Review: Crooked Shadows (Whitethorn Agency #2) by M.A. Grant

Everyone has secrets. Especially those who live in the shadows.

Cristian Slava doesn’t fear much. After he was betrayed by the man he called an uncle, leaving upstate New York for the Carpathian Mountains of his childhood is more a matter of practicality than fear. With him is Atlas Kinkaid, a former marine turned fierce bodyguard…and fierce lover, albeit a hell of a complicated one.

Cristian’s cunning is tested by the politics and intrigue of the vampire families of Romania, and the warm welcome he and Atlas were assured of quickly turns to ash as they race to unravel the mystery of an old friend’s disappearance. Searching for the missing vampire draws them into a web of betrayal and half-truths that reaches further than Cristian ever could have imagined, and they uncover a string of grisly murders that bear a striking similarity to the attack that changed Atlas’s life forever.

Stalked by the past and uncertain of the future, Cristian learns he does have something to fear after all…

Losing the man he loves.

Starting immediately after Rare Vigilance ends, our heroes Cristian and Atlas are on the run for their lives determined to find some answers about strange monstrous attacks that have made their way across the ocean to the United States. As they wend themselves throughout Cristian’s birthplace of Romania, the very place that still haunts Atlas’s nightmares from his military past, these two really truly need to get their shit together if they’re going to survive another day.

This time the story is told from Cristian’s POV, lending more insight to the enigmatic character who has seen and suffered much, who has maybe skirted/avoided his responsibilities a lot, but is now ready to do anything to help save himself, his lover, and his father’s empire. As other reviewers have said, this is more steeped in the mystery, trying to find who is hunting fellow vampires, investigating a friend’s mysterious disappearance, and avoiding the brutal machinations of a clan that won’t take no for an answer, all the while landing smack dab in the middle of a decades in the making power grab.

To say the least, this was atmospheric and dark, heavy with paranoia, as Grant further expands on the paranormal world she has created. There’s a very complex plot being woven here that is not quite finished, and the reader is lured by the growing bond between Cristian and Atlas (along with my utter disbelief that bodyguard Atlas’s only weapon is a small silver sword) amongst a compelling setup where enemies are a dime a dozen, true allies are a rarity if at all, and betrayal around every corner should always be expected.

Overall, an intense read with a very appreciated organic plausible growing romance. Some questions were answered, but be forewarned that this ends abruptly on one hell of a cliffhanger! The next book to come will indeed be a very long wait!

Pre-release Blitz + Giveaway: Wicked Lovely (The Black Blade Chronicles #1) by J.K. Hogan

 

Author J.K. Hogan and Gay Book Promotions share pre-release info for upcoming fantasy romance, Wicked Lovely (The Black Blade Chronicles #1)! Read more and enter in the $20 Amazon gift card giveaway!

PRE-RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Wicked Lovely (The Black Blade Chronicles, Book 1)

Author: J.K. Hogan

Publisher:  Euphoria Press

Cover Artist: J.K. Hogan @ www.wickedpixeldesigns.com

Release Date: October 12, 2021

Genre: M/M Fantasy Romance

Tropes: Enemies to lovers

Themes: Adventure/quest (kind of Game of Thrones-esque but queer)

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 90 000 words

It is the first book in the series and not a standalone story. There will be an HEA over a three-book arc. The first book isn’t quite a cliffhanger, more of a to be continued ending.

Goodreads

Pre-Order Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

“Coming soon from the mind of romance author J.K. Hogan: a new series that combines the adventure and magic of epic fantasy with the enchantment of romance.”

Blurb

Darkness grows in the realm of Taleth. To the west, a power-hungry despot schemes to conquer kingdoms and territories alike by chasing an ancient elven prophecy that could give him the power to rule all. In the east, after a prince’s murder goes years unanswered, a princess learns there was much more to her brother’s death—and to her life—than she realized.

The House of Kjenelach is shaken to its foundation when Princess Sigrid is stolen away. Her faithful guardian, Sir Senne Clayward, reluctantly accepts help from his nemesis, a notorious halfling mercenary of questionable morals—but indispensable tracking skills—called Kasimir vas Hjardar.

Kasimir makes his living hunting monsters, both creatures and men. While he exists outside the law, he lives by his own unassailable code of honor. At the top of that list: never harm a child. When he turns down a contract to kidnap Sigrid and later finds out she was taken by someone else, he offers his help to the prickly knight tasked with protecting her.

Together, they embark upon a journey across the continent to save Sigrid and foil King Prosper’s plans to conquer Taleth. The way is fraught with dangers and pitfalls, from supernatural beasts to Senne’s deathly fear of magic, but they must not fail, for Sigrid may very well be the savior of the realm: the long prophesied Aisnellach Fuil. Somehow, the two men must set their differences aside and work together to rescue Sigrid, and possibly find love along the way.

About the Author 

J.K. Hogan has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing cast lists and storylines for her toys growing up. When she finally decided to put pen to paper, she found her true passion. She is greatly inspired by all kinds of music and often creates a “soundtrack” for her stories as she writes them.

J.K. resides in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and their pets. If she isn’t writing, J.K. can be found designing book covers at Wicked Pixel Designs, creating fiber art and supplies at Earthbound Fiber Arts watching Hurricanes Hockey and, of course, reading!

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

Instagram  |   Amazon  |  Pinterest

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a $20 Amazon Gift Card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Review: The California Dashwoods by Lisa Henry

Make a new future. Choose your true family. Know your own heart.

When Elliott Dashwood’s father dies, leaving his family virtually penniless, it’s up to Elliott to do what he’s always done: be the responsible one. Now isn’t the right time for any added complications. So what the hell is he doing hooking up with Ned Ferrars? It’s just a fling, right?

Elliott tries to put it behind him when the family makes a fresh start in California, and if he secretly hopes to hear from Ned again, nobody else needs to know. While his mom is slowly coming to terms with her grief, teenage Greta is more vulnerable than she’s letting on, and Marianne—romantic, reckless Marianne—seems determined to throw herself headfirst into a risky love affair. And when Elliott discovers the secret Ned’s been keeping, he realizes that Marianne isn’t the only one pinning her hopes on a fantasy.

All the Dashwoods can tell you that feelings are messy and heartbreak hurts. But Elliott has to figure out if he can stop being the sensible one for once, and if he’s willing to risk his heart on his own romance.

A modern retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

This was everything I could have hoped for when I heard that Lisa Henry would be writing a retell of my favorite Austen novel, Sense and Sensibility. I know most love their Pride and Prejudice but I’ve loved the Dashwoods for years both in the written form and in moving pictures. This was such a beautiful homage to the original work while taking it and making it its own modern blend of Austen-esque romance with a strong family bond and a fresh queer take on the story.

“Know your own happiness.” – Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen

It wasn’t hard for me to get lost in this story and I read it in two ways; one as a brand new story about a young man who carries the weight of his late father’s legacy and the responsibility of taking care of the women in his family all while trying to find himself and fall in love. And the other was seeing all the witty ways Henry twisted each character and place to make them become the players of her own author stage as she gives us the tale of Elliott Dashwood and his family.

Let me just take a fangirl moment and say how much I loved the name play in this book as well as the names that weren’t changed – like Marianne – because there was no need. Each time a character appeared on the page I let out a small squee at my desk because it tickled me in the best way. From Lucy becoming Lucien, Elinor becoming Elliot, Edward being Ned and when we meet Colonel Brandon, I was ridiculously happy seeing everyone show up and blend into a new beloved story.

“Dashwood? […] As in the Massachusetts Dashwoods?”
“That’s us, Well, that’s them. I guess we’re the California Dashwoods now […]”
The California Dashwoods.
It didn’t sound so bad.

Told entirely from the POV of Elliott Dashwood, we meet the 20 yr old as he is losing his father to cancer and having everything he’s ever known torn from him. Elliott and his sisters; Marianne and Greta are the children of his father’s second marriage, the second scandalous marriage where Henry Dashwood married his eldest son’s much younger au pair, Abby. The haughty side of the Dashwoods are known as the Family – with the capital F – and Elliott and his family are the more laid back side who found it normal to have an artist for a father who proudly displayed a nude painting of his wife, with her vulva front and center. Elliott and his sisters have spent their formative years living in Norland Park and routinely interrupting the business of the day to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the sunshine on the lush grounds of the estate. But family and Family don’t mix and when Elliott’s older brother John does what his wife wants and not what his father asked on his death bed, the lower case family is tossed out of the only home they’ve ever know without a penny to their Dashwood name.

I adored this book from the beginning. I loved each character with Greta and her stabbiness, Abby defending her babies and the memory of her late husband, Marianne being a hopeless romantic with a sharp wit and Ned Ferrars and his gentle ways of stirring up a stubborn and stoic Elliott. It was pure calamity as Elliott tries every way he can to basically beg John not to throw them out of their home and then it falls on Elliott and Ned to drive the final nail into the lid of nothing that has now become Elliott’s life. That sounds dour doesn’t it? Well, this is based on Austen and if you’ve read her work, you know all must fall to be uplifted once again.

This is truly a romance and goodness but I crushed on Ned and Elliott hard. It was difficult to read the story knowing what happens between the characters initially and I read this with so much angst that it made the story even better. Ned is so sweet and awkward when he lends an ear to a grieving Elliott that it’s impossible not to fall in love with him. The chemistry between the two was off the charts and each intimate encounter between them made me swoon hard. Elliott and his sisters have been raised with the epic love story of their parents and Marianne is a complete product of that, while Elliott wonders if it would ever exist for him. When the family moves to Barton Lake, California to stay with their mother’s cousin John, Elliott leaves all hope for what he feels and what he hoped Ned felt for him behind while Marianne and an unfortunate accident welcomes the insta-love of someone who will break her heart and find the one she never knew she’d want or need.

And that was love, wasn’t it? Maybe it wasn’t chemistry, or fate, or the adventure of a lifetime. Maybe love was, at its simplest, optimism. Maybe love was choosing to believe that it would all work out in the end.

I can go on forever with this review and just tell you what I loved because I loved this story almost as much as the original. For me, having read Sense and Sensibility so many times it is hard to separate the two timelines but I honestly love how Henry brought this into modern times and made everything work. This just proves that Austen is timeless and Lisa Henry is talented.

I will say though it may seem that Elliott and Ned are not together on page much, don’t let that deter you from thinking this isn’t a romance. This is more than a boy meets boy and falls in love story. This is a story about finding who you are through love, both the good and the bad, while coming out ahead of where you started. It’s a story about family, about acceptance, about seemingly sensible actions that can cost you what you desire most and the pure sense to do something about it.

Wow.

This. Was. So. Good.

But I’ll stop rambling now.

I lied.

I have to add one last thing. The bit with Ned and Elliott made me feel exactly the way it did with Elinor and Edward and I may have made that extraordinary noise Emma Thompson did in the film when I read it. If you haven’t seen that bit, I recommend watching it and then watch the clip from The Vicar of Dibley as Dawn French makes fun of the scene and then has her very own Elinor moment with dreamy Richard Armitage.

“I come here with no expectations, only to profess, now that I am at liberty to do so, that my heart is and always will be...yours.” – Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen

Don't miss The California Dashwoods Blog Tour stop HERE!

Review: Astray (Wavesongs #1) by Elvira Bell

Nick Andrews has grown up in poverty in a tiny village. All his life he’s been told that he’s useless. After getting one scolding too many he decides to go far away, off to sea. But his experience as a farmhand has done little to prepare him for the hardships of a sailor’s life.

When his ship is attacked by pirates, Nick’s life is miraculously spared by the notorious pirate captain, Christopher Hart—a man in charge of a crew feared for their brutality. Nick is forced to join the pirates, and he dreads finding out for what reason the captain has saved him.

But Hart is nothing like his reputation suggests, and Nick soon finds himself entangled in a relationship that could endanger both their lives. Unless Nick can help Hart on his quest to find a long lost treasure, their forbidden love may tear his new life apart.

Warning: This book ends with a cliffhanger, and it does not have a happy ending. The series as a whole will have a HEA ending.

Content note: This book contains dark themes and depictions of torture, murder, and rape.

*Deep Breath* THIS ENDS ON A EPICALLY MASSIVE CLIFFHANGER!!

I’m not one of those readers that like can handle a cliffhanger. I’ll eventually read it but I always wait until a series is complete so I can move on to the next book. Immediately. My motto has never been patience is virtue. But you know what I’m even more peeved about besides a surprise cliffhanger??? That I actually really liked this book. I was swept away into the land of pirates and at the end it’s all…

Note: This book now contains a cliffhanger warning on Goodreads.

Alright, I’m done being whiny and dramatic so let’s do this.

Astray is set in the 1700’s and begins with Nick at home living with his family. He’s a dreamer which provides more frustration for his family as they are poor and Nick’s another mouth to feed. He leaves home in search of the same open seas his father once sailed. He quickly learns that being on a ship isn’t a place for dreamers but he can’t return home. Soon, his ship is overtaken by pirates and the Pirate Captain, Christopher Hart spares his life.

Christopher Hart is the mercurial captain of the Victory. The pirates are terrors of the sea, brutal in obtaining bounty, and they’re in search of the ultimate long lost treasure. Captain Hart has quite the reputation and Nick gets first hand knowledge of the merciless man. Christopher brings Nick to his ship where he must find his place if he wants to survive. Captain Hart begins asking Nick to complete small tasks in his cabin and over time, lines are crossed and boundaries in private become non-existent. Nick is enamored with Hart and Hart confuses Nick with his public versus private persona.

The crew is uneasy with the developing closeness of the two men and circumstances become more dangerous. Hart must prove himself to the pirates and we get to follow along on their journey full of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

Hart and Nick are opposites. Nick’s laid back, needy for affection, and trying to find himself. Hart is commanding yet insecure, on a quest for validation, and obsessive about Nick. I felt the connection even though their relationship was very rocky and they spent so much time apart.

The world building is thorough and drew me in. The secondary characters are endearing and entertaining. Goldie. Oh Goldie, I love him and would like his story any way I could get it. This is a dark and gritty read. They are pirates that do piratey things while living and dying by their articles.

There were some areas for improvement IMO. There are many time lapses without notation or even a line break from one sentence to the next. Sometimes these were happening in the middle of conversation or action so I’m *assuming* the scene was a fade to black? There were also times when the pacing was slow and parts dragged and on the other hand, parts where there should have been character/relationship development but it was rushed/lacking.

I enjoyed the world Astray allowed me to escape to. I’ll continue with the series but... I’ll be waiting until it’s complete before moving on to the next book. Recommended for fans of ruthless pirates and all that entails.

Review: In Case of Emergency by Keira Andrews

Former stepbrothers find Christmas romance under the tree.

After years alone, Daniel Diaz is finally ready to shake up his orderly, solitary life. He's about to leave for a cozy Christmas getaway with his new man when he gets the call from the ER that his former stepbrother has been admitted with a concussion and a broken hand—and Cole put him down as his emergency contact. Why the hell would he do that? Daniel barely knows the guy. After all, their parents' marriage lasted less than a year and it was a decade ago!

But Cole has no one else to look after him and strict doctor's orders not to be left alone. So fine, Daniel will bring him along on vacation to make sure he doesn't starve or fall into a coma. This is supposed to be Daniel's chance to explore romance again after locking down his feelings for too long—except it turns out his could-be boyfriend is more interested in partying and being an obnoxious jerk. Daniel sends him packing, and now he's stuck with a virtual stranger in an isolated mountain cabin.

Cole Smith crushed hard on cranky Daniel when they were teenagers. Alone with him in a romantic winter wonderland, those feelings roar back to life. Glimpsing the caring, vulnerable man under Daniel's frosty shell, he yearns to get closer. Christmas is a time for surprises, and Daniel and Cole discover a scorching connection that just might melt their hearts.

This fluffy gay Christmas romance from Keira Andrews features former stepbrothers reconnecting as adults, sexy hot-tub shenanigans, cuddling by the fire, and of course a happy ending. 32,000 words.

It's that time of year again... Jizzmas time.

Knuckle up, Santa! Baby still ain't swallowing your massive load this year.

Accurate depiction of me battling Santa Jizz

Your friendly... er, friendly-ish neighborhood Grinch is back for the miserly allotment of Santa Jizzmas stories. The blurb and the author got me to add this to the short list this year. I came for the former stepbrothers, I'll be honest. It's not even taboo but can you blame me for twisting in such a way in head that I bypassed the Jizzmas fluff and hooked onto the buzzwords: former stepbrothers.

In Case of Emergency is set in Ottawa and features 28 year old workaholic grumperton, Daniel Diaz. He's lonely and cold and he knows it. It's been six years since he had an actually a boyfriend and he's trying to get out of that rut by expanding his horizons. He planned a romantic getaway for his potential boyfriend and co-worker, Justin. Cole Smith, 23 year old grad student and klutzy nerd extraordinaire? Cole throws a wrench in Daniel's plan by injuring himself and making Daniel his emergency contact. Daniel hasn't seen Cole since he was a big eared thirteen year old and doesn't understand why he'd be Cole's emergency anything.

Cole isn't that little teen anymore. The two were barely stepbrothers for even a year, so the title is just name only. Daniel barely paid the pipsqueak any attention. He's paying adult Cole all the attention though.

Cole needs someone to take care of him for the a few days, so he tags along on Daniel's Christmas getaway to Quebec. There is a mixup and an almost cartoonish antagonist in twink Justin. I could hardly see what appealed about him and then I remember how Daniel and Justin initially met... so I'll keep it quiet.

Christmas played a nice background to the budding romance once the extra characters were gone. It was...nice even.

Out of my space, Jizzmas!

Possibly demisexual (his words) Daniel is grumpy light. He calls himself cold and unfeeling, but I didn't really see him that cold. I do like what his character represents, but I'm iffy on buying it. Cole was also very likeable. He's the nerd with a decade long crush who also is snarky. I liked them together and individually. They were written to fit together, that the insta-connection works.

The plot was closer to 3 Hearts. The sex (yes, smutsters banging happens) was hot. Nothing too crazy - rimming, frottage, big guy bottoming, hot tub rubba-dubbing. 4 Hearts for the smexy times. And delivery? 3.5 Hearts Pretty easy unrequited love feels with snow and Jizzmas trees!

The story delivers what it promised, Christmas fluff. But the first half wasn't as strong as the last third of the story. Fluff or not, the plot was simple. The delivery at the beginning was good. Once the two former stepbrothers got into their stride, shared their inner thoughts and feelings, it got better.  Would I have liked it if the story to delve a little deeper with the characters? Sure. But it's fluff, Christmas fluff at that! So I'll take my Jizz candy cane and leave.

In Case of Emergency is light, practically no angst, with a medium dose of Jizzmas sugar. Cute, not overly cloying and the characters weren't annoying. It's a good trope - grumpy loner finds love in the most unexpected place. And crushing. Oh how I enjoy unrequited love and finally getting them!

Alright...alright...

Let's call this battle a draw, Santa! Until next time...

Pre-release Blitz + Giveaway: Gatekeeper (Low Blow #5) by Charity Parkerson

Charity Parkerson and Embrace the Rainbow Promotions host a pre-release blitz for Gatekeeper (Low Blow #5)! We have an exclusive excerpt from the sexy standalone novel. Plus, the author hosts a Kindle Fire with Case giveaway!! Good luck!



Title: Gatekeeper
Author: Charity Parkerson
Series: Low Blow #5
Release Date: October 30th 2017
Genre: MM Romance

BLURB

He’s a player. Everyone knows it. Except Sean isn’t a game to him.

Mateo has been the biggest contender for the Super Lightweight title for over two years. No matter how hard he works, he can’t seem to beat the current champ. Since boxing is all he has in the world, it’s an issue. His confidence is in the can, and his social life is non-existent. Mateo has had no real friends or relationships that have lasted longer than one night in years. That is, until he meets a man whose beautiful heart leaves him mystified.

Rescuing a drunk from the parking lot of his workplace, Slip, isn’t a new thing for Sean. People leave the bar and grill plastered and intent on driving all the time. Usually, Sean calls them a cab and sends them on their way. Mateo is the first one he’s ever taken home. There’s something sad about Mateo. Sean lost all his friends years ago, and he sees a kindred spirit in the sexy boxer. It’s easier than he ever dreams to consider the man his best friend in no time at all. Except he’s not. Mateo is so much more.

It’ll take the purest heart to save a broken man from a hellish life. Unfortunately, when it comes to Mateo and Sean, it’s hard to know who needs rescuing the most.

Find Gatekeeper on Goodreads

Find the Low Blow series on Goodreads

Pre-Order: Amazon Universal

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

“Damn, happy looks so fucking sexy on you,” Mateo said as if the words were meant more for himself. He shook his head as if shaking off a trance. Happiness roared through Sean. Mateo was right. His whole body radiated with joy. Thankfully, Mateo kept talking and stopped Sean from climbing on a table to announce his secret longing. He was an idiot over Mateo. “If I gave you a ticket to my match in New Orleans, do you think there’s any way you could come?”

Mateo’s question brought Sean back to reality. He wanted to say yes. Mateo never asked him for anything. It was like a dagger through his heart to say no. “It’s this Friday, right?”

“Yes.” Mateo looked crestfallen, as if he already knew Sean would turn him down.

Sean wanted to scream at the top of his lungs at how unfair life was. He didn’t want to hurt Mateo. He tried letting him down easy. “Mateo, it’s not that I don’t want to go. I can’t afford to go to New Orleans. Boston might let me take the time off, but I’m poor. I’d have to save two years at this point to get five miles north of Miami.”

“Oh, okay. I shouldn’t have put you in this position by asking.”

Goddamn it. Mateo looked defeated, and it was twisting the knife in Sean’s heart. After casting a quick look around and not seeing his boss, Sean pulled out a chair and sat. “Sweetie, you know I’d drop everything and be there in a heartbeat if I could. There’s just no way. I’m barely scraping by. My light bill is already two days late. Everything I own is on its last leg. If there was any way at all, I would be there.”

Mateo’s eyes lit. Sean got a bad feeling he’d been maneuvered. “Come with me. I’ve already got the room and a ticket to the match. It wouldn’t cost you anything but your time.”

“And a plane ticket,” Sean grumbled, because he had a strong suspicion he’d be headed to a fight on Friday.

Mateo shook his head. “You’re coming to support me. Let me take care of that.”

“What about your parents?” If roles were reversed, Sean’s parents would want to be there. He didn’t want to steal a ticket from them.

A heartbreaking smile touched Mateo’s lips before falling away. “They won’t be there. My dad says I’m a gatekeeper and always will be, so there’s no sense in him wasting his time and money to watch me lose.”



GIVEAWAY: Win a Kindle Fire with case

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with Ellora's Cave Publishing, Midnight Books, and Punk & Sissy Publications. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters.

*Winner of 2, 2014 Readers' Favorite Awards

*2014 Golden Ankh nominee

*2013 Readers' Favorite Award Winner

*2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner

*2012 ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance

*Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath

Links: Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter

Tag Team Review: Five Dares by Eli Easton

Andy Tyler has been the class daredevil since middle school. Over the years, he’s convinced his best friend, Jake Masterson, to perform some dangerous-looking stunts with him. But the dare they attempt on the night of their college graduation goes sideways. The firecrackers explode too soon and both of them end up with badly burned palms.

But hey, nothing gets the “terrible two-o” down for long, and they recuperate in style at Andy’s family cottage in Cape Cod . As the weeks go by, both Andy and Jake grow frustrated over the inability to use their hands for all sorts of daily activities—including getting off. So Andy begins a new series of dares that don’t just cross the friendship line, they obliterate it.

But what might be mere sexual relief to Andy is serious business to Jake, who only recently got over years of secret pining for his straight best friend. Inevitably, the burns heal, summer ends, and hearts are broken. To fix things, Andy will have to face the greatest dare of all.

Averaged!

Adam - 4 Hearts

When it comes to gay NA/college romances, Eli Easton always delivers!

‘Five Dares’ starts off with the MCs, Andy Tyler and Jake Masterson, performing an incredibly stupid stunt and ending up with serious burns on their hands. I was shaking my head at the immaturity.

But it didn’t take me long to warm up to Jake and Andy. They both realized that they’d made a terrible mistake, so I was willing to give them a chance.

Friends-to-lovers is one of my favourite tropes. In this book, the friendship between the MCs is front and center. Before Jake and Andy take things further, readers get to see how close they’ve been since their childhood, and how the two dread going their separate ways after graduation.

I was grinning like a fool at all of their jokes and cute moments, and their previous stunts. I couldn’t wait to see the two fall in love, especially since Jake was already halfway there.

The shift from friends to lovers happens gradually. Andy, who’s the more daring of the two, decides that the best way to deal with blue balls and a lack of hands is mutual blowjobs. Jake doesn’t agree at first, but he’s certainly tempted.

Once Jake gives in to his desires, he and Andy are hot, hot, hot. I really liked that Andy had few hang ups, even though he’d never been with a guy before.

Their relationship in the bedroom is an extension of their existing friendship, and so the two just click physically the same way they do emotionally.

It was interesting to see the relationship from both sides, and how it builds differently for the two. Jake’s had feelings for Andy for years, while Andy slowly realizes how much more Jake really means to him.

When the two weren’t getting down and dirty, they were being sweet, but cautious, lovebirds outside of the bedroom. They have conflicting emotions and don’t know what the future holds, but being together just feels right.

However, the big stumbling block in the relationship is that Andy struggles to reconcile his feelings for Jake with what he and his dad had planned for Andy’s life. I don’t want to give anything away, but the resolution was so perfectly romantic!

Overall, I really enjoyed ‘Five Dares.’ It’s full of love, laughs, some hot sexin’, and a few feels to top it off. Recommended!

Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ - 4.5 Hearts

They call themselves the Andy and Jake Show.

I called them stupid boys.

Andy and Jake have been best friends since seventh grade. Through high school and their undergrad studies at NYU they've been doing these crazy dares. It's usually Andy leading Jake by the nose hairs into these hijinks, because Jake is a sheep. This last one, though... lands them both in the hospital and without the use of their hands for 6-8 wks! So they wend up at Andy's parents Nantucket cottage for one last summer before Andy enters Harvard Law and Jake moves to Silicon Valley.

The dares take on a decidedly sexual tone at the cottage. They start off practical but Jake's got a secret: he's been in love with his best friend for years and he's bisexual. Five Dares really digs into the complexities of bisexuality in a multitude of ways. The only niggle I had was this concept (which I've seen often) that in choosing to be with a man there will be more sex. The implication being that women have a lower sex drive than men. I wish someone would kill that perception in a fire. But in all other ways I thought the bi representation was strong. And I LOVED how gung-ho Andy was.

"I hate you," I said. "With the power of a thousand Foo Fighters concert amps." 

Andy blew me a sarcastic air-kiss. "Liar. You love me to pieces. Come and get it, baby."

Andy and Jake tell this story and both are strong and well developed characters. Jake's fears of backsliding and never being able to get over Andy after this summer endeared him to me. Andy's struggles with redefining himself as bisexual were heartfelt and sometimes heartbreaking. As the summer unfolds they become increasingly intimate and it was hooooooooooootttttttttttttt. Their sexual chemistry might have caused smoke signals to come out of my kindle. Especially the Andy bottoming scene. UNF!

If you have trouble with characters not communicating, this could be a miss for you. Neither are good at expressing themselves which is why I liked being inside each of their heads. It's a simple as breathing for them to springboard from best friends to lovers, but I honestly began to think that Andy's epiphany would never happen. Once it does, he gives it 100% effort. I might have read the big grand gesture scene a couple of times. Oh my feels!

I wanted to crawl inside him. I wanted to sink to the floor and die because it would never be enough.

Five Dares for me was one of Easton's better reads. She does characters with depth that are real and accessible so well. Both of them read like twenty somethings on the cusp of adulthood and struggling with that transition. They both like to have fun, have their dorky moments and worry about their futures.

Andy's father is the strongest secondary character. He's hardworking, pragmatic and serious. There will probably be controversy about his likability but there are two things that I think Easton did exceptionally well with his character: (1) you can really see how much Andy takes after him; (2) he brought many relevant contemporary sociopolitical concerns to the narrative without resorting to hyperbole. In a Trump America bigotry and racism are en vogue again so his concerns are not only valid but they resonated.

Recommended to college/coming of age and friends to lovers romance fans!

ARCs were provided by NetGalley.

Review: Sharing Secrets by Matthew J. Metzger

Adam has a secret. But maybe Charlie has a few of his own.

Adam’s got a secret and nobody knows.

He’s promised himself never to get into relationships and risk revealing it, but Charlie Fielding has a way of getting under one’s skin. One party, one kiss and Adam is faced with a horrible choice—tell Charlie the truth or keep quiet. And either way, lose the only friends he’s had in years.

But Charlie might have a secret, too—and everybody knows but Adam.

"Nobody knows."

Matthew J. Metzger is a MUST read author for me, he is absolutely amazing,  yet he's one that I don't hear enough about and that's a real shame.

This book, like many of Metzger's, is YA - but it's real. The characters aren't some polished Hollywood version of teens, they are teens I can relate to and understand (despite my teen years being a loooong time ago!) Real proper characters. Adam and Charlie are just two unique characters that sold me their story in the first couple of pages. 

Many of Metzger's novels feature transgender characters, and this one is no different; the ups and downs and secrets and hurt aren't how you think they're going to be though. It's not straightforward, and it's not easy, but it's also compelling to read. To understand. To think about things in a different way than before.

I really don't want to spoil the storyline, so I'm being very vague. okay, so the storyline is absolutely compelling reading. I personally think this is the type of book that should be in school libraries, it covers diversity and illness/disability in the way it should; with a normalcy sadly lacking in many books. Adam, Charlie, Phoebe and Ollie are still teens doing teen things with teen worries. Give 'em a few years and they'd be adults doing adult things with adult worries... they just have another aspect to them. Adam and Charlie's are mayhaps a bit larger to deal with. 

I love how Metzger writes this but I'm struggling to put it into words without sounding ridiculous. Everyone is different. Everyone has things to deal with. Some are harder to cope with than others, but the people (characters) are still people and Metzger nails that. There are no caricatures in his literature.

The small town setting - the families, school, secondary characters - they all worked together to support the MC's and their story. It is a fantastic piece of work.

I absolutely think everyone should read this author. If YA isn't your thing then pick up another of his novels, but whatever you do check him out. He's very talented and this book was - IS - amazing.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Controlled Burn by Erin McLellan

At eighteen, Joel Smith’s life fell to pieces. His boyfriend died in a car crash while reading a sext from him, the local newspaper outed them both in the aftermath, and his parents got a divorce. Joel did everything possible to outrun his past: he moved to Oklahoma for college, legally changed his name, and started over.

Since then, he hasn’t let anyone get close—not his classmates, not his roommate, and definitely not his hookups. The strategy has served him well for over three years. Why would he change it now?

But Joel doesn’t plan on the articles about his boyfriend’s death being used as a case study in one of his classes. And he doesn’t plan on Paulie McPherson, who is sweet and giving and fun. In Paulie, he finds a home for the first time in years.

But love isn’t simple, and lies have a tendency to get in the way. Joel must figure out if he’ll allow his grief to rule him, or if his connection with Paulie is worth letting all of his walls come tumbling down.

Ever have one of those reading experiences where everything just clicks? When all the words and sentiments expressed feel like a shared secret? That makes you reminisce on those conversations you've had in the middle of the night when it seemed easier to share all those random things that whirl around in your brainpan, so simple yet somehow profound?

That was this read for me.

I started reading the excerpt on Riptide's site just to see if it would suit me and within the first chapter I started to have that feeling. I tried to hold out once I got the ARC, wait to read and review it until closer to release day but it had its hooks in me and I needed to know.

Controlled Burn is told entirely through Joel. It's about him letting go of his grief and guilt and learning to live and love again. He'll never be the boy who was in love with his team's first baseman that had dreams of walking on the team at University of Nebraska together. He'll never be Jared again. But he can start again, be someone new, live an honest and open life with someone thoroughly unexpected. If he'll give himself a break and stop being so stubborn. 

Joel, at first glance, struck me as the prototypical protagonist who's suffered a terrible loss-closed off, only looking for anonymous sex to lessen the pain of losing his first love-but as this story unfolded so did his layers.

The complexity of not just his emotions but his behaviors resonated. He's not predictable nor is he perfect but his vulnerability spoke to me. He's put Diego and their halcyon days together on a pedestal which I think many are wont to do with someone who dies unexpectedly and so young. He's found comfort in this routine and created a life for himself albeit an isolated one. And then came Paulie.

He looked like home, and nothing had looked like home in a very long time.

Paulie is everything Diego wasn't. He's femme, out and proud, demonstrative, sassy and a bit audacious. He has a presence, makes no apologies for who he is nor does he hide how he feels about Joel. He has his fair share of baggage in the form of a hyper-religious family that wanted him to pray the gay away then ousted him at 14. Paulie is so strong in so many ways but just beneath the surface lies an innocence, a fragility. He's whatever the male version of a steel magnolia is.

Joel is in equal measures crazy in love with Paulie and terrified of what that means.

Theirs is an all consuming love but there is a secret that the longer it's left unspoken, the greater the risk is it will blow them apart. For a romance addict like me there were so many quiet moments between them that were superbly written emotionally yet happen in such realistic and austere ways that made them accessible and will undoubtedly lead to a reread in the future. Both the showing of their connection and the caliber of the exposition of these characters were top-notch.

Even if I didn't have the balls to say it, I could press my love into his skin like a tattoo, burn it into his memory so he would never forget it.

Sex is an integral part of their relationship. For me, it wasn't about the sex so much as it was about the emotionality of it and what it means for both of them. Why they have an insatiable need for the physical connection and a compulsion to leave their marks on each other. There are a couple of scenes that are memorable for their intimacy, but by and large what I will remember is the overpowering tenderness, the withholding and the unspoken yet utterly heartfelt emotions all corkscrewed together with a fiery passion.

In a weird way Diego is what brings them together and what could tear them apart. His loss is a sore than needs lancing in the worst way, and I appreciated that nothing about doing so was easy for Joel. Diego was his first love and even though he loves Paulie with every part of himself that doesn't diminish what he had with Diego. All too often it seems the norm to minimize past relationships so it was refreshing to see the road less traveled taken here.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the secondary characters. First and foremost, the Midwest. Both Joel and Paulie are born and raised in the Nebraska/Kansas area and they're going to school in Oklahoma. As a fellow red state dweller, I appreciated the atmosphere McLellan created, how important it is to both of them to stay because in spite of the politics and the redneckery it's still their home and has a beauty they both can't imagine living without.

And then there's Travis and Alex and David McDavid and Aunt Ruth and Daria all of whom got under my skin. Even their parents as much as I abhorred their parenting, they weren't made into villainous caricatures, just human. I was so happy to learn of a sequel with Travis and (hopefully) his ginger cowboy. May there be much spanking! 

Simply put, I loved it and if any of the above gibberish speaks to you then give Controlled Burn a try and hopefully it'll make as much of an impression on you as it did me.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley.