Guest Review: Will & Patrick's Endless Honeymoon (Wake Up Married #7) by Leta Blake

Genius brain surgeon Patrick McCloud never thought he'd fall in love, let alone get married. He and Will Patterson are two years overdue for their honeymoon, and although romance doesn't come naturally to Patrick, he's determined to make it perfect.

Will works himself to the bone helping others and dealing with his family, who bring the drama nonstop. A tropical getaway without the usual shenanigans is just what the doctor ordered. But can Will's family leave them in peace? Knowing the Patterson-Molinaro clan, it's not likely...

Will and Patrick's Endless Honeymoon by Leta Blake continues the soapy, sexy fun of the original six part Wake Up Married serial. In Healing, South Dakota, marriage is never boring!




Reviewer: NeRdyWRYM

Gotta Love It

I somehow missed all the previous installments of this series somewhere along the line and damn! I didn't know what I was missing out on. These books were fabulous and the latest one took the cake.

I love offbeat MCs and this book (and series) probably has one of the best ones I've ever read. The author did a fantastic job portraying all of Patrick's quirks and idiosyncrasies without losing the heart and emotion he showed to very few. His other-ness was nothing short of genius.

And Will, poor little Guglielmo with his cray-cray freaking family. I mean ... whoa! He's a brick-shithouse with a heart of gold. Super sweet. Super real. Just plain out super.These two guys are like polar opposites in temperament. I could see the possibilities from the beginning, but don't be surprised if you can't right away. By the time we get to this book, there's obviously no question they belong together, but it was a little tricksy at the start.

tricksy

The chemistry is off the charts, the relationship is awwww-inspiring and uber-hot at the same time. You get feels, you get heat, you get more feels and more heat. The plot is believable. The character development is spectacular. The relationship feels real to me as a reader; I can imagine these guys in real life and that makes me happy, happy, happy.

There's dirty talk. Dirrrrrrty talk. Holy shit, there's dirty talk. And not the icky porn kind either. This is the kind of dirty talk that raises the temperature, like, 100 degrees and makes you melt wherever you're sitting. It's the kind of dirty talk that makes you want to get horizontal naked somewhere ... immediately. Mm-hmm. Dirrrrrty.

so turned on dirrrrty

Rarely does anything make me get hot under the collar anymore. Desensitization? Too many overused tropes? Too much Groundhog Day in bedroom scenes? Might be a little bit of all of that, I guess. That is sooooo not the case here. Will and Patrick push my buttons like Ella Frank's Tate and Logan push my buttons. I mean phew!

The sex is hot. H-O-T. It's dirty, it's free, it's uninhibited, it's just ... orgasmically good. I don't know what else to say. Read 'em one-handed and weep. That's it. That's all I got. Read. Them. One-handed. And. Weep. The end.


More reviews by NeRdyWYRM can be found on Goodreads here.
Images (when present) may be subject to copyright.
An ARC copy of this title was provided for an honest review.




Blog Tour + Giveaway: Rebel (415 Ink #1) by Rhys Ford


Rhys Ford is in the clubhouse and taking over the reins! Join her on the Rebel (415 Ink) tour and read today's exclusive content! Plus, you can enter in her giveaway to win a $20 gift certificate! Good luck!

Take it away, Rhys! (Happy New Year!)

Hello and welcome to the 415 Ink: Rebel Blog Tour. I’d like to say I’m Rhys Ford, your host but the truth is, I am merely a stealer of space and time. Their space, your time. BUT I hope I can make it worth your while.
Because dudes, I’ve got a book I want to tell you about.

If you know me at all, you know I have a few tattoos and well, have a hardcore love for art. Skin art to be exact. It’s a difficult medium and well, there’s a culture surrounding it as well. Being a tattoo artist is more than a profession, it truly is a calling, or it is for the great artists, the ones who push at the boundaries of skin and ink and do fantastical things on a living canvas.

The 415 Ink series hopefully will capture a part of that culture and also showcase five foster brothers who have made their own family. Set in San Francisco, I will introduce you to each of the five in a series of books where they find love and in some cases, their true path in life. The first, Rebel, is about Gus, the true middle kid in the bunch, and the man whose love he’d won, lost and hopefully will love again.

As all of my blog tours, I want to present you with something unique at each stop as well as a giveaway. So, for each blog, I will give you a story (or part of a story as I’ve split most into two pieces) about a tattoo… involving a character from one of my series. Check out the blog stop list to get a sneak peek at the characters!

The giveaway? You’ll be entering to win a $20USD gift certificate to the online retailer of your choice!

Now, onto the tales of tattoos and where you can find Rebel, on sale December 29th through Dreamspinner, Amazon and other fine bookstores.


§

Los Angeles — Cole McGinnis and Ichi Tokugawa
Part One of Two


“I thought this was supposed to be a simple job!” Cole yelled over his shoulder. “Go left! We can get some cover in those bushes!”

When dealing with my older brother Cole the phrase hindsight is 20-20 always comes to mind. The simplest things always seem to go wrong and for some reason, either a gun, knife, or fist fight breaks out in his immediate vicinity. Sometimes, it is even a combination of two or more of those events.

In this case, it was a brawl but the evening was young yet so there was still time to add more elements to the fuckery Cole delivered us into.

Technically, he was right. It was supposed to be a simple job. I know because I was the one who hired him to do it.

“We can’t —” I began to yell at him, but he’d already made the turn and we plunged through a nest of tangled hedges, trying to get away from the small mob of angry Japanese elders chasing us.

There was no talking to Cole when he was in full samurai mode, or at least that is how I thought of it. If he’d been pure Japanese and not gay, my father would have taken him into the Tokugawa fold and made Cole his heir. He was everything I was not, something that became more and more apparent the longer I got to know him. There was a fatalistic elegance to his desire for justice and truth, an unwillingness to turn his back on a tenuous situation even though it meant he could come to some harm.

When I’d first met our eldest brother, Mike, he told me our middle brother led with his heart instead of his head. Since my first impression of Mike was of a man who took precautions and planned out every situation down to the last detail, I took his words with a grain of salt — another Cole-appropriate saying — and expected our shared brother to be simply a bit more relaxed in nature.

What Mike meant to say was Cole Kenjiro McGinnis was bat shit fucking nuts and would run into a burning building if someone even whispered there might be a kitten inside.

I knew that. I hadn’t believed it until the day someone began shooting into a crowd of people on a Los Angeles street and my beloved, crazy older brother ran towards the gunfire.

My life up until that point had been exciting and risky — or so I thought — but in a blink of an eye and without any warning, I found myself thrust into Cole’s world and it was terrifying. I’d never tasted fear before. I’d felt it. I’d had its sharp fingers run over my skin but the astringent bitterness of its kiss in my mouth was something I’d never imagined. It paralyzed me. I was man enough to admit it afterwards but in that moment, all I could think of was… I didn’t want to lose my brother.

That’s when I discovered that Cole had a greater calling… had a greater courage than I did.

He was also foolish, reckless and didn’t have a single scrap of self-preservation in his entire body, but he faced down monsters and demons for the people who couldn’t… even when he didn’t have to.

But we were both in agreement that when faced with a band of enraged, mostly-retired yakuza from Kyoto who’d come over from Japan for a funeral it was better to run than reason things out. Considering the grieving widow had led us to the back room with the intent on showing me the deceased man’s antique tattooing implements and had been surprised to find his friends gathered around his recently de-coffined body laid out on a table, Cole had been remarkably calm. Even when the yakuza grew incensed when the dead man’s widow told them we were there to buy his entire private collection despite their insisting she had no right to sell them off.

Cole’s Japanese extended to knowing what kind of ramen to order and how to pronounce our various names, so he stood by blissfully unaware when the yakuza began to threaten to use our guts to strangle us with and only seemed to know something had gone wrong when I backed up into him and told him to run.

My brother… he is very good at adapting to changing situations and facing down death without panicking.

He didn’t ask questions when one of them threw a punch at him or blinked when another drew out a small, sharp blade and tried to gut me. Cole realized we were blocked off from the door we’d come in, so he’d picked up a chair and threw it through a picture window to give us an exit and told me to hurry up. There were no recriminations or blame. Just a casual flat out run through the twisted streets above Little Tokyo.

I appreciated his restraint especially since I’d been the one to put us in the middle of a make shift abattoir while the former criminals were gathered around their friend’s embalmed corpse, discussing how they would skin him to preserve the decades of intricate tattoos.

“I think we are behind a school or something,” Cole said, not even panting hard despite the full trot he’d fallen into. I knew his stamina came from the miles he ran with my husband Bobby as well as the regular boxing sparring matches they had every week, but I still hated him for it. Grabbing my arm, Cole yanked me through a slender break in a standard of juniper trees. “Ichi, this way.”

“Do you even know where you are going?” I was trying not to breathe heavily, but I needed to take a moment to suck some air into my lungs. Once again, I made a promise to myself to stop smoking kreteks and maybe work out a bit more, but I knew it was a lie.

“Sure.” As in all things, Cole sounded confident.

I knew this was also a lie.

Especially since we’d made a wrong turn at some point and the sidewalk ended.

We, however, were going too fast to stop.

There was something about falling twenty feet at a dead run. The momentum we picked up was fierce, and the hill was a sharp, unexpected catastrophe. One moment I had solid ground beneath my sneakers, and the next I was flying.

I was airborne for about three… maybe four glorious seconds when gravity snatched me and threw me down into the ground.

That was when I discovered Los Angeles’ highway landscaping crews did not clear all of the rocks from the ground before they rooted ice plants into the soft soil.

We landed hard, rolling over slick, spongy succulents and my spine felt every jut of rock embedded in the soil on the way down. Luckily for us, the hill ended in a gradual slope and we tumbled onto a broad sidewalk lining one of the busier Los Angeles avenues. A truck’s horn blared in my ear, but I didn’t care because the ground was not moving beneath my back and despite the aches and pains in my limbs, I was just glad to be alive.

It also seems like the yakuza had stopped chasing us because I couldn’t hear any Japanese other than the swearing going on in my own head.

“You alive?” My brother asked from his prone position next to me. He began to sit up then probably decided it would be too much effort because he lay back down with a groan. “I’m going to take a minute.”

“I’m fine. Just … bruised probably,” I wheezed out, staring up at the streetlamp directly above us. “Baka, after all of that, I didn’t get the dead guy’s antique tattoo instruments. I was supposed to meet his widow.”

“Well, if it was that rolled up bundle of cloth on the table next to his leg, I’ve got that in my jacket.” Cole leaned his head back, meeting my eyes. “And if it’s not, then I owe the guy I kicked in the balls to let go of it a really huge apology.”

§

Rebel: 415 Ink, Book One
The hardest thing a rebel can do isn’t standing up for something — it’s standing up for himself.

Life takes delight in stabbing Gus Scott in the back when he least expects it. After years of running from his past, present and the dismal future every social worker predicted for him, Karma delivers the one thing Gus could never—would never—turn his back on; a son from a one-night stand he’d had after a devastating break-up three years ago.

Returning to San Francisco and to 415 Ink, his family’s tattoo shop, gave him the perfect shelter to battle his personal demons and get himself together… until the firefighter who’d broken him walked back into Gus’s life.
For Rey Montenegro, tattoo artist Gus Scott was an elusive brass ring, a glittering prize he hadn’t the strength or flexibility to hold onto. Severing his relationship with the mercurial tattoo artist hurt but Gus hadn’t wanted the kind of domestic life Rey craved, leaving Rey with an aching chasm in his soul.

When Gus’s life and world starts to unravel, Rey helps him pick up the pieces, and Gus wonders if that forever Rey wants is more than just a dream.

Purchase 415 Ink: Rebel at…
Dreamspinner Press: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/rebel-by-rhys-ford-9200-b
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Rhys-Ford-ebook/dp/B077JDXHT1/
§

Catch up with the stories and be sure to hit up each of these blogs for a chance to win at every stop! Check out the pairings preview and plan your visit!

12.26 Joyfully Jay (Kane, Part One)
12.27 Sinfully Gay Romance (Kane, Part Two)
12.28 It’s About The Book (Damien and Miki, Part One)
12.29 The Novel Approach (Damien and Miki, Part Two)
12.31 Boy Meets Boy Reviews (Cole and Ichi, Part One)
1.1 Ndulgent Bloggers (Cole and Ichi, Part Two)
1.2 Smexy Books (Gus and Bear)
1.3 The Blogger Girls (Kane and Miki)

About Rhys Ford
Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and was a 2016 LAMBDA finalist with her novel, Murder and Mayhem. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and DSP Publications.

She’s also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? She shares the house with Yoshi, a grumpy tuxedo cat and Harley, an off-kilter flower-faced grey and white cat-dog , as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people

Rhys’ Blog: www.rhysford.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhys.ford.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rhys_Ford
Rhys Ford’s books can found at Dreamspinner Press (http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com), DSP Publications (https://www.dsppublications.com/) and all major online book stores.


Enter for a chance to win $20 USD gift certificate: winner's choice. Giveaway ends January 6th, 2018. Good luck! 


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Sunday Funday Christmas: 2017 Advent Calendar | Stocking Stuffers - Week 5

For New Year's Eve we have Amy Rae Durreson, Tami Veldura, Elizabeth Coldwell, Bru Baker & Ava Hayden!

ICYMI: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4

The Holly Groweth Green by Amy Rae Durreson

When wounded doctor Laurence Payne is stranded in the snowy English countryside on Christmas Eve, 1946, he is surprised to stumble upon Mistle Cottage and its mysterious inhabitant. Avery claims to be an Elizabethan wizard, and Laurence struggles to explain away the atmosphere of the cottage as mere coincidence and trickery. He spends a magical twelve days of Christmas celebrating with Avery, but then wakes to find his lover has vanished and the cottage has fallen to ruin overnight.

Laurence’s investigations lead him to the story of an ancient fairy curse—Avery is doomed to spend only Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night in human form until he finds true love. Laurence sets out to give Avery the greatest gift of all—his heart and with it the chance to live for more than the fleeting winter weeks he’s been sentenced to.

R *A Reader Obsessed* - 4 Hearts

This really for me, captured the holiday winter spirit.

As per the blurb, Laurence is on his way home, released from military service after suffering a head injury during the war. When his train is delayed due to bad weather, his little trek to the village gets him lost in the woods, and there he finds a friendly Avery ready and willing to play the gracious host. Does it matter that Avery seems a bit mad, proclaiming he can do magic?

One day turns into two, turns into three, until 12 days have gone by. When Laurence is asked to stay, he resists such a temptation because that’s just not practical despite the best holiday he’s had ever. When Avery and evidence of their time spent together disappears, Laurence realizes he had something truly special and has made a terrible mistake. With the cold hard truth slapping him in the face, Laurence is determined to right some wrongs and win back Avery so he can keep him forever.

Usually, fairy tales aren’t typically my thing, but this was the exception. Very sweet and sexy, with strong hurt comfort tones, this nicely shows how love conquers a curse and sets both Laurence and Avery free.

Ann - 4.5 Hearts

This story was absolutely lovely. The language, the setting, the characters, it was all just a complete pleasure to read. Laurence becomes lost in a snowstorm and stumbles upon an enchanting cottage inhabited by a charming man, Avery who claims to be a wizard. Laurence has seen, and suffered, through a lot in the war and he is the last person to judge anyone else at this point in his life. The two spend many days and nights getting to know one another and the whole story reads quietly magical and I was jealous of the world they had made for one another tucked away in the cottage. Laurence is still a pretty pragmatic guy though and knows he has to head to London soon to begin his civilian life. He doesn’t really believe that he and Avery could have a relationship outside their cozy walls. The curse that was put upon Avery years ago comes to fruition on twelfth night and Laurence knows he can’t leave the man he has grown to love cursed until next Christmas and beyond. I really liked how the author gave the characters their HEA, it fit perfectly with the story that had been created to that point and I was left feeling warm and hopeful for the holidays.

Chelsea - 4.5 Hearts

Magical. Quite literally but also the lyrical descriptions in this story
Avery was brighter than gold above him. Laurence couldn’t tell if it was pleasure or something more, but it looked like all the light in the room had gathered to pool in Avery’s eyes and outline him in shimmering webs of golden fire.
The year is 1946 and Avery is a wizard who was cursed around Christmas time hundreds of
years earlier, I won't go into it in any detail and give it all away. Laurence is a veteran who
suffered a brain injury in WW2 and is now struggling to find a purpose in life. On Christmas Eve
he stumbles upon Avery and everything changes for both of them.

This did not play out how I pictured it, but it was so much better than what I was expecting.
These two have an instant connection but take the time to get to know each other. It was really
well paced, nothing dragged but didn't feel rushed either. There was also a super tender sex
scene, so extra rating for that!!!

Another win in this advent calendar series!

Sara - 5 Hearts

I am always at a loss of words when it comes to this authors work. One of my favorite Christmas stories is Gaudete and this now comes in as a tie for owning my holly colored heart strings.

I won’t even try to review this. I am going to tell you it’s a beautiful tale wrapped up in a world full of enchanting magic in a world all its own.

I am lost in the 12 days Laurence and Avery spent. I am entranced by the tale woven by the author that had angst and yet lined it with hope in only the way Amy Rae Durreson can.

I am going to go cuddle into bed and read it again until I fall asleep and dream...



A Gift of Family by Tami Veldura

Scott Burke has always desired a big family, but as a divorced single dad, all he has is his young daughter, Lexi. He pours himself into raising her, half-convinced he’ll never find what he’s looking for. When Brennan Price strolls into Scott’s life, he’d better have enough patience for both Lexi and Scott if he intends to stick around.

Brennan has a huge family and a successful career, but no one to call his own. Wooing Scott and his daughter is right up his alley, though, and he steps up to the challenge to prove he’s enough for both of them. His attraction to Scott is immediate, but he recognizes a family man when he sees one and hatches a plan to win Lexi over. Her handsome father is sure to follow…

Annika - 2 Hearts

This was not a book for me. I hate to say it, but this will probably go down as my least favourite Stocking story of the year. It just didn't work for me - at all. It was just so much insta-love that it had a note (or giant orchestra) of desperation in it. There wasn't even the tiniest amount of connection between Scott and Brennan and all of a sudden they are proclaiming their undying love?


I know that it is difficult to create truly deep and emotional books with such few pages, but there needs to be something that draws you in as a reader. The characters, the story, some emotion or even the atmosphere and setting of the book, but A Gift of Family had none of that. It was all just superficial, and I can't say that I believed in anything this book tried to sell me.

Since it's almost Christmas, I'll be nice and give this one 2 stars, but if you are on the fence about reading this book, there are many other advent stories out there more worth your time.

R *A Reader Obsessed* - 3 Hearts

Ok, I admit that this moved pretty darn fast and this also seemed to have a split personality, but I still enjoyed the heck out of it.

Single dad Scott loves and appreciates everything about his young daughter. He only wishes he had more family to share the Christmas season with her. When he meets handsome stranger Brennan, who shows mutual interest, sparks fly immediately. Love progresses in a matter of days and the sexy result was a bit surprising and incongruous to the first half...

However, when single dads are done right, my cold heart melts.

I’m never going to look a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to smexy smex.

These two things didn’t quite go together, but it’s the holidays. Forgiveness comes easy. Enjoy.

Ann - 3 Hearts

At first I thought the blurb was a little misleading when Brennan “is hatching a plan to win Lexi over” to get to her father, which sounded slightly off putting at first, but I quickly learned my first impression was completely wrong and Brennan’s plan is really quite innocent and sweet. He’s very upfront with Scott about using his big sweetheart of a dog to get to know Scott and his toddler daughter. Scott and Brennan had really good banter and the flirting between them was good stuff and fun to read. Especially from Brennan. The story was heavy on the insta-love and while I do believe the characters had chemistry and would have grown closer as they got to know one another, they jumped from flirting in the park, to a stellar date to forever. I don’t need complete solidification of a relationship to enjoy reading about characters meeting, especially in a short story and especially, especially when there are kids involved. I liked the MC’s and it was still a feel good read though, dialling back the intensity would have worked better for me in the long run.

Sara - 3.5 Hearts

I think I feel for this one because there is a kid and a dog and both are properly fitted into the plot. I liked that the story was only told from Scott’s POV and that we get the heartbreaking backstory about how he became a single dad. I loved that Brennan is open and honest about seeing Scott with his daughter and his “evil plan” to win both of them over with the use of his dog Jazz.

The story felt natural with the men and their chemistry and the ice skating was beyond adorable. But my mind went into the gutter when we learn that Brennan played hockey, because of thighs… I can’t lie about that. And yet, while the story felt natural, there is some serious insta-everything going on and sure it was fast, but I still really liked these three and how easy they fit together.



Candy Canes and Cappuccinos by Elizabeth Coldwell

Kyle is struggling to run his coffee shop on his own after his partner walked out on him. He has his eye on Steven, who comes into the shop each day, but hasn’t worked up the nerve to express his interest. When Steven asks Kyle to help out with Christmas lunch at the homeless shelter where he works, Kyle is too exhausted to agree. He donates his tips but still feels he’s blown his chances with Steven and made himself look like a selfish jerk.

On Christmas Day, Kyle sees a way to make amends—to both Steven and the needy people depending on his kindness. It’s the right thing to do, and Kyle hopes he can clear up the misunderstanding and show Steven the type of man he really is. Maybe then they can consider some dessert when the lunch at the shelter is over…

Ann - 2.5 Hearts

I liked the premise for Candy Canes and Cappuccinos, but I just don’t think there was enough page time to make it all work believably. Kyle is overworked at his coffee shop and Steven is a very charming customer who flirts with Kyle on the daily. Steven is the director of the towns homeless shelter and he reaches out to Kyle for help and Kyle kind of blows his chance to impress Steven. Circumstances happen and Kyle gets the chance to redeem himself, which was a lot, but all worked out in the end, the only problem was their was very little focus on the two of them together so I never felt the chemistry. I was told there was, but I didn’t really feel it. The sex scene at the end felt really rushed and too much for where they were in their relationship, if you can even call it that at this point. I would have liked for them just to chill and get to know each other at the end, I knew that that’s what both characters wanted and I wanted it for them, I just wasn’t buying it for them just yet.

Sara - 3 Hearts

A lovely start to a sweet couple.

Kyle is dealing with a lot, running the Cool Beans coffee shop after his ex bailed on him for another man. For the last few months he’s been crushing on a customer Steven who works runs a homeless shelter. When Steven asks Kyle to help out at the shelter on Christmas, Kyle puts his foot in his mouth when he answers quickly but honestly saying he wanted to the day off since he’s been working long and hard hours. But seeing the disappointment on Steven’s face makes him rethink his choice.

I like that Kyle wasn’t a full on grinch, just honest and tired but given the circumstance he turns things around. His offer to Steven was sweet and perfect to make amends though I wish the end didn’t end the way it did. For me, the story was sweet and I would have been fine with a cuddle on the couch with a bit of making out and not what we got. It didn’t fit the story for me but it was still a sweet read.




Homemade from the Heart by Bru Baker

Craft store owner Grant has always been a sucker for a pretty face, and that goes double for a pretty face with an adorable sidekick. When seven-year-old Aubrey has her heart set on taking Grant’s already-full holiday craft series, he caves and gives up his one day off a week so she (and her hot guardian, Josh) can take private lessons. Their flirting ramps up week after week, and even though Josh isn’t with Aubrey’s mother, Grant can’t be sure the man isn’t straight. Maybe he’s just being friendly. And Josh, who most definitely is not straight, is afraid of being the creepy guy hitting on the teacher.

Frustrated by their stubbornness and cluelessness, Aubrey takes matters into her own hands. She decides the best gift to give Josh is something homemade and from the heart—a boyfriend they’ll both love.

Annika - 3.5 Hearts

Welcome to Make and Take, where Christmas wishes just might come true. Especially with a meddling 7 year old with a heart of gold thrown into the mix.

When Josh and Aubrey lands in Grant’s store begging to attend one of his fully booked classes, he offers private lessons during four weekends instead – giving up his only free day in the process. We follow then through the arts and crafts over the next month, through mischief and flirting, and see the tension between them building.

The ending felt beyond rushed and I would have loved to see just a little bit more of Grant and Josh together and seeing more of them together outside of the crafts making. I wanted to see them build something together, or at the very lease have a solid start. But you can’t always get what you want.
Overall Homemade from the Heart was a fun, heartwarming and super sweet story, guaranteed to give you some Christmas feelings, and remind you that all the best gifts come from the heart.

Ann - 4 Hearts

Awwwwww . . . .

The premise here is completely and utterly adorable and the author delivered with a story that left me warm and fuzzy, wanting a peppermint mocha and craving some time with my glue gun. Christmas stories are made for meet-cutes and Homemade from the Heart has a meet-cute in spades. I was glad there was no angst to be had here and the minor misunderstandings made sense as Craig and Josh get to know each other in Craig’s craft classes for kids. Josh just happens to have access to a kid and Craig assumes he’s crushing on her hot straight father, what he actually discovers to be true is not that at all, but the hot part still stands. The flirty banter is sweet to read and while the ending is a smidge abrupt I was not left wanting when it came to their happiness.

Sara - 5 Hearts

This was ADORABLE! This is totally my kind of story. I loved the meet cute with Grant and Hot Divorced Dad as he is trying to get his daughter Aubrey into the Holiday Gift Craft Series at Make And Take. Grant was an amazing narrator as he lets us know exactly what he thinks about Hot Divorced Dad and that he knows he is going way overboard with his crush offering private lessons just so he can be around both HDD and his little girl.

This story has all sorts of UST in it and I loved the hell out of it. I loved the flirting with Hot Divorced Dad who does have a name, Josh, and how they both danced around the fact that they were flirting. I loved learning about how Aubrey and Josh were to one another and the total faceplam moment when Grant puts it all together. I adored Aubrey and loved her match making skills and I love that Grant fell hard for both Josh and Aubrey regardless of how they came into his life.

That kiss reminded me of all the great first kisses you wait for in a romance that pays off ten fold and I hope these two make great crafts together and have sexy fun opening Josh’s Christmas gift.



The Billionaire's Boxing Day Bargain by Ava Hayden

Milo is too nice to say no when the desperate call goes out for more staff to work Boxing Day at Eden Consumer Electronics. It’s just until they sell the door-crasher specials, but it means he can’t see his billionaire boyfriend Lance until later that day.

Lance spends December 25 jetting back from a business trip, eager to see Milo. He calls as soon as his flight lands Boxing Day morning, only to find out that seven hundred and thirty televisions are cock-blocking him.

What’s the point of being a billionaire if you can’t spend your way around obstacles? Milo doesn’t want Lance solving his problems with cash, but he’ll never find out because Lance’s efficient personal assistant, William, is on the case. Unfortunately, even billionaires are subject to the law of unintended consequences—and these aren’t the kind Lance can buy his way out of.

Will Lance and Milo have their Boxing Day date? Or have Lance’s pushy billionaire ways finally gone too far?

R *A Reader Obsessed* - 3 Hearts

Ok that was really sweet despite me feeling a bit indignant regarding the fade to black scenes. *sigh* A girl can’t have it all apparently.

Milo wants to make it crystal clear that he’s not with Lance because of his money. Lance just wishes Milo would allow him to do some things for him. What’s the point of being rich if you can’t bring happiness to those you care about? These two are tiptoeing around each other not wanting to make the wrong move, and when Milo’s commitment essentially cock blocks them both, Lance turns to desperate measures.

Another easy enjoyable holiday read with a little conflict thrown in to nudge these two into taking the next step. However, it would’ve been tons better had there been some smexy thrown in. Just saying.

Ann - 3 Hearts

This story has a premise that can sometimes be a pet peeve of mine, but the author did a great job of addressing the exact thing that bothers me and the communication elevated this story for me. Lance is a billionaire and Milo is a working man, Lance just wants to be with Milo and Milo wants the same, but he also wants to be independent of Lance’s billions. He doesn’t want Lance to ever think he’s after him for the money, which is admirable, but I really felt like Lance already knew that and I felt bad for the guy. I usually end up feeling bad for the billionaires in these stories since their success ends up getting held against them. I have to give Milo credit for seeing that in his own behavior and finally cutting Lance some slack for just wanting to be with the man he loves during the holidays. I liked the flashbacks for their “how we met” quite a bit and would have loved some of that chemistry in their current state, but unfortunately, they weren’t really together for the bulk of the story. I did like the ending very much and did believe in an HEA for them as long as they continue the compromising and accepting what the other wants to give.

Sara - 4 Hearts

Usually a Billionaire story isn’t high on my list to read but I like what the author did with this one. Milo and Lance are a newish couple, just trying to find their way with moving forward to more. When Lance is on his way home from a business trip and is super excited to see Milo, his is thwarted by Milo working and not being able to leave until the stocked number of televisions are sold during the Boxing Day special.

Told from both POV’s I like that we got a bit of history with how these two met and how they have balanced the financial discrepancy between them. Lance has billions and Milo likes working and doesn’t want to be a kept man. But Lance doesn’t want that either and doesn’t want a man who will take and expect to be given everything simply because he has money. These two are perfect together and I like the lengths Lance and his assistant William go through to make sure they get to exchange gifts.

Now, while I liked the story I LOVED that the author made Lance a Merchant Ivory Queen and his obsession with the movie, Maurice. I am not going to say what he likes just that it plays well into the story and cricket bats are sexy.

The end was super sweet and the only complaint I have is never experiencing anyone in the damn expensive shower.





Review copies were provided by the publisher.


Review: Three Under the Christmas Tree by Silvia Violet

Ace and Gavin haven't had a threesome in far too long. When Ace meets the perfect guy to join them, he can't think of a better way to kick off the holiday season.

Jonathan is charmed by the sexy couple, and he quickly realizes that what started as a fling has the potential to be a whole lot more.

Gavin feels their connection just as strongly, but even after weeks of the three of them hanging out, he's afraid to suggest they turn their friends-with-benefits arrangement into a serious relationship.

The joy and shared experiences of the season have a way of making magic happen, if only all three men could find the courage to ask for what they want.


This ended up being a good solid story with some nice kinky sex to break up the monotony of Christmas stories. However, I've definitely read this story before. You would have to.

Exhibit A- The happy loving couple in an open relationship are looking for a third, they stumble upon the perfect guy and they all fall in love. But oh no the third guy isn't sure if he's welcome into this happy loving relationship and (yep, you guessed it) no one has an adult conversation.

So that brings me to the biggest problem in this story. The misunderstanding. Jonathan (the third) hears a small portion of a very insinuating conversation, doesn't stick around to hear the end of the conversation, and storms off in a huff of broken heart without a word.

Even though 'the misunderstanding’ doesn't irk me like it does some people, I still find it a bit… standard, like the go to for end-of-book drama. So while this didn't make me hate the book, it just made me feel.. indifferent towards it.

The light in the dark was the sex. There was probably a bit too much dialogue for my taste but the power exchanges and rough fucking were a dream after reading so many sweet Christmas stories.

I probably won't read this again, simply because I've read this story before… but better versions of it. However it really was a welcome change to all the cutesy Christmas stories and I'm glad I read it.


A review copy was provided.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Beyond the Tunnel (The Wizard Shifter #1) by Daniel Mitton


Beyond the Tunnel (The Wizard Shifter #1) is out! Celebrate with Daniel Mitton and Signal Boost Promotions today! Check out the excerpt and enter in the giveaway. You could win a copy of My Name is Karl!




Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Exstasy 

Length: 79,777 words 

Blurb

What would you do if you rode into a mountain tunnel in North Carolina and then rode out into a different world? Adam Stephens is about to find out…


Adam Stephens is a man with a mission. It has been three years since they chopped that malignant brain tumor out of his head, and he is off on a solo motorcycle camping trip through the Appalachian Mountains.


When he rides into the Pine Mountain Tunnel in North Carolina and rides out into another realm—a realm that comes complete with a big sexy grizzly bear shifter, mages, and an evil sorcerer—he isn’t sure he isn’t lying in the tunnel after crashing his bike. Can such a world exist? Or is he dreaming? If he is dreaming…it sure is realistic.


Along the way, there will be some major hurdles to surpass including no indoor plumbing…and no coffee. A man needs some basic luxuries, correct?





Excerpt

“Fine, if it’ll get you off my damned back, I’ll take the cell phone. And you already know I’m taking my Kindle so I can read in those serene mountain campgrounds that I picked out along the way.” Adam roared, as he stomped down the hallway to get the phone from his bedroom.


“Oh, you mean those campgrounds in the bear infested forests, which you picked out without even seeing them?” George yelled down the hallway sarcastically. He had made it clear to Adam—repeatedly—that camping in a tent in the mountains, alone, was the dumbest idea he had ever heard of. “Oh, and don’t forget, you’re riding right by where they filmed Deliverance. Someone might just tell you that you have a pretty mouth.”


“I could get so lucky,” Adam said quietly as he walked back into the kitchen. “And as to the campgrounds, I’ve already got my sites picked out and pre-paid, so it will be an easy trip. Relax, I’ve already got my bike packed. I’ve double checked everything, and if there’s anything I forgot, it isn’t like there isn’t a Walmart store every twenty miles along the way. I can stop and buy extra supplies. I’m not going to be riding through the wilderness.


“For your part, Georgie…don’t forget to come over and feed my cat. Otherwise, poor Cooper will be dead before I get back. And this time don’t forget the cat box! When I went away for those few days last year, you didn’t scoop and it was practically liquefied when I got back. That was disgusting dude, disgusting.”


Twenty minutes later—George having been mollified—Adam climbed on his motorcycle to begin his epic journey from South Florida to the Quebec line in New Hampshire. He had his tent, his sleeping bag, and enough food for a few days. Now if didn’t rain, the trip would be fantastic.


Not quite three days into his trip, and Adam was riding through the mountains of North Carolina already, which was quite a feat on a motorcycle—if he did say so himself, especially on these back roads. In a car, he might have done the trip in one day, but on his bike, it was far more strenuous on his body. Better to ride safely than quickly, and besides the views were fantastic. The Blue Ridge Parkway was proving to be as beautiful as he’d heard, and at least, so far, he hadn’t seen any bears.


Camping the first night in Florida had almost been a washout, after riding through thunderstorms nearly the entire length of the state and having to set his tent up in the middle of a downpour. Then last night in that creepy deserted campground in Northern Georgia, with all its bear warning signs, was so cold. How it was possible to be in the thirties when it had been ninety when he left his house in Cape Coral was beyond his comprehension. He could only wonder what the coming night’s campsite would bring. He hoped they would at least have hot showers at this one. His shower that morning in Georgia, with only ice-cold water and a thirty-eight-fucking-degree breeze blowing in through a louvered stall wall, had almost killed him. His balls had retracted so far that he didn’t think they’d crawled back out of his body since. At least it had warmed up fast and was now somewhere pleasantly in the seventies with bright sunshine.


Sighting an exit sign ahead, Adam pulled off the Parkway and stopped at the combination rest area and information center. He needed to pee, and it would probably be smart to grab a physical Blue Ridge Parkway map. His map app on his smartphone kept trying to direct him off the Parkway to a much faster Interstate Highway option.


After using the rest room, Adam walked into the information center, picked up one of the free maps from the display by the door, and approached the cute bearded guy behind the counter. “Does this map show all the tunnels and campgrounds? I’m heading for Linville Falls tonight, and I’d like to keep track of where I am during the day.”


“It does, but man, I’m glad it’s you, not me. That’s a long way to go on this type of road in one day on a motorcycle. Good luck with that.”


Adam smiled and thanked him. Walking back outside, he took one last look around, decided he probably didn’t need to walk up the trail to the scenic overlook, and instead walked back to his bike. He put his helmet back on, climbed on the bike and headed back to the highway.


He had no idea that he wouldn’t be making the campground that day.


God, I love these. Adam’s spirit was flying as he roared into yet another of the stone tunnels along the route. This one, the Pine Mountain Tunnel, was supposedly the longest on the Parkway and it was even better than the previous ones. As he rode into the pitch-black darkness, his light glinted off the reflective lane markers along the center line. Just imagine how much stone is over my head right now…I wish this would go on for miles.


Adam pushed his acceleration up and zoomed through the darkness toward the light that he could now see at the other end. Within seconds he flew out…into a torrential rainstorm. What the fuck, it was just sunny!


Adam’s bike slammed into a huge mud puddle, splashing water up and all over him, effectively drenching him before the heavy rain even had time to get him wet. He slammed on his brakes and tried to come to a rapid stop. Instead, his large, heavy motorcycle slid sideways in the loose mud and the next thing he knew he was going down. His bike hit the ground on its right side and then stalled, leaving Adam lying on the ground with it. He groaned. Damn, that’s going to hurt later.



Author Bio


Daniel Mitton is not a statistic. When the doctors broke the news to him that he would be dead by the end of 2013 from brain cancer, he scoffed at them. He has proven them incorrect, and continues to prove them more incorrect every day.


He is now pursuing his lifelong dream of telling other people his stories in writing. His overactive imagination used to get him in trouble. It will be interesting to see what happens this time.


My Name Was Karl is his first self-published work, but he already has two other books in a queue somewhere at a publisher.


Daniel was born and raised in northern New Hampshire, but now lives in sunny Southwest Florida with his husband of nearly twenty-eight years. He totally doesn’t get why some people complain it is too hot in Florida!



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Review: On Your Knees, Prospect (Kings of Hell MC #3) by K.A. Merikan

--- There is freedom in blacking boots for the right man. ---

Jake. Kings of Hell MC Prospect. Obedient. Desperate for approval.
Vars. Dominant. Stern. Undead.

Jake is itching to become a patched member of the Kings of Hell MC.
For two years he's toiled as the only prospect. So when a new guy swans in and thinks he'll get a patch in no time just because he's got friends in high places, Jake is there to stand in his way.
Only that the guy is older, more experienced, drives a Harley, and has the kind of boots Jake craves to lick.
But he won't.
Because he only fucks patches.

Vars is ready to find a new home in the Kings of Hell MC after a messy relationship led him straight to hell. In comparison, the pretty, blue-eyed prospect could be just the pleasant rebound he needs.
The boy is a brat, but that could be amended with a firm hand and a gag.
If only Jake was ready to admit to his submissive needs, Vars would gladly take him under his wing.
That is, until he finds out something inhuman resides inside of Jake.
Vars didn’t cheat death only to call out to it again.

But stuck together in one room, keeping each other’s secrets, they might just have to become allies, no matter how unwilling. Because if there is something Vars can’t resist, it’s a boy with pleading eyes.

*

“You are mine now, boy. This room is soundproof. No one will hear you scream.”
“Yes, sir. My body is yours.”

*


POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
Themes: motorcycle club, alternative lifestyles, demons, monster, tattoos, secrets, crime, self-discovery, gothic, fresh start, submission, stalking, PTSD, May/December, self-acceptance, enemies to lovers, Daddy/boy, body horror

Genre: Dark, paranormal M/M romance
Erotic content: Scorching hot, emotional, explicit scenes, BDSM

Length: ~130,000 words (Book 3 in the series)

WARNING: This story contains scenes of violence, offensive language, and morally ambiguous characters.


To say I was looking forward to this one would be an understatement. I mean…. just read that title! Spectacular!


Jake and Vars did not disappoint. The tension was Off. The. Charts. It was palpable on every page and made me want to lick it all up.


Unfortunately all the delicious sex came to a sudden holt for me when these two had their 'official’ BDSM scene. It is absolutely me personally, but I've come to love more 'creative’ type power exchanges, not so much andrew crosses and floggers. The scene was actually very well written and detailed, it just slowed the pace for me.

This is definitely less scary than the other books. It had a happier(?) feel to it, well…. until the end when we find out what the evil demons plans. All that can wait until the next book though. Still mythical and just a bit creepy though. Perfect.


I have come to love all the side characters in this intriguing series, Laurent my sweet lovely, Elliott my spoilt brat, Knight the show pony and Grey quiet but fiercely loyal. So excited for Grey's book!!!



Review: The Forest of Dark Delights (A Cox Fairytale #1) by James Cox

After the beast became human, Belle turned into the animal.

We all know the story. The dangerous and ugly Beast finds his true love in Belle. After a horrific fight with Gaston, the beast is finally transformed back into a man. What happens after that? It’s almost two years later and Belle is no longer the sweet woman the Beast fell in love with. She sweeps into towns with her ruthless army to pillage every book she can find and add it to her library. Beast is lonely, saddened by the lover he can’t understand but soon an old enemy returns to the castle.

Gaston is not the man he used to be. He made a promise to himself when he survived that fall, broken but alive. He’d make his amends to the beast. Someway, somehow.

When Gaston and Beast start a forbidden romance, the evil that is Belle returns to the castle…



Well I can't decide if it was a mistake to read this book or not. I adore Beauty and the Beast and now I may never be able to watch those movies the same ever again. I mean Belle turns into the most psychotic book hoarder in history! Who knew?

If the town did not agree to give up their books she’d send in her army. They’d take care of the villagers, steal the books, then burn the buildings to the ground.

So Belles gone crazy and Adam is at a loss of what to do for the woman he was once so in love with, therefore he has once again become a recluse within his castle. Then Gaston comes along, offering to help until Adam can forgive him for almost killing Adam 2 years prior (remember the knife to the back on the tower!). One of the ways Gaston can help out is by offering to elevate Adams mood…. If you know what I mean *waggles eyebrows*.

As it turns out big Gaston is a big ol’ bottom and Adam is quite the rough dominant. I was not disappointed by the sex!

Adam pushed a little deeper then pulled out and gave the area another spit. He wasn’t a gentleman, not tonight. Tonight, he was the beast. Adam thrust forward, urging half his length in Gaston. The man tangled in shackles groaned and winced. “Take me,” Adam whispered.

Then there was some serious face fucking. It was all very fairytale like….not.

I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of Gaston's character and the development between Adam and himself. It took a while for them to be more than convenient fuck buddies, but they got there in the end and I really enjoyed all of it!

So was this whole story more than slightly ridiculous? Yes absolutely. Did that make it all the more better? Yes absolutely. This is not the type of story to take to seriously, so only go into this if you're after some silly, sexy fun!

If you want to read something different, fun and sexy as hell, this is probably the book for you, but be prepared it will ruin Beauty and Beast for you.

I am soooo eagerly anticipating the rest of the series!