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Review: The Captain's Encounter (Adrift #2) by T.J. Land

The captain’s luck is finally changing. After four years of being lost in space, his starship, The Prayer, has found an inhabitable planet to land on. The whole crew—and his lovers Thomas, Rick, and Zachery in particular—are happy to set foot on terra firma again, not least because the planet comes with plenty of trees to hide behind for those…intimate occasions.

But the fertile landscape hides a secret. When the captain finds himself abducted by an alien life form, he’s got limited time to get back to his crew before they succumb to infighting. Only the alien is so very attractive…


I loved the first book in this series, The Captain’s Men and when The Captain’s Encounter came in to the blog I jumped at it like these boys jump on the Captain every chance they get.

And, YAY, The Captain’s Encounter is just as fun, sexy and snarky as the first story. It’s not always easy to read a “ménage and more” story, especially one on the shorter side, and keep track of the characters. All the unique personalities came back to me as soon as I started, and to me, as a reader, that says a lot. I had no trouble picking back up on the dynamics right where they left off and the dynamics are what make this series so fun. Each of the characters, The Captain, Thomas, Zachery, Rick, Echo and Antione keep the snark and steam coming and the relationships are evolving now that the Captain, Thomas, Zachery and Rick have crossed the line from crew mates to fuck buddies repeatedly and enthusiastically.

I have to tell you how much I love Rick. I love Rick so much. So far I’m getting the vibe that he’s the guy who’s going to bridge the gap between boning and boyfriends for these guys. He’s pretty inexperienced and is the youngest crew member so his naïveté shows in his need for connections. He’s not all bitter and closed off like SOME people (Zachery, I’m side eyeing you) or too carefree to avoid getting close to protect your heart (Hello, Thomas). It’s actually very sweet in a very “guy” way. There’s no fluffy hearts and flowers but there’s definitely connections and a lot of hope for these guys in the upcoming books.

I can’t wait to see where these relationships go. In the meantime, the Captain has gotten himself into a bit of a pickle on this new planet they are exploring. He’s managed to end up in a cave inhabited by the sole survivor, Rux, of the planet. Rux happens to be a shapeshifter with skills to morph into something delicious for the Captain and I like where the shapeshifting angle could be going in the future. Teasing me with tentacle talk is a sure way to get me invested in a series. I just hope the author delivers.

While the Captain is lost, the rest of the crew steadily loses their shit. Antoine is doing his best to keep everyone together and Echo turns out to be a rock during this time. The author did a great job of showing the crew’s stress when they’re without the Captain they’ve always respected and how many have grown to love. I didn’t have to be told that the Captain is the glue that holds them all together; I can see it in every action.

I can’t wait to see what’s coming next and how Rux is going to fit into the group. There are teases in the next books blurb about Zachery, I gotta know what’s going to happen with him, he’s a tough nut to crack, but I know he’s crackable and I want to see it.


For more information on the Captain and his crew, check it out on Goodreads.


**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Author Bio

T.J. Land is a South African writer of erotic romance and sometimes other things. She loves astronomy without understanding the first thing about it, and she insists that the Horsehead Nebula does not look anything like a horse. She thinks your hair is cute.

Excerpt
Thomas tilted his head back and closed his eyes in bliss.
A breeze. An honest-to-God, one hundred percent authentic breeze. And ground, real ground underneath his feet. And the sky, miles upon miles of perfect duck-egg blue. It was so beautiful he wanted to sob.
The captain had them assembled outside The Prayer, which had entered the planet’s atmosphere ten minutes ago and made a soft landing on a sandy beach. He drew their attention with a whistle; most of them, like Thomas, were still bowled over by how big the sky was and the novelty of standing on something that wasn’t metal.
“All right, everyone,” the captain said, “I’m sure I don’t need to remind you all of protocol…”
He didn’t. Before landing, they’d sat through a two-hour lecture on the proper procedure for ensuring the safety of the crew and the surrounding environment during first-time landings on unknown terra. There had been diagrams and pie charts and a test.
“…but just so we’re clear; if I see anyone touching anything you haven’t been authorized to touch, or diverting from our route, or attempting to re-board the ship without going through the appropriate sterilization procedures, I will have you marooned.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied in one voice.
Zachary stuck up his hand and waved it around. “Hey, captain, what if we need to go to the bathroom?”
Thomas hoped it spoke more to the general air of excitement than to the overall maturity level of his crewmates that it got a few snickers. Not from the captain, of course, who replied, “You should have gone before we disembarked, Mister Halberstam. But if you must, Antoine assures me that the atmosphere is sufficiently Earth-like to permit temporary removal of your suit. Just try not to hit anything that looks as though it might object.”
After spending the last two months in orbit, collecting data and assessing risk, they’d learned the planet’s ocean and southern ice sheet covered eighty-six percent of her surface, and that her two irregularly shaped moons exerted a weaker pull on her tides than the moon did on Earth’s. While there were things swimming in the ocean, none of them displayed any signs of intelligence. Antoine, naturally, had given his own lecture on “the definitional challenges posed by such categories as ‘intelligent’,” which, so far as Thomas could ascertain, boiled down to: “Don’t screw with shit, because the shit you’re screwing with may be smarter than it looks.” As far as the land was concerned, they hadn’t spotted anything big enough to be a threat, inferring a lack of large carnivores from the lack of large herbivorous herds.
Regardless, the captain had told Thomas and Irene to bring the laser rifles, the two of them being the only trained marksmen in the crew. When he’d first signed on, Thomas’s official job title had been “security officer.” Although, like most of them, he’d ended up doing whatever needed to be done. The one other weapon they’d brought with them was Antoine’s stun gun; he never left the ship without it. It was strapped to his suit somewhere in the vicinity of his waist, though Thomas couldn’t see it underneath all the other gear he had on. Their first officer was carrying more equipment than the rest of them put together, including hundreds of test tubes so he could collect samples. Even laden down, he’d been skipping around like a kid at Disneyworld ever since they’d disembarked.
“Look at him,” Zachery said, coming to stand next to Thomas. “You know he’s going to find some freaky alien dog and bring it back to the ship to be our new pet.”
“I’m excited too. Always loved exploring new places. Back home, I used to be a birder,” Thomas volunteered.
Zachery blinked. “A what, now?”
Thomas felt himself blush. He didn’t know all that much about Zachery Halberstam. He’d barely spoken to the guy in four years—not deliberately, but they worked in different parts of the ship, and he’d never thought they had a lot in common. Since the captain had dragged them all into bed with him, they’d started having these strange, stilted conversations. Thomas thought they were becoming friends.
“A birder. Bird-watching? It’s a hobby where you go looking for different types of birds, and if you see one you haven’t seen before, you tick it off the list.”
“Sounds weird.”
“It’s a lot cooler than I’m making it out to be. There’s ten thousand species on Earth, and no single human being alive has ever seen all of them. I was pretty good at spotting…”
Thomas trailed off. It had occurred to him that Zachery wasn’t from Earth; he’d been born on Mars. Had he ever seen a bird? Did he think Thomas was being an asshat, showing off about the fact that he’d been born on the most ecologically diverse planet in the solar system?
Before Thomas could figure out what to say next, Antoine passed by, clattering as he walked, eyes locked on the ground in search of specimens. He made a funny sight, with his weird, skinny body loping through the grass like a stick insect hunting for its dinner.
Zachery nudged Thomas. “Is it just me, or is he whistling?”
“Think so. I heard that he’s got a doctorate in astrobiology. This planet’s like cocaine for him.”

Review: Debt by K.C. Wells

Two months after Mitch Jenkins had the rug pulled out from under him when his two-year relationship came to an abrupt end, he is still hurting. A colleague’s attempt to cheer him up brings Mitch to a secret “club.” Mitch isn’t remotely interested in the twinks parading like peacocks, until he spies the young man at the back of the room, nose firmly in a book and oblivious to his surroundings. Now Mitch is interested.

Nikko Kurokawa wants to pay his debt and get the hell out of the Black Lounge—where he is forced to not only have sex, but sometimes suffer abuse to please clients. Earning his freedom isn’t proving easy, especially when he starts attracting interest. Life becomes that little bit easier to bear when he meets Mitch, who is nothing like the other men who frequent the club. And when Mitch crawls under his skin and into his heart, Nikko figures he can put up with anything. Before long he’ll be out of there, and he and Mitch can figure out if they have a future together.

Neither of them counted on those who don’t want Nikko to leave….


“… You’re addictive, Mr. Jenkins. And any time you want me?” He leaned in closer and whispered into Mitch’s ear. “You can have me.”

Rent boy! Dub-con! An all round sweet love story! Yep I thoroughly enjoyed this!

I thought the rent-boy theme was done really well here. It was not glorified, and not at all pretty, but it wasn’t a story about abuse. It was a love story between two people who needed each other.

Nikko is working as a whore at ‘The Black Lounge’, an exclusive whorehouse, to pay off a debt his brother accidentally accumulated.


Luckily for Nikko, Mitch is his first client.


Mitch is a high school teacher who was convinced to attend the Black Lounge for a night by a colleague. Mitch had just gotten out of a two year relationship and was feeling the need to try something new, hence him being easily persuaded.

Nikko and Mitch have an immediate connection and some super hot but gentle love-making, which makes their first encounter hard to forget. Also, Nikko’s subtle reluctance (despite claims that he’s working for the Black Lounge willingly) sets off protective instincts in Mitch.

Poor Nikko went through a lot in this book. There was no on-page abuse, but Nikko has his fair share of BDSM gone bad, rough fucking and child role-playing. My heart hurt as Nikko was starting to loose hope that he would ever get out of that place in one piece, but his moments with Mitch were a balm to the soul. Despite Nikko’s situation, this was a very sweet story. Quite insta-love, but it worked for me here.

I’m also a sucker for a large age-gap! I love it when the age-gap is noticeable, but not because the younger guy is immature. It's hard to find that mix, I’ve only read a few books that have done it perfectly. In this book, I completely forgot about the age-gap, which was good, but not what I personally like about big age-gaps.

The sex was yummy! Mitch has a pretty dirty mouth on him!


“You like that?”He repeated the action, slamming into Nikko, hard, deep thrusts that hit his gland every time. “Want to see you come from this,”he panted. “You’re gonna come without touching your dick.”He snapped his hips forward. “Fuck, I feel you. Your ass is rippling around my cock.”

There was also some switching up of the roles, with Nikko topping a few times, which I wasn’t expecting but really enjoyed.

There were a couple of reasons this lost a heart from me, one of them was the amount of scenes with Mitch's family. Whilst they were good characters, I would’ve preferred some of that time to be used on Mitch and Nikko being together. I also found myself struggling to finish the story, which brings me to my second reason. Once Nikko was freed, everything became very light and fluffy and I was ready for the HEA 20% before the end. It's dragged a bit too much to really enjoy.

This was a cute story and I really enjoyed the way the rent-boy theme was approached here. Mitch and Nikko had a lot of chemistry, but the prolonged ending fizzled what was otherwise a really excellent read for me.


Check out on Dreamspinner Press or Goodreads!

Review: His Rules Anthology by Various Authors

'Time Out' by Sean Michael

Val and Chaz broke up after Chaz safeworded unnecessarily during a scene. Can they find a way to come back together?

A few months ago, Chaz safeworded during a scene, just because he was feeling neglected and bitchy. Val was understandably upset that his sub lied, and the two of them split up. Now it’s months later and Val is miserable to be around, so his friend sends him to his private lake house to vacation and get over himself. At least, that’s what Val thinks is happening. In reality, Chaz has also been lured to the lake house and is waiting there so they can hopefully get back together.

Despite his shock at finding Chaz at the lake house, Val decides to do a scene. Will it be the last scene they share or will they find a way to move past what happened?

'Strict Consequences' by Morticia Knight

One proposition, one night. Could it be the beginning of a forever after for a Master and sub?

Garson teaches poetry and literature at the local college, but what he does on his own time is much different. His need for pain and dominance is strong, but his fear of letting go is stronger. He won’t let any Dom touch him sexually, and his other hard limits are even more extreme. But lately, his one hour a week sessions haven’t been satisfying him anywhere near enough.

Jarvis finds the bookish and reserved Garson captivating. His love of extreme pain is thrilling. But there’s also a hedonistic wanton hiding beneath the surface of the detached sub, and Jarvis aches to be the one who sets him free. After waiting for a year to crack Garson’s carefully controlled surface, Jarvis conceives of a plan.

Garson knows he shouldn’t give in to Jarvis’ proposition that they spend an evening getting to know each other, but the reward of unlimited time in Jarvis’ dungeon is much too tempting. Or is it actually Jarvis who’s the most tempting thing of all?

'Tagging Mackenzie' by L. M. Somerton

Achieving a Dom’s undivided attention can have unpredictable consequences.

Steele Denton's business doing custom paint jobs for fast bikes is booming. He's in demand and has a reputation for being a perfectionist. Tattooed and intimidating, Steele is also in demand as a Dom at his local BDSM club, Chain of Thorns. He requires perfect submission from any sub he deigns to play with.

Mackenzie Soames is desperate for Steele to notice him, but might as well be invisible. He has no idea how to get invited into the VIP members’ area that Steele rarely strays from, so he concocts a plan to get Steele's attention. Kenzie is a talented graffiti artist with a secret identity, known only by his tag, a pair of handcuffs. He spray-paints a BDSM scene on a wall at the side of Steele's workshop, hoping Steele will see the security footage and track him down. However, Steele is working late and catches him in the act.

Steele recognises Kenzie from the club and demands twenty-four hours of sexual slavery as penance for the graffiti. Kenzie has no choice but to agree and soon discovers that being Steele's sub will either make him or break him.

'Bad Idea' by Lily Harlem

Bad ideas can sometimes be the best!

Roughneck Riders are not an MC club you mess with, least of all their rough and tough gang leader Heavy. But Heavy has a secret that has to be kept, no matter what—his heart belongs to a man. It shouldn’t. He’s supposed to be into women, like the other guys in the club. Junk is just too cute to resist, though. Add in his delectable body, his sweet submission and his willingness to accept Heavy’s sadism, and the couple are a perfect match.

Junk’s a probie, proving his worth to the club and demonstrating his mechanical know-how. He’s lived on the edge for a long time, flitting from one place to the next. But now that he’s settling in as a Roughneck, life is looking up. Not least because he’s in love—soul-eating, cock-thickening obsessive love. He can’t tell anyone about his desire for Heavy, but what he can do is push his lover’s buttons, all day, in full view of everyone, until he’s damned sure the night will bring a whole host of sinful delights and wicked punishments that will leave him marked, bruised and most of all, wholly satisfied.

'Safeword' by Samantha Cayto

A dangerous game turns into unexpected pleasure…

Carter’s dream of running from his abusive family into the arms of the perfect Dom has been shattered. Virtually enslaved by a vicious arms dealer, he has to submit to any man his master gives him to.

Undercover agent Damien Crow is close to putting away the arms dealer he’s been hunting for years. All he has to do to gain the man’s trust is ‘play’ with the pretty boy with the frightened eyes and alluring corset piercing down his back. Being straight and not a practicing Dom, he has doubts he can pull off the effort. One look at his playmate changes his mind. The stakes are high, and he must put on a good show.

At first, Carter assumes Damien is just another brutal Dom to survive. But the big, brooding man reignites his passion and gives him something Carter hasn’t had in years—a safeword. It might be his last chance to enjoy being a sub and he embraces the role no matter what the consequences.

'Earning His Leathers' by S. Dora

Call him old-fashioned, but Connor believes a man should earn his leathers.

Connor Lee is very much into both men and BDSM. He already knows he’s a dominant within the game of sex and power. He just wants to become a damn good master. When he gets the opportunity to become part of an exclusive group of men who share his philosophy, he’s willing to submit to their rites of passage.

His appointed tutor isn’t Connor’s cup of double espresso by any stretch of his imagination. Stone Carver is dark, tall, muscled and he has the face of a man who has seen one fight too many. Stone notices Connor’s hesitation and sends him away to find someone to have fun with and return when he has made up his mind.

Connor meets Jesse, who is everything he has ever dreamed of, and he wants nothing more than to stay with the sweet—potential—submissive. He decides, however, to meet the challenge of submitting to Sir Stone and promises to return to Jesse after he has earned his leathers.

During one long day of pain, pleasure and a smidgeon of humiliation, Sir Stone teaches Connor more than he had bargained for. But has he learned enough to be the Dominant Jesse deserves?



1. 'Time Out' by Sean Michael - 4.5 Hearts

'Those beautiful eyes were still the loveliest he’d ever seen. Ever.'


Sean Michael never disappoints, I love his erotica. Admittedly you know what you're getting, Masters are always going to think 'mine' but my goodness these stories always get me hot and bothered.

A friend believes that Val and Chas should rekindle their relationship and he tricks them both to be in the same place at the same time. When they meet, the sparks fly and the chemistry between them is intense. These guys need to work out if they should reconcile but in the meantime they get down to playing hard and heavy.

2.'Strict Consequences' by Morticia Knight 4.5 Hearts
'Dark wavy hair, heavily lashed brown eyes, pale skin, lean but fit body, Clark Kent glasses and an unashamed pain slut—it all added up to Garson Harrisburg, Jarvis’ own personal wet dream.'


Wow, this was fabulous, Garson is a prickly guy who has very strict boundaries, he has been playing with Master Jarvis for months. Jarvis believes it is time to move the relationship further, but he must tread carefully to woo Garson.

I thought the story was beautiful, full of emotion and insight as tightly wound Garson begins to consider whether he could allow himself to bend some of his own self-imposed rules and play with Jarvis outside the club. The story shares Garson's private thoughts as he spends an evening entirely out of his comfort zone.

3.'Tagging Mackenzie' by L. M. Somerton - 4.5 Hearts


'Bravery under cover of darkness became a whole different thing in the cold light of day.'

This was so much fun, an exciting story of two artists who discover some inventive things to do with heavy machinery. Kenzie is caught by Steele and agrees to be his submissive for twenty-four hours, however both the guys discover that they fit each other's kinks very well and the arrangement they have might be extended.

4.'Bad Idea' by Lily Harlem - 4 Hearts
'But I had to be true to myself. The sight of a broad male chest, roped muscles and the scent of testosterone-infused sweat was what yanked my chain, always had and always would.'
Hot guys in leather and motor bikes, that already ticks a lot of my boxes. I loved how these guys sparked off each other, what I liked a little less was that they kept their relationship secret, one star knocked off for that.

This is a gritty piece in which the boys are members of a homophobic motorcycle club and they need to keep their relationship under wraps. Junk has been trying to get Heavy's attention he succeeds and earns himself a punishment at his master's hands.

Told in the first person by both protagonists this cleverly portrays the simmering attraction between them and the paranoia of knowing their lives are in danger if their liaison is discovered the tension builds throughout the day and when they finally meet up the sex is blistering.

5.'Safeword' by Samantha Cayto - 4.5 Hearts

“I don’t play without a safeword,”he continued. “Call it my personal quirk.”

This packed a big punch for a short story and I loved it. The story reminded me of Lisa Henry's The Island, but that's one of my favourite books ever. Safeword shines on its own and although the setting may have been similar, the protagonists handle the nail biting situation in a fashion that was uniquely their own.



6.'Earning His Leathers' by S. Dora - 3 Hearts
'Earning your leathers, in its many variations, was becoming a thing of the past, deeply hidden in gay history. But he couldn’t be the only one who wanted to be worthy of his leathers, could he?'

I loved the concept of this but the first time around it felt a little rushed. When I re-read it, I discovered that I savoured this story even more the second time around.

It is early days, but Connor believes he may have found his perfect partner in Jesse. First Connor wants to feel like he deserves him and the title of Master. Luckily help may be on hand when Connor receives an invitation to be considered as a member of an exclusive club that can help him master (see what I did there?) the skills of BDSM with like minded people.

I can happily recommend this great collection of half a dozen short stories they are all a super, and full of variety - a wonderful cocktail of kink. Cheers!


Add 'His Rules Anthology' on Goodreads!

Audiobook Review: Violated by Jaime Fessenden

Derek Sawyer thinks he has it all - a high-salaried position, a boyfriend, a dog, even a new cabin on the lake - until a business trip with his manager and best friend, Victor, shatters his world.

One night of drunken horsing around in their hotel room leads to the most intensely personal violation Derek has ever endured. As if the humiliation of working under his attacker every day isn't enough, Victor reports Derek for sexual harassment. Now he's without a job, without a boyfriend, and the mortgage on the cabin is due.

Officer Russ Thomas has worked with rape victims before, and it doesn't take him long to sort out the truth in Derek's tale. With his support, Derek finally reports the crime, months after it happened. But restraining orders and lawyers further Victor's anger toward him, and even though a relationship develops between Derek and the policeman, Russ can't be there to protect him all the time.

Listening Length: 9 hours and 42 minutes
Narrated by:  K.C. Kelly


Derek Sawyer hasn’t been entirely happy in his relationship for a while, but he’s willing to work on it. When he and his fiance, Tim, go to see their new cottage, Derek meets their new neighbour, police officer Russ Thomas. It doesn’t take long for Tim to become jealous and suspicious of Russ.

Soon after, Derek goes on a business trip with his best friend and co-worker, Victor. While on the trip, Victor does the unthinkable - he rapes Derek. Left broken and scared, Derek tries to go back to his normal life, but simply can’t. When everything comes out in the open, Tim turns his back on him. Only Russ, virtually a stranger, is willing to stand by Derek.

I’ve listened to an audiobook narrated by K.C. Kelly before and loved the narration. The audiobook for ‘Violated’ is solid. The pacing is good, the voices of different characters are differentiated, and the narration kept me engaged. The narrator does a good job of setting the appropriate mood for a book that deals with a very heavy topic.

‘Violated’ doesn’t gloss over Derek’s rape. It is all on-page, and we get a front-row seat to the damage it inflicts on Derek. The author depicts every aspect of rape - the physical affects, the mental trauma, the societal judgement, and even the possible economic outcome.

Anyone who has questioned a rape victim’s story simply because the victim took a long period of time to come forward should read this book.

In the aftermath of the rape, Derek falls apart. He finds it difficult to go to work, where he has to see Victor everyday. He can’t confide in Tim, who already thinks the worst of him. He’s alone, and what he feels most is the total humiliation of it all. Derek hates himself for the rape, and blames himself for being raped.

It’s not an easy thing to read. For the first half of the book, there’s no hint of happiness as Derek deals with the fallout of what happened to him. I spent the first half just angry and sad at the injustice of it all.

It isn’t until the second half, when Derek returns to his cabin, that we see him begin to slowly heal. There is no magic healing penis, which I can’t thank the author for enough. Russ knows something’s up with Derek, and so he keeps an eye out for Derek and gets to know him, but there’s no sex between the two for a long time.

I would say this book is more about Derek’s healing process than it is about the romance, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That doesn’t mean that the romance isn’t there, it’s just quiet. It’s clear that Derek and Russ have a connection, one which may have come about at an unfortunate time, but is nevertheless real.

I would have liked some more relationship development right before the epilogue. The epilogue skips two years in advance, and those two years seem to be where Derek and Russ really move forward, with both Derek’s recovery and their relationship. Even so, the epilogue leaves no doubt that Derek and Russ love each other deeply, and have worked hard for a happy ending.

‘Violated’ expertly addresses some difficult and pertinent topics, including rape, hypermasculinity, and the police’s attitude towards rape victims. This isn’t an easy book to read or listen to, but it is well-written and will make you think. If you don’t mind a romance that takes the backseat and a happy ending that isn’t conventional, but very realistic, give this book a try.


A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Find out more on Goodreads and Dreamspinner Press.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: A Cowboy's Home (Montana #3) by RJ Scott




Check out RJ Scott's Release Blitz. Not only is there an exclusive excerpt but there is a $25 Amazon or ARe Gift Card Giveaway is attached!!!

Release Blitz, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway - A Cowboy's Home (Montana #3) - RJ Scott

Author: RJ Scott

Release Date: July 8

Cover Art: Meredith Russell

Buy Links: 

Length: 75,000 words

Series:

Blurb:

One burned and broken man finds his way home. Can he find peace in the arms of a man easy to love?

Justin made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, battling domestic terrorism, never the man he really was, using hate to avenge the death of his best friend. The friend he'd killed.

What he doesn’t count on is getting shot, and if he's going to die he wants it to be on Crooked Tree soil. Home.

Sam is as much a part of Crooked Tree as any of the families, and the offer to buy into the ranch is a dream come true. But falling for a hidden, secretive, injured man isn’t the way to keep his head in the game.
 




Excerpt


He’d dug out the bullet and screamed the pain to the emptiness around him, tied a T-shirt around the area, and tightened his belt over it to hold the makeshift dressing in place—and that had just been day one.


His head throbbed, the pain in his thigh was intense, and he couldn’t stop feeling sick. The betrayal, the bullet… he didn’t know which hurt worse. Revenge was what drove him here, but he could die up in this cabin and no one would know and probably never care.


He had to move. His stomach told him he needed to eat, and his dry mouth insisted he find water somewhere in this godawful run-down heap of a shack.


At least three warrants were out for his arrest. Not for Justin Allens, but for his cover names. Still, they were there. He doubted there was any kind of “be on the lookout” out for the man who killed Saunders and Webb. How could you place a BOLO for a man who didn’t exist anymore? A sheriff was sniffing around the ranch yesterday—one of the Carter brothers, Ryan—asking Adam questions, no doubt, and trying to get him to remember things.


Or maybe they were cutting to the chase now, and Adam had told them Justin had spoken to him.


And how fucking stupid had Justin been to do that? To see the man he thought dead, the boy he’d loved as a kid, standing there alone with Justin’s horse, Easy, was like a punch to the gut.


Adam was alive.


And all of Justin’s life had been a lie.


A vicious, hate-filled, fucker of a lie.


Author Bio: 


RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing. 

RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Patience (Forbes Mates #2) by Grace R. Duncan

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

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

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


Poor Jamie is so stressed because of finals that he is forced through his shift earlier than expected and completely unprepared. Stuck in a city and away from safety, he's unable to shift back, and knows it will be days before he'll be back to walking on 2 legs again.

Life is about to get more complicated for him when he's running from the dog catcher in broad daylight, only to run smack dab into his mate. Jamie has always been doubtful that he'd find his destined mate. Odds stacked against him, he's more than surprised when he accidentally runs into his Mate on the street.

First things first, he'll have to get the dog catcher off his back. Luckily for him, his mate is a quick thinker, and able to save Jamie from the dog pound, just in the nick of time.

Chad wasn't expecting to bring home a new dog when he went out for coffee, but it looks like he has one now. He can't put his finger on it, but he knows there's more than meets the eye when it comes to "Murray"/Jamie. This dog is way too intelligent, and there is nothing normal about a coffee drinking dog, who answers his questions by nodding yes or no.

His suspicions are confirmed when one moment he's watching Murray use his toilet (neat trick) and the next there's a gorgeous man in Murray's place.

Now there's talk of Mates and shifters; all of which Chad takes in with calm acceptance. He doesn't know what's going on between Jamie and himself, but he feels the attraction, and knows he doesn't want to give it up.

Jamie and Chad are all for strengthening their bond, but a wolf's bite is fatal to a human, and they'll have to go on a road trip to find out the answers they need. And by road trip, I mean fly, train and drive their way to Rome. Which is not as fun as you think. In fact, this is the one thing that really slowed down the pacing of an otherwise very well written story.

There are, however, several little side plots to this book that keep it interesting. From the mysterious search for Quincy, a man who determined not to be found, to the secret hidden in Chad's past, and all the politics behind human mates and wolf shifters, there's a little bit of something for everyone.

And sex. There's a lot of sex.

These two take every opportunity available to reinforce their mating bond. But it's also sweet and fluffy and all kinds of adorable. Especially when Jamie calls Chad pup.

If you like shifter books, then you'll enjoy this. Especially because these wolves are on the playful side, and don't take their wolfy side too seriously.


Check out on Dreamspinner Press or Goodreads!

Book Blitz: Resistance (Village Love #1) by Lillian Francis



Lillian Francis, with Signal Boost Promotions, is here to promote her latest release - Resistance (Village Love, #1)!!

Release Blitz - Lillian Francis - Resistance (Village Love #1)

Author: Lillian Francis

Cover Design: Garrett Leigh at Black Jazz Design

Length: 53,600 words


Blurb: 


How long can you wait on a promise?

After his first night with Mal, Rick broke the habit of a lifetime and invited the sexy radiographer to spend the weekend in the sleepy English village he called home. Rick isn’t in denial but he’s afraid to reveal his sexuality in the close-knit community that has known him since he was a babe in arms.

The sex is amazing but equally Mal loves lazy days spent in the garden at Slopy Bottom, and every precious moment he spends with Rick. For Mal the village quickly becomes an oasis of peace, far from the noise and grime of life in London, a slice of tranquillity with Rick at the heart. But Mal has defied his family and his religion to be true to himself, and there is no way can he join Rick in his self-built closet, no matter how comfortable it is...

Rick is afraid revealing the true nature of his relationship with Mal will change the way his neighbours see him. He adores these people, this village, and he can’t face the thought of losing everything over who he chooses to sleep with. When the alternative is giving up a man who has slotted perfectly into his life—a man who he might just love—it’s no choice at all. But, knowing what has to be done isn’t always as easy as putting it into practice.

About the Series

Resistance is book 1 in my new series, Village Love. Village Love is set in the fictional Sussex village of Slopy Bottom. I'll let Rick tell you how Slopy Bottom got its name.

“It’s one p, Slopy Bottom. The village has been there centuries. Local historians think it started life as Slope Bottom since the oldest houses are on the low slope at the bottom of a hill. The rest of the village spread out into the valley as the years went by but the name stuck. At one point the village was all but owned by a French lord, which could account for the mispronunciation, and it appears to have been Slopy Bottom ever since.”

Rick and Mal? Haven't you written about those characters before?

The simple answer is yes. Rick and Mal appeared in a one-off short story, Resonance. Resonance spawned this story which in turn spawned a whole host of storylines. As Resonance doesn't take place in the village it has been assigned as Village Love 0.5.

Do I need to read Resonance to read Resistance?

No. Several of my beta readers didn't read Resonance before working on Resistance and found it had no impact. However, Resonance is the story of how Rick and Mal meet and will obviously shed further light on their relationship.

Where can I buy Resonance?

Resonance is currently available at ARe and Amazon.
At Are it has been free on a semi regular basis since release. It is currently free until 31st July.
At Amazon it is 99p or the equivalent. Here's a universal link to take you to your local Amazon store. myBook.to/ResonanceL_F

Will there be more books in the series?

Definitely. I'm already working on Book 2, and Book 3 has been urging me to write it's opening scene in the last couple of days (I resisted, but I did make
some scrappy notes). I have very brief story lines, if they work out, for at least a Book 4, and maybe a Book 5. If you read a particular character that you like
drop me a line and let me know, I've undoubtedly got a plan to pair him with someone!


Excerpt

  ‘A smile can always be heard in your voice’.
  He could almost hear his mum uttering those words of wisdom—just nine of many in her repertoire—and for a moment Rick wished that his parents still lived in the village. That he didn’t need to travel halfway around the world for a hug from the woman who’d always been there for him.
  Not that she’d entertain his chiping for more than a moment before he got a bannicking. She’d always listened to his complaints, would offer advice where necessary, but stupidity would be followed by a whack upside his head or being chased off with the yard brush. He smiled at the memories the thought conjured up. No, his mum would provide no help in this situation. He’d be thirty in eighteen months, old enough to deal with his relationship woes, especially since they were problems of his own making.
  Rick forced the widest smile he could manage and gripped his phone while he waited for the call to connect. Leaning on the old wooden farm gate that cut his property off from the lane beyond, Rick scratched at the short hair at the back of his head. The lane was empty; his cottage the last before the cobbles narrowed to a dusty footpath and disappeared into the lush green of the woodland.
  “Mal,” Rick said the moment the call was picked up at the other end, not even giving his lover a chance to utter his standard greeting.
  Too bright. Too quickly. He knew his voice would be giving him away but he couldn’t stop himself. “Look, Mal…” He glanced at the overnight bag at his feet.
  Mal sighed, breaking Rick out of his contemplation. “What’s happened now?”
  “Happened?” Shit! Mal didn’t sound at all surprised that he’d called. Not angry, either. Just resigned.
  “Yes. What natural disaster has befallen your sleepy little village this weekend? Has the church spire collapsed and killed the verger? Or has Mr P K Pig had his roof blown off and you have to fix it post haste to protect him from predators?”
  “What?” For someone who’d had the entire conversation planned in his head before he’d pressed Mal’s speed dial button, Rick was far too rapidly losing control.
  “Tell him that it’s his own fault for building his house out of straw and winding up hairy men.”
  “Mal, are you okay? What is this obsession with pigs? Have you succumbed to the enticing waft of bacon from the flat upstairs?”
  Every time Rick woke up at Mal’s flat, the aroma of gently crisping bacon all but lured him up the stairs to 35B. Not that Mal had banned Rick from eating bacon when he visited, but bringing a pack of sliced pig into the flat of his Muslim boyfriend seemed a trifle insensitive. The neighbour in 35B was a behemoth of a man, unlikely to be satisfied by a couple of slices of bacon. More than likely he was up there every Sunday morning roasting the whole pig. He was hairy too, from the full beard and tufts of hair sprouting from the V-neck of his T-shirt that Rick had glimpsed when they’d bumped into each other in the communal hallway last weekend. More a bear than a wolf…
  Had Mal been lured by the scent of bacon into the hairy arms of the biker upstairs, all because Rick kept mucking him around? Surely Mal wouldn’t— “Rick!” Mal sounded exasperated and Rick wondered how many times he’d called his name while Rick was lost in nightmares involving bears and bacon. “I asked you what your excuse was this time. Why can’t I come over to you this weekend?”
  “I wasn’t phoning for that.” Rick’s gaze dropped to the bag by his feet once more, and he hoped the guilty feeling rising in his gut hadn’t transferred to his voice.
  “Really?” Mal’s tone held a trace of hopefulness that made Rick’s stomach lurch. Had his constant changing of plans caused Mal to worry about Rick’s commitment to their fledgling relationship? “Because you’ve had some type of handyman emergency on both previous occasions I was supposed to come down and stay with you.”
  “I still managed to see you both times,” Rick argued. But it was a weak response and he knew that spending time together wasn’t the issue Mal was highlighting.
  “And I appreciate that you made the drive up here after you finished your work. But I thought we were going to try to make a go of things, not just grab a couple of hours together on a Sunday afternoon or fall into bed on a Saturday evening because you’re too tired to go out anywhere.”
  “I had fun both times.” Whether they were shagging like bunnies or meeting for a late lunch and a walk in the park, Rick enjoyed Mal’s company.  Something more than passion had flared brightly between them the first time they met, but Mal lived in London, over an hour’s drive from Rick’s sleepy village, and not wanting to lose touch was the only reason he’d agreed to these alternate weekends. Well, actually, it had been Rick’s idea, and yet, so far, Mal hadn’t set foot anywhere near Rick’s home.
  “So did I—” The line crackled and Mal’s voice dropped out for a second or two. “Sorry, lost you for a moment there. I like you Rick, probably too much for a relationship that’s only in its sixth week, and I want more than a couple of hours here and there. I want the lazy weekends. I want to see where you live.”
  “I want that too.” Rick kicked the bag at his feet. “I’ve just been really busy.”
  “I know you work for yourself and you have to take the work where you can. I hope you don’t hate me for pushing you. I can help if you have to work this weekend. Or I can just sit in the spring sunshine and read a book. The sun is shining in Sloppy Bottom, isn’t it?”
  Rick couldn’t help it, he laughed. “Slopy Bottom, you idiot. Wait, hate you?What have you done?”
  “I was trying to pre-empt this call.” Mal sounded sheepish.
  I wasn’t cancelling. The lie teetered on Rick’s tongue but he couldn’t let it fall. He didn’t want to risk Mal calling him on it.
  “How?” Rick asked, although he had a feeling he knew. Those strange dips in the conversation would make sense if Mal—
  “I’m already on the train.”
  Of course he is. Rick’s heart picked up in a rabbity beat as the thrill of seeing Mal again warred with the familiar nervousness that always accompanied the thought of bring a guy back to the village. The nerves had always won out in the past, previous lovers not even getting as far as an invite, but Mal was different. Mal was…saying his name again.
  “Rick? Are you still there? Rick, dholna—”
  “Dholna?”
  “Er, it’s Punjabi.”
  “I kind of figured that for myself,” Rick said with a chuckle. “What does it mean?”
  “It’s an endearment.”
  “Like ‘babe’.”
  “Sure, let’s go with that.”
  Oh, right, so, not like babe then. Dholna. Rick repeated the word several times in his head, determined not to forget it.
  “It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I can see how this could be considered press-ganging you into something you’re not comfortable with. Do you want me to get off at the next stop and go home?”
  “No!” God no. “No. Do you want me to get the car out? I can drive over to Hillchester and pick you up from the station?”
  There was no station in Slopy Bottom. With a population hovering at around five-hundred, give or take, since the time the first track had been laid over a century ago, the tiny village hadn’t warranted the encroachment of civilization. Nor had it mourned being passed by, not until the commuter couples arrived to buy up the empty farm hands’ cottages; the wives praising the adorable quaintness of the place, while the husbands—who would happily spend an hour on the train—were bemoaning the twenty-minute drive to the station in town.
  “Thanks, but I’ve arranged for a cab. I had intended to take you completely by surprise and hope you thought it was a good one.”
  “It is a good one.” Rick agreed, bending to pick up his overnight bag and hoisting it over his shoulder.
  “I promise I won’t do anything to out you while I’m visiting.”
  “No rainbow flag T-shirts? Or skipping through the village?”
  “Definitely no skipping. I can’t even run. That’s why I cycle.”
  “You can’t run?”
  “Have you seen Friends?”
  “Who hasn’t?” Rick faltered in his stride up the garden path. “Oh my God, you’re Phoebe! You know I’ll do everything in my power to get you to run now.”
  “Thanks. So glad I told you. Wanker.”
  “You allowed to swear?”
  “Double wanker.”
  “I am very ambidextrous. I’m sure I can take care of both of us at the same time.”
  “Don’t I know it. But I’ll not talk about it. They’ll be no smutty talk or double entendres. No touching in public or holding hands.”
  Touches that they had both bestowed without thinking, while walking through many parts of the city when he’d visited Mal. This would be harder than he’d imagined.
  “Nothing until you’re ready,” Mal continued. “I promise. Looks like this is my station coming up. I’d better go.”
  “Tell the cab driver to drop you at the top of the lane. There’s nowhere to turn around down near me without coming into the driveway. I’ll walk up there in a bit and wait for you. See you soon.”
  “Bye.”
  Rick disconnected the call and unlocked his front door. He took the stairs two at a time and burst into his bedroom. He dropped the bag on the ottoman under the window and then quickly made the bed. Satisfied the room was reasonably tidy, Rick turned his attention back to the bag and unpacked the items he’d packed an hour earlier to take with him to Mal’s.

About the Author

Lillian Francis is a self-confessed geek who likes nothing more than settling down with a comic or a good book, except maybe writing. Given a notepad, pen, her Kindle, and an infinite supply of chocolate Hob Nobs and she can lose herself for weeks. Romance was never her reading matter of choice, so it came as a great surprise to all concerned, including herself, to discover a romance was exactly what she’d written, and not the rollicking spy adventure or cosy murder mystery she always assumed she’d write.


Twitter @LillianFrancis_



Email: lillianfrancis@rocketmail.com