Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

new release

Handsome Death by Sara Dobie Bauer: Excerpt and New Release Review

by

I’m not hunting him; I’m protecting him.

At least, that’s what I tell myself.

In New York City, a beautiful creature like Tristan Clement should not be walking the streets alone, and I’m the perfect vampire to watch his back.

But what if keeping him safe isn’t enough anymore? What if I want to touch? And taste?

I need him. But I’ve never needed anyone.

In a world where paranormal creatures live amongst us and must follow certain laws, living life as a dangerous loner works for vampire Ethan. Inhabiting his gleaming apartment, wearing his designer suits, jetting around the world as a fanged killer-for-hire, Ethan does it all alone.

That is, until he literally runs into Tristan. Tristan, who is clearly trouble wrapped in skinny jeans and an oversized sweater. Tristan, with his shock of angelic blond curls. Tristan, who plays piano more beautifully than the old masters– and Ethan would know; he saw Beethoven.

Tristan is gorgeous, a little sassy, and irresistible. Also, Ethan is horrified to note, Tristan has no idea how incredibly tempting he is to things that go bump in the night.

Overcome by the urge to keep Tristan safe, Ethan begins to… well, stalk is such a strong word. What starts as an obsession quickly becomes something more, something that Ethan needs. And to his surprise, Tristan seems to need him, too…

*This darkly romantic tale delivers steamy passion and a happily ever after. Be advised that Handsome Death includes explicit m/m content, stalking, mentions of past abuse, and graphic violence.* 

Book Title: Handsome Death

Author: Sara Dobie Bauer

Publisher: Carnation Books

Release Date: April 10, 2020

Genre/s: Paranormal M/M romance, contemporary M/M romance

Trope/s: Vampires, bondage, hurt/comfort, age gap

Themes: explicit sex, past abuse, dark, immortal, graphic violence, stalking

Heat Rating:  5 flames

Length: 72 000 words

It is a standalone story.

Add on Goodreads

Amazon US- Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

I feel an itch on the back of my neck so glance behind me, and indeed, there he is, the blond kid from yesterday. I must have caught him staring, because as soon as I turn to look, he ducks his head and goes back to reading.

I shouldn’t approach him. Granted, he’s stunning. Most vampires would love to get their hands on his bare skin, but I’m not one for picking up humans outside of blood clubs. I’m cautious. Vampires can get in a lot of trouble for biting a human without consent. Like sentenced-to-death trouble. The humans at blood clubs know what they’re getting into. This guy? He looks like a puppy in need of a cuddle. He has no idea what a vampire could do to him.

Maybe some reconnaissance is in order. Just to, you know, make sure he’s all right after yesterday’s altercation.

Or something.

I’m lying to myself. This isn’t a protective detail in Serbia, this is me away from combat too long and bored in New York.

Fuck it.

He sits at one of the heavy wooden tables with the lid off his cup. His hair hangs halfway over his forehead, tilted down over a paperback, but I can still see his mouth, the way he chews his bottom lip, making it pinker, fuller.

I walk right up to his table. I don’t wait for him to look up. I don’t wait for an invitation. I just sit.

He startles at my arrival. His eyes widen and stare at me.

“Who are you?” I ask. I’ve always been really good at openings.

“Uhh.” His forehead wrinkles.

I drum my fingertips on the table. “I’ve never seen you in here before.”

“You saw me yesterday.” He folds the top corner of a page in his paperback: Dracula by Bram Stoker. “You saved my ass yesterday.”

“Before yesterday,” I reply.

He sighs. “A Starbuck’s bought out my favorite coffee shop, so I guess this is now my favorite coffee shop. Buy local.” He scoops his messenger bag off the floor and shoves the book inside.

The kid has one of those runway model faces—gaunt if not so beautiful, sharp and yet soft. Freckles? Zero. Wait, no, he’s got just a smattering that you would only notice close-up … or with well-trained vampiric eyes. He has no shadow of recently shaved facial hair, and that’s no surprise based on the white-blond of his hair. He must moisturize those lips because nobody’s mouth just naturally looks like the perfect mixture of velvet and silk.

He sighs again, louder. “You’re staring at me.”

No, I’m studying him—checking out his vulnerable areas, which are pretty much everywhere considering he’s so thin and fragile-looking.

As for everyone else in the coffee shop, they’re looking at the kid like they want to take him to bed. I catch a girl at the next table over gawking. A big dude with a beard stands in line to our right, his mouth hanging half open as he admires.

“Everyone is staring at you,” I respond.

His pale cheeks burn bright red as he swoops his bag onto his shoulder and stands. “No, that’s …” He shakes his head. “Ha, no.” He doesn’t say goodbye. He even leaves his coffee, half-consumed on the table. He up and abandons me without a word, but I do watch him go—as does half of Inky Grounds.

Once he disappears out into the early October morning, I turn back around and stare at his deserted coffee. Granted, I’m not smooth—I get it—but he didn’t have to run out like that. I just wanted to see that he was safe. Shit, I don’t even know his name.

This is not a typical vampire tale, it’s not full of a hungry vamp searching for his next meal. This is a beautiful story of Tris, a piano student recovering from a bad relationship trying to rebuild his confidence and independence and Ethan, a lonely vampire who hasn’t relied on anyone but himself in far too long. In once instant of happenstance Ethan found the one thing he couldn’t live without. Ethan will need to examine his feeling and decide if this is an infatuation or if he’s willing to give up his lonely, safe existence for a chance at the forever. Tris will need to decide if he can trust Ethan to not crush his spirit and help him blossom into the man he’s trying to become. When fate steps in, Ethan will need to make a split second decision, will he leave Tris to his fate or spend eternity loving him.

The book was very well written, at times you could feel Ethan’s loneliness, you can feel Tris’s apprehension to trust. You can feel the sparks jump off the page at you, but more importantly you can feel the love as these two navigate their new relationship.

The characters were well developed, not just the main characters there are a few supporting characters I love as well. The first time I read this book I devoured it because I just needed to see what happened, before I could write my review I had to read it again at a slower pace so that I could absorb all the amazing details.

This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

5 pieces of eye candy

Sara Dobie Bauer is a bestselling author, model, mental health speaker, and LGBTQ advocate with a creative writing degree from Ohio University. She lives with her hottie husband and two precious pups in Northeast Ohio, although she’d really like to live in a Tim Burton film. Her current obsession with Timothee Chalamet runs deep, and don’t even get her started on Call Me By Your Name.

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Private Facebook Group

Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up  |  BookBub

Freebies  |  Tumblr

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Broken Warrior (The Weavers Circle #1) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

Clay Green

A brotherhood? Monsters? Goddesses? Magic?

The world has become a strange place.

After a life on the run, Clay Green is rescued by a crazy old lady with a shotgun and an even crazier story about monsters, goddesses, and a secret brotherhood.

Gifted with the power of the earth, Clay must locate his missing “brothers” before invading monsters can destroy everything.

As if that’s not enough to contend with, Clay can’t keep his hands off the man trying to rebuild the plantation house he’s temporarily living in.

Dane Briggs

Something strange is going on…

Dane knew restoring the old plantation house wasn’t going to be an easy job, but at least none of the clients were going to be underfoot. Since losing his wife and child, the only way Dane can keep going is to focus on the work.

But that focus crumbles the second Clay appears covered in blood and barely hanging on to life.

Mystery and danger cling to Clay and the other men who suddenly show up. A smart man would walk away.

Dane chucks smart out the window in favor of hungry kisses and the silken slide of skin against skin. He doesn’t understand what’s happening, but there’s no question that Clay needs him.

He’s just not sure his heart can survive being broken again if something happens to Clay.

Broken Warrior is the first book in The Weavers Circle series. It includes fast-paced action, explosions, hurt/comfort, sexy times, animal shenanigans, wounded hearts, three crazy old ladies, and magic!

Title:  Broken Warrior

Series: The Weavers Circle #1

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake and Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: April 24, 2020

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 97,304

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal romance, urban fantasy romance

Add to Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“And were you attacked on your walk? Some kind of flying suckerfish? Because that’s definitely not a hickey on your neck,” Baer continued.

Grey lifted his mug of coffee to his lips again, but he paused long enough to agree. “Definitely not a hickey.”

Without thinking, Clay slapped his hand to the spot Dane had sucked on during round one—or was it round three? Fuck, he’d come so many times last night, his balls should need a week to recover, but his dick was refusing to take orders from his brain or balls. The damn thing wanted to say “Fuck coffee” and crawl back into bed with Dane.

Laughter rang out in the kitchen, and Clay groaned. He’d never had a roommate, but he sort of imagined this was what it was like. Fuck, when all six of them were in the plantation house, it would be like a goddamn frat house.

Grabbing a mug out of the cabinet, Clay continued to ignore the duo at the table as he poured himself a cup of liquid sanity. He took his time, adding a little sugar, and then turned to the table. Before he took one step, he lifted a hand, and whatever Baer had been about to say stopped in his throat.

“I won’t discuss it. Not one word,” Clay said firmly.

Baer’s shoulder’s slumped, and his mouth snapped shut. He looked like a sad puppy for all of two seconds before he was up and happy again.

“I’m sure Grey is one of us,” Baer announced, moving on to an entirely new subject. At least this was one Clay was willing to tackle, even if he wasn’t sure he had the brainpower for it yet. If anything, it gave him something to think about besides Dane.

“Yeah, I kind of thought that last night too.”

Clay settled into a chair across from Baer and Grey. He could use a long, hot shower and a clean set of clothes, but one look at the eager expression on Baer’s face and he knew the man would follow him to the bathroom to discuss this. He could do without them sharing the bathroom with him.

“When I saw him running with you toward the Jeep last night, I swear I got the weirdest feeling of déjà vu. I know we’ve done this all before. Well, maybe not at that club, but the running together, the fighting together.” Baer rested his forearms on the table and leaned forward. “Even when we got back to the house, I felt like I knew him. Known him my whole life.”

“The same way you feel with me?”

Baer nodded.

Clay looked over at Grey, who had both hands wrapped around the dark-blue coffee mug resting on the table in front of him. A deep frown was pulling at the corners of his mouth and drawing lines between his thick eyebrows. Without the threat of death and destruction looming over their heads, Clay took a moment to actually look at the man. Gray hair highlighted his temples, and more of it flecked the closely trimmed beard lining his jaw and chin. He was paler than himself and Baer, as if he were more likely to spend long hours inside the house, but there was no missing the lean muscles that filled out his wrinkled button-down shirt. Maybe a swimmer. Or a runner.

“What do you think?” Clay prodded when Grey remained silent.

“That this is all stupid, ridiculous, and utterly impossible,” Grey grumbled. His hands tightened on his mug, but he didn’t lift it back to his mouth.

“But?”

“I can’t deny I have the same feeling of déjà vu with both of you. Something-something inside of me keeps claiming that I know.”

Clay glanced over at Baer. “Did you tell him?”

“Oh, he fucking told me so much,” Grey answered for him with a rough bark of laughter. “Powers and goddesses and other dimensions with alien monsters trying to kill us so they can destroy the world. I heard plenty last night.”

Closing his eyes, Clay pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. Yeah, that was pretty much how it all sounded. Insane and impossible. That was his life now to a T. Opening his eyes again, he stared at Baer. “And you told him all this stone-cold sober?”

Baer’s chest puffed up and he grinned broadly at his friend. “No!”

Clay rolled his eyes.

“I found that cheap bottle of whiskey we lost. I think Jo hid it. But anyway, we killed that bottle, and I explained about the pestilents, Weavers, and the Circle.”

Clay looked over at Grey, waiting for his response on how the hell he took this information while loaded up on cheap whiskey.

“And then he turned into an ostrich,” Grey said in a deadpan voice.

“I was trying for a peacock. Something flashy,” Baer commented in a low voice.

“Broke the coffee table.”

“I panicked!”

“You were drunk!” Clay shouted.

“Birds are hard,” Baer muttered under his breath, his eyes locked on his coffee mug in front of him in a pout.

So, I don’t do paranormal. Not usually, anyway. I don’t care for shifters or mind readers or any of that jumbo, cuz I like the real world stuff. Real-world romances and real-world problems, ya know? HOWEVER, I do not pass up anything with this duo, so of course, I put my prejudices aside and gave this one a go…I might be converted, y’all. Maybe not all the way, but for this series I am! Let me just try to put into words how crazy and cute and entertaining this whole whirlwind was.

So, first, we meet Clay, he’s being chased by these rot-smelling half-human things and he doesn’t know why, but he knows they aren’t going to stop until he’s dead. Chasing him for months, Clay is constantly on the run, though something is pulling him in one certain direction, he just can’t imagine what. That is, until one night, the human-looking things find him and he’s saved by a goddess named Jo.
She seems to know him and did just save his life, so what’s the harm in going with her? Right? He had no idea that she was going to open this whole new world to him, that I’ll admit, took a little bit to believe. Not near as long as it would’ve taken me, but she did have some pretty persuasive tactics lol
He also meets Baer, who is so much like a rowdy, restless, happy dog, that you cannot help but to fall in love with him. He might be my favorite so far, though I do have a soft spot for all of them at this point. I can’t wait to meet the other guys.

Sticking with this one though, for now… Jo takes Clay to an old plantation house in Georgia that has laid dormant for the last thirty or so years, you’ll understand why, as you read the book and everything will make sense. I will do ruin it for you, though I really could talk about it for at least another hour.
The plantation is being fixed up by a handyman who’d been doing his own running, named Dane, and he and Clay have an insane connection, though after losing his wife and child a couple of years ago, Dane is certain he can’t start anything with anyone else. Guilt and grief are heavy in him, but there is no denying the feelings he has for Clay, both deep and immediate. I loved their story, I loved how quickly their souls just kind of aligned and I loved how they went about it.

I also loved the guys and their banter, like real life-long brothers, again, I cannot wait to see what’s in store for all of them, especially Baer. I cannot wait!
There’s trouble brewing from one world to the next, but with these guys and now Dane fighting for not only the world and each other, but also love, I have no doubt they’ll all succeed. What a crazy ride, but one so so worth jumping on. Don’t pass this one up, I’m glad I didn’t. I need more! (though there wasn’t a cliffhanger, just a whole lot of hope for what’s to come).

5 pieces of eye candy

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | eMail

http://drakeandelliott.com/

https://www.facebook.com/drakeandelliott/

https://twitter.com/DrakeandElliott

drakeandelliott@gmail.com


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Liberating Love by Michele Notaro & Sammi Cee: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

by

Aiden

Finding out the man I slept with is my friend’s father is terrifying, but maybe forgivable since I didn’t know who he was… right? But falling into bed with him again… and again and again is probably not excusable. Maybe if Delaney got rid of his miles of muscles and stopped being so sweet to me, I could stop. I need to stop. If only I had the willpower—or the desire. Delaney is everything I want in a man, but we have no future together, so it can never be more than this. His sons can never find out. 

Delaney

Serving time for a crime I didn’t commit wasn’t in my game plan, but I’m out now and determined to live my best possible life. After hooking up with a hot younger man, I regret letting him go without even his name. But then luck is finally with me, and he comes walking into my son’s house. In order to make him mine, I have to be honest with my sons about the past as well as my desire for Aiden. But Aiden’s fear of getting involved is deeper than he’s telling me. He’s hiding something, too. 

Will Aiden’s fear of revealing his private life and losing his friends keep him from the man who wants to be his everything or will he allow Delaney to help bear his burden?

Liberating Love is the third book in the Interlocking Fragments series, but is a standalone novel. Each book in the series will feature a different couple, but the couples will show up throughout the whole series. This is a contemporary romance intended for 18+. 

Liberating Love

Interlocking Fragments Series, Book 3

Sammi Cee & Michele Notaro

M/M Romance 

Release Date: 03.16.20

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I lean my elbows on the trunk of Aiden’s car as I wait for him to walk out of the building. With him working with Jovany right now, I know his schedule, which makes tracking him down easy. The only hard part is keeping a lookout to make sure I don’t run into my asshole ex-brother-in-law and his spineless son. 

Ahh… there he is. Aiden walks with hunched shoulders as he stares down at his phone. Worry prickles at the back of my neck at how turned into himself he is. He doesn’t look up at the coworkers he passes, nor do they extend a passing word to him. In just his walk to the car I see his isolation, and Jameson’s concern for his friend takes on a whole new level. He’s almost to the car before he sees me, his steps falter and his face pales as he quickly scans the parking lot around us. “What are you doing here?” 

“Freckles, I think we need to talk.”

I am fairly certain both of these authors are new to me. But being that the blurb said this book could be read as a stand alone, I decided to jump in. And technically it was a stand alone, but I was also missing a lot. But, after figuring out who was connected to whom and how, it was fine. Previous books just would have made it easier,

Moving on.

Delaney is just out of a 5 year stint in prison for something he didn’t do. He is staying with one of his sons and his son’s boyfriend for a bit- kind of a reunion thing, before moving into his own place. But he also needs people he isn’t related to.

Off to the bar!

There he hones in on a red head drinking alone. They end up having a hot night without even exchanging names.

Until the next day- Thanksgiving, when the red head shows up at his son’s house for dinner. Ooops.

After a bit of an internal struggle by Aiden, they continue seeing each other on the sly. How no one figured it out, I don’t know.

Until the kind of cliche bit of ALL of Aiden’s friends showing up at his apartment at midnight to find Delaney there as well.

A couple things, the writing at the beginning was kind of clunky and there were just odd things. Why did Aiden go to his friend’s house for Thanksgiving and leave his mother alone? Why was he at a bar by himself because he just doesn’t seem like that guy. I don’t even remember them sitting down to dinner. It was kind of weird.

Delaney was also super well adjusted after spending 5 years in prison for something he didn’t do. He acted like he was just on a super long vacation. Like, meh, no big deal.

This is just me, but I HATE cutesy nicknames. Especially when I can’t see a person using that nickname for someone. Delaney called Aiden “Freckles”. Uh, no. Just, seriously, stop it.

The writing got better, there was better flow. But just some things made no sense to me.

Definitely readable, but not memorable.

3 pieces of eye candy About Michele Notaro:

Michele is married to an awesome husband that puts up with her and all the characters in her head–and there are many. They live together in Baltimore, Maryland with their two young boys and two crazy dogs. She grew up dancing and swimming and taught dance–ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, & modern–for ten years before her kids came along. Now she stays home to write about the sexy men in her head and does PTA everything–as long as coffee is involved. Two other tattooed moms run the PTA with her, and though she wants to rip her hair out from it, she still loves it.

Michele Notaro Amazon author page link: https://amzn.to/2S69FXF

 

About Sammi Cee:

Sammi Cee was raised in a family of readers. Summer vacations consisted of a good book while sitting lakeside from as far back as she could remember. After growing up and having her own children, her appreciation of how the written word could transport you on an adventure, bring you to tears, or give you hope, took on a whole new meaning. 

These days Sammi is watching her children develop into fine young ladies while doing the things she enjoys most: drinking coffee, eating chocolate, and writing her own stories. 

Sammi Cee Amazon author page link: https://amzn.to/3aDm7Vg

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thief in the Light by Jaime Samms: New Release Review and Giveaway

by

Lucky Denver has wandering feet, sticky fingers and an unreliable moral compass—he’s never had a home and he’s not so sure he cares about what he’s missing.

Arnold Kreed who runs a small-town B&B knows what a home should be. So does his home, The Oaks—aka Mildred—and she has some very definite opinions on who should stay and who should go.

Mildred wants Lucky to stay—and while Kreed is surprised, he can’t really blame the old girl. He’s getting sort of attached himself. Lucky might be fine with the house’s eccentricities, but he’s not so sure Kreed will be fine with the man attached to Lucky’s real name. When Kreed falls ill, Lucky needs to make a decision—wander away like he’s always done or stay and be his better self. Kreed’s hoping he’ll stay—and so is The Oaks, and Mildred has a way of getting what she wants.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

This was fun with quirky characters- including a picky house. As seems to happen too often lately, I had time line issues. But they are fairly easily overlooked.

Lucky is walking along a lonely stretch of highway when he has to take a dive into a ditch to avoid a SUV. The SUV driver has her nose in the air, but she does help him out. She gets him into the SUV and drives him to a B&B that she knows of. Not before he swipes her purse.

The B&B owner is that guy that you totally wouldn’t expect to own and B&B but at the same time it fits him perfectly. Lucky takes a room for three nights, giving up half his money. But the bed, shower and food are too hard to resist.

And then the temperamental, quirky house gives involved by knocking a picture off of the wall. Which would have seriously hurt Lucky had he been in the bed. But when Kreed checks on him, he sees the pink purse.

The next morning there is a note next to the pink purse. An offer to work for room and board, or take the money for the two nights he didn’t stay yet and disappear. Against his better judgement, he stays.

Lucky is happy to do any of the work that Kreed gives him. They get along fine, even with the town taking the time to stop in and get a look see at the new guy. Besides being a B&B, Kreed serves breakfast and lunch daily.

Kreed has a friend with benefits show up, with his husband, which gets sticky. Because Kreed and Lucky are definitely interested in each other. Which kind of makes Kreed realize he is worth more than a friend with benefits deal. Plus Lucky isn’t so subtle with his dislike of this guy.

When Kreed gets ill and winds up in the hospital, Lucky does everything he can to keep the B&B afloat. Not by renting rooms and doing big meals, but opening every morning for coffee service and breakfast sandwiches.

He has help from a trio of siblings who own the bookstore across the street, and surprisingly, from the woman who knocked him off the road to being with.

There are secrets that get out, which risk not only Lucky, but Kreed and his B&B. Lucky is ready to bail, but realizes that all of a sudden he has people- friends- in his corner willing to help him and fight for him. Including Mildred. The house.

Seeing Lucky open up and realize that people actually care for him was so sweet. The relationship between Kreed and Lucky is a suuuuuuuuuuuuuper slow burn. In fact, there is only one sex act (I’m pretty sure) and it didn’t even happen in a bed.

Shows that a decent story doesn’t need sex to keep you invested. Even a romance.

3.5 Pieces of Candy

Jaime has generously offered an ebook copy of any of her backlist for one commenter on this post. Leave a comment for Jaime!

Charlie Sunshine by Lily Morton: New Release Review * 2

by

Sometimes love is a lot closer to home than you think.

Charlie Burroughs can’t keep a man. All he wants is a good relationship like the ones he sees his friends having, but none of the men he picks ever work out. Despite him trying to be the perfect boyfriend, the men are either threatened by his looks or his epilepsy or a combination of the two. It’s lucky that he has his best friend Misha to turn to. The two of them are closer than peas in a pod and fiercely loyal to each other. He can’t imagine his life without Misha in it.

Misha Lebedinsky is the complete opposite of his best friend. Being the support system for his mum and twin sisters leaves Misha with neither the time nor the inclination for a relationship. Quick and frequent hook-ups are his favourite means of communication and any other pesky emotional needs he has are met by Charlie, who he’s devoted to. He lives a life of happy compartmentalization with no intention of ever changing.

All of this changes when the two best friends move in together. Being in close proximity means that they suddenly start to see each other in a very different light. But Charlie struggles when his drive to be the perfect partner clashes with the fact that he’s in love with a man who knows every little thing about him. And even if he can get past that, can a relationship ever work with a man who’d need a dictionary to tell him what love means?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a love story about a sunny librarian who has relationship written all over him and a cynical banker who doesn’t even have it in his blurb.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Never judge a book by its cover… because this cover reminds me of the old Geico caveman, but I adored this story so, so, so much!

Charlie is beautiful (despite the cover) and he’s inherently chipper and happy and good-hearted, and friendly and funny and just beautiful inside and out. I loved him, sure, but probably not as much as I loved his best friend Misha.

Misha is Charlie’s complete opposite, but they’ve been best friends since they were kids. Where Misha is a very successful banker, Charlie works in a library. Where Charlie is a serial monogamist, Misha doesn’t know the word relationship. It works for them though, they make each other better. What I loved the most though was the way Misha takes care of Charlie… Even from the beginning, even when Charlie had a very short-term, very condescending boyfriend that you’ll hate, even then, Misha took care of him. It gets frustrating, the level of cluelessness they both share, but it makes it that much sweeter when they both realize that aside from being best friends, they care about each other like no one else ever would.

I loved their banter and the way were best friends before anything else. Both men were so selfless and there for each other, they truly just wanted each other to be safe and happy. Everyone knew they were soulmates, their friends and families were so supportive and encouraging, it was almost a relief when they realized they were meant to be more. I don’t want to give everything away because it’s honestly such a low-angst, feel-good read. Everything I read from this author is, she’s an instant buy for me. This one was no different. Loved the ending, I can’t wait to see who’s next and where these guys go from here. Perfect ending.

5 pieces of eye candy

From the moment that I discovered my first Lily Morton book, she has never let me down. Quirky, fun characters who can laugh at themselves and are just fun. Even the grumpy ones end up being fun.

Charlie is the perennially happy guy. Even after a freak accident that left him with epilepsy, he still won’t be anything but happy. In front of people. He is always that “I’m fine!” guy. But his best friend since he was 6 years old can see through it.

Misha is the opposite of Charlie. Hedge fund manager, snappy suits, fancy car, the right address. But together, they are perfect. How could they not be after 20 something years of friendship?

Charlie loses his last roommate and instead of looking for another, Misha invites him to be HIS roommate. No big deal, right? HA! HA I say! Since they each have crushes on each other but won’t do anything about it because 1. best friends and 2. they want different things. Charlie is the settle down, white picket fence with a chocolate lab kind of guy. But Misha is only about the one night stand.

Plus Charlie has a boyfriend, who works with Misha and they hate each other. And he really doesn’t treat Charlie well. The last straw was when Charlie started having a seizure and the evil boyfriend didn’t catch him before he fell. In fact, he moved away. Bastard.

Now everyone is single and tip toeing around each other’s hot selves and ignoring the giant condom shaped elephant in the room.

Of course they end up together! It is a romance with a happily ever after. But watching them discover the love they have that is beyond best friend love is wonderful. And it isn’t just Charlie who changes Misha from a one off guy to a happily in love buy. But Misha also changes Charlie. From always having a happy face on to finally asking for help when he needs it and letting people know that sometimes he isn’t great.

They were just super adorable and I LOVED Charlie’s parents- mom, step dad, father and step father. Do they math.

If you are a Lily Morton fan, don’t miss this one.

4 pieces of eye candy

The Parable of the Mustard Seed by Lisa Henry: New Release Review

by

The past never stays buried forever.

John Faimu is an Australian-Samoan police officer who deals with hurt kids every day. He loves what he does, but he’s tired of the grind of shift work, and of trying to find a balance between his job, his family, and the young man who straddles the increasingly blurry line between both.

Caleb Fletcher was the teenager John saved from a cult eight long years ago, and he’s now the young man John wants in ways that neither of them should risk.

Eight years after his rescue, Caleb is still struggling with PTSD and self-harm. John has always been his rock, but now Caleb wants more. Can he convince John to cross a line and love him the way they both crave? And when the monsters from Caleb’s past come back seeking to silence him for good, will John’s love be enough to save him?

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is an mm gay romance featuring hurt/comfort, first times, found family, and angst with a happy ending.

Publisher: self published

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: 3 April 2020

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Romance Pairings: Male/Male

Book Length (eBook): 79,000 words

Genre: Romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I had to mull over my review for this book for a few days. I generally do not do books with angst. I leave those to one of the other reviewers, but loving all things Aussie, I wanted to give this one a go. It was hard at some points…really hard. But considering the situation Caleb came out of, to expect anything less would have been doing the story a huge disservice.

John was so sweet, cared about everyone around him, not just Caleb, but his family, and even the kids on the street that he watched over during his shifts. He didn’t do a very good job of taking care of himself, but he seemed to love everything he did. And with Caleb, it was never a job. He loved him from day one.

As John and Caleb finally took their relationship to the next level, and Caleb asked to keep it from his father, it made sense. Caleb wanted something his own, that his father didn’t have to help him to deal with. However, it also put John in a very difficult position. And once Caleb’s father found out, under unpleasant circumstances, it made for awkward moments. However, they handled it like adults, knowing that Caleb’s health was of the uppermost importance.

All of this was on par with what I expected of the book. Toward the end of the book, I felt like there was something missing. It wasn’t that everything was necessarily tied up in a neat bow, but in some ways it was. Too neat. Which I think I could have understood better if it was a year, or three years later. However, just a few months later left me wondering how the next episode would be dealt with.

Overall, very well written, and touched on the depths of mental health, PTSD, and the fact that years later just the smallest things can be the biggest factors in a relapse. If you need some angst in your stories, this one is for you! Not a ton, but it isn’t for the lighthearted. I loved though that these men loved each other no matter what, without fail, and always there for one another.

4 pieces of eye candy