Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

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Cameron Wants To Be A Hero (Love, Austen Book 2) by Anyta Sunday: New Release Review

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Lake: Did you get his number this time?
Cameron: Yes. But I’m not sure I should use it so soon.
Lake: What’s soon? Didn’t you last see him yesterday?
Cameron: I thought you’re meant to wait three days? Otherwise it looks desperate.
Lake: You are desperate.
Cameron: Thanks.
Lake: From everything you’ve told me, sounds like this could be something.
Cameron: You think?
Lake: Message him. Keep it sexy.

~ ~ ~

When it comes to romance books, Cameron Morland can always read between the lines. When it comes to real romance, he may need a dictionary.

Or Jane.

~ ~ ~

It’s Northanger Abbey, complete with a neo-gothic mansion and charming misunderstandings. But contemporary. And gay.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Another modern day retelling of a Jane Austen classic, although I’d venture to guess a lesser known classic. And I loved it.

Cameron, the shy scriptwriter, living in his brother’s shadow, ignored at best by his father who’s friends are off traveling for work. He loves books- especially Austen as he feels that it brings him closer to his mother who died when he was a baby. So when he meets Henry- in an interesting and strange way- and English teacher, he is smitten. Unfortunately, he is also being pursued by his new neighbors. A brother and sister who are renting the house of his friends next door. The brother in romantic pursuit and the sister in a best friend pursuit. More on that later.

This book was just so fun. There was a *tiny* bit of angst involving fathers, but hardly the crux of the plot line. Cameron and Henry took it very slowly. Wooing each other through text messages, emails, and even written letters. All while being thwarted by the neighbors, John and Isabella.

I love when stories involve written communication like that. Yes, everyone texts these days, but when Cameron can be so much more open with written words than face to face, they get to know each other really well.

John and Isabella though- ugh. I wanted to slap them both. John for being ridiculously pushy, arrogant and trying to steamroll Cameron into a relationship he didn’t want. And Isabella who really seemed like she just wanted the eye rolling “gay bestie”. Whereas Henry’s sister wanted to be friends with Cameron because of him. And because her brother was smitten.

I was missing a little of Cameron’s work life. I know what he wants to do, but not actually what he does.

You don’t need to know anything of the original story to thoroughly enjoy this one.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Head to Head: An Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity, MM Romance (Nerds vs Jocks) by Eli Easton and Tara Lain: New Release Review

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If these two don’t kill each other, they might fall in love.

Rand hates Jax because he’s the laid-back, vegan-eating, tree-hugging, total-Zen-until-I-get-a-chance-to-screw-you president of Sigma Mu Tau, the nerdy fraternity that’s the sworn enemy of Rand’s house, Alpha Lambda Alpha. What a phony!

Jax hates Rand for being the privileged, rich-heir-to-an-oil-empire, environment-destroying, soul-sucking president of the ALA jocks—but mostly because Rand hated him first. Rand has sent nothing but hateful vibes his way since the day they met. What a douche!

The enemies have never had a single conversation that didn’t involve shouting—until Jax’s old Buick breaks down on a road trip and Rand plays reluctant rescuer. Jax is forced to sit on Rand’s dead cow seats. Rand learns chickens can enter the living room and that Jax’s beliefs are more than skin-deep. The bitter rivals embark on a quest to save a family member and discover that sometimes animosity is a mask for crazy-hot attraction. With this much face time, head-to-head might become heart-to-heart.

HEAD TO HEAD is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract, searching for his sister, clashing cultures, MM romance—with a whole lot of fracking.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

This way, hands down, my favorite of the three books in the series. While I felt the other two lacking, this one made up for it.

We got to know Rand and Jax as presidents of their fraternities. Fraternities who are mortal enemies and were forced to work together on both Quiz Bowl and Flag Football. Neither competed in them, but being presidents of their frats kept them in the story.

Being front and center of this story, we really get to know them so much better. We meet their families- which really adds to their personal stories, as well as not having Quiz Bowl or Flag Football at the center of attention.

They had personality quirks that followed them throughout and just made them more interesting overall. And I was happy that they were both out of the closet already and just two guys who happened to be gay.

You could probably read this as a stand alone, but if you read the other two, this book is an excellent ending to the trilogy.

4 pieces of eye candy

Real Trouble: M/M Romantic Suspense (West Coast Forensics Book 1) by Elle Keaton: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

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Two men on opposite sides of the law: will they be able to set aside their differences and trust love?

Danylo Peters has issues, lots of them. He’s not on Piedras Island by accident, he’s not a nice guy, and Peters isn’t his real name. Dany’s hiding, trying to escape his family’s influence and start a new life. But he must have been born under a bad sign because the very man he’s really running from is one of the first he runs into.

A new life in a new town seemed like the right decision for Soren Jorgenson, especially after a difficult case left him recovering from a gunshot wound and lonely as he’d ever been. Finding Dany living on Piedras brings back all the feelings he’d tried to lock away. He’s angry and bitter and Dany is not going to continue to get away with his old tricks. Too bad Dany is just as compelling as he ever was.

The two men find themselves on opposite sides of Soren’s first case on Piedras, but neither is able to deny the attraction between them. They keep finding themselves in compromising situations; if they’re found out there will be Real Trouble.

Real Trouble is set in the Veiled Intentions world, while familiar characters appear Real Trouble can be read as a standalone. Real Trouble is a dual POV following Soren Jorgenson and Danylo Peters as they fight their way to their HEA and is the first in the new West Coast Forensics series. These characters originally appeared in the Shielded Hearts series (formally Accidental Roots).

Real Trouble By Elle Keaton

West Coast Forensics, Book 1

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

“He tromped back to the cruiser, glad to be out of the wind. The clear nights were nice but cold. Out on the main road, Soren drove aimlessly toward the south end of the island, passing through Killegen’s Point again. Chester’s Grocery-Mart was closed, as was the hardware store across from it.

As each day passed, there were more and more people visiting the island, and some of the rental houses that had been dark all winter now had lights on in the living rooms and front porches. Even with the temperature dropping to the low forties, Soren spotted smiling people wrapped up in parkas, scarves, and knit caps hanging out on patios and decks with glasses of wine or bottles of beer in their hands.

It made him feel lonely. Or maybe lonelier.

He’d been lonely in his hometown too; the feeling wasn’t anything new. He hated that he wanted to belong to someone, wanted to be someone’s person. He could swear sometimes his heart clenched with the wanting.

The evening stretched out in front of him. He’d prefer to be out knocking on doors, rattling cages and finding out who’d killed Bryan Reynolds—and set the fire at Brooch. It was possible the two events had happened within hours of each other. Were they related? What would the murder of a struggling, but generally liked, islander have to do with arson at the resort? If they were related, it was because Bryan knew something that worried the perpetrator, and Soren needed to find the connection.

An image of Dany Petyr, dark and dangerous, wormed its way into his head. He’d spent all day shoving thoughts of the other man aside. His mental lockbox was weakening as the night of no sleep took its toll. Why, of all the men on the planet, did Dany Petyr have to be the one Soren’s heart wanted? He’d wanted Dany from the first second he’d laid eyes on him, and he wanted him now.”

Elle Keaton writes contemporary gay romance and MM romantic suspense set in the Pacific Northwest. Elle’s books are known for their hot mm romance, complex characters, and unique sense of place. The men start out broken, and maybe they’re still banged up by the end, but they always find the other half of their hearts.

Elle published first in 2017, now she has over seventeen books available for you to read or listen to. She loves cats and dogs, Star Wars and Star Trek, pineapple on pizza, and is known to start crossword puzzles with a ballpoint pen.

Love always wins, thank you for supporting this indie author!

Connect with Elle:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ElleKeatonWrites
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HighwayToElle/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elle-keaton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellekeatonauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PirateQueenRdz1
MeWe: https://mewe.com/profile/5ac2766f310a7853d4ce8ad4
Website: https://www.ellekeaton.com/
Amazon: https://amzn.to/ek-amazon-profile
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/ek-gr-profile

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Up in Smoke: A Gay Firefighter Romance (Hotshots Book 4) by Annabeth Albert: Quick Review

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Three Men and a Baby meets Backdraft with explosive chemistry and heartfelt feels.

Freewheeling smoke jumper Brandt Wilder thrives on adrenaline. He’s never met a parachute he can’t repair or a dangerous situation he couldn’t wrangle his way out of. He’s popular and fun-loving and not at all looking to settle down or form lasting relationships. It’s a lifestyle that’s served him well…right up until the day he finds a baby on his doorstep.

Shane Travis is used to putting his country music career—and his own happiness—on hold after his sister rolls through his life. Like last spring when she convinced him to try skydiving for his birthday—and she walked away with the hot parachute instructor.

Now he gets to deliver the piece of news that will upend Brandt’s carefree life: he very well might be a dad.

Shane’s niece is safe in Brandt’s strong, capable hands, but too many questions remain unanswered. Co-parenting while they sort it out leads to late-night talks, and soul-bearing confessions lead to a most inconvenient attraction. Still, Shane can’t leave this makeshift family behind—even if it means playing house with the one man he can’t resist.

Amazon

Carina Press

Hotshots
Book 1: Burn Zone
Book 2: High Heat
Book 3: Feel the Fire

This book was quite different than the first three books in this series. That made me love it all the more! The author wasn’t afraid to branch away from the previous main focus of how the firefighters and their future significant others were handling the challenge of being a firefighter, injuries, etc.

First and foremost, there was a baby. There definitely wasn’t a baby in the other three books. And watching these two men who had never been around babies, since one spent much of his life in foster care, and the other spent much of his life being moved around and having to take care of himself, it made it heartfelt and fun. They had to learn everything from how to diaper and feed her, to what to do when she got sick, to how to love her unconditionally, and figure out how to best take care of her legally. But they didn’t really question it, they just did it. They didn’t make their focus on what could go wrong, but how to make it all right.

They each had their goals and ambitions, yet once that sweet little baby came into their lives, and they were determined to work together to care for her, those goals shifted. They didn’t change completely, just shifted to accommodate the addition of a little one who needed both her daddy and her uncle. And still that wasn’t the main focus of the story.

The focus of the story was simple, two men, one baby, all falling in love with each other. Learning about each other, and about themselves with the others in their lives. My heart nearly couldn’t take it. It was happy, it was sad, it was funny, it was heart wrenching. But in the end, I truly loved it.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

No Flag by Liz Borino: RB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Captain Mike Kelley does not ignore his intuition, so when sexy bartender Will Hayes captures his heart, Mike embarks on a mission to win him over to a Domestic Discipline relationship. Will accepts with one caveat: Mike must promise not to renew his army contract.

Mike agrees, until the army invokes the stop-loss military policy to involuntarily extend his commission and send him back overseas, rendering him powerless and threatening everything he and Will have built. Will, left alone to cope with a new café, must rely on the support of old friends who may no longer be trustworthy.

A horrific terrorist attack on Mike’s outpost changes everything, leaving them both at a loss.

Mike awakens in a hospital with a devastating injury and no recollection of the attack. As the only survivor, his memory may be the key to national security. Mike struggles to cope with his injury and Will struggles with his new role in Mike’s life.

For Mike and Will, “No Flag” meant “come home alive.” Will has Mike back rather than a folded flag, but in the aftermath of war, can they rebuild the life they had before?

Title:  No Flag

Series: After Everything, Book One

Author: Liz Borino

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 06/07/2021

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 67100

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, contemporary, family-drama, military, war, violence, terrorists, disabilities, amputee, bartender, Dom/sub relationship, domestic discipline, OCD

Amazon

NineStar Press

Goodreads

Chapter One

The News

July 7, 2012

Bombs exploded on the evening news, one after the other. Body parts flew past the camera. The headline across the bottom of the screen read: “20 Army Intelligence Officers Dead.”

“Early this morning, a bomb exploded in the Army Intelligence building, killing twenty American soldiers from Platoon 518,” the blonde newswoman reported.

Will Kelley squinted as the fuzzy security images played behind the woman’s head, searching through the chaos for reassurance. Nothing. His heart pounded and he tried to swallow but found only dry air in his mouth and throat. The female reporter described the weapons used and structural damage done in vivid detail, which made for sensational television, but failed to answer any questions for the people at home. Victims’ families had to be notified before the media could release their names. So, Blondie would lose her job if she read the list in front of her.

“What the hell are you doing, man? We open in thirty minutes and you’re watching television?” Seth, his roommate, demanded from the doorway of the living room.

“Answered your own question, didn’t you?” Will responded.

“Are you ready?”

“No.” Will did not take his eyes off the screen. “I’ll drive myself.”

“When?”

The report flashed to an increase in allergies in children, so Will switched to another station while typing “Attack on American S2 Building in Afghanistan” into Google. It wouldn’t be that easy though. So, Will tried several more combinations of search terms before finding a video shot by an insurgent involved in the attack. The camera shuddered. Focused on different areas of the chaos. Men ripping clothes off soldiers. Looting. Bodies blown to bits. A man removing computer hard drives. And only one face. On the severed head of Major Evans.

“Will!” Seth jabbed him in the shoulder with a pen. Will forced his eyes away from the computer. “What happened?”

“Mike’s platoon was attacked. Twelve survivors.”

“Shit,” Seth said. “Can you call…?”

Will took a slug from the nearby water bottle. “Who? No one will talk to me. I’m not my husband’s family.”

Seth stared at him for a long moment and said, “I’ll have Casey cover for you.”

Will stood and shook his head. “Why? I can’t do anything here except watch the same videos over and over. May as well see if I can make some money.” He shut his computer and set it on the side table. “Meet you there. I won’t be too late. Promise.” He had to stop himself from scoffing as the meaningless word left his lips.

“Will…” Seth began.

“You wanted me to move, I’m moving! Go. I’ll be there.” He walked toward his bedroom, Seth’s gaze burning into his back. Stopping to throw a glance over his shoulder, he added, “Don’t tell Casey. I can do without her mother-henning me.”

“Will…”

“Please, Seth.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” Will climbed the steps and closed his bedroom door. He leaned against the wood cutting him off from the rest of the world. His gaze roamed the four walls decorated with art prints, a whiteboard, and his wedding picture. Will strode over and fingered the golden frame. Behind the glass lay a photograph of Will and Mike in tuxes in the middle of their first dance. Their smiles easily outshone the gold on the frame. Mike had always been handsome with broad, built shoulders and muscular pecs, leading to abs you could grate cheese on.

But none of that stood out to Will, not on their wedding day of the year before. Mike’s blue eyes radiated a strength and hope. Will removed his wedding band to read the promise inscribed: No Flag.

Please keep your promise, Mike, Will thought as he took a deep breath and tore himself away from the picture and the crushing memories it brought. He had a job to do tonight.

Domestic discipline is one of my favorite tropes and I feel like recently it’s become hard to find. This book reeled me in from the first page. If was well written. The characters were well developed, interesting and assimilated well into the story.

It is definitely a hard fought love for Mike and Will, but oh so worth it. With everything trying to tear them apart; Mike’s deployment, Will’s friends, Mike’s injury, and day to day life Mike and Will stay strong and true to each other.

I felt like the story had so much vivid detail. The storylines were woven together masterfully, I was never confused about what was happening to who or when it was happening. The intimate scenes were shorter with less detail and I found that a refreshing change to my normal reading.

I couldn’t put this book down and I am really excited to read some of the authors other works.

5 pieces of eye candy

Liz Borino has been telling stories of varying truthfulness since she was a child. As an adult, she keeps the fiction on the page. She writes stories of human connection and intimacy, in all their forms. Her books feature flawed men who often risk everything for their love.

When Liz isn’t writing, she’s waking up early to edit, travel, and explore historic prisons and insane asylums—not (usually) all in one day. Liz lives in Philadelphia with her two cats.

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Keeping Kellan (Keeping Him Book 2) by Amy Aislin: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Brant Harkrader is done living by other peoples’ rules. He may not know exactly what he wants out of life, but he’s perfectly happy letting that question figure itself out while starting a new job as a tour guide.

Too bad the one thing he does want—his sister’s BFF—only sees him as a little brother.

Or so he thinks…

Kellan Shelby-Briggs has never shied away from going after what he wants. And what he wants is the important contract that will put his brand new company on the map—and Brant.

Too bad Kellan’s career keeps yanking him away just as things heat up between them.

Now that Brant is back in town—up close and personal in Kell’s living space—can they finally get the timing right to go after the love that has eluded them both for too long?

Keeping Kellan
By Amy Aislin

Keeping Him, Book 2

Amazon

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B&N
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Kell was staring at him. “You baked?”

“Uh-huh.” The look Kell was giving him made his stomach do backflips. He leaned a hip casually against the counter. “Don’t get too excited, though. Like I said, I don’t know if I did it right. They might be gross.”

“You baked?” Kell repeated. He crept in closer to Brant, slowly, as though he thought Brant would flee at the slightest provocation.

But, today, Brant’s stupid desire to run was nowhere to be found.

Because this was Kell. Kellan Shelby-Briggs, who used to babysit him when he was little, and instead of sitting Brant in front of the television so Kell could spend all night talking on the phone with his friends like most teenagers would do, Kell had played board games with him until it was time for bed. Kell, who saw the world as one giant playground on which he could get shit done and show everyone how goddamn capable he was. Kell, who’d never treated Brant like an annoying kid. Kell, who’d often wandered over from next door to visit Wendy, but who had always brought a little something for Brant—an action figure, a new baseball, a well-loved board game he no longer played, his mom’s freshly baked cookies, hockey cards.

He was literally the boy next door, and he was looking at Brant with a cocky half-smile that was way sexier than it should’ve been.

It made sense in the grand scheme of things, though. Brant had always been attracted to competence and confidence. And here was his dream man in the flesh, coming toward him until he stopped less than half a foot away.

“You baked,” Kell said again, though it didn’t sound like a question this time. More like an acknowledgement.

“Mm-hmm.” Brant straightened, bringing them that much closer. Kell’s eyes slipped to his mouth. “As a thank you for letting me stay here. And for dessert for tonight’s date.”

Those eyes, clear pools of blue, snapped back to his. “Date.”

“Wasn’t that what the steak and shrimp kabobs were for? Not to mention the salad, the veggies, the potatoes, the dip, and the lava cakes. A date.” It had been too much for one person, so he’d brought the leftovers to Wendy’s last night. Except for the lava cakes. Those he’d kept.

“A clandestine one,” Kell admitted. “In case it wasn’t something you wanted.”

Brant wanted so much that he was tempted to let the pizza burn and drag Kell upstairs. Hell, he was kicking himself for not staying for the “movie” the other night. When had he ever backed away when he was interested in someone? The last time he’d seen someone he wanted to know, he’d walked right up to him in the bar and had taken him home two hours later.

Just that things were different with Kell. Everything that pulled Brant toward him—the friendship, the familiarity, Kell’s steady presence—also threatened to push Brant away. Because they were entering dangerous territory and neither of them would remain unscathed if they fucked this up, and it would forever alter their relationship, whatever that turned out to be.

Right now, though, with Kell looking at him with heat in his eyes? None of that seemed to matter.

The oven timer went off, an incessant beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep. Neither of them moved.

“Going to get that?” Kell asked, voice dropping to a husky rumble that had goosebumps climbing up Brant’s arm.

“In a minute,” he murmured and, hand to Kell’s chest, pushed him back against the counter, slotted himself between his thighs, and kissed him.

Book 2 in a series, but stands alone.

This story was sweet. Crush on his sister’s best friend since he was a kid. But now everyone is grown up. And the crush works both ways.

Kellan and Brant so easily just slipped into a relationship. Brant was staying with Kellan until he found a place of his own having moved back to his home town. And even without a sexual relationship at all, they just fell in to that groove. They were so comfortable with each other, with mutual crushes, so it was completely natural. Even Brant’s sister- Kellan’s best friend- really had no issue with it at all.

Poor Brant is trying to figure his life out. He played junior hockey as dictated by his step father. He went to college. He got the job in the cube in the city. But he wasn’t happy. So he went back home, back to the small town life and mountains he loves. And Kellan.

Brant has a really strained relationship with his mother and step father. Proving that words can do as much damage, if not more, than fists. Brant’s sister was just old enough to have moved out to college and didn’t know how bad it was. But Brant just kept it in.

Kellan validated Brant. Listened to him, loved him, supported him. Things he was severely lacking from his mother and step father.

It was a fun book that had a little bit of angst with the parental situation, but not the romance situation.

Great book to read at the beach or sitting in the back yard this summer. Most of the sex scenes are very fade to black with some details. You’ll love Kellan and Brant and their dog Ollie.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Amy‘s lived with her head in the clouds since she first picked up a book as a child, and being fluent in two languages means she’s read a lot of books! She first picked up a pen on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class had to stay inside for recess. Tales of treasure hunts with her classmates eventually morphed into love stories between men, and she’s been writing ever since. She writes evenings and weekends—or whenever she isn’t at her full-time day job saving the planet at Canada’s largest environmental non-profit.

An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group, Amy Aislin’s Readers, to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram and Twitter, or sign up for her newsletter.

Connect with Amy:
Website: amyaislin.com
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/AmyAislinNewsletter
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