Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

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On The Edge (Mount Hope Book 3) by Annabeth Albert: Release Day Review

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DANGER! RIDING TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE!

My life is one big caution sign. Ever since my best friend’s all-grown-up son joined our shared home, I’ve been navigating a growing attraction to the injured motocross rider. Declan unleashes every protective and caretaking impulse I have, and I genuinely love spending time with the guy.

But Declan’s too young, too straight, and too temporary to risk a twenty-year friendship over. At least until he kisses me, and I tumble past forbidden attraction into a doomed secret fling.

What starts as exploration for Declan quickly transforms into an undeniable bond. He’s exactly what I’ve been searching for: a ride-or-die partner in crime who is happy making blanket forts, talking late into the night, and shares my love of cozy books and movies. What could be more perfect?

When Declan faces a crucial choice, both our hearts are on the line. Can we avoid falling over the edge into heartbreak?

ON THE EDGE is book three of the Mount Hope first responder series and features an emergency room nurse practitioner who is hopelessly soft for his best friend’s son. This dad’s best friend, hurt/comfort (heavy on the comfort), age gap romance contains small town feels, big emotional growth, and sizzling romance. While certain subplot threads continue throughout the series, each guaranteed happily ever after stands alone!

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Book 3 in the series, can definitely be a stand alone. But why? I love this group of close knit friends who are in their 40’s, supporting each other and finding love (not with each other, teehee).

I really wondered who this one would play out. Because it’s one of the 40 something guys and the son of one of his friends. So we’re talking a 20 year age difference and these guys are all in each other’s pockets living on the same property. But it was so smooth.

That was my thought through the book. It was smooth. Declan and Jonas didn’t jump into anything. Well, after fighting it for a bit. Declan because he is a motocross rider and in the closet and Jonas because Declan is the son of one of his best friends.

An accident and then proximity bring them together. But really, Jonas reading to a first unconscious Declan had me swooning. And they continued it throughout the book. Even when things started heating up between them, they still had nights where they would cuddle and read. I mean, come on. How can you not love that?

Hearing about Jonas’ upbringing was an interesting part of the story. I love that it was PART of his story, but he didn’t make it his whole story. And although their situations were completely different, that shared lack of parenting brought them together more.

If you’ve read the other books, we get a lot of Eric’s kids. Wren and Rowan the most (fingers crossed for a Rowan story down the line!). They are entertaining without drawing all of the attention. Surprisingly, Declan’s father, Sean, wasn’t as big a part of the story as I was expecting. But I liked it because there was less tip toeing around.

The age difference also isn’t a big factor. It’s brought up, but not frequently. Some stories it’s all they talk about and it gets boring. Not so here. Oh. And Jonas being all hairy and NOT buff, perhaps even a big squishy. Loved it!

I’ve already thought about how book 4 will go as there were big changes happening with the friend group and their partners. And with Eric’s kids. **here’s my eyes popping out of my head at the epilogue**

4 pieces of eye candy

In The Nick of Time (Subpar Heroes Collection) by Elle Keaton: New Release Review

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Have you always thought you were special?

Perennially unemployed loner Nick Sedgewick applies to an online job opening with that exact phrase and expects nothing to come of it. It was likely a no-so-funny prank after all.

If Doug ‘Long Shot’ Swanson wanted a new work partner he’d hire one himself. He’s perfectly happy on his own and if he plays his cards right he’ll retire sooner rather than later. And he certainly wouldn’t hire an irritating spicy-candy-eating slacker who’d probably miss his own funeral.

But somebody is killing off agents and Nick’s new boss needs Doug and Nick to figure out who it is and put a stop to it. And if they accidentally fall in love along the way that is no one’s business but their own.

Neither man wants to be a hero. But maybe between the two of them, they can save the world. Or at least their little corner of it.

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I’ve read a couple of these books and they are fun. I love the premise of super powers that aren’t that helpful. Reminds me of that meme, what would you steal from an ex just to make their life a little annoying? All the batteries in the house. Or all the lightbulbs. Silly, but effective.

Nick has a power that could be way more effective. But being subpar, it’s a little effective. But he still is recruited to partner with a former hero who left the game. And plans on retiring very soon. And doesn’t want a trainee or partner. Too bad.

This one, I will say, is slightly, very slightly, more serious than the others I have read. Mostly because there are dead and missing agents. Doug wants to figure it out, find the missing agents before they are dead agents and unfortunately he has to drag Nick around. Oh. And a 50 pound tortoise named Tim. You’ll see. But there is definte comic relief there.

Naturally, both Doug and Nick are gay and you can see where that is going, yes? I did love how Nick teased Doug so much. Never in a mean way, but to get him to unclench a bit.

A little more background story on Nick would have been nice, but it’s fine. So a former hero, a subpar hero, a tortoise and Vegas. It’s a fun romp.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Batting Style (Book 3 of Franklin U 2) by Louisa Masters: IG Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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Blaise
There are a few things I know for sure: I’m gay, I want to do costume design for film and television, and a supportive family is what other people have. Oh… and fate’s not my biggest fan. That’s fine, though—who needs fate? I’ve got friends I love, a welcoming community, and a plan. Graduate college? Check. Build up my portfolio? Whenever I can. Impress industry pros? Done. Save the money for my dream internship? Working on it. All I’ve gotta do is stick with the plan, and that internship is mine next year.
And then Jordan Marks walks into my life, and my plan turns into a loose guideline. Suddenly I’m learning about baseball and giving away shifts at work so I can watch him play. My goals are the same, but maybe there’s room in them for the world’s sweetest athlete.

Jordan
I’m pretty sure the gods of baseball don’t care if I wear a suit on game day, but Franklin U and Coach do, so when mine rips, replacing it is an urgent mission. That’s how I meet Blaise Warner and my “I guess I could be bi” musings become full-blown “I wanna learn to handle a bat” demands. Blaise is smart, talented, and has goals… and he’s more than happy to teach me a new batting style.
But as we go from casual to more, the things I never mentioned—like my dads’ connections in the entertainment industry—become heavy secrets. Plus, while our friends know we’re dating, nobody else does. That’s not fair to Blaise, but do I really want to be the latest queer college ball player?
I don’t get a chance to figure it all out before things fall apart, and now we both have to decide what our real priorities are.

Title: Batting Style
Authors: Louisa Masters
Series: Franklin U Season 2, Book 3
Genre: Contemporary.

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Goodreads

I love that all of these books are in the same world but can be read as stand alones. Especially when one of the main characters goes back to a previous series the author wrote. Plus, baseball.

Jordan, who was a kid (I forget exact age) but now he is a college sophomore playing baseball at FU. If you read Luke and Grant’s original story, I think you’ll really love seeing a grown up Jordan (and Mila). But if you didn’t, you will still thoroughly enjoy this book.

I will be totally honest and say I didn’t like the first scenes with Jordan and Blaise. Jordan especially felt disingenuous. And with two gay “dads”? Nah. You’ll see.

BUT!

That was really the only thing I didn’t like and quickly forgot as I kept reading. I loved Jordan and Blaise. I loved that Jordan played baseball in college but had no MLB ambitions. I loved that Blaise was doing everything he could to live his career dreams. You could also see the difference in maturity just a few years can make. Blaise is laser focused on what he wants and won’t let anything stand in the way. Jordan is more laid back, being a sophomore he doesn’t really need to make any decisions and that is evident. But Blaise has no problem with a boyfriend a few years younger than him and still in college. It’s a non-issue.

Jordan has a bi awakening and Blaise is all for it. And Jordan is so open to everything without making Blaise feel like a practice toy. They just gel.

There were some great characters that I hope we see more of. Including Blaise’s roommate. Not an FU book but I’d love to read his story.

Great addition to the series. You don’t get dragged down by the baseball or the costume design. The story had good meat to it, with introspection, growth, found family and love.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Louisa Masters started reading romance much earlier than her mother thought she should. While other teenagers were sneaking out of the house, Louisa was sneaking romance novels in and working out how to read them without being discovered.

She writes funny paranormal and contemporary MM romance and loves the freedom that kooky characters give her.

Connect with Louisa:
https://www.louisamasters.com/insta-links/

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The Hookup Mix-up (Franklin University Series Season 2, Book) by Riley Hart: Blog Tour, New Release Book Review, and Giveaway

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Franklin University Series Season 2, Book 1

Perry
I moved to San Luco to get to know my brother, and so far, it’s been great. Working as a bartender at Shenanigans, a bar close to Franklin University, there are beautiful men and women everywhere. When a hot guy falls into my arms at a party, I’m down for some naughty fun. Until I realize he’s way too drunk for anything to happen. Thankfully, we agree to meet up the next day.

One near kiss later, I discover Theo has no idea I’ve been hitting on him. He thinks we’re hanging out as buddies, and to my great regret, says he’s straight. How did I misread this situation when I thought he was giving me all the right signals?

Theo
Perry thinks I’m a nine…a nine! Sure, I’m not into dudes, but it’s flattering that someone as attractive as him thinks I’m hot. Despite the confusion, Perry and I click and agree to keep hanging out. The more time I spend with him, the more I realize there’s a part of myself I’ve been ignoring. One that’s super bi and wants Perry as more than a friend.

Trying to study with him makes things hard for me…below the belt. Unfortunately, his abandonment issues have him open to a fling and nothing more, while I’m catching feelings in a big way. Can I be satisfied with a hookup? Or should I find a way to convince him to take a chance on making this something real?

Cover Designer: Natasha Snow
Model: Austyn – Photographer: Cadwallader Photography

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Goodreads

What a fun start to this second set of books set in the FU world.

We met Perry way back in book 1 of the first set of books. The angsty illegitimate brother of Ty- lacrosse god. A guy who found out he has a half brother he wants to know. And now it’s his turn for a HEA.

Enter Theo. Kind of clueless in all things love and flirting and relationships. He’s a great guy who doesn’t realize how great he is. He only gives himself a 6. But then he meets Perry. Who gives him a 9. He’s also drunk and still stinging from being broken up with and not gay or bi. Mmmhmm… we all know how that goes.

Perry thinks Theo called for a hookup. Theo thinks he called Perry to invite him to a thank you lunch. That’s a sticky wicket.

Couple of things I really really liked about this. Theo is just kind of a doofus. But in an innocent way. And Perry thinks it is awesome. In fact he tells him to never change. And when Theo and Perry do start to really hook up, Perry makes no bones (hahahaha I kill me) about having wanted Theo the whole time. No false pretenses here.

And Perry tells Theo that shower sex isn’t all that! FINALLY! Someone says it! Sorry, pet peeve of mine. Shower sex is not sexy.

The story also deals with Theo struggling in school and potentially letting his parents down as well as Perry still avoiding meeting his father face to face for the first time.

Brax and Ty show up at great times in the story. I love meeting up with old characters.

Feel good, meet cute, just cutey cute love story.

4 pieces of eye candy

Riley Hart has always been known as the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She won her first writing contest in elementary school, and although she primarily focuses on male/male romance, under her various pen names, she’s written a little bit of everything. Regardless of the sub-genre, there’s always one common theme and that’s…romance! No surprise seeing as she’s a hopeless romantic herself. Riley’s a lover of character-driven plots, flawed characters, and always tries to write stories and characters people can relate to. She believes everyone deserves to see themselves in the books they read. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading or enjoying time with her awesome family in their home in North Carolina.

Riley Hart is represented by Jane Dystel at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret Literary Management. She’s a 2019 Lambda Literary Award Finalist for Of Sunlight and Stardust. Under her pen name, her young adult novel, The History of Us is an ALA Rainbow Booklist Recommended Read and Turn the World Upside Down is a Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Award Winner.
Join Riley’s reader group here!

Riley loves hearing from readers. You can contact her at rileyhartwrites@yahoo.com

Connect with Riley:
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Greek God (Flying into Love, Book 7) by CF White: Release Blitz, Exclusive Excerpt, and Giveaway

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Can a Greek God make Jesse believe in love again?

Jesse’s heartache is as vast as the Aegean Sea when his mother’s sudden passing lures him back to the Greek island he swore never to return to. With bitterness festering over his mother’s abandonment, Jesse’s unprepared for the emotional maelstrom awaiting him.

Demetrios still carries the scars of a teenage love affair that once set his small-island life ablaze. Bound to Naxos by duty and drowning his sorrow in fleeting dalliances with tourists, he’s blindsided when Jesse, his stepbrother, returns for his mother’s funeral.

Jesse grapples with the pain of his mother’s choices and Demetrios struggles with the weight of familial expectations. But their undeniable chemistry reignites, challenging them to confront what happened before their romance crashed and burned.

Is it too late for Jesse and Demetrios to embrace what they long denied themselves? Or will fear of heartbreak keep them anchored in their past?

Greek God (Flying into Love #7) is a stepbrothers-to-lovers, hurt/comfort, second chance standalone romance in the steamy MM Flying into Love series, featuring a shy and awkward illustrator who doesn’t believe in love and an enigmatic playboy oozing romance.

Title: Greek God
Authors: C F White
Length: 308 pages
Series: Flying into Love, Book 7

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Goodreads

Jesse peered over his shoulder. Demetrios stood over him, hands in his trouser pockets. Jesse turned away, lifted his glasses to wipe his eyes, then stood, shoving his phone back in his pocket. “How’s Anastasia?”

“Who?”

“The girl you’re fucking for an apartment.”

“Jesse—”

“I can’t do this, Dem.”

“Do what?”

“This!” He flapped a hand at the two of them. “You. I don’t know who you are. What you are. Or what I even am to you.”

“If you’d let me, I’d show you.” Demetrios stepped forward, reaching for Jesse’s hand, but Jesse dipped away, out of reach. “You stopped talking to me. You didn’t even want to be friends!” His voice was so weak at the word, ‘friends’ as if it was a last resort.

“How can we be friends, Dem?”

“Why can’t we be friends?”

“Because we’re brothers. And you’re here. And I can’t be here. And you…you…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it. The pain was too much. “Why am I even here?” He asked himself instead, then stormed off. He had to get away. Needed to leave. Mostly because of how good Demetrios looked. How intoxicating he smelled. How genuine he came across.

And how easy it would be to be lured back into the fairytale.

“Jesse!”

Jesse marched along the seafront, dress shoes clomping on concrete and filling up with sand particles to irritate his feet. It was better to focus on that than the emotional pain. It hurt less. He dodged the bars, those strolling along with ice creams, and found himself outside the Kallis Taverna, the sign outside stating it was closed for a wedding.

Jesse needed to cry. But he couldn’t do it out in the open among the excited holiday makers. So he ducked into the passage separating the taverna from the apartments and, midway, fell against the wall as dusk hit, providing him with shade from the sun and a shadow from his life. From himself. From everything that caused him to break.

“Jesse?” Of course Demetrios would find him.

Jesse took his glasses off, cleaning them on his shirt and sniffed. Demetrios stood in front of him, that sweetened scent driving into Jesse’s consciousness and leaving an imprint on his broken heart. He put his glasses back on, lifted his head and met his gaze.

No words exchanged. Just soft breath meshing with soft breath as they inhaled each other and exhaled their defeat. Jesse didn’t move away. He stood there, grounded against the concrete wall, blocked away from the rest of Aegleia.

Demetrios slipped a hand around Jesse’s neck, stepped closer, and kissed him.

It had been two years.

Two and a half years.

Nearly three years since he’d had Demetrios’ lips on his own. Since he’d had a kiss that sparked frustratingly inside him. Since he’d allowed himself to feel what it was Demetrios gave him that no one else could. He couldn’t fight the instinct, the innate need to feel the touch of him on his skin, to know how it felt to have him, body and soul. Like this. He kissed him back, tongues reuniting as Demetrios crushed his body against his, giving his all to him and this moment.

As the sun filtered down, bringing night to day, Demetrios kissed and kissed and fell into Jesse. Not quite suppressed, but not quite free, Jesse hung there like a slave for him. It was easier to let it all happen. To throw himself back into the fire. The initial burn might sting, but it was the scar tissue after that would forever blister.

Demetrios ripped his mouth away and, in velvety smooth tones that had Jesse caving, he rumbled a desperate and imploring, “Jesse.” Then he dipped his forehead to his and exhaled at the hardness locked within Jesse’s trousers.

Jesse knew he’d let him do it before Demetrios might have even had the thought, and he bashed the back of his head against the wall as Demetrios fiddled with his belt, unfastened his button and lowered his zip. He then kissed him as he delved his hand inside Jesse’s underwear and wrapped desperate, firm fingers around his needy, throbbing cock.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” Demetrios growled. “Tell me and I’ll stop.”

Jesse didn’t tell him any such thing.

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Brought up in a relatively small town in Hertfordshire, C F White managed to do what most other residents try to do and fail—leave.

She eventually moved West to East along that vast District Line and settled for pie and mash, cockles and winkles and a bit of Knees Up Mother Brown to live in the East End of London; securing a job and creating a life, a home and a family.

After her second son was born with a rare disability, C F White’s life changed and brought pen back to paper having written stories as a child but never the confidence to show them to the world. Now, having embarked on this writing journey, she can’t stop. So strap in, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Connect with C.F.:
Subscribe to C F White to get bonus content from this series and others @: www.cfwhiteauthor.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014226126217
WattPad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/CFWhiteUK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfwhiteuk
IG: https://www.instagram.com/c.f.whiteauthor/

Or why not join her reader group on Facebook: Tighty Whitey’s

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Up All Night (Mount Hope Book 1) by Annabeth Albert: Release Day Review

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What happened to my predictable life?

I had a stable life as a fire captain in Seattle, married to one of my best friends and raising two awesome kids. Now, my kids are grown, and my marriage is toast. I’m solidly past forty and back in my tiny hometown of Mount Hope, Oregon, filling in as a firefighter. My future is one big question mark keeping me up at night.

Also keeping me up? The short-order cook at Honey’s Hotcake Hut.

Denver might be close to my age, but we’re total opposites. The former rock roadie runs from stability, never puts down roots, and lives for the moment. Point in case, we barely speak before he invites me into his shower.

I’ve never been with a man, but my fresh start has me trying all sorts of new things—including Denver’s shower.

Our future? Hopeless.

Denver doesn’t do repeats, but I convince him to have a fling since we’re both in Mount Hope short-term. The more time we spend together, the deeper our friendship and bond grows. Our time together outside of the bedroom, reveals a caring side to the grumpy cook. Even better, my sunshine-y optimism softens him like butter.

Should a fling give me these deep feelings? Nope.

Worse, the feelings are mutual. Big decisions loom for both our futures, and our time together grows short. I might have Denver’s heart, but his trust is far harder to win. He’s the answer to all my question marks, and I need him to believe in us. Can I convince him to give our love a chance?

UP ALL NIGHT features a grumpy/sunshine pairing for a forty-something firefighter on a path of self-discovery with an UP ALL NIGHT short-order cook. It contains loads of first-time feels with sexual awakening and exploration with a heaping helping of personal growth and deep connection for this opposites-attract couple.

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I’ve been a fan of this author since about forever. I’ve read, and thoroughly enjoyed, all of her books. And I love series where they are set in a small town and/or there is a friend group, etc. You get to know all new characters and when it is their turn for a happily ever after, you also get to revisit previous characters and couples. Needless to say, I was looking forward to this book.

And, whoa. This book definitely had the feel of other Annabeth Albert books, but it was MORE. I feel like her writing has grown and entered a new era. She isn’t shy in saying she had quite a few personal life changes in the past few years. And I really think those things opened her up. The characters really came alive for me. And not just the main characters and one or two side characters. I mean Sean’s other friends, the kids, The waitress Denver works with overnight. And although Denver doesn’t have family, Sean does. And instead of focusing on a character’s family as fall back when things get tough, the focus has shifted to friends. Friends they’ve had for 20 years. Friends they work with. Friends they just met. It just changed the FEEL of it for me.

Denver and Sean also have things in their past that could have really damaged them. But they came through with just a few scabs. No permanent scars. Denver calls himself a no relationship guy, but he just really doesn’t know what a relationship entails. Growing up as he did, he never SAW it. Sean is a relationship guy 100%. He’s like a golden retriever looking for a home.

Another thing I loved is that these guys are adults. 40 years old give or take. People have a much different perspective on life at that age compared to their 20’s. Nice to see mature men finding love.

Great start to this new series and I really cannot wait for more.

4.5 pieces of eye candy