Review: Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks by 'Nathan Burgoine

Being the kid abducted by old Ms. Easton when he was four permanently set Cole's status to freak. At seventeen, his exit plan is simple: make it through the last few weeks of high school with his grades up and his head down.

When he pushes through the front door of the school and finds himself eighty kilometers away holding the door of a museum he was just thinking about, Cole faces facts: he's either more deluded than old Ms. Easton, or he just teleported.

Now every door is an accident waiting to happen―especially when Cole thinks about Malik, who, it turns out, has a glass door on his shower. When he starts seeing the same creepy people over his shoulder, no matter how far he's gone, crushes become the least of his worries. They want him to stop, and they'll go to any length to make it happen.

Cole is running out of luck, excuses, and places to hide.

Time for a new exit plan.

It's best to go on this ride blind, in my opinion. However, I will say, simply put, this journey begins and ends with Cole; he narrates the entire slice of life/coming of age tale, so if you don't like him, you're probably not going to enjoy the book.

I loved him. I really did. He's adorkable with his lists and bullet journal and making up quirky names for people and love for Meeples which, P.S., is there a cuter name for a place? Every time I read the word even, I smiled. Cole is clever and funny and GAH! I just loved him. 

His relationships with Malik and his parents pulled on my heartstrings. The jock/nerd trope was utilized splendidly. Malik is a jock but not a dumb jock nor is he mean. His protectiveness of Cole scored MAJOR brownie points with me. Burgoine captured that high school vernacular and style of interacting and made it amusing and relatable. The interactions between him and his parents were just funny. It was a breath of fresh air to not just have supportive parents but parents that are still in love with each other and don't mind torturing their offspring with it!

Cole's father is hearing impaired so they all sign. This was my first experience with reading signed dialogue and I was fascinated by the syntax of it. It was also soooooo cute how Cole signed letters when he was nervous. I appreciate those details in my reads. 

This is a character-driven story with very little angst and a smooth writing style that is easy to get caught up in. The seamlessness of the inclusion was really impressive to me. Oftentimes it seems authors use diversity to show how "woke" they are which makes it feel contrived or forced. True, all of Cole's friends are queer but it still seemed like the natural order of things, that they were truly his friends which was evident on page rather than sticking an Asian person in here and jamming an ace person in there to meet some sort of tacit quota. 

There wasn't a lot of conflict in this narrative but I found the action storyline balanced the narrative and filled my quotient of action/suspense. Above all, this story is fun and entertaining with solid world-building and an adorkable main character who I couldn't help but be charmed by. In all honesty, this is what I was looking for out of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and didn't get so thank you Mr. Burgoine for filling that void.

Overall, I found this to be a cozy and refreshing young adult read and would LOVE it if there were a follow up in the works.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Oz (Finding Home #1) by Lily Morton

What happens when temporary becomes forever?

Oz Gallagher does not do relationships well. Bored and jobless after another disastrous hook up, he decides to leave London for a temporary job in the wilds of Cornwall. Surely managing a stately home on a country estate will be easier than navigating the detritus of his relationships at home. Six months there will alleviate a bit of his wanderlust and then he can come back to London as footloose and fancy free as the day he left it.

However, when he gets there he finds a house in danger of crumbling to the ground and a man who is completely unlike anyone he’s ever met. An earl belonging to a family whose roots go back hundreds of years, Silas is the living embodiment of duty and sacrifice. Two things that Oz has never wanted. He's also warm and funny and he draws Oz to him like a magnet.

Oz banks on the fact that they're from two very different worlds to stop himself falling for Silas. But what will he do when he realises that these differences are actually part of the pull to one another? Will falling in love be enough to make him stop moving at last and realise that he's finally home?

From bestselling author, Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy about two very different men and one very dilapidated house.

Keeping it 💯, I have a crush on Lily Morton with all her writery (totally a word) talents? Her books always have elements that keep me coming back for more and she has secured a spot on my automatic author list.
Humor- ✔️
Snark-✔️
Sassy character(s)-✔️
Chemistry-✔️
Great secondary characters-✔️
Depth in main characters-✔️

Oz is sick of spinning his wheels through life and after walking in on his ex bone deep inside his replacement, he moves on with the help of friends to a *highly* entertaining interview for a position to manage the estate of an Earl. Oz is a little fireball full of sass and wit with the ability to have everyone eating out of his hand. He shockingly gets the job at the estate and sets to work right away. It isn’t long before he meets Silas and the stars align, angels sing, and sound of condom wrappers being torn open fill their day dreams.

Silas is an Earl by birth but a veterinarian by choice. He’s huge, rugged, hairy, kind, and has plenty of ex-boyfriend baggage to go along with a crumbling estate. Silas is a lonely man bound by duty with a love of the land he calls home. He takes to Oz right away but neither can act on their lust filled visions because the whole employee/employer/banging the boss thing didn’t work well in the past and they’re turning over a new leaf.

”You two. It’s like watching elephants mate. Dangerous, messy, and uncomfortable, but ever so slightly sweet.”

Oz quickly begins work on the estate and his interactions are hilarious. Silas and Oz are oozing chemistry from their initial meeting and you just know when they finally kiss it’s gonna be scorching. I adore them separately and together. They compliment each other and are able to be themselves without any pretense.

”I’d thought the moment when I fell in love would be dramatic and full of noise and energy. Instead, it’s in a quiet bedroom where a soft song plays and the light dances on the man’s hair and the planes of his face as he makes me back into me. The only man who’s ever valued that person.”

There are multiple LOL moments but the revenge on his douchebag ex, the interview, and when Oz first meets the Earl (OMG 😂) are at the top. I cackled throughout with glee as Oz was kicking ass and taking names. I also want to note that Silas is the brother of Henry from Risk Taker. This can standalone but there are multiple characters that make appearances and having that background knowledge would definitely increase enjoyment IMO.

Oz and Silas’ relational evolution is pretty low angst and ends on a HEA with a bunch of heat to pave the way. I’ll definitely continue on with the series and hope Oz’s adorably snarky assistant Milo gets his turn next. Definitely recommended.

”He’s nothing like I imagined but somehow everything I should have known enough to wish for.”

Review: Tutus and Tinsel (Half Moon Bay #3) by Rhys Ford

Zig Reid-Harris has everything an eleven-year-old girl could ever want: a great home, two fantastic fathers named Deacon Reid and Lang Harris, and all the books she could possible read.

When a school assignment about holiday traditions unexpectedly broadsides her, she discovers burying the past isn’t as easy as it looks, and the stark reality of her life before her adoption sinks in. Ashamed of the bleakness and poverty she came from, Zig struggles with the assignment until an epiphany strikes the whole family—it’s time to start their own traditions.

Zig and her fathers plunge into the insanity of holiday joy, exploring everything the season has to offer and learning how precious family truly is along the way.

*sniff*

Is there something in my eye? I think there’s something in my eye.

Seriously, for some reason MC’s Deacon and Lang, just did it for me in Fish Stick Fridays, so I couldn’t pass up this sequel to revisit them. Though this focuses heavily on Zig, Deacon’s niece (who’s been officially adopted by both him and Lang), it also features West, Angel, and Rome from Hanging the Stars as well, which satisfies my epilogue loving self in all the ways.

This was emotional and sentimental and really about family - both traditional and not - and what it means to be thankful for what one has and how far everyone has come to carve out a place to live and love as a cohesive unit. This also obviously, brought a few tears to my eyes as well but don’t fear, this was nicely smexy showing how Deacon and Lang celebrate and cherish each other every single day.

So yes, this indulged my love of reading about established couples. For sure, Ford can be OTT in setting up a couple, but she always excels in their follow ups, in the little and big ways in how they work together and how hard they love.

Overall, a perfect holiday reunion of a favorite! This made me sigh in contentment and tugged at my heartstrings, witnessing everyone flourishing in who they were meant to be and be with! Enjoy!

An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour: Tit for Tat by J.S. Harker

J.S. Harker is here today with an exclusive excerpt from her new Dreamspun Beyond novel, Tit For Tat! Find out more about this paranormal romance below.

Welcome to the final blog tour stop for Tit For Tat, my new holiday paranormal release. Thanks to Boy Meets Boy reviews for hosting. I’m JS Harker and proud to share my second novel with Dreamspun Beyond just in time to get people through the holidays. My house gets crowded and loud, and I’d much rather be reading than socializing sometimes. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way, right? Tit For Tat is a fun, sweet comedy that’s perfect for keeping up spirits during the long dark winter nights. Winter gets a bad rep, and I get that people miss the sun. But come on, snow? Snow is awesome.

It’s that love of winter that helped inspire Flynn, the Winter fairy at the heart of Tit For Tat. His magic is tied to his home realm, and being in our world is rough for him, especially if he’s not somewhere cold in climate. He’s curious though, and he adores exploring our world, even if he doesn’t always understand why we are the way we are.

Derek is a shy guy who needs a little push to explore. He manages to take the very bold step of talking to Flynn, who he has a huge crush on. Little does he know that Flynn’s not human. Sure, he’s strange, but Derek eventually learns how strange. Their dynamic, a push and pull between confidence and insecurity is something I think a lot of people will empathize with.

Plus, there’s lot of kissing and sugary treats.

Flynn and Derek have also inspired more novels set in the same universe with seasonal themes. Each novel’s a complete stand alone. I’m working on a summer story with Jared, a tech CTO who spends way too much time at work, and Brady, a Summer fairy who’d rather ignore that nasty word called responsibility. Also in the lineup is a Halloween-themed story. A fairy prince and a human boy fall in love while trying to navigate their way through a Tim Burton-esque kingdom.

I hope you enjoy this exclusive excerpt and have a Happy New Year.

Excerpt:

Buying the coffee was the easy part, and Derek nabbed a couple of extra sugar packets on his way out of the shop. He made his way to the fence near Santa’s Workshop.

Flynn worked the photography side. His green tights were extra flattering on his long legs. Derek sipped his coffee while he waited. After an endless procession of minutes, Gregory relieved Flynn, and Flynn came over to the fence, still in his elf costume. His form fitting, amazing elf costume.

“Hi,” Derek said. “What’s it take to get on Santa’s Naughty List?”

Oh crap. He said that out loud.

“More than naughty thoughts,” Flynn said. He leaned against the fence beside Derek.

He was close enough to kiss. But they were in public with a half-dozen kids and their parents nearby. Derek wanted to be bold, but he froze. Public displays of affection. Doing something to show he liked Flynn in public. Where people could see and judge. His brain automatically went into a different, nonsexy mode, as if he’d forgotten how to flirt entirely. He held up Flynn’s coffee.

“I hope it’s okay. It sounds like there’s a lot of stuff you haven’t tried, and it’s that time of year, and I drank half of mine already, so I can’t stop running my mouth,” Derek said. He felt like an idiot, and yet his mouth kept going without him. “Please take it. Oh, and here, I got some more sugar packets because you really seem to like sugar, so. Yeah.”

Flynn smiled and took the coffee and sugar packets from him. He gave Derek a quick kiss on the cheek. His lips were cool, and he smelled like cinnamon. “The rewards for being on the Nice List are even better than working your way onto the Naughty.”

Derek was pretty sure he could melt chocolate from the heat in his cheeks. “Oh. I, uh, I’ll remember that.”

Flynn took a tentative sip of the coffee. His ears straightened—or at least Derek swore they did—and his eyes lit up. He moaned as he took another drink.

The simple sound and Flynn’s overall joy went straight to Derek’s dick. He shifted his weight some, praying his jacket was long enough to cover the growing bulge in his jeans. At least going outside in the cold might help him tame his erection. One of the worst possible ways, but he’d have a chance to act normal before his horny side decided it wouldn’t be controlled.

“I’m glad you like it,” Derek said. “Are we still on for this afternoon?”

“Yes. Let me get changed, and I’ll be ready to go.” Flynn handed him the coffee cup. “I am coming back for that. And you.”

Flynn kissed his cheek again before making his way to Santa’s Workshop.

So Flynn liked peppermint mocha, and he was affectionate. Derek knew he had a huge goofy grin, but he couldn’t get rid of it. No one had ever been so easy to be with. Derek was only sorry he hadn’t tried asking Flynn his name sooner. There was a whole extra week he could’ve been dating Flynn if he had. Well, assuming one date could go well, though so far it was going pretty well.

Yeah. Yeah, the little kisses had to mean it was going well.

Blurb:

Cold has never been so hot.

College sophomore Derek is busy working over his holiday break—but his shifts at the toy store are no hardship if they mean more opportunity to dream about the sexy new guy working as an elf in Santa’s Workshop. When his mother gifts him a bag of cookies, Derek regifts them to Flynn as an excuse to get to know him. Flynn has presents to offer as well, and soon they’re dating, with Derek finding out his comfort zone is bigger than he imagined.

But Flynn is hiding a secret—he’s really a winter fairy whose magic is bound to the season. He can’t stay in the mortal realm, and Derek doesn’t want to lose contact with his family. Can they find a way to hold on to each other when the snow and sugar plums melt away?

Author Bio:

JS Harker loves stories. She was one of those kids who always had a book in her hands and spent many hours adventuring with her siblings. These days she wanders into her imaginary worlds and conjures up tales of magic, passion, and happily-ever-afters. She currently lives in the part of the Midwest that makes Tatooine look interesting by comparison (not that she’s ever obsessively thought about becoming a Jedi or anything).

Links:

Website
Facebook page
Dreamspinner
Amazon
B&N
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Blog Tour: Saving Hannah by J.P. Barnaby

Welcome J.P. Barnaby who's here today talking villains and what makes them memorable! Be sure to check out her newest release from Dreamspinner Press, Saving Hannah, a second chance romance below too!

Contemporary romance novels don’t generally have villains. In most of these stories, the main characters have interpersonal conflicts or situations that don’t involve the interference of a bad guy. So, when I started writing my current work-in-progress, IVAN, I had a great challenge. I wanted to develop a frightening villain the reader could engage with, someone the reader could root against. He needs to be well-rounded with both good and bad traits, complex, and have not only a compelling backstory, but someone who cares about him. He needs a strong antagonistic relationship with the main character and he needs to be someone who can’t be defeated.

That’s actually much harder than it sounds.

So, after I figured out the relationship between the protagonist and his villain, I investigated the villain’s emotional wound. What caused him to behave the way he behaves? What drives his goals? What event in his history damaged him to the point where he’s willing to kill to get what he wants? I went through the Emotional Wound Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. I matched the behavioral traits I wanted him to have to play off the protagonist to a wound and then worked forward to weave that into the novel. Putting those details together in a cohesive way has been a lot of fun as part of my move into Romantic Suspense.

Want to see what I mean?

The rage set his skin aflame. His fingers were tinder under its heat. He wanted to stab his own ears so it would stop because he couldn’t make himself turn it off. Tiny sounds came through the headphones, sweet cries that made his cock throb in his hand. He wanted to be the cause of those sounds. Instead, he turned the sound up to catch every quickened breath. He could even hear the slap of skin as the unseen hand jerked over an unseen cock. It wouldn’t be long now, sounds came faster and harder, his breath almost a pant. The word fuck repeated over and over through an inadequate mic until that holy grunt of pleasure signaling a hard release. He released too, sticky and slimy over his hand as he sat alone in the cavernous room with its industrial tile and dropped ceiling.

He pulled the headphones off with his clean hand. Richard would be falling asleep right about now. That was the routine, every night. Sometimes he had a drink first, sometimes he called his sister first, sometimes he jacked off first, but he was always in bed by ten o’clock. It was somewhat of a ritual they went through together, seven point three miles apart through a listening device only he knew about.

He’d been in love with Doctor Richard since the moment he’d walked into the conference room after that psycho Sikes shot up their building. Richard walked in, distinguished even in a golf shirt and khakis, tall and lean. It was the only time he’d ever seen Richard dressed down. Maybe he’d done it to make the sheep at <Ivan company> feel more comfortable. He’d certainly felt comfortable. He’d sat across the table from a beautiful man and told him things he’d never told anyone else. They had a connection. He felt it. Richard felt it too. He’d seen Richard want to reach for his hand so many times, but stop himself. God, he wished for that so hard in the dead of night when he sat alone in this place.

There were so many times he’d wanted to call Richard, to see him again, but their counseling sessions were just a short-term thing to get employees “through the trauma”. How do you get through the trauma of watching bodies fall around you? How do you get through kneeling in blood? How do you get through losing the one man you loved because it was time for him to move on to the next pathetic soul and try to help them? Because that’s the kind of man Richard was—a selfless gift.

Richard snored softly when he put the headphones back to one ear. He’d sleep through the night, he always did. So, there was nothing to do but start getting ready for the next phase. For months, he’d lingered in the background gathering intelligence, but soon he’d make his move.

Soon, Richard Malone would be his.

Fun, huh? Sign up for my newsletter to get all the latest about my books, and have a great holiday!

Blurb:

Thomas Aberthol’s luck has run out. His daughter, Hannah, needs a miracle he can’t deliver. A hacker with a felony record, Thomas has little chance of finding work that will provide the care she needs. Out of money, out of options, and out of hope, he throws himself on the mercy of someone he never thought to see again.

Even after ten years, Aleksander Sanna still dreams of that drunken kiss. A perfect moment in time when Thomas wanted him. In his world of elegant code and high finance, the picture he holds of Thomas torments him in the dark of night.

Their worlds collide as Thomas interviews for the job he so desperately needs with the company Aleks inherited from his father. Thomas doesn’t get the position, but Aleks offers him a completely different kind of proposal, one suited to Thomas’s unique talents… one that will change the course of both their lives.

Read an excerpt at: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/saving-hannah-by-jp-barnaby-10051-b

About the Author:

JP Barnaby is an award-winning contemporary romance and romantic suspense novelist with over a dozen novels. Her heart and soul, the Survivor Series, has been heralded by USA Today as one of their favorites. She recently moved from Chicago to Atlanta to appease her Camaro (Jake) who didn’t like the blustery winters. JP specializes in recovery romance but slips in a few erotic or comedic stories to spice things up. When she’s not working on her latest novel, she binge watches superheroes and crime dramas on Netflix with her husband and Jack Russell Terror, Chase.

Sign up for her newsletter and try a free story: https://bit.ly/2xSB8kE

Audiobook Review: Acceptance (Forbes Mates #3) by Grace R. Duncan

Dr. Miles Grant acknowledges that his destined mate could be either gender even though his bisexuality cost him his family and his pack. Luckily, he found the Forbes Pack, who happily accepts him just as he is. What he never counted on was finding his mate in Pittsburgh or for his mate to be another species entirely - a cat!

Quincy Archer isn’t just any jaguar shifter. He is the heir to the leadership of his pride. Destined mates are nothing but legend to the nearly extinct and generally solitary jaguars, and Quincy certainly never expected to find one for himself, much less a male...or a wolf.

However, finding each other and coming to terms with their species is the least of their worries. Quincy is expected to select a proper female mate, father a cub, and take his place as heir to the pride. Except Quincy refuses, having no interest in women or leadership and knowing he isn’t right for it. But his father will stop at nothing - not even attempting to kill Miles - to get his way.

Quincy and Miles must overcome many obstacles to stay together as the destined mates they’re meant to be.

Listening Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
Narrator: Chistopher Boucher

Reviewer: Shee Reader

This is quite an epic rolling tale including intrigue, drama, threats, love, violence and happiness. It took me several chapters to get into it, I’m not sure if it was the world building, narration or just me, but it didn’t flow from the outset. Once we got going though it was a hugely interesting and well told story. I really liked Miles and was rooting for him. Not so much with Quincy, though he did grow on me!

I really liked that the close relationships Miles had in his pack became important to Quincy too. The guys worked together to help avoid outright interspecies war. There were some lovely tender moments in the book, but often the characters felt a little distant from each other and the reader/listener.

Christopher Boucher has a lovely voice that is relaxing to listen to, and his characterisation was terrific, but I found his accent for Quincy and his dad to be a little confusing as I’m not sure where they were supposed to be from, but it didn’t really detract from the story, its just a personal thing!

There was violence on the page, but it was consistent with the story. The shifter worlds were described but plenty was left to the imagination. It was a nice relaxing listen.

I was given a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Tit for Tat by J.S. Harker

Cold has never been so hot.

College sophomore Derek is busy working over his holiday break—but his shifts at the toy store are no hardship if they mean more opportunity to dream about the sexy new guy working as an elf in Santa’s Workshop. When his mother gifts him a bag of cookies, Derek regifts them to Flynn as an excuse to get to know him. Flynn has presents to offer as well, and soon they’re dating, with Derek finding out his comfort zone is bigger than he imagined.

But Flynn is hiding a secret—he’s really a winter fairy whose magic is bound to the season. He can’t stay in the mortal realm, and Derek doesn’t want to lose contact with his family. Can they find a way to hold on to each other when the snow and sugar plums melt away?

A wintery DSP Beyond story that was fluffy and cute!

Insecure, forever nice guy Derek, doesn't really have a confident bone in his body. Derek’s trying to move on from a bad break up and so terribly wants to approach the hot elf working across the mall at Santa’s Corner, but he knows he just doesn’t have the charm nor the looks to catch such a catch! However, Flynn isn’t your average guy. He’s actually a fairy secretly visiting the fascinating dangerous human world, and he sees something special in the shy Derek.

This was whimsical and sweet as these two get to know each other. Flynn is definitely a fish out of water, completely naive about humans but equally enchanted and wary. He’s literal to a fault which makes him quite an endearing character as he wins the heart of Derek and falls in love at the same time. Thing is, it’s not so easy for fairies to remain on this side of the veil indefinitely, and Flynn just might lose his magic should he choose to stay.

This definitely had strong NA vibes, featured a virgin, and contained some good dashes of newbie smexy thrown in. Overall, easy enjoyable reading as it wrought out a seemingly impossible to achieve happy ending which of course, made me happy in turn!

ARCs were provided by the publisher in exchange for honest reviews.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Surface Tension by Valentine Wheeler

Author Valentine Wheeler and IndiGo Marketing celebrate the fantasy release, Surface Tension! Learn more about the mermaid tale and enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway!

Title: Surface Tension

Author: Valentine Wheeler

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: December 17, 2018

Heat Level: 1 - No Sex

Pairing: Female/Female

Length: 34500

Genre: Fantasy, mermaids, sailors, tentacles, FF romance, magic, scientists, abduction

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Sarai runs away from home to find a new life on the high seas. She's heard stories all her life of the things that lurk beneath the waves and the people who return to land with fractured memories and strange new scars. When a storm brings her face to face with a creature unlike any she’s met, she discovers a whole new world under the sea.

Excerpt

Surface Tension
Valentine Wheeler © 2018
All Rights Reserved

The sturdy ship bobbed and shook in the pounding surf, its sails snapping uselessly in the wind without the crew’s firm hand. The three masts swayed and creaked, lines whipping free. Just off the bow on the starboard side, a ridged head broke the surface of the water, eerily still amidst the crashing waves. It cocked to one side, as if considering the scene before it, then slid back below the surface. On the other side of the ship, a forked tail flicked repeatedly, cresting the surface again and again as it circled to port. Another head bobbed up beside it, cutting smoothly through the water, its dark eyes searching.

The captain shouted orders, but his voice was drowned out by the thunder and the pounding of the rain on wood and canvas. He yanked lines, directed sailors, and spun the wheel, darting from disaster to catastrophe, trying to keep his course into the breaking waves rather than letting them sweep up the sides or the stern. But once the mainsail was furled, he grabbed his boatswain and gave up on riding the storm out or using the pounding winds’ power with any semblance of control. Instead, he climbed the rigging, holding tight to the ropes, and spread the word of their retreat. Then he sprinted to the cabin, where he threw open the door and gestured frantically at all the crew near him to come inside, below decks. He watched them scurry toward him, praying they’d make it before they perished like his quartermaster had, lost overboard in the swirling brine.

The boom swung and the main mast shuddered ominously as the wind tugged it first one way, and then the other. Lit haphazardly by one of the few lanterns not yet doused, a lone sailor struggled across the deck from the stern on her hands and knees, battered by the tempest. The rope around her waist had come loose, its waterlogged knot sliding from her hips, and she missed the grab for it before it vanished.

As she skidded along the slick, wet wood, the captain watched, helpless to save her and knowing she wouldn’t make it across the wide expanse of the deck.

The sailor’s small figure slid across the deck on the next swell, fighting for balance and a handhold, any handhold, on the slick wood but failing. The shadowed gazes of the creatures in the water tracked her. When she slammed into the railing and flipped over into the air, her captain’s cry soundless in the din of the crashing waves, the creatures had already disappeared beneath the spot where her body hit the water.

The sailor fought for air, breathing in a cold lungful of mist and burning sea-salt spray as her head burst through the waves. The creature held back, eyes glinting in the lightning flash from below in the dark-green water. The woman’s struggles began to weaken, and the creature inched closer, keeping carefully out of her sight line, an easy dance of fins, tentacles, and long, webbed fingers keeping it still in the rush of the current and the churning sea spray above.

As her movements slowed, the creature licked its lips with a long, black tongue, pointed teeth shining in the brief glimmers of lantern light that found their way through the darkness.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Valentine is a latecomer to writing, though she’s always been a passionate reader. Through fanfiction she found her way to an incredible community of writers who’ve taught her to love making stories.

When she isn’t writing, she’s making bad puns, yelling about television, or playing with her small child.

Her life’s ambition is to eat the cuisine of every single country. Find Valentine on Twitter.

Giveaway

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Review: The CEO's Christmas Manny (Beyond the Boardroom #1) by Angela McCallister

Anything but business as usual.

Billionaire CEO Nic Price lives for his job. With sales down and grumbling from the board of directors—including Nic’s permanently dissatisfied father—the last thing Nic needs is distraction from the new manny, whose freewheeling approach to childcare is outlandish... and who makes Nic feel things he’s never allowed himself to feel.

Ex-teacher Sasha Lindsey is all about fun—that’s the reason people love him, so he has to be. After a bad break-up leaves him jobless and homeless, the live-in manny job with Mr. Price seems like a windfall. But his chemistry with Nic is off the charts, and he can’t afford another workplace romance disaster.

Can Nic leave his dominance in the bedroom and open his heart to the best thing that’s ever happened to him? Or will Sasha’s leap of faith backfire and ruin his chances at the family happily ever after he’s always dreamed of?

I wanted to love this, I really did. I’m a huge fan of the stoic, uptight father figure falling for the caretaker of his children who mixes fun with learning and in turn, melts the father’s heart. I mean, The Sound of Music is one of my favorite movies, ever. But Nic is no Captain Von Trapp and Sasha isn’t even close to being Maria, though he was inventive with ways to teach the kids.

This could be a case of it’s me and not the book but I just couldn’t get on board with any of what was going on. I didn’t like Nic to start out with and loathed the holy hell out of his parents. Sasha was more likeable but his career choices left me scratching my head because working in education, he had way more resources than leaving a teaching position midterm to be a manny in another state no matter what happened. When Nic and Sasha meet? It’s nothing but eye fucking and thinking about fucking and how perfect Sasha was or how perfect Nic was and I wasn’t enjoying myself at all. I couldn’t find the chemistry between these two and the only enjoyable characters for me were Nic’s nephew Ben, niece Lucy and friend/assistant Percy. I tried to read it more as a family drama and focus on that aspect but that didn’t even work for me.

I don’t know. You win some, you lose some and this wasn’t a win for me at all.

An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour + Giveaway: From These Ashes (Haven Hart #4) by Davidson King

Author Davidson King and Vibrant Promotions make the final stop on the From These Ashes (Haven Hart #4) blog tour! Learn more about the antihero romance and enter in the $10 Amazon gift card giveaway!

FROM THESE ASHES

Haven Hart Series, Book 4

DAVIDSON KING

RELEASE DATE: 11.28.18

Cover Design: Covers by Designs by Morningstar https://www.facebook.com/groups/CoversbyDesignsbyMorningstar/about/

BLURB

A product of his past, Black spends half his time saving lives and the other half taking them. Every day, a hard choice must be made and he’s the man to make it. Long ago, he vowed to never love again; one-night stands with a willing body was all he ever needed. But along came Quill, and Black’s life is irrevocably changed. He never expects something as simple as Quill’s persistence to alter the way he not only sees the world, but how he lives it.

Quill has bad taste in men and equally horrible luck. Growing up wasn’t easy, surviving is even harder. When his past and present collide, he’s convinced he’ll finally witness his own destruction. But when an unlikely antihero steps in to protect him, his life is turned on its head. He’s spent months flirting with the man of his dreams and hoping he’d take notice. But it turns out, being on Black’s radar isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and his idea of protection varies greatly from Quill’s.

Unknowingly sharing the same goal—burying their own pasts deeper than the fires of hell can reach—they’re both unaware that jumping into that fire will do more than ignite their feelings, it could lead to their own demise. Will Black and Quill be consumed by the flames, or from these ashes, will they find their own happily ever after?

Universal Link: mybook.to/FromTheseAshes

EXCERPT

Black

I parked my car as close to Joker’s Sin as I could. I took my leather jacket off the seat and quickly put it on, hit the alarm, and made my way toward the club. There was still a line after midnight. The place closed in two hours, why would people wait that long? Well, I wasn’t.

“Can I help you?” the large bouncer asked.

“No.” I barreled through him and made my way into the club. It was like dubstep nation in there and so much fucking leather.

“Hey.” I felt someone tap my shoulder. I whipped around and grabbed whomever it was by the neck. It was the bouncer from the door.

“Not today, Junior. You tell Atlas, Black is here. Now fuck off.” I pushed him away and made my way to the bar. I hadn’t been inside Joker’s Sin before, I only knew how it looked based on Mace and Bill’s description.

I liked the concept and would’ve taken more time to appreciate it if I wasn’t hell-bent on finding Quill.

“Can I help you, handsome?” I turned and looked down. A small guy with pink hair and barely-there black leather shorts had spoken.

“No. Where’s Quill?”

The small man slid his fingers down my arm. “Mmm. Quill didn’t tell me he had a God for a boyfriend. You’re better than most I see him with.” He jerked his head to the right. I followed the direction and there before me, was Quill.

He was dressed in red leather. I couldn’t see below the waist, but the vest he wore was tight against his pale skin. I knew he loved his bracelets, and he had them all on tonight. His arms were covered in red and silver glitter, making him stick out like a gorgeous disco ball. It looked like he had put all of his piercings back in, and I could see when the light shown on his face, he also had glitter on his cheeks.

“I’ll just leave you to it,” the small man said with a chuckle, and I took the few steps to where Quill stood mixing drinks.

He hadn’t noticed me yet, and I got a chance to see he had red eyes and black liner on his lids. He looked like pure sin. I was surprised when I felt my cock stiffen. Until now, I was never sexually interested in Quill. Okay, to be fair, I admired him. He was stunning, but there was a line cut somewhere between admiration and want. Why was I feeling something now?

“Are you following me?” Quill’s voice snapped me back to attention.

“I thought you wanted me to follow you.”

Quill narrowed his eyes, but I saw how he swallowed as he took me in. He was a flirt by nature and no matter how peeved he was at me, he could never sustain that anger.

Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.

When she's not writing you can find her blogging away on Diverse Reader, her review and promotional site. She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.

If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she'd tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you're afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.

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Tag Team Review: Mr. Winterbourne's Christmas (Winterbourne #2) by Joanna Chambers

Lysander Winterbourne and Adam Freeman have been living happily at Edgeley Park for the last eighteen months. By day Lysander is Adam’s estate manager, by night, his lover, but neither man has spoken of their deeper feelings. Is this a happy-ever-after or just a convenient arrangement?

When the two men are invited to Winterbourne Abbey for a family Christmas, matters quickly come to a head. Snowed in at the Abbey with a house full of guests, they have to face up to shocking revelations, long-held secrets and a choice Lysander never expected to have to make…










Adam - 3 Hearts

When I originally read Joanna Chamber’s short story ‘Introducing Mr. Winterbourne’ in the 2014 anthology ‘Another Place in Time’, I was absolutely delighted. The only problem was wanted more than just the brief glimpse of the beginning of Adam and Lysander’s relationship.

Well my wish came true about four years later, in a delightful holiday package.

Eighteen months after agreeing to become Adam’s estate manager, Lysander is living a blissful existence. He’s completely head over heels for Adam. And Adam’s equally in love.

I think I swooned multiple times reading the first few pages from both men’s perspectives. They’re just so cute together. And while readers didn’t get to see that initial falling-in-love phase after the end of book 1, I had no doubt how both their world’s revolved around each other.

And they give each other something they need - Adam is the stability Lysander was looking for, and Lysander reminds Adam to enjoy life.

The only problem is that the two haven’t told each other how they feel, with both men a bit insecure about what the future will hold.

Things get a tad bit more complicated when Adam is invited to spend Christmas with Lysander’s family at Winterbourne Abbey. Family drama can definitely put a damper on the holidays!

This is where things took a bit of a downturn for me. At a certain point, the side stories of multiple secondary characters drowned out the romance. I could have done with less distractions.

Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed the continuation of Adam and Lysander’s love story once the book got back to the main plot. I was swooning again when the two got all vulnerable and lovey-dovey with each other.

And since Joanna Chambers definitely left some room for it, I’ve got my fingers-crossed for future installments in Mr. Winterbourne and Mr. Freeman’s tale!

Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ - 2 Hearts

BLLLLLEEEERRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH! ☹️😫😢

I wanted this to put me into a fluff coma, a Regency, peppermint scented fluffgasmic coma the likes of which would make even Kris Kringle take notice.

I'm not sure I have the words to express how disappointed I am that I didn't have that experience.

Lysander and Adam continue to have my attention as do their respective best friends, Perry and Jonny. I will be there with bells on if there are more stories in this universe.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get my bells to jingle for "Mr. Winterbourne's Christmas", mostly because they kept getting silenced by family drama and other secondary romance narratives.

I just wanted them to be together! To have a fluffy holiday time, maybe drink some wassail and sing carols in a bucolic and snow covered pastoral setting. Maybe they'd be snowed in and have to get creative in keeping each other warm and it would involve mistletoe and maybe ice skating on a pond or a sleigh ride even!

I don't ask for much. Well, maybe I do.

Instead they travel to the dilapidated Winterbourne Abbey and spend most of their time apart and angsting about how the other feels about them all while everyone and their cousin (literally) is feeling the holiday lurve.

I appreciate the inclusion and all but I guess my expectations differed so vastly from what was on the page that I was never able to right the ship.

I did like the kooky and plainspoken Mrs. Winterbourne though. She was the comic relief highlight. I also enjoyed the fluffy ending. It just wanted enough fluff to sate me. Sadly.

Obviously, my opinions are my own and YMMV.

Review copies were provided in exchange for honest reviews.