Review: Goalie Interference (Hat Trick #2) by Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn

It’s goalie vs. goalie in this brand-new enemies-to-lovers hockey romance from Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn…

Ryu Mori has had a stellar season as goalie for the Atlanta Venom. So when he’s called into management’s office, he’s expecting to hear he’s the new starting goalie for the team, not that some new guy—an incredibly hot, annoyingly bratty rookie—is here to compete for his spot.

Not everyone gets to play in the best league in the world. Emmitt Armstrong knows that, and he’s not about to waste the opportunity after grinding his way from the bottom to the top. If the Venom is looking for a meek, mild-mannered pushover, they’ve got the wrong guy.

Ryu doesn’t want to admit the other goalie’s smart mouth turns him on. Beating Armstrong at practice feels good, sure, but there are other, more fun ways to shut his rival up.

In this league, it’s winner takes all. But there’s more to life than winning, and if Emmitt and Ryu can get past their egos and competitive natures, they might just discover they work better as partners than they ever imagined possible.

2.75 Hearts

Ryu Mori’s within reach of his goal - being the new starting goalie for the Atlanta Venom. He’s trained hard and has the stats to prove it. Until promising upstart Emmitt Armstrong transfers to the team, setting off a race for the starting goalie position.

I really liked Ryu in book 1. He was the calm, dependable, and quiet friend that Tristan needed. He may come across as cold at times, but that’s just introversion.

Emmitt is the opposite of that - a complete extrovert. He’s loud and a bit brash. But he’s equally loyal, and committed to the game and the team.

The two men definitely start off on the wrong foot. Neither man is a dislikeable character, but the competition for starting goalie and opposite personalities inevitably set the stage.

But it’s also undeniable that both men feel attracted to each other. As the weeks pass, the mutual dislike and attraction build.

Until finally they give in. And it’s hot.

Nothing like a lot of angry sex to really break the ice!

Or, as Ryu and Emmitt look at it, just a bit of stress relief. I was all for their arrangement - rivals on the ice, and rivals with rough sex in the sheets.

Feelings inevitably enter the picture. It was very sweet to see the two men gradually open to each other, and share bits and pieces of themselves that they hadn’t expected to.

I swooned just a bit when Emmitt and Ryu finally had the talk and agreed that they wanted to be more than just fuckbuddies.

Of course, the major obstacle remains throughout the book - the competition for starting goalie. It continues to affect their relationship after they decide to get serious.

The situation became repetitive at times, but ultimately it was an entertaining plot. And despite the angst, Ryu and Emmitt manage to come out at the other end with a stronger relationship.

But I wasn’t entirely sold on the ending. It’s a HFN, with some major points still unresolved.

Overall, this was a likeable enemies-to-lovers hockey romance, with some angst and a lot of hot and sweet. I’m hoping we get to see Ryu and Emmitt’s story wrapped up in a short follow-up or in a book 3!

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Tag Team Review: Strait Laced by Kate Aaron

Philip Lomax is a man with ambition. Getting ahead in business doesn't leave much time for fun. Relationships aren’t part of his plan, and falling in love will have to wait.

Go-go dancer and all-round bad boy Ben is his polar opposite but they can't seem to leave each other alone.

While Philip's certain nothing can come of it, Ben is determined to prove Philip isn't as strait-laced as he appears. Will opposites attract in this standalone contemporary romance?

Average

Lost in a Book - 3.5 Hearts

This book was difficult to rate because while it wasn’t necessarily my cuppa, I can see the appeal and the overall enjoyment some might get out of the low angst read that features a couple navigating every day life and finding a way to do it together. So, for those of you who don’t want to be on the edge of your seat and take a break from angst in books and/or real life- this may be your cuppa.

Philip is on a business trip to Manchester and heads to a club in The Village he frequents while in town. Hanging in the shadows, Philip watches men having the experiences he wants but could never would never partake in. He’s uptight and constantly worries about what everyone in his life thinks about him and his choices. It cripples his ability to just live, get out of his head and stop judging. Luckily, a sexy go-go dancer likes what he sees and “buys” Philip a drink.

*Googles nearest club with go-go dancers... for a friend*

Ben is a sexy, tattooed, pierced, and scantily glad go-go dancer that breaks Philip slowly out of his shell. He remains an enigma for some of the book and I needed his story. I just knew something had to be missing from his outward carefree persona. As the pieces are put in place, my feels for Ben increased.

As I mentioned above, this story is really low angst. There were some situations thrown in here and there but overall, just an easy relational read with natural growing pains present in any relationship. It's two opposite men meeting, enjoying each other, and seeing how they fit together. I like how rational Ben is when it comes to Philip. Philip is a worry wart and Ben can sooth him while getting him to let go and finally live for himself.

“Ben unravelled me, stripped me apart, put me back together, and had me humming like a well-oiled engine.”

The first 30% moved super slow IMO and I was relieved when it began picking up a tiny bit. One thing that served as a pick me up were the smexy times. Ben is a pro at getting Philip to take the stick out of his ass and replace it with objects that are much more promising. The days of Philip’s sex being quieter than a church mouse were over. Ben worked him and they had some great chemistry.

“Nobody had ever set me alight this way. No man had made me shake and tremble, claw at him and cry out shamelessly because I couldn’t get enough.”

“I wanted to be rubbed raw, bruised and bitten, fucked hard and long until I couldn’t stand it anymore and my orgasm was dragged out of me kicking and screaming.”

I liked the MCs together and the growth they made as individuals. Thank goodness because Philip was driving me crazy with being all Judgy McJudgerson. The relationship pacing was authentic without the presence of insta-love and the magic peen. They moved through each phase of the getting to know each other, liking, and then loving and we were there through it all... which isn't a complete positive. I could have done without such an in-depth seminar on the ins and outs of the London/Manchester night life and *every* aspect of domesticated bliss. Still, it was enjoyable and I'd recommend it if you're looking for low key read with lots of domestication and some heat.

“I don’t mind fighting for you, Philip. Even if the only person I’m fighting is you.”

Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ - 2.5 Hearts


Unfortunately, I came down on the other side of the 3 hearts mark on this fence straddler. I struggled with this one for 4 days and while there were things that I liked, it's not one I'll remember.

The quotes above show the sexual chemistry Philip and Ben have. I won't deny that the sex (biting, rough sex but no MANTIES 😢) was hot and their chemistry is undeniable, but there's not enough of it to be categorized as PWP and what happens outside the sex didn't wow me.

Their relationship has very little drama from without or within which I enjoyed along with the realistic progression and sweetly domestic HEA. Aside from Philip's continual loop of unworthiness, they do have a good opposites attract thing happening and I liked that Ben challenges him in all things.

Ben's character is charming and irresistible; he's defiant and unapologetic about his circumstances both past and present. Perhaps if we had gotten his POV my rating would be higher. Who knows? As it stands we only get Philip's POV and he's not nearly as dynamic. Struggling with self-image issues and constantly preoccupied with what others think of him are hackneyed concepts that have to be done exceptionally well for me to connect. There were moments, but there was also a lack of depth.

"After a certain point you have live your own life without worrying what everyone else will think."

However, my main criticism is the tedium. Info dumps and pointless conversations that do not add to the narrative in meaningful ways stymied my emotional connection to this narrative. As an emotional reader, that's what I look for in every story I read and if I can't find it chances are high that I'm not going to enjoy the experience all that much.

Perhaps it's the slice of life storyline that doesn't resonate where this author is concerned, since my last foray din't go much better than this. I may give her AU slavefic a shot and see how that goes but I think this is the end of line between me and Aaron's contemporary reads.

I wouldn't recommend but my opinions are my own and YMMV.

Review copies were provided.

Audiobook Review: Signs of Life (Resilient Love #2) by Melanie Hansen

Successful lawyer Jeremy Speer has it all—a loving husband, a beautiful home, and a cherished dream that’s about to become reality. He’s learned not to take happiness for granted, meeting the challenges of life and love head-on with unwavering commitment and fierce devotion. A series of tragic events leave Jeremy shattered, adrift on a sea of unimaginable pain. He’s able to piece his life back together, but instead of embracing it, he merely exists, using isolation and punishing physical exertion to keep the world at bay.

High school teacher Kai Daniels has a heart for at-risk kids—he was one himself, and a teenage brush with the law and some troubled years behind bars left him scarred inside and out. With courage, hard work, and the support of friends, he’s built a fulfilling life that leaves no time for a relationship.

An intense encounter with Kai at a gay club ignites a spark in Jeremy that he thought was extinguished forever, but he’s unwilling to destroy the fragile peace he’s managed to create, and he leaves Kai humiliated and disappointed. Things should have ended there, but a bizarre occurrence brings the two together in a way neither of them expected.

Listening Length: 8 hours and 13 minutes
Narrator: Robert Nieman

Signs of Life is a hurt/comfort romance that features two damaged men that came from different walks of life that find love by chance set in Oregon.

Jeremy Speer is a lawyer whose world was turned upside down for the worst and he reacts even more worse. It took him some time but he turned it around some and functioned by shutting everything out. Kai Daniels is an alternative high school teacher who was formerly at risk himself. He's streetwise due to being raised there. He is used to to life giving you shit instead of lemons. These two happen to live in the same town and meet one fateful and very hawt night at a club.

But before we take a magical trip onto the fire that is the chemistry between Jeremy and Kai., let's discuss that beginning shall we?

The beginning! WTF? It was two of the worst things that could happen to person, consecutively. Not even 3% and it felt like the world was ready to crash in. I actually stared at my Kindle for a minute or two wondering WTF more could happen. I read/listened to the entire thing from that point with trepidation and shield over my chest cavity just waiting for the next angst attack to happen.

(No tears because...

...Book! The eyes were dry. So hah!)

Let me get what I didn't care for as much out the way, so I can get to the good stuff. The good obviously outweighed the...not as good for me.

- the students - I know there are a lot of at risk teens out in the world. I've known a few in passing, know some now. Something about the lingo the kids spoke read a little off to me. Not all the time, but sometimes. I might be overthinking it but the West Coast vibe would vary from region to region right? Why was I getting Cali vibes from these kids for a setting in Oregon. It's a niggle of mine. I can't help but mention it as I would sometimes cringe at the narrator and text (and not for he words you might think) it read less authentic. Which brings me to the next thing...

- the teenager whisperer/ walking textbook - Kai was a former juvenile delinquent who is now reformed and teaches current delinquents. Uh-huh. He was borderline perfect. But overall I like Kai just sometimes the ease ruined the realistic vibe the story had going. And the clinical terms while speaking such as dysthymia, that read more like a educate the reader moment rather than have Kai speak regularly to a lover. It's a pet peeve of mine when the dialogue gets research-y rather than having people have normal conversation. It's a info dump moment. Kai was a mix of things former street tough, teacher, informal psychologist/counselor. I feel the mix of those different facets could have been smoother.

- Leticia - I wanted just a sentence of some sort of acknowledgement from Jeremy. He was healing, letting go of his anger at life. What happened to what he did in the beginning? If he's turning a new leaf, what about that one?

My niggles didn't ruin the story. It just made me pause or wonder if this would really happen. The angst got heavy handed in the beginning but it mellowed out for the rest of the book. In fact other than mostly internal and a few communication issues, the angst was pretty low.

This is my second Robert Nieman audio book. I actually listened to his narration of book #1 and  feel the same about both books. He doesn't do a variation of voices, sometimes he might act out some action, sometimes he might pronounce words funny but he was steady. Do I think another narrator could have done a better job? Yep. He paused at odd points a few times, rushed though text where as I read didn't call for it. But it wasn't bad. His narration is more of 3.75 Hearts rounded up.

The good though? Hansen can twist a tale. Nieman didn't enhance the writing. However, I enjoyed having him read her words. Because the words were good, really good.

Smutsters, this is a book you want to eye. The sex is a-plentiful!

Listen to me... You listening? *stares* Melanie Hansen can write a fuck scene. She didn't reinvent the wheel but she sure made that motherfucker spin. Wow! It was a checklist of my faves: SNOWBALLING, RIMMING, ROUGH SEX...PUBLIC SEX!

Those two couldn't get of each other. Both had unlimited rides to PoundTown and they acted like they only had one ride left on their ticket.

I love hook up to romance stories. And at first these men didn't seem like they could get anything meaningful since the sexual tension played a major factor and (a certain someone did a major DICK MOVE--twice!) But once the fella interacted outside of the sheets, I was on board.

While this can be read as standalone, the epilogue features followup to book #1's main characters and I squeed! It also covered this book's HEA pretty nicely.

For the most part, I bought it. Kai and Jeremy are very good for each other. They will continue to help each other heal. They will fuck it up from time to time but there is a shared bond and willingness to try.

Sometimes that's all you need.

Recommended for hurt/comfort fans, for sure-- audio or eBook works just fine (though I loved reading it slightly more)!

Review: Lavender by Xavier Axelson

Following the sudden death of his father, Lawrence "Law" Crow must not only comfort his bereaved mother, but also find the strength to continue running the family business, a local and beloved lavender farm in the mountains of northern California. At first, consumed with his own grief and struggling to find meaning in life, Law indulges in his vices, mainly by surrendering to his sexual urges with numerous men, all in a desperate battle to forget his pain and to end the emotional turmoil tearing him apart.

But when a stunningly handsome and passionate Spanish soccer player named Garbi suddenly crosses his path, Law discovers light in the possibility of love. Does Garbi have the ability to heal Law's shattered heart, provide him with purpose, and help him fully embrace the joy of living once again amidst the beautiful and fragrant lavender fields?

One of my all-time favorite books is Lily by Xavier Axelson. It wasn’t what I was expecting when I read the blurb, it was so much better and I really fell in love with the author’s writing style. It stuck with me and Lavender is much the same. The author does not write your typical hearts and flowers or perfectly perfect characters. His MC’s are flawed and their encounters are gritty. It’s different and I appreciate how he can pull all the rough edges together and give a plethora of emotions in a few words.

Lavender starts out rough and sad. It’s set against an idyllic backdrop and the contrast made the heartache the characters were feeling more pronounced. Our MC, Law and his parents have made their lives on a lavender farm in northern California. The setting is intrinsically romantic and the bits of backstory about Law’s parents adds to the mood. When we meet Law and his mom, they are consumed by grief though following the death of Law’s dad. It was obvious he was the anchor for this small family and both Law and his mom are grieving hard.

His mom deals with her loss by escaping back home to France where the original lavender plant that started the whole farm came from. Law deals by fucking his way through every willing man he can get his hands on. His rage boning comes from a place of impotent anger where he’s either going to fight or fuck his way through his heartbreak. Both are equally dangerous and frankly, Law just doesn’t care. His interactions with other men are rough, dirty and desperate. He works his way from one to the next with complete disregard for anything other than releasing something and forgetting for a brief bit of time.

At the same time, he works his way through getting the farm back on track bit by bit while avoiding dealing with his father’s final wish to have his ashes spread throughout the fields. The whole mood in the book to this point is unsettling and melancholic. And while Law is not at his finest, I really liked the guy and my heart broke for his angry loneliness. Even if he did get more action than any man on a lavender field has any right to.

But then he meets Garbi and he starts to feel a little something beyond anger. Garbi is a soccer star traveling with his team through Law’s town. I wouldn’t call their first interaction anywhere near a meet-cute, because cute is not something that is done in Lavender, but Garbi does leave an impression and Law knows he wants more. The two don’t waste any time getting together, because waiting is also something that is not done in Lavender, but the two had a serious connection that neither one of them could deny.

The best part of the story is reading about the changes Law undergoes with Garbi. They’re subtle, but that’s how Law is. He’s not one for declarations and Garbi is a good match for him. He’s got that European sensibility about romance that Law needs. Garbi has no shame in enjoying life and he’s very good at expressing himself in few words. Law no longer feels the need to conquer and is ready to give, he needs to with Garbi and he loves every minute of it, even if he doesn’t totally understand it. He knows Garbi can change his life by showing him how to love, but he also know Garbi is only in town for a short time. It was a really bittersweet time and I loved and hated it in turn.

The author doesn’t leave his readers hanging though and the ending it easily one of the better and more optimistic HFNs. Don’t go expecting a book that matches the cover. While the cover is beautiful, it is a little misleading in that the cover fits an expected MM romance that is safe and lovely. Lavender is not safe and it is not typically lovely. It’s raw, tough and honest and I liked reading something outside the norm, it was refreshingly dirty and sneakily romantic. The ending is a little abrupt, but it fit with the mood of the whole story. So, while I wanted just a smidge more of the conversation and where it was going, where it ended wrapped up Law and his journey just right. 

Candles flickered super romantically. It may be corny, but I’ll admit, candlelight adds something to a bath. 

“Why are you smiling?” Garbi asked. 

He’d put his feet on my thighs and slid deeper, so water swirled around his neck. 

“No reason,” I answered, rubbing the arch of his right foot. 

“Is romantic” 

“I’m not romantic.” 

“I am,” he said, unashamed. “Why do men deny this?”

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

Review: Watch Point by Cecilia Tan

Eric Sakai-Johnson joined the Navy SEALs to protect his country and the people he loves. After discharge, he finds himself relegated to protecting big pharma billionaire Aiden Milford from assassination attempts and kidnapping. Until Aiden reneges on a promise, fires Eric, and lets Eric’s mother die with millions of dollars in medical debt.

Now Eric is the kidnapper. Snatching Aiden’s twenty-two-year-old son, Chase, for a multi-million-dollar ransom is the only way to get justice. It’s time for Aiden to learn what it’s like when someone you love is at the mercy of forces beyond your control. Eric has it all planned out. The one thing he didn’t plan for is the intense erotic spark between him and Chase.

Chase has been chafing under his father’s autocratic control. A gay hookup app has been his only ticket to rebellion—to clandestine moments of freedom, excitement, and danger. Now it’s his ticket to a deep connection and amazing sex with his “captor.” On the rocky island where they’re sequestered, Chase finds Eric to be everything he wants in a man: quiet, strong, capable, and honorable . . . until he finds out he’s been captured for real.

In news that will shock exactly no one, I skimmed the blurb. I checked the tags and saw: dubious consent, BDSM, military, enemies to lovers and hate sex and...

REQUEST!
REEEEEEQUEST!!!
REEEQQQQQQUUUUUEEEESSSSSTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Almost immediately things went sideways, though. Most of those tags (IMO) should come with a "lite" disclaimer.

Check it. These two arrange to hook up through an app. Meet at a motel. Hit The Bone Zone right quick then the next thing I know Eric is sedating Chase while he's bound and asleep then takes him to another motel. I'm rubbing my hands together at the bad wrong at this point. Then the next thing I know Chase wakes up and is all, "I have to piss".

Wait, wut? *frantically flips pages back* *rereads* *finds zippity do da*

Come to find out, these two jokers arranged for some sort of capture fantasy hookup that Chase agreed to!

That's a good way to get your ass shot full o'holes, buddy. You ain't supposed to be complicit in the bad wrong! That inherently makes it less bad wrong.

NOT that I went into this expecting it to be realistic, because dub-con, but...

There is a slight caveat, but still.

All the people who do not do dub or non-con, this is the dub-con for you. This might be the fluffiest dub-con I've ever read. These two wend up on a tiny, uninhabited island in Maine (see above gif. again.) and settle into some sort of strange trainer/recruit routine that involves teaching survivalism, ramen and Dinty Moore dinners and whale watching?

My interest waned, then waned further when the "heavy kink" that was promised seemed to evaporate in the pink fluffy sex magik cloud. They like it rough(ish) but they more dance with kink than actually engage in it. That toy bag Chase brought along hardly gets touched. *pouts* It's very superficial with the "sirs" and "boys", a little D/s, some bondage, cock choking/breath play, some "force" play, but they mostly like to punch their tickets to Pound Town and are cum junkies. The sex is same same and not super titillating. I'm not even going to touch on why neither of these two thought having a safeword might be a good idea.

The whole guise of Eric pretending to have "captured" Chase when in actuality he's ransoming him for the cost of his deceased mother's medical bills is the fly in the ointment and begins to weigh on him once he realizes that he's falling for Chase. The trouble for me was twofold: (a) I wanted actual dub-con. If I'm led to believe there's going to be bad wrong then I want bad wrong to happen. Eric, it turns out, is more of a cupcake than I. (b) The "love" is rushed. I wouldn't categorize it as instalove but it's instalove adjacent. They spend a lot of time together, but there's no real relationship building, nothing substantive at least. Nothing that got my emotions involved. 

The resolution to all the "kidnapping" pegged my fluff-o-meter. I think the glass on it even cracked. What draws me to non/dub con is the redemption factor. The notion that someone capable of bad wrong, even heinous acts, can gain insight, accept the error of their ways and attempt to make amends appeals to me, but that got swept away in the fluff cloud.

HEA? HFN? Probably best to ask someone less cynical than I, though presumably, I'm to believe they're well on their way to forever-n-ever probably with some cute animated animals nipping at their heels too.

There is one definitely non-con scene (not between the MCs) that, honestly, didn't make sense to me; it seemed wholly incongruous to that character. I couldn't stop myself from thinking it an extra dose of craycraybenaynay in an already melodramatic conclusion.

So why not 1 heart?

The author obviously did some research on survival techniques and SEAL training and even though I think that focus would've been better spent on relationship development, I still respect the research.

Eric tells the whole story and his backstory is fairly well developed regarding his motivations. His flashbacks of his time with the SEALs and his relationship with his fire team confused me a bit, particularly with regard to consent, but truth be told, I'd read the stuffing out of that story. It sorta skirted the bad wrong line and what we got was hoooooooooooottttttttttt!!!

Lastly, 20% of the proceeds of this book go to the Russian LGBT Network. That's deserving of a star in and of itself.

Recommend to fluffsters.

A review copy was provided by NetGalley.

Review: While My Wife's Away by James Lear

To all appearances, Joe Heath is a typical straight married man, living with his wife and two teenage children, commuting to work, playing sports and going to the gym, enjoying a beer and a barbecue. But there are things about Joe that his friends don't know. For one thing, his relationship with his wife has deteriorated to the point that they're sleeping in separate bedrooms, only staying together until the kids have left home. And there's something else: for the last few years, Joe has wanted to have sex with another man.

While My Wife's Away recounts Joe's recognition of his sexual nature in a series of encounters--some short, some repeated, some comic, some sad, all of them extremely hot in the way that only James Lear can make them. Each chapter is a self-contained episode from Joe's life, but throughout the book we see him coming to terms with what he really is, and struggling with his feelings of guilt and betrayal as it becomes clear that his marriage is over. Much of the dramatic tension in the book arises from the difficulties of negotiating his family life with his new personal life, the awkwardness and potential disaster inherent in each situation.

Well that was a very interesting book which left me with very mixed emotions. I love a good cheating book, one where the relationship is shrouded in taboo, lust and a splash of guilt. However be aware, this isn't a love story. This isn't the story of a man falling in love with another man while he happens to be married. This is the story of a lonely but selfish man who is searching for a connection with someone.

Don't expect to like Joe, he's very self indulgent and knows it. Don't expect a HEA, there isn't one. Some people would say there's a HFN, which I guess for some parts of Joe's life that's true, for some others... absolutely not. Despite all of this I felt for Joe and felt with him, probably because this was so well written. We understand Joe on such depth you can’t help but feel his loneliness and want him to find his HEA and then in the same breath he can make you feel sooo angry you just want to punch his silly head.

I've read a few books where the whole mindset of the cheater was very glossed over because let's face it, it's not a pretty thing, but that was not done here. One of my most favorite aspects of this story was seeing Joe's own justifications of what he was doing, it felt very realistic to cheaters. For example after one of his trysts he comes home feeling guilty, ready to make up with his wife, when he finds she's not there he is angry at her for missing her chance at making up. Like I said not pretty, but quite realistic.

Now all of this is sounding pretty depressing, which is totally not my thing, so why 4 hearts? The sex. Seriously, the sex! Joe plays with voyeurism, exhibitionism, threesomes and moresomes, subbing and dominating, he has sweet sex and rough sex…. Really he does it all!

The end of this story really started to stress me out, like I said some of Joe’s life works out for the better while others don’t. By this stage in the story, he’s so used to feeling connected to the men he has meaningless sex with that he can’t separate sex from human connection and it gets him into some real pickles...

I really enjoyed this story, the sex was hot hot hot and varied. Joe was a complex and realistic character but man I was stressed out reading this towards the end and couldn't help but feel sooooo angry at Joe. If you go into this knowing it's not a love story I think a lot of people could really enjoy it, just be prepared to feel a large amount of different emotions.

Review: Force of Nature (Coming About, #4) by J.K. Hogan

Everyone knows that bonds formed under extreme circumstances never last.

Harbor Patrol officer Neal Hesse has had his life turned upside down by a sudden break-up with his partner of ten years. After sleeping his way through Seattle failed to take his mind off his broken heart, he decides to take a leave of absence from work to find himself again. He hires a professional wilderness guide to take him up into the mountains, so he can get away from everything and live off the grid for a few days.

Travis “Rock” McCreary, ex-Army Ranger turned survivalist, hates doing guided excursions, but it’s his primary source of income while he’s working towards getting his own survival show. Working in such a testosterone-fueled profession has forced him so deep into the closet, he feels like he might never see the light of day again, which makes it even harder to put on a friendly face for his happy, normal clients.

When Rock is hired by clumsy city-boy Neal to take him up into the North Cascades for a survival adventure, his patience and his resolve are tested at every turn. He has to teach Neal to survive in the wilderness while fighting an attraction he can’t allow himself to act on. When their trip doesn’t go as planned, Neal’s getaway turns into a true survival situation, and he and Rock are forced to rely on each other to stay alive. If they make it out of the wilderness, can their newfound connection survive in the real world?

 *Possible trigger warning: situations where consent may appear dubious.

What should I talk about first?

*Jeopardy theme plays in the background*

Oh alright, let's start with the dub con thing. Lookit, I freely admit that I am a filthy perv and prolly unreliable in most respects when it comes to consent but... this wasn't dub con. Did their first time go down weirdly? Yeah, you bet. Was I expecting Neal to be that dude? No, I wasn't. But dub con? No. Not in my book. Not when they have a quick convo about barebacking before any penetration occurred. Certainly Rock was caught unawares but he asked to get fucked and not just with his body either. That to me voids any conversation about dub con and puts their first time firmly in the hate sex category. It was fueled by hate and revenge, and these two had been needling each other from the jump. Was it shitty for Neal to jump him like that? Absolutely. But as the narrative unfolds this is kind of their MO.

Rock likes it rough and Neal likes to give it to him roughly. They wouldn't describe their relationship as D/s, but I'd say sexually Rock is submissive. They just don't go in for all the pomp and circumstance. They do kind of fool around with breath play and I would *hope* one of them works out that they need a word/signal at some point if they keep up those shenanigans.

So in case you haven't worked it out, Force of Nature is sex heavy. Some of it was titillating but a lot of it felt like filler. They seem to equate sex to love and I don't subscribe to that in a romance narrative; I need the sex to have a purpose and to show their connection. Oftentimes Rock and Neal fuck in lieu of having a conversation. There's a greater likelihood of me swooning over a declaration or a romantic gesture than a sex scene. I like couples to express themselves at least internally and hopefully at some point verbally but these two seem uncomfortable with their feels. Thus I had a hard time truly investing in them as a couple. They have oodles of sexual chemistry and seem to like each other but as far as their long-term compatibility, I'm not sold on an enduring emotional connection.

Both of these characters are crafted well. Rock's pretty grouchy so I liked that. He's also deeply closeted which drives the majority of the conflict. Neal I liked less but I can't really pinpoint why. I don't hate him or anything. I'm just sort of meh.

The strength of this book, however, is Hogan's knowledge of survivalism. Either she did a boatload of research or she's a survivalist herself because there is a wealth of information about surviving on ingenuity and determination. Surprisingly, I really liked this part. It kept the pacing up, held my attention throughout and the climatic event had me on the edge of my seat. Stepping up and taking charge in a crisis always resonates with me and Neal comes through in the clutch.

The verbiage used to describe the Cascades was beautiful, evocative and made me want to see it for myself.

Man, I need a vacation! Stupid book left me with vacation envy. I'll pass on the survivalism but I could do the Cascades, especially from that Twin Peaks hotel.

Once they return from the trek things felt rushed to me. Big decisions were made quickly and the whole story lost momentum.

Overall, my first Hogan was a good experience. I found her writing style engaging and was immediately drawn into this story so I would definitely read something else of hers.

Recommend to survivalists and/or fans of Bear Grylls.

A review copy was provided.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Barging In by Josephine Myles

Celebrate the re-release of Barging In with Josephine Myles and Signal Boost Promotions with a back list eBook giveaway!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 93,000 words

Cover: Harper By Design

Blurb

When the boat's a rockin', don't come knockin'!


Out-and-proud travel writer Dan Taylor is a city boy who can’t steer a boat to save his life, but that doesn’t stop him from heading into the English countryside to write up a narrowboat holiday. Compared to London, the canal seems dull as ditchwater. Until he crashes into the boat of a half-naked, tattooed man whose bad-boy, penniless appearance doesn’t fit with his posh accent. Dan is intrigued, and he always gets his man.


Still smarting from a past betrayal, Robin Hamilton is firmly closeted in his narrowboat—his refuge from outrageous, provocative men like Dan. But as circumstances keep throwing them together, he can’t help himself from coming to the hopelessly out-of-place city boy’s rescue. Exposure to Dan’s sunny charm starts to melt Robin’s resolve and he’s tempted by the idea of a brief, harmless fling.


After all, in less than a week, Dan will have left the canal and be back to his diet of casual hook-ups and friends with benefits.


Determined not to fall in love, both men dive into one week of indulgence…only to find themselves swept away by a current of escalating intimacy and emotional intensity. Troubled waters they didn’t anticipate… and haven’t a clue how to navigate.


Warning: Contains one lovable tart, one posh boy gone feral, rough sex, alfresco sex, vile strawberry flavoured condoms, intimate body piercings, red thermal long-johns, erotic woodchopping, an errant cat, a few colourful characters you wouldn't touch with a bargepole, and plenty of messing about on the river.

Author Bio


English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.


Jo’s novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs and an incessantly curious toddler.


Website and blog: josephinemyles.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/josephine.myles.author

Twitter: @JosephineMyles

Newsletter: eepurl.com/hrQ4s

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Audiobook Review: You Are the Reason (The Tav #2) by Renae Kaye

Davo’s a pretty average guy. He has a decent job, owns his own home, and spends his weekends at the pub. He fully accepts that he’s gay, but doesn’t want to be one of those gays, who are femme and girly. He likes football and other masculine pursuits, and firmly avoids anything that could be seen as femme—including relationships that last beyond fifteen minutes.

Then Davo’s friend and gay idol not only gets a boyfriend, but also adopts a baby girl. Davo is seriously spooked and scuttles down to the pub in fright. That’s where he meets Lee, who is cute from her cherry-red hair, to her pretty little dress and pointy red shoes. Davo is charmed—but how is that possible? He’s gay. Isn’t he? Then Lee tells him he’s actually a guy—he just likes to wear women’s dresses occasionally. Thoroughly confused about an attraction that’s out of character for him, Davo begins the long journey to where he can accept himself without caring what everyone else thinks.

Narrator: Dave Gillies
Run Time: 8 hrs, 19 mins

Wow. Adorable! Absolutely adorable!

This is Lee *insert red hair*.

Lee is down-to-earth and honest even if it's painful. He is sweet, funny, loves football and helping people within the LGBTQI community, he also “likes to dress in women's clothing sometimes”.

This is Dave *I will not say Davo, because seriously, what a tool name!!!*

Dave… well Dave…. you see, Dave….. Dave has got some pretty fucked up views on what it means to be gay. Gay men don't... no not don't, can't have serious relationships with babies and monogamy. He is also a weird mix between proudly gay and homophobic, he doesn't like and doesn't want to know 'those types​ of gays’. It took me a long time to understand him and even longer not to get pissed at him.

However fear not, it was soooooooo much better than I expected!

Dave is instantly drawn to Lee, despite thinking he's a woman, so much so he starts to worry about his sexual orientation. When Dave finds out Lee is a man I expected a massive blowout and stupid opinions to spew out of his mouth. What he did was ask some stupid questions but he never denied his feelings for Lee and knew he wanted to pursue those feelings, regardless of what he wore. He continued to struggle with his views but the moment he said something stupid he instantly questioned why he believed what he did and changed in a way to better himself.

I loved Dave by the end. He was such a jovial character who wanted so bad to be with Lee and never doubted​ those feelings.

The narration was pretty damn great. Lee's voice was a little breathy but I got used to it quickly. In fact I think this may have been better in audio. There were a few very cheesy lines which this author is known for, but they kind of flew by with the narration, I think I would have noticed them more if reading it.

It's always a little special reading Australian books, I love hearing about these characters going to Bunnings and watching the footy. However I could have done without the blow by blow of an AFL (Aussie footy) game, I don't enjoy it in real life, definitely don't enjoy it in my books :-P. Also there is this weird event that occurs near the end which I don't even want to talk about because it was sooo out of place and random, absolutely did not need to be there at all! it didn't affect the story and was over super quick but it was just… weird.

The sex was pretty fantastic! Very passionate and a little bit rough. There was a killer sexy strip tease with Lee in a dress which was hot hot hot!!

In the end, there's nothing quite like a simple romance of two unlikely, but loveable people finding their happily ever after and this story is truly that! I'd definitely recommend the audiobook as well!

A review copy was provided.