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Review: Resuscitating Love by Devon Rhodes

If Hill keeps putting cowboys ahead of his marriage, even being a cardiologist won’t help David fix their broken hearts.

Hillard ‘Hill’ Pearson, the new events director of the American Royal, has worked hard to get to where he is. This is his first year as director, and the huge responsibility of the more visible position has taken over his life. Yes, he could be considered a workaholic, but he’s put fifteen years into the event he’s loved since he was a kid, and now is his chance to shine.

When David Weinstein finally convinced his long-time partner, Hill, to marry him, he thought it would bring them closer together. Instead, they’re not even to their first anniversary and their relationship is suffering. David’s finally at a stage in his medical career where he has regular hours, but he can’t seem to connect with his husband when he’s free. Now, with the event that he’s sick of hearing about underway, he feels like he’s making all the effort with no return.

Can Hill and David resuscitate their love before David gives up on the promise of forever?

Publisher's Note: This story has been previously released as part of the Unconventional in Kansas City anthology.


Short on pages but not short on emotions was this story about remembering what’s important.
Marriage is hard. It’s not easy once the rings shine on your fingers and the certificate makes it legal. Marriage is work and yeah, sometimes no matter how much you love your spouse you can get lost in your own head and take them for granted. That’s what was done here by both men in different ways.
Hill and David have been together for 10 years and now heading toward their first wedding anniversary. Their careers are at a point where both men are comfortable yet when the American Royal rolls around for Hill, he takes a great responsibility on it and works longer hours than David would like.
I got that Hill was working hard with this being his first time in charge of the Royal. It’s a professional and personal legacy for him and he wants it to be perfect. He is head over heels in love with his husband David and yet, the little things he tries to do aren’t working because simply, Hill isn’t with David, even when he is physically in his presence.
This short reminds me a lot of the love language book. It seems silly but really, when you read it and understand your love language and your spouse's, life can be a bit easier. David wants Hill to see what David sees as important the same way David does and while Hill tries, he isn’t able to live up to David’s standards. David, a cardiologist has finally got his practice set so he can work scheduled hours and have time to spend with Hill, but… Hill isn’t home. Hill does get David though, knowing how he likes his scheduled weekends (high five to the author for mentioning weekend long runs) and just wants David to be happy.
These two are so much in love they just need to take a moment to breathe and see the person they married. It was lovely to watch Hill have his “A-ha!” moment and for him to be vulnerable with David.  It was beautiful to see how the men communicate, even when it’s hard for Hill being the strong silent cowboy, and how they resolve their issue and how they will work on not getting to this point again.
I am just going to say, the emotions were in this story both in and out of bed. Sometimes, when you are dropped into an established relationship like this with such a short story, emotions can get lost but these two, they made me feel and I adored that ending.


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Review: Perfect Game (Legendary Pairs #1) by Casey Cameron

“Hate the player, love the game…or was that the other way around?”

Research biologist Neil Parkinson had to give up a lot in pursuit of his Ph.D–his friends, his music, his home town–but the one thing he managed to hang on to was Legendary Pairs, the hyper-competitive collectible card game that has propelled so many nerds just like him to fame and fortune. With a new job in a new city, loneliness drives him out of his apartment and into The Ogre’s Den–a haven for local players, amateur and pro alike. Neil never aspired to be a professional gamer, but that was before he met Robin.

“Why even play, if you don’t play to win?”

Robin Abboud is cocky, brash, argumentative…and absolutely gorgeous. He may be a lowly caterer with a crappy car, but this game is the one place where he’s a top dog, and boy does he know it. Robin’s end-game goal is to play in the Legendary Pairs Pro Tour; he’s got the skill to do it, and from the moment he meets Neil, he’s convinced Neil does too. His flirty bravado gets under Neil’s skin like nothing else, but he runs so hot-and-cold that Neil can’t figure out if the two of them are competitors, friends…or something more.

“Don’t tell me this is just a game to you. I know better.”

When Robin convinces Neil to join him on a road trip to a major tournament, there’s more on the line than just the cash prize. Even as the two of them clash on the field of the tournament, Neil’s feelings for Robin are growing impossible to ignore. But could Robin ever feel the same way? The longer they spend together, the more Neil risks showing his whole hand. Is a perfect match in the cards for these two, or will their in-game rivalry tear them apart?

Perfect Game is a 25,000 word stand-alone romance novella with lots of heat, deliciously nerdy sweetness, and a happily-ever-after ending with no cliffhangers.


Robin and Neil are adorable in this story about two people who meet at The Ogre’s Den playing a collectable card game.

Robin is ridiculously competitive and cocky about his game. I was charmed by his confidence and enthusiasm for playing cards, and pursuing Neil. He went after what he wanted, and had no trouble navigating Neil’s insecurities.

Poor Neil is awestruck by Robin, but doesn’t seem to pick up on the flirting right away. He doesn’t believe someone like Robin could be interested in him. But with Robin’s persistence and overt tactic, they manage to make their way on a road trip to a tournament, enjoying each other along the way.

I had a lot of fun reading this. The scenes with the card games were just as fun as the flirty romance going on between Robin and Neil. Of course there was drama with the super competitive Robin, but they still managed to convince me that they should be together.

This is a short story, so just a snippet from this author, but it was really well written, and I was completely absorbed in it. I am definitely going to nab a copy of the second book in this series.

Recommended for all MM Romance readers who enjoy geeking out on card games.

A Review copy was provided for an honest opinion




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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Bedside Manner (Hearts & Health #1) by D.J. Jamison


It's the D.J. Jamison & Signal Boost Promotions Bedside Manner (Hearts & Health #1) Release Blitz! Celebrate and check out the new book information! And, of course, the $10 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!









Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Universal


Length: 56,000 words


Blurb


Dr. Paul Johnston can't get a set of dark, somber eyes out of his head, and the timing couldn't be worse.


The last thing he needs is to fall for a patient. Not now, when he's been put on paid leave pending review of a formal complaint. One that most likely accuses him of sexual harrassment or impropriety of some kind. It's possible he let his newfound freedom as a divorced, out-of-the-closet gay man go to his head, but he's certain -- mostly -- he didn't do anything wrong. Now, he's struggling to handle the reality that his job is in danger and the only guy he wants should be off-limits.


Zane Kavanaugh is floundering, and there's only one man who soothes the storm inside him.


Reeling from an assault that landed him in the hospital and the painful estrangement from his family since coming out, Zane is trying to get his feet under him and find his independence. He moves in with a roommate and searches for a job, all while recovering from a fractured arm and cracked ribs. None of that hurts as much as the emotional damage he's suffered. When he connects with Dr. Paul Johnston outside of the ER, he's drawn to the man's calm, collected manner. It doesn't hurt that Paul's lack of experience with men is sexy as hell, and so are his over-the-top responses when Zane gets his lips on him.


There's no right time to fall in love.


Paul is afraid to start a relationship, and Zane can only handle so much more rejection. Will these two find their perfect moment, or will they realize you can't choose when and how you fall in love? If Paul can't take a risk, he may have to choose: the career he loves or the first man to capture his heart.


Bedside Manner is Book 1 of the Hearts & Health series. This is a spin-off series from the book Heart Trouble and includes characters from that novel, but it can be read as a standalone.


Author Bio

DJ Jamison worked in newsrooms for more than 10 years, which helped tremendously when she began her series centered on The Ashe Sentinel, a fictional small-town newspaper in Kansas. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, two sons and three glow-in-the-dark fish.


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Review: Unspeakable Words (The Sixth Sense #1) by Sarah Madison

2nd Edition

Special Agent John Flynn is everything Jerry Parker is not: dangerously handsome, coolly charismatic, and respected by his peers. Special Agent Parker is dedicated and meticulous, but his abrasive personality has given him a reputation for being difficult. When new information on a cold case appears, Parker is assigned to work with Flynn, and the sparks fly as their investigative styles clash. Contact with a strange artifact changes everything when it bestows unusual and unpredictable powers on Flynn… and the two men must learn to trust each other before a killer strikes again.

First Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, 2010.




This book was a fabulous surprise. It seemed, at first glance, to be your everyday cop/special agent type fic. The important part of the blurb to note is the bit that says "Contact with a strange artifact changes everything when it bestows unusual and unpredictable powers on Flynn… ", it changes this from a straightforward crime story to one with a supernatural twist.

I suspect I could have had a healthy dose of cynicism if I'd thought too much about this before hand. Why ruin a perfectly good crime novel by adding in a supernatural element? Or, why risk a supernatural novel being a boring old crime fic? Luckily, I didn't think about it too much before hand, so no sceptical thoughts formed and I was just swept along in a story that I really, truly enjoyed. A crime stopry enhanced by the supernatural.

The story was great. I loved the characters from the start. I loved how their working relationship developed, how the trust developed and how their feelings developed. Sarah Madison is an author I've not read before but her story kept me hooked and I am itching to read the next in this series. It twisted and turned just the way I like a crime novel to do and kept me guessing at what and who and why. 

The only thing I didn't like about this book, in fact, is the cover - and that's only because the bloke reminds me of Simon Cowell. Not that I've anything against Simon Cowell, but he's just not how I pictured either of the MCs. Not sure I can blame the author or cover artist for my perceptions of the characters in the book though! 

A great read that I really enjoyed and another author to check out more of...

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
For more information see Dreampinner Press or  Goodreads

Blog Tour: Driven by M.B. Mulhall


Welcome M.B. Mulhall as she visits with the Driven Blog Tour! Check out her chat about the 5 books that drove her to write. <~~~ See what we did there? ;D 

Driven released 3/7/17!



Five Books That Lead Me to Write YA LGBT Novels


I was a vivacious reader as a child and pretty much devoured every book I could get my hands on. When I finished with the children's section of the library, I moved right into the adult area as YA didn't really exist at that time. The stories were pretty much the same in the sense that any romance was always hetero, girl meets guy, guy meets girl, yadda yadda.  Even though I knew a good deal about the LGBT community (thanks to my uncle who was out and proud and brought his "friends" around) I never really thought it was odd to not see LGBT literature. I just figured it was something that wasn't written about. It wasn't until I got to college that I found LGBT stories existed and were out there for me to find.
1) Gravitation
As a college student, I practically minored in Japanese and grew to love all things related to the country, especially manga. I was a Marvel comics kid growing up and manga combined my love of art and stories and Japanese culture. I came across a series called Gravitation a my love for yaio (boys love) began. The stories were sexy and funny and normal. There was no real stigma in two men having a romantic relationship.  It was eye opening.
2) The Bermudez Triangle
While I continued to hunt for other yaio manga, it would still be several years before I would find prominent LGBT characters in young adult literature. I think the first YA book I found with something other than a hetero relationship was Maureen Johnson's The Bermudez Triangle.  I thought it was not only a great coming of age story but a seemingly realistic romance between two best friends coming to terms with their sexuality/sexual identity. I thought it was well done and relatable to straight and queer readers alike.
3) Ash
Then I found Malinda Lo's Ash, a lesbian retelling of Cinderella. It was an okay read, but I felt the sexual undertones of the story were too subtle for how they were marketing it.  Although I was glad to be finding more stories with LGBT characters playing main roles, I thought this particular story could have done more with it.
4) Two Boys Kissing, Boy Meets Boy, Will Grayson Will Grayson
It was at this point that I discovered David Levithan. Two Boys Kissing, Boy Meets Boy, Will Grayson, Will Grayson (it didn't hurt that I was also a John Green fan). Obviously this is three books but I'm lumping them together because I discovered them all at the same time (yay for libraries!) Here were the main-stream, well-selling YA books with prominent LGBT characters I was looking for. Finally!
5) Gone, Gone, Gone
Lastly, I had been a fan of Hannah Moskowitz since I found her first book Break. I thought her style was different from others I had been reading and I really enjoyed her writing, therefore I followed her all over social media so I could see when she had new books coming out. When I first saw the blurb for Gone, Gone, Gone  I knew I had to read it. It was a poignant story that dealt with scary true-to-life events and the fragility of a new couple trying to find love amidst broken families and real life horrors. It was a beautiful, heartbreaking read.
I thought all these stories were important and ones that needed to be told and shared. I wanted to be able to add to them and hoped that people would find my own writing as touching and enlightening as some of these books. I hoped my stories would not just entertain, but education and help people see that love is love regardless of whether it's between two men or two women or a woman and a man. And maybe some day I'll make someone else's top five list. That would be quite the achievement.
***

Eighteen-year-old Oliver’s troubles don’t end when he’s released from prison. He has nowhere to go, and he can’t even think about moving past his crimes while trying to survive homelessness.

Helping an elderly woman after a fall guides Oliver into at least a temporary home. In exchange for odd jobs and some assistance, he’s welcomed into a life with the old twin spinsters, and it seems too good to be true. The neighbor, Simon, certainly thinks it is. He doesn’t trust Oliver or his motives. Oliver is used to that kind of judgment, but it isn’t helping him overcome his guilt. Maybe Simon is right and Oliver doesn’t deserve happiness—or any of the other feelings stirring in a heart Oliver thought he’d closed off for good.

Oliver has two options: let the pain of his past swallow him and destroy all hope for the future, or move on to the new possibilities in front of him. Choosing to live won’t be easy, and Oliver might not be able to do it alone.

Links:
Harmony Ink Press: https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books/driven-by-mb-mulhall-454-b

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33952885-driven

***

About the Author
MB Mulhall is a published author who typically has way too much on her plate. In between making vlogs and writing books, she tests her patience and pays the bills by helping to manage a home for developmentally disabled adults. She has a BA in Comparative Literature and Languages from Hofstra University as well as an Elementary Education degree from Georgian Court University.

She’s a crafter, a pet parent to a dog and two hedgehogs, a wife, a Jersey girl, a Whovian, and a lover of ink. Her next novel, Driven, is due out in March ’17 with Harmony Ink Press. You can find her all over social media posting pics of books, pets, and food porn.

Author's Website: http://mbmulhall.com
Author's Twitter: https://twitter.com/MBMulhall

Follow the Driven Blog Tour:

Feb 27 -- Guest Post on Prism Book Alliance
http://www.prismbookalliance.com/

March 3 -- Review on My Midnight Musing
https://mymidnightmusing.wordpress.com/

March 5 -- Interview at Bohemian Bookworm
https://thebohemianbookworm.wordpress.com/


March 7 -- Review on Lexiderms Little Book Corner
https://lexdidems.wordpress.com/

March 7 -- Review on Diverse Reader
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March 9 -- Exclusive Excerpt on Joyfully Jay
http://joyfullyjay.com/

March 9 -- Review on Books at Dawn
https://booksatdawn.com/

March 10 -- Guest Post on Boy Meets Boy Reviews
https://boymeetsboyreviews.blogspot.com

March 12 -- Review on Book Pandemonium
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March 12 -- Review on From Top to Bottom Reviews
https://fromtoptobottomreviews.com/

Review: Single Malt (Agents Irish and Whiskey #1) by Layla Reyne

The heart’s a resilient beast

Eight months after the car crash that changed everything, FBI agent Aidan Talley is back at work. New department, new case and a new partner. Smart, athletic and handsome, Jameson Walker is twelve years his junior. Even if Aidan was ready to move on—and he's not—Jamie is off-limits.

Jamie's lusted after Aidan for three years, and the chance to work with San Francisco's top agent directly is too good to pass up. Aidan is prickly—to put it mildly—but a growing cyber threat soon proves Jamie's skills invaluable.

Jamie's talents paint a target on his back, and Aidan is determined to protect him. But with hack after hack threatening a high-security biocontainment facility, time is running out to thwart a deadly terrorist attack. They'll have to filter out distractions, on the case and in their partnership, to identify the real enemy, solve the case and save thousands of lives, including their own.

Or ALL THE HEARTS EVER!!!!

I really wanted to be eloquent with this review. I wanted to do the writing justice with a symbiotic review that really explained how much I adored this book. I wanted to do a lot of things, say a lot of things but the only thing that comes to mind now that I’ve got fingers to the keyboard is… FUCK. You know, that four letter word can be used in so many ways and I used it over and again while reading this. The romance? Fuck. The mystery? Fuck! The emotions? Fuck. The intimacy? Fuck… me. Yeah. That word is perfect and while it’s a bit vulgar, it’s what simply comes to mind when I think of what I just read.

I’ll admit, when I first read the blurb for this the nicknames are what caught my eye, I am a sucker for them but the reminiscence of one of my favorite couples who just happen to be in the FBI and partners while being secret lovers made me jump up and volunteer for it. I could not have trusted my instincts more with this story. It was amazing, just so good and while I mentioned the similarity to that couple from another series… the chemistry with Jamie and Adrian blows them out of the water. If you know what I mean, then you know what I mean. You know?

Anyway.

Told from the dual POV’s (Thank Gawd!) of Secret Agents Adrian “Irish” Talley and Jameson “Whiskey” Walker, we are brought into the story 8 months after a tragic accident took the life of not only Adrian’s partner, but also his husband. Adrian is beside himself as he deals with his loss but when his sister in law and boss, arrives to give him his new assignment and new partner, Adrian is ready to get back to work though hesitant to be around Walker. Of course Adrian lets us in on the numerous reasons why he is hesitant but once they are on the same page together? I just wanted to smoosh them together and make them kiss. It was way too early but a girl can hold out for the right moment.

Let me get this out and say the UST with this book is palatable. You can feel it, you can taste it and you so want it to come to a point where they give in because you need it as much as they do. Phew… is it hot in here? Does anyone have a fan?

Again… anyway.

Adrian fancies the young and talented FBI Agent/Ex-Basketball champion/hacker that is Jamie and Jamie has had a crush on Adrian for three years but always respected his marriage. These two, they have chemistry that Walter White would envy (don’t roll your eyes at me!) but the respect they have for one another as partners and as professionals is what really matters. You can’t have a romance if you don’t have respect and these two, they are just so wonderful. I adored being in both their POV’s and I think it helped the story that we got both Adrian and Jamie as they not only worked the on and off the book cases but as they worked out their feelings for one another.

Oh Adrian, my poor fellow clueless ginger who hides his fire. What am I going to do with you aside from getting you drunk on bourbon so you can loosen up and ask the right questions? I loved your dedication to your marriage, to being a widower and honoring the memory of Gabe and the life you shared with him. I ached for you loss on your anniversary and yet turned into a puddle at what happens with Jamie. I felt the pull as you tried to fight it and boy your jealousy when it comes to Whiskey was off the charts hot. Dude, growling is always hot when you are basically marking your territory around your man. Just saying. But ultimately, you are an amazing and honorable man who loves family and fears losing what you love. You’ve lost so much already that I get compartmentalizing your emotions, but Jamie… he is so worthy.

Now, Jamie. Good lord how could I not adore you? You are the quintessential computer nerd/hacker with the natural athletic ability to make anyone jealous and yet you are as humble as pie. You are such a southern gentleman with amazing way of describing someone eyes that it’s no wonder men and women fall at your feet. It’s a shame the women don’t catch on that you are only into men, but it’s a blessing that you get to spend more time with Adrian and make him really see you.

Wow. This one has me rambling but I haven’t even said anything.

Let me get to the point. This story is amazing. The writing is stellar. The romance is ridiculously swoon worthy and the mystery is superb. I was impressed by all the twists and turns both cases the men are working on and how they were all coming together. I loved reading all about Jamie and what he not only did for the FBI but in his own personal hacker time. The man truly is talented with those fingers of his and I loved getting more of Adrian’s family as well. Danny was amazing and Mel, as Adrian’s sister in law/boss/late husband’s sister was one hell of a bad ass woman. The action sequences in this were cinematic and the emotions had me on edge. I was either gasping in shock, rage or pure lust with this book and I loved every damn page of it.

As I write this, I realize that I have a stupid amount of highlights and notes and haven’t used a single one. I think I will keep it that way because I am not ready to share yet. Sorry. I am greedy when it comes to these two and all that they are becoming to one another.

I will say that this book blew me away and THIS. IS. ROMANTIC. So romantic and so action packed and layered that I can’t get enough. That end??? HOLY SHIT! My mouth hung open as I read it and knew I needed the second book immediately. I am a bit sad seeing as there are only three books listed – as of now - for this series as this is one I could read long term.

And before I forget, that title is amazing. OMG is it amazing. According to my late father, a second generation Scottish American, the single malt is a myth. It is in fact a blended whiskey, but a special blend from a single distillery. Giving Jamie two names referencing the amber liquor and giving him the two “lives” of the high profile basketball player and the hide in the basement cyber hacker FBI agent blending into the single man was done brilliantly. Adding in the title of Single Malt and you have me applauding. Bravo, dear author. Bravo.

Wow.

Le Sigh and Le Unf.

I’ll stop my rambling and end with this.

Single Malt… Agents Irish and Whiskey… The Romance… The Intrigue… It was perfect. I want more. Hit me again, bartender.


A copy provided via Netgalley for an honest review
.



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Don't miss the Single Malt Blog Tour + Giveaways stop here!

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Single Malt by Layla Reyne



We're happy to host Layla Reyne and the Single Malt blog tour today! Our review here! Check out today's stop and don't forget to enter the giveaway where you have a chance to win 1 of 10 Agents Irish and Whiskey Gift Sets! Good luck!




About SINGLE MALT:


Title: Single Malt
Author: Layla Reyne
Series: Agents Irish & Whiskey
Genre: M/M Romantic Suspense
Release Date: February 27, 2017
Publisher: Carina Press


Synopsis:
Eight months after the car crash that changed everything, FBI agent Aidan Talley is back at work. New department, new case and a new partner. Smart, athletic and handsome, Jameson Walker is twelve years his junior. Even if Aidan was ready to move on—and he's not—Jamie is off-limits.
Jamie's lusted after Aidan for three years, and the chance to work with San Francisco's top agent directly is too good to pass up. Aidan is prickly—to put it mildly—but a growing cyber threat soon proves Jamie's skills invaluable.  
Jamie's talents paint a target on his back, and Aidan is determined to protect him. But with hack after hack threatening a high-security bio-containment facility, time is running out to thwart a deadly terrorist attack. They'll have to filter out distractions, on the case and in their partnership, to identify the real enemy, solve the case and save thousands of lives, including their own.







Excerpt from SINGLE MALT


Aidan came to slowly. The acrid smell of smoke stung his nostrils, something wet dripped down the side of his face, and his head throbbed like someone had taken a hammer to it. Eyes closed, shattered glass tinkled all around as he lifted a hand to his temple. Massaging the point of pain, his fingers came away sticky and wet.
His aching brain was slow to catch on. One by one, it put together the pieces, and the terrible familiarity of his situation came into focus, knotting his gut and tearing at his chest.
Blood.
Broken glass.
Engine smoke and airbag fumes.
Not one but two SUVs barreling toward them.
Car accident.
Again.
Present events collided with past memories of a similar, horrible night eight months ago.
Tom clutching the dashboard with one hand and the handle above the Tesla’s passenger door with the other, bracing for impact, his face aghast in the oncoming high beams of the vehicle speeding toward them.
Gabe’s frightened black eyes meeting his own in the rearview mirror, a second before his body was thrown sideways in the back seat, the crash of his skull against the window louder in Aidan’s mind than the grinding metal and splintering glass.
Aidan’s insides tossing and turning with each flip of the car, free fall at its most terrifying. The scrape of asphalt against his arm, metal piercing skin, twisting and turning, as death pinned him in its grip.
A weak gurgling cough yanked Aidan back to the present.
Whiskey.
Eyes popping open, he squinted against the bright morning light and gasped at the pain piercing his head and radiating down his right side. Fighting the blackness encroaching on the edges of his vision, he turned his head left, searching for his partner.
His partner who’d driven the Rover with stunt-worthy precision out of the way of two oncoming SUVs, through a barrier, and down a cliff into a ravine.
The hard landing had knocked Aidan out, but he’d woken upright and in one piece, relatively. Walker, just coming to, was held back against the driver’s seat by the taut seatbelt. He had his left hand up by his hairline, and when it fell limply into his lap, his fingertips were covered in blood. The strained belt snapped, and he began to crumple forward.
“Whiskey.” Swatting the deflated airbags out of the way, Aidan reached over to hold Walker upright, pressing him back into the seat. “Stay with me.”
Groaning, Walker rotated his head, his lashes dark against colorless cheeks. Bright red blood seeped from a gash at his hairline.
Ignoring the pain in his side and the anvil in his head, Aidan unbuckled his seatbelt and stretched across the console to hold Walker’s face in his hand, giving his unshaven cheek a firm but careful pat.
“Come on, Jamie. Open those beautiful blue eyes for me.”
Walker’s forehead wrinkled and his eyelids fluttered open, the gaze beneath them hazy and unfocused. “Irish?”
Pure relief and blinding need propelled Aidan across the console. Fingers digging into Walker’s neck, he slammed their mouths together and tasted the precious life flowing from his partner’s lips. Aidan had wanted this the past three weeks, but he’d denied the attraction between them. Because they were partners. Because he was still grieving. But in the aftermath of this latest accident, too much like the one that’d stolen the last man he’d loved, Aidan needed to know the man beside him, the man he could but couldn’t love, was alive.
Walker gave a surprised jerk, then, catching on, angled his head and parted his lips, his warm breath rushing into Aidan’s mouth. Granted entrance, Walker’s slow kiss was no match for Aidan’s desperation.
For the fear that laced each swipe of his tongue.
For the longing that shook his fingers and caused him to groan.
For the darkness that grew closer with each stolen breath.
“You’ll be okay, Whiskey,” he whispered against his lips.
Relief for Walker’s safety, for his life, made Aidan’s slide into darkness smooth, not the tossing and turning of his nightmarish memories.
“Irish, hold on,” was the last thing he heard before falling forward into Walker’s big body and letting oblivion take him.


Coming May 1, 2017 - CASK STRENGTH (Agents Irish & Whiskey):
Professionally, the FBI team of Aidan "Irish" Talley and Jameson "Whiskey" Walker is as good as it gets, closing cases faster than any team at the Bureau. Personally, it’s a different story. Aidan’s feelings for Jamie scare the hell out of him: he won’t risk losing another love no matter how heart-tripping the intimacy between them. And loss is a grim reality with the terrorist Renaud still on their trail, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake.

Going undercover on a new case gets them out of town and off the killer's radar. They're assigned to investigate an identity theft ring involving a college basketball team in Jamie's home state, where Jamie's past makes him perfect for the role of coach. But returning to the court brings more than old memories.

As secrets and shocking betrayals abound, none may be more dangerous than the one Jamie’s been keeping: a secret about the death of Aidan’s husband that could blow his partner's world apart and destroy forever the fragile bonds of trust and love building between them.
Preorder now: Amazon | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play



About Layla Reyne:
2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist, Layla Reyne, was raised in North Carolina but now calls San Francisco home. She enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline fueled suspense and heart pounding romance. When she’s not writing stories to excite her readers, she downloads too many books, watches too much television, and cooks too much food with her scientist husband, much to the delight of their smushed-face, leftover-loving dogs. You can find her online at http://www.laylareyne.com/.       





                                                                   

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Follow the celebration for a different excerpt each week!
February 27th
Sinfully Gay Romance – Review + Guest Post


February 28th
Joyfully Reviewed –Promotional Post
OMG Reads –Promotional Post
RoloPolo Book Blog – Promotional Post
The Silver Dagger Scriptorium –Promotional Post


March 1st
The Avid Reader  - Promotional Post


March 2nd  
Joyfully Jay – Review + Guest Post
Love Bytes (Reviews) – Guest Post
Prism Book Alliance  - Review + Interview  


March 3rd
The Book Quarry – Review
Tangled Hearts Book Reviews – Promotional Post
Rhi Reading – Promotional Post
Sour Puss Reviews – Promotional Post


March 6th


March 7th
Jen’s Reading Obsession - Review    
Got Fiction? – Promotional Post


March 8th
Those Crazy Book Chicks – Promotional Post
Hike2Forty and Beyond – Promotional Post


March 9th
Book Loving Pixies – Review


March 10th
Alpha Book Club – Review
Nadine’s Obsessed with BooksPromotional Post


Advanced praise for Single Malt:


A sexy, action-packed read that had me wanting the next book! --HelenKay Dimon, author of Mr. & Mr. Smith


With sharp writing, compelling characters, and an engaging plot, Single Malt is the M/M romantic suspense series I've been waiting for. - Santino Hassell, award-winning author of the FIVE BOROUGHS series


"Single Malt is full of explosive chemistry, captivating characters, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. A must read for any romantic suspense fan!" -- Megan Erickson, USA Today Bestselling author




Follow the Release Celebration on February 27th – March 10th! Ten (10) grand prize winners will receive an Agents Irish & Whiskey Gift Set!



a Rafflecopter giveaway



See our review of Single Malt HERE