romance

Level Up (Reigns Brothers, Book 2) by Kindle Alexander: Blog Tour and New Release Review

July 19, 2022 by Denise

. .

Duncan “Ducky” Reigns, metalhead and hardcore gamer, has spent his life railing against the establishment. But now when he looks at himself in the mirror that’s not the person he sees. Though he and his brother have worked hard to create a successful multi-million-dollar company, he’s lost himself and his identity in the process.

Chad Reeves, successful in his own right, has achieved every goal he’s set for himself. But living up to the legacy of his uber-successful father feels like an impossible task. When the heavy burden of a lifelong secret begins to unravel, he’s forced to face the truth. He’s lacking in what matters the most and only one thing can make it right.

Sometimes a simple reboot is all it takes to realize the answers are right in front of you. A soul-searching trip to paradise changes everything for two best friends… if they are brave enough to follow their hearts and reach for the Level Up.

Title: Level Up: Ducky’s Story

Author: Kindle Alexander

Release: July 12, 2022

Genre: MM Romance

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Bookbub

I didn’t get a chance to read the first book in this series, Breakaway, about Ducky’s brother (the non a-hole one apparently), because well that period of time reading was just in RL for me. However, it does seem like one I might be interested in going back to. But I liked the idea that Ducky and Chad had been gaming friends, and as it turned out, they were best friends, but had never actually met in person.

There wasn’t a lot of angst between the characters, once they finally met each other. Although it took a really long time for them to realize they wanted each other (around 70%?) Each main character had personal issues to deal with, but in the case of Ducky, I feel like perhaps I missed a piece from book 1. I didn’t really understand where his motivation for giving his money away came from. Meanwhile, Chad had, as he put it, daddy issues. Which this was actually fascinating! How often have you ever read the romance of someone, with kids and the HEA. Then read one of the children’s romance and he has daddy issues. Don’t you always think that they must be perfect parents? Good to have the reality of, yes, parents F up, and kids may take those issues upon themselves.

Once the two characters went to Hawaii, I felt like it was a bit redundant, until they got together, but then it was all the feelings pouring out of Chad, and Ducky “same”. (Which made me laugh, btw…think Han Solo “I know”). Ducky, though, noticing how Chad could calm him when he was anxious, similar to his brother Dallas was sweet.

This book wasn’t as deep into the characters as most KA books, but at 60K words, that’s to be expected. However, I did feel like there was a missing element in this book. I would have loved to see just a bit more interaction between the MC’s prior to meeting up, or getting together. It made it hard to believe the chemistry was as strong as it was. Sex scenes though…SMOKING!

This is a good beach read…which is good since they are in Hawaii for half of it. 3.5 pieces of eye candy.

Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer, and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It’s always a surprise to see what’s coming next!

I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it’s true, the only thing bigger than an over active imagination, may be women’s hair!

Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life – I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations – regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal… I don’t want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I’m going to tell you about Kindle.

I tragically lost my sixteen year old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I’ll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died – weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn’t have to be alone.

That time in my life was terrible. It’s everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.

Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness – it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle ereader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.

Through the course of that crippling event I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fan fiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn’t a time she wasn’t there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love and harmony. It’s its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn’t be here today without her.

Find out more by visiting www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com

Social Media Links:

✦ Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKindleAlexander/

✦ Twitter ➜ https://twitter.com/KindleAlexander

✦ Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/kindlealexander2.0

✦ Book+Main Bites ➜ https://bookandmainbites.com/KindleAlexander

✦ Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6421828.Kindle_Alexander

✦ Amazon ➜ https://amzn.to/2JXnKRF

✦ BookBub ➜ https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kindle-alexander

✦ Newsletter ➜ https://www.kindlealexander.com/contact-us/

Strut (Style Series, Book 2) by Jay Hogan: RB, Excerpt and Release Day Review

July 14, 2022 by Denise

. .

New Zealand farm boy turns New York fashion model.
Fairy tale? Maybe. But it hasn’t been easy. A year in this crazy city, working my tail off just to survive in a ruthless industry where sex sells and boundaries are too readily crossed.

A year and a reassuring ocean away from Hunter Donovan—a sexy, humiliating mistake that I’m not about to repeat. Distance is good. Distance is safe.

But now Hunter is back. In New York. In my life. In all those treacherous feelings that haven’t gone anywhere. But when my world suddenly crashes and I have to piece myself back together and fight for my career, will Hunter be there when I need him? Will we have what it takes to make it through this, together?

Note: This book contains themes of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Title: Strut

Series: The Style Series #2

Author: Jay Hogan

Genre: MM Romance

Release date: July 14th, 2022

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Halfway down the block I came upon a small queue outside a tidy brick establishment which proved to be Color. The distant thrum of Ariana Grande leaking through the double wooden doors onto the sidewalk reminded me I was close to a generation older than most of the guys ahead of me waiting to get in.

I joined the line, ignoring a low whistle of interest from one of the guys as I passed. I took his appreciation as reassurance that my skinny black jeans paired with one of Rhys’s new season tight black-and-white-checked T-shirts passed muster. I checked my phone as I waited and fired off a text to my younger sister knowing it was afternoon in New Zealand. A few seconds later the phone rang in my hand, and I smiled and swiped it open.

“Hey, sis.”

“Hey, you. I’m heading to the supermarket. What’s up?”

The line shrank by a couple of guys, and everyone shuffled forward. “Not much. I’m waiting to get into a bar and thought I might catch you.”

Silence. “Hunter Donovan is in a queue?” She chuckled. “You don’t do queues, bro. I thought you rarefied fashionista types skipped those pesky things.”

“It’s not that level of club,” I explained. “Think popular, off-the-beaten-track gay bar. I doubt I’ll see anyone I know and certainly no one who knows me.”

“A gay bar? Ohhhhh, are you on a date?”

“No, I am not on a date. You know me. Besides, I’ve only been here two days.”

“You’re right. I do know you. Which means you’re cruising for some pretty arse. You after a bit of downtown rough, big brother?”

“Jesus, Patty, you sound like a low-budget movie, and we are not having that conversation. Ever. If you must know, I met a guy I worked with in Auckland and he happens to tend bar here. I said I’d drop by.” Kind of, almost.

“Riiiight.” She sounded sceptical. “Do I know them? You’ve always said the best thing about your trips to New York was all the great clubs. I’ve never known you to waste your time on suburban bars.” My sister was way too perceptive.

“True, but this is that model from fashion week last year? The guy Rhys discovered—”

“Oh my god,” she blurted. “That gorgeous hunk of drool you shot for Flare. Alec someone, right?”

“Alec Williamson. He got signed by Cage Talent after the show and has been in New York since. I ran into him quite by chance.”

Patty was quiet for a few seconds as the cogs in her brain ticked over. “But you liked him, right?”

What the fuck? I said nothing

“You can’t lie to me, Hunter. I know you. He’s the one hanging in your office on your wall of fame, aka my personal wall of hotness. He’s wearing Rhys’s design. Holy shit, Hunter. Do you have a thing? Are you—”

I needed to shut this down fast. “He’s hanging there because it was my best friend’s signature shoot for his new label,” I argued. “Not because it’s Alec.”

“Mm-hmm.” There was an irritating smile in her voice. “Pull the other one. I called into Flare that day, remember? You couldn’t take your eyes off him. Neither could I, to be honest, but you were a little smitten kitten.”

I so was. “I so wasn’t. You’re dreaming. Alec is a great model, that’s all. If I was smitten, it was on a purely professional level.”

“And yet you’re queuing to have a drink at the place he works?”

Well, when you put it like that. “Maybe.” It was all she was getting. “It’s the friendly thing to do, right?”

“Aha. Yep. Very neighbourly of you. Oh, here’s a thought. If you like him, how about you keep it in your pants for once, at least for more than a day? Get to know him.”

Too fucking late. “Oh, look at that, the bouncer’s waving me in. Gotta go, sis. Nice talking to you.” I stabbed the End Call button, stared at the double doors for a second, took a deep breath, and then pushed through.

The immediate assault to my eardrums almost rattled my brain from my skull. Add that to the heaving crowd and multicoloured light display circling the room and dripping down the walls, and I needed a minute to orient myself. I passed the coat check desk and slid against the closest wall to take a look around.

The place was humming, the music pulsing loudly above the thrum of a hundred different conversations, while the surprisingly spacious dancefloor writhed with every possible combination of couples, throuples, and dogpiles of slick bodies. Like the queue outside, it was a younger crowd, mostly early twenties, but with enough around my age to drop the creep factor to acceptable. I watched the dancers for a bit, appreciating all the hot skin and tight muscle on display before scouting the bar.

“You wanna dance?” A warm body leaned close, and I turned to find an attractive dark-haired man just inches from my face. He had the greenest eyes I’d ever seen and a pouty mouth made for sucking cock. He licked his lips and ran his hand up my arm. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”

On any other night I would’ve had him down the back and on his knees with my dick down his throat in about five minutes flat, but I wasn’t even tempted—a disturbing fact that was worth an alarm bell or two. Instead, I simply smiled and covered his hand with mine.

“Thanks. You’re pretty hot yourself, but I’m meeting someone.”

After reading Flare, the first book in this new series, I couldn’t wait for Strut. Totally worth the wait. You don’t have to read Flare, but you should. I said so.

Strut time jumps us almost a year or so. Alec was signed by a modeling agency and has moved to New York City. He is hustling all he can modeling, trying to make a name and face for himself. But it is a tough gig. He’s in a 3 bedroom apartment with 9 other models. They rack up debt with the agency (I had no idea this was a thing and I was scandalized) and many have second jobs. Alec is a bartender at a small gay club on the weekends.

Then one day he runs into a photographer from his home in Auckland. The photographer who helped him (and his friend’s design line, Flare) get exposure. Same guy he had a hot encounter with at a bar and watched as he immediately walked away. THAT guy.

Honestly, I’m surprised it took them a year to run into each other. Yes, NYC is big, but the male modeling world isn’t. Anyway. Even though they both were so obviously into each other back in New Zealand, Hunter ran and Alec was pissed, and he isn’t getting over it quickly.

Let me first say that this is the first book by this author that wasn’t set in NZ. It was set in NYC which I am very acquainted with, growing up less than an hour away. And I’d like to say well done. There were no stereotypes of the City or it’s people. That was SO refreshing. No clichés, distances between places was correct, etc. New York City was a gorgeous background character in and of itself.

I loved how Alec did not immediately swoon over Hunter. He didn’t even want to hear his apologies or excuses or anything. Bravo, Alec. But Hunter wore him down, pulling romance he didn’t know he had right out of his back pocket.

Alec runs into some trouble with another photographer when he is up for a campaign that will completely change his career. There are rippling effects to this trouble and Alec enlists his friends in NZ.

Seeing everyone come together- including other models and his model roommates was great. And something that I am positive happens in real life and is never spoken about. So this really broadened an already big issue without downplaying the original issue.

Alec and Hunter are great together. Their personalities just mesh and even though Hunter is new to the whole boyfriend thing, he really tries to be the best one he can.

If you loved Flare, you will love Strut. Even if you didn’t love Flare you will love Strut. A book that was romantic and sexy and real life conflict and awareness raising with a plot.

4 pieces of eye candy

. .

Heart, humour and keeping it real

Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year.

She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She’s travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor. Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel

Find Jay in all the places: https://jayhoganauthor.contactin.bio/

Killer Honeymoon (Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem, Book 3) by Aimee Nicole Walker: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

July 12, 2022 by Denise

. .
Honeymoon, happily ever after, and…homicide?

Newlyweds, Royce Locke and Sawyer Key, embark on a honeymoon road trip where their biggest threat should be dodging drunk tourists on golf carts. But their arrival on South Bass Island lands them in the middle of a contentious battle between lifelong islanders and a property developer who won’t accept no for an answer. Tempers soar as the barometric pressure drops, signaling a dangerous storm brewing on the horizon and across the street. Minding their own business becomes impossible when a homicide wrecks their vacation and puts Royce and Sawyer in the path of a twisted killer.

Will their honeymoon be two tickets to paradise or a one-way trip to the morgue?

Killer Honeymoon is book three in the Matrimony and Mayhem trilogy, the second story arc for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. ** New readers should start with the Zero Hour trilogy before reading Matrimony and Mayhem. ** Killer Honeymoon is a continuation of Royce and Sawyer’s happily ever after as they move into the next phase of their lives—professionally and personally. Though some storylines span the trilogy, this book does not end in a cliffhanger. Heat, humor, heart, and homicide abound. You have been warned. 18+

Title: Killer Honeymoon
Authors: Aimee Nicole Walker
Length: 247 pages
Series: Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem, Book 3
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

The Magnolia Murders (Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem Book 1)

Marriage is Murder (Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem Book 2)

“Where are you going?”

Sawyer whisked his shirt over his head but kept walking. “Now it’s time.”

Royce pushed back from the table so fast his chair crashed to the ground. He caught up to Sawyer before he reached the hallway. Sawyer laughed when Royce pulled him into his arms and ghosted a finger over his lips.

“The only thing more beautiful than seeing your lips curve in a smile just for me is seeing them wrapped around my cock.”

“You charmer,” Sawyer teased, though he was utterly enchanted by his man.

Royce pushed him against the wall and caged Sawyer’s head between his hands. “Less talking, more kissing and sucking.”

Sawyer pushed off the wall, forcing Royce to take a step back. He grabbed his hand and led Royce to the bathroom. Sawyer turned on the water to let it heat up, then focused on stripping his husband bare. He was so eager to touch and suck that he nearly stepped into the shower fully dressed before checking the temperature.

Royce snagged his wrist and dragged him back. “I love that you want me so badly, but maybe you should take your clothes off first.”

Finally, FINALLY…Sawyer and Royce make it down the aisle and are married. But before that, I cried. Yes, literally 2 percent into the book and I was blubbering.

Anyway, luckily the wedding was uneventful as far as catastrophes. Evangeline made everything absolutely perfect.

Off they go on their honeymoon. First to TN and Sawyer’s sister’s cabin. Idk, this seemed like a weird stop for me. SC to TN and from there to MI where Sawyer’s parents have a house on one of the little islands.

Being that I live in a seasonally active vacation area, some of the descriptions were just so spot on. Corporations buying up properties so that they can use them as vacation rentals and slowly pushing the full timers out. It’s sad that it is so real. So when Frank, the permanent resident who lives across the street from Sawyer’s parents place has issues with the barely legal kids renting next door, I sympathized.

The “kids” are nasty too. Just mean and rude and ridiculous. But then there is a nasty storm and when the debris is cleared, several people are missing and others are turning up dead. So OF COURSE Sawyer and Royce stayed out of it. Laughing yet? I know.

Figuring out the murderer wasn’t difficult. Their motivation I didn’t guess and it was pretty cool.

This was mostly a light hearted, schmoopy honeymoon book with a murder mystery that wasn’t difficult to figure out, but that’s fine. It was a nice closure on this chapter of their lives.

Pack tissues.

4 pieces of eye candy

. .

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

I’d love to hear from you.

You can reach me at:
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/aimee-nicole-walker
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AimeeNWalker
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/aimeenicole.walker
Instagram – http://instagram.com/aimeenicolewalker
Blog – AimeeNicoleWalker.blogspot.com

Want to be the first to know about my book releases and have access to extra content? You can sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/dlhPYj

My favorite place to hang out and chat with my readers is my Facebook group. Would you like to be a member of Aimee’s Dye Hards? We’d love to have you! Click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AimeesDyeHards/

Connect with Aimee:
https://linktr.ee/AimeeNicoleWalker

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dirty Daddies Pride 2022 Anthology: New Release Reviews

July 11, 2022 by Denise

. .

The Daddies are back and dirtier than ever in this brand new Dirty Daddies anthology!

Love comes in all shapes, sizes, and gender pairings and these 26 brand new, smoking hot daddies are here to prove it. No matter how you like your daddies — stern and sexy or sweet and cuddly — this anthology has a little something for everyone.

Dirty Daddies Pride 2022 includes 26 brand new MM, FF, and MMF Daddy Dom novellas from the following authors:

Pepper North
Daryl Banner
Delia Grace
Siobhan Smile
Aster Rae
Jacki James
Nora Phoenix
M.A. Innes
P. D. Carter
KM Neuhold
Della Cain
Chloe Lynn Ellis
Dakota Trace
Mika Lane
Jamie Merrick
Chara Croft
Gianni Holmes
Morticia Knight
Lesley Clark
Kelly Fox
Mia Monroe
Reese Morrison
Sammi Cee
Lorelei M. Hart
Emma Alcott
Ava Sinclair
Maren Smith

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

The Sheriff’s Troublemaker by Kelly Fox

I’ve been wanting to read Kelly Fox‘s work for a while now, but haven’t for one rather silly reason. I know a Kelly Fox in RL, and she would NEVER write or read an mm romance, and I think my head couldn’t get around that, so this was the perfect opportunity to jump right in. The author wrote a little forward about the MC Jason for the readers (which was SUPER helpful for me not having read anything by her) about him having been a “wholly irredeemable asshole” in previous books, but had been working through getting him to be redeemable after all. Read the forward, too, it’s funny. Now on to the review.

We meet Jason in a rather hilarious way. He’s basically tagging a billboard with graffiti, being naughty, when the town Sheriff shows up to catch him in the act. And this pattern continues. When Jason is upset, hurting, stressed out, he acts out until Patrick the Sheriff shows up, they banter with lots of little snarky and funny comments and Jason is let go with a warning, most of the time.

We learn that Jason and his brother have struggled hard since they came out to their parents and their father set out to ruin their lives, which is how they both end up spiraling. Jason by needing a Daddy to take control of his self destructive tendencies, while Justin turned to drugs and alcohol. Jason spent a lot of time trying to save his brother, and he could never seem to get ahead, or a handle on how to deal with him. It obviously caused him a lot of pain, which kept him spiraling. The scene after the accident had me reaching for tissues. Justin made me want to reach out and hug him as well.

Patrick was a solid stable force for Jason, as he slowly began to understand what Jason was going through, and giving him a well deserved and very much needed spanking. But they had a lot to deal with, and I will say I cried more than once. Jason had a lot to deal with, and Patrick was able to be there for him, even if they had to hide it.

They really were perfect for each other in so many ways. And the sexy times….holy buckets….you might not want to read this out in public. 😉

My biggest thing in this story…I wanted to see a bit more about what happens with Justin, but maybe now if I am going to read more of this author, I might find out. 🙂

4 pieces of eye candy

Bite Me, Daddy by Mia Monroe

Not having read anything by Mia Monroe, I wanted to check this one out. The author seems to really like vampires, which turned out to be great for this story!

What a super sweet, with definitely a lot of sexy, story. Sebastian as it turns out is a vampire, but also a Daddy. Actually this story had a lot of plot points that were not your average Daddy story. Scout wanted the opportunity to dominate his someday Daddy (spoiler alert, he gets to eventually), but still wanted to submit to him, allow him to pick things for him, etc. Meanwhile, Sebastian was just looking for a home, a coven where he felt comfortable to be himself, have a found family. When he meets Scout, Sebastian knows he’s found that person. Sebastian really was very sweet, caring and found several ways to help take care of Scout.

This story had a lot of laughs for me. Sebastian being able to read Scout’s mind, as Scout was mentally saying things about how hot he thought Sebastian was, and later how crazy he thought Sebastian was, as he was told that he was a vampire.

There were quite a few touching moments, with some hurt as well. When Sebastian says that Scout is his soulmate, and Scout freaks out, I felt bad for Sebastian. However, he was persistent, as he kept trying to convince Scout.

This was fun, sexy, and still had some good feels.

4 pieces of eye candy

Cruising for a Daddy by Jacki James

Jacki James is another author I haven’t read, but will be checking out more of her books, after reading this one.

Adam is given a birthday present from his sister of a cruise that just happens to have a group for BDSM. He isn’t very happy about having to take time off work for it, but gamely sets out with his sister and her wife on what he describes as a blind date. However, her goal is to help him find a boy that will make him happy.

Meanwhile, Ollie and his best friend buy this cruise for themselves as a college graduation present, hoping to have a great time, and start themselves down the road of finding the Daddy they each are looking for.

Seeing how Adam and Ollie had completely different attitudes to their cruise was funny. Adam was basically just grumpy about it all, about going on the cruise, then about having to do activities outside of his suite. While Ollie wanted to do ALL the things, even down to being up on deck waving as they left port.

After a misunderstanding, they meet up and it progresses quickly from there, with them agreeing to spend the week together. Adam was very respectful of Ollie’s time for his best friend, but definitely wanted as much time with Ollie as he could get. Adam was definitely a Daddy, wanting to be in control, while Ollie was sweet, with a sexy boy side.

There was no angst, just a sweet and sexy story, with an ending that was expected, Ollie going home with his Daddy. Adam making sure that Ollie could be independent, but still wanting to have his boy with him.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Dirty Job: Dirty Deeds: Book Two by TA Moore: Blog Tour, Exclusive Guest Post and Giveaway

July 8, 2022 by Denise

. .

All Grade Pulaski wanted was a quiet life, a few low-profile murders to clean up after, and his hometown in the rear view as he headed back to LA. Simple, attainable goals. All he had to do was keep his nose down and everyone else’s hands clean…as far as the law was concerned…and he’d been able to show Sweeny his heels sooner rather than later.

Problem was that Grade’s ‘thing’ with local mob boss Clay Traynor—currently somewhere between a one-night stand and a bad idea—was a lot of things, but it wasn’t quiet or simple.

For example, Judge Charity Parker was the last person in Sweeny who needed to know Grade’s name. Yet here he was in her basement after midnight, cleaning up a mess that could derail a couple of political careers in one fell swoop. All because Clay owed Judge Parker a favor… or three.

Grade should have known better than to go along with it. Amateurs always made a job messy, and politicians didn’t have a grateful bone in their bodies. Now the only chance he had of seeing LA again meant he had to break his professional code of conduct.

He needed to get his client caught.

Title: Dirty Job: Book 2 in the Dirty Deeds series

Publisher: Rogue Firebird Press

Release: July 5

Amazon

Hi everyone!

Thanks for letting me pop in to talk about my latest book, Dirty Job, which comes out on July 5. This is the second book in the Dirty Deeds trilogy, and I had a lot of fun with it! It’s available online – https://books2read.com/DirtyJob – and I hope you like it! There’s a third book in the works, after all!

If you want a ‘taste’ of the Dirty Deeds world, I thought I’d talk a little bit about where it came from. Which is, of course, me.

People have been surprised before when they meet me because I’m quite pleasant and a bit daft. ‘You seem,’ they say with surprise, ‘so nice.’ Because what I write isn’t always. The thing is, I grew up in Northern Ireland in the dog days of the Troubles, I worked in the charity and voluntary sector over here for years before I was published. What I write? Could be a lot worse.

And that isn’t to imply that I am, in any sense of the word, a hardcase or tough or even brave. I’m a coward. My only instinct in a difficult situation is flight or tea. However, I’ve met people who are hard and dangerous and who told me stuff about the things they’d done that made me moderately worried I was now somehow implicated.

There is nothing like sitting in an office talking to a man who’s just served his time for murder while he tries to jog your memory about why he went down. “Ah, g’wan, you’ll have heard of me.” But I digress.

I’m also a bit like Grade in that I know how easy it is to become desensitized to terrible things. I worked for a documentary company, and I remember going into the BBC archives and looking through old footage from the Troubles. At first, you’re horrified and uncomfortable in the way that watching someone else’s worst day can make you, but that doesn’t last. This is your job, so you have to keep looking, and eventually, disgust turns into ‘Wait! That segment there with the blood spray up the walls? I want that. That’s perfect’.

I also worked on a documentary series about a coroner, and it was fascinating how detached he was from the bodies. Everyone differs, of course, but I don’t see how you could be anything else and do that job. If you saw the corpse as a person, how could you peel their face off? Which they do. It’s quite noisy.

There’s a detachment that comes from any violent occupation—legal or not. Because the human body, the human mind, is built to adapt to its environment. The first time someone does something gross or awful, something that crosses that moral event horizon, the aversive reaction is going to hit hard. Because socially, we’ve been conditioned to ‘not do this,’ whatever it is. If you keep doing it, though? Your body gives up on that because it obviously isn’t working.

Most of the crooks that I crossed paths with? They weren’t particularly sorry. Some of them were proud of what they’d done, some joked about it, and others just thought it had been a day’s work. They had no plans to re-offend, but they’d not had the scales drop from their eyes to see what awful things they’d done. It had just been a day in the office for them.

Just like it is for Grade.

. .

TA Moore is a Northern Irish writer of romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and contemporary romance novels. A childhood in a rural, seaside town fostered in her a suspicious nature, a love of mystery, and a streak of black humor a mile wide. As her grandmother always said, ‘she’d laugh at a bad thing that one.’ Mind you, that was the pot calling the kettle black. TA Moore studied History, Irish mythology, and English at University, mostly because she has always loved a good story. She has worked as a journalist, a finance manager, and in the arts sectors before she finally gave in to a lifelong desire to write.

Coffee, Doc Marten boots, and good friends are the essential things in life. Spiders, mayo, and heels are to be avoided.

Start Page: https://tamoorewrites.start.page

Website: www.tamoorewrites.com

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

Twitter: @tamoorewrites

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hard Job: MM SEAL Bodyguard Romance (A-List Security Book 2) by Annabeth Albert: New Release Review

July 7, 2022 by Denise

. .

How hard can it be to guard the country’s biggest rockstar?

As a SEAL officer, I’m no stranger to danger, but running my own security firm is a new challenge. Finding the right bodyguard for each client isn’t easy. Our next gig? My little brother’s best friend, rock god Ezra Moon, has a security crisis. Ezra is convinced I’m the right man for the job, but I’m not so sure.

From crowd surfing to infamous pictures, Ezra is known for taking risks. It’s no wonder his record label thinks he needs a keeper on tour.

But there’s not a tour bus big enough to contain our incendiary attraction. Ezra and his antics push every last one of my buttons, but the real problem is how much I want to kiss some sense into him. He’s a client, and angry make-out sessions aren’t the answer. Yet we keep finding ourselves alone and burning up the sheets until our secret fling threatens to scorch both of us.

I’ve spent my whole life running from the spotlight, trying to distance myself from my notorious father. Ezra wants to live his best life on the biggest stage. A future seems impossible, but our feelings are undeniable. Can I admit how hard I’ve fallen for Ezra without losing everything?

HARD JOB is book two in a brand-new SEAL bodyguard series. It features a reluctant SEAL bodyguard, a mouthy rock star with a heart of gold, molten chemistry, and pie. Lots of pie. Also, all the high heat, big emotions, and found family feels readers expect from this fan-favorite military romance author. Join A-List security for this new series featuring former SEALs and the celebrity clients who win their hearts. Happy endings and no cliffhangers guaranteed!

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Tough Luck: MM SEAL Bodyguard Romance (A-List Security Book 1)

Bad Deal: MM SEAL Bodyguard Romance (A-List Security Book 3)

Somehow I missed book one of this new series. I will definitely be going back to read Danny and Chase’s story. Luckily, this is easily read as a stand alone so I didn’t lose anything that I couldn’t extrapolate easily.

So. Rock star, yes please. Former SEAL now bodyguard, also yes please. Turn your AC on because this was a hot one.

Duncan has been a secret fan of They Wear Crowns and had a crush on the lead singer Ezra since they released their first album. Before that, Duncan knew Ezra from when he and Duncan’s half brother were on a television show together.

Ezra, on the other hand, ALWAYS had a crush on Duncan. There’s maybe a 5ish year age difference which explains why Duncan had no interest in Ezra at first. But now, he is an adult with a great career and Duncan’s brother suggests him as security for the band and Ezra.

So they are thrown together right before the band is back on tour. Ezra can flirt with the best of them and it doesn’t take long to wear down Duncan’s tissue paper thin defenses. But Duncan doesn’t believe in happily ever after. He grew up with a Hollywood big wig for a father who has been married 4 times and had a lot of accusations swept under the rug. His father also wants him to work for him. Which is comical because Duncan does not have the personality for that at all. Can you imagine a former SEAL schmoozing in Hollywood? Duncan doesn’t even like sharing a last name with his father.

In the meantime Ezra and his band continue to tour with Duncan working security. And meeting in one of their hotel rooms at night. They are keeping everything on the downlow though, partly because Ezra is a client and partly because Duncan does not want to be in the gossip rags like his father. That leads to a lot of strife between them. But Duncan is definitely catching some feelings and that is just complicating things even further. Silly feelings.

I loved Ezra. He is down to earth, very mature considering his life in show biz, but also fun. He does not take himself too seriously at all. But don’t worry. Because Duncan is ALL about the serious. Probably too much about the serious. But together they are amazing. Duncan doesn’t realize how incredibly sweet and loving he is. He is such a nurturer but at the same time has no problem giving up control in the bedroom.

There isn’t a ton of interaction with the other band members. Mostly their manager, some with Ezra’s parents and then Duncan’s step brother and father. It kept the story from getting overly cluttered, but it was also a little odd that he didn’t hang with them much.

This was a good read with very likable characters who were meant for each other.

4 pieces of eye candy