review

Spencer Cohen Book Two by N.R. Walker : Release Day Review and Giveaway

March 17, 2016 by Denise

Title: The Spencer Cohen Series, Book 2

Series: The Spencer Cohen Series

Author: N.R. Walker

Genre: M/M Contemporary

Release Date: March 17, 2016

Finally going from fake boyfriends to the real thing, Spencer Cohen and Andrew Landon are trying to take things slow. They know what they have could be something special and despite the flammable sexual tension, they don’t want to crash and burn.

Spencer is learning to open up and share the secrets of his past with Andrew. Afraid to put his heart on the line but unable to stop himself, Spencer knows he’s falling in love. Andrew is petrified of leaping in blindly, yet the slower they go, the faster they fall.

As they navigate their new relationship, Spencer worries Andrew will freak out when he takes on a new client. But it’s not a normal case, and Spencer soon realises all is not what it seems. When the job takes a downward turn, Spencer and Andrew work together to help the client. They’ll need to decide if they’re ready for the next step.

I love NR Walker! I figured we’d go ahead and get that out of the way before I say anything else. She’s one of those authors I will shank someone if they try to get between me and one of her new releases.

The Spencer Cohen Series is no different. I was curious how book two would play out given the fact that Spencer’s job and a new relationship wouldn’t necessarily mesh well. While there were times I felt like the job for Lance was a bit too convenient (crafted so there wouldn’t be any possible issues with anyone complaining about possible cheating), NR Walker pulled it all together in the end.

What strikes me the most about Spencer and Andrew is their connection. Yes, the sexual chemistry is well written, but it’s their banter and the times they aren’t fooling around that made me fall in love with them. As I read book two, I formed a clearer picture in my mind of who they are as people and as a couple.

I hated this book. No, I didn’t. (read the book and you’ll understand)

“There is so much I can say about this story, I just don’t even know where to start! First, thank you N.R. Walker for creating and writing this fucking awesome series!! I love Spencer! I love Andrew!! I love it all!!! I have been waiting for this installment of the series very UNPatiently– but wow, did you ever deliver!!!” ~Jamie from Alpha Book Club

“This is Walker perfection! It was so worth the wait, and was even better than the first!” ~Renee (Goodreads Review)

“All I can say up is that N.R. Walker is a genius! 5 stars are not nearly enough to describe the perfection of this book.” ~ Federica Lemme (Goodreads Review)

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance.

She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since…

The Spencer Cohen Series, Book One
AVAILABLE NOW

The Spencer Cohen Series, Book Three
Release Date: April 21, 2016

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Trial by Fire by BA Tortuga: Release Day Review and Guest Post

March 15, 2016 by Denise

One Aussie. One Texan. One baby. One hell of a fight.

When his sister and her husband are killed in an accident, Aussie cattle station owner Lachlan McCoughney rushes to Texas to rescue their infant daughter, Chloe. He expects to find his niece living in squalor with the Sheffields, a rodeo family.

Instead, Lachlan finds Holden Sheffield, a salt-of-the-earth cowboy running a huge business operation. They want to explore their mutual attraction despite the many problems thrown their way, and together, they must find a way to give Chloe a new family and find a love that spans thousands of acres and two continents.

Title: Trial by Fire
Author: BA Tortuga
Release Date: March 15, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires, Western
Pages: 228

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Dreamspinner Press

ARe

Barnes and Noble

How could anyone go wrong with this book? A Texas cowboy, a hot Australian and a very small baby. All these things in one book, along with a heap of romance gives you exactly what you are looking for in this still in its infancy series, Dreamspun Desires.

I haven’t read anything from BA Tortuga before, but I really like the author’s style. Quirky, funny, with characters that have heart, convictions and integrity. This baby that became a warden of Lachlan, became a bit of a rope for people to pull at while trying to decide who should have access to her. In the essence of old school Harlequin novels, you get your HEA, and the baby is loved by one and all.

There is no shortage of hotness and action in this novel, Lach and Holden find that connection that can make a sweet baby happy, and the readers, just as happy.

4 pieces of eye candy

Cowboys are my new obsession and I was so excited to read this after reading the blurb. Than you add in a baby and I was ready to devour what I thought was going to be a sweet, calm romance. Holy Hannah – I was not prepared for all the action that took place.

Lach & Holden were a delicious treat and sweet little Chloe was a fantastic bonus. Tortuga did a superior job at keeping your attention. I mean….My damn heart was racing through out 90% of the book. I take pleasure in reading books where it reads like a movie. In this case – Trial by Fire would be one of those action pack movies where everything that could go wrong did go wrong, the good guys end up coming out on top with little to no help from anyone. It was as if Holden had super hero powers and it totally worked for this story. I completely loved the thrilling aspect of this.

Fantastic job – I look forward to reading more work by Tortuga. I was entertained to say the least and had a silly grin on my face when I was finished.

4 pieces of eye candy

Author Guest Post

Coffee

Coffee coffee coffee. Everyone shut up. Coffee.

Have y’all seen that meme? It’s called a morning poem. Yeah. I’m like that morning, noon and night. No, you don’t want to see me without it.

Hot coffee in the winter. Iced in spring, summer and fall. Sugar and almond milk creamer. On Sundays the wife and I go down to Café Bella, our local coffee shop, and get a white chocolate cinnamon latte with almond milk and half flavoring. Then we sit and meet about the week’s goals and play with washi tape.

I think a lot of times what I write influences my choice of coffee. Recently I wrote about New Mexico in a couple of novels, and I drank a lot of pinyon coffee and Mexican chocolate flavors. Normally my brew is kona.

For Trial by Fire, I tried to channel my inner Aussie for Lachlan and drink tea. I’m an iced tea girl. Growing up, hot tea was for when I was sick. I tried caramel, apple cinnamon, white chocolate peppermint…

Yeah, and then I would channel Holden and have a big, hot cup of strong coffee. I’m an addict, what can I say?

Sometimes I head down to this little whole foods Indian place for a caramel latte. Then there’s the local chain, Satellite Coffee, who do a fiery Mexican cinnamon latte. Starbucks? Gimme a venti iced coffee with natural sugar. Woo. I save that for when I’m traveling, because I try hard to buy local, but still.

Let’s face it. I need fuel, and coffee works for me. I had a sad six months or so where I only got one cup a day, and I was depressed. Now I’m back to having what I want, which is about 3 cups a day, and I’m pretty darned happy.

I do love my coffee, and if it keeps me upright and writing that’s a good thing, yeah? So, if you really want to know the way to my heart, buy me a coffee next time we see each other.

Much love, y’all,

Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds and her beloved wife, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee. Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has heard the call of the high desert and lives in the Sandias. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head. Find her on the web at www.batortuga.com

Beyond the Sea by Keira Andrews : Release Day Review

March 11, 2016 by Denise

Two straight guys. One desert island.

Even if it means quitting their boy band mid-tour, Troy Tanner isn’t going to watch his little brother snort his future away after addiction destroyed their father. On a private jet taking him home from Australia, he and pilot Brian Sinclair soar above the vast South Pacific. Brian lost his passion for flying—and joy in life—after a traumatic crash, but now he and Troy must fight to survive when a cyclone strikes without warning.

Marooned a thousand miles from civilization, the turquoise water and white sand beach look like paradise. But although they can fish and make fire, the smallest infection or bacteria could be deadly. When the days turn into weeks with no sign of rescue, Troy and Brian grow closer, and friendship deepens into desire.

As they learn sexuality is about more than straight or gay and discover their true selves, the world they’ve built together is thrown into chaos. If Troy and Brian make it off the island, can their love endure?

I love everything I have ever read by Keira Andrews. I have yet to find a book I didn’t fall head over heels for.

Beyond the Sea was no different. I enjoyed seeing every aspect of the story play out with amazing detail. The scenes were set perfectly and described so well it was like watching a movie. Everything about the story was believable and it flowed really well.

I like how it wasn’t Insta love. The MC’s went from strangers, to friends, to something more and we get to see how everything develops step by step. The slow build of attraction between Brian and Troy makes the sex so much hotter in my opinion. When they finally act on their feelings it’s just WOW. These two have amazing chemistry and the bond they form after going through so much together is so special. It was actually bittersweet for me when they got rescued. I wasn’t sure how either of them would react when they were thrown back into the real world, but I loved how it worked out.

I definitely recommend checking out Beyond the Sea. This is a for sure reread for me and 5 pieces of eye candy!!

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Patience by Grace R. Duncan: Release Day Review

March 7, 2016 by Denise

Jamie Ryan was almost ready to accept he’d never find his destined mate. They’re uncommon to begin with, and same-sex versions are downright rare. Since his gay best friend found a destined mate, Jamie figured he was out of luck. Until end-of-semester stress forces him to go through the full-moon shift early. Stuck in wolf form, he runs into none other than his destined mate. Who’s human.

Chad Sutton has always had good instincts. They served him well as a detective and continued on when he went private. Those instincts tell him there’s something about the dog that comes up to him while running away from animal control that isn’t quite right. He works to put the pieces together, but is unsuccessful until his dog turns into a human before his eyes.

Jamie has no idea what the mate bite of a shifter will do to a human. He’s terrified to try—and possibly kill his mate. They hunt for answers while working together on one of Chad’s cases. It’s easy to see they belong together, but Jamie fears the gods gave him someone he can’t keep.

Title: Patience
Series: Forbes Mates: Book Two
Author: Grace R. Duncan
Release Date: March 7, 2016
Category: Paranormal, Werewolves/Shifters
Pages: 230

I didn’t know this was a shifters book. I didn’t realize it was the second in a series. I just… okay, so I got excited when I saw a Grace R. Duncan book and begged to review it. This is a huge problem, you see, because shifters aren’t a go to subgenre for me and I’m a bit anal about reading books in order. When I opened Patience and realized both of these things, I was immediately worried, but determined to follow through on my commitment.

Since it was bedtime, it took about an hour for me to start doing the “one more chapter” thing. You see, the premise of this book is absolute genius! Jamie and Chad’s initial meeting had me laughing my butt off. I felt Jamie’s worry that Chad wasn’t going to save his balls (quite literally). I loved watching Chad try to figure out what exactly it was that made Jamie not just a dog. Jamie struggling with having to do dog-like things. And the moment when Chad walked in at the perfect moment and that’s when Jamie’s wolf side decided to retreat… AWESOME!

I started sending quotes to one of the other bloggers here, because I needed someone to laugh with me. She’s not a shifters person, either, but it didn’t take long before she made a comment about how she’s going to have to read the book. Yes, it’s one of those shifters books.

By midnight, I began to hate Grace R. Duncan. I had things to do early in the morning, promises made that had to be kept, but I couldn’t put the book down. I needed to see if Jamie and Chad would find the answers they were searching for. It turned into a moral imperative, because I worried I’d wind up dreaming about their journey to Europe if I tried to put the book down.

There may have been times when I thought Chad accepted Jamie being a wolf shifter a little too easily, but as I learned more about him and his upbringing, it all made sense. It fit. This book was beautifully written and I could see the connection strengthening between them. It made sense to me that their love was so strong so quickly.

Patience by Grace R. Duncan is definitely a book I’ll be recommending to just about everyone. Well, except my close family, because there are some seriously hot moments and that’d just be weird. Jamie and Chad made me laugh and laugh and laugh. This was a fairly low-angst story, but what was there only solidified what the bond between them. And OMG, I can’t wait for the next story. I’m fully expecting a lot of cat and dog jokes.

I don’t do this often, but I’m going to go out on a limb and make Patience one of my first 5 star reads of the year!

Amazon

Pawsitively in Love by M.J. O’Shea Release Day Review and Guest Post

March 4, 2016 by Denise

What Austin Lloyd lacks in academics, he makes up for in his love of the animals who frequent his pet salon. He’s not lucky in romance, though, and his family would like him to settle down with a good man. Austin—and his golden retriever, Maggie—couldn’t agree more.

Evan Partridge isn’t good at letting people in. His messy family life and the past that’s shaped him aren’t worth bringing up. But his pug, Dexter, sure likes the pet salon owner.

Austin and Evan get off to a rough start, but being friends soon turns into something more. Unfortunately, Evan’s secretive behavior nearly does the relationship in, and the budding love affair almost crashes and burns when Evan’s troubled sister shows up on his doorstep.

Not speaking to each other is killing them both, but Evan doesn’t know how to keep Austin and help his sister at the same time. He just knows he has to try. Winning back Austin’s trust back, however, is going to take a whole lot of work.

Title: Pawsitively in Love
Author: M.J. O’Shea
Release Date: March 4, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

I was definitely excited to read this book by M.J. O’Shea, when I saw it up on DSP. Put two men falling in love and animals in the same book, and I am SO THERE! And there was a lot to love in this book, for sure.

The characters were well drawn, both with their own issues to deal with, making it a challenge to find their way to each other, and stay connected. It was about 65% into the book when they finally agreed to date and kissed, so definitely a slow burn. If you like a book that is a slow burn, this is definitely for you! The men, and the dogs both connected well, and were able to move past insecurities to get to their dating stage.

Before Evan’s sister found her way to his house. She presented as a very unlikable character, which in many ways is a shame, because Evan obviously loved her, and wanted her in his life. Your hope would be that Evan and Austin could find their HEA together, and have his sister come right along with them. Unfortunately, there was no way that was happening, and I could see her being an issue for these two men in the future as well, which could make for a great follow up story. Maybe a Christmas one about forgiveness and acceptance? Not that I am hinting at all. 🙂

I would definitely like to see how these men are able to keep their relationship on course through rocky times, as I felt that they had a solid beginning, once Evan was able to get out of his own way. And a great love story that sat in the background of this book? Maggie and Dexter. 🙂

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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Dreamspinner Press

Guest Post:

Favorite quotes about reading

Before anything, writers are readers. Most of us grew up reading book after book (I know I did!!) and it’s still a huge part of our every day lives. I’ve collected a few favorite quotes about reading over the years and here they are!

“A book is a dream you hold in your hands.” – Neil Gaiman

First of all, I love that this comes from Neil Gaiman, the master of creating dreamworlds and universes on the other side of the wall. But I love that idea, that people can get lost in the book and create their own dreams.

“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them” – Lemony Snicket

I mostly just think this is funnyJ But I can’t tell you how many times you’d open my handbag and find a book (or two) inside.

“Knowing you have something good to read before bed is among the most pleasurable of sensations.” – Vladimir Nabokov

Who has spent the whole day thinking about getting home to finish their book before bed? I would go with pretty much everyone J I think we can all relate to this.

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me. “ C.S. Lewis

And this right here? This is me J One extra huge earl grey and a long book and I’m a happy, happy girl!

Thanks for having me stop by!! You can read a bit about my new book below, or click on the link which will take you to an excerpt. I’ve also put all my social media links. I’m always available for a chat.

xoxo

MJ O’Shea

Pawsitively In Love at Dreamspinner Press

M.J. O’Shea has never met a music festival, paintbrush, or flower crown she can stay away from. She loves rainstorms and a perfect cup of tea, beach days, music, bright colors, and more than anything a cozy evening with a really great book.

She is from the Pacific Northwest. While she still lives there and loves it, M.j. has the heart of a wanderer. So she puts all her dreams of far off places and extraordinary people in her books.

Except for every once in a while when she does what all travelers have to do on occasion… come home.

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♂♂Taylor Maid by Tara Lain: Release Day Review♂♂

March 1, 2016 by Denise

He’ll marry the maid to get $50 million but a secret could queer the deal.

Taylor Fitzgerald needs a last-minute bride.

On the eve of his twenty-fifth birthday, the billionaire’s son discovers that despite being gay, he must marry a woman before midnight or lose a fifty-million-dollar inheritance. So he hightails it to Las Vegas… where he meets the beautiful maid Ally May.

There’s just one rather significant problem: Ally is actually Alessandro Macias, son of a tough Brazilian hotel magnate. But if Ally keeps pretending to be a girl for a little while longer, is there a chance they might discover this marriage is tailor-made?

Title: Taylor Maid
Author: Tara Lain
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 218

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

This was not my first Tara Lain read. In fact, when I was a mere babe in the m/m reading world, I tore through her Balls to the Walls series without stopping. One of the things I really loved about this author, is she did not write straight men, being gay. Meaning, these were not all big buff guys, with no softer qualities, alpha males, etc. She wrote men with character, some small in stature, some who liked makeup, or feminine clothing, artists, etc. It seemed to be a specialty of hers, at least in my eyes.

Nothing has changed with Taylor Maid. She has written a character that, though tall, was able to pass for a woman, while hiding from his father. This was a Dreamspun Desires take on the “marriage of convenience”, in that Taylor found he needed to marry at the last minute in order to gain his $50 million inheritance.

This book was similar to many of the Harlequin contemporary books that I read as a teen, with of course, the m/m romance twist. I did have a hard time initially with understanding how no one could fathom that this was a man, but with makeup and the correct clothing, it is entirely possible. Ms. Lain was able to explain some of those nuances with information such as scarves for the Adam’s Apple and very thick makeup to cover the beard shadow.

I did feel very sorry for out and proud gay man Taylor who was confused from day one with his reaction to his “wife” Ally. He couldn’t understand how he could be attracted to a woman, when the thought had never even crossed his mind before. I also felt that the wrap-up with the fathers did feel like it was missing a piece.

I did enjoy this book, even with the somewhat overused-although really isn’t that what Harlequin romances were famous for?-plot line of a marriage of convenience. The gay club, with Coco was particularly fun. The relationship between the two characters definitely flowed naturally, not needing a lot of sex to be fulfilling. They grew to know each other, and then were able to find their love.

3.5 pieces of eye candy.