Guest Review: Pieces of Us (Missing Pieces #3) by N.R. Walker

As Justin's recovery moves forward, Dallas dares to hope their lives are settling into their new normal. His money worries have eased, business is picking up, and best of all, Justin now laughs more than he frowns.

Justin's memory still eludes him, but with each snippet or flashback, small pieces of his old life start to slot into place. He remembers more of Dallas and how perfectly happy their lives used to be, and with each passing day, Justin realises he can have that again.

But when someone from Justin's past turns up, he discovers that not all the missing pieces are good, and sadly, he and Dallas also learn just what it means to live with a traumatic brain injury. If Dallas and Justin have to fight for their Happily Ever After, then Dallas will stop at nothing--nothing--to give Justin the life he always wanted.

". . . as I tried to put the puzzle of myself back together, it was the pieces of us that made me whole."


Reviewer: Annika

Here we are again, at the end of a series, leaving new friends to live their happily ever after. And after all that Dallas and Justin have gone through, they are well deserving of some happiness. Their road has been bumpy and difficult, but never once did they falter in their love for each other.

When I first picked up Pieces of You I was so sure I was going to be a mess through all three books, that they would gut me and put me back together – in the best of ways of course. So after the first book I had such high hopes for the coming two. Hopes that sadly wasn’t realised all the way.

In this final book it’s been almost three months since the accident and Justin has made major progress since he woke up. A bit of a one track mind, maybe – but judging by Dallas’ comments, true to his former personality so it still fits. They are both adjusting to their new normal taking it one day at a time, living and working together. And for the most part they are happy – very happy.

Pieces of Us suffers from the same monotony as the second book, not to the same extent, but to the degree where personally I would have liked to see them as one book instead of two. I think that the flow of the story would have been a bit better, kept the reader more engaged, because as it was I didn’t really have a problem putting the book down and go do RL stuff. And that’s not something I’m used to with Walker’s stories. And that’s probably unfair to her, to put her on that pedestal, but there you go.

I’m of two minds in regards to the ghost that came back into Justin’s life. Ever since they were mentioned in book one I expected a visit, I expected the drama that would inevitably come with it. Now this reappearance made two things happen, one that I hate, and one that was good. Anyway, this visit obviously caused drama, it was dealt with quickly and mostly felt like a plot device. I do not like drama for the sake of it, it’s just so unnecessary. On the other hand, this visit also showed us the reality of living with a TBI, the consequences of certain things. It felt real, it was humbling and it also needed to be there. At the same time I wished it had been triggered by something else. But that might just be me.

Despite my niggles, I did enjoy reading this book and visiting Dallas and Justin again. They are a lovely couple and their story was heartwarming and inspiring. The love that they shared shone through everything, it was plain for everyone to see - and feel. And to see them happy again it was so worth reading this series.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review





Release Blitz: Malthusia Fate by Emma Jaye


Join author Emma Jaye and Gay Book Promotions hosts today release blitz for first in the series, Malthusia Fate! Discover more about the non-shifter tale today!

RELEASE BLITZ


Book Title: Malthusia Fate

Author: Emma Jaye

Publisher: Purindoors Publications

Cover Artist: Nero Seal

Release Date: 14 August, 2020

Genre/s: Dark, genderfluid parallel universe, 

omegaverse (non-shifter, scientifically plausible)

Trope/s: Hurt/comfort. Abuse/oppression survival

Themes: kidnap, scientific experimentation, forced pregnancy, 

religious/political oppression. Knotting/heat

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 130 000 words

It is the first in a series but works alone and has an HFN ending.




Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

 

Our perfect society is tainted.


Blurb

I run because I don’t have a choice. I run for those who can’t, for those inside me.

The Three Faced God should have chosen my Fate, should have molded me according to the needs of my fellow Malthusians, but some assume they are above even God. I should have been at least a beta, hopefully an alpha, but never this. They thought changing my body would change my soul, that I’d be a compliant omega while they used and experimented on me. Others die, others submit, and say its their Fate. I know different. A malthusian caused this, one of my own kind. They think they’ve won, but I’ll win, simply by living another second, another day. But can I survive alone?

Adult content, a gritty, alternate universe storyline, including genetic engineering, captivity, torture, domestic abuse, forced pregnancy, and murder. Alpha, beta, and omega genderfluid characters.



Trailer Video




Excerpt

Sunlight streamed through the windows. People were doing chores, inside and outside. How could the betas go about their normal routine as if nothing had happened? Because it doesn’t matter to them, SHE didn’t matter to them. There was a replacement on the way. Life would go on for the Grabars as if Ma had never been here. Well, Tav would remember her.

A cheerful whistle came from below. One moment Tav stood in the bedroom, the next they were hurtling out the front door, launching themselves at the surprised beta, screaming, punching, ripping at clothes. The beta fell backward, letters flying up in the air. Tav landed on top of the stunned beta, who only tried to defend their face from the hysterical assault of a child.

“Tav? Tav, what the hell? It’s just the post-beta,” Sayen shouted as the older beta tried to pull the struggling, nightshirt-clad youngster off their victim.

Strong hands grabbed Tav’s upper arms. Tav left the ground and stared into Pa’s bloodshot eyes. His bare, hairy chest, beard, and musky scent enforced his identity.

“You will not embarrass her by behaving like a wild animal. You and your siblings are her legacies. Act like it.”

Without another word, he placed Tav back on his feet, growled, ‘Deal with it’ at his sibling who had arrived, breathing hard.

Telish strode back into the house, wearing only his formal kilt, not looking back at his devastated child. Tav stood there, the anger gone, watching Ma’s mate, the alpha who had put her aside, had killed her, walk away because he had more important things to do than take time to comfort or explain why Tav no longer had a Ma. Tav didn’t matter, any more than Ma had mattered.

Sayen shooed the rapidly growing crowd away as Daven led Tav by the arm to the stone steps of the porch. Daven sat Tav down and put their jacket around the child’s shivering shoulders. The house stretched out on either side of them, the autumn flowers in the window boxes Ma had planted moved to and fro in the cold wind.

In a week, the weather had turned; Tav’s world had turned. Soon, everything would die as winter took hold. Somehow, it felt right that the whole world would soon suffer like Tav suffered.

They sat side by side, untie and nibling, silently watching the normal goings on of the estate for a good ten minutes. The estate went on as normal. Tav didn’t understand.

Not even the post-beta looked at them as they came out of the house after Sayen treated the scratches. They grabbed their bicycle and pedaled back toward the main road.

“What did the post-beta do?” Daven asked.

Tav didn't have a logical answer, so they shrugged. A long, heavy arm draped over Tav’s shoulders and squeezed. Tears prickled Tav’s eyes. Daven might not say it, but they did care, at least a little. Unlike Telish.

“Come on, Tav, there must have been something. I’d expect that sort of thing from Zep, but not you.”

Tav stiffened, insulted and a little afraid of the implications. “Why? Don't you think I can be aggressive? I'm not an omega; I don't blindly accept everything.”

Daven squeezed again. “Oh, I know that, pup. Although I’ve known omegas who packed quite a wallop before they manifested. I remember a certain scamp called Per who threw an apple at me after I stuck my tongue out at them.”

Tav turned wide eyes to Daven. “Ma did that?”

Daven chuckled. “She, or rather they at the time, most certainly did. The lump on the back of my head lasted a week. Now, what did the postie do to warrant a beating by Tav the Terrible? Because if I agree, I'm going to chase the offender down and punch them myself.”

“They were whistling.” It sounded ridiculous to Tav as soon as the words left their mouth.

Daven heaved themself off the porch, pulling up their sleeves. “Right, that’s it, bloody nose time.”

Tav jumped up and grabbed Daven’s arm, the post-beta didn’t deserve a bloody nose.

“No, don’t,” Tav giggled.

“I’ll have to take it out on you then,” Daven said and swung Tav up into their arms. After reducing Tav to a gasping wreck by tickling them to within an inch of their life, Daven turned Tav to face them. Tav’s brief happiness crashed.

Oh God, I laughed, I actually laughed, and Ma isn’t even cold yet.

Daven’s smile disappeared too. “She wouldn't want you to be sad. It was her time, part of the Almighty’s plan. Your Pa’s right, the best thing we can do to honor her is to carry on and be the best we can, but don’t think any of us aren’t upset. We all are, and although I wear kilts, not dresses, I promise I’ll be here for you, ok?”

Tav blinked back stinging tears, and Daven put them down. “That's the brave Tav I know. Go get dressed then start on your schoolwork; I'll be in later. Try not to attack any more delivery betas, even if they are whistling. They didn’t know, ok?”

Drawing up every ounce of courage, Tav nodded and went back inside to make Ma proud.



 


About the Author 

Emma was destined to be a little quirky after being born as an unexpected twin in Hungry Bottom (Yes, it’s a real place).

Known as the Queen of Angst because she loves putting damaged, often sweet and funny characters through hell before letting them have a HFN or HEA ending.

She blames her rebellious muse (who looks like Chris from the Paint Series) for the erotic aspects tickling the angst and the humour climbing into bed with the erotic.

When not writing or reading in leafy Sussex, England, she herds Birman cats and sons; both groups argue that there are too many of the other sort.


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Giveaway + Release Blitz: A Brush of Blue (Colors of Love #5) by V.L. Locey


Celebrate the release of A Brush of Blue (Colors of Love, #5) with author V.L. Locey & Signal Boost Promotions. Find out more about this contemporary romance & enter in the giveaway for an ecopy of Lost in Indigo (Colors of Love, #1)! Good luck!





Cover Design: Designs By Sloan

Colors Of Love Series

Book #1 - Lost In Indigo - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 - Touch Of A Yellow Sun - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #3 - The Good Green Earth - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #4 - Slow Dances Under An Orange Moon - Amazon US | Amazon UK


Blurb

The most difficult of life’s choices might be the one we make when we open our hearts to another.

Landon Reece is the ultimate Manhattan athlete. The elite goalie for the New York Metros is rich, handsome, generous, and purposely single. His life has been a whirlwind of fancy cars, beautiful people, museum galas, and championship rings. Landon now has one year left on his multi-million dollar contract, and the talk around town isn’t good. Despite carrying his team to the pinnacle of success, the aging goalie is hearing rumors that his contract might not be renewed next season. Hoping to curtail the rumors and show the Metros he still has what it takes, Landon and his agent set up a press tour to hopefully remind the fans—and Metros’ management—just how important Landon is to New York City.

During one of a hundred appearances on the tour, Landon finds himself a guest on the newest and hottest late night talk show in the Big Apple. There he meets Montrell Pittman, leader of the show’s band, A Brush of Blue, and his senses come alive. He resolves to do his best to woo the upbeat, sexy musician who ignites his blood like no other person ever has. As the two men grow closer, Landon’s ice time shows how happy his new romance is making him. Then a tragedy rocks his world, and Landon finds himself wallowing in despair and in danger of losing the man who might be the only one who can clear his blues away.


USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.



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Guest Review: Secret Admirer (Love Notes #1) by D.J. Jamison


You deserve all the kisses you want ...

Benji,
I want you to know how amazing you are. You won't believe me, because I'm just your brother's best friend, but it’s true. Each day my feelings for you grow, confusing but undeniable.

With a few anonymous love tokens, I finally have an outlet for all the things I can't say. And with each gift and note, you smile. For me. Not your brother's straight friend, but something new. Something more. Something that will change everything if we can both find the courage to believe.

All I have to do is confess who I really am:
Your Secret Admirer





Reviewer: Shee Reader

Who doesn’t love an off-limits crush on your best friend’s little brother you’re meant to be looking out for, who’s secretly been crushing on you for years?????

This book is the absolute sweetest and even avoided the uncomfortable creeper angle that can exist in a younger love interest. Benji is an adorable nerd going away to college having been encouraged to attend the same college as his older brother Justin. Cue the brother getting a- can’t-be-missed internship in another city and leaving best friend Ace accidentally falling in love with Benji and sending secret notes and gifts. It is beyond cute in the best way possible.

Ace has only even been with girls but admired Benji being out and proud, and when Benji gets stood up, Ace wanted to encourage Benji that there would be a guy out there for him, but then deciding Ace himself wants to be the guy in question.

The secret admirer notes and little presents were beyond adorable, and watching Benji try to guess who the secret admirer would be was tying Ace up in knots. It was a delightfully written tale of hope, love and longing, with a dose of family strife on the side.

I really enjoyed it!

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



Release Blitz + Giveaway: Run Free by Colette Davison



Author Colette Davison and Gay Book Promotions host today's release blitz for Run Free! Learn more about the polyamorous shifter romance and enter in the $10 Amazon gift card giveaway!

RELEASE BLITZ


Book Title: Run Free: an MMM Mpreg Romance

Author: Colette Davison

Publisher: Independently Published

Cover Artist: Colette Davison

Release Date: August 4, 2011

Genre/s: Paranormal romance

Trope/s: Shifter, mpreg, MMM, age gap

Themes: Finding home, working through differences, sticking together

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 69 401 words

It is a standalone story.




Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited


 

They believe they only need each other, until they collide with their soul mate.



Blurb

Jax is an omega, Hugo is human, and their love is forbidden. They’ve spent the last seven years on the streets, relying on no one but each other.

When they collide with Dominic, they realise something has always been missing. Jax is keen to get to know the alpha, but Hugo resists the mate-call, worrying that, as a human, there will be no room for him.

The only way they can be free to love each other is to escape the UK, but will Dominic leave his life behind to find home with two younger men?

Run Free is an alternate universe MMM shifter novel, with fated mates, mpreg, an age-gap relationship, and a happy ending.





Excerpt

As they rounded a corner, Jax collided with a muscular guy in a smart suit. The hairs on the back of Hugo’s arms stood up as a pulse of electricity swept through him. He grabbed Jax’s arm, steadying him so he didn’t fall.

“We’ve got to go,” he hissed, tugging his lover’s arm.

Jax didn’t move. He was staring at the man in the suit, breathing harshly. The shopkeeper’s yells were getting closer, yet Hugo couldn’t resist glancing at the man they’d bumped into. He found himself noticing every tiny detail in a matter of seconds. The guy was gorgeous, with dark hair that had been cut into a short, neat style and grey eyes with a dark brown ring around the pupil. His cheekbones were sharp and pronounced, and he had a couple days’ worth of stubble. He smelt of rainy days and damp moss. Hugo’s stare tracked to the man’s neck, where he saw the rice grain-sized bump of a chip beneath his skin. He was a shifter. Judging by the man’s size and the way Jax was quivering, he had to be an alpha. Hugo felt like he was being pulled towards the man, which was a dangerous sensation, considering how close the shopkeeper’s shouts sounded.

“We’ve got to go,” Hugo insisted, tugging Jax harder. They couldn’t get caught.

“Go,” the alpha said.

His voice was deep and velvety, the kind of voice you could listen to all day and not get bored of. It was a voice Hugo could happily get wrapped up in. Damn, why was he thinking that way, and why was his skin tingling in the alpha’s presence?

He shook himself.

“Run,” the man told them in a commanding growl, stepping aside so he was no longer blocking the path.

Jax pushed him forward, and suddenly, they were running again. Hugo felt a sickening wrench in his stomach, which made him falter, but he quickly found his feet again. Nothing mattered but getting as far away from the shopkeeper as possible.




About the Author 



Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.



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Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a $10 Amazon Gift Card




   



 

Release Blitz + Giveaway: We Go Together by Abigail de Niverville


Author Abigail de Niverville and IndiGo Marketing promote contemporary YA release, We Go Together from NineStar Press! Learn more about the novel and enter in the $10 NSP credit giveaway!

Title: We Go Together
Author: Abigail de Niverville
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: August 10, 2020
Heat Level: 1 - No Sex
Pairing: Male/Female
Length: 62700
Genre: Contemporary YA, LGBTQIA+, contemporary, Canada, YA, bisexual, trans love interest, friendship, summer, beach, abuse, depression, grieving, family

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Synopsis


The beaches of Grand-Barachois had been Kat’s summer home for years. There, she created her own world with her “summer friends,” full of possibilities and free from expectation. But one summer, everything changed, and she ran from the life she’d created.

Now seventeen and on the brink of attending college, Kat is full of regret. She’s broken a friendship beyond repair, and she’s dated possibly the worst person in the world. Six months after their break-up, he still haunts her nightmares. Confused and scared, she returns to Grand-Barachois to sort out her feelings.

When she arrives, everything is different yet familiar. Some of her friends are right where she left them, while some are nowhere to be found. There are so many things they never got to do, so many words left unsaid.

And then there’s Tristan.

He wasn’t supposed to be there. He was just a guy from Kat’s youth orchestra days. When the two meet again, they become fast friends. Tristan has a few ideas to make this summer the best one yet. Together, they build a master list of all the things Kat and her friends wanted to do but never could. It’s finally time to live their wildest childhood dreams.

But the past won’t let Kat go. And while this may be a summer to remember, there’s so much she wants to forget.

Excerpt


We Go Together
Abigail de Niverville © 2020
All Rights Reserved
There was blood on my sheets.
“Not again,” I sighed, pulling the covers off me. Right at the top of the covers was a smattering of reddish-brown smears, prominent and angry.
I held my arm over my head and assessed the damage. The eczema that covered my inner arm burned bright against my pale, freckled skin. A few sores had broken, but no trace of blood. I lifted the other arm to check. The back of my hand was also flaring up, the knuckles bursting open.
“Goddamn,” I moaned, pressing my broken knuckle to my lips. Kissing wouldn’t make it better, but at least it was something. Months ago, my skin had been smooth and cold to the touch. Now, it was red, dry, and hot. All because one thing in my life had changed. Skin was so weird.
One big thing. But still. One thing.
I dragged myself out of bed and pulled the sheet off the mattress. This needed some serious stain removal. No dabs of water with a washcloth could save this mess.
I passed a brush through my hair, working out the knots, from the top of my head to the tips. I never brushed it back. I never put it up. Not anymore. The box of hair accessories stayed closed on the top of my dresser, the bows I’d collected over the years forgotten.
They had to go. But parting with them proved difficult. Every time I tried, I’d remember where they came from. Some were gifts, some were bought on significant days, some I’d worn on nights that held meaning. They all mattered to me in some capacity. Not enough for me to wear them without question, but enough that I’d hesitated whenever I tried to throw them in a donation bag.
The hair bows weren’t me. They used to be. I used to love vintage dresses and paper bag curls tied in a bow. Used to get all dressed up in blouses with lace and frills. It was my thing, the ultra-girly retro aesthetic. But since Christmas, wearing those clothes hadn’t given me the same joy it used to. The bows became young and kiddish, the clothes a caricature.
I was trapped between two versions of myself, and I didn’t know how to cross over from one to the next. I didn’t know how.
The bedroom door creaked open as I stepped into the hall, the smooth, painted wooden floorboards cool on my feet. Kay always left the stair window open, though nights were cold in Grand-Barachois. She said the air was good for us, and there was something refreshing about waking up in a chilled room.
The bathroom window had also been left open, and I went to it to lower the pane. Below, the water from the bay lapped on the beach. The cool air sifted into the small bathroom and hit my face. I pushed the pane down so it was only open a crack and moved to turn on the water at the tub.
I opened the cupboard below the sink, grabbed the box of baking soda, and shook some in, not bothering to measure the amount. When a small mound formed under the water, I considered that a success. Swishing my hand back and forth, I watched it dissolve and cloud the water.
This was my morning routine.
Somewhere in the midst of all this, I usually cried. It was hard to not, to let it all go. The love I’d had for him still lingered, but a hurt did too. An abandonment. And something else I couldn’t name yet, something that drove me to tears every day.
You need to move on.
My friend Gianna had told me that a few weeks ago, done with my pity party, with my lack of interest. Done trying to make me feel better. So, she snapped.
And who was I? What right did I have to be this upset, this…whatever? Gianna had had her heart broken three times. She had mastered the art of steeling herself, of being strong in the face of heartbreak. I was crying over a first love because I was naive enough to think we’d be together forever.
For the record, I never thought that.
I was crying because it hurt so much to be left the way Aaron had left me. Like I was nothing, and I didn’t matter. I was crying because he’d been nearly my first everything, and it had all happened the way he wanted it to. I was crying because…
Now, I was actually crying.
I slipped into the tub, holding my breath, as though that’d stop the tears. I splashed my face with water, rubbed it into my eyes. A melody hung in the air above me as I cried, the words repeating in my head over and over.
How did I end up here?
If you cried in the tub, were you really crying? Or was it water in your eyes? Or leftover soap on your hands making the tears well up?
If you cried in the tub, the water swallowed your tears. Like they were never there at all.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon

Meet the Author

Abigail de Niverville is an author and composer based in Toronto, Canada. Born on the East Coast of Canada, Abigail draws inspiration from her experiences growing up there. When she’s not writing frantically, she also composes music and holds an M.Mus from the University of Toronto.

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