review

Chef vs. Chef (Sizzling in the Kitchen Book 2) by M.J. O’Shea: New Release Review

June 12, 2019 by Denise

Bobby Diaz has worked his whole life to get where he is – running a restaurant with his two closest friends, no boss, no stress. When his best friend Baldwin gets the opportunity of a lifetime, he asks Bobby to take over the restaurant while he’s gone. Bobby will miss his friend, but he’s excited to put himself to the test. He can’t believe he’s getting the chance to finally be in charge.

Cal Mayer is thirty and starting over. His last relationship was a failure. His job went down the drain. So when his cousin Pete, a.k.a Baldwin Powell celebrity chef, offers him a gig in his restaurant, he can’t help but to jump at the offer to reinvent himself.

Bobby and Cal don’t exactly hit it off—to put it lightly. Bobby resents getting Cal dumped in his lap. Cal doesn’t appreciate Bobby’s frosty attitude. They’re stuck together day and night, and their chemistry is undeniable… but will it be sweet summer love or a case of too many chefs in the kitchen?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

This was totally meh. It’s readable, but utterly forgettable.

Quite a bit of the book is spent before the two main characters even meet each other. Both went through a big change in their lives so it is them (separately) getting their feet under them again.

Then they do meet and because of a stupid misunderstanding, one hates the other.

Then finally, FINALLY, they kiss. And it’s like this fast forward through all of the fun stuff. “Spring turns to summer…”. Uh, ok. What about THEM? As a couple? Dating? Cute flirty stuff?

Even during the hate period, it wasn’t even competitive fun hate. It was just one guy being a total jerk.

Weak storyline that really had potential. Weak characters. Weak romance.

Just meh.

2.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Single by RJ Scott: Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

June 12, 2019 by Denise

Reeling from the painful rejection of a man he thought he loved, Asher is left holding the baby.

Ash wants a family, and is determined to continue with a surrogacy he’d begun with his ex. Bringing baby Mia home, he vows that he will be the best father he can be. Nothing in this world matters more to him than caring for his daughter, not even accidentally falling in lust with the doctor next door. Challenged by his growing attraction to Sean, and confronted by painful memories of his family, Ash has to learn that love is all that matters.

When ER doctor Sean moves in with his friends next door to sexy single father Ash, he falls so quickly it takes his breath away. The sex they have is hot, but Ash is adamant his heart is too full with love for his daughter to let anyone else in. Why is Sean the only one who sees how scared Ash is, and how can he prove to his new lover that he desperately wants the three of them to become a family?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Single dads… I am such a sucker for you….

Asher is a new dad who’s ex up and left the day before Ash’s surrogate gave him the good news that she was pregnant. That, mixed with an unsupportive borderline hateful mother, made Asher want to be the perfect dad for his little girl, who’s only a few weeks old when we meet them.

Sean, ER doctor that just moved in next door with his firefighter and cop friend, doesn’t make the best first impression when a drunk Eric shows up on Ash’s porch, throwing up in his bushes and wakes the baby… but he’s smitten with Asher from the beginning.

Sean is cute and I hated that he had to try so hard with Asher, because honestly….
Asher is SO EXTRA… I understand being a single parents and how scary everything is when your baby is brand new and you have no clue what you’re doing, or even what day it is most of the time…. But my goodness, the man was so irrational and grumpy that bordered on rude, and I just wanted to be like… dude, relax. Things are not that serious…. I mean, he thought he couldn’t close his eyes at night or his baby would stop breathing. He was scared to take a shower or go into the next room….
That poor baby is going to be so smothered… it’s all I could think. Hopefully Sean helps him with that.

I liked how real this story was though, as a single mother when my kids were tiny, I remember how scary it was to trust and letting new people in was hard. I mean, Asher made it irrationally hard, but, still…. His mom’s issues on top of the betrayal of his ex, I could understand if even just a little bit where he was coming from… And Sean, he did everything he could and was patient when Asher tried to brush him off… more patient than I would’ve been, that’s for sure.

And of course, the ex comes back, and it was then that I was glad that Asher could hold a grudge… and wow, could he hold a grudge, I almost felt bad for his mother a couple of times. I loved Ash’s twin sister Siobhan, not afraid to tell call him out and tell him when he was being ridiculous, but also sympathetic and supportive. I was glad he had her, if not for the support but also for telling him when he was being ridiculous.

Overall, this was a great start to the series, even if Asher wasn’t really my favorite… I’m really really excited to read about the other guys, Eric and Leo… I also can’t wait to see what’s up with Brady, who I believe is next up with officer Eric. I have a feeling he might break my heart.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.

RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:

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His Consort by Mary Calmes: Audiobook Review

June 11, 2019 by Denise

A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: His quaint little store attracts a devoted staff, and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He’s perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying…and utterly mesmerizing.

The prince of the vampires, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason – until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he’s never wanted a mate before…but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.

Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human’s soothing influence on vampires has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic’s dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.

Title: His Consort
Author: Mary Calmes
Narrator: Scott Smith
Release Date: December 20, 2018
Category: Vampires
Length: 6 hours, 33 minutes

Audible

Amazon Ebook

I am a huge fan of Mary Calmes, I will read or listen to just about anything she writes. When I saw His Consort I was a little skeptical, I have a hard time finding vampire stories that keep my interest. I feel like most of them are too cliche, almost campy.
This one grabbed my interest from the first word. The story itself was entertaining with just the right amount of intrigue to keep my interest peaked. Mary’s vampyrs introduce you to a whole new vocabulary which at first I thought was going to be difficult to remember because, hey I’m listening and my memory is crap, but I didn’t have a problem.

I haven’t had the pleasure of listening to anything else narrated by Scott Smith, but holy cow that voice. He gives life to Varic Maedoc like I don’t think anyone else could. His voice is cultures and smooth as honey. His voice has a rich cadence that draws you in.

I can’t say enough good things about both the story writing and the narration, both are amazing. I’ve already read almost everything by Mary Calmes, I will definitely be looking up more work by Scott Smith.

4.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Kiss Me Again by Garrett Leigh: Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

June 10, 2019 by Denise

Tree surgeon Aidan Drummond is content with his own company. He works alone, and lives alone, and it doesn’t occur to him to want anything else until a life-changing accident lands him in hospital. Then a glimpse of the beautiful boy in the opposite bed changes everything.

Ludo Giordano is trapped on the ward with a bunch of old men. His mind plays tricks on him, keeping him awake. Then late one night, a new face brings a welcome distraction. Their unlikely friendship is addictive. And, like most things in Ludo’s life, temporary.

Back in the real world, Aidan’s monochrome existence is no longer enough. He craves the colour Ludo brought him, and when a chance meeting brings them back together, before long, they’re inseparable again.

But bliss comes with complications. Aidan is on the road to recovery, but Ludo has been unwell his entire life, and that’s not going to change. Aidan can kiss him as much as he likes, but if he can’t help Ludo when he needs him most, they don’t stand a chance.

“Kiss Me Again is a deliciously tender and prickly romance about the intimacy that comes with acceptance. Ludo and Aidan accept and love each other for exactly who they are—complications, injuries, mental health issues, moods—and I loved them for it.” — Roan Parish

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

Length: 227 pages

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

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I LOVED this book.

I really enjoy all of Garrett Leigh‘s books. But this one is so different from all of the others. Not only the characters and subject matter, but the writing and pacing were far different as well. And it was so good.

I guess it says something about me when I can connect with characters who have a mental illness. Maybe it is just because I was a psych major in college. Whatever it is, I feel these characters deeply. And Ludo- oh Ludo. Bipolar as his most evident diagnosis, but also anxiety. And Aidan, who calls himself an asshole who doesn’t care actually cares so deeply that it hurts. He isn’t an asshole. He is severely introverted, probably with social anxiety and needs therapy to deal with his parents’ deaths.

That’ll be five cents. 🙂

Ludo and Aidan meet in the hospital where Ludo had surgery on his wrist and Aidan is having many surgeries after a car crashed into the tree he was working on and fell 30 feet. In a place where they had no one, they discovered each other.

It’s like living in the Ludo-Aidan world. They just accept each other. All of their flaws. All of their quirks. All of the scars. There is such a beauty in that.

A lot of the book is fairly platonic. It’s like neither one of them wanted to break the spell by trying something different. Eventually, though, they do take that step. And like everything else in their world, it is completely unique to them.

There is brief mention a few times of Ludo’s couisn Angelo- the dancer. If you have read most of Garrett Leigh’s books, you know Angelo. There was also a hint of more to come because of that Angelo link. I hope it happens.

I devoured this book like my favorite meal. And much like my favorite meal, I wish it wasn’t finished.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

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Adam Only (Those Other Books) by Roe Horvat: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

June 7, 2019 by Denise

On stage, Adam lets his passion drive him. All his secret desires, everything nasty, dirty, and beautiful flows freely through him, for once in harmony. His soul thrives when his body moves, but only on stage. Adam’s passionate nature makes him a great dancer…and a failure at life. He’s a lonely, emotional mess. Going home with a man far out of his reach is the last thing Adam should do. Christoffer represents everything Adam isn’t: strong, independent, educated, and rich. His kind eyes, at odds with his brutish form, make Adam’s knees and restraint buckle.

Once Christoffer sees Adam dancing, he’s lost. The young man is mesmerizing, otherworldly, and unpredictable. Whatever might happen between them, it will be transient, and Christoffer will most likely get hurt. The temptation is too great, however, and the sex explosive. He might as well enjoy every moment he’s given, even if it’s just one day, maybe two. If Christoffer treads carefully, Adam might stay until Monday.

Length: 39,000 words

Cover Design: Roe Horvat

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Amazon US

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The Other Book

Amazon US

Amazon UK

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He didn’t have a clue what he was doing. Why was he still here? He should leave. Now.

The house was far away from any main roads, but he could walk for a bit and then get a taxi to the nearest train station back to the city. Maybe there was a bus stop somewhere close. His thoughts sharpened—the jerking off, swim, and caffeine had cleared his brain. Determined not to waste more time daydreaming about wealthy bears who never gave a damn, he finished his coffee. He’d need to sneak back to the bathroom to get his clothes. And his phone. He shouldn’t have lingered.

He found which cabinet door in the kitchen hid the built-in dishwasher and placed the cup inside. Then he climbed the stairs on tiptoes and peeked into the bedroom. Christoffer slept on his back, snoring softly.

Adam spotted his phone on the nightstand. Christoffer must have put it on charge after Adam had fallen asleep. He wouldn’t dwell on how considerate that was. He snatched up the phone and closed himself in the bathroom.

Eying the red thong with disgust, he threw it in the trash. What had he been thinking? He dragged the jeans up his naked body, pulled on his socks and slid into the T-shirt. His jacket was downstairs. He opened the door carefully, ready to bolt without looking at the sleeping man.

Except Christoffer was now sitting on the edge of the bed, naked, staring up at Adam with sleepy eyes.

Shit.

“Hi,” Christoffer murmured. His eyes slid up and down Adam’s body, noticing the clothes. His smile turned cautious.

“Hi.” Adam shifted from foot to foot. What now?

The moment dragged on until Adam’s heart was pounding. He needed to say something, quick, and get out of there before it could get any more awkward.

“I…” he began but closed his mouth again. He couldn’t decipher Christoffer’s expression. And all that skin on display was distracting.

Christoffer braced his hands on his knees and inhaled deeply, his Goliathan shoulders lifting. “You like eggs?”

“What?”

“For breakfast.”

“Yeah,” Adam blurted before he thought of the implications. He was staying for breakfast? He wanted to. Stupid! He absolutely shouldn’t! Seeing Christoffer now, those gentle gray eyes such a contrast to his brutish form, Adam ached to stay. You stupid, horny, clingy asshole. Get out of here!

He opened his mouth to say something else, to apologize and whisper goodbye, but Christoffer was faster.

“Good. Wait for me in the kitchen. I just need to…” He gestured to the bathroom door behind Adam’s back.

“Oh. Sure.”

Adam stepped aside, quivering, and the big man stood in all his naked glory. He bent down and kissed Adam’s cheek, lingering, his breath hot by Adam’s ear. Then he disappeared into the bathroom. “I’ll be just a minute,” he threw over his shoulder before the door snapped shut.

Adam stood there, stunned, and touched his tingling cheek.

This was a fairly short book with A LOT of sex. It could very easily have been a boring sex book. But it wasn’t. There was story in there. There actually could have been a lot more story- I wanted more.

This is book 2, but I never read book 1 and I don’t think that it matters at all. I lost nothing from not reading book 1.

Christoffer sees Adam dancing on a table at a party his friend was throwing. While he was trying to be stealthy, he was anything but. Adam also had his eye on Christoffer. They find themselves alone together and go home together. But a one night stand turns into a weekend. Until Adam leaves in the wee hours of the morning without a word. Better to leave on your own rather than be asked to leave.

Both of these guys have issues. But they need to get past those issues to realize that they are right for each other in so many ways. Adam has been thrown away too many times. He never wants to be in that position again, being dependant on someone. But Christoffer has also been pushed away. Mostly because so many think he is difficult to have sex with. Because of his size. Wink wink. But Adam LOVES that.

Like I said, there is A LOT of sex. Pages and pages and pages. It wasn’t boring though or repetitive. The scenes were well written. But I did enjoy the story that was half buried in there as well. And as I said at the beginning, I could have used more of it because I really liked these guys.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Queer fiction author Roe Horvat was born in the post-communist wasteland of former Czechoslovakia. Equipped with a dark sense of sarcasm, Roe traveled Europe and finally settled in Sweden. He came out as transgender in 2017 and has been fabulous since. He loves Jane Austen, Douglas Adams, bad action movies, stand-up comedy, pale ale, and daiquiri, with equal passion. When not hiding in the studio doing graphics, he can be found trolling cafés in Gothenburg, writing, and people-watching.

More about the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roe.horvat.98

Twitter: @roehorvat

Website: roehorvat.com

Publisher: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/?n1=authors&id=107

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Prescription For Love by Aimee Nicole Walker: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

June 3, 2019 by Denise

What should’ve been an ordinary emergency call turned out to be something extraordinary.

Wanting to distance himself from his toxic parents, Trent Love moved to the quaint town of Blissville to begin a new life. What he finds is blazing chemistry with a hunky fireman who breathes new life into him.

Fearing they’re too different, Tucker attempts to extinguish the spark between them before it can ignite. How could a simple man like him compete with Trent’s life of wealth and privilege? Knowing you shouldn’t want something doesn’t make it go away, and Tucker’s desire for Trent continues to smolder.

Unwilling to accept their relationship is dead on arrival, Trent puts his resuscitation skills to good use. All he wants is a chance to prove he values Tucker’s wealth of character over meaningless material things. What do you get when you mix fire and oxygen: a five-alarm fire or a prescription for love?

Trent’s commitment to freeing himself from poisonous ties kindles a chain of events that have devastating consequences for both men. Is a relationship forged in fire strong enough to overcome these obstacles or is their love doomed to be just another bitter pill to swallow?

Prescription for love is a small-town, opposites-attract romance. It is the seventh book in the Road to Blissville series but reads like a standalone book. It contains sexually explicit material intended for adults 18 and older.

Prescription for Love

Road to Blissville Series, Book 7

Aimee Nicole Walker

M/M Romance

Release Date: 05.18.19

Cover Design: Jay Aheer

Photographer: Wander Aguiar

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“There’s no way I can watch you squat in those shorts and not get a hard-on.” Trent had been nothing but honest with me, so I gave it right back to him. “We’ll work on our upper body today.”

Even with Trent looking deliciously sweaty, I was able to find my zone and work my shoulders, arms, back, and core abdominal muscles. Lifting weights was my version of yoga. I found my Zen and the endorphins pumping through my body would improve my mood and motivate me to keep moving throughout the day. Only when we returned to the locker room did I realize those mood-lifting hormones also amped up my libido.

“Did you want to shower here before we go to breakfast or wait until I drop you off at home?”

Trent looked over his shoulder at the shower room, which had both an open shower area and private stalls for those preferring privacy. We could so easily fit inside one of those stalls and—

“We better wait,” he said, wiping his body down to remove the sweat glistening on his skin. Damn, I wanted to lick him. A little bit of sweat didn’t turn me off at all, but he might think it was gross.

“Yeah, I want to lick you all over too,” Trent said, correctly reading the expression on my face. “And I will…someday.”

“Tease,” I groused.

Book 7 in the series, but easily a stand alone. We only get brief glimpses of previous characters.

Trent and Tucker had an almost thing in a previous book that ended badly. Badly because Trent tried too hard to impress Tucker and it just made Tucker feel inferior. Then Trent is off to his Doctors without Borders stint leaving everything up in the air.

Then Trent comes back and with a little meddling from Grammie (oh how I love Grammie and aspire to be her), Trent and Tucker get back on the same page.

And honestly, that is about it. There is very little drama- save for Trent’s parents toward the end and one other incident, but really, it was just a sweet romance.

Oh, and it was seriously hot. These two burn the sheets together! Wow. That hotness definitely offset the super cuteness of a lot of this story. Sorry, I will just never ever be a fan of cutesy nicknames for each other. That is a high school first love kind of thing.

But I digress! Grammie and the cats Boris and Natasha add some fun to the story which was a big plus. I definitely wish we could have more Grammie. Maybe Tucker is hiding a brother? I kid, I kid.

Definitely a fun beach/pool read but be ready to fan yourself during some seriously hot scenes.

4 pieces of eye candy

Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day. I’d love to hear from you.

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