Review: Broken Boy (Atlanta Daddies #1) by Skyler Snow

Layne has the Daddy of his dreams. Hot, strong, loving, and possessive. At least some of the time. But when the doors are closed and they’re alone, everything changes. Layne can’t figure out how to fix his Daddy's problems and insecurities. He’s resigned himself to a life of fear when he meets the younger Branson. Smart, sweet, and endlessly patient, he’s drawn to him. But what does that mean for his current relationship?

Branson doesn’t have dating or dynamics on the brain. After a messy breakup with his boy, all he wants to do is work and meet some like-minded friends. Kintan and Layne could be that for him. However, after he finds out the dark, twisted secrets festering beneath the surface, he begins to realize that things aren’t what they seem.

Can Branson pull Layne out of the fire?

And what happens when an arrangement as just friends turns into so much more?

Broken Boy contains triggers including domestic violence. Please do not read if you are sensitive to the subject.

 Another solid freebie find for me!

Broken Boy (Atlanta Daddies #1) by new-to-me author Skyler Snow was a pleasant surprise. It's been on my radar for a while and had a lot of tropes that caught my attention: daddy kink, hurt/comfort, older boy/younger daddy, age play.

Let's get the trigger warnings out first: there is an abusive dom/partner on page. Layne is abused in the beginning but it's not extremely graphic.  His ex is a nasty, manipulative piece of work and if reading about this topic ain't your jam, you've been warned. 

Layne is a sweet boy whose world world is his dom. They've been together for his entire adult life (yes, he's been with his partner since 18) and now he's in his early thirties. And he is an abusive relationship with no way out, no family, limited contact with friends. You know the type. He meets someone who cares int he form of younger dom, 27 year old Branson. Branson recognizes the signs of abuse, as a survivor himself. He becomes a listening ear for Layne, encouragement when he needs to learn to love himself and a refuge in his time of need.

I really liked Branson for Layne. Their age difference didn't play a major plot device for the story. (I'm not so keen of authors harping on larger age gaps and saturating the plot with it) Branson was sweet, patient and took care of Layne. They didn't immediately jump in bed and took their time healing, especially Layne.

Don't get me wrong, the sexy times are there and inventive. Plus, the age play and kink were intertwined without reading like an intro manual to kink.

What stopped me from rating this a solid four? The villain/cray-ex arc resolved way too quick and neat to me.  Layne's ex has been a piece of shit through out the book. The harassment and petty acts needed just as equal response to get revenge. People like him always retaliate. *squints* The author explains the reasoning enough but I'm just tolerating it for the decent HEA. 

Would I read the rest of the series? Yeah, I'm curious enough about the rest of friends the author created. 

The story overall was solid and engaging read.

Audiobook Review: Bitter Heat (Heat of Love #3) by Leta Blake

A pregnant omega trapped in a desperate situation, an unattached alpha with a lot to prove, and an unexpected fall into love that could save them both.

Kerry Monkburn is contracted to a violent alpha in prison for brutal crimes. Now pregnant with the alpha’s child, he lives high in the mountains, far above the city that once lured him in with promises of a better life. Enduring bitterness and fear, Kerry flirts with putting an end to his life of darkness, but fate intervenes.

Janus Heelies has made mistakes in the past. In an effort to redeem himself, integrity has become the watchword for his future. Training as a nurse under the only doctor willing to take him on, Janus is resolute in his intentions: he will live cleanly in the mountains and avoid all inappropriate affairs. But he doesn’t anticipate the pull that Kerry exercises on his heart and mind.

As the question of Kerry’s future health and safety comes to an explosive head, only the intervention of fate will see these desperate men through to a happy ending.

SRAL ABO binge continues! Full force!

I've literally devoured this series and bought the audio books to listen along while reading them from my personal stash. Why? Michael Ferriauolo is a narration genius. He's just so good *cough*try the audio Caged series by Bey Deckard*cough* But I digress.

I'm a fan of Leta Blake's Heat of Love series (yes, you must read in order). The lengths are on the long size with each main book at 100+K a piece, but I tell you I breezed through with minimal skipping. Don't let the size intimidate you. I have loved each main romantic couple (or throuple) in their own way. Book #3- Bitter Heat was no different.

First off, the pairing? Didn't see that a mile a way. Two damaged souls finding love? Who doesn't enjoy that trope?! Triggers: suicidal ideation, attempted abortion, rape/non-con, domestic violence

We have Kerry Monkburn, the omega with a disability and a violent, abusive contracted alpha, our resident villain from books #1-2 (Wilbet Monhundy) and Janus Heelies, the asshole spoiled alpha from book #2, Alpha Heat, who is recovering from his illness and trying to reform from his philandering ways.

Bitter Heat literally starts with a violent bang as we're thrust into the aftermath of Kerry having to spend his heat in prison with Wilbet. (ugh, just typing Wilbet's name make me mad). And we get to see his bleak view of the world. His has no rights since he signed them away once he contracted (married) his alpha, Wilbet. And since Wilbet in in jail, Wilbet's evil parents control Kerry since he's consider basically property. Imagine how horrible it is to have your in-laws control you and your body?

Kerry ends up being knocked up and he returns to his poor mountain hometown to try to spend his pregnancy is sort of peace. Janus Heelies ends up in the mountain boarding house (ran by Kerry's family) to train to become a nurse. He's on his road to redemption and what he didn't expect is to be snagged by the taciturn Kerry.

Kerry is ornery and stubborn and is damaged on the outside and much as the inside. Janus sees something in him and though Kerry fights him, he's still fascinated with him. There's intrigue, more mentions of violence as the most of it happens off page, hurt/comfort, recovery and love. There's a bit of humor too with Kerry's mountain folk (think hillbilly).

What I enjoy about Blake's world as though it's in the future and women have died out, technology advances are slow. I'd like to think it's the result of missing women and creativity was slower. Because I questioned throughout the series, how humans were able to create alpha, beta and omegas but we're just getting to the creation of photographs and only using landline phones.

The narrator is a delight to listen too. His voices are great. He emotes like a dream and I was never bored. He really adds to the reading experience. I loved his mountain people voices and Monte Monhundy, the most. Sometimes Janus and Kerry's voices got hard to differentiate but since I read along, it wasn't bad.

And Caleb and Yosef make an appearance. It was like a mini reunion.

There is angst but there is definitely a happy ending that I guessed, but not with the unexpected twist.

I highly recommend this series as it's creative and delight to read each main character. And I see there's #3.5 (Winter's Heart) offered for free, featuring Heat of Love offspring. I dunno if I'm ready to jump into the future with them.

But I definitely will have a hard time letting the characters go.

Recommended for ABO enthusiasts who like good plots, don't mind angst and enjoy characters that leave an impression.

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Nicki's Fight (Twin Peeks Bookstore Romance #2) by Mellanie Rourke

Nicki's Fight (Twin Peeks Bookstore Romance #2) blog tour visits us today! Join author Mellanie Rourke and Vibrant Promotions as they promote the second chance romance. Check it out and enter in the giveaway to win your own eBook copy!

Nicki's Fight

Twin Peeks Bookstore Romance Book 2

Mellanie Rourke

M/M Romance

Release Date 12.09.19

Blurb

KAINE

A lifetime of abandonment leaves its mark on a person. So much so that when Nicki left, it made a twisted sort of sense. After all, everyone else I had loved in this world had left me, why should he be any different?

Six years later and he’s back in my life. He’s still the same Nicki. Still the same sensitive, intelligent, loving and compassionate man he was years ago. Except…there are shadows in his eyes that were never there before. How do I love him again, trust him again? If he disappears now, there’s no way I’d survive.

NICKI

I love Kaine Devereaux. I always have. But sometimes love just isn’t enough. When my family moved thousands of miles away to chase the dream of a cure for my mysterious illness, Kaine and I had no idea that more than distance would end up separating us.

How do I ask Kaine to trust me again when I almost destroyed him? How do I ask him to love me again, when I’m still haunted by the specter of my past?

Nicki’s Fight is a M/M Romance with danger, heat, and a snarky cat who saves a life. This story does include explicit sex scenes and descriptive domestic abuse. Please pay heed to the Trigger Warning: Scenes of domestic violence and abuse

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/35FoTHW

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2MbgpR0

Excerpt

“Nicki… What happened?” he asked. “I can’t help but feel like there is something major you haven’t told me. Something more than just your parents breaking up kept you away for six years.”

I jerked away from Kaine and headed for the door. Why had I thought I could do this? He deserved so much better than me. He deserved someone stronger, someone who would have fought, who would have found a way to escape. Someone who wasn’t sick, who wouldn’t die and leave him, like so many other people had left him…

Through the dark storm raging in my head, a little voice tried to convince me that I could tell Kaine the whole story, that he’d understand what I’d done to protect my mother. To protect him. That voice was drowned out by the flood of vile words I’d absorbed from my father like a sponge.

I made it to the door before I was able to force myself to stop running. I leaned against it, shaking my head in the vain hope that I could shake off the sound of my father’s voice. I saw my palms flat against the wooden door, the hated tattoos staring at me.

How was Kaine going to react when he found out about the deal I’d made with my father? Would Kaine agree if he knew my dad hated me? What if he thought being sick was some kind of punishment, that I was an abomination? A worthless waste of human flesh, who had caused my parents to split and humiliated my father…

I felt like I was standing on a precipice. To either side of me a yawning chasm that threatened to swallow me whole. My terror of Kaine’s judgment made the breath in my lungs freeze and I stood leaning against the door. Then I felt it… a touch, feather light, gently running over my back. I tried to pull away. I didn’t want him to feel my scars, to know… Fuck!

To know how fucking weak I was.

I made myself turn back around and I took a deep, hoarse breath that turned into a cough that rumbled through my chest. Nausea swirled in my gut as I tried to get the words out, to tell him what had happened…

“I—My dad, he— he was—” I saw Kaine’s eyes narrow and his jaw clench. I tried to choke out an explanation, but the words still wouldn’t come. I felt the censure in his gaze. “Fuck, Kaine! I’m so sorry…” I doubled over with a sob, my hands grabbing my hair in a punishing grip, the pain anchoring me in the midst of my emotional storm.

I couldn’t speak, just shook my head wildly in frustration as Kaine tried to talk to me, but the words were just noise roaring in my ears. I couldn’t get the words out to tell him, so I did the only thing I could do. I showed him.

I stood up quickly and ripped the shirt off over my head and turned my back to him, head bowed. I could feel my whole body flushing with humiliation, my face scarlet as I faced the closed bedroom door. A full-length mirror hung on the back of it, and I could see the look of horror on Kaine’s face. I knew what he’d see, and the shame of it stung through my body like a million angry bees. I’d seen it hundreds of times in my own mirror.

Sound returned slowly, and I heard him gasp as he saw my back. Then I heard a whispered, “What the fuck…”

I just shook my head as I showed him my secret, my shame.

If I’d just done better, been better, Dad wouldn’t have done it. If I hadn’t been gay, I could have been a better son, a better man, and he wouldn’t have been pushed to this extreme. It was all my fault.

About the Author

Mellanie Rourke lives in Akron, Ohio with her loving (and long-suffering) husband, snarky children, and furry menagerie.

She has been writing since she was a child but never had the impulse to publish until she was introduced to the world of MM Romance.

Now her husband has to put up with a variety of new ways to say "penis", and her children aren't allowed to tell their teachers what she writes.

For more information on Mellanie's upcoming work, join her Facebook group Misfits & Malcontents at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MisfitsandMalcontents/

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Blitz: Nicki's Fight (Twin Peeks Bookstore #2) by Mellanie Rourke

Author Mellanie Rourke and Vibrant Promotions visit on the Nicki's Fight (Twin Peeks Bookstore #2) blog tour! Learn more about the latest from the series!

Nicki's Fight

Twin Peeks Bookstore Romance Book 2

Mellanie Rourke

M/M Romance

Release Date 12.09.19

Blurb

KAINE

A lifetime of abandonment leaves its mark on a person. So much so that when Nicki left, it made a twisted sort of sense. After all, everyone else I had loved in this world had left me, why should he be any different?

Six years later and he’s back in my life. He’s still the same Nicki. Still the same sensitive, intelligent, loving and compassionate man he was years ago. Except…there are shadows in his eyes that were never there before. How do I love him again, trust him again? If he disappears now, there’s no way I’d survive.

NICKI

I love Kaine Devereaux. I always have. But sometimes love just isn’t enough. When my family moved thousands of miles away to chase the dream of a cure for my mysterious illness, Kaine and I had no idea that more than distance would end up separating us.

How do I ask Kaine to trust me again when I almost destroyed him? How do I ask him to love me again, when I’m still haunted by the specter of my past?

Nicki’s Fight is a M/M Romance with danger, heat, and a snarky cat who saves a life. This story does include explicit sex scenes and descriptive domestic abuse. Please pay heed to the Trigger Warning: Scenes of domestic violence and abuse

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/35FoTHW

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2MbgpR0

Excerpt

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mom asked softly, her voice gentle as she took in the sight of me glaring angrily at the ceiling.

I rolled over, turning my back to her. She shut the door and climbed up on the bed, lying next to me on top of the old quilt.

“Nicki? Talk to me, sweetheart,” she whispered.

I sighed and rolled to my side, mirroring her posture. I knew we were equally stubborn, and there was no way she would leave without knowing the story.

“It’s stupid,” I said, sniffling and angrily scrubbing at my face.

She reached up and wiped a stray tear from my cheek with her thumb. Her red hair glowed in the fall sunlight, her dark-grey eyes as reflective as silver coins.

“If it’s making you this upset, I doubt it’s stupid,” she said.

I sighed. Mom could read me like a book. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hide anything from her.

“It’s Kaine…” I said. She raised an eyebrow at me, and I continued. “Kaine… and Vinnie.”

“Ah.” She said, nodding in understanding. “You miss him.”

“It’s so stupid,” I answered. “I mean, it used to be Kaine, Bishop and I hanging out together all the time and it never bothered me. Now Bishop is all wrapped up in his art projects, and it’s just been Kaine and me. But now he’s dating Vinnie. I still see Kaine almost as much as I always did, but it’s… different somehow. How can it feel like I’m missing him, when I see him every day?”

She looked at me a few minutes, her gaze intent.

“Nicki, do you think miss spending time with Kaine, or do you miss spending time with Kaine… alone?” she asked.

I blushed.

“I-I…” I stammered, not sure what to say. I didn’t really know what I felt. I just knew I felt sick when I wasn’t with him. That he made me smile and made my heart race in the best way.

“Dominick,” she said seriously. “Sweetie. Are you trying to tell me you’re gay?”

My heart almost stopped when she said it. The thought had occurred to me before, but in the way of most teenagers, I’d avoided looking at it very closely. I mean, considering how open Kaine and his family were, how could I not have considered the possibility?

Kaine was my best friend. I loved him as a friend… right? I tried to make myself say that what I felt for Kaine was platonic, then I stopped to think back over the last several months. Thought about how just being in Kaine’s presence made me feel physically better. Thought about how my heart raced when I would run into him at school, or the special glow I’d feel after we’d done something together. Not to mention the times I’d had to hide my physical reactions when he’d been around. The last time he’d spent the night, it was all I could do to make it through the evening without embarrassing myself or him with an obvious erection. Or how I’d rubbed one out in the bathroom as soon as he had left.

As per usual, my mom was right.

“I— I think so…” I whispered.

She sighed, her own eyes getting a little watery.

“Are you… are you disappointed in me?” I asked, my eyes searching hers fearfully. I could deal with a lot of things in my life but letting my Mom down was not one of them.

“Oh, baby boy! No! I couldn’t be disappointed in you in a million years,” she said, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing me tight. “I just wish… wish this could be an easier path for you, sweetie. I know you didn’t choose it but being gay is hard.”

About the Author

Mellanie Rourke lives in Akron, Ohio with her loving (and long-suffering) husband, snarky children, and furry menagerie.

She has been writing since she was a child but never had the impulse to publish until she was introduced to the world of MM Romance.

Now her husband has to put up with a variety of new ways to say "penis", and her children aren't allowed to tell their teachers what she writes.

For more information on Mellanie's upcoming work, join her Facebook group Misfits & Malcontents at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MisfitsandMalcontents/

Blog Tour: Rules to Follow (Davey's Rules #1) by Susan Hawke

Author Susan Hawke and Vibrant Promotions visit on the Rules to Follow (Davey's Rules #1) blog tour! Learn more about the contemporary romance today!

Rules to Follow

Davey's Rules Series, Book 1

Susan Hawke

M/M Romance - Daddy/boy

Release Date: 07.14.19

Blurb

Davey’s Rule #86: A good Daddy will never lie to his boy… even by omission.

Travis Miller has a pretty solid life in the small California beach town he calls home. He’s working his way up in the district attorney’s office, he owns a home with an ocean view, and he has close ties with his family. Life is good. If only he could find a sweet boy to call his own, life would be… perfect.

Adam Nichols’ life has never been easy. Growing up in foster care taught him to be strong, so finding himself in a violent relationship was a shock. Now that he's finally free of it, he faces new problems. He's jobless, homeless, and terrified of starting from scratch.

With a little help from an old friend, Adam discovers a whole new world. He goes from rock bottom to renting a room from a hot assistant DA and working at Daddy’s Lap, a kink club that opens his vanilla eyes to things he’d never imagined. His new roommate is a balm to Adam’s damaged soul. The tender way Travis cares for him is almost like the Daddy kink community he’s seen at the club. But Travis isn’t a Daddy… right? If he were, surely he’d have said so.

What happens when a lie by omission threatens to bring their budding relationship tumbling down around them? Will Travis ever be able to earn Adam's trust again?

This is the first book in a new series about not-so-perfect Daddies, adorable “boys,” and one sassy brat with an insane list of rules. Grab your fan and tissues because this series comes with both a high heat advisory and all the squishy feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book. Possible trigger for references to domestic violence.

mybook.to/RulestoFollow

Excerpt

After the movie, we finally took our groceries home. Travis insisted on putting everything away himself. "While I do this, how about you order us a pizza? After that scare fest you talked me into watching, I'm in the mood for something lighter. While we eat, maybe we can watch that Adam Sandler movie we never finished."



"That sounds like an excellent plan. Same order as last time?" I was already on my phone, loading the website to order online.



"Yes, but no onions or extra garlic on this one." He sounded so certain, I couldn't help but look up curiously. He was bent into the refrigerator, so I couldn't see his face. Not that I minded the view I did have, though. In fact, I was so busy checking out his butt that it took me a second for his next comment to register. "Unless you promise to eat the same thing. If we end up kissing again, I refuse to have bad breath unless it's mutual."



This was the first time he'd acknowledged the kiss. And he was hinting at another? My mouth went dry as I adjusted my pants that had suddenly gotten a little too tight in certain areas. "I-I, umm…" I gave my head a shake and started again when I couldn't get the words out the first time. "I vote for onions and garlic on the whole thing. Mutual bad breath for the win. Besides, there's garlic in the sauce anyway."



When he stood and looked over at me, I focused on my screen. I could feel my stupid cheeks blushing. I knew he'd noticed it when I heard a quiet chuckle. Deciding this was a good time to excuse myself and get a little bit under control, I headed out of the room.



"I'll be right back; I'm just going to change. If we're going to be in relaxation mode, these stiff jeans need to go." Just the mention of the word stiff had me blushing all over again, because my pants weren't the only stiff thing on my body.



By the time I cleaned up and changed into pj pants, Travis was waiting in the living room with our pizza and a couple glasses of wine. My eyes widened when I took in the dimly lit room with the movie paused and waiting on the TV. Gulping, I glanced at Travis. "Wow, I didn't mean to take that long."



He shook his head and patted the couch beside him as he turned and stretched a leg out like he had last time. "You didn't take too long, they were just really fast with the delivery this time. Come sit with me. I was thinking maybe we could cuddle. Unless you think that's too much, too soon?"



"No, that sounds… ah… nice." My heart pounded as I scurried over and got settled between his legs with my back to his chest. Travis pulled the coffee table closer and opened the pizza box.



"I brought napkins, if you need one. But I figure we can forgo plates tonight and keep it casual. Does that work for you?" His voice was like velvet as it caressed my ear.



I felt my blush return as I awkwardly nodded. "Y-Yes. That sounds good." I waited while he started the movie then reached into the pizza box. I figured I would grab my slice after he'd taken first pick.



Instead of biting into the piece he’d chosen, he held it to my mouth instead. "Take a bite, sweet boy. You always tease me about wanting to feed you. Tonight I'd like to live up to my reputation." He chuckled and waited for me to bite into the pizza.



It was weirdly nice to be fed. He patiently waited, lowering the slice while I chewed each mouthful. It wasn't until I'd finished three slices and groaned that I couldn't handle another bite that he finally ate his own. I slouched back against his shoulder, watching the movie while he had his turn at dinner. I didn't even bother with the wine; I was buzzed enough on Travis.



If anybody had walked up right then and asked me about the movie, I doubted I could have told them anything more than who starred in it. I was too aware of Travis and how good it felt to snuggle against his hard body.



Was I falling for him? It sure felt like it. The way I kept blushing, the way my palms got damp, the way my heart raced when he was near… the signs were definitely there. I thought back over everything I'd seen of this man, poking my memories for a sign of anything wrong with him.



Something had to be, because I did not have a good track record where men were concerned. The more I considered it, though, I couldn't find a single thing that would put up a red flag. If anything, he made me feel protected and special.

As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I'd care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I've found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that's what I try to bring to every tale I tell.

I'm a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown "kids of my heart." I'm more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly

IG: https://www.instagram.com/authorsusanhawke

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Reader Group: www.facebook.com/groups/TheHawkesNest

Website: http://www.susihawke.com

Guest Review: Lifeline by Amelia Lawrence

Alex Goodwin is a handsome first-year intern at a small town hospital in Pennsylvania. After five years of living with his abusive boyfriend, Cole, Alex has given up on ever being happy again—until his college boyfriend moves into town. Jack Reed is now out, proud, and a cop with a keen eye for those in trouble. Both can’t forget the love they shared for one another in college. As Cole’s abuse gets worse, Alex begins to see that he deserves better. But Cole Harrison is not one to let things go easily, as a grim reminder of his murderous past sends him spiraling into a rage that leaves Alex in the crossfire.

Reviewer: Annery


***3.00*** From my cold cold heart. (Really 2.75 but ¼ stars don’t exist)

On paper Alex Goodwin’s life is peachy. His dream of becoming a doctor has come true and he’s now starting his internship. He has a handsome & loving boyfriend who even helped pay for his medical school. He has friends who care for him even when his family does not. Reality is quite different.

Alex’s home life is a living hell. His live-in boyfriend, Cole, is controlling and abusive physically, verbally, and emotionally. This translates into an Alex who’s always nervous and exhausted which bodes ill for a medical intern. Cole has rage issues because … well basically because he’s a sociopath but the character’s back story is that before DADT he was outed and kicked out of the army. In civilian life he’s an accountant who resents everyone, is prejudiced, racist, and any other bad quality you can peg on a human being, but basically he’s an a**hole. One day a police officer gets injured in the line of duty and is brought to the hospital accompanied by his partner, Jack Reed, and Alex’s world is thrown for a loop.

It so happens that Jack was Alex’s college boyfriend. Things did not end well. Jack ended them spectacularly badly. They were young shy gay boys, closeted from their religious families at home, who, as is true for many, took their first forays into exploring and embracing their sexuality when they went away to college. They met during their freshman year, back when Alex was feisty and outgoing and Jack was seduced out of his shell. Things went well until Jack, incapable of publicly admitting his sexuality, sundered them inexorably apart. But the new Jack, the one who shows up at Alex’s hospital is an out and proud gay man, a police officer, who looks at Alex with tenderness, regret, and longing for the past. He offers a lifeline to Alex, even though he doesn’t “know” the extent of what is happening to Alex.

Ultimately this is a second chance, hurt/comfort story wrapped in a PSA about domestic abuse, and how it’s not a problem exclusive to heterosexual couples, or those without higher education. All of this is laudable and fairly well done and I’m a terrible person because ultimately this story left me cold. Sorry.

I’ve been racking my brains trying to figure out why I really didn’t care at all for these characters or their story, plausible & believable, though it was, and I’ve come up with things that are probably particular to me and my tastes. Therefore you should absolutely ignore them.

My biggest problem is that I felt nothing for Alex & Jack as a couple. Yes we get flashbacks to their cutesy campus life but that didn’t sustain or flesh them out for me. I didn’t believe or care enough about them to slosh through their, necessarily, messy reunion. All of the drama inherent to a person, Alex, who’s living under domestic abuse and has their happy/painful past come back, was just exhausting. Alex was terrified of Cole, snippy to his best friend, and prickly towards Jack. Perhaps accurate and understandable behaviour, but *ducks* he’s a character you don’t really want to hang out with. Why were Alex & Jack still in love each other? Dunno.

The side characters were also THAT: characters out of central casting. Again totally a personal taste thing. Jack has the boozy landlady, whose seen it all and done it all, but has a heart of gold. Fine. I can live with that. But did she have to be called Delilah? Then we have Alex’s “best friend” Andrea. I’m not sure whether to applaud the inclusion of her character or be annoyed. For starters how is she Alex’s BFF? It would seem, and I may be wrong, that they’ve known each other since Alex started at the hospital, where she’s a nurse. A year. Alex doesn’t appear to have any other friends which is usually true of people in coercive relationships. Their captors do everything possible to isolate them. Also Alex was so heartbroken after his break-up with Jack that he just lost touch with former classmates and friends; how is Cole, a racist control freak, okay with this “newfound” friendship with Andrea, who is presumably Mexican? To me her character was more of a nudge & wink to “we’ve got diversity here” and part of the “every gay guy has a female bestie” canon. Also, again personal, but can we stop with every character who’s meant to be Latino dropping random Spanish words when speaking to non-Spanish speakers. I would venture to say it’s not a thing. Don’t get me started on Andrea calling Alex papi at work? Umm … NO. Just no. Alex doesn’t come off as warm and fuzzy, more like nervous and reserved. I don’t think someone like that would invite one calling them papi. Much less at work. And I won’t get into how the use of papi as an endearment is usually more prevalent to folks from Caribbean descent than Mexican. Prevalent being the operative word. Anything is possible and can happen and I’m sure someone has a best friend who …. etc. etc. etc.

This brings me to my other BIG stumbling block. Cole. He’s properly evil and believable in his treatment of Alex. His belittlements, threats, and later crumbs of affection. He was perhaps the best fleshed out character in the ordinariness of his horribleness which is why when things took a movie-of-week turn I was disappointed. It was as if the author didn’t trust that the everyday humiliations, random physical violence, and unwanted sexual contact were sufficient to make Cole a proper villain. It was.

Again, this was the author’s story to tell however they saw fit, but all these factors and the lack of others made this not work for me. Not as a romance and only marginally as a hurt/comfort story. Others may enjoy it. It’s not badly written and tries to earnestly tackle domestic abuse. Kudos. I’ve never been so sorry to dislike something.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Gilded Agony (Guns n' Boys #7) by K.A. Merikan

Gilded Agony (Guns n' Boys #7) is finally out! Celebrate with the Merikans and Signal Boost Promotions! Enter in the back list eBook giveaway today!

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Length: 92,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

Guns n' Boys Series

Book #1 - His Is Poison

Book #2 - He Is Mine

Book #3 - Homicidal Instinct

Book #4 - Swamp Blood

Book #5 - Chokehold

Book #6 - Bloodbath

Blurb

“We are two halves of the same rotten apple.”


Deep in the Amazonian jungle, there is a mansion with a rose garden and a hen house where juicy tomatoes are the perfect shade of red, and marble countertops glisten.


Inside, where even the shadows don’t reach, something is rotting, and the perfect facade can only hold the stench for so long.


Domenico promised his husband that he would keep him safe, keep him away from the bloodshed and the brutal world of cartel violence. But when a guest arrives to help retrieve a stolen transport of guns, something sinister sneaks into his home, something more dangerous than his enemies. Or has it been there all along, and he just hasn’t noticed?


Seth’s life is what others dream of. Endless leisure time filled with cocktails, a kitchen stocked with anything he wishes for, and a private pool in the sunshine. What’s missing is the man he shares it with, the man he fell in love with. If being cut off from the mafia business was what he wanted, then why is it so painfully lonely in paradise?


Desperate to be the supportive husband Domenico needs, Seth buries his rage, his violent urges, and the anger that simmers inside of him. But he can only hide in plain sight for so long, and when a guest invites him to play with fire, one misstep, one wrong move, could burn their safe haven to the ground.


POSSIBLE SPOILERS

Themes: mafia, cartel, assassin, organized crime, family ties, domestic violence, inequality, betrayal, revenge.

WARNING: Adult content. If you are easily offended, this book is not for you.

Excerpt

Domenico could get drunk on the taste of the shivering body underneath him. Men had given into him before, but none like Seth. None were a challenge to be conquered again and again. Seth’s reflection in the water had its eyes closed, lips open, but noticing them only reminded Domenico of Diego’s audacity to so much as look at Seth in a vulgar manner. He had no right. No one else had that right.


The water cast blue lights on Seth’s face, reaching out to caress him with translucent fingers. Hand squeezed in the hair at the back of Seth’s head, Domenico pushed in so hard Seth fell flat on the tiles, dipping his nose in the water.


“Deep breath,” he whispered into the warm ear.


Seth glanced back at him, red-faced and panting, but understanding finally sank in and he did as told. It was a good thing that Seth was willing to butt heads, because seeing him then comply only made Domenico thrust into that greedy hole harder.


Danger was an aphrodisiac to Seth. He’d proven that much when they’d first fucked on Toro’s property, in the wine cellar below the kitchen floor where there were no cameras to spy on them. It was back then that Domenico tightened his hand around Seth’s throat for pleasure for the first time. Two years on, Dom was still more than eager to give his husband exactly what he needed. The loss of breath. The adrenaline, the rush of blood coming back once arteries were released made Seth’s orgasms earth-crushing.

K.A. Merikan are a team of writers who try not to suck at adulting, with some success. Always eager to explore the murky waters of the weird and wonderful, K.A. Merikan don’t follow fixed formulas and want each of their books to be a surprise for those who choose to hop on for the ride.

K.A. Merikan have a few sweeter M/M romances as well, but they specialize in the dark, dirty, and dangerous side of M/M, full of bikers, bad boys, mafiosi, and scorching hot romance.


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Guest Review: ...And All Shall Fade to Black by Layla Dorine

Moving into his new apartment, Jax never expected to have to break up a fight between his new neighbors, resulting in a physical altercation and a visit from the cops. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that it would lead to him meeting Danny, the cute theater manager and playwright that lived next door. Unfortunately, his first impression of Danny and the way he’d cowered away in the fight with his ex, wasn’t exactly a favorable one. Jax already has his own issues to deal with, between his past problems with his mother and the chain of men who’ve floated in and out of her life, his new job as a piercer in his sister’s tattoo shop and his struggles with an eating disorder; the last thing he plans to add to it is a relationship. Yet Danny isn’t so easy to ignore and when they find themselves bonding after Danny shows him around town, and more when Jax offers to help with sets for his latest play, it becomes harder and harder for him to ignore the connection forming between them. As Jax’s insecurities and food issues grow more and more out of control, he find himself turning to Danny for help, rather than his longtime friends Callum and Max who lives just downstairs. Danny’s mix of patience, stubbornness and tough love make it harder and harder for Jax to keep his distance, and somewhere in the course of their daily lives, they find themselves moving from being friends, to being more.

Trigger warning: domestic violence

Reviewer: Annika

I'm sorry to say this book didn't work for me. At all. And sadly for so many reasons. My first issue was with the writing and editing of this book. It reads more like an early beta version rather than the finished book. A lot of the times I found the sentence structure to be really confusing and I had to re-read many of them just to try to make sense of them. That might just be me, I don't know. All I know is that I had a difficult time with it.

A lot of the time the story and characters felt flat. Everything lacked in descriptions. I don't need huge and complicated world-buildings, but some basic descriptions would be nice. Reading page after page with only dialogue and nothing that really breaks in to give some relief is exhausting. The really sad thing is that at times there are really great descriptions, and everything flows along nicely, but there should've been so much more of it,

Another pet peeve of mine are constant changes in POV, where you don't know who's head you're in and end up completely lost. At least keep the same POV throughout the entire chapter. I'm always thrown out of the story when there are too many jumps.

And what about our MC's? Well, I'm sad to say I couldn't stand Jax. You'd think Jax would be a more sympathetic person with his past and issues and all that, but to me he just came across like a giant judgemental ass. And with that I don't mean that I need people to be all lovey-dovey and nice and super friendly all the time - it would be ridiculous if they were. But I do want them have basic respect for other human beings. (at least when you are supposed to sympathise and like the person) And Jax's first meeting, well second really (first for us) with Danny just proves that he is not:

Of course the coward on the floor didn't answer him

He couldn't imagine cowering from anyone, let alone someone who seemed hell bent on kicking his ass. At the very least he'd have stood on his own two feet and slugged it out even in a battle he knew he couldn't win

Then you have Danny, who in the beginning comes across as this meek, shy guy who's too afraid to stand up for himself. Yet somehow, they strike up an unlikely pseudo friendship, both wanting more, but too afraid to start something. We don't get to know all that much about Danny as most of the focus is on Jax and his issues or Danny's writing. Danny himself is kind of invisible.

Oh, and for those of you looking for something hot and heavy, this is not the book for you. There is barely no intimacy until the last few chapters of the books. A lot of back and forth between them. A couple of kisses here and there, but not much else and not with any kind of regularity.

I felt like there was a lot of the plot left unexplored, and unanswered. It didn't feel like the story/book was complete. There are too many loose ends left to be tied for my liking. I don't want or need everything fixed by the end of the book. I truly dislike if that's the case. But what I do want and am always looking for is progress, hope. That the characters have learned something from their struggles. When we left the story it felt half done, there is more to be explored, to learn. But not enough for it to turn into a second book or series.

What I did like about this book was how realistic Jax's eating disorder was portrayed. All the struggles he went through, every day and with every bite. You were really there with him during those struggles, they were heart-felt and real. As were the warped sense of self-worth and sense of body. Never wanting help from anyone - or that anyone knew that he was struggling. This part felt really real to me and truly well done.


I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tag Team Review: From Ashes (Heathens Ink #3) by K.M. Neuhold

“When the broken man with scarred skin walked into Heathens, asked for a job, and showed me a sketch of a phoenix, it felt like fate.”~ Adam

It started with an anonymous post by someone who didn't want to live anymore. I read it over and over again, unable to get it out of my mind. What if my brother Johnny had posted something like this before he'd taken his own life? Would someone have been able to save him?

I've been living a lie for 16 long years and I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to keep it up. And when a beautiful, broken man walks into my tattoo shop asking for a second chance at life, I know I'll never be able to turn him away.


“When I was so far down I couldn’t even see the light, a stranger reached in to save me”~ Nox
I didn't have anything to live for, until a kind stranger pulled me back from the brink. With physical and emotional scars I have nowhere to turn now but to that same stranger who saved my life without realizing it. But as my feelings for Adam grow, will I ever be anything other than a surrogate for the brother he couldn’t save? Am I even worthy of his love?

**From Ashes is the third book in the Heathens Ink series, each book in the series CAN be read as a standalone.

CAUTION: this book contains graphic descriptions of domestic violence and drug use that may be disturbing to some readers.

Averaged

Lost in a Book - 3 Hearts

You know what I thought while reading this? Playing dress up. Did you ever play dress up in your parent's clothes when you were a kid? Just to walk around and pretend to be an adult for a tiny bit of time? That’s this book. The kink, the drama, the “intense” situations and the character reactions all reminded me of kids trying to act like adults. Which is odd because there were some very adult situations taking place but their responses and the execution fell a tad bit short.

Adam is a closeted bisexual that has a hero complex after his younger brother committed suicide. He owns his own tattoo shop that provides refuge and work for many men (and a woman) that needed a second chance. He chats online with “Phoenix” when Phoenix is at his lowest point. Both men form a bond though they remain anonymous and hundreds of miles separate them. Throughout the year they talk and Adam repeatedly asks Phoenix to come to Seattle until one day he stops hearing from him.

Phoenix AKA Nox is a heroin addict that “whores” himself out to pay for his next fix. He lives with his psycho boyfriend and looks forward to his chats with Adam. He’s lost and doesn’t know how to break the cycle of using.

“I’m the spider in the sink, scrambling for a foothold, but inevitably being pulled down the drain.”

After his psycho ex earns his nickname of psycho, Nox heads to the hospital and then to rehab. After rehab, he finally takes Adam up on his offer and heads to Seattle; to Adam’s tattoo shop. Nox is offered an apprenticeship and after a few days, reveals that he is indeed Phoenix. Their relationship begins shortly after this revelation.

Let’s talk about the good stuff. The bones for a good story were there. Meeting online, forming a connection, tortured soul, tattooed white knight, breaking addiction, coming out of the closet, family of friends, etc…, all good. Also, the connection between the MCs had a chance to develop organically. Insta-love didn’t take place because they knew each other prior to ever meeting face to face. Their relationship was believable and had a solid foundation. The development of the MCs in the beginning had me rooting for them.

But…

I had a few issues with the execution.

On top of the stuff already mentioned, there was stalking and a crazy female ex-fuck buddy. There was already enough going on and the crazy ex drama didn't add to the story. Also, there was a lot of deep subject matter that was taken with a grain of salt. Prostitute? No biggie. Lit on fire to die? No prob, just make sure you’re on heroin to take the edge off. Homeless, addict, junkie mother. Everything basically glossed over. There was a lot of telling and not showing throughout which I attribute the lack of depth and clarity to.

As I said, the bones of the story were good. The transitions, time jumps, developments and resolutions were just... there, and lacked the finesse to smooth the way. It was just ok. On the plus, I do like my white knights with tattoos. *growl*

Fantasy Living - 3 Hearts

This is the second story I’ve read from this author and I can see that KM has developed a bit more from the last story I read. I haven’t read the previous books in the Heathen Ink series but I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything. I believe this can be read as a standalone but there are references to other characters in the previous books that may be of interest first.

Unfortunately there are still things I don’t like about this writer’s style. The flipping between point of view is still choppy and premature. As soon as I start to feel like there is a flow in one character's head, I’m shoved into the other characters point of view, and it is really jarring. It makes it difficult to stay in the moment, and also creates a dismissive atmosphere. Examples of this are where confessions of dark pasts are shared and then I am dumped into the other characters head, instead of sitting with the feelings of the character who is sharing.

I enjoyed the storyline and the idea behind it. I think the author does a pretty great job with character chemistry and connection. I thought for the most part, the characters were developed well, but when it came to execution of the exchanges of information, a lot of the more difficult subject matter was glossed over. I’m not sure if the characters were supposed to come across as blase and dismissive or if the author wasn’t sure how to be in the moment and allow it to come to a more natural conclusion. It’s difficult to point out specifics when they are probably spoilers. I will say not all of it was glossed over, and there were some great moments between Adam and Nox when they are getting to know each other. I would have preferred the more emotionally scarring moments were the ones that had more time spent on them to parse through and develop the scenes more.

The drama and resolution was unsatisfactory. I could have actually done without it in the story and stuck to Nox and Adam developing their relationship. The resolution was completely underwhelming and unnecessary. I’m trying to pretend it wasn’t in there and focus on what I liked.

Overall I liked this story. I liked the characters, and appreciate this for what it was. I don’t feel like I wasted my time on it and I am not averse to reading more from this author. But if the POV shifts continue to be abrupt, I’d probably need to ensure I wasn’t feeling crabby when I started the next book. It is not a smooth transition, and I think this is why I have such an issue with it.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion.

Review: Too Close by R. Phoenix

Skylar Orion's life has been complicated ever since his mother abandoned him and his sister Evie. Making ends meet seemed impossible until Tate Chandler took them in -- his knight in shining armor who promised to make life about more than just surviving. But Tate is not the man he seemed to be, and even his whispered I love yous and generous gifts do little to soothe the pain he causes. Knowing he can't give his sister all that she deserves without Tate, Skylar stays with him, relying on bad puns and a worse sense of humor to keep up the charade.

For his sister he will do anything, even if that means acting the responsible adult and going back to his old high school to meet Dexter Weston, the hot math teacher who can make even algebra interesting. Sparks fly between the two of them, but with his dependence on Tate, Skylar isn't free to follow his heart. He wants what is best for Evie, but can he pass up the chance to find love that heals instead of harms?

Warning: Graphic Domestic Abuse and Violence.

This shouldn’t have been a book I could read until the end. It made me raw and was a bit too real for me and yet, I made it.

I’ll start off with letting you know, this book has abuse in it, both mental and on page physical abuse so if that could be a trigger for you, tread with caution.

This was such an emotional read and yet through all the angst, there was the underlined hope that kept me going.

Skylar Orion is doing what he has to do so that he can survive and take care of his younger sister Evie. At the young age of 18, Tate has gone through the death of one parent and the abandonment of another all while trying to make sure he and his sister aren’t separated. When he gets desperate, he decides to sell himself to make ends meet and falls into the arms and under the control of Tate Chandler. Tate is Skylar’s first and only customer as a prostitute and when Skylar gets robbed for having enough to live on, Tate offers Skylar to move in with him and Skylar counter offers with “not without my sister.” This leads us to the present day, of Skylar and Evie living with Tate and Tate controlling everything they do and taking anything and everything out on Skylar with the visible marks of his handy work on Skylar’s body as proof.

When Skylar receives a notice to meet with Evie’s math teacher to discuss her failing grade, he has an awkward yet adorable meet cute with Dexter Weston. Goodness. From the first meeting of these men you feel the chemistry and really want the bad math puns to continue so they can just flirt for hours. But when Skylar gets home and we officially meet Tate, you feel the anxiety, the stress and the fear that Skylar lives with on a daily basis. Through his POV we know that everything he does is for Evie; putting up with the abuse from Tate so that they have a place to live and food to eat until she graduates high school and we also know that it’s destroying Skylar.

I am so thankful that we get the POV of Dexter as well because I wanted to know how he would react to the situation. How he would find out or figure out what was happening at home with Skylar and Evie and how he would handle the attraction to a much younger man. And you know what? Dexter is a damn saint who adores ducks, quails and rabbits. He is amazing and there was never a time where his feelings felt inappropriate or pervy, they were just honest and amazing.

This book, I read it so damn fast because I was on edge with the whole situation. Tate is so controlling and manipulative and yet I am glad the author took care and respect to lay out the reasons and emotions of why Skylar was staying. Looking at abuse from the outside seems so simple and people are quick to judge when the abused doesn’t leave the abuser but love isn’t simple. It’s not an excuse but people stay for love, they endure because of love and sometimes, they love themselves enough to actually leave the one that hurts them.

With Skylar, he knows the situation is bad and he knows that what Tate does is wrong yet the moments of peace, when Skylar is “being good” and not being abused, he cherishes them and holds on for dear life. If he can forget that Tate hits, hates and belittles the holy hell out of Skylar and just remember the times Tate has bought Skylar‘s affection and not just his body, he can make it until Evie graduates. But the level of abuse worsens and when Skylar starts to see what a good man does and can do with the time spent with Dexter at Evie’s tutoring sessions, he begins to wonder how much more he can stand before it’s too late.

Wow. This book was intense. There were actual moments where I gasped and was so damn afraid of what would happen next. I felt the fear every time Skylar did and I felt his confusion, his uncertainty of a possible future away from Tate.

I truly adored Dexter. He was so patient and twisted with his feelings for Skylar. He was amazing every time they were together and his reaching out to Skylar and Evie with an offer of help. It broke my heart to see him so helpless when it came to Skylar and how much he wanted him to know he deserved better and not just in love but in life.

Wow.

I won’t go into much more but though this was heavy and intense, I did really like it and loved the romance. It’s hard with books that deal with real life issues such as abuse to be understanding with the person who doesn’t leave the abuser; they are judged and condemned them for being weak or even stupid to stay. I will say it again, the author does a respectful job of portraying Skylar as yes a victim, but also as someone who has the power to control his own future if he reaches out for support. They say staying is the easy part and leaving is hard but actually, they both are a terrifying struggle of human perseverance.

Too Close was a gripping and emotional tale of doing what one needs to for survival to find out, surviving doesn’t have to mean carrying the burden alone. It included a sweet romance between two men who truly fit into one another’s life and find the new beginnings can bloom when least expected.

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