Audiobook Review: Nachos & Hash (Mary's Boys #1) by Brandon Witt

Darwin Michaels is living his dreams in the Mile High City. While Denver offers the perfect job, scrumptious dining, and whirlwind dating options, Darwin is losing hope he’ll find the right man to spark his interest for more than a one-night stand—until he sets eyes on Cody Russell.

Cody has just accomplished his life’s goal—get the hell out of Kansas. In one fell swoop, he lands a job at Hamburger Mary’s and gets a newfound family and the chance to be with other gay people! All that’s missing is someone special. But when Darwin shows his interest, Cody is sure it’s too good to be true. After all, what can Darwin possibly see in the high school dropout serving him nachos?

As Darwin falls in love, Cody struggles to realize his worth. When his past threatens the fragile life he is building, Cody spirals into a moment of dark desperation. But Darwin is determined to show Cody that love and family and home are there for him… will Cody accept what is offered?

Listening Length: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Narrator: Dominic Carlos

Goodness Gracious.

I started out listening to the audio on this book and had to call time of death at 40%. I literally listened to the first 10% and then had to stop, go back and read it because the voices were driving me crazy which ruined my focus. *smh* Along with the errors of repetition and lack of connection with the overall narration, I couldn't go on. I didn’t feel it would be fair to judge the book based on the audio version so I bought the ebook and sallied forth to give it a fair shot. It was just okay. Maybe I should have gone back and reread the whole thing in print. *shrug* Ain’t nobody got time for that. So here it is, a 40% audio and 47% print review (40 + 47= 87% so color me confused when the book just ends as I turn the page at 87% thinking there has to be more).

Darwin is a 24 year old cancer researcher living in Denver on a grant. He’s a serial dater and ready to call it quits until he sets eyes on Cody, his waiter at Hamburger Mary’s.

Cody, like Darwin is from a small midwest town and came to Denver to be around people like him. He had never knowingly met a gay person until he left home. His father is an abusive alcoholic and his parents would never accept him as he is. Cody struggles with low confidence, self-worth, and is always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Cody has this mentality that good things don’t happen to him and if they do, they won’t last.

Darwin and Cody have a SUPER fast connection. Cody hasn’t been shown tenderness in his life or his hook-ups and doesn’t know how to expect anything different. Darwin is patient, understanding, and calls Cody on his self-hate talk. He shows Cody what it looks like to be treated with respect. They had a balance of patient and affirming Darwin for insecure and skeptical Cody.

This book was sweet. Really freaking sweet and that isn’t typically my cuppa. I’m just not a fan of insta-loveish relationships or cheesy professions of feelings when its been a couple of weeks (unless it’s a mates situation). Another thing that drove me bonkers was how insecure Cody is. Darwin is constantly having to restate his feelings alllllllll the way to the end. I know having a rough upbringing can wear a person down but Cody is an immature 21 year old. Their relationship angst was weaksauce and probably could have been skipped over since there was other drama/serious situations coming along.

Clearly it wasn’t a love match between me and this book. It started off on the wrong foot with the audio and never quite recovered. I’m not sure my opinion would have fully changed had I read it outright from the beginning, but I tried. Oh well, Cody and Darwin got their happily ever after and I’ve learned once again to LISTEN TO THE AUDIO SAMPLE BEFORE REQUESTING. *deep breath*

P.S. There needs to be a trigger warning for attempted suicide.

Guest Review: Jesus Kid by Kayleigh Sky

Thirty years ago, an asteroid stuck the Earth. Now killer plants hunt the last surviving humans.

Ori Scott is a young junkie running from his mother’s prophecy that he’d one day save the world from the killer plants. Her preaching made him a laughingstock and now he hides in his drugs. But he can’t hide the change in his veins. They are turning green, and the prophecy is dragging him into a dark struggle between invisible forces. Set up on bogus drug charges, Ori is taken to a secret facility where he becomes a test subject in experiments to discover an antidote to the alien plant’s sting.

Jack Doll is a cop with a vendetta against the plants that killed his best friend. All he has in the world now is his old friend’s lover, Rive. Together they form an unbreakable bond—or so he thought. Jack has never liked Rive’s friend, Ori, but he believes in Ori’s innocence and doesn’t understand Rive’s strange indifference to Ori’s conviction. Struggling with his suspicions, Jack can’t help digging into a mystery that draws him closer to Ori than ever before—and closer to somebody who has secrets to hide.

Alone and scared, Ori is grateful for Jack Doll’s friendship, and his longtime crush soon blossoms into love. But Ori has no plans to accept his fate. He wants to escape, and he doesn’t care if he takes the cure with him.

Reviewer: NeRdyWYRM

Simultaneously Repelling and Enthralling

So in this dystopian clusterfuck there was a whole lot of "What the hell?!" moments. It's really kind of hard to describe this title in any specificity without giving too much away. There were aspects of this world that were, quite frankly, appalling. I was repelled by some of what occurred here because I guess I didn't expect it. There I go with those damned expectations again!

However, the oddities and the quirks and the contradictions sucked me right in. I could see something pure in amongst the evils right from the start. The characters and the dialogues were literallydiamonds in the rough and man, how they shone.

Ori ... Ori was a hard pill to swallow while being a character you wanted to reach into the book and hug. I mean. He was a survivor and a victim, innocent yet promiscuous, prickly but loving. Ori was a walking contradiction and honestly, not all that likable a lot of the time.

Jack was something else altogether. He's what you might call a 'company man'. Dear old straitlaced Jack was definitely drinking the Kool-Aid™ even though it wasn't necessarily an intentional head-in-the-sand situation. Ori embodied chaos. Jack embodied order.

So, boy oh boy, the angst whenever those two opposites attracted was singularly fascinating. The love-hate, push-pull was a little exhausting. That sounds like a complaint, but really it's just an observation. I always find extreme emotional opposites and characters' minds and hearts warring to be tiring.

I really wanted to reach in and smack them all a few times. Okay, so it was more than a few! That said, I was completely engaged even when my head was spinning.

I loved the turns of phrase and the odd speech and dialogue that was so perfectly idiosyncratic to the setting and the characters. Jack's inner dialogue was beautifully articulate despite his character's penchant for the straight and narrow. He had a lawman's mind but a poet's soul.

"Love is like a green wood," Jack murmured. "Liquid summer yellow. Love is a wild thing. A spray of blossoms blue. Love is you."

That was Ori's song, though Jack had made it up on the day they'd found Rive in The Orchards ...

The world building was pretty spectacular. I really got a feel for how things were. I did not like how things were, but I did believe in the possibility of it. Unfortunately, a society corrupted to the core is no longer as inconceivable a thing for me as it might once have been [shrugs].

There are twists and turns and weird, killer plants. There's a Sodom and Gomorrah meets Wild West kind of society with murderous, abusive thugs abounding. There are good people and bad people and really bad people. My favorite people, like Ori and Jack and Rive and Dobbin, go through some really fucked up shit in the past, present, and likely the future.

A single word does not exist that will describe this book. It just doesn't. All I can say is: if you like dystopian reads with a lot of dark situations interspersed with truly compelling moments of blinding clarity and impossible, beautiful, poetic descriptions to balance it all out, then this is the book for you.

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.

Release Blitz: Deal Maker by Lily Morton

Happy Release Day, Lily Morton! She's here today with an excerpt of her latest, Deal Maker!

Deal Maker

Lily Morton

M/M Romance

Release Date: 12.22.17

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

BLURB

Sometimes your mouth makes deals that your heart can’t honour.

Jude is a highly successful model, but a very reluctant one. His life is full of casual hook-ups with pretty men in glamorous locations, but it’s still empty. However, circumstances decreed a long time ago that this was his path, so he’s resolutely stayed on it and accepted his fate with good grace. He made a deal with himself and his hook-ups. Get in, get out and no ties with anyone.

However, an accident at home one night leads to him making a new deal and accepting the offer of help from an unlikely source. It leads to an unexpected summer of falling in love with a larger than life man and his child.

But by the end of the summer his reasons for not staying are still valid. Will he turn away? Can he?

Asa is a talented actor who has spent time away from the scene to look after his son. But now he’s back, and the last thing he needs are complications from the gorgeous man who is staying with him. Scarred from too many betrayals, he has no intention of forming a lasting tie with anyone. However, he can’t resist the beautiful man with secrets, and to his horror he develops feelings.

But a deal’s a deal and they said it was just for the summer. What can Asa do with a man who has forever in his eyes and goodbye on his lips?

From the Amazon bestselling author of ‘Rule Breaker’ comes another scorchingly hot romantic comedy.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36801370-deal-maker

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2nOypab

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2AIdTxU

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2l14iLR

Global: http://getBook.at/DealMaker

EXCERPT

I come awake a few nights later. At first, I look around blearily, trying to work out what’s woken me, and then I sit up with a muffled scream. “Were you lifting up my eyelids?”

Billy settles down cross legged on the pillow next to me. “Yes,” he says in a loud whisper. “I wanted to see if you were awake.”

“I am now,” I say faintly, and a deep chuckle sounds from the door. Looking up, I see Asa, his big frame washed in the light from the hallway. He’s dressed in faded jeans, a white t-shirt and a navy cardigan. His hair is tied up in a messy man bun and he looks disgustingly awake.

“You can laugh,” I say. “He’s graduated from standing over me, staring at me, and waiting for me to wake up, to actual bodily contact with my eyelids. It’s escalating, and starting to look like a scene from ‘The Omen’.”

“What’s ‘The Omen’?” Billy asks, and I notice he’s dressed too, in grey cuffed joggers, a navy t-shirt and tiny navy Converse.

“A comedy about a boy and his dog,” I say absently, hearing Asa’s snort of laughter. Then my eye falls on my phone. “What the… it’s three in the morning. What’s happened? Is it the apocalypse? Because I have to say that unless it’s actually reached St Johns Wood, I’m not leaving this bed.”

“What’s a pocolip?” Billy asks, setting down in the bed and cuddling into my side. I sling my arm around him, and look up to see Asa looking at us, a soft look in his eyes.

“It’s what happens when you wake me up at three in the morning for no discernible reason.”

“Oh, but we have got a reason,” Asa drawls. “Go, Billy!”

In the next second the bedroom explodes with coloured paper, as he and Billy let loose the giant party poppers I’ve just noticed they have in their hands. ‘Happy Birthday’ they shout, and Billy jumps up and down on the mattress, catching the falling paper and looking like a five-year-old trampoline champion.

I sit up slowly. “Oh my God,” I say softly. “What is happening to my life right now?”

Asa crosses over and sits on the edge of the bed. To my surprise, he looks almost worried, his soft brown eyes full of trepidation. Inexplicably I want to comfort him. Instead I just sit and stare at him with my mouth slightly open, while he shifts uneasily.

“The thing is,” he says slowly. “We might have done something.”

“What?”

He flinches slightly. “Yes. I’m not exactly sure we should have done it, but -” He pauses and then picks up speed, the words tumbling out. “It’s just that it’s your birthday, and Bill and I … well, we really like you.” A flush creeps over his face, and he shrugs his massive shoulders slightly. “Anyway, we couldn’t ignore it, so we decided we’re going to take you away for your birthday.”

I’m absolutely struck dumb for a second, and then I say slowly, “So, when you say we decided, you actually meant you decided.”

He shoots me a sideways glance, analysing my facial expression, and then carries on talking in an earnest, serious manner that is absolutely melting something inside me. “Okay, I decided. I know you said you have bad memories, so I thought maybe you could for once try and make new memories, better ones.”

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

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Review: Inseparable (Port Java, #1) by Sloan Johnson

Trevor and Gabe never knew life without the other. As only children, they grew up as close as brothers, but their love grew to something more. Something they couldn't talk about because their parents wouldn't understand.

Gabe is gay and unapologetic about his sexuality. He refuses to live his life in the shadows, but that doesn't mean he isn't harboring secrets.

Trevor is his parents’ miracle child and he doesn’t want to hurt them. Coming out, admitting he's in love with Gabe, could ruin everything.

Heading off to college was supposed to finally free them to be together, but nothing is as easy as it seems. Can they find a way to navigate this new world, living and loving openly?

This was a sweet college romance that brought about a bit of nostalgia. Do you remember the feelings you had (or currently have) when you couldn’t wait to leave home for college (or any other reason)? That when you went away, you could finally be yourself, find yourself, and find your tribe? That’s what Inseparable reminded me of; Those feelings of hope that everything would be epic and smooth sailing once you were an "adult”.

They aren't at the point where they realize adulting is overrated.

Anywhooo, Gabe and Trevor have been best friends since the crib. Seriously. Their moms are best friends and were pregnant at the same time. They lived two houses from each other and did everything together from playing childhood games all the way to an eventual attraction once puberty hit. Gabe and Trevor started secretly dating their junior year of high school and decided they would wait until college to make everything official. Trevor was still in the closet and both boys were terrified of how their families would react to them being together.

The day had come and they were all moved into their dorm. Freeeeeedom. They found relief in the privacy of their dorm room as they explored new aspects of being in a relationship. I loved the way Gabe loves Trevor. Trevor gets to see a part of Gabe that’s only for him. His typical abrasiveness is replaced with vulnerability, affections, and openly showing Trevor love.

Outside of their room, they struggled with the course load, making time for each other, insecurities, coming out, and family issues.

The family mom issues were insane.

Their moms, especially Trevor’s were wayyyyyyyy beyond helicopter parenting. If she could have found a way to reattach the cord, she probably would. Most of the drama in the book was caused by fear of parental (mom) expectations with coming out and/or admitting that they were in a relationship. I didn’t get it. Why did it matter that they were together? Just when I was about to hit my WTF is the big deal moment, clarity was provided the last quarter of the book and the worry *kind of* made sense.

We’re also provided a helping of relational angst with insecurities, lack of communication, and the burden of hiding their relationship. They soon realize not everything about adulting is amazing and have to navigate through the muck and mire to reach the other side. They get their HEA and find *their* people. I ended up enjoying the families (minus Trevor’s mom because drama) and really liked the secondary characters they met at college.

I read the ARC version so I’m hoping this went through another round of edits. Seth (secondary character) was called Alan a couple times at the end. I don’t hold that or spelling/grammar against the rating for ARCs. The time lapses though... *smh.* They were random throughout and a few times skipped parts that should have been on page based on the build up.

It wasn’t love, but I liked it. The characters were relatable and the leaving home nostalgia this story provided kept me coming back for more. I’d recommend it and would read Seth’s story if he gets one.

A review copy was provided.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: One Thousand Cranes (The Yakuza Path Series #3) by Amy Tasukada

One Thousand Cranes (The Yakuza Path Series #3) is out! Celebrate with Amy Tasukada and Signal Boost Promotions! Enter on her backlist ebook giveaway!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 28,000 words approx

The Yakuza Path Series (Each can be read as a standalone)

Book #1 - Blood Stained Tea - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #2 - Better Than Suicide - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

When a body goes missing, a young Yakuza’s life hangs in the balance…

Aki Hisona’s latest promotion is a cause for celebration. But because his new job is working as the personal secretary for the Yakuza's Kyoto-based godfather, it’s also a cause for dangerous envy. He takes an invitation from a friend for congratulatory drinks, but Aki never thought the night would end with a deadly knife fight…

Aki is tasked with disposing of his friend’s corpse, but there’s one problem: the body is missing. As body parts surface around town, it’s only a matter of time before the police piece together the clues. But keeping one step ahead of the cops may not matter if Aki can’t solve the mystery before his cold, unforgiving godfather boss does…

The Yakuza Path: One Thousand Cranes is a pulse-pounding standalone thriller in the ongoing series of Japanese mafia stories. If you like gritty settings, page-turning whodunits, and accurate portrayals of Kyoto traditions, then you’ll love Amy Tasukada’s gripping tale.

Author Bio

Amy Tasukada lives in a catless home in North Texas. (She enjoys cats but can’t quite make that kind of commitment yet.) As an only child her day dreams kept her entertained, and at age ten she started to put them to paper. Since then her love of writing hasn’t cease. When she’s not chasing after stray cats, she can be found drinking hot tea and filming Japanese street fashion hauls on her Youtube channel.

https://www.amytasukada.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/amytasukada
http://www.facebook.com/amytasukadaofficial/
https://twitter.com/@amytasukada

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Audiobook Review: Buried Bones (Bones #2) by Kim Fielding

Werewolves don’t have a how-to manual—nor do men embarking on a new life together.

It’s been a few weeks since Dylan Warner wolfed out and killed Andy, the crazed werewolf who originally turned him and later tried to murder Chris Nock. Architect Dylan and handyman Chris are still refurbishing Dylan's old house as they work out the structure of their relationship. They come from very different backgrounds, and neither has had a long-term lover before, so negotiating their connections would be challenge enough even if Dylan didn’t turn into a beast once a month.

To make matters worse, Dylan’s house is haunted, and events from both men’s pasts are catching up with them. Dylan has to cope with the aftermath of killing Andy, and Chris continues to suffer the effects of a difficult childhood.

In his quest to get rid of the ghost, Dylan rekindles old friendships and faces new dangers. At the same time, Chris’s father makes a sudden reappearance, stirring up old emotions. If Dylan and Chris want to build a lasting relationship, they’ll have to meet these challenges head-on.

Listening Length: 8 hours
Narrator: John Solo

I loved Good Bones, it was a lot of story and great setup to the series. It ended on a pretty realistic and optimistic HFN. I mean as realistic as a story about a shifter and his new BF can be, but the relationship read realistically considering everything they’d been going through. Buried Bones gave me everything I wanted at the end of Good Bones.

Buried Bones has all measure of supernatural elements again and it answered some questions from Good Bones, but my favorite thing about Buried Bones is the development of the relationship between Dylan and Chris. They are an established couple by this time, but very newly established and they still had a lot of getting-to-know-you to do. As well, they are working on how they relate to one another as a couple. I appreciate that these guys actually talk and it reads so organically. John Solo does an excellent job of carrying on the conversations so the emotional balance is just right. Dylan and Chris both still have some insecurities and both want to take the next steps so they’ll go from dating to a forever commitment and the narrator gave all the subtle nuances in the conversations that caught all the emotions.

There are enough outside elements to fuel their growth together, between learning more about shifters, the haunting and a visit from Chris’s father, there is plenty to keep them occupied. In amongst all of that, the two of them are still renovating and I was happy the author didn’t skip over that in book 2. The renovation of Dylan’s house made it feel like they were building a house for their future and it just added to their relationship. The additional of Chris’s father gave some focus to Chris as an overall character as well. It could easily be more “Dylan-centric” with the whole werewolf thing and all, but both characters stay fully fleshed out and makes the story stronger.

I can’t wait to dive into Book 3. Ery is a great character and fingers crossed his Grandma will make an appearance as well. I felt like Dylan and Chris have a solid HEA at the end of Buried Bones, the narration does the book justice and this is a series that will be a reread/listen for me.

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

Release Blitz: Gibraltar by Cristina Bruni

Cristina Bruni is making her clubhouse debut today with an excerpt of her historical MM romance, Gibraltar, which releases tomorrow!

Author: Cristina Bruni

Title: Gibraltar (English edition)

Genre: M/M historical

Blurb:

Benjamin Scott is a fair man and a fearless sea captain, but his heart is broken. A while back, during a fierce battle in the West Indies, he witnessed the death of his best man, Jack, who fell into the sea before Ben had the chance to confess his love to him.

In Gibraltar, he happens to run into a stranger, John, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost love. A friendship grows between the two men, soon turning to love. This time, will Benjamin find the courage to confess his love, before losing John as well?

Excerpt:

“John moved closer and pressed his mouth on Benjamin’s again. He explored his hot lips, tasting, nibbling. John’s tongue pushed against Ben’s teeth, sweetly, like a gentle greeting. Benjamin moaned in desire, and felt a twinge in his loins as his lips parted in surrender.

It felt like the world around them had stopped spinning, and they were still moving only because of inertia, waiting to run out of energy before stopping.

John was soft and inviting. Ben lost himself for a moment. It was pure desire and pleasure. Suddenly John bit his lip, and that mild pain broke the spell. Benjamin suddenly shook and jumped to his feet.

“What are you doing?” His voice was panicky, an octave higher than usual.

“I’m kissing you.”

“Why in the world would you do that?” the captain asked, overwhelmed by a dizzying swirl of shock and joy. It was what he wanted, exactly what he’d been hoping for since time immemorial. So, why in the hell was he so terrified? 

“I thought that we. . .” John broke off, biting his lower lip. If he was trying to find the right words, he apparently didn’t succeed. 

“Well, you thought wrong!” Benjamin replied, using his last shred of resistance, struggling to not surrender completely to the pleasures of the flesh. He quickly backed away, collapsing on the chair in the far corner of the room.

“If I’ve upset you somehow, I’m sorry.” John stared at his hands. “I hope you can forgive me. But the. . . relationship you and your friend shared was so special—I thought maybe we could also. . .” The words died in his throat, like snow melting in the sun, and he couldn’t continue.

Benjamin started babbling nervously. “You have no idea what it was like. You weren’t there. And you could never replace him anyway!”

John suddenly looked up, and the two men’s eyes locked. The deep sorrow and disappointment Ben saw in John’s eyes made him realize how harshly and foolishly he’d just spoken. The words had just spilled out, and now he desperately wished he could take them back.”

Buy Link: 

Amazon

Author bio:

Cristina Bruni lives in northern Italy with her husband and their child. She’s already published in the US the M/M sport novel “Seven Days” by JMS Books and many other novels with the Italian publisher Triskell Edizioni. Since she was a young girl, her biggest wishes were being a mother and an author and now, after fighting for it for years, she finally succeeded in both. She loves travelling abroad, going to the cinema, reading Sherlock Holmes, luxury bags and playing tennis and golf. She’s madly USA-sick and UK-sick. She made her debut writing fanfictions and, now, her new wish would be writing love Male-to-Male stories for the rest of her life and living on a beach in Hawaii.

Maybe dreams will come true again, sooner or later…

Author’s contact:

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Guest Review: Slip (Recovery #2) by B.A. Tortuga

Love is a fragile thing, and it can slip through your fingers if you don’t hold on tight….

When Zack Jung’s AA sponsor and friend commits suicide, he’s desperate to hold it together, and there’s only one place he can turn. He calls Josh and Kris, and they take him back to their ranch outside Santa Fe.

A cowboy to the bone, Cimarron Duran cherishes his orderly life and routine. He likes his neighbors, Kris and Josh, but he has less than no interest in the hipster personal trainer who comes to stay with them—or at least, he plans to fight his interest in favor of his solitary life and his art.

But some things are as inevitable as the weather, and when Zack and Cimarron finally come together, they find they don’t want to let go. It won’t be easy, though, for two men with pasts like theirs to forge a happy future together.

5 emotional hearts!

Reviewer: Shee Reader


This book is the second in a series, but I had not read the first one. It works perfectly as a stand alone and since I fell in love with the characters, I’ve already bought book one to read as soon as I can!

Zack is falling apart and calls for his best friend, his chosen family, Josh. Josh and Josh’s partner Kris come straight to his rescue and introduce him to the next phase of his life.

Cimarron is a painter and a cowboy, his ranch has been his salvation, that and his studio. Cimarron is a complex character that has many hidden facets, and he is drawn inextricably to Zack from their first awkward meeting. Their chemistry is super hot and consuming, so there isn’t too much talking about the past, although both men have huge and significant skeletons in their closets.

Their relationship takes a dramatic turn when Zack decides to stay a while in New Mexico, closing up his life in Austin, Texas. The trip to get his things includes a double meet-the-parents experience and sees their relationship crystallise into something tangible, right before tragedy strikes.

There are huge emotional dips and crests in this story that was so well told it often unfolded like a movie in my head as I read. The characters are complex and well developed and they find a glorious balance in the end.

One of my favourite elements in the story was the enviable support network Cimarron and Zack had. From family to the friends they chose as their family, it was heartwarming to say the least. There was so much to like about this book, I’ll be reading it again very soon!

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Giveaway + Blog Tour: New Hand (A Bluewater Bay Novel) by L.A. Witt

Riptide Publishing are here today to promote L.A. Witt's new contribution to the Bluewater Bay series, New Hand. There's also a generous giveaway they are co-hosting as well. See the deets below!

About New Hand

Months after his husband’s death, Garrett Blaine desperately needs a fresh start. He sells his house in Seattle, leaves his accounting job, and starts bartending in Bluewater Bay. There he meets a man who wakes up his nearly forgotten libido.

Jesse Connelly’s friend with benefits bolted after Jesse disclosed his HIV status. Stood up and stinging, Jesse tries to drown his sorrows . . . and finds an unexpected connection with a lonely bartender.

Jesse and Garrett quickly bond over a shared love of comics and card games, and they can’t get enough of each other between the sheets. Not even a bumpy start and a fifteen-year age gap can derail them as they go from strangers to lovers, then friends, then much more.

But as Garrett’s feelings for Jesse deepen, so does his grief for the man he lost—especially as he sees hints of his late husband in his new boyfriend. Now Garrett has to figure out if Jesse is his second chance at true love, or if Jesse’s just filling in for the man he’s never fully grieved. And he needs to figure it out soon, because Jesse’s starting to wonder the same thing.

Available now from Riptide Publishing!

About Bluewater Bay

Welcome to Bluewater Bay! This quiet little logging town on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula has been stagnating for decades, on the verge of ghost town status. Until a television crew moves in to film Wolf’s Landing, a soon-to-be cult hit based on the wildly successful shifter novels penned by local author Hunter Easton.

Wolf’s Landing’s success spawns everything from merchandise to movie talks, and Bluewater Bay explodes into a mecca for fans and tourists alike. The locals still aren’t quite sure what to make of all this—the town is rejuvenated, but at what cost? And the Hollywood-based production crew is out of their element in this small, mossy seaside locale. Needless to say, sparks fly.

This collaborative story world is brought to you by eleven award-winning, best-selling LGBTQ romance authors: L.A. Witt, L.B. Gregg, Z.A. Maxfield,  Heidi Belleau, Rachel Haimowitz, Anne Tenino, Amy Lane, SE Jakes, G.B. Gordon, Jaime Samms and Ally Blue. Each contemporary novel stands alone, but all are built around the town and the people of Bluewater Bay and the Wolf’s Landing media empire.

Check it out at Riptide Publishing!

About LA Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut . . .

Connect with L.A.:

●     Website: www.gallagherwitt.com

●     Author Blog: gallagherwitt.blogspot.com

●     Personal Blog: navywifeadventures.blogspot.

●     Twitter: @GallagherWitt

●     Facebook: facebook.com//L-A-Witt-MM-Fiction

●     Goodreads: goodreads.com/GallagherWitt

To celebrate the release of New Hand, one lucky winner will receive a $10 Riptide credit and their choice of two ebooks off LA Witt’s backlist (not counting New Hand)! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 23, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Guest Review: Archangel's Assassin by Barbara Elsborg

He wants to forget

West is an archangel’s assassin delivering justice to supernatural creatures who break the law. Not a straightforward job because he also has to absorb the memories of those he kills. Even worse, West is breaking the law himself in an attempt to free his brother from hell. If he doesn’t succeed before his archangel boss finds out, West will be joining his sibling.

He wants to remember

A young guy wakes in a London park with his memories gone. He has no idea who he is, or where he comes from. A bracelet engraved with the single word Tao is the only clue to his identity. With no sign of his memory returning, he drifts into a life on the streets. Begging is his only way to survive.

Two worlds collide

When Tao returns West’s stolen wallet, West offers to buy him a coffee. Tao delights in the chance to sit down with a good-looking guy until his instincts tell him to run away. Fast. West is surprised when Tao flees, considering how much he’d been mentally urging him to stay. Is he losing his touch or is Tao more than a scruffy young man down on his luck?

Only one way to find out.

Reviewer: NeRdyWRYM

Twisted Mythos

Religion. Myths. Tom-ay-to, to-mah-to. I won't get into that argument here. What I will say is that this book twisted a lot of mainstream assumptions about the mythology that goes along with religion—i.e., angels and demons—and mish-mashed them up with common supernatural phenomenon and fae and gargoyles and all kinds of other fun stuff. And that's what this was: a dark but fun ride. Dark with a capital 'D' for sure.

These MCs, and Raphael's assassin in particular, were just so ... broken. Even the archangel wasn't immune to ennui and apathy in his virtual but necessary imprisonment. The individual plotlines for the MCs intertwined and enmeshed and spun out and spiraled up and down and all around until I wondered if either one of them would ever catch a freaking break!

In all reality, they never do catch a break ... at least not when you want them to or when you think they deserve it. Frankly, there are lots of little bits of horror interspersed with some moments that are truly beautiful.

I'm sure there are things I could have picked apart with the amalgamation of all of my favorite things paranormal/religious/pseudo-religioius, etc. all smooshed into one book, but honestly, I wasn't interested in trying. What I was raptly fascinated with was the journey the MCs were swept away in.

I absolutely loved this book. Yes, I even loved it when it made me want to scream. Repeatedly. I will be watching this author like a hawk for any M/M new releases from now on.

Take a chance on this one. It's dark, it's angsty, and it's soul-destroying here and there, but it's also fascinating, enthralling, interesting and beautiful. All of that wrapped up in one package ... why resist?

Highly recommended.

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.