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Rogue Launch (The Renegades Book 1) by Cara Dee: Release Blitz, Excerpt and Release Day Review

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The Renegades #1 Romantic Suspense Enemies to Lovers Action MM
“We will find you, darling. Stay strong. We will find you.”

This was exactly what Elliott Jones needed. A nice barbecue with family and friends. The moving trucks were parked outside his new ranch, and he was ready to start fresh. Again. Despite the regrets he lived with, he tried to focus on the good things in life. His niece Blake, for instance. She was his world. But after twenty years of working as a private military contractor in some of the most hostile territories on the planet, Elliott had made more than one enemy.

He heard the unmistakable sound of a rocket launcher, catapulting him and his closest friends into a nightmare of agony, rage, and determination. Lives had been lost, and three people had been kidnapped. Among them, little Blake.

Elliott would stop at nothing to bring her home again, even if he had to team up with his absolute biggest regret, Joel Hayward—Coast Guard sniper, the ex-husband of Elliott’s sister, and Blake’s stepdad.

Series: The Renegades
Genre: MM Romantic Suspense

Release Day: Friday, July 21st, 2023

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“Toby! This is for you.” Gray stuck a piece of bread and changed songs.

 Oh fuck yeah, it took me about half a second to recognize Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” and dive right back into my childhood. One of the reasons I’d loved growing up in the San Diego area, watching the Navy ships on the weekends with my old man.

 Toby was a good boy. He was former Navy too. He and Crew were high on life and didn’t hesitate to put on a poolside show for us, dancing and singing along.

 Blake laughed and cheered.

 “Nobody tell anyone I’m getting down to Navy music,” Crew threatened. “Damn squids.”

 “Whoa!” I stood up with my mouth full of olives, pepper salami, and bread.

 “I got this, boss. You go back to eating,” Toby reassured me. Hey, not everyone wanted eight-packs. Some wanted food. He turned to Crew and clasped his shoulder. “Looks like I gotta teach you a Top Gun lesson, my jarhead friend.”

 This oughta be good—

 I felt my body seize up a fraction of a second before my brain screamed desert. The smell of tea, herbs, and diesel invaded my senses. Take cover, take cover! I was back in Fallujah. Dogs barked, mopeds beeped, men screamed, the morning call to prayer had been interrupted by the sounds of rocket launchers.

 I sucked in a breath and met Crew’s wild stare from almost fifty feet away, and I could tell he’d reacted too. Then we snapped our gazes to the sky, and I didn’t even think. The sound was so fucking distinct that I switched over to muscle memory. I wasn’t sure I saw anything, but I knew.

 “Everyone away from the house!” I yelled. “Take cover! Away from the house!”

 “Fucking run!” Crew shouted.

We all know and love Cara Dee for her kinky, sexy stories. But a lot of the guys are military or ex military or PMC. This book- the first of 4- brings a lot of those guys together for a covert op after one of them was targeted while many were there and 2 spouses and one kid were kidnapped. The kid is the niece of Elliott, the guy who was targeted and the daughter of Joel, Elliott’s former lover AND former brother in law. Sticky wicket there. Shay Tenley, partner to River and Reese was also taken and seriously those guys are scary.

The guys call in a few reinforcements and do what they do best. Organize, strategize and work to get their family members back.

The often confusing world of drug cartels is their main objective. But we have cartels in Mexico, in Europe, in California, the leader of one supposedly in prison in Texas. This one rats on that one, there are a million layers of men to get through, and leads that take them across the globe.

The character focus of this book is Elliott and Joel. They love/hate each other and we get their back story in snippets as they travel through Mexico together hunting down leads and the head of a cocaine cartel.

FYI- the only sex in this book is in flashbacks. This book really focuses on the op and trying to figure out who tried to kill Elliott.

There’s no cliff hanger, but being that this is book 1 of 4 there are also no answers. Luckily for all of us the books all come out just a few weeks apart from each other. So I am eagerly awaiting book 2.

4 pieces of eye candy

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. 

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. 

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write. 

Find Cara on social media here: https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

Like I Pretended (Heather Bay book 4) by Charlie Novak: Release Day Review

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Pretending to be in love never felt so real.

Henry Lu hates being a superstar. Action movies have left a sour taste in his mouth and filming a queer period drama on the Yorkshire coast sounds like the perfect antidote. Meeting grumpy coffee shop owner, Alex, is the cherry on top.

Alex isn’t impressed with the appearance of Hollywood royalty in his life, especially because Henry refuses to accept that Alex doesn’t like him. But when rumours about the production draw the attention of stuffy streaming service bigwigs and the ire of Henry’s superhero franchise, Henry and Alex must put on a show and fake a relationship to smooth things over.

Alex doesn’t want a relationship, and Henry isn’t good at them, but their arrangement is only supposed to be for a few months, then they’ll both be free to go back to their lives. The only problem is that pretending to be in love never felt so real.

Like I Pretended is a slow burn contemporary MM romance featuring a sunshine Hollywood superstar whose never been told no, a grumpy coffee shop owner who wants to be left alone, bad attempts at flirting, terrible catering, and finding home.

It is book four in the Heather Bay series and while it can be read as a standalone, it’s best enjoyed as part of the series.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

If you’re a fan of Charlie Novak, you know Henry Lu. Action superstar, brother to Jason Lu, he’s been on the fringes for a while. And he finally gets his story.

If you’ve read the other Heather Bay books you know that they were anticipating a show being filmed there. Turns out they are, it’s a gay regency romance and Henry is one of the stars. And you know Alex, best friend to Noah who just moved out to live with his boyfriend- Alex’s brother. And even with all of that you can read these as stand alones. But why would you?

Alex is one of the only people to ever call Henry out on his BS. And Henry likes it. But no amount of charm can sway Alex. Until the studio asks him to be Henry’s fake boyfriend.

Because of the fake boyfriend status, and Alex’s past, this story is a slow smoldering burn. Henry quickly befriends Alex’s core group of friends as he also tries to both be respectful of Alex and to woo him.

Alex’s friends are the same snarky, loving group of guys who really just want to see him happy. And even if Alex doesn’t want to admit it, Henry is the guy.

You can’t help but love Henry. He’s like a puppy. And Alex is the housecat who doesn’t like anyone. How can anyone not love a puppy eventually?

Very satisfying story where no big concessions were made, the angst was low and a happily ever after was had. And the epilogue shows that Alex is still a bit prickly, but in the best way.

4 pieces of eye candy

Gemini Keeps Capricorn (Signs of Love Book 3) by Anyta Sunday: Cover Reveal, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

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.                               .

Gemini Keeps Capricorn. Keeps him sexually frustrated.

Wesley Hidaka—outgoing, impulsive Gemini—needs a fake fiancé to prove to his old high school principal that he’s all grown up and can totally keep his truant brother in line.

Lloyd Alexander Reynolds—solid, serious, Capricorn—is Wesley’s RA, and the perfect guy for the role. Who better to have at Wesley’s outrageously flirtatious side than grumpy Lloyd?

This’ll be an adventure.

A really sexy adventure.

Uh oh, why doesn’t this fake fiancé gig feel so fake?

Flirty Gemini will need a pragmatic Capricorn to figure things out.

“Gemini Keeps Capricorn” is a banter-filled, fake fiancé, slow burn MM romance with a heart-thumping HEA. This New Adult, college, friends-to-lovers novel is the third book in the Signs of Love series.

Signs Of Love Series Special Cover Reveal & Giveaway:
Gemini Keeps Capricorn (Signs of Love, Book 3)
By Anyta Sunday

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

It was approaching midnight by the time he padded over Lloyd’s lawn. He cursed under his breath when he remembered he’d left his phone in MacDonald’s car.

Remembering that Lloyd had mentioned the view from his desk overlooking the street, Wesley hunted for bits of gravel and tossed them against Lloyd’s upstairs window.

It clinked and clattered, and he grinned.

He’d always wanted to do this.

Someone cleared their throat, and Wesley jerked toward Lloyd, shuffling across the grass in slippers and a robe.

Lloyd pointed to the window next to the one Wesley had been pelting. “That’s my room. Mom kindly asks that you move a few feet to your right, or better yet, come inside.”

Wesley cupped his mouth and called out, “Sorry, Cathy!”

“See you in the morning, Wesley!” came a wall-filtered reply.

Wesley headed for the front door.

“How does she know I’m staying over?”

“It’s midnight. You’re play-acting Romeo on my front lawn. She’s a smart woman.”

Lloyd shut the door behind them, and after removing his shoes and jacket, Wesley followed him upstairs.

“Love the look, by the way,” Wesley whispered, tugging Lloyd’s robe belt. “It’s like a flash-forward into the future. You’re the grumpy old codger who loves telling off kids for making too much noise—oh wait.”

Wesley eyed Lloyd up and down by the dim light of the hall. “Maybe it isn’t a flash-forward.”

“You’re right. I won’t be like this in sixty years.”

“What will you be like?” “Grumpier.” Lloyd flicked a light on and gestured Wesley inside his surprisingly cluttered childhood room. Shelves lined an entire wall stuffed with books, board games, and more than one Rubik’s cube. Then there was the bed.

“A twin, Lloyd? We’ll sure be cozy tonight.” Without looking away from him, Lloyd pulled out a rollaway mattress from under the bed using his foot.

“Top or bottom?”

“I’m happy with either,” he said with a leer, “but I’d prefer to bottom.”

Lloyd shut his eyes. “Boy, oh boy.”

Wesley smirked and peeled off his clothes until he was down to his boxers and undershirt.

Avoiding eye contact, Lloyd grabbed him a blanket, then unrobed to a similar state of undress and flicked off the light. “I assume you didn’t come here to sleep.”

“Not quite the proposition I imagined from you, Lloyd.”

A pillow smacked Wesley in the face. He laughed as he settled onto the rollaway and stuffed Lloyd’s pillow under his head.

Glow-in-the-dark stars covered the ceiling, possibly arranged in constellations. “Guess I’m not the only one obsessed with stars.”

Lloyd rolled onto his side and peered down at Wesley. “Why are you here at midnight?”

“Hoping you might sleep-divulge your date of birth?”

“Wesley.”“I told my mom I’m quitting college once I get my undergrad.”

“Because of our conversation?”

“It didn’t come out of thin air.”

“How did you feel when you said it?”

“Guilty, then relieved. Now nervous.” Wesley bit his lip. “As my RA, do you think I’m doing the right thing?”

At the mention of RA, Lloyd folded back an inch. “Let’s arrange a date and work through some options for you.”

“I’m not good at making decisions. I’m inconsistent and terribly indecisive.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“I’m pretty screwbally.”

“Yet I like you all the same.”

Stay tuned for a new reveal every day!

The rest of the series is revealing soon!

Check out the series here:
Universal Link

A bit about me: I’m a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.
My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Thai.

Contact: http://www.anytasunday.com/about-anyta/

Sign up for Anyta’s newsletter and receive a free e-book: http://www.anytasunday.com/newsletter-free-e-book/

Join my Facebook group to chat all things Slow Burn Romance:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SlowBurnSundays/

You can also find me here:
www.anytasunday.com
anytasunday@gmail.com

For information about new releases and freebies, follow me on BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anyta-sunday

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Make Me Stay: A Hurt/Comfort Small Town MM Roommates Romance (Safe Harbor Book 2) by Annabeth Albert: New Release Review

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Roommate Not Wanted

I’m a forty-year-old homeowner and former detective. My friends think a roommate is the solution to my recent funk, but I know that’s the last thing I need.

And even if they’re right, sharing my home with Cal is a bad idea. The prickly SEAL rescue diver has muscles for miles, haunted eyes, a wounded soul, and wandering feet that won’t be happy for long in Safe Harbor. Yet those fathoms-deep blue eyes have me making an offer I’ll surely regret.

Our arrangement may be doomed, but Cal is an amazing roommate. We’re soon cooking my mom’s favorite recipes, watching terrible TV, accidentally cuddling, and trying not to cross the line from friendship to fling.
Until I discover Cal’s sexy secret.

Boundaries blur, and I forget I’m not supposed to fall for Cal. Every kiss, touch, and discovery we make together pulls us deeper until there’s no denying our feelings.

I want nothing more than to keep Cal in town, in my bed, and in my heart, but Cal seems destined to swim back to his solo ways.

Can I bear to let him go, or will our love make him stay forever?

MAKE ME STAY is a hurt/comfort roommates-to-lovers MM romance. It features two mature, wounded heroes, disability rep, a proud pansexual, a SEAL having a demisexual awakening, and sexy discoveries involving rope. Deep feels, dual point-of-view, and big fluffy HEA guaranteed.

MAKE ME STAY is book two in the Safe Harbor series from acclaimed author Annabeth Albert. This small historic Oregon town has a tight friend group, memorable secondary characters, quirky businesses, and long-held secrets. Each book stands alone with a fresh couple, but the background mystery of the town’s secrets ties the series together, making reading in order more fun!

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Holden caught my interest in book one of this series, so I was very happy to see he got book 2 and I didn’t have to wait to hear his story. We get the whole story of why he is in a wheelchair and how much he hates his friends- or anyone really- making concessions for him. Which is really him not completely accepting his fate. Because why wouldn’t his friends put a ramp in or choose an accessible place for them to meet? And the way he covers his pain by being the class clown, always having a joke ready.

Cal is basically Holden’s complete opposite. A total loner, works alone, travels alone, lives in his RV alone. Doesn’t smile, laugh or joke. Carrying over from book 1 is a murder mystery that Cal is there to help with. He is a recovery diver and ready to go deep into the lake to see if he can find anything. The murky water conceals sharp objects and he rips open his dry suit, shoulder and neck. Which brings him together with Holden. The guy he already decided he didn’t like just because he didn’t think diving alone was safe.

The men get throw together sort of, Holden offering a place to stay and Cal begrudgingly accepting it, and really fall into a routine together. It’s super cute how domestic they become so quickly, even with Cal being a giant grump.

We do get the answer as to why he is the way he is and it’s heartbreaking. But he also can’t ignore Holden and the pull he has on him.

I love how Holden’s friends are so nosy about what is going one between him and Cal. Like, guys, you are not subtle. At all. Cracks me up.

I love that Holden and Cal take is slowly. That building heat just SMOLDERS. They have great chemistry together.

We got another great couple, another piece to the mystery and a set up of the next couple. And I have a feeling that the next 2 guys are going to bring all the angst.

4 pieces of eye candy

I Never Knew: Riverside Town (Book 4) by Darla O’Malley: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

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.                                  .

Ryan Hayes wasn’t looking for a distraction from the one in five chance of him being the father to his lying, cheating, “not his girlfriend”, pregnant ex-girlfriend’s baby, but that was exactly what Elijah became. That was until the lines got blurred and Elijah became something to him that he never knew was possible: everything.

Elijah Anderson hid the struggles he faces every day to keep his diner afloat behind a smile, but Ryan saw through it and gave Elijah real reasons to smile. Though Elijah tried to fight it—Ryan may have a baby on the way and was also the soon to be brother-in-law to his best friend—Ryan seeing Elijah in his lingerie and showing how receptive he was to roleplay was Elijah’s undoing…he was hooked! He wanted to lose himself in the gorgeous, demisexual, and bi-curious man in ways he never had before.

Ryan saw how hard Elijah worked every day to make ends meet and how his generous behavior was being exploited. Not anymore.

Elijah saw past Ryan’s candid approach to dealing with his family and understood the love behind his words. They’ll see how considerate you are.

Just as Ryan and Elijah settle into their happy lives together, it gets rocked by a heavily pregnant woman wielding a hammer.

Author note: male/male romance, can be read as a standalone. Contains sexual acts between consenting adults, roleplay, sexy lingerie, and two men who never knew what love was until a heavy box was dropped on one of them.

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Goodreads

Ryan

“Rye!” Zach shouted after spotting me and Elijah walking closer to them. “I found your flag!” he yelled, even though I was close enough that he didn’t have to. The smell of fruit and alcohol wafted off his breath, explaining his loud behavior.

Zach wrapped the large flag around my head like it was a towel, and I was a kid that had just been for a swim in the lake.

“Thanks, Zach,” I said as I tugged the flag off my head. I didn’t unwrap myself from the flag, though, instead placing it around my shoulders. Looking around, I saw there were a lot of people with different colored flags…I liked the colors in my flag: there was a black triangle and three stripes coming from it, the top stripe was white, and the bottom one was grey; the middle stripe was a thin strip of purple. The colors were subtle, but what I liked most was that I felt a sense of pride in the flag, similar to when I saw the Star-Spangled Banner; this flag represents…me. “Can I keep it?” I asked.

“Course you can,” Zach said, smiling brightly. The glassiness in his eyes portrayed his drunken state—I wasn’t even gone an hour! “Cammy and Taylor were telling me about all the flags, and when he said about the demi one, I was like, that’s what Ryan said earlier. So, we bought you this.” He held a corner of the flag up for me to see, still smiling from ear to ear.

“You guys bought this for me?” I asked, finally looking at my brother and my dad’s boyfriend. Neither of them heard my question. They were dancing rings around Elijah. When my boyfriend saw me looking his way, he grinned and winked at me.

Zach’s hand heavily tapping on my shoulder broke our eye contact. “What?” I asked him.

“Do you like my flag?” Zach asked, pointing to the wonky rectangle on his bare chest with a small dick in the middle. I also noted that he had his T-shirt tucked into the back of his jeans like I did.

“Is that you coming out as having a small dick?” I quipped.

“Fuck you, dickhead!” Zach shoved my shoulder but was laughing.

“Hey!” Cam shouted as he got between Zach and me. “No fighting. Let’s dance.” He took hold of my hand, raised it above his head, and began twirling himself beneath it. I wasn’t really a dancer, so I just watched him. Taylor joined the mix, and before I knew what was happening, he was behind me, holding my arms out and moving them to the music.

“I’m not a puppet,” I said over my shoulder to him. The movement had my flag falling off my shoulders and to the ground. Taylor let go of me, but Cam had already picked up my flag for me.

“Tie it ‘round your neck like a superhero,” Cam said as he tied the black corners of the triangle around my neck. The alcohol I could smell on his breath was more potent than what Zach smelt like, My little brother was pretty hammered. Not the straight-laced narc he once was.

Darla O’Malley had been writing male/male fiction and paranormal stories as a hobby for quite a few years, until encouragement from friends and family to become a self-published author had her finishing one of her many half-written novels. She’s extremely happy she heeded their advice as having others read her creations has become an exhilarating experience.

Connect with Darla:
Facebook: facebook.com/darla.omalley.96
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Baxter’s Right-Hand Man: MM Romance/Secret Boyfriends (The Baxter Chronicles Book 2) by Lane Hayes: New Release Review

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The movie star meets his match…

Pierce

Welcome to Hollywood, baby! Perhaps you’ve heard of me. I play Baxter, the adventure-seeking, crime-fighting hero, adored by fans around the world. Nice gig, right? My job has its perks for sure—private jets, a chauffeur, and the best tables at the fanciest restaurants in town. It’s nuts!

Downside—it’s hard to know who you can trust.

But I trust Lorenzo. He’s funny, sweet, and very real.

Look, I’m not in the market for anything serious. Between my greedy brother and the old man who claims we’re related, I’m a little wary, but I could use a friend.

And a sexy distraction.

Lorenzo

What is happening here? Major movie star, Pierce Allen wants me.

Me!

I don’t get it. I’m too fabulous and he’s too famous.

No, wait. He wants something from me, like my help and maybe my body. This should be a no-brainer. However, closing the last chapter on a long-term relationship has left me feeling a little fragile, and the last thing I need is to risk another broken heart.

But I’m too intrigued to walk away. I can play the part of Pierce’s “right-hand man” and keep things light and friendly. No problem.

I’m way too smart to fall for a movie star.

I hope.

Baxter’s Right-Hand Man is a MM, bisexual romance featuring a sexy, slightly egotistical movie star and the adorable diva who brings him back to reality.

Full disclosure, I did not read book 1. And while you definitely don’t need to, you know I’m gonna!

Baxter is a character, much like James Bond. But American. So that’s kind of fun. It sounds like that is all Pierce is really known for, but that’s ok.

Lorenzo is a manager at a boutique furniture and accessory store. That leads he and Pierce to meet when Lorenzo (Lo moving forward) makes a regular delivery to one of his favorite customers, an older fabulously gay gentleman named Mr Gowan who may or may not be related to Pierce.

The meeting was orchestrated to clean up Pierce’s image in the press. With a fake girlfriend on his arm, but a cater waiter in his bed, the studio isn’t pleased. Although I kind of love that it isn’t that he is bi. It’s that they want to promote the fake girlfriend as an actress as well.

And it’s Mr. Gowan that makes this story unique to me. Pierce is a bit desperate to find a relation that isn’t his father or brother, but he will never admit it. And Lo is fiercely protective of Mr. Gowan as a long time client who doesn’t have a ton of time left.

Pierce absolutely started off pretty despicable. Kind of the way you usually read about movie stars being. All about him on the outside, who cares what anyone thinks. I slowly warmed up to him through the book as his feelings for Lo blossom and more of the truth about how he is related to Mr. Gowan come to light.

Lo is likable from the start. Still sort of recovering from a big break up two years ago, he has a job he loves and great friends. And he does treasure his time with Mr. Gowan. Who, while amazing, doesn’t share a lot of his life stories until it is almost too late.

I also really loved how the setting of LA really framed the story. So often it’s celebrities in big glass beach houses or they are on set or off in another country filming. But Mr. Gowan’s house, Lo’s store, etc, really show something that we don’t always see. The regular guy does ok for himself. He isn’t living in some studio apartment with no air conditioning while working 17 jobs. He really doesn’t want to be an actor or work in the film business. And he is just fine working for someone, not necessarily being the boss and owner.

I really did enjoy this story that made me laugh and cry. It wasn’t the same old scene.

And I really REALLY want Mr. Gowan’s story. When he was Jasper in the 60’s. The little bit we got was fascinating to me.

4.5 pieces of eye candy