His heart was so big, and so soft, that pain came quickly for him. (I might have cried several times during this book).

It was so great to see Ben find his way into something that he loved, that he earned, and not just what was easiest for him to do. It was so rewarding for him to finally earn something for himself, because he worked so hard at it. (Another tissue buster).

I absolutely loved this story. Jaime always hits with the feels, and this one may be my favorite so far.

5 pieces of eye candy

In the Heat of the Dungeon (Rules of Summer) by Samantha Cayto: Quick Review

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The Rules of Summer

The hardest part of being a sub is giving your heart and body to the right Dom.

Master Ford is a consummate Dom, always focused on giving a sub the most important gift of all—safety. When a friend leaves a sub in a dangerous situation, it is up to Ford to both rescue and care for the boy. What starts as duty swiftly turns to personal desire.

Cody is new to the lifestyle, trusting and in need of protection and control. When his Master puts him in danger, he can only hope that the Dom sent to save him is worthy of it.

Ford has rules, and one of them is no poaching on another Dom’s sub. But Cody is different. This boy needs to learn what it really means to put oneself under another’s control. Teaching him that valuable lesson, while bringing them both indescribable pleasure, becomes a temptation he cannot resist.

Reader advisory: This book contains mention of verbal and emotional abuse of a sub and a scene where a sub is left alone.

General Release Date: 14th July 2020

Genre:

BONDAGE AND BDSM
CONTEMPORARY
EROTIC ROMANCE
GAY
GLBTQI

Amazon

This novella was tough to read, really tough. The fact that a sub was left as he was, was really hard to read. It was in the warnings, but still.

I also didn’t feel like there was enough time to address how Cody could or should deal with it. Honestly, with this topic, it would have been better to almost write a longer story to ensure Cody, who I felt so bad for, received in full the care he needed, not just for the few days that it happened to be, but for the long term.

I did enjoy how much trust he put in Ford, but I couldn’t see how that was possible under the circumstances.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

Molten (Rules of Summer) by Pelaam: Quick Review

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The Rules of Summer

When it comes to fun in the sun, Steve and Jeff are burning hot.

Steve Anderson is a sommelier and the owner of a successful restaurant, although he prefers to keep that titbit to himself and a select circle of close friends. His orthopaedic surgeon husband Jeff is equally successful in his chosen profession. However, they play as hard as they work, and not only is Jeff a beloved husband, but he’s also a precious sub.

When they’re invited to a summer barbeque aboard a friend’s yacht, they don’t hesitate to accept. The theme is ‘a life on the ocean wave’, but Steve has very particular ideas about costumes…and the kind of fun they’ll have. For the couple, a pirate captain and his naïve captive will take on a whole new dimension for playing out a scene.

However, when someone tries to come between the Dom and his sub, they quickly learn their mistake, leaving Steve to show Jeff just who he belongs to.

General Release Date: 21st July 2020

Genre:

BONDAGE AND BDSM
CONTEMPORARY
EROTIC ROMANCE
GAY
GLBTQI

Amazon

This is a short novella, with an established couple who are definitely lifestyle Dom/sub.

Steve takes great care to ensure his sub (and husband) is loved and cherished. I like how inventive he is with the scenes that they have for their home life, and the fun ones they weren’t afraid to show (some people!) in their fun evening away.

I didn’t quite understand the need to introduce the issue with Jeff. It seemed out of place, and really didn’t carry the story along, in my opinion.

However, with the rest of the story, I really enjoyed it.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Nightway Chant (Coulter & Woodard Bk 3) by M.J. Calabrese: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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There was a time in Detective Eagle Woodard’s life that he would like to forget, but Eagle’s past catches up with him and it’s threatening to destroy everything and everyone he holds dear.

Dr. Adam Coulter is recovering from a cancer diagnosis and Adam and Eagle’s relationship is stronger than ever, but the continued disappearance of their son, Michael, overshadows their happiness. A new threat appears in the form of a man Detective Eagle Woodard thought dead. Sergeant Dean Kessler aka ‘The Viking’ is on a mission to destroy his old Black Ops team mate. Secrets held in silence by Eagle for over a decade come to the surface, threatening his relationship with Adam and with Eagle’s family.

Not only is The Viking after Eagle, but when Dean Kessler finds his younger brother is in Albuquerque, he becomes a target for his older brother’s revenge as well. Eagle wants to deal with Dean on his own, but the people who care for Eagle the most aren’t about to let him do this by himself.

The question is, will Eagle be able to keep the worst part of himself locked away or will he need ‘The Skinwalker’ to help him defeat ‘The Viking’?

Author’s Note: This book begins about six months after the end of Book 2 in the Coulter/Woodard series. This is the third planned book in the Coulter/Woodard series. No others are planned at this time, but who knows if the muse will strike. There are secondary characters who might need to have their stories told, but if they do, then the stories will be standalone novels.

PLEASE NOTE: This story contains some scenes of BDSM, drug abuse, and violent death. If these are triggers for you, this book may not be for you.

Book Title: Nightway Chant, Coulter & Woodard 3

Author: M.J. Calabrese

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Jessica Henshall

Release Date: September 1, 2020

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romantic Suspense

Trope/s: Murder and mayhem

Themes: Detective and Criminal Profiler

Heat Rating:  3 flames

Length: 60 000 words

This is a trilogy and should be read in order

Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“Oh, God, Eagle. I wasn’t ready. Grace told me I wasn’t ready, but I thought I was. Oh, God, Eagle! I wasn’t ready to hear those words.” A tearful Dr. Adam Jonathon Coulter-Woodard walked quickly away from the entrance of the LGBTQ Health Clinic. He had circled the desert landscaped courtyard in front of the building by the time Eagle Woodard placed his foot on the last step.

Detective Eagle Woodard stood silent, watching his husband freak out. He knew if he let Adam run off some of his nervous energy then they’d be able to talk. They’d prepared for this moment for six months… or so he thought. Adam saw his psychotherapist, Grace, twice a week, and once a month Eagle joined them for a co-session. After all the trauma his lover had suffered in his life and the revelations of the past few years, in Eagle’s opinion, his mercurial husband needed all the help he could get.

He watched as Adam flopped down on a concrete bench and he buried his shaking head in his hands. Eagle rolled his eyes at the dramatics. He’d married a diva. He’d known that from the start, but couldn’t the man, for once, be normal? Eagle sighed and turned as he heard footsteps on the walkway behind him. Rick Kessler’s face told him everything he needed to know and the large, white envelope in his hand confirmed it. It would contain test results and a referral to an outside physician. Rick made too much money for the Center’s programs. He could see the younger man trying to hold it together, but the closer he got to Eagle the more his face crumpled.

Eagle opened his arms and Rick walked into the embrace, burying his face against his partner’s shoulder as he started to cry. Eagle reached up, stroking Rick’s soft, blond hair, swaying side to side, trying to soothe him. Rick didn’t have to say the words, he knew his friend was HIV positive. The tears subsided and the younger man pulled back. “I swear, I haven’t been with that many guys in my life, but of course one of them had to be positive. Eagle…” His words failed him as he fell back into his former lover’s arms.

As Eagle held the younger man, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. It was an old warning. He hadn’t felt something this strong in a very long time. Raising his eyes, he checked the perimeter, but nothing seemed amiss. Only a lone coyote trotted across the street, turning for an instant to look at him before moving on. The feeling grew stronger and he knew they were being watched by a hostile. His time in Special Ops had helped him hone this sixth sense. Slowly, tilting his head, he glanced up at the parking garage across the street. For a fleeting instant, he thought he saw a ghost, a Ch’íindii, but then he blinked and there was nothing there. He had a sick feeling in his stomach. Something was here. Something formidable and this feeling was a harbinger, a warning to him to be very careful because death was close by.

Rick turned his head as he looked over at Adam then he snickered. “I knew he’d react like that when he got the news. He’s a fucking drama queen.” He looked up at Eagle, “And I knew you’d be a rock. You always are.” Again, he dropped his head. “My life is over, Eagle. I’ve fucked up one last time and my life is over.”

Eagle laughed, “Now who’s being a drama queen. Your doctor will get you started on meds if you need them. You’ll have a normal life span, Rick. It’s not like it used to be.”

He felt Rick’s shoulders droop a little further, “But the job…”

“You’d be surprised how many on the force are positive and a number of them aren’t gay, by the way. If you don’t tell anyone, all this information is confidential, and no one needs to know.”

Again, Rick stepped back, but this time he started to walk away. Eagle took a few hurried steps and caught up with him, grabbing his arm. Suddenly, Rick whirled around, bringing his hands up, he captured Eagle’s face between his palms and kissed him passionately. Eagle took hold of his former lover’s hands and brought them down between them as he broke the kiss. “I don’t want to be alone, Eagle, please….” Just then Eagle’s phone rang. The Detective snatched it from his pocket and was surprised to see the name of the caller on the screen. He took the call as he turned away from Rick.

“Dr. Kostas?”

“Detective Woodard, you’d better get to Presbyterian’s ER. Your son was just admitted, and his asshole boyfriend is trying to get him out of here. He’s in bad shape. Someone’s beaten him half to death. Hurry.”

Okay, I wasn’t ready for this one. I wasn’t ready for it to be over, because I liked these two men together, although they could be a total hot mess together. I wasn’t ready for some of the stuff that happened…but hey it’s been happening the previous two books, so this was nothing new. lol And I really wasn’t prepared for some of the new secrets that were revealed.

One of those secrets caused Eagle’s father to turn away from him, which was hard to read, because these two men really thought the world of each other. However, that’s real life…sometimes we have done things in our past, that people just cannot forgive or forget, at least not in the short term.

Once again, someone is after one of our two MC’s. This time, it’s Eagle, and he has a serial killer/former lover after him. Taking him down was not easy, and I have to give the author MAJOR props, because wow, it was pretty damn brilliant how it all happened. *small spoiler here* In fact, Adam had a plan that I naively didn’t even realize was happening. That man was wicked smart, and knew how to play his cards at both ends. I didn’t know until the very end. Damn.

Rick Kessler…I have a bone to pick about him a little. He’s best friends with the MC’s in this book now, having become Eagle’s partner. Rick and Adam go on spa dates, etc. And Rick realizes he can’t have Eagle, he’s fine with that. Then he kind of thinks he wants Adam, but he can’t have him, he’s fine with that. Then when they are dealing with Dean, Rick’s serial killer brother, Adam is away for his safety (and plan), and Eagle and Rick are basically living together, and Rick makes moves on Eagle again. It just wasn’t cool, and I didn’t see why that needed to even be a thing. It was basically “Adam’s away, he won’t know, let’s just have a little fun”. No, just no. You can’t be best friends, and do that.

There are still so many secrets between these guys even at the end. Some of them are revealed (yeah Michelle!), some are still not (Carlos and his “training”). I have a hard time figuring they might stay together with all those secrets, but hey, it’s fiction, so yeah for HFN! 🙂

Nice to see that we may get some follow up romances with the couples that were finding their way to each other during the book.

4 pieces of eye candy

My mother now regrets her fateful words she offered the day I came home from our small town library in Palm Springs, California (yes, I’m a Cali girl) complaining that there were no more books to read. “Then why don’t you write some.”

My father never saw his old Remington portable until I entered college and they gifted me an IBM Selectric. By then I had produced at least two dozen unpublishable novels which make me cringe when I read them today.

I found inspiration in innumerable odd jobs (from migrant work as a Date palm pollinator to the person who cleans the washing machines at the launderette to professional Dominatrix) for stories. After a stint in Rehab for Alcohol and Heroin abuse (so when I write those scenes, I know what I’m talking about), I cleaned up and have stayed that way for 29 years. (Me and Sir Elton, LOL). My gypsy lifestyle gave me a unique perspective on the different people who inhabited the Washington, Oregon, Arizona, California, and New Mexico areas where I have lived.

After 3 very bad marriages to men, I finally figured out what was wrong and fell in love with a woman when I lived in Portland, OR 23 years ago. We’ve been married since 2008 (yes it was legal in California at that time). We now live in Asheville, NC and love the people in this liberal and accepting corner of the mountains of North Carolina.

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All or None by Aurora Lee Thornton: Exclusive Author Interview and Excerpt

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In a world where everyone has a soulmate, uniquely powerful mage Royiora and reluctant assassin Kalo collide in the worst of ways.

Royiora Daralkaen, the only mage alive able to use all five kinds of magic, has a near idyllic childhood in the country of Porescalia – before war breaks out with their antagonistic neighbors, Kloria.

Kalo Porla, a naturally magic-proof individual known as a Null, is trained to be as an assassin by the authoritarian empire known as the Domain.

When Kalo and his partner assassin are sent to kill a mage and his apprentice, it starts a journey neither man was prepared to begin.

Author Name: Aurora Lee Thornton

Publisher: Self

Release Date: Friday, May 15 2020

Word Count: 87000

Cover Artist: Aurora Lee Thornton

Genres: Fantasy

Pairings: Primary: m|m, secondary: mf, ff, ffm, mm

LGBTQ+ Identities: ace, demi, bi/pan, gay, lesbian, non-binary, poly, trans woman

Keywords/Categories: enemies-to-lovers, soulmates, coming-of-age, slice-of-life, mages, assassins, queer, LGBTQ, fantasy

Goodreads

Amazon

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a plantser, ha ha. I started off as more of a panster but I would keep running into the issue where I would forget where I meant to go with a story? So I started writing outlines – nothing too detailed, usually just a very basic ‘here is each major plot point’ or ‘this is what each chapter is about.’

My stories do tend to be character-driven over plot, so I leave plenty of wiggle room for change. And some stories I don’t have outlines for because I don’t know where they’re going yet – and that’s fine with me, too.

What are your favorite parts of publishing?

Getting my stories out there so other people can read them! I’ve only self-published, so it’s all very exciting to get everything together and get ready to go.

I love hearing what other people enjoyed about my story – little details, favorite characters, etc. I also love talking about my stories, though it can be hard to avoid spoilers in that case, ha ha.

What are your least favorite parts of publishing?

Again, I self-publish, so basically everything that isn’t the actual writing part – sending out review requests, planning advertising campaigns, all the other marketing aspects. Social media, copywriting, etc. It’s all just so much planning and work (and usually at least some money).

I also dislike querying, not that I know any authors that enjoy it. My latest story has an unconventional narrative structure, which made it hard to write a compelling synopsis/query letter when almost all the advice for how to do so is based on the three act structure or hero’s journey. I like meandering plots and slice of life, which don’t translate well, unfortunately.

Let’s talk to your characters for a minute – what’s it like to work for such a demanding writer?

Roy: “Demanding? Ha. Xe wasn’t even supposed to give us a story.”

Kalo: “Yeah… we were apparently ‘too interesting’.”

Roy: “Now xe has a whole series to contend with instead of one standalone. It’s kind of funny.”

Kalo: “It’s really not.”

Roy: “You’re only saying that because you’re a writer too.”

Kalo: “… true.”

Were you a voracious reader as a child?

Oh absolutely – I even got grounded from reading because I would read instead of doing my homework! (Though that was probably more the undiagnosed ADHD…

I feel lucky that I ran into some great fantasy written by women as a kid – I didn’t even realize how male-dominated the genre was until adulthood. Tamora Pierce is still a big favorite of mine.

Even though I know I’m not a woman now, it was still great to read fiction with complex heroines – I only wish I had known Kel was ace when I was a kid, then I might have found out I was sooner!

Star Trek or Star Wars? Why?

Trek, all the way. I don’t have a problem with Star Wars – I like it in its own way. But I prefer the cerebral, utopian future exploring socio-political issues – even though they don’t always get it right.

DS9 is my favorite series because it dealt with different issues than the other STs – mainly, how a utopian society interacts with a non-utopian universe. I found that kind of interplay very interesting, and it helped add a lot more nuance to the Federation and its place in the universe.

Is this our destination? Roy considered, but chose to wait to find out.

His assumption turned out to be correct, as Kalo sighed in relief when he saw it, leading the way right to the door and knocking.

A woman of Kalo’s race answered it, even with the same red skin and gray hair. She laughed and pulled his soulmate into a hug when she saw him, before pulling back and flicking his ear with something even Roy recognized as an admonishment.

The assassin replied something tiredly, walking past the woman with the slight limp he’d had for the past week or so.

Then she turned to the mage, and in perfect Porescalian said, “And you must be my brother’s soulmate. Hello, I’m Rela.”

Roy flinched in surprise, then cleared his throat and shook the proffered hand, “Yes, uh… I’m Royiora.”

“Do you shorten it?” Rela asked, ushering him inside, “I read most Porescalian men do.”

“Um, yes,” the Porescalian man replied, “I usually go by Roy.”

The horned woman nodded, half pushing him past high vaulted halls into another room, “You must be freezing – come on, let’s get you something warm to drink. I’m sure you have plenty of questions Kalo couldn’t answer.”

Roy didn’t get a word in until after Rela had taken the borrowed coat and replaced it with a surprisingly warm blanket, sitting him at a table in what appeared to be a study or classroom with the promised hot drink.

“There are warmth runes inside the stuffing,” someone said, and then a strange looking man with six arms and blue skin hung down from the ceiling. Unlike Rela and Kalo, he had purple glowing eyes, and held out one of his arms, “Hello, I’m Xia – Rela’s one of my soulmates, and this is our home.”

“Uh, hello,” the mage said, shaking as he looked up at the rest of the man’s insectoid body clinging to the ceiling, “I’m… Roy.”

“Nice to meet you, Roy,” Xia said, skittering over a bit to lower himself to the ground, “Rela and I took the trouble of learning your language some time ago, as our other two soulmates appear to be Porescalian as well.”

“And Kalo asked me to translate his soul writing when we were kids,” Rela said, sitting across from Roy, “He was so very excited to meet you, you know. Though, judging by the state of the two of you, I’m guessing it wasn’t under happy circumstances.”

“Not… exactly, no,” Roy said, feeling comfortably warm for the first time in a while. He took a sip of the drink – it was oddly nutty, but enjoyable nonetheless, “Uh… what… is Kalo?”

Rela snorted, “A bit of a pain in the ass, honestly.”

Xia laughed, and went over to the chalkboard in the room. He cleared it with a bit of arcane magic, and started drawing, “Kalo is what we call a ‘null’ – magic doesn’t affect him, and he can absorb it to fuel pseudo-magic abilities of a limited range.”

The strange insect man pulled back to reveal the celestial star, with words written underneath each point.

“Divine magic gives him self-regenerative abilities and invisibility,” Xia said, pointing to Radzmia’s crystal throne, then moved on to Pelzz’s obelisk, “Arcane provides mental acuity and teleportation,” onto Ruelop’s spring, “Physical resistance and enhanced senses,” Guulruf’s nine-pointed star, “Physical strength and shadow walking,” and finally, Forea’s whirlpool, “And physical speed and water breathing.”

“They identified him and our cousin when they were five,” Rela said, smiling, “We were all so excited – the government provided us stipends for their education and care. Us, a little provincial family of no repute.”

“So it’s an…” Roy struggled to keep up as the warmth and stillness worked on relaxing him to the point of drowsiness.

“That’s what they told us,” the woman snorted, taking a drink, ears flicking, “But when they were twelve, they went to the Institute.”

“Where they train them to be tools of the Trinity,” Xia sighed, coming back to the table.

“The… Trinity?” Roy asked.

“Our leaders, Frezians like Xia,” Rela supplied, then shook her head. She looked up at the mage, “Let me tell you about what happened to my brother.”

Aurora is a nonbinary, asexual writer with a new goal in life: to write the queerest books possible. (And yes, xe means gay, but also weird is good too.)

Xe loves dragons and fantasy, and someday hopes to complete a (soft) science fiction novel as well. Currently, xe lives with xyr two cats.

Author Website: https://www.auroraleethornton.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/AuroraLeeThorntonBooks

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aurora_T_Books

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroraleethornton/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16358225.Aurora_Lee_Thornton

Author Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Eq3rOO

Mountainway Chant (Coulter and Woodard, Book 2) by M.J. Calabrese: Quick Review

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Adam Coulter has returned and is coping with the horrific events of sixteen months ago as best he can, but not everyone is happy about it. His best friend and new husband, Detective Eagle Woodard, doesn’t want to speak to him and it’s starting to look like his fifth marriage isn’t going to be anymore successful than his other four.

FBI Agent Rick Kessler and Navajo Reservation Police Lieutenant Carlos Aiello, Eagle’s cousin, have pulled a reluctant Adam into another case. Five bodies discovered at the site of a planned casino, all dressed and painted up as Native American mythological characters offer confusing clues. Are they dealing with another serial killer?

Fighting to stay clean and sober, Adam’s 12 step sponsor is murdered. At first it seems unrelated to what he saw in the desert, but evidence comes to light that says otherwise. Revelations concerning Adam’s past and his father, Richard Coulter’s, connections to the local crime syndicate boss, Nelson Greybill come to light.

Can Adam repair the damage he’s done to his relationship with Eagle so he can help him solve this case? Can he win back the only man he’s ever truly loved, or will the demons of his past win the battle for his soul?

PLEASE NOTE: This is the second book in a continuous series. For full enjoyment please read Warrior’s Way before reading Mountainway Chant. Contains murder and mayhem, as well as dealing with an alcohol and drug addiction. If these are triggers for you, please skip this one!

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

This is the second book in the series, and after Book 1, I knew I needed to finish it. I will say, though, the triggers in the synopsis are no joke. I struggled a little with some of what was in Book 2 (I struggled a bit in Book 1, but that was just some of the descriptions of the murder scenes). This book was hard for some of the other triggers. But I just moved past those areas and kept going.

This one, we finally get to see Adam and Eagle work on their relationship a bit, while still trying to get out of the way of the newest people who will stop at nothing to kill them. There are some big secrets revealed (BIG!), some very angry, punch your lights out moments, as well as some tender moments between the two men.

They finish this book alive (barely!) and working on their marriage and relationship, while getting themselves healthy, mind and body. However, you can see some of the big struggles ahead for them. Couldn’t wait to dive right into book 3, Nightway Chant.

*Side note: If you look at the covers, it could be deceiving that maybe the models and the hair changes were issues with not having the right hairstyle. However, these are of note in the book.*

4 pieces of eye candy