Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

novella

Ice & Sweet: An MM Christmas Romance by Charlie Novak: New Release Review

by

Falling for my crush at my ex’s Christmas wedding? Piece of cake!

Making the cake for my ex-fake boyfriend turned best friend’s wedding the week before Christmas was easy. Carting it halfway across England in the snow was not. Especially not when a blown-out back tyre leads to me coming face to face with my long term crush for the first time in five years.

I’ve known André since his days of boyband superstardom, but since I was supposed to be dating one of his bandmates, I was never able to act on my feelings. But now we’re both single and stuck in a hotel for the weekend with our interfering friends who seem determined to push us together.

But maybe André and I don’t need a push. Maybe all we need is a chance to see if the spark we felt all those years ago is still there.

After all, it is Christmas. And that means anything could happen.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

This book just made me happy. The two main characters are connected to other side characters we know. So that brought in mentions of other characters who already had their happily ever after. But they stayed out of the way and didn’t demand the spotlight. So even though we didn’t know Andre and Luke, they are still part of the world we know in Charlie Novak’s books.

Being that the book started at a wedding two weeks before Christmas, I was thrilled to know that this wasn’t a two strangers meeting romance or an enemies to lovers romance or even a friends to lovers romance.

Rediscovering each other as people, but on a different deeper level than before. Neither afraid of PDA or moving too fast or being too clingy. They also had a similar background, which put them on more of an even playing field, in terms of status. No worries there.

There were, in fact, no worries. Ok, a bit about their odd work schedules, but still. No worries, no angst, no drama. Just two guys falling in love right in time for Christmas.

4 pieces of eye candy

Yes Guy by Barbara Elsborg: New Release Review

by

Saying No has to stop!

Heath’s negative attitude leads to the loss of his boyfriend, his job and the place he calls home. Now he’s determined to be a yes guy. Yes, he’d love to flat sit while the owner is away, though one look at the horrendous mess and after a painful tussle with a belligerent cat, he wishes he’d stuck to his usual no.

No is the last thing Tristan expects to hear when he proposes in front of his boyfriend’s friends and family. Humiliated, he hides out in his brother’s empty flat without asking, because does he really need to hear another no?

What he needs is a guy who’ll say yes…yes…yes… Could that be Heath?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

This was a fun little romance filled with tropes that were cute and funny without being cheesy.

Two fairly epic break ups lead to the one apartment one bed thing. Also one guy finding the other naked in the tub. And he just gets in as well. Why not?

Even though Heath and Tristan are not on an even playing level, orphan versus happy family, business owner versus accountant, financially unequal as well. But literally none of that mattered. They were so perfect for each other that all of those disparages went away.

Sweet, cute, hot- very hot-, silly and funny that brings us to Christmas. Perfect pre-Christmas book to start getting us in the spirit.

4 pieces of eye candy

I’ll be Boned for Christmas (Collier’s Creek Christmas) by Katherine McIntyre: New Release Review

by

Jordan
I’ve got a rep in town for causing trouble, and it’s well-earned. But when Nick and I get caught streaking after the tree lighting ceremony, we’re in for a messload of community service to get the town ready for the Collier’s Creek Christmas Bash. Except I’ve been craving to be taken more seriously, and Nick seems to be the only person in town who does.

Nick
After Jordan and I get in trouble, one joke leads to slipping between the sheets—or at least, the stalls—and suddenly we’re hooking up on the regular. It’s everything I’d told myself I didn’t want from my straight best friend, and I’m falling too hard and too fast. Yet my sister’s upcoming wedding is the reminder that I’m not just looking for a plus one there…but for keeps, and Jordan and I are just temporary. No matter how badly I want him to be mine.

Celebrate the holidays with the men of Collier’s Creek, where magic fills the air and irresistible romances are the highlight of the festive season. Six low-angst romances, each filled with heartwarming moments and swoon-worthy romance.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

I like punny titles usually. They can be clever or funny. Or both. But I feel like the title of this book does a disservice to the story.

A friends to lovers, bi awakening small town romance. That wasn’t cheesy or corny or eye rolling. It was…sweet really. Best friends since they were 8, but they really came off as more typical best friends like in real life. Not for nothin, but there aren’t a ton of guys out there into their 20’s with a bff they hang out with one on one. They tend to hang in groups. And these 2 are part of a group of 4 and it was acknowledged that it was a little weird to hang out just the 2 of them.

I really loved how Jordan approached his new found bi side. And how Nick was afraid that when Jordan was done exploring he would lose his best friend.

Jordan does a lot of growing up in a very short amount time without losing who he is. There’s nothing wrong with having fun!

So yes, I liked this a lot more than I expected! Not that I thought I wouldn’t like it, I just thought it would be a silly Christmas short where there’s a lot of sex and not mu substance. Glad I was wrong.

4 pieces of eye candy

I’ve been enjoying this author’s books quite a bit lately. They’ve been helping me out of the funk I’ve been in, and let’s face it, there is a lot of funk out there in the world. But the funny, sexy and quirky characters have helped me to get past some of them, if even for a time.

Jordan, the epitome of the shirt that says “That’s a bad idea. What time?” really enjoys getting his friends to do those things you wouldn’t otherwise. That is how he and Nick ended up doing community service in their little Wyoming town. But it gave him a chance to realize that maybe his relationships before didn’t work out because he didn’t understand himself or what he needed, someone who was there by his side.

Nick just needed to be loved, and had worked his way through most of the town. (Which by the way was one of my questions about the book. His ex was kind of just a non-issue after he appeared for a moment.) But in the meantime, he would have fun with his friends, especially Jordan. That was until he figured out the fun he could have with Jordan was teaching him all the ways they connected.

This was a fun little holiday story that was on the hotter side of hot, with some funny elements that had me laughing enough to wake up the husband.

Side note…how sweet was Nick to be helping do the wedding favors for his sister. That was enough to make anyone’s heart melt!

I was looking forward to this book, just simply based on the title. And let’s face it…you sang it, didn’t you?

4 pieces of eye candy

Raising Wayne: A Single Dad LGBTQIA Biker Romance (Oh, Baby!) by MZ Arthur: Release Day Review

by

FROM EXCITING AUTHOR OF LGBTQIA ROMANCE M.Z. ARTHUR

An Oh, Baby! story

Book one in the Knights in Ink series

A little miracle leads to true love.

In need of a quick cash infusion to pay off a loan shark, tattoo artist Doug “Zim” Zimmer gives of himself, literally, with plasma and sperm donations. He’s happy to help whoever needs either or both, and when the bills are paid he thinks nothing more of it.

Two years later, a handsome redhead holding an infant with Zim’s eyes shows up at the studio. Architect Clive Mulcahy, having assumed custody of his nephew after his sister’s death, wants a clearer picture of Wayne’s parentage in order to be a good father. The acquaintance he hopes to strike with Zim for the sake of Wayne’s happiness soon grows into a relationship neither expected, but both are willing to embrace.

Amazon – All Regions

Brand new author alert! Unless they are another author with a new pen name, but I don’t think so. It wasn’t glaringly obvious, but I could tell it was probably a first time author.

I liked the premise and the story didn’t disappoint. Nice twist on a traditional MF romance when the mother shows up on a guy’s doorstep with a baby and says surprise.

It was still a surprise for Zim, just a different kind of surprise. A baby from his sperm donation and a hot guy uncle raising the baby.

Zim and Clive have good chemistry even though they have pretty much nothing in common. Zim came off as way more genuine, with Clive being a bit stiff and formal. I expect that formal talk from the lawyer types, but he was an architect.

I was left a bit disappointed in the lack of mourning that Clive seemed to do. Or even freaking out that he all of a sudden has a baby. Very clinical.

As a whole, not bad for a first shot. Short and sweet, didn’t rely on sex as a page filler with a happily for now. Good quick beach read.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Once Upon a Christmas House by A.D. Ellis: New Release Review

by

Ivyrson is the quintessential Scrooge when it comes to anything having to do with the holidays. However, the chance to win a hefty chunk of money and free repairs on his old home is enough to entice the man to take part in a holiday-themed reality game.

Emory has had a crush on his older brother’s best friend for years. When the chance to help Ivy possibly win a reality game comes along, Emory doesn’t hesitate. After all, that’s what friends are for.

The two men have known each other forever, but living together and pretending to be a couple means getting to know each other on a whole new level. Can they convince the viewing audience their fake relationship deserves to win the grand prize? Or will Ivy and Emory get swept up in the holiday magic and find themselves falling in love for real?

Once Upon a Christmas House is a steamy, forced-proximity, fake relationship, M/M Christmas romance between a grumpy Scrooge and his best friend’s cheery little brother.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

This story had a super cute premise, perfect setting and tropes galore. And it brought in a very modern aspect of a streaming reality show that has viewers vote every week. Definitely fun.

The grumpy guy is the one who wants to win the reality show so he can fix up his dream house and infuse a bit of capital into his auto shop business. And since the show calls for couples, his best friend offers to fake it with him. Until circumstances happen and he can’t. So his best friend’s brother offers. The gay brother who has had a crush on Ivy forever. It’s fine though, right?

The premise of the reality show was a little weak. Besides a few challenges that they do and daily interviews, there isn’t much to it. Then they added “After Dark” challenges that were a bit cringy. They didn’t have to do those, but they were worth points, so how are you supposed to win by not doing them? *shrug*

The story also leans heavily on Ivy hating Christmas. There are dramatic statements like his father blew up their lives. A little over the top. I kind of wanted to slap him, a la Cher “Snap out of it!”. He’s made it his personality.

Of course Ivy and best friend’s brother, Emory, can’t keep their hands off of each other after just a few days of being fake boyfriends for the show. I did like how Ivy was pretty chill with the fact that he was fooling around with a guy for the first time. There was no big sexuality crisis. He just rolled with it for the most part.

There was a bit of “Christmas magic” in the story as well surrounding the house. I wish that had been highlighted more and shown on the reality show more because it was fun.

This was a mostly cute start to the Christmas book season. Enough to get you in the spirit of things.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

The Mission by Barbara Elsborg: New Release Review

by

Snow! Tick.
Skiing! Tick.
Christmas! Tick.
Stalker! Er…

When Conrad and his ex split up three months before their upcoming work ski trip, Conrad’s unwavering passion for the slopes overshadows his reservations about a holiday anywhere near his ex and his new partner. But as ‘friends’ keep hinting he should cancel, he wishes he’d seen sense earlier. Now it’s too late to get his money back.

A clash of heads at check-in with a handsome stranger sets Conrad’s heart racing. Arlo is bound for the same Austrian resort, sparking Conrad’s daydreams of shared slopes, shared après-ski, shared hot tubs and more…while fully aware that spotting Arlo in the mountains will be almost impossible.
Little does Conrad know Arlo has orchestrated this moment. Now all Arlo has to do is convince Conrad he has the best of intentions. After all, if they don’t click by the end of the flight, Conrad will never know he’d been stalked.

Warning
There is a short description of sexual assault.

Please note that this story was originally released as a short story as part of the Winter Wonderland Prolific Works giveaway. The story has been revised with over 25,000 words of added content.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

For what it’s worth, I had not previously read the short that this book started as. So I went in with no expectations. Well, I expected to like it a lot more than I did. I like this author. I like her books for the most part. I didn’t NOT like this book, it just left me kind of meh.

Christmas novellas, to me, are about romance at Christmas time. A meet cute, accidental meet, something like that. And the Christmas magic takes over. The story focuses on the two main characters as they find themselves falling in love in a short time. They are sweet and happy and romantic and sexy. There’s Christmas cheer and hot cocoa, often a fresh Christmas tree that doesn’t fit. I need cute and happy for Christmas stories.

And there were parts that were cute and happy. But far FAR too much focused on one main character’s ex boyfriend and the other character’s family. And a lot of obvious filler. Describing things that didn’t need description. But there was just not nearly enough of the 2 main characters together. Alone together. And not alone to have sex. Alone to learn about each other. To flirt and hold hands and stroll around with hot cocoa and have snowball fights that end in laughter.

Sigh. So the book was fine. But definitely not what I wanted or expected. And parts really did seem to be a neon sign that said “added for word count”.

3 pieces of eye candy