Release Blitz + Giveaway: Oblivious by Colette Davison

Enjoy friends to lovers? See today's release blitz for Oblivious from author Colette Davison and Gay Book Promotions! Read more and enter in the $10 Amazon Gift Card giveaway!

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Oblivious

Author: Colette Davison

Cover Artist: Covers by Jo

Release Date: February 14, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Best friends to lovers, double bi-sexual awakening

Themes: Trusting in each other

Heat Rating: 3 flames   

Length: 43 000 words

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

 Goodreads

 Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Isn’t it obvious we’re just best friends?

Blurb

Adrian is my best friend. We live together, hang out, and he’s the best cake taste tester I could want. 

 Hugs are the norm, along with cuddles while watching horror films. I need someone to protect me during the scary bits, so why not Adrian? He’s almost a foot taller than me, so he makes a good armchair too.

 Life is exactly the way I like it until Adrian’s sister drops a bombshell that leaves me questioning everything I think I know about myself and my straight best friend.

 Can one kiss change everything? I’m about to find out. 

Oblivious is an M/M best friends to lovers novella. It’s a light and fluffy love story, with a double bi-sexual awakening, a little bit of heat and no angst. None. Zip. Nadda. There’s meddling family members and two sweet best friends who are totally oblivious about how much they really care for each other. Oh, and cakes. There’s lots of cakes.

Excerpt 

She hands me an order slip.

“Is Adrian here?” I ask as I read the order. He puts up with me calling him Addy, but to everyone else, he’s Adrian, and I respect that.

“Yes.” She picks up the order I’ve just finished preparing, but instead of turning around and going to serve it, she stares at me.

“What?”

“You knew Adrian was here based on his order?”

“He always asks for the same thing—a cheese and tomato toastie. No cucumber, extra radish. I bet he asked for peppermint tea.”

“You’re so cute.”

“What? Why?”

“You just are, that’s all.” She smiles at me and then leaves the kitchen with an extra spring in her step.

I’m left metaphorically scratching my head. I can’t do it because I’m preparing food. What on earth was that about? I shrug and get Addy’s order ready, then take it out to him. He’s wearing his work clothes—heavy-duty combat trousers, boots with steel toecaps, and a fluorescent vest over a thick woollen jumper. He has to wear a hard hat when he’s working up high, which has left his brown hair mussed up. He’s starting to go grey at the temples. Although the hair on his head doesn’t have any warm tones in it, his beard and moustache are streaked with auburn.

“You didn’t say you’d be popping in today,” I say as I put his food in front of him.

“I finished a job early, so figured I’d come to say hi before I have to be at the next job. Plus, where else am I going to get a mountain of radish with my lunch?”

I laugh. “I don’t know how you can eat that stuff.”

He picks up a thin slice of radish with his thick fingers and pops it into his mouth. “It’s delicious. You’re busy today.”

“Lunch rush. It’ll get quieter in about an hour. Then we’ll get the afternoon tea rush around three.”

“Make sure you take a break.”

“Yes, boss.”

I’ve made a joke of it, but I do appreciate his concern. We’ve been looking out for each other for twenty years now.

Even when we went our separate ways to university, we used phone and email to keep in touch and support each other. Addy did a degree in arboriculture near Preston, whereas I went to culinary school in London. I loved every minute of my course, but those three years were lonely. As kids, we’d popped over to each other’s houses to hang out, but that was impossible to do while living almost two hundred and fifty miles apart. I’d looked forward to every holiday when I could see him in person.

Unlike most of our friends—okay, my friends—Addy has always been a bit of a loner. We both ended up back in our hometown after uni to be close to our families. As a bonus, it meant I got to hang out with my best friend again.

Funny that I should think about that now.

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.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |   Facebook Page   |  Facebook Group: Colette’s Cosy Corner

BookBub   |   Twitter  |   Goodreads  |  Instagram: @colettedavison

Mailing List  |   Newsletter Sign-Up

Giveaway 

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Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Blog Tour: Loving Logan (Writing Our Love Novella #4) by Sammi Cee

The Loving Logan (Writing Our Love Novella #4) blog tour stops by today! Check out what author Sammi Cee and Vibrant Promotions has to share this visit!

Loving Logan

Writing Our Love Novella 4

Sammi Cee

M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 06.26.20

Blurb

Logan’s life changed forever six months ago when he lost his best friends and support system. Now it’s up to him to raise the two-year-old son they left behind.

Creed’s family teases him for being a serial dater, but that’s because he refuses to settle. He’s searching for the right person to fall in love with, but no one fits—until he meets the tattooed giant behind the bar.

Logan may look like a tough guy, but he has a shy, vulnerable side that sparks protective instincts Creed didn’t even know he had.

When Creed pursues Logan full stop, will the other man’s insecurities get in the way or will Creed get the love he’s always longed for?

This is a sweet-as-pie novella about two men and a precious little boy; no angst, just healing as they find their happily ever after— together.

Universal Link: http://mybook.to/lovinglogan

Excerpt

“You don’t have to. Bobby, the other bartender, is one of the best, and if he says he’s got it, he does. I’ll be heading out shortly.”



Creed—not that I’d needed him to introduce himself, I’d caught his name hours ago—shrugged his broad shoulders and eased onto the stool. “Well, humor me. You finish what you’re doing, and I’ll walk you out.”



To hide my confusion, I lifted my lips in my best customer service smile. “Okay, well, let me know if I can get you anything else.”



He waved me off with a grin, so I went about my business cleaning glasses, wiping down the bottles, and restocking things to make the rest of Bobby’s night smoother. The whole time, Creed’s fingers flew across the screen on his phone. Every now and then, he’d groan, but otherwise, he appeared content to just wait. But why? He’d spent a lot of the night standing at the end of the bar. Where others went back and forth from their table to get their drinks, or waited on the waitress, he’d hung out and chatted with whoever happened to walk up. Based on the conversations I’d overheard, socializing and shooting-the-breeze came easily to him. Honestly, it had made the whole night easier for me. People loved to chat up their bartenders, especially the evening crowd, and talking had never been my strong suit.



If I hadn’t overheard his brother and his men—which, how cool was that? A throuple—teasing him repeatedly through the night about how fast he went through women, I’d think maybe he’d stayed to hit on me. Since that didn’t seem to be likely, I had no idea why he patiently sat there, without actually speaking to me, playing on his phone. It seemed odd. I guessed him not staying to pick me up was actually a good thing. While Creed’s spectacular body next to most of his friends had been larger with muscle, my sheer body mass and height made me considerably bigger than him. In my experience, any man with a body that showed plenty of time spent in the gym, when they pursued me, they had only one thing in mind: get held down and fucked hard by the big tattooed guy. So not m—



“You okay over there? I’m pretty sure whatever spilled, you got it.”



Creed’s amused voice interrupted my ruminating, pulling me back into the present. I glanced up at him, confused.



He pointed to the broom in my hands. “You’ve been sweeping that same spot for about five minutes.”



“Oh.”My face heated with my embarrassment. “Sorry, I guess I got lost in my head.”



Creed set his phone down on the bartop. “Penny for your thoughts.”

Sammi Cee was raised in a family of readers. Summer vacations consisted of a good book while sitting lakeside from as far back as she could remember. After growing up and having her own children, her appreciation of how the written word could transport you on an adventure, bring you to tears, or give you hope, took on a whole new meaning.

These days Sammi is watching her children develop into fine young ladies while doing the things she enjoys most: drinking coffee, eating chocolate, and writing her own stories.

https://linktr.ee/sammiceeauthor

Guest Review: Stay (Working Out the Kinks #1) by K.M. Neuhold

What happens to a couple when one of them discovers a new kink that he’s not sure his partner will be into?

Dear Art,
I’m sure you get messages like this all the time but I feel like I don’t even know who I am anymore. I suppose I should start from the beginning... Three weeks ago, I saw puppy play for the first time and now I can’t stop obsessing about it. Wait, no, that’s not really the beginning...Ten years ago, my best friend who I’d been in love with my entire life told me he loved me too.
For ten years I’ve been living in complete bliss with Lars, the man of my dreams. Don’t get me wrong, we have our fights and disagreements (mostly because I do irritating shit and every once in awhile he reaches the end of his patience), but he is my other half in every way. I didn’t know I could love someone the way I love him.
Then, three weeks ago, I saw puppy play for the first time and now I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s not so different from when I realized I was gay, there was a moment where everything sort of clicked into place and my whole body was like “yes, THAT’S what we’ve been trying to figure out all this time.” At first I thought maybe I should just let it go because it’s not the kind of thing I can imagine my partner being into. But last week I went into a kink shop and ended up walking out with a puppy hood. I stashed it in our guest bedroom closet and haven’t even had the courage to take it out and try it on again, let alone show it to Lars. I don’t know what to do. How do I bring this up to him? And what if he isn’t into it? I feel like I don’t recognize myself anymore and I don’t know where to turn. Please help.

Sincerely,
One Lost Puppy

Reviewer: Annery

I’ve thought long and hard about this review. What to say, that doesn’t come off as harsh or petty, because really there isn’t anything objectionable about the story. It’s constituent parts are like a list of some of my favorite things, including a flipping of expectations when it comes to D/s relationships. Maybe I’ll start there, with what I liked and what worked for me. Small mercies.

Lars and Jonah are what Lars himself calls “lifers”. Their moms are best friends who were pregnant at the same time leading to the guys being BFFs since infancy, though their romantic involvement didn’t come until they were twenty-five. When the book starts they’ve been together for 10 years and are everything but married. Lars is a veterinarian and Jonah is an emergency room doctor, they share a home, a life, and a deep love rooted in friendship and familiarity of the best kind. Jonah is a big strapping ginger, a head taller than Lars, but he’s also bit of a playful goof who likes to dance around the house and ruffle his partner’s more serious personality. Perhaps it’s a way of letting off steam from a stressful job, but it’s also an aspect of their, heretofore, unacknowledged D/s relationship, as Jonah says:
”I’m nearly twice Lars’ weight and more than a head taller than he is. Granted, I do top more often than not, but that doesn’t mean I’m in control.”
Lars is fairly regimented. He likes order and everything in its place, but he also loves Jonah fiercely and makes sure of his well being. The love of between these two is another check in the plus column but it’s also is a good starting point for the this wasn’t for me column.

If you like your characters to have pretty much zero conflict between themselves and the world at large, this book is for you. If you like your MCs to say “I love you” and “anything you feel or want is good, valid, and I’m on-board with it” every five seconds, this book is for you. If you believe that the introduction of a major life change should present zero ambivalence in an established couple, this book is for you. I’ll have to demur.

One sunny day Lars & Jonah go to a Pride Parade and they come across some Puppies and their Masters. Jonah is more than a little intrigued by the group:
One of the men is dressed in a dog mask with black leather harness on his chest, and a pair of underwear with a bone on the ass and the word woof printed inside the bone. He’s naked aside from that, but honestly, that’s not the part that shocks or draws my attention, he’s hardly the least dressed person in the crowd. It’s the joy shining in his eye as he wiggles and starts to wrestle with another man dressed similarly. It’s the absolute inhibition as he lets out a happy bark like he doesn’t have a care in the world, and it’s the way the man holding his leash smiles at him with warmth and love. (btw, I’m pretty sure it should be *lack of inhibition*)

So that’s fine, right? Sometimes we suddenly find something that just clicks with us, but Jonah takes this to a whole new level. It’s suddenly the thing he always needed but never knew about. There’s reference to him having dabbled briefly in BDSM during college, before he and Lars became an item, but apparently he never pursued it further and puppies had never been on his radar. Really? Odd, I know all about them, but okay, I’ll buy it. That’s not what made me have to read this with a squinty eye, it’s the fact of his immediate quasi obsession with the kink and then his reluctance to talk to Lars about it. After the almost diabetic coma inducing protestations of love and acceptance between these two it was a tough pill to swallow. Sure, Lars makes an off the cuff remark about puppies being weird, when they first spot them at the parade, but wouldn’t anyone who isn’t into that lifestyle? They are weird. I think that is, and should be, a point of pride for folks in the kink community. And this is the heart of my dislike of this story, it’s so eager to tell us it’s okay to like what you like and be who you are (not a point I disagree with) that it treats kink like apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, and vanilla ice cream. It’s that thing where you take something you love and try to tame and polish it to the point where you can’t recognize in it the reasons you loved it in the first place. The weirdness, uniqueness, and non-conformity are domesticated to unobtrusively fit in with square or proper society. It’s taking a cat, a creature that’s two meals away from being feral, having lost none of its shared traits with larger felines, you make it a housecat, neuter and declaw it for good measure. Utterly sad, senseless, and kind of infuriating. I’m fairly sure the folks who participate in the Folsom Street Fair are happy to be active participants of what society deems the margins and aren’t dreaming of that spot on the PTA or the white picket fence house in the suburbs. Perhaps they do belong to those two groups, but their love of kink isn’t something they’re going to try to mold like a square peg into a round hole.

On with the book. There might be a few spoilerish comments, although there is no mystery or conflict to spoil. Sorry.

There isn’t much more to tell, but fairytale fantasies. Before telling Lars about this new obsession, Jonah writes to an online advice columnist voicing his fears of Lars’ reaction and HE USES Lars real name! Umm … wow. In the end Lars finds out and …. *crickets*. Nothing happens. Acceptance without a single doubt. Sure. Granted Lars had always been somewhat dominant, but I’d think jumping to wanting a puppy sub would merit a teensy bit of self reflection. But that’s just me. These two go full swing into the lifestyle, taking classes, because they’re just super dot the i’s cross the t’s kind of guys, and go off into the sunset in bliss.

There’s a dangle for the next book but I’m not sure I’ll go along for the ride. This was like reading the diary of your most boring cousin. You still love them but you don’t need to know about that day they reorganized their sock drawer. Also I didn’t care for this sort of present tense continuous? thing the author had going. *shrug* On the plus side this is one more book to add to my growing Vanilla Kink shelf. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

This didn’t work for me, and I’m probably in the minority, but it might for someone who wants zero angst, conflict, and a super cautious, and perhaps inaccurate, peek into kink. It has likable characters, it’s well formatted, and has a cute cover.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Guest Review: Awakenings & French Songs by Nell Iris

An existential awakening and lots of French chansons equal a favorite neighbor seen in a new light.

Iggy Wilker never expected his 36th birthday to turn into an existential crisis. When Iggy’s friends celebrate him with his usual favorite pastime—drinking, dancing, and willing guys—he suddenly wants nothing to do with any of it. He’s fed up and ready for something else. The question is what?

Ronan Clenney has had his eye on his neighbor forever, but as a single father of a precocious eleven-year-old, he’s never believed he stands a chance. But over a late-night cup of tea, it seems that circumstances have changed. Is this the right time, finally?

Iggy has never believed in romance, but can Ronan show him he’s wrong? That love is a real thing?

Reviewer: Annika

For me, short stories are always a gamble. So many of them feel rushed, shallow or incomplete, not to mention the whole insta-love feel many of them have. Awakenings and French Songs really worked for me, It was sweet and angst free and nice escape for when you only have a few minutes over for a quick read.

It's told solely from Iggy's POV, and when we first meet him he's (not) celebrating his 36th birthday by being miserable in a bar. Deciding to skip out on the celebrations early he makes his way back to his apartment, where he runs into his neighbour and friend Ronan and gets invited over for tea. It's there, sitting at his dining room table he realises what's he's been missing, why he's felt so off lately. But Ronan being a single parent to an eleven-year old, anything between them will need to be handled with caution.

This book wasn't about passion or need. It was more of a discovery of wants and hopes. Even though this book is only about 30 pages, you can feel the history between Ronan and Iggy. They have the foundation of comfort, trust and friendship already laid, and are now working on the next step together. The attraction they've both felt and buried since the beginning is finally free to bubble to the surface, deepening to that everlasting love.

This was a sweet love story about two guys finally being in the same place and at the same time and realising that what they have is what they've both been looking for; their happily ever after.

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

Review: Going Off Grid by S.J.D. Peterson

Clay and Elliott are working toward a dream—working sixty-hour weeks for one of the oil companies that recently sprung up in North Dakota. The pay is good, but is it a fair trade for never seeing each other? The point becomes moot when the company folds, like so many others, and the couple is left with a difficult choice.

Should they find comparable work somewhere else, or is it time to throw caution to the wind and go after their goal—years earlier than they intended?

What they’ve always wanted is to be together and have time to enjoy it, so they follow their hearts. They’re going off the grid and fixing up an old cabin so they can be self-sufficient. But when they go from all the conveniences of the modern world to outhouses, solar power, a shoestring budget, and more mosquitos than they ever thought possible, will they find there’s such a thing as too much time together?

There’s not much to say about this simple story, but if you like established couples then this is probably the best thing to scratch that itch.

Like the blurb states, Elliot and Clay are in a long term relationship, hard at work for an oil company grabbing any extra shifts in order to save money to fix up their remote cabin for future use. However, when the oil economy tanks, their plans change and they decide to go off grid and retire. Do these two have what it takes to give up their luxuries, as well as basic amenities to live off the land??

To say the least, Elliot and Clay are both tested personally and within their relationship as they face the expected and unexpected trials of fixing up a dilapidated cabin and bringing it up to date so that they can live in comfort. Add is some run-ins with fickle Mother Nature and some understandable doubts about whether they can actually accomplish their goals in time, their forced prolonged proximity brings out the best and the worst in both men.

Despite the challenges Elliot and Clay face, this was relatively angst free with a nice dash of smexy. Again, I don’t mind reading about established couples and this nicely showcased two guys who are committed to their dream and to each other. Very easy reading.



Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Cruising by Cate Ashwood

Best friends Dylan and Jake have been inseparable since college, but Dylan has one secret he can’t bring himself to share with Jake—he’s completely, utterly in love with him.

Jake’s friendship is the most important thing in the world to Dylan, so as much as it hurts to see him with other people, Dylan keeps his mouth shut about his true feelings. When Jake wins a cruise to Alaska, he asks Dylan to go along, but what Dylan doesn’t know, is that there’s more on offer than a dream vacation.

Can Dylan and Jake sail off to their happily ever after, or are they cruising toward disaster?

Cruising is a sweet little nugget of relatively angst free adorableness. It’s not really long enough to give a lot of character depth, we basically know Jake and Dylan in the context of one another only, but if you go into this with the knowledge you are getting a steamy little romantic interlude between these besties-to-lovers, you will end the story with a warm and squishy heart.

I was in the mood for a story with no drama and sweet feels and Cruising is exactly that. The story switches POV’s by chapter so you know what both characters are experiencing throughout which was a total treat. It was sweet to read how Jake and Dylan pined for one another while still being completely clueless. The author did a really good job of showing how they felt for one another through their thoughts and actions. There were a lot of speechless moments as one of them would get bowled over by a look or a smile and it was just too damn cute.

Jake and Dylan have been in love with each other for pretty much ever, but have been going on and on as best friends because neither wants to ruin the best part of their lives. So while the cruise itself isn’t necessarily a meet-cute, it is an adorable device to bring the two of them together. Finally! And while it didn’t go exactly as Jake had planned, the outcome still worked. There was some obligatory morning-after trepidations, but it didn’t go on for too long, and as I said, the dual POV’s keep the reader in the loop even if these two still had to work through their worries. The story did need a little something to keep it from being too sweet and the smidges of anxiety kept it out of saccharine territory.

While I may have wished for a bit more depth to each of the characters, I can attribute that to really liking the bits I did get to meet and that’s a good thing. When the story ended I was all smiley and probably said “D’awwwwwww” out loud. Keep this story on standby when you need a sweet book hug with a healthy dose of heat.

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

Review: Textual Relations by Cate Ashwood

Evolutionary psychology professor Henry Hathaway is ready to spend his birthday the same way he does every year: a good teeth cleaning followed by dinner with his brother. But when he receives a wrong-number text confirming the details of a date, he does what any considerate person would—he goes to meet them and explain why they've been stood up.

Asher Wescott hadn't expected his blind date to go well, because when do they ever? Henry shows up instead, and things are suddenly looking up.

Socially awkward and attached to his routines, Henry is nevertheless one of the most charming and kind men Asher has met in a long time.

Too bad he's not Henry's type.

An accidental date, an impulsive kiss, and a few conflicted feelings later, can Asher get Henry to see the world—and him—in a different light?

This story is, in a word, adorable.

It’s a quiet story and I appreciated that. Angst can be overrated and sometimes I just like to read a tale of character driven self-discovery and love without a lot of extra noise. Textual Relations is told from Henry’s perspective and he’s not the most socially aware guy around. It’s not surprising when you get to know him through the descriptions of his routines, but it’s obvious he’s a good guy. He’s just a bit introverted and has trouble making real connections with other people.

He gets an accidental text on his birthday and because of the aforementioned “good guyness” he doesn’t want to leave the person waiting on their blind date hanging. So, Henry meets Asher, Asher meets Henry and the two of them end up having an amazing first not-a-date. Sure, Henry is clueless, but it’s in an incredibly charming and understandable way. To be fair, he did mention to Asher about an ex-girlfriend and a modicum of surprise that Asher was gay, so while their time together definitely reeked of a date, a really good date, I could see why Henry didn’t put it together given what I’d learned of him so far.

Asher was smitten with Henry from the beginning and I did love that he was the pursuer once we learned a little bit more of Asher’s past. He wasn’t a player per se, but he was not one to stick around for anything. The world is full of places to go and things to do for Asher, basically the opposite of Henry, and the fact that he wanted more of Henry was perfect. Being that the story is told completely through Henry’s eyes, I didn’t get as much of Asher as I would have liked. At the same time, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything vital, I just really liked him.

If the story were told from both POV’s though, it would have been a different story and it would have to be much longer. I liked it just how it was set up though, because it made Henry and his evolution the focus. And while it may have been a bit fairy tale I definitely got the message from him that labels can keep a person from getting to where they need to be. Henry’s only real turmoil came when he analyzed himself and tried to figure out “what he was”. Understandable considering his line of work, but when he let that go and just focused on how happy he was with Asher and how life and love could be full of passion he really came into himself.

Henry grounded Asher and Asher inspired Henry and I loved reading all their interactions and banter. Textual Relations will go in my comfort read file to be pulled out again when I need a warm fuzzy and some purely joyful self-discovery.

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

Review: Picture Winter by Amy Aislin

What happens when two Capricorns fall in love?

Do something new today.

Why he looks at his horoscope every day, Elias Hood doesn’t know. It’s all garbage, and no nickel fortune ever helped him climb all the way up the corporate ladder. He’s about to make Vice President. Rocking the boat with “something new” is the last thing on his mind.

But there’s this guy.

Ty Green can make friends with a tree and Elias can’t help falling for his easy-going vibe and his perfect smile. He’s a fellow Capricorn, like Elias, but that’s as far as their similarities go. Ty works to live—he doesn’t live to work. When Elias takes his horoscope’s advice and asks Ty out, both men are in for a shock. But as Elias’s walls start to come down, they might just realize that they have more in common than they think. In fact, they might even want the exact same thing.

Who knows? Maybe horoscopes aren’t just trash after all.

Sorry, I dozed off there for a minute... or 173 171 pages to be exact. I’ll warn you that this book wasn’t my cuppa. At all. There was zero angst, insta-love, not much going on in the plot department, and weak sauce “conflict” at the end that you can spot a mile away.

This was one of those reads that doesn't necessarily drag but nothing really happens. I didn't hate it. But I didn't like it either. I need something to hold my attention. Anything. This read was predictable and apparently an ode to regular daily events/thoughts with an abundance of detail.

Aloof Elias meets city worker (aka garbage man) Ty while walking to work one day. Ty gets on to Elias for putting trash into the wrong recycling bin and Elias is kinda an ass in response. After this encounter, Elias decides to follow the advice of his horoscope and treat others with kindness. With coffee day 1. Hot chocolate day 2. Then an apple turnover/ coffee shop invite day 3. Elias apologizes to Ty. It also doesn’t hurt that Elias notices how hot Ty is. While at the coffee shop, Ty mentions that he is moving and Elias jumps at the chance to help him move.

The move set their relationship in motion and from then on they are inseparable. We follow them as they go about their day to day. Both men are satisfied with their jobs and have to decide if they are going to take a chance with potential career changes and all that entails.

Elias and Ty are completely different with Ty’s outgoing and bubbly demeanor. They were a good fit when Elias wasn't making assumptions or letting judgmental viewpoints get in the way. They had an easily earned HEA with low conflict. Thankfully they had some chemistry. There was one scene that had me perking up a bit. The first kiss. Their first kiss had some heat. It was that I’m-saying-goodnight-without-kissing-and-came-back-because-I-couldn’t-leave-without-it kind of kiss. You know that one... right by the door and all passionate and grabby. There were other sexy times but they didn’t pull me out of the funk the rest of the story put me in.

We are treated to pages and pages of minutiae. It was as if every thought or observation they made in a day ended up on page. The circling of thoughts was downright frustrating. So much time was spent flip flopping points back and forth in their own heads.

Brutal.

I wish I could have made this work but we just didn’t click. Not recommended for those that want a little meat on their story's bones.

Audiobook Review: Redesigning Max (Foothills Pride #2) by Pat Henshaw

Renowned interior designer Fredi Zimmer is surprised when outdoorsman Max Greene, owner of Greene’s Outdoors, hires Fredi to revamp his rustic cabin in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Fredi is an out-and-proud Metro male whose contact with the outdoors is from his car to the doorway of the million-dollar homes he remodels, and Max is just too hunky for words.

When Max comes on to Fredi, the designer can't imagine why. But he’s game to put a little spice into Max’s life, even if it’s just in the colors and fixtures he’ll use to turn Max's dilapidated cabin into a showplace. Who can blame a guy for adding a little sensual pleasure as he retools Max’s life visually?

Max, for his part, is grateful when Fredi takes him in hand, both metaphorically and literally. Coming out is the most exciting and wonderful time in his life, despite the conservative former friends who think they’re saving him from sliding into hell.

Narrated by David Ross
Listening Length: 2 hours and 55 minutes

Pat Henshaw is an easy read author with, from what I’ve read, uncomplicated love stories. That’s not to say that there isn’t depth, or that the characters don’t have complicated lives, I just find the relationship development straightforward and easy on the heart.

This story has no real angst to it, and I think it is a good thing. It leaves the plot development to the world around Fredi and Max, rather than creating drama within the relationship. This is my favourite type of relationship development. While life can sometimes be messy, I prefer characters who are adept at keeping their romantic lives as tidy as possible, while unwinding mess through discovery and action.

Fredi has been commissioned to revamp a rustic cabin that Max received as part of an inheritance settlement. It is in dire need of a professional touch, and Fredi is an award winning designer who is perfect for the job.

Max has decided that it’s time he came out and stopped hiding. He takes an instant interest in Fredi, and is subtle in his approach to flirting and making his intentions known.

I found Fredi to be a fun complex character. He doesn’t put up with crap from anyone, least of all the town bigots. But he is a little bit over-reactive when it comes to pulling out his Boner……..

This story had a nice easy flow. Some drama to keep it exciting, but the ease with which Fredi and Max communicated was what held my interest.

I’ve read this series out of order, starting with book four, but I don’t think it’s really necessary to read them in order. Each story stands on its own, with no wider story arc, but with enough intertwining to feel the familiarity of some of the characters.

That being said, I would still recommend these be read in order if you are starting from the beginning.

David Ross is always a pleasure to listen to, and I don’t think he could ever make a story sound bad. Top notch voice acting skills that makes him someone I look for when picking new audiobooks to buy.

I would recommend this for those who enjoy straightforward gay romance, with some nice depth and good character development.

A review copy was provided.

Review: Three Hearts by Grace R. Duncan

Liam Scott is sick. That’s not supposed to be possible. As a wolf shifter, he’s supposed to be able to heal. The omega gene he was born with means he’s capable of carrying shifter young and Liam is worried that whatever is wrong will mean his one-day hope of having pups will be dashed. But despite the fears keeping him away from the doctor until now, he knows he needs to go.

It turns out the sickness is temporary, but the treatment causes a whole other problem.

Mason’s alpha gene means he’s one of very few wolves who can impregnate an omega male. For two years, he’d been watching Liam, but things kept getting in the way. When Liam shows up in heat, Mason recognizes the opportunity he needs and doesn’t hesitate make to Liam his mate and the father of his pups.

But Liam has old wounds and fears to work through which the pregnancy is only making worse, and Mason isn’t sure how to get past them to show he’s serious about making a life together as loving mates. It’s not until a female wolf decides Mason should be hers that Liam makes his biggest worry known—and Mason can finally put the fears to rest.

 

This was the mpreg-iest mpreg story I have ever read.   

Liam is an independent omega who has no plans on mating or starting a family any time soon.  He’s got his eye on the future and it doesn’t include some overbearing Alpha-hole or a gaggle of ankle biters getting underfoot.  Sure, he one day hopes to have the family he’s always dreamed of but that’s for when he’s older, not right now. That all goes out the window when his heat suppressant meds go on the fritz and he finds himself alone in the presence of Alpha and long-time crush, Mason.

This story is sweet.  And… that’s about it.  There’s not much angst to it.  What little angst there is comes by way of miscommunication or, really, just not talking to each other.  I wouldn’t say there is much of a Big Misunderstanding (thank God, because I hate that trope!) but I did utter a few choice words at Mason’s obtuseness when it came to his lack of saying how he truly felt.

As for the rest of it, well, to be honest it was a bit bland.  A little too… domestic.  It was all about breeding Liam, meeting the parents and buying a new home.  There was not much else to it.  Frankly, I was bored through a good chunk of it.  It didn’t feel like I was reading an A/o shifter mpreg story; instead it read more like a sheltered suburbanite’s pregnancy diary.  There was none of the “mate, mine!” that I look for when reading mpreg.  There was no sinister villain out to get anyone.  There was no danger.  The woman out to steal Mason away from Liam referenced in the blurb wasn’t really a part of the story; just a small plot device thrown in near the end to facilitate the resolution of their miscommunication issue.

Now, I’m all for reading some brain candy, of which this story definitely qualifies, but I need some action or charm to balance out the fluff and there was not enough of either here for me.  I want the chocolate bar with the caramel and nougat center.  This was more like a Chick-O-Stick.  I’ll eat it if it’s offered and maybe even enjoy it but it’s not what I would pick when standing in the candy aisle.

This is not to say that I didn’t like the book because I did for the most part.  The birth scene was worth quite a chuckle and the epilogue was over-the-top ridiculous just the way I like it.  I ‘awwed’ when I got to the family tree at the end and saw they got mated on my birthday.  The story is well written with few editing issues and it flowed smoothly (albeit a little too slow for me).  So, it’s not a bad book at all.  It’s just not my type of brain candy.

A copy provided for an honest review.