• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • TCO Exclusives
    • Gateway books
    • Author Spotlight
  • Audiobook Reviews
  • Cover Reveals
  • Contact Page
    • Reviewer Bios
    • Author Post Submission
    • Review Submission

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

romance

Making Waves (Franklin U Series, Book 7) by Christina Lee: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, and New Release Review

October 7, 2022 by Denise

.                               .

Alex Larsen

Remy Duval was my high school crush and secret first kiss, but he’s also so much more. A painter, a tattoo artist, my best friend’s older brother…and Bailey’s sworn enemy. It was easier to keep my distance the past two years, but now that Bailey and I are attending Franklin University with him, I’m only drawn to Remy more. I should be loyal to my best friend, focus on classes and swim team, but the more I see Remy around campus, the harder it becomes to stay away.

Remy Duval

My brother hates me, but that’s nothing new. I’ll take the fall for ruining our family if it means doing the right thing. But as soon as my brother and his best friend show up on campus, I know I’m in trouble. Alex is all grown up, and I can’t help wanting him, especially when he’s in those tiny swim briefs that emphasize everything.

One kiss leads to more, and before we know it, we’re tumbling into secret, no strings attached hookups. But who knew Alex would understand me in ways few others have? And I think, just maybe, I understand him too.

I keep telling myself it’s temporary. Alex doesn’t want to disappoint his best friend and after what my parents went through, I’m not looking to settle down. Making waves is nothing new but the further I fall, the more I drag Alex in the deep end with me.

Title: Making Waves
Authors: Christina Lee
Length: 65K
Series: Franklin U Series, Book 7
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: brother’s best friend, new adult, college, sports.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

“Would you mind holding mine too?” Jordan asked from behind Alex.

“What am I, a coatrack?” I huffed an overly exaggerated breath.

Alex bit back a grin. “If you don’t dance, that’s what you become.”

I shook my head and took Jordan’s jacket off his hands.

My eyes tracked Alex the whole way to the dance floor, where he lifted his arms in the air, closed his eyes, and took in the music. Fucking hell, I could watch him all night.

In the middle of the second song, Jordan stripped off his top, and to my utter amazement, Alex followed suit. He wiped his brow with the fabric, then hung the shirt around his neck. His smile was shy and his eyes hungry as they sought mine. My gaze panned from his hair to his chest, where his nipples stood prominent, either from the cool air hitting them or my admiring eyes. Alex dipped his head and turned away, giving me his back, and that ass…not at all a bad view.

Except it got better and a hell of a lot more interesting when both of them pushed down their pants to reveal their swim briefs underneath. “They draped the pants over their shoulders and kept dancing, receiving appreciative glances from every direction, and I was getting hot under the collar—or rather, Alex’s collar. Even Steve perked up and began dancing with Jordan, his hands as greedy as his eyes.

I waffled between staring openly at Alex and marching onto the dance floor to throw his jacket over his shoulders. Especially when there were more hands and eyes on him as a result, like sharks circling the waters. Alex was eating it up, though, even as his skin flushed pink and his eyes kept darting in my direction every other second to check that I was watching him.

Once the song ended, Alex was winded, his neck rosy red, and he could barely meet my eyes as he slipped his pants back on but kept his shirt hanging around his neck. He left the dance floor alone and made a beeline toward me.

Some angst! Be still my heart! Ok, the angst was meh…

Best friend’s brother, bi awakening. The angst comes from Remy telling his mother that his father has been cheating. Of course that leads to divorce, but Remy’s brother thinks Remy destroyed the family.

Alex is the best friend of Remy’s brother, Bailey, and had a one night thing with Remy 2 years ago. Now that they are all at the same college, Alex is torn between being a good friend to Bailey and following his feelings for Remy.

Listen, Bailey needed a smack upside the head. Like what a whiny little brat! I’m surprised that his mother put up with it. But because Bailey is still mad at Remy, Alex and Remy have to hide and keep their friends with benefits on the down low.

The book was ok. Bailey took up too much page time being a brat and it detracted from the romance between Remy and Alex. And as much as I try to suspend reality when reading but for Remy to be a tattoo artist without going through years of training bugged me.

I appreciated that Alex and Bailey were involved in a different sport (swimming) instead of football or baseball, the usual ones. But for all the talk of their schedules, they made time to have social lives.

Just a bit lacking for me…

3 pieces of eye candy

Once upon a time, Christina Lee was a wardrobe stylist in New York City. She spent her days schlepping clothes, hailing cabs, and on the hunt for the perfect lip gloss, which became a bit of an addiction—along with books and coffee. You could always find her perched in a corner booth of a favorite diner sipping a dark roast and reading.

She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband and son—her two favorite guys. She’s been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher and while very rewarding, they still didn’t feel like an exact fit. It wasn’t until she began writing a weekly column for the local newspaper that the bells went off in her head. She could finally draw from her real-life experiences and vivid imagination to write fiction—and she’s never looked back.

Christina writes romance in different sub-genres, but mostly with LGBTQ characters because representation matters and everyone deserves a happily-ever-after.

Connect with Christina:
https://linktr.ee/authorchristinalee

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Excerpt, Book Review, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 3 stars, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, Christina Lee, excerpt, exclusive, gay, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance

The Rivals of Casper Road (Garnet Run Book 4) by Roan Parrish: New Release Review

October 3, 2022 by Denise

.                        .

He’s in it to win it

Until he falls under his neighbor’s spell.

Bram Larkspur’s rugged, sexy looks belie his fear of all things horrifying. But as Casper Road’s newest resident, he’s excited to join the annual Halloween decorating contest. The competition is keen, especially from six-time champion, architect Zachary Glass. But when enigmatic Zachary sparks a prank war, it’s game on—until one sizzling kiss turns these rivals into allies. Now only one thing scares Bram: how quickly he’s losing his heart to Zachary.

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Amazon 

Harlequin

Garnet Run

Book 1: Better Than People
Book 2: Best Laid Plans
Book 3: The Lights on Knockbridge Lane
Book 4: The Rivals of Casper Road

This is the fourth book in the Garnet Run series by this author, and the second to be published under the Harlequin Special Edition romance line, and it makes my little heart so happy to see gay romance being represented in a product line that I’ve been reading since I was a teenager. And Roan Parrish is a great author to have this opportunity.

On to this particular book. Bram Larkspur might be the sweetest man I’ve ever seen written. Scared of horror movies, frightening Halloween displays and the like (I’m right there with you, Bram!), and nothing but positivity in all things he comes in contact with. He had his heart broken by his best friend and boyfriend, so decided to move away to start over. Even with that kind of heaviness weighing him down, he still managed to only be positive and happy most times.

Zachary Glass, an architect that worked from home and seemed to rarely leave his house, was obsessed with making the most elaborate Halloween display each year. I was a little perplexed at this. He didn’t really seem to like Halloween, or the children, just the competition of beating the others on Casper Road, and outdoing himself every year. He was honestly a difficult man to like from the beginning. He was unpleasant much of the time, not welcoming, and when his routine was disturbed it caused great stress. This last part I understood more, simply by understanding that his personality was that of a recluse, like his best friend Wes, and although it was never stated, he seemed to be neurodivergent. He did struggle with niceties, but was willing to try for Bram. But when he neglected to tell Bram about the Denver job, I kind of wanted to have Bram say “well, forget it then”.

However, I did end up liking them as a couple. Zachary was who he was. Confessed to not liking dogs, but was still kind to Hemlock, talked to Bram’s family, yet stood up for Bram when they seemed to forget that he was an adult and capable of making decisions.

There were some unsettled issues that kind of broke my heart, and could lend itself to a sequel, or it could just be that that’s how life is…you don’t always find the answers you were looking for. The way that Zachary came to terms with this issue at the end brought tears to my eyes. Sometimes you simply have to accept, and hope that it finds a way to be a light for you, and not bring you into the dark further.

Overall, these were very different characters than I’ve seen from this author, and I loved getting to see characters from past books pop in, but still with a satisfying ending.

3.75 pieces of eye candy

Filed Under: Book Review, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Denise Tagged With: 3.75 stars, author, book, Book Reviews, gay, Harlequin, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, Roan Parrish, romance

Learning Curve (Franklin U Book 6) by N.R. Walker: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

September 30, 2022 by Denise

.                                .

Cobey Green
There I was, moving into the dorms at Franklin U and not into the shared party house I’d lived in my freshman year. Last year had been all about football and parties, not schoolwork. Which was why my grades tanked. Why I was one failed class away from being kicked off the team.
Why I needed to live on campus and find myself a tutor.
Funny that my new roommate just happens to be a tutor. Funny that he’s oblivious to how hot he is. For a smart guy, he’s pretty clueless. Maybe I could tutor him in how to be more outgoing in exchange for help with calculus? I could teach him how to talk to people, how to make new friends. Hell, maybe I could even help him punch his V card.
Actually, now that I think about it… that’s a really good idea.

Vincent Brandt
And there I was, happy to be back at college, happy to be where I was most comfortable. Happy to be starting another school year, happy to start tutoring again so I could earn some money.
And yes, there I was equal parts excited and dreading to see who my new roommate would be… until Cobey Green’s smiling face appeared at the door. A huge football player loved by everyone, gorgeous, rich, and out of the closet.
Everything I’m not.
It doesn’t help that he’s genuinely a really nice guy. It doesn’t help that I make him laugh and we can talk so easily. And it certainly doesn’t help that we start having private tutoring sessions, which end up way more private than I’d ever dare imagine.
I’d ranked top of my class in every subject since the first grade, yet there I was falling stupidly in love with him.

This was going to be a hell of a year. And one very steep learning curve for both of us.

Title: Learning Curve
Authors: N.R. Walker
Length: 55K
Series: Franklin U Series, Book 6
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: geek/jock, opposites attract.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

He smirked. “You can tell what people think? What am I thinking right now?”

He was joking, clearly. I might have rolled my eyes. “You’re wishing you ordered pizza from anywhere but here instead of that salad.”

He grinned. “Wow. You actually can read my mind.” He pushed his empty plate away. “It’s not so bad. I gotta watch what I eat. I had a huge lunch of carbs and protein, so it evens out.”

God, his entire life was diet, exercise, training. Football, football, football. He was dedicated, that was for sure.

I offered him my hardly touched plate of mac and cheese. “Want this? I won’t tell your coach if you don’t. You’re a huge guy. You need to eat more than salad. Plus, you went jogging again today. Consider it a reward.”

He eyed the pasta. He definitely wanted it, so I pushed it closer to him. He took one mouthful and his excitement ended as soon as the taste registered. Or maybe it was the texture.

He struggled to swallow it and quickly washed it down with his glass of water. “Have mercy, that’s awful.”

I snorted. “It’s not that bad.” I mean, college food wasn’t good either, but it sure as hell beat no food.

He shook his head and pushed the offending plate away from both of us. “On a scale of one to fucking awful, it’s an eleven. You said it was a reward. That is not a reward. That’s not even a punishment. It’s a crime.”

I laughed and looked over to the service area. “Want me to get you something else?”

Smiling, he shook his head. “No, but thank you.” He was quiet for a bit, but he kept his eyes on me. “So, what’s your major?”

“I’m double majoring in math and tech science.”

He stared. “So you are a genius. Bumbles wasn’t joking.”

“Bumbles? He mentioned me?”

“Ah, yeah, I ran into him earlier. After your tutor session. He said you were a nice guy and a genius. I didn’t realize he meant literally. But I guess if you are tutoring seniors . . .”

“Oh.” I wasn’t sure why I was embarrassed. “Uh. I haven’t done an actual IQ test since high school, so the results could be outdated.”

“But? Was it high?”

I smiled. “It was okay.”

He nodded. “So it was high. Higher than Snoop Dog and Willie Nelson locked in a dispensary?”

I laughed. “Maybe not that high.”

Book 6 takes us to the dorms. Cobey is a sophomore moving to the dorms because his freshman year in a house with football players like himself did not do his grades any favors. He isn’t happy. Less happy when he finds out he will have a roommate as well.

Vincent is shy and quiet. Keeps his head down and does his work. Helps that he is a genius.

Cobey and Vincent are the epitome of opposites. Shy vs outgoing, popular vs no one knows who he is, all books vs all football. But Cobey is another one of those guys who is just happy and friendly and everyone loves him. Vincent can’t help but be lured in as well.

Cobey is helping Vincent with his social game, of which he has none. And Vincent will tutor Cobey in calculus.

They are quickly inseparable. I love watching them play off of each other. Vincent with his smarts and Cobey with his unending social game. Cobey definitely spends more time “tutoring” Vincent than Vincent does literally tutoring Cobey. But seeing as the tutoring now involves kissing and more, no one is complaining.

Also unique was that Vincent had NO social media. At all. So when they start showing up together on various pages, it doesn’t affect him in the least. Kind of cool.

Of course they were super adorable together. And Vincent does start to stretch his wings a bit.

There’s just about zero angst, even with Vincent having a crappy upbringing. But all of these Franklin U books have been like that. Just college guys, living their best lives, friends, sports, parties… quintessential college life.

4 pieces of eye candy

.                                 .

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…

Connect with N.R.:
https://smart.bio/nrwalkerauthor/ a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Excerpt, Book Review, Giveaway, New Release Book Blast, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4 stars, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, excerpt, exclusive, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, multi-author series, N.R. Walker, new release, review, romance, series

Hostile Takeover: The Game Series #8 by Cara Dee: RB, Excerpt and Release Day Review

September 26, 2022 by Denise

.                            .

Buckle in for a liquid hot romance where a young man with a plan takes on his aunt’s ex-husband through a wild week of kinky fun and dreams of a happily ever after.

I was on the right path, at long last. The divorce proceedings were going well, we managed to keep things somewhat civil for the sake of our daughter, and I could finally be the man I’d suppressed for decades. 

I was gay. And evidently very much into BDSM. 

So this was the perfect time to explore, have fun, meet new people, make friends who were actually friends and not the husbands of my wife’s uppity circle of gossip peddlers. I was happy. I was off to a great start, distancing myself from the family I’d once married into.

Then my ex-wife’s favorite nephew came to town on a business trip and wanted to have dinner with me. Obviously, I should have declined. The young man had always put me on edge with his charisma and assertiveness. But surely, I could survive one dinner with Jackson Dune. 

The day after was another matter. When we ended up going to the gym together and he showed his true colors. His true, filthy, dominant, addictive, inappropriate colors.

“Do you like to watch, Uncle Franklin?”

–

The Game Series is a BDSM series where romance meets the reality of kink. Sometimes we fall for someone we don’t match with, sometimes vanilla business gets in the way of kinky pleasure, and sometimes we have to compromise and push ourselves to overcome trauma and insecurities. No matter what, one thing is certain. This is not a perfect world—and maybe that’s why the happily ever after feels so good.

Title: Hostile Takeover

Author: Cara Dee

Series: The Game Series #8 (Standalone)

Genre: Gay Romance/BDSM Romance

Tags: #TheGameSeries #SubmissiveDaddy #DominantBoy #Humiliation #GroupPlay #Standalone #EmotionalSadism #Cuckolding #McleanHouse #Exhibitionism #Orgy #AgeDifference #Consent #Voyeurism

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

The Game Series – Books 1-7

The Secret Plan – Book 9 – Out November 22

“Flip the camera—let me see in the mirror,” Tate said.

I eyed the corner of the screen and pressed the right button, flipping the camera. The display suddenly showed a full picture of what I was wearing.

“You make Hugo Boss look next-level hot.” His voice was warm with approval, which eased a pinch of my nerves. “You’ve got this, Franklin. You have nothing to be nervous about. It’s your nephew, not the devil.”

I swallowed uncomfortably and adjusted my tie. “They may very well be the same individual.”

He chuckled and threw himself onto the couch—next to Kingsley, I noticed. They were dressed for an evening at home. Apparently they’d been hungover earlier today.

Kingsley leaned closer and smiled faintly. “Hey, pet. Lookin’ sharp.”

Heat bled onto my cheeks. “Thank you, Handler.”

They absolutely loved that I was forty-seven years old and still blushed like a schoolboy. They certainly took advantage of the trait often enough. Kingsley said he got off on the contrasts of a man who looked like he owned the world but submitted like a cock-hungry whore.

I was that cock-hungry whore.

I wasn’t sure I agreed with his assessment of how I looked, but I understood the draw of contrasts. Kingsley and Tate were full of those too. Kingsley, the Master who could make me fall to my knees with a single look, who always wore jeans and tees and hoodies, who didn’t feel the need to assert himself to others; he just was. Then Tate, his Master’s property. The love of Kingsley’s life. My daughter’s teacher, who’d fooled me for months by wearing preppy cashmere sweaters, gingham button-downs, chinos, and glasses. Never a hair out of place. But when all that came off, he was a tattooed masochist and switch.

Tate had introduced me to BDSM not that long ago. They’d granted me the privilege of joining them for occasional playtime. And Tate was…pure filth. A sadistic little Dominant who called me Daddy before rubbing my face in my own come.

Kingsley cleared his throat as I flipped the screen again. “So explain something to me. You see this kid once or twice a year, but now you’re suddenly nervous?”

To be fair, I was always uncomfortable when seeing Jack.

And Tate had no issue telling his Master just that.

“To this degree?” Kingsley pressed.

“Well, no,” I admitted. After flicking off the lights in the bedroom, I aimed for the living room, where I had liquid courage on a cart next to the couch. “Things have changed. I’m supposed to be Uncle Franklin, the boring, straitlaced, predictable man who’s married to his aunt.”

While Tate smirked, Kingsley scraped his teeth across his bottom lip and took on a pensive expression.

“Screw who you’re supposed to be to him,” he murmured. “Who’s he supposed to be to you?”

I frowned. “You lost me. He’s my nephew, of course.”

Believe me. He’s my nephew.

Kingsley cocked a brow.

Tate was highly entertained, and he crawled up on Kingsley’s lap and rested his elbow on Kingsley’s shoulder. “I mean, you kinda indicated something else last week when you told me about his visit.”

I scowled at him, then poured myself a whiskey. I had twenty minutes before my car service was due.

“I did nothing of the sort,” I insisted. “I merely pointed out that since the last time I saw him, I’ve stopped being in denial about who I am—about what I am—and I’m worried I’ll see him in a different light.”

“As I said…” Tate drawled. “So are you bringing condoms?”

“For heaven’s sake!” I stared at him in disbelief. He was not helpful.

Kingsley’s eyes flashed with amusement. “I take it he ticks all the Dom boxes, then?”

God, I shouldn’t have accepted Tate’s call in the first place. They were making things worse. Much, much worse. Because they were saying out loud what I dreaded the most. I didn’t want Jack and BDSM in the same sentence.

But…yes. That was my fear.

I took a generous sip of my drink and relished the burn as it slid down my throat.

“Is he gay?” Tate wondered.

I winced and inclined my head.

Jack had always been out, so to speak. When he’d reached the age most boys declared their love for girls, he’d said he’d liked boys “way more.” By fourteen, he’d had at least two boyfriends.

“I think I’ve envied him on some level,” I admitted. “I never knew why, but now…”

I could put two and two together.

Homosexuality hadn’t existed in my world, not until I started college. My parents had come from nothing in Nowhere, Kentucky. Then my father had managed to get through school while working two jobs, and he’d made a life for us. They’d moved to DC right before I was born. He’d started his own practice. Mother had been a housewife. Not particularly religious, but traditional, nonetheless. Not to mention very strict and demanding. They’d wanted their idea of a bright future for me. Scholarships, private school, a fine degree. Wife, children, a nice house.

I’d had my first intimate dream about another man when I was in high school, but it’d been about a teacher I hadn’t liked, so I’d chalked it up to a horrendous nightmare. I’d been so incredibly angry and embarrassed by my physical reactions.

Not long after, I’d asked Samantha out on a date.

“I’ve done so many things wrong,” I said.

That softened something in Tate’s eyes. “It gave you Lily.”

That was true. I certainly had no regrets, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t feel bitter and ashamed at times.

“It’s time to look forward, pet,” Kingsley murmured. “You’re building something new.”

I nodded once and took another sip of my drink. He was right. I was finally on the right path.

With McLean House being rebuilt after the fire, this story starts with Jack finding out his uncle (by marriage, tyvm) is divorcing his aunt. Because he is gay. So the guy that Jack has crushed on for YEARS is gay and presumably available. Whew. Now Jack needs to get to Washington DC where Franklin is.

Franklin has been having fun discovering himself. Not only that he is gay, but he definitely has a kinky side. He knows a lot of his kink is humiliation and degradation. He’s been lucky enough to have Kingston and Tate take him on as a plaything. He has also joined their community. Since Kingston and Tate are willing and eager to help him discover all of his kinks, he was quite happy. Because he was discovering himself. He has zero interest in a serious relationship right now. He just got out of a long marriage and wants to have fun.

Until he is home alone and Jack shows up. Jack who is kind of Dom-like. Who twists Franklin up. Who is FAMILY. Right?

SO FUN

Franklin struggles with the family connection. Even though they are consenting adults who aren’t related by blood. but I think Jack has fun exploiting that a bit. Calling him Uncle Franklin. But that goes right along with the humiliation kink Franklin has.

They are both very explicit in their wants, needs, worries and fears. Instead of it being a turn off (I have heard too many complaints that even talking about condoms is a turn off), it’s a turn on. There are no surprises then. Nothing to hold them back wondering if something is ok or not.

Turns out Jack knows Macklin so he knows all about McLean House. He fits right in when he meets Kingston and Tate (again with the open discussion of boundaries, etc).

Jack and Franklin have a week together. A week where Franklin’s ex-wife and daughter are visiting family. And they certainly make the most of it.

I loved that Franklin’s daughter has autism with some pretty big food issues. To see a different representation of autism was a nice surprise. Too often it can be a fairly stereotypical representation. It also shows how Franklin is working with her to try new foods slowly. He is an amazing father and it shows. She also has a hearing impairment which is mentioned at the beginning, but isn’t mentioned when she talks to him on the phone every night. As someone with a hearing impairment myself, talking on the phone is difficult so I was a bit surprised she had no issues. It is addressed again when she comes home from vacation though.

We all know that Cara Dee can write a sex scene. Especially a kinky sex scene. Well, let me tell you. The first scene was OMG. But the Big Scene toward the end might cause you to have to take a moment.

I need more Franklin and Jack! We’ve just met them. Just got to know them as a couple. Their dynamic has sucked me RIGHT in and I need more right now!

4.5 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

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Excerpt, Book Review, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4.5 stars, author, bdsm, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, Cara Dee, excerpt, gay, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance

The Sunny Side (The Model Agency, Book 1) by Lily Morton: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

September 26, 2022 by Denise

.                                     .

Jonas Durand is successful, rich, and controlled. He owns a prestigious modelling agency and has the world at his fingertips, but a turbulent childhood has taught him to be focused and never deviate from a plan.

Dean Jacobs threatens that stance. He’s one of the world’s most sought-after supermodels, but he’s also laidback and lighthearted and free in a way that Jonas has never quite managed.

Dean has always been interested in Jonas and has never made any secret of his admiration, but from the beginning, Jonas put him in a neat little box labelled, “Don’t touch,” turned the key, and never looked back.

However, the universe seems determined to thwart Jonas’s plans. Over the course of one hot summer, the two men come together, and Jonas’s well-ordered life becomes something a whole lot wilder.

Moving from the glamorous worlds of London and Paris Fashion Weeks to the sleepy South of France, Jonas finds himself liberating partridges, chasing his supermodel, and falling in love.

From bestselling author Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy set in the fast-paced and snarky world of modelling. This is the first book in the Model Agency series.

Title: The Sunny Side
Authors: Lily Morton
Series: The Model Agency, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy.
Tropes: age gap, controlled man/carefree man.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Dean nods. “Last week, a model didn’t turn up to a fitting. No excuse,” he says in a scandalised voice. “Just couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed.”

“One of mine?” I ask, frowning.

“No,” Dean says. “He was from Browns.”

“They don’t so much run a modelling agency as a circus,” I say with no small amount of satisfaction.

I eye him and Mal. They don’t make them like these two anymore. They come from a background where serious work was the norm. Mal might throw tantrums to rival Marie Antionette, and at one point Dean might have been more stoned than the entire cast of Reefer Madness, but both are as reliable as the sun coming up. They’ve always turned up on time and got the job done.

I’ll miss them when they retire and leave me to the less than tender mercies of the new models. I shudder at the thought and feel a sudden sadness at the idea that one day I won’t see Dean anymore. I rub my stomach absently and look up to find the two of them watching me. Mal looks amused as if he can read my mind, which I wouldn’t put past him, but Dean seems concerned.

“Is your ulcer playing up again?” he demands.

Mal snorts, and I roll my eyes. “No, it is not,” I say in a reproving tone that, as usual, Dean completely ignores. He picks up fewer social cues than an old matron in a Jane Austen story.

“No coffee, then. I’ve got some green tea brewing.”

“Where did that even come from?” I ask despairingly. “I’m sure I don’t have that in my kitchen.”

“Dean carries it around with him,” Mal says, filching a piece of Dean’s omelette and feeding it to the dog. “Remember when Dutch customs found it, Dean?”

Dean grins. “I still remember that strip search. It’s definitely in my top ten.”

I stare at him. “You have a top ten of strip searches?”

He shrugs. “Of course. Most customs officers are rough, but that one had very gentle hands.”

Do a little dance, readers. Lily Morton has started a new series. Squee! And what a start it is!

Obviously it centers around a modeling agency in London. Jonas runs it after a sort of hostile take over from his mother. Dean is one of his most popular models. They have separately and quietly crushed on each other. But Jonas thinks he has no chance with a model (and the whole boss/emplyee thing) and Dean thinks he is too stupid to have a chance with Jonas. Silly boys.

This is a pretty slow burn because of the obstacles they put in their own way. But that makes it all the sweeter I think. In so many stories they will suddenly come together, ripping clothes off, etc. But not this time. I mean it does come to that but it doesn’t start that way. There is WAY more flirting and courting without saying it.

Besides getting to know some new fun characters (PIP!) we get to see characters from previous series and books. Dean is step brothers with Asa and actually set up he and Jude. And his best friend is Mal, who still leaves Cadan on the farm to model, but then runs right back.

I love how it is highlighted that male models aren’t nearly as popular as female models and they still are driven to perfection. By themselves, by photographers, by designers. Dean eats almost NOTHING because he has runway shows coming. Sexual harrassment is also mentioned. And I am sure it is FAR worse than what was in the book.

Dean will absolutely steal your heart. Pip is just amazing. Jonas loosening up is a revelation. Plus kids and dogs and vacations to France. Just swoony.

I cannot wait for more.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

.                         .

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

Lily has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

Connect with Lily:
Facebook | Lily’s Snark Squad Facebook Group
Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Website | Newsletter
Amazon Page | Goodreads | BookBub a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Excerpt, Book Review, Giveaway, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Exclusives, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4.5 stars, author, blog tour, Blog Tours, book, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, excerpt, exclusive, gay, giveaway, Giveaways, lgbtq, Lily Morton, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, review, romance

Couture Crush (Model Love) by Charlie Novak: Release Day Review

September 25, 2022 by Denise

Beau Barrett is about to become Alt. Bride’s first male cover model, but what about his own fairy-tale ending?

When Beau Barrett arrives to shoot for alternative bridal magazine, Alt. Bride, the last person he expects to see is Cash, his long-lost childhood best friend. The spark between them is instant, but with Beau’s calendar splitting at the seams, he’s not convinced a relationship is possible.

Cash never thought he’d see Beau again, but now the make-up artist is determined to hold on to him. Cash’s life might be overflowing with events, but his crush on Beau can’t be ignored, especially when things between them feel so right.

All they have to do is navigate their jam-packed schedules, their spread-out living arrangements, and the modelling offer of a lifetime. It won’t be easy, but if they can do it, Beau and Cash might just get the chance to find the love they’ve always dreamed about.

Couture Crush is part of the Model Love multi-author series and is a 47,500-word, low-angst contemporary MM novel featuring childhood best friends, couture wedding gowns, arcade date nights, and plenty of fluff and steam. Each book can be read as a standalone, but there are so many models falling in love, why not read them all?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Adorable. Seriously. First thought about this book is that they are adorable.

A model, a makeup artist, childhood friends who lost touch. Brought back together when the model lands a huge cover shoot and the other is his makeup artist.

Beau and Cash just fall back together so immediately. That kind of relationship they had as kids really never went away. Now they are grown. And gay. And single. They are almost immediately inseparable.

There’s no awkward, no angst, no one was mad at anyone. They were just two young guys trying to make it in the world who fell in love with each other.

Cash, as a makeup artist, has interesting stories of what happens in bridal rooms with women. Beau, luckily, seems to have a pretty easy go of being a model. He is hardly a super model, but he doesn’t do too badly. They grow together in their careers as they grow as a couple.

Just cute, cute, cute.

4 pieces of eye candy

Filed Under: Book Review, New Release Review, Quick Reviews, Release Day Review, TCO Reviewer: Erin Tagged With: 4 stars, author, book, Book Reviews, Charlie Novak, gay, lgbtq, m/m romance, mmromance, new release, release day review, review, romance

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 38
  • Go to page 39
  • Go to page 40
  • Go to page 41
  • Go to page 42
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 373
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Social Media

  • View FB.com/TwoChicksObsessed’s profile on Facebook
  • View @2chicksobsessed’s profile on Twitter
  • View two_chicks_obsessed’s profile on Instagram
  • View TwoChicksObsessed’s profile on Pinterest
  • View TwoChicksObsessed’s profile on YouTube
  • View twochicksobsessed.tumblr.com’s profile on Tumblr

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,350 other subscribers

Partner Ads

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No feed with the ID 1 found.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

Recent Posts

  • Over and Above (Mount Hope book 4) by Annabeth Albert: Quick Review
  • Alfie: Part Two (Alfie & West Book 2) by Cara Dee: Excerpt and Release Day Review
  • The Fly-Half (Lincoln Knights, Book 2) by Charlie Novak: New Release Review
  • I Think They Love You by Julian Winters: New Release Review
  • Savage (Park Avenue Kings Book 1) by Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank: Release Day Review

We’re on Twitter

My Tweets

Top Posts & Pages

  • Review Submission
    Review Submission
  • Mountainway Chant (Coulter and Woodard, Book 2) by M.J. Calabrese: Quick Review
    Mountainway Chant (Coulter and Woodard, Book 2) by M.J. Calabrese: Quick Review
  • In Safe Keeping by Victoria Sue: Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway
    In Safe Keeping by Victoria Sue: Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway
  • Gone But Not Forgotten (TIN Book 1) by Charlie Cochet: New Release Review with Exclusive Giveaway
    Gone But Not Forgotten (TIN Book 1) by Charlie Cochet: New Release Review with Exclusive Giveaway
  • What Works For Us by Colette Davison: RB, New Release Review and Excerpt
    What Works For Us by Colette Davison: RB, New Release Review and Excerpt
  • Adrift in the Embers (The Game Series Book 7) by Cara Dee: Excerpt and Release Day Review
    Adrift in the Embers (The Game Series Book 7) by Cara Dee: Excerpt and Release Day Review
  • Save The Date by Annabeth Albert & Wendy Qualls: Release Day Review with Giveaway
    Save The Date by Annabeth Albert & Wendy Qualls: Release Day Review with Giveaway
  • Pros & Cons of Vengeance and Pros & Cons of Deception by A.E. Wasp: Audiobook Tour and Reviews
    Pros & Cons of Vengeance and Pros & Cons of Deception by A.E. Wasp: Audiobook Tour and Reviews
  • Wrapped With Love by Beth Bolden: Release Day Review, Blitz and Excerpt
    Wrapped With Love by Beth Bolden: Release Day Review, Blitz and Excerpt
  • Handsome Death by Sara Dobie Bauer: Excerpt and New Release Review
    Handsome Death by Sara Dobie Bauer: Excerpt and New Release Review

Tags

2.5 stars 3 stars 3.5 stars 4 stars 4.5 stars 5 stars Aimee Nicole Walker Andrew Grey Annabeth Albert Audio Book author bdsm blog tour Blog Tours book Book Excerpts Book Reviews Cardeno C. Charlie Cochet cover reveal erotica excerpt exclusive Felice Stevens gay giveaway Giveaways guest post historical L.A. Witt lgbtq Lily Morton m/m romance menage mmromance N.R. Walker new release novella paranormal release day review review Riptide romance series Victoria Sue

Goodreads

Cover for Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
2,176
Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

We are two chicks who love books (m/m romance with an HEA) and enjoy our eye candy. http://twochickso

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

3 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨Did you see?✨BLUEBIRD by @brookeblaine1 is available NOW! Grab it in KU! #OneClickNow 💜U.S. amzn.to/4cdwvGI💙Worldwide mybook.to/BluebirdebookWhy you need to #ONECLICK this book…🔥Amnesia🔥Golden Retriever🔥Tattooed MC🔥Paramedic🔥Ugly Cry🔥Someone to Watch Over Me🔥Forgotten Past🔥Biawakening🔥Strangers to Lovers🔥Hurt/Comfort🔥ProtectorEvery morning, I stop at the same gas station for coffee before my shift.Same routine. Same quiet moment before the sirens start.And the same beautiful stranger.#newbookalert #brookeblaine #amnesiaromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

4 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
Whit Ravens by . AE Via Enemies. Survivors. The final two Ravens. 🐦‍⬛A cinematic enemies-to-lovers romance filled with assassins, brutal loyalty, passion, and the kind of love that fights back.🔥 Opposites attract🔥 Forced proximity🔥 Touch him and die🔥 Found family🔥 Dangerous men who love harder#TheWhiteRavens #DarkRomance #MMRomance #ActionRomance #EnemiesToLovers #AEVia ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

4 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨TEASER: SHADOWS NEVER LIE, book 1 in the Shadow Duet, by @larktaylorauthor releases May 1st! #PreOrderHere mybook.to/NeverLie Why you will love this duet:🔥Enemies to Lovers🔥Brother’s Best Friend🔥Double Bi-Awakening🔥Opposite Attract🔥Virgin MC🔥Only one bed🔥Angst🔥College Romance🔥MM RomanceDominic Walker has always been a good liar.Dominic stands where I am supposed to — at my identical twin’s side. His confidant. His right- hand. His best friend. The brother he would choose. I’ve been cast aside, relegated to the shadows. Forced to watch as Max and Dominic get everything they want. Everything I secretly want. But then, Dominic suddenly sees me and issues an offer I can’t refuse. A challenge, actually. One he never expects me to follow through on.With anyone else, I wouldn’t have considered it. But I’ll be damned before I let Dominic get the better of me. It has me sinking to my knees. Literally. A decision that changes everything.Dominic pulls me out of the shadows, and I never want to go back.But it’s not the shadows I need to be afraid of.No, it’s the path that leads somewhere far darker than I could ever have imagined. Somewhere where truth and lies become shadowed.✨INFLUENCERS: Sign up here to promote this awesome release: bit.ly/shadowduetLTsignup#larktaylor #shadowduet #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

4 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
✨TEASER: FOR FRAT’S SAKE by Riley Hart & @devonmccormack releasing April 30th! #PreOrdergeni.us/ForFratsSakeWhy you need #ONECLICK this book…🔥MM Romance🔥Enemies-to-Lovers🔥Grumpy/Sunshine🔥Opposites Attract🔥Protective MC🔥Plenty of Spice🔥Marking/Rough playDAXMiles Tanner hates me for no reason.Me—lovable, easygoing, sexy-as-hell Dax Armstrong, always there when a fellow fratbro needs a hand…or if that fratbro would like to enjoy more than just my hand…Miles is the broody artist-type who just got off probation for starting the fire at Sigma Alpha.Basically, a walking red flag.But for a guy who’s always looking to start a fight with me, I can’t wrap my mind around a night when I was a little too tipsy and he helped me back to Alpha Theta Mu.Since then, he’s hot and cold. One minute he’s telling me to stay away from him. The next, he moves in for a touch.Or a kiss.In these unguarded moments, all those problematic, confusing red flags fade to the background.Maybe he’s right and I shouldn’t mess with him, but for frat’s sake…where’s the fun in that?✨INFLUENCERS: Sign up here for this awesome release: bit.ly/forfratssakesignup#rileyhart #devonmccormack #mmromance The Author Agency ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

5 days ago

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
COVER REVEAL from A.E. Via Thank you Jay Aheer!!! BLURB: The Ravens are supposed to be perfect weapons, therefore Scar and Gage should not exist.Oscar “Scar” Calloway was one of the most feared gang leaders on Chicago’s South Side—cold, brutal, and ruthless, even before the assassin enhancements.Gage Harrington was something else entirely—a man whose faith, compassion, and discipline made him a liability in a program built on violence.Both men were taken from desperate circumstances and promised rebirth.But when the science collapses and transformation fails, leaving one blind and the other unpredictable, they get marked for execution.With raw instinct and out of sheer desperation, Scar and Gage form an unlikely alliance to escape the place meant to bury them.Scar is uncontrolled fury, a predator shaped by the streets, and Gage navigates the world with empathy and calm strength.They should hate each other.But the more they fight, the harder it becomes to ignore the pull between them.Their trust is fragile and their natures at odds.Yet, together, they forge something rare and invaluable the Ravens didn’t know they needed to complete the flock.Preorder Link: www.amazon.com/White-Ravens-Book.../dp/B0FRYNC87F...Go to her group for an enticing Excerpt!!! 😍😍www.facebook.com/groups/636610423028342/ ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

New to M/M Romance?

Copyright ©2020 · Two Chicks Obsessed - All Rights Reserved · Website by SloanJ Designs

 

Loading Comments...