Release Blitz + Giveaway: Snap Shot (Cayuga Cougars #1) by V.L. Locey

Celebrate the release of transgender hockey romance, Snap Shot (Cayuga Cougars #1) with author V.L. Locey and Signal Boost Promotions! Not only is there a NSFW excerpt to steam your screen, but the author is giving away 2 eBook copies of Point Shot Trilogy!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK


Paperback: Amazon US | Amazon UK 


Cover: Rêverie Design & Formatting


Blurb


Mario McGarrity has been around the block – and rink – more than a few times.

He’s creeping up on retirement age, has some dings and dents, and says what’s on his mind. Not exactly what most would consider a luxury ride, but his beautiful Lila - the transgender woman who stole his heart - loves him like no other woman ever has despite a little rust here and there.

Everything is good - no, great - aside from the distance issue, until a surprise from Lila’s past crops up and moves in with her. Can Mario be the family man that Lila needs, or is this one game the old vet is unable to skate in?


NSFW Excerpt


“Every time I see you in my bed, I have to wonder what I did to get so lucky.”

Her hand wiggled between my legs, her warm fingers cupping my balls then squeezing. My legs spread for her of their own accord. The ice pack fell off my lower back. I figured she might pick it up and fuss, and I was right.

“I can’t imagine anyone thinking that having a washed-up hockey player in a kilt rolling around on their fancy pillows is lucky.”

My cock was pinned between my stomach and the bed. She began working on the muscles up by my shoulders after placing the ice pack back where it belonged.

“It takes a special man to come back to my bed,” she said while her strong fingers dug deeply into my flesh. It felt fantastic. “Most come once, pun fully intended, and then they leave, curiosity abated, never to be heard from again.”

I rolled onto my back to look at her. Her eyes widened slightly.

“Okay, that is total bullshit. Any man should be dropping to his knees and thanking God Almighty for a woman like you.”

“And I love that you think so.” Her gaze was tender for a moment, then it flittered from my banged-up face to my cock. The tip of her pink tongue moved over her lower lip, her eyes growing smoky and sensual. “I wish you’d keep ice on that nasty.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve had much worse, trust me. Why don’t you lose that nightgown and shawl and plant that sexy ass right here?” I patted my thighs.

She struck a thoughtful pose, her long yellow fingernail tapping her chin, her red lips pursed. I wanted to roll her onto her back and laugh all at once.

“Come on, baby. I drove all the way from Cayuga for some sweetness.”

Her gaze flickered to me right before she reached up to push her hair from her face theatrically.

“That’s true.”

With that pronouncement, she stood. The shawl shimmied from her shoulders to the floor. I grabbed my cock and ran my thumb over the weeping head. A shudder ran through me. She stood with her back to me.

“You sure you’re up to this, Seamus?” she asked with a coy peek over her broad shoulder.

I tugged on my hard dick in reply.

“You do have a way with words,” she sighed humorously.

“You want a redhead with flapping gums, hook up with Kalinski.”

“If he and Daniel weren’t wed, I’d do so, and happily,” she teased, pushing one thin strap off her shoulder.

“Over my dead body,” I snarled, just as she wanted.

The other strap shimmied down her arm. I gave my dick another tug, my gaze locked on her as she wiggled free of her nightgown, slowly revealing her bare body.

“Fuck,” I moaned when she turned to face me, arms over her head in a pose aimed to titillate.

It worked. Oh man, how it worked. She was stunningly beautiful and as sexy as a fucking pagan goddess. I ached to get my hands on her, but I knew she had a wee bit more prancing to do.

Author Bio

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.

Website: http://vlloceyauthor.com/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/VL-Locey/124405447678452
Twitter- https://twitter.com/vllocey
Pinterest-http://www.pinterest.com/vllocey/
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807700.V_L_Locey
My blog- http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/

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Audiobook Review: Open Road by M.J. O'Shea

Angus has been with the same guy for ten years. When his boyfriend breaks up with him the night of his thirtieth birthday party and announces his engagement to a twenty-two-year-old less than ten hours later, Angus is… a mess. To put it lightly. He spends days in bed, drinks himself into a stupor every night, and ends up losing his job and his apartment. His best and oldest friend, Reece, decides it’s time for an intervention. And a change of scenery.

Reece and Angus take off on a buddy trip across the US. They don’t have much of a plan; they just start driving. It takes Angus a couple of days to do much more than grunt when Reece talks to him, but slowly he opens up. They drive, talk, heal, shout, drink a bit too much sometimes, dance, meet new friends… and somewhere between Portland, Oregon, and Portland, Maine, they fall in love.

Which was the last thing in the world Angus expected.

Narrator: Ronnie D.
Listening Length: 6 hours and 4 minutes

Before I start, I'm gonna refer you to Lori and Sheziss' reviews on the book itself. My rating is for the audiobook edition only. The only reason I finished the audiobook was the story and I really wish I had read it.

Because, goddamn, this audiobook is a bit of hot mess and not in a “It’s a mess, but I’d still bang it” kind of way. I was really looking forward to listening to this slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance and I could tell when I was listening that I loved the story. The narration? Not at all.

I expect to hear affected speech patterns in skits or commercials, those mediums have a brief amount of time to make an impression so everything is cranked up to 11. Fair enough. This wasn’t a story told in minutes though, this was six freakin’ hours of too damn much. I’m fine with a little camp, a little campiness can be fun, but to have that one note for that long turns the characters into caricatures and these guys deserved better than that.

It wasn’t just the overly effusive speech I had a problem with, it was the consistency. Both Angus and Reece had about three different voices for each and when it was just the two of them speaking it felt like there were a half dozen people in the room. Poor Angus was stuck in a permanent whine and varied between falsetto, breathy old woman to VERY falsetto, breathy small child. It is a slow burn romance which worked perfectly for the story, so when the sexy times happened, all I could do was cringe and wince. I should never cringe and wince during a hard won boning. Not ever. Then there’s Reece; sometimes he sounds like a normal dude (not often) but otherwise he vacillates between Tad, the entitled frat douche and Thurston Howell III. Every time he called Angus “Babe” I was transported to the island via a three hour tour. A threeeee hour tooooour.

This story could, and should, have made an amazing audiobook. There was a lot of great dialog and a lot of those ‘moments’ that readers love. The road trip was epic and made me want to load up the car and head out. A few pronunciations threw me repeatedly, please stop calling a mojito a mo-jee-toe, for instance. I digress into bitching again, my apologies. It was just frustrating as a listener because again, this is the perfect book to be transported into audio format, but the execution failed for me.

My nit-picks could very well just be my own, but I would highly recommend listening to the sample first and most definitely read the book.

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

Review: Soothsayer by Cari Z.

Cillian Kelly can look into people’s eyes and see their fates. He’s running from a past filled with mistakes, lying low and selling his services on the sly. When he learns that Sören Egilsson, a man who sacrificed himself so Cillian could escape imprisonment two years ago, is somehow still alive, Cillian has to find out how. What he gets is the body of the man he loves possessed by an ancient spirit who draws Cillian into a battle to the death for the right to control Sören’s fate, and the power that comes with it.

I don’t think I’ve read a Cari Z book I didn’t like, and this is no different. And that cover makes me want to sit and drool a little bit. Yum!

Full of fun supernatural adventure, Cillian takes on a ride as he tries to figure out how to get the ancient spirit out of the love of his life.

Cillian is sort of a typical societal outlier. He seems a little angry, and a lot defiant about life in general. He has a weird past with his mother, which is never really explained, but it is secondary to the information that is thrown out about his past during adulthood. Some of it fit into the storyline, and some seemed a little random and not elaborated enough, but all of it gave a sense of who Cillian is.

I found the banter between the vættir and Cillian really entertaining. Poor Sören is trapped deep inside his own body, and the vættir won’t let him out. It’s cold and dark where Sören is being kept and Cillian is determined to find a way to have him freed.

I had a lot of fun reading this. Psychic stories are usually fun in general, but this uses some Norse mythology for extra kicks.

Cillian is racing against the clock so there is a lot of action. The plot worked well, and the character building was superb. I found myself intrigued by the Vættir and it’s personality. I can’t get into too much detail without spoilers so I’ll say that the relationship between Cillian and the spirit becomes hilarious at times, while Cillian does what he can to free his man.

Readers who enjoy supernatural stories with Psychics and spirits/gods will enjoy this. It has plenty of personality, and plenty of action. It’s light on the romance, but the relationship building works. My favourite part is the sardonic feel in the way things occur during Cillian’s quest. Like the odds are stacked against him, but he has the supernatural world working with him, even if he only knows it a split second before it occurs, and maybe not in the way he wanted it to.

I do wish I knew more about Cillian’s weird relationship with his mother. That wasn’t explained nearly as much as I wanted it to be. This would be great in a trilogy or something. Even a sequel, just to tie up some loose ends.

One can dream, right?

A review copy was provided for an honest review

Find on Goodreads!

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.

Find on Goodreads!

Blog Tour: Joy (States of Love) by C.S. Poe

C.S. Poe is here today with a recipe and an exclusive excerpt from her new novella! 

Hello, everyone! I’m C.S. Poe and I’m so happy to be visiting Boy Meets Boy for the final stop on the blog tour for Joy. Part of Dreamspinner Press’s States of Love line, Joy takes place in beautiful northern New Hampshire.

The story follows Gideon Joy, a young man with laughable bad luck, stranded in Coos County after hitting a moose and totaling his car. An important element of the story is local cuisine. American Chop Suey was another dish I was introduced to upon moving to New Hampshire. I still remember it was a very popular meal at school and the cafeteria made it at least once or twice a month. Check out the recipe below, as well as the exclusive excerpt! If you make the dish yourself, let me know how it is!

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb hamburger (Remember, that’s ground beef to everyone else.)

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp black pepper

Dash salt

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1/4 cup tomato paste

Dash sugar

1 bag elbow macaroni

Directions:

In large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic for about 1 minute.

Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, stirring and breaking up meat chunks. Add herbs and black pepper, salt to taste, and stir until well mixed.

Add canned tomatoes with their juices, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Add sugar to taste. Simmer on low while you prepare the pasta.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add macaroni and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain the macaroni and add to the chop suey.

Serve hot.

Blurb:

Down on his luck is Gideon Joy’s default state. He doesn’t know why he expected anything different on his cross-country trip, but not surprisingly, the hits keep coming—literally this time. Gideon strikes a moose with his car in New Hampshire, not only totaling his own vehicle, but damaging one belonging to local construction worker Silas Bright. He has no choice but to stay in Lancaster and take a job that’ll pay for the repairs. And in a town so small, Gideon’s always running into Silas. What starts as annoyance between them soon blooms into something much more romantic. But when Gideon’s notorious bad luck rears its head yet again, how many disastrous dates will Silas be willing to weather before realizing Gideon’s not worth it?

Despite Gideon’s desire to remain in the quaint community that has accepted him as one of their own, past fears of inadequacy threaten the very joy he left Los Angeles to discover. If he’s to find a happily ever after with Silas, Gideon must learn that sometimes it’s okay to not be the best. And true happiness might be waiting in a small town nestled among the great White Mountains.

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

Purchase Links:

| Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | GooglePlay | Goodreads |

Excerpt:

I pointed at the stove. “Can I help?”

“No. Sit down.” He nodded at the kitchen table before picking up the pot and moving to scoop the contents into the bowls set out.

“What is this?” I asked, sitting.

“American chop suey.”

“Huh?”

“Tomato sauce, hamburger—er, ground beef—onion, elbow noodles.”

“Sounds like spaghetti that tried and gave up.”

Silas smiled and nodded. “Guess so.”

“Is this like the other food you eat?”

Silas put the pot back and sat, looking at me with a curious expression from across the table.

“New England comfort food,” I clarified.

He shrugged. “Mama was picky too. She made this a lot.” Silas took a few big bites before asking, “Why were you driving through New Hampshire?”

“I’m in the middle of a midlife crisis.”

“You’re not middle age.”

“No, I’m twenty-five. Just getting it out of the way now.”

Silas gave me a concerned look that was oddly touching. “Because of the apprenticeship?”

“No. Well. I guess,” I said, pushing my food around with a fork. “I was heading to Maine and was going to turn around and drive back to California. I just had to get away from everything and think. I’m a grownass man and I feel like I’ve done nothing worthwhile with my life. And the people I surrounded myself with… there was a constant need to be better than everyone. It was depressing. I couldn’t breathe. It was a physical knot of anxiety, so I had to get away.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. I should be sorry. You don’t need to know all of this crap.”

“Sometimes it’s good to talk,” Silas said. “Get it out of your system.”

“Says the guy who’s great at the stoic silence,” I teased.

Silas shifted in his chair and glanced between me and his food. “But I talk when I need to.” He went back to eating.

“I’ll talk enough for both of us,” I answered before trying a bite.

Oh God. Oh God.

The food was awful.

Silas was not a good cook.

I managed to swallow, despite every reflex trying to make me spit it out instead.

He noticed. “No good?”

“Ah… it’s okay!” I took another tiny bite.

“George is the chef, not me. I won’t be offended.”

I forced several more bites down, for no other reason than I was hungry and didn’t want to be a complete ass. “I’ll cook tomorrow,” I offered, hoping it didn’t sound desperate.

“Tacos?”

Enjoy!

Tour Schedule:

4/3/17 – C.S. Poe’s blog

4/4/17 – The Novel Approach

4/5/17 – Love Bytes Reviews

4/6/17 – Sinfully Gay Romance Reviews

4/7/17 – Boy Meets Boy

C.S. Poe

xo

Author Bio: 

C.S. Poe is an author of gay mystery, romance, and paranormal books.

She is a reluctant mover and has called many places home in her lifetime. C.S. has lived in New York City, Key West, and Ibaraki, Japan, to name a few. She misses the cleanliness, convenience, and limited edition gachapon of Japan, but she was never very good at riding bikes to get around.

She has an affinity for all things cute and colorful, and a major weakness for toys. C.S. is an avid fan of coffee, reading, and cats. She’s rescued three cats, including one found in a drain pipe in Japan who flew back to the States with her. Zak, Milo, and Kasper do their best on a daily basis to sidetrack her from work.

C.S. is a member of the International Thriller Writers Organization.

Social Media:

| Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram | Blog | Goodreads | Newsletter |

See our review of Joy HERE.

Review: Desert Ice by Rose Maefair

Standing under the hot sun in the slave market, Wyl thought his fate couldn’t get worse. He’d been betrayed by his family, exiled, and sentenced to slavery in the desert lands where he doesn't know the language or the customs. Yet, as he faces the scrutiny of an interested buyer, Wyl realizes he was wrong. With an exchange of coins, he could go from life as a warrior and a prince to that of a pleasure slave. 

Lysander finds the stench of the slave-trading city almost unbearable. He longs for the quiet shelter of his home. Yet, Steed’s Hold is under siege and he has come to the city to find a warrior willing to fight for the cost of his freedom. However, Lysander does not expect to find the handsome Northerner or the new desires he sparks inside of Lysander. He also does not expect the terrible stipulation attached to the man’s sale, one that would demand a heavy price of them both.

Lysander is a mage more used to commanding earth, metal, and wood than people. How is he to be master of a slave, and the slave’s desire, when Lysander hasn’t fully mastered his own?

Have you ever seen The English Patient? This reminds me SO MUCH of that movie minus the tragic ending. The whole first half of the book is basically bathing, miscommunication and desert. I almost waved the proverbial white flag numerous times. It took me forever to get through it, but it does pick up around the 60% mark and I ended up liking it overall.

The thing I like best about slavefic is sweet slave boys and Wyl is so not a sweet slave boy. If anything there is a role-reversal and I have a hard time making that switch. Wyl's a Northerner who's been disowned by his family and put up on the auction block in the South. I never really understood what he did that was so unforgiveable, but perhaps I skimmed over that part. At any rate, Lysander buys him because he needs a warrior to help protect his homeland and because he's attracted to him. It's also a somewhat altruistic move on his part since he knows in all likelihood were Wyl to be bought by another he'd face a future as a pleasure slave which would break his warrior's soul. However, he can't communicate any of his altruism because of the language barrier.

Wyl is kind of a jerkface asshat towards Lysander which culminates when he decides to turn the tables on him, a move that creates a rift between the two that he has to work to overcome.

Both are attracted to the other and there is some sex content but not an overabundance of it. UST and longing are the name of the game in this "slavefic". Once the communication barrier dissolves it was easier for me to invest in their story and sink into the romance of it. There is a sweet HEA between them and I liked the evolution of their relationship from bindi/haseid to equal partners even though that's not what I initially bargained for.

There are some intriguing secondary characters that played pivotal roles, good worldbuilding with part of a language, clever usage of magic and some adventure towards the end which helped the tempo. I wish there had been more adventure throughout the narrative. I tend to lose focus in AUs or fantasies without adventure.

My problems were an excessive amount of minutiae that didn't advance the plot, sedate pacing, an excessive use of exclamation points and two characters that I liked but didn't love. However, for a debut novel I see promise in Maefair's writing and wouldn't be opposed to reading more of her works in the future.

I wouldn't recommend this to slavefic fans.

A review copy was provided.

Find out more on Goodreads.

Review: Out of the Woods by T.J. Land

There’s a corpse in the mushroom patch.

Ruth isn’t bothered; she collects dead things in jars under her bed. Her best friend, Hermana, is very upset, but only because the mushroom patch the corpse is lying in happens to be theirs, and the woods in which it decided to die happen to be their woods. Growing up shunned by the proper folk who live down in the valley, the two odd young women take a hard view of anyone who invades their quiet, wild world.

Their hopes that the problem will take care of itself fade when the corpse doesn’t decay. Worse, when they try to bury it they find it’s too heavy to lift into the grave; far heavier than a human should be. And when they try to burn it, its skin won’t catch light. But soon the corpse’s invulnerability and strangely pointy ears are the least of their worries. A fungus has begun to stain the ground around it, killing weeds and mushrooms, then trees and animals. When it reaches the river, people start falling ill.

As their home sickens and rots around them, the girls search for a way to dispose of the cursed corpse. At the same time, Hermana searches for a way to confess her feelings to Ruth, before her best friend is stolen away from her by the handsome nobleman who lives nearby.

To say this story is unique and strange is an understatement. T.J. Land has a very weird imagination and I think I’ll be looking for more from this author in the future when I feel like expanding my mind to the weirdly wonderful.

This story had me captivated by the oddness. The language was amazing, and I loved the ruggedness of it.

Ruth and Hermana live in the woods, away from the village and seem to have their own morals and rules. This is evident in the first few pages, and continues in this way throughout the story. They are outcasts of the village, and have only ever relied on each other (and Hermana’s gran). They have a really unique way of looking at the world, as is evident when they feel slighted that a corpse had the audacity to die in their woods. They’ll do whatever they can to get rid of it, but since it doesn’t seem to want to move, their options are becoming limited. Especially when the fungus starts spreading down to the village and people start dying from it.

This is told from both Hermana’s point of view, and two of the townspeople’s view so we get a pretty varied picture of how this world works, and how different Ruth and Hermana are compared to the people who grew up governed by the village. The progression of the story is quite bleak to be honest, but there is enough sharp wit and action to not make it depressing.

There is an element of horror and supernatural, but not in the world merging way. This has the feel of a folktale, set in an historical time, with a decent amount of world building and a good plot set up. There is no telling how this story will end. It gives you clues, but isn’t obvious. Some of the content is bizarre and at one point I had no idea where the story was headed. It didn’t bother me, because I was along for the ride, but I had to pause a few times and wonder how this would all end.

There was an attraction to Ruth from Hermana’s point of view, but it was almost a side thought as everything else became more important. I wouldn’t read this if you’re looking for a romance, because this isn’t one. This is a strange and complex and delightful with some skilled writing to support these strange ideas. A lot of moral questions come up for Hermana, and maybe even Ruth as they brainstorm and try different things to get rid of the corpse. There is a lot of character building, and this strengthens the development of the story.

When I finished the story, I was satisfied with how things unfolded, and was intrigued by where my imagination took me.

If you enjoy weird supernatural historical novels, with a hint of horror, then this is going to hit the mark.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion

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Vlog Tour: Tall, Dark, and Deported by Bru Baker

Bru Baker is here today to read an excerpt from her latest release, Tall, Dark, and Deported from the Dreamspun Desires Cracky Fluff Series!

Thanks for joining me here on Boy Meets Boy as I wrap up my blog tour for Tall, Dark, and Deported! Today I’m reading an excerpt that details Mateus and Crawford deciding to rent a car together and drive to Vancouver since there are no more flights out of Seattle. They only met an hour or so before this, so it’s pretty crazy. (It’s also based on a real-life experience I had at O’Hare a few years ago. Looking back, I can’t believe I was planning to drive three hours with two strange men I’d just met. Yikes!)

Blurb

Crossing the border into love.

Snap decisions and misguided ideas bring Portuguese national Mateus Fontes and businessman Crawford Hargrave together at the Canadian border crossing.

Mateus is caught in a catch-22. With his almost-expired tourist visa, entrance to Canada is denied, but the US won’t let him back in either. Crawford thinks he’s solved things when he tells the border agent they’re engaged, and it works—except now they have to actually get married before either of them can get back into the United States. But Crawford has been burned by marriage once, and he’s determined not to make that mistake again.

Neither of them expects real feelings to bloom out of their fake marriage, but they do. And the two of them have to learn how to be honest with each other to make things work, which is especially hard when their entire marriage is based on lies.

Release date: April 1, 2017
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Bree Archer
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 236 pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; Dreamspun Desires


Buy Links:

Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Play

Bio:

Bru Baker spent fifteen years writing for newspapers before making the jump to fiction. She now balances her time between writing and working at a Midwestern library in the reference department. Most evenings you can find her curled up with a mug of tea, some fuzzy socks, and a book or her laptop. Whether it’s creating her own characters or getting caught up in someone else’s, there’s no denying that Bru is happiest when she’s engrossed in a story. She and her husband have two children, which means a lot of her books get written from the sidelines of various sports practices.

Visit Bru online at www.bru-baker.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Review: Joy (States of Love) by C.S. Poe

Down on his luck is Gideon Joy’s default state. He doesn’t know why he expected anything different on his cross-country trip, but not surprisingly, the hits keep coming—literally this time. Gideon strikes a moose with his car in New Hampshire, not only totaling his own vehicle, but damaging one belonging to local construction worker Silas Bright. He has no choice but to stay in Lancaster and take a job that’ll pay for the repairs. And in a town so small, Gideon’s always running into Silas. What starts as annoyance between them soon blooms into something much more romantic. But when Gideon’s notorious bad luck rears its head yet again, how many disastrous dates will Silas be willing to weather before realizing Gideon’s not worth it?

Despite Gideon’s desire to remain in the quaint community that has accepted him as one of their own, past fears of inadequacy threaten the very joy he left Los Angeles to discover. If he’s to find a happily ever after with Silas, Gideon must learn that sometimes it’s okay to not be the best. And true happiness might be waiting in a small town nestled among the great White Mountains.

I loved this cover from the moment I saw it. Then I read the blurb and saw the guy's name was Gideon. *growls*

All Systems Are A Go!

It was a cute, low angst, fun read.

Gideon is having a mid-life crisis at 25. He decided to quit his job at a tattoo parlor in LA and drive to Maine. Then he hits a moose and the quietest mountain of a guy ever in New Hampshire, totaling both of their cars. And guess what? He's broke. 

Gideon never expected to find himself smitten with what could possibly be the smallest town ever, but life sneaks up you sometimes. This little town and its inhabitants have charisma. They welcome him in, give him a place to stay and a job at a local restaurant.

I love reads that have chefery in them so that was another bonus for this novella. Being from a small town myself this read authentic regarding the inherent, but mostly harmless, gossipy nature of small town living. It is a novella so there's not a lot in the way of relationship development; things happen fast between Silas and Gideon.

There's an opposites attract trope at work with Silas being the strong, crazy shy and mostly silent to Gideon's outgoing vivaciousness. There's also a significant size difference between them that I was hoping more would be done with, but there are no sexy times. 

When they decide to date it ends in disaster after disaster and leads to a mini conflict which is where the story lost traction for me. It was a little too melodramatic and contrived for me.

Still, it's a cute, easy, feel good short read that seems typical of Poe's writing, or at least what I've read of hers thus far.

A review copy was provided.

Find out more on Goodreads & Dreamspinner Press.

NSFW-ish Review: From Top to Bottom by Kevin Klehr

Can a dedicated top really learn to bottom? Tony wants to find out but he’s scared another die-hard top will just plow through him, instead of taking it nice and slow on a newbie.

Enter Butch, a bear who’ll try anything, and Ford, a guy whose curiosity is tempting him to cheat on his boyfriend. Like Tony, both are dedicated tops wanting to try something new, and on this journey of physical self discovery, all will find that being open means more than taking it doggie-style.

Before Reading:

1 room, 3 tops and someone will be ENTERED


After Reading: It's all about the C's. Cum , Cocks and...Cakes?!

"You brought cake," I said. I tried not to let the look of horror show on my face.
"For afterward," Butch replied. "I baked it myself. Is there room in the fridge?"
Hadn't this guy heard of the definition of "eternity"? The time between you cum and they leave. Who ever heard of cake after sex?

Actual cakes.

Not an ass euphemism. Don't look at me like that, we both know you went there. ;) It's an erotica short, it's to be expected.

"But you're not thinking of topping him--you want him in your secret chamber."
"Secret chamber?"
"Man cave. Boy pussy. Man-gina. Lurve canal."

From Top to Bottom by Kevin Klehr was not what I expected it to be based on the blurb. I thought it was just going to be 3 cherries served on a platter. However it happened in this PWP, it was just going to happen.

Not so, totally not so.

Told from 1st POV in a British setting possibly(?), Tony is thirty, very close to his father (like they discuss their sex lives--his dad was actually my fave character--get to that later). Tony loves sex and isn't very discriminate. Plus, he's a bonafide top.

He gets told by a bottom, "it's just another way to feel cock". And Tony has a revelation. Why not try bottoming? So he places an ad online, "top curious about being a bottom, wants to meet likeminded tops." Two like-minded blokes respond: Butch, cake baking bear with a philosophical look on life and Ford, a top who has a boyfriend and just wants to get down to fucking.

I was in accord with Ford. Butch and Tony were very poetic, and the prose had a tendency to get purple-y.

I won't say who first pops their road to "nirvana", but the story gets straight down to sex.

*growls*

While erotic, it also was quirky. There were so many slang for ass. Soooooooooo many. Some good, some weird as fuck like "chew my gremlin". I have to save that in my all time quotes. Some I haven't even heard before. And this is coming from a Dallas Sketchman fangirl (RIP).

Who wouldn't laugh at:

"My gremlin feels satisfied"

or

"My gremlin is hungry. My gremlin's been watching soap opera and wants to feel the leading man."

The leading man, of course being:

While chewing over the gremlin ass talk, the author ups the ante with a spoken word session on the joys of gay sex. And it's hosted at an honest to goodness orgy.

Here I am thinking it's just going to be quick one and done type of deal. But no ma'am, Tony and Butch pound their way through the flesh "playground". The sex was described in a joyous, ritualistic tone, where it was an ode more than erotic.

For the smutsters: rimming, felching, snowballing, double penetration was had. (pssst...someone fibbed about being a backdoor virgin)

The story was different. And while weird euphemisms get thrown in the mix, Tony's dad added more hilariousness. He's very upfront. Tony explores the pleasures of being topped.

As does his dad.

His dad goes into detail how much he shot after discovering his G-spot. Truthfully, my favorite scenes included Tony's dad from getting a colonic, to his pegging joy. I was fully there for Dad, despite the weirdness.

There was a message with this erotica. I think I know what the author was going for and I enjoyed that. The story was memorable more to me for the odd words and descriptions, not so much for the erotic bit. Which is the point of PWP for me.

The story ends at an odd place. Two of the original three tops form a friendship. A crush isn't returned. I wouldn't say it was faptastic. Weird and poetic mainly.

But hey at least there was cake?

Am I right?