Review: Home Skillet (Culinary Kings #1) by Cate Ashwood & Sandra Damien

Sometimes the only way to move forward… is to go back.

JAMES

I don't know what's more shocking—the sudden end to my marriage, or the fact that I'd married a woman at all. But now I'm broke and homeless, kicked out of my Upper West Side apartment while my ex-wife walks away with everything we've ever worked for. So what's an executive chef stripped of his dignity gonna do? Go back to Jersey with his tail between his legs, that's what.

BEN

I can’t say that spending a decade pining after my best friend was the best use of my time. While I'd pretty much become an expert at the whole unrequited love thing, I'd resigned myself to the fact that Jimmy and I were never gonna happen. But when Jimmy turned up on my doorstep in his hour of need, I jumped at the chance to offer him my bed—er, couch. I mean, what are friends for, right? Now that he's released from the shackles of matrimony, I can't wait to show him exactly what he's been missing out on all these years. What I didn't anticipate was him showing me that maybe I'd been missing out too.

I love second chance romances and Home Skillet ticked all the boxes there. James and Ben have been best friends for, well, pretty much ever and I could easily feel their connection in the writing. The story is told in alternating POV’s, which is good because the two of them have very different styles of communication and I don’t think they would have been as well fleshed out as they were with just one side of the story. Especially with James. If I hadn’t had his perspective I would have been way fussier with him than I kind of already was.

Both Ben and James work in the culinary world and while it could be said that James works in the culinary arts it could also be said that Ben has a job in a kitchen. James is passionate about his career and sacrificed Ben for that passion. I didn’t like that. I understood it, but that didn’t mean I had to be on board with it. James and Ben were bone buddies from way back and James ended that so he could marry a woman and further his career. He and his wife had a business transaction, nothing more and frankly, I just can’t wrap my romance-loving-brain around it.

Ben was in love with James since forever and it was just plain sad to read his perspective a lot of the times. Dude had it bad and James was all about James. Right up until he lost it all and had to get his proverbial house in order. I think that’s where my issue was. James changed because he had to, not because of some innate desire to connect with another human outside of a kitchen, and that too made me sad.

Ben was snarky, funny and charming. I liked him even if his self deprecation was a little much at times. When James (Jimmy, to Ben) left, Ben put his life on hiatus and lived from paycheck to paycheck, hating his boss and one-night-standing his way through the gay clubs in town. So, on his side it made me wonder, what would have happened to him if Jimmy wouldn’t have come home to him because he needed a place to crash? Would he have still been a miserable job zombie or would he have finally grown up and become something better for himself?

I loved the premise for this story and the characters were flawed but had hope. Part of what I love about second chance stories is the inevitability of the relationship and that was the one thing that was missing in Home Skillet for me. Ben and Jimmy were back together because of the life path Jimmy’s wife chose, not because the two of them finally got their shit together. Good on her, but shame and damn on the two of them (mostly Jimmy TBH).

I wanted to tell Ben to get off his ass and get himself some happy for his own well being and to slap some sense into Jimmy for being a selfish prick for so many years. BUT, all that ranting being said, the two of them do belong together and while I may be bitter and bitchy about Jimmy’s early life choices, I was pretty happy that they ended up together with a solid HEA.

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

Review: Don't Plan to Stay by Kaje Harper

At eighteen, Donnie Kagan's plans for graduation, and maybe even college, were derailed by a beer, a stoplight, and a fatal crash. Now he's twenty-four, out of prison, and bitterly determined to start over. But with the holidays approaching, he can't resist a quick trip home to Tallbridge, North Dakota, and the man he left behind. Just a fast look, to make sure Adam's doing all right, before Donnie starts his new life. He doesn't plan to stay.

Adam Lindberg's been waiting six years to get closure with Donnie. He missed that chance after the accident, fighting for his life in a hospital bed as Donnie pled guilty and disappeared into the justice system. Without so much as a letter back from Donnie in all this time, Adam's tried to move on. And yet, he never found another guy he cared about the same way. So when Donnie shows up in Tallbridge, Adam's ready to fight for more than three words of goodbye. Of course, Adam's brother and dad don't want Donnie to stick around, but it's the busy Christmas season at the family store. If Adam asks for Donnie's help, maybe he'll stay long enough to finally talk about the future, and the past.

There are some things I can always count on when I read a Kaje Harper story; the characters will always have a journey, they will always teach me something and they will always give me honest emotions. I always know I will get wrapped up in the MC’s lives and I will tend to iron man through the story in one sitting because I forget I’m even reading. Everything flows organically and the balance is always perfect from start to finish. Don’t Plan to Stay had all of these things and while the backstory for Donnie was incredibly heartbreaking, the story never went down the melodrama trail but instead had a hopeful edge at even the bleakest points. Being that Don’t Plan to Stay is set at Christmastime, that bit of hopeful optimism gave it the ideal tone for a second chance romance at the holidays.

Donnie’s character is quietly memorable and I had a lot of respect for the man that he had become. He made mistakes, but he was not alone, yet when it all came down he was left to pay the price solo. The tragedy that happened when they were young cost Donnie his maturing years but his strength of character when he comes back home to check on his boyhood love, Adam, before heading off to start his life had me hooked from the moment I met him.

Donnie wouldn’t be Donnie without Adam, the two were imperfectly perfect for one another. They were opposites to an extent, but they were also very alike at their core. They had polar opposite childhoods and Adam’s family gave Donnie the family he never really had. There’s a lot of very interesting dynamics when Donnie returns with a lot of truths coming out into the open. This aspect of the story was fascinating for me in that the emotions were the same as they were six years prior, but the characters had matured by six years as well. Each one of them had to reconcile their relationships with what they thought they knew to be truth but with the benefit of hindsight.

The romantic aspect of the story was sublime. It was the focus for sure, but I liked that it was told in relation to the rest of the characters as well. It gave the overall story more depth and it made all the characters more developed. I loved that Donnie didn’t fight the inevitable just to give the story some unnecessary angst. That drives me nutters when I’m reading a story, when one MC decides he’s not the man for the other and essentially negating the other MC’s life choices. The acceptance that Donnie came to, with some loving caretaking by Adam evolved just right for the two of them.It wasn’t too hard, it wasn’t too easy, it just happened as the two of them fell in love with the more mature versions of themselves.

The supporting characters were great, especially Adam’s dad. He was just such a realistic dad and I appreciated his honesty, his open mind and his open heart. He’s barely getting through the days himself after the loss of his beloved wife and I think Donnie’s coming home came at just the right time to give him a renewed perspective on life that his wife would have wanted.

I was left with a really hopeful HEA for these guys and I had a big ol’ goofy grin when I finished reading their story. Their happy was hard won, but they fought for it together all their lives and deserved every bit they got.

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

Review: Lover, Lover (Dreamcatchers #1) by Liv Olteano

Twin souls reunited.

Drew’s always been a fighter: first in martial arts competitions, and now as a dreamcatcher—keeping the people of Seattle safe from spaga attacks that would drain their life force in their sleep. All he has to do to become a full member of Team 32 is complete his first mission.

But the first person he must defend is his ex, Angelo… the only man Drew ever loved, even if he was the one to leave. Drew never got over Angelo, and it seems Angelo might feel the same, despite the heartbreak he suffered at Drew’s hands.

As the chase after a powerful and resourceful caster hits close to home, old feelings resurface. But if Angelo learns of the dreamcatchers, he’ll be a target for the spaga. And how can he trust Drew now that Drew’s keeping bigger secrets than ever?

I have a thing for books with fated mates or anything resembling that. I love the idea that there is simply one person out there that is made for you and no matter what you do, you HAVE to be with them. The want, the need and yeah even the insta love does it for me and with this story, we have the Native American legend of twin souls.

We meet Drew, the youngest member of Team 32 - a team of dreamcatchers - as he is going about his day being hanging around the shared house with his teammates waiting for the moment he gets his first assignment. When the moment comes, Drew is sent to protect a human who is being targeted by a spaga… lets get this out there real quick. Spaga are magically created creatures who “sneak into unsuspecting sleeping victims’ homes at night, giving them nightmares to get them agitated and steal their life force. It’s Drew’s job as a dreamcatcher to keep the human and their dreams safe. But this time, this very first mission of Drew’s leads him to the man he walked away from five years ago, the love of his life, Angelo. Momentarily distracted by the sight of Angelo, Drew fumbles his job, with a three second eye-to-eye moment with Angelo and takes his magic pill back home.

I love that this all happened in the first chapter and that we get Drew’s inner dialogue of lament about leaving Angelo. We get the why of it and we get some serious feels. I love second chance romances and I couldn't wait to see how Drew would try to reconnect with Angelo knowing they are now in the same city.

The re-meet cute was adorable even though we have a wary Angelo of Drew after their history, but he can’t seem to help himself and allows Drew to meet him where he works so they can talk. The chemistry with these two was instant and palpable; you could feel the pull they had to one another. The chemistry is so important as it gives that feeling, that pull which allowed the quick decisions made about their romance to be believed and everything that happens after.

I appreciated the take on the Native American legend of the dreamcatchers. How their “boss” Aashi, who is technically a spider, is the one who sends them out on missions and how each dreamcatcher is recruited to become a soldier of the ancestors. I loved the take on twin souls and how rare Drew and Angelo are, to be not only twin souls, but have the life force to also be dreamcatchers and together, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Sure, the forgiving and falling back in love was fast and simply with Drew and Angelo, but they are twin souls, so it’s not a problem for me at all. I liked them together, I liked how they wanted to protect one another even before Angelo learns about the world Drew lives in. I loved how Angelo accepts who Drew fully is and the reason for his decision.

The story was fun and fluffy, just as a Dreamspun Beyond book should be. It was full of the paranormal with a twist and the romance that made me grin.

Audiobook Review: Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me by Anna Martin

and One Time I Kissed Him First

When you realize you want to marry your best friend at age six, life should follow a pretty predictable path, right? Maybe not.

As a kid, Evan King thought Scott Sparrow was the most amazing person he’d ever met. At seventeen, his crush runs a little deeper, and nothing seems simple anymore. Scott is more interested in football and girls than playing superheroes, and Evan’s attention is focused on getting into art school. A late-night drunken kiss is something to be forgotten, not obsessed over for the next ten years.

When life suddenly brings them back together, it doesn’t take much for the flame Evan carried for Scott nearly all his life to come roaring back, and Evan discovers that life sometimes has a strange way of coming full circle.

Listening Length: 6 hrs 17 mins
Narrator: Jesse Cota

Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me is told in a non-linear style that is really easy to follow and all props go to the author and narrator for making the story flow so perfectly.

This is such a purely sweet love story and I loved the build-up of each kiss as these two grew up together. I respected how the author never sugar coated growing up. The story is relatively low on the angst scale, but we’re talking about a time period with teenagers, so it’s gotta happen at least a little bit. BUT, there’s no manufactured drama just because, teenagers don’t need it, they can build up plenty on their own. When you’re a teenager in the middle of feeling impossible love though, like Evan felt for Scott, it’s so important and we’ve all been there to some extent, but to be gay and be in love with your “supposedly” straight best friend is an extreme unrequited love hell. Anna Martin and Jesse Cota nailed those feelings so well and then some since Evan was so in love with Scott and Scott was just . . . growing up and figuring it out. It was never easy, but it wasn’t needlessly painful either and the restraint the author showed to keep the realistic feelings was much appreciated.

Reading/Listening about Scott and Evan growing up made them some of the most fully fleshed out characters I’ve met in a long time. I saw them as little kids, teenagers, young adults and as men and while they grew and changed, they still remained true to their personalities as described throughout. It was really impressive considering how the story is non-linear and the cohesiveness of the characters made it so easy to just, really like these guys and want them to get their HEA.

And, while I wanted their HEA so damn hard, there’s no way I would have bought into it if it had come along earlier than it did. Scott and Evan were best friends since they were little dudes, they had to grow up, grow apart and then come back together, even if the growing apart bit sucked. The easy way out would have been to have Evan be the one to do the kissing throughout, but having Scott be the one who initiated smooches one through five kept the story much more interesting and also made me believe Scott when he declared his bisexuality. And good on Scott for going all in with his sexuality, it fit his personality and everything I’d learned about him. Evan had a bit more reticence in buying into Scott, and that fit his more introverted personality.

A really important thread throughout the story is the friendship between Scott and Evan, even during the angstiest angsty moments when they were apart, I never doubted that they didn’t love each other on some level. When things got real for Scott, Evan was right there and while I don’t doubt the two of them would have gotten together at some point regardless, the reality of Scott’s illness had Evan getting his shit together pretty quickly, putting his introverted self aside and getting to Scott as quickly as he could. I do love me some hearts and flowers now and again, but having a partner step up and be the rock when he’s needed is damn sexy in my book and that’s when the romance really started flowing for me.

This is the first I’ve listened to from this narrator and he did such a good job of giving Scott and Evan the voices the author created for them. He paid attention to the author’s descriptions and brought that to the characters from the time they were kids until the final kiss. I would, no question, like to listen to him again.

I just overall loved the love in Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me. Angst fests, crazy ass shifters and what not are always fun, but sometimes some grounded characters whose love evolves and grows as they do is just the book hug you need.

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

Review: A Worthy Man (The Men of Halfway House #5) by Jaime Reese

Vannguard Shaw has spent the last ten years serving a life sentence and adjusting to the ache of solitude. He accepts his fate, a sacrifice for the only man he ever loved and the one person who saw beyond his rough edges.

Drayton grew up with a trust fund and pre-planned future, but an unexpected encounter one night forces him to abandon everything and start from scratch. He is now a self-made man and developer of one of the most sought after electric exotic automobiles in the world with a fortune greater than that of his birthright. Yet, he’d surrender it all—again—for the only man who’s still ever-present in his heart.

After a decade and entirely too much distance between them, Vann is suddenly released back into a world that has been nothing but cruel. Drayton never lost hope they would once again reunite and pick up where they left off, but Vann’s stubborn nature and repeated encounters with a heartbreaking world prove to be a challenge.

Vann needs to tap into his fighting spirit’s reservoir of strength and hope life doesn’t punish him for taking a chance. Only then will he realize his own value and feel worthy enough to finally have Drayton’s heart. And their chance at forever.

Damn, but every book in this series is such an emotional ride! A Worthy Man is right up there, but I do think this one is even more relationship focused (which sounds weird to say with this series, I know) making it even more romantic to read. The setup is unique in that the two MC’s, Vann and Drayton have known one another since their teens and have been in love since about that same time. And they don’t have that, “Oh aren’t they perfect for each other, how sweet” kind of love, they have that soul deep, eternal kind of love that’s just plain, more.

Vann and Drayton came from completely different backgrounds. Drayton grew up with all the privileges (at least on paper) and Vann had to scrape by just for the necessities. Both had shitty parents in common and both sides were a complete waste of carbon so the boys were on their own early in their lives. Drayton was a genius with few social skills so he spent a lot of time avoiding bullies and being alone. Vann was the bad boy constantly sporting black eyes and bruises that weren’t from fights with other kids, but at the hands of his worthless father. Vann stepped in one day to defend Drayton and the rest was history. They had their “outcast” status in common and they were the kind of opposites who attract and complement, the author did such a good job of showing me the connection between the characters from their teen years on through to adulthood.

Shit got real in Dray’s house one night and neither of the boys was at fault, they were the victims, but they paid the price for the assholery of the very people who were supposed to protect them above all else. Not everyone is meant to be a parent that is for damn sure. Vann goes down for protecting Dray and the two are separated for ten years as Vann serves his prison sentence. While Vann is on the inside the story is told in flashbacks and dual POV and it sets up the time that these two come back together perfectly. There is no way their connection would have read so strong and real without it. It made me so anxious for their reunion and I felt the excitement and tension as the day for Vann’s release came closer.

There are so many “moments” that you just have to read for the first time to be able to wallow in the love properly. I highlighted the hell out of the book, but when I went back to pick a quote or ten I couldn’t do it. I loved reading them the first time and I don’t want them to lose their impact for you. So instead of details I’m going to ramble on about my feelings and how much I loved all the love. 

When Vann gets released the two have SO many things to talk about, to clear up, to reconfirm and this is where the dual POV and flashbacks paid off hard. Without knowing what was going on in their brains, the connection wouldn’t have been a given to the reader and instead of just loving the evolution of their relationship there would have been a lot of wasted time on confuzzled feelings all around. There were enough road blocks and speed bumps for these guys on their way to infinity, they needed each other unconditionally and the focus stayed on their journey instead of any manufactured miscommunication.

As the story progressed and Vann made it through one milestone after another, he’d take a couple steps forward and one step back, but every one of them opened gave the two of them another “moment”. Vann found out more and more about how much faith and belief Dray had in him and it never wavered once. That’s not something that someone with Vann’s background and level of self-esteem believes with a couple of sentences, but Dray had all the history, all the magic words and the perfect sense of timing for Vann to be able to receive all of Dray’s love and believe every word.

Dray had locked himself in his ivory tower of equations while Vann was away. He worked tirelessly for Vann’s release and to build the company that brought their two strengths together. The company wasn’t just about business, it was an investment into their future based on their past. I loved all the ways Dray made sure Vann was included, even though he was inaccessible. But, while Dray built his empire he reverted back to his outcast ways and missed out on years of connections with other people. Vann was his confidence and his catalyst to come out of his shell and it was really very sweet reading about these two egging each other on to overcome their discomforts. These two were more than just epic romantic declarations, they were full of snark and inside jokes with one another and reading about them letting their guards down gave me a glimpse into their HEA.

A Worthy Man can be read as a standalone and while you don’t need to read the rest of the series in order to dive into this installment, you should because some of my favorite characters made appearances.

HI JULIAN!!!! 

*waves maniacally*

I cannot wait for the next installment, which is greedy as hell considering I just finished this one, but I do feel another reread of A Better Man coming on. It happens every time Julian makes an appearance for me. I am so anxious to know what is coming next though. We met some new characters in A Worthy Man and I would love to have Vann and Dray make their HEA appearance in the next book. I have a serious soft spot for Ben, one of the residents of the halfway house. He didn’t have a ton of page time, but he was pretty impactful, so more of him would be most welcome, but hell, I’ll take any of Jaime’s characters and their stories.

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

Release Day Review: Hanging The Stars (Half Moon Bay #2) by Rhys Ford

Angel Daniels grew up hard, one step ahead of the law and always looking over his shoulder. A grifter’s son, he’d learned every con and trick in the book but ached for a normal life. Once out on his own, Angel returns to Half Moon Bay where he once found…and then lost…love.

Now, Angel’s life is a frantic mess of schedules and chaos. Between running his bakery and raising his troubled eleven-year-old half-brother, Roman, Angel has a hectic but happy life. Then West Harris returns to Half Moon Bay and threatens to break Angel all over again by taking away the only home he and Rome ever had.

When they were young, Angel taught West how to love and laugh but when Angel moved on, West locked his heart up and threw away the key. Older and hardened, West returns to Half Moon and finds himself face-to-face with the man he’d lost. Now, West is torn between killing Angel or holding him tight.

But rekindling their passionate relationship is jeopardized as someone wants one or both of them dead, and as the terrifying danger mounts, neither man knows if the menace will bring them together or forever tear them apart.

I’ve been waiting for this story for what seems like forever!  Ever since it was hinted in Fish Stick Fridays that West’s story was next I’ve been on tenterhooks.  I just knew it was going to be great!  And I was sooo right.  From the moment I opened to the first page I was caught up in the storytelling.  Rhys dug her claws in and did not let go until the very end.    

I fell in love with Angel almost immediately.  He’s worked so hard to keep his business, the Pizza Shack Bakery, afloat whilst taking care of his 11-year-old brother Roman who was foisted on him by their father a couple of years ago, plus managing the motel next door.  He works night and day, plodding along, just trying to keep ends met.  On top of all that he’s having to deal with some big company trying to get him to sell everything so they can tear it down to make way for some high dollar condos.  He’s so tired, just run ragged by life in general.  So, it’s no wonder that when some moron comes barreling into the bakery kitchen brandishing a gun that he gets a little unhinged.

“Are you going to get on with the shooting me?  Cause if you are, do it soon, because this is getting kind of heavy.”

Poor thing is so exhausted I wanted to lead him into a dark room, wrap him up in a soft blanket and just let him take a nap.  He just can’t get a break.  

Now West… West surprised me.  He wasn’t anything like I expected.  When I met him in Fish Stick Fridays I disliked him immediately.  Frankly, I thought he was a complete douche.  But, I have total faith in Rhys Ford as a writer so I was eager to see how she would redeem him.  He was still a douche when introduced into this story but as I got further into the story I began to see the caring, compassionate man hiding underneath all that pomp and circumstance.  For most of his life West kept everyone, even his own twin brother, at arms-length, never letting anyone in close enough to see himself truly.  That was, until Zig came along.  Oh, West has such a soft spot for his niece!  It was so heartwarming to watch as he interacted with her.  

For all the distance he’d wanted to put between himself and Lang’s new family, West simply couldn’t walk away from the little girl who dreamed of ruling the world but still hid tins of food under a pile of stuffed animals just in case her world fell apart… again.

This was a fast-paced adventure riddled with murder, mystery, humor and romance.  It was a book about second chances, not just in love but in family and life in general.  I started reading this two days before the election and being able to get lost in this story and forget about all the insanity for a little while really helped me get through the horror that was going on in real life.

Speaking of horror, this book has the vilest, most despicable villain I’ve read about in a while.  I’m trying to think of a good word to describe how I felt about the villain and what comes to mind the most is appalled.  Disgusted.  This character was absolutely revolting!  I could barely believe what I was reading.  To think that there really are people out there in the world who are like this is truly terrifying.

Once again, Rhys Ford has hit it out of the ballpark.  The writing was, as per usual, exemplary and every character, even the secondary and tertiary ones, were just full of life and, well, character.  My only issue was with the ending.  I needed just a little bit more out of the climax of the story.  I wanted to see what happened next but when I turned the page it wasn’t there.  Yes, it was explained in the epilogue and that was good but I wanted to see it.  Everything else about this story was pretty much perfect.  This was an intense ride and I can’t wait to see what Rhys does next!

Find it at Dreamspinner Press and on Goodreads!

ARC provided for an honest review.

Blog Tour: Refired (The Recovery Series #1) by BA Tortuga - Interview and GIVEAWAY!

Please welcome the lovely BA Tortuga to the Clubhouse! She has been kind enough to stop by to share news of her new book, answer a questions or two AND she comes with a chance for you to win copies of The Terms of Release and The Articles of Release! 

Today we're very lucky to be interviewing BA Tortuga author of Refired!

Hi BA, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Hey there! I’m the luckiest girl on Earth – I’m married to the woman of my dreams, I’ve got the best job in history and I live in the New Mexico mountains. I’ve been publishing romance novels for… whoa. Many years.

Many.

Refired is the story of recovering alcoholic, Josh McPhee, and Kris Cerny, high-powered businessman and rancher – two former lovers that own a failing Austin art gallery together. When Kris Cerny walks back into Two Spirits, the art gallery he owns with Josh McPhee, all he wants is a clean break. Austin's booming real estate market means the building he bought years ago is worth a fortune, and with the sale, he and Josh can finally go their separate ways. They won't be reconciling, right? Josh may be sober now, but an addict is always going to be an addict, and Kris can't take that chance again.

Josh isn't willing to sell. Not yet. He's discovered a new artist in Santa Fe he knows will put Two Spirits in the black, and if he can just make a success of the gallery, maybe he can earn Kris's respect, if not recapture his love. He need Kris to give him time for one more buying trip, one more gallery show. Josh wants nothing more than a final chance to make things right. Kris agrees to let Josh have this last ditch effort on one condition-- he wants to go along for the ride. On the way Josh hopes they'll find the next big thing in the art world as well as peace, forgiveness, and a love he thought was lost forever.

Open up your recipe box! Give us something that would thrill us

BA’s Daddy’s Stuffed Jalapenos 
12 large jalapenos
12 slices of bacon
24 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
1 block cream cheese
2 T. chopped garlic
salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried cilantro (all to taste)
 Mix your cream cheese, garlic and spices well. Cut your jalapenos in half and seed them. Remove the ribs if you worry about heat. Stuff the jalapenos with the cream cheese mixture, put a slice of cheddar on top, wrap with bacon and fasten with a toothpick. Grill them on a hot flame or bake them in a 400 degree oven for an hour.
Addictive.

I ask for them EVERY time I see my daddy.

They’re like spicy crack.

Now that you've got your snack, enjoy an excerpt from Refired ~

Josh sat there in the office that had been his for seven years, two months, and three days, looking at the cowboy who he’d thought, once upon a time, was going to be his one and only, feeling a little like he was drunk.

He rolled the five-year-sober token between his fingers, letting it settle him. Not drunk. Not even a bit.

“What? What did you say to me?” He left off the you sorry son of a bitch part.

“We got a buyer for the gallery.” Kris stared at him, calm as could be, one hip settled on the edge of his desk.

“The gallery isn’t for sale.” He owned half, dammit. Still.

Kris nodded easily. “Frankly they just want the building. Quite an offer. I don’t see how we can pass it up.”

“The gallery isn’t for sale.” He was fairly sure the words were succinct enough for Mr. Business.

“The neighborhood has changed, Josh. It’s not a boho, arty area anymore. It’s all high-priced condos and tapas bars.” Kris’s expression softened just slightly. “I think it’s time to let it go.”

This wasn’t about the gallery. This was about them. Him and Kris.

“No.”

“Josh, please at least look at the offer.” Kris stood, straightening his fancy cattleman’s. God, he looked like a stuffed suit. Kris looked better in beat-up Wranglers.

"I’m not interested.” Josh felt like sitting down and pounding the floor with his fist. This wasn’t right. None of it. He knew he was a fuckup. Had been a fuckup. But he was working his shit out.

The gallery was back to breaking even, if not making a profit. Josh thought he deserved a chance to get some good new artists in for a show.

“Then are you going to buy me out?” Kris asked.

Fuck. Kris knew he couldn’t do that. The business finances were an open book. Josh wasn’t even taking a salary for another three years to pay back Kris’s initial investment.

“I don’t have to. We’re equal partners. All I have to do is say no.”

Kris frowned, dark brows drawing together over his bright green eyes. “Dammit, Josh, how long are you going to pretend this is going to work?”

He touched the coin again. Five years. Five years sober. Five years proving he could be trusted. Five years and it wasn’t enough.

“This gallery is my life.” Simple as that. He had no friends anymore, no one. He came to work and went to meetings. He hadn’t gone out to dinner with Kris since…. Christ. Christmas? Maybe? Had they even done Christmas?

“Then what do you want me to do? The building is really the only asset.”

“I’m going on a buying trip. Santa Fe area. Why are we even talking about this?” Why are you even here? Go find another project.

Kris was, like, the king of finance now or something. He had investments all over, could probably walk away from the gallery without even taking a money hit.

“Buying? With what? Your good looks?”

Buy your own copy of Refired here ~

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7328

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7329

For more information on Refired ~

Goodreads Link: Refired
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Bree Archer

Get to know more about the author ~
Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy's Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she's not doing that, she's writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA's personal saviors include her wife (still amazing to say that), Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has gone to the high desert mountains and fallen in love. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery ménages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.

Where to find the author ~
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/batortuga
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/BATortugaBooks?fref=ts
Twitter: @batortuga
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/batortuga/
Other: http://batortuga.blogspot.com
Blog: http://www.batortuga.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/batortuga/

Tour Dates & Stops:

19-Jan The Novel Approach, My Fiction Nook, Book Lovers 4Ever, Nautical Star Books, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings, Gay Book Reviews

21-Jan MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Emotion in Motion, KathyMac Reviews

26-Jan Velvet Panic, Havan Fellows, Bonkers About Books, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Decadent Delights

28-Open Skye Book Reviews, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Kiki's Kinky Picks, A.M. Leibowitz

2-Feb Louise Lyons, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Love Bytes, Bayou Book Junkie

4-Feb Chris McHart, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Unquietly Me

9-Feb Caraway Carter, QUEERcentric Books, Joyfully Jay

11-Feb Happily Ever Chapter, Molly Lolly, Nic Starr, Book Reviews and More by Kathy

16-Feb Cathy Brockman Romances, Gay Media Reviews, Full Moon Dreaming, Prism Book Alliance

18-Feb V's Reads, Iyana Jenna, The Literary World of the Gifted Grammy, Lee Brazil

23-Feb The Hat Party, Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews, Alpha Book Club, BFD Book Blog

25-Feb Rebecca Cohen Writes, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Making It Happen, Charley Descoteaux, Nephy Hart

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Thanks to Pride Publishing for inviting us to be part of the Blog Tour for BA Toruga's Refired!