Boy Meets Boy Reviews

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Of Gods and Monsters: Hades by Wulf Francu Godgluck

Wulf Francu Godgluck is here to talk about his newest release, Of Gods and Monsters: Hades! Anyone else as excited about this release as I am? Wait no more, because it's here! Make sure you enter the giveaway for your chance to win an ebook copy.

Excerpt:

The meat-eater flexed his massive arms over his chest, making the flesh stand out, tattooed forearms riddled with angry muscles, cutting deep indents and protruding veins. Rex didn’t let his stare travel up nor down the dark hair flowing over the man’s hard stomach, to the patch sticking out over the white towel hanging too low around his beefy middle. And becoming looser as that bulge under the white grew. He snapped his gaze back to the beast’s chest, pinning his attention there. Rex swallowed, “I don’t have any other place to go.”

The goliath-monster-man stared at him. Rex had nothing—okay, he had some money, but how could the man stand and stare at Rex and be this cruel, this heartless?

“My eyes are up here, little boy!” the giant crowed, a deep barbarous sound making his chest rumble like an erupting super-volcano. “There’s going to be rules, till I decide where to put you up.” The colossus bounced forward and Rex couldn’t help stepping back, tripping over his own feet while he was at it.

“Careful.” Big hands caught him, and Rex wasn’t sure whether his heart was attempting to flop out of his chest because he had almost planted his face on the floor, or from the gentleness in the beast’s voice and hands holding him, or… he was so damn close to burnt caramel skin, radiating heat and warming his cheek. And he could smell him, hot and clean, dominated by sweaty musk.

Buy the book:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/W9fzMt
All Romance: https://goo.gl/mtnWW3
iStore: https://goo.gl/qysemF
Kobo: https://goo.gl/bKaV5v
Barnes and Noble: http://goo.gl/tnzQyb

Meet the author:
They come to me in the night, creeping into my head. Their voices are all different, their stories all dissimilar, but they keep saying the same thing…

“Show us, tell us, bring us into your world, and make us known.”

Then I sit and they take over. They tell their tales of love, loss and sinister misfortune. Not all of them get a happy ending, but they are pleased when their part is written.

I sometimes find myself lost in my own mind; a world very similar to our own yet so different. Things don’t go bump in the night— they squeal and crawl under your skin, making you grind your teeth, and making your stomach turn over and putting your nerves on edge. Then there’s the drama. Oh, the drama!

Wulf Francú Godgluck hails from South Africa. His work is not for the faint-hearted! In his books you'll find... all the beasties with their nasty claws and teeth, and some you didn't even know existed.
But the monsters aren't all real. Some live inside us. Who knows what he will make you discover about yourself, lurking in your heart, behind the closed walls in the deep, black recesses where no light penetrates? Wulf will steal your heart and never give it back. More than likely, he'll pin it to the wall with a bobbypin and sit there sipping his tea while you writhe and squeal on the floor...

Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheWulfChronicles/?ref=hl
Twitter: @turboverse
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7083639.Wulf_Francu_Godgluck
Publisher: Wulf Francu Godgluck
Cover Artist: Wulf Francu Godgluck

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Tour Dates & Stops:

A special thank you to Will at Pride Publishing for organizing this blog tour.

Review: Of Gods and Monsters: Hades by Wulf Francu Godgluck

******WARNING*******
This is not a story about a hero, or some bad boy-badass-antihero.
This is a love story between two monstrous villains and one valiant kid, held together by their entwined heartstrings.
It won't be pretty.
It won't be pleasant.
There's no fluffy good feelings about it.
It will rip out your heart and never give it back.

Breno Hades el Oscuro took no bullshit from anyone. He ruled the crime world of the United States. When the King fell, what was left in the ashes was not the small boy that grew up without his father, not the same kid that chose a life of crime at seventeen, nor was it the King who had killed and clawed through a river of blood to stand at the top.

The King was dragged from his throne of bones into a deep dark pit, leaving only the raw flesh of a savage monster to crawl out of Hell.
One that knew love, but didn't want it again.

Kemono Orochi was destined to inherit the legacy of his father, known as The Dragon's Tongue. It was an inheritance he never wanted it, never desiring the power that came with the title of Dragon. Kemono ended it all by tearing off the Dragon's head, watching the serpent's remains be consumed in hellfire. Now tormented by the scars of his past inflicted by his father, he is struggling to come to terms with the Akuma he has become.

One that wants to devour everyone in his path to protect the only one that matters to him.

The only person that had ever made his icy heart beat.

His heart. His love. His beautiful pride.

Rex Hunter dreams of becoming a principal ballerino...all fierce, like a Phoenix. But this Phoenix has lost his wings and fallen prey, straight into the clutched claws and callus hands of two vicious beasts. Each bore the blackest of hearts, each desiring to keep him safe, cherished and loved unconditionally. Or was Rex just destined to be the goo that would stick two shattered souls together and prevent them from forever falling to pieces?

There will be blood, gore and nasty shit.

There will be watersports, crude, angry, sometimes sensual and other times just downright dirty and dysfunctional sex.

BUT...

There will always be LOVE...

Because even villains understand the tortured scars love leaves in its wake.

Hades is brutal and raw and intense. It's everything I love about biker stories. Big, badass biker was brought to his knees by falling in love. What better type of person to fall in love with you than someone as intense as Hades? Ha! Just kidding. But it definitely worked for Rex.

Hades was busted out of prison and went to his condo only to find it was occupied by a cute red head, Rex. Rex is the kid of one of his fallen brothers, so Hades certainly wasn't going to kick the boy out. They just had to cohab until they could figure something out. Or start fucking. Whichever came first.

Spoiler alert: The fucking came first.

Hades was still in love and hurting over his first love, Beo. He didn't think there was anyone else out there to love him for the way he was, both the mental and physical ugliness he felt he had. So, Rex being interested in him was a bit of a shock for Hades, but he was going to hold onto him for all it was worth, while it lasted.

"Even if it is for this short intense moment, this rare breath of life."

Aww! He really was just a big marshmallow. A scary, overbearing, slightly insane marshmallow... but a little fluffy on the inside, nonetheless.

Hades and his little Rex had some Daddy kink and it was hottttt. Their sex was just as intense as Hades was. Hades wanted to pleasure his boy and he made sure to do just that. Hades didn't care about stereotypes, he didn't care that he was gay and he didn't care what anyone else thought. He was going to do what felt good.

"'You feel good inside Daddy, little lion,' Hades whispered and bit Rex's lip. 'Now fuck Daddy's hole.'"

*THUD*

For reals, this is the kind of dirty talk they had all the time. If that's dirty and wrong, I don't want to be right. Because damn.

I will say the dialogue is something to get used to. There's a lot of "baby butter" and "fuckpecker" and "pussy hole". It was over the top and redundant, but I was expecting that after reading the first book. If you liked book 1, then you'll be fine with Hades.

I would have liked to get to know Rex more. I felt disconnected from his character. As much as I loved Hades, I don't feel like I know Rex at all. I'm not sure what motivated him to want to be in a Daddy-type of relationship with Hades. I felt his attraction and their connection, but I wanted more from his character.

It was good. I can't wait for book 3, especially since we're left on a cliffhanger. But especially, especially because I'm seeing the name Komainu being thrown around.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads.

Audiobook Review: The Lightning-Struck Heart Audiobook by TJ Klune

Once upon a time, in an alleyway in the slums of the City of Lockes, a young and somewhat lonely boy named Sam Haversford turns a group of teenage douchebags into stone completely by accident.

Of course, this catches the attention of a higher power, and Sam's pulled from the only world he knows to become an apprentice to the King's Wizard, Morgan of Shadows. When Sam is fourteen, he enters the Dark Woods and returns with Gary, the hornless gay unicorn, and a half-giant named Tiggy, earning the moniker Sam of Wilds.

At fifteen, Sam learns what love truly is when a new knight arrives at the castle. Sir Ryan Foxheart, the dreamiest dream to have ever been dreamed.

Naturally, it all goes to hell through the years when Ryan dates the reprehensible Prince Justin, Sam can't control his magic, a sexually aggressive dragon kidnaps the prince, and the King sends them on an epic quest to save Ryan's boyfriend, all while Sam falls more in love with someone he can never have.

Or so he thinks.

ALL of the hearts. Every fucking one of them.

I spend a lot of time in my car commuting. I hate it. I like my job, I love the people I work with, but again, my commute? I hate it sooooo hard. So, when the commute from hell started a few years ago I got started listening to audio books. What better way is there to sit in traffic than to listen to a man tell me a story and at some point or 10 talk dirty to me? There is no better way, just so you know. When the request came through for a review on The Lightning-Struck Heart I was ALL over that shit. I loved Michael Lesley’s narration of TJ’s Tell Me it’s Real so I was pretty happy. Then I started listening and I had so much fucking fun I was ecstatic!

If you’re a fan of TJ Klune when his manic humor is on high, then this book was written for you. Besides the absolute hilarity of his writing, he manages to sneak real feels in there giving the story and characters depth that sneak up on you like a tackle hug, make you happy in your heart and grin like a loon. This wasn’t just a story, it was an odyssey and it was ridiculously fun. I fell in love with every character, even the ones I should hate. I loved hating Tina at the fan club FFS.

As I said, I listened to the audiobook version and I do honestly believe that Michael Lesley IS the voice in TJ Klune’s head. I am truly amazed at how he managed to have a completely unique voice and tone for each character. You could take out every “he said”, “she said”, etc. and I would still have had no trouble distinguishing between who was talking at any given point. It was like being in the middle of a one man play that is so elaborate you forget you are only listening to one man. I laughed out loud so many times I’m going to have to listen to this one at least two more times to make sure I didn’t miss parts of the story for the LOL’s.

I was trying to figure out who my favorite character is and I gave up shortly into listening. Sam had me wrapped around his magical little finger and then Gary came along and I would follow his Unicornian buns anywhere. I was telling a friend about The Lightning-Struck Heart not long into listening. I walked into the office and he asked me what I was snortling about and I told him all about Sam and Ryan and Gary and Tiggy and etc. and etc. Now this friend is relatively new to the wonder that is the MM romance world. I’ve bought him some of my favorite books and steered him in the direction of authors I think he would like and he’s so damn happy about it all. He had no idea these stories and this world even existed. For me it’s amazing to have someone in my RL to talk books with on a daily basis!

Anywho, I babble. SO, I was telling him about this one and said, “Please, you have to listen to Gary for a second.” It was a scene where he and Sam were having a debate/discussion about Sam being fay fairy married and he looked at me with wide and happy eyes. I immediately went online and bought him a copy. We’ve been texting back and forth constantly ever since. He just met Kevin, I can’t wait to see what he has to say about Kevin. This is one of those treasures I’m going to keep in a safe place forever. It’s officially my Go-To, Feel-Good, Fuck-All-Y’all-I-Gotta-Fantasy-World-That-Needs-Me-To-Love-It-Right-Now Epics. And yes, all of that is capitalized because it’s a thing.

For more information on Lightning-Struck Heart check it out on Goodreads.

**a copy of this EPIC treasure was provided for an honest review**

Release Day Review: Dancing Lessons by R. Cooper

Two years of living with his controlling boyfriend left Chico worn down long before that boyfriend revealed he’d been seeing someone else. With no other choice, Chico moves in above his cousin’s garage in a small town in the redwoods, where he merely goes through the motions. To get him out of the house, his cousin pushes him to volunteer at a local dance studio to help with their annual show.

He’s not expecting to end up in a dance class, or to start feeling alive again in the arms of his dance instructor. Rafael is the studio owners’ son and was once a well-known dancer in his own right, but now enjoys being a teacher. Although Chico likes him, he’s afraid of taking a chance. But Rafael is determined, and it only takes one dance for Chico to start to realize he might still have something to learn.

You know what this story had that I f’ing love?

MOMENTS. It had MOMENTS.

Anyone who reads any flavor of romance knows what I’m talking about here. I can only imagine how difficult it can be to write one successfully. There can’t be too much verbiage or it will kill it and the description of the physical happenings between characters has to be enough to picture but not too much so that the beauty gets lost in the detail.

Chico has escaped from the city to the small mountain town of Brandywine to lick his wounds and try to figure out just who the hell he is. His relationship with his ex has wrecked his self-confidence. The author did a really good job of showing the past without giving me a laundry list of events to make sure I understood. The details came out organically as they were relevant to what was happening in the story.

One thing I really loved about Chico was how real he read. He could have easily become “pathetic” but he didn’t because he knew what his problems were and anyone who has been cheated on and dumped will know exactly the struggles Chico is facing in his own head. The author didn’t rely on magic peen to solve all Chico’s problems either. Chico truly did not understand how Raf could be attracted to him and instead of getting frustrated with Chico it just made me so sad for him. He’s a realist and he’s been through the wringer so any other reaction would not have been anywhere near realistic.

Soooo, speaking of Raf. DAYUM. I could stop there, BUT I won’t. He’s charming, confident and remarkably humble considering the package he comes wrapped in.

“The dance teacher was some kind of sexy dancer whisperer.”

He really could not have been better for Chico, and vice versa. The author described Chico’s feelings in one interlude between the characters as “twitterpated”.

“Chico stopped to heave a breath. ‘And now you’re flirting with me, and it’s so nice I don’t know what to do.’”

For one, that word does not get used enough in general and secondly, it was the perfect description. Chico is really so charming when he’s lost like that and Raf falls for that reaction and Chico’s Bambi eyes hard.

The story and the relationship between Chico and Raf evolved at the same pace as Chico found his footing again. He would apologize for not being the man he once was and for not being on top of all the adult things he thinks he should have a handle on. Slowly he realized that how skewed his perspective was with all the BS his ex had fed him. I loved reading his revelations and respected the hell out of him for not falling into old habits. He knew he had to be strong Chico for himself before he could be any good for anyone else. That buried strength and self-awareness is present throughout and as glimpses of it came out I could sense Raf falling for him harder and harder. Those little glimpses showed Chico’s true personality and sense of humor and he was so proud of himself when he could make Raf laugh.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the secondary characters. Chico is living above his cousin Davi’s garage and Davi is just so amazing. He’s supportive without being sappy and he has no problem giving Chico a kick in the ass when needed. Davi has a story I would love to read. Chico’s parents are charmingly traditional and wholly supportive of Chico and Davi. They were there for Davi when Davi’s parents failed. I could sense their closeness even if Davi didn’t have tons of page time. Raf’s parents were a total kick. His tiny little mother as the grande dame of the dance school was both intimidating and wise as she spoke to Chico and always knew exactly what to say to him. She fed his new found confidence without coddling him. While Raf’s dad didn’t have a lot of dialog, his actions and place in the family couldn’t be overlooked. It speaks to the strength of his character in that he didn’t need to have a huge time presence to have that much of an impact on other characters.

Moving back to the MOMENTS. Dancing and the upcoming recital played a big part of the story and so were a vehicle for the relationship between Chico and Raf. The author didn’t bury the characters in obvious dancing metaphors or overkill the mechanics of dance and Raf’s history. Instead she used it in such a smart way, to show me the connection between Chico and Raf. Raf’s hands were a big deal for Chico and the thought of Raf’s hands on him made him melt. When Raf would reach his hand out to Chico, there was no denying the importance of the gesture throughout the story. At 78% the big MOMENT that slayed me happened. There was very little actual dialog but the UST pouring off the pages was palpable. In a short 2 pages there were revelations, acknowledgements, happiness and heat. Good Lord, so much happiness and heat. I read it three times.

Because it’s imperative to some readers I do have to say the story ends on an incredibly optimistic HFN. It really was completely fine for the story and where the characters were in their fledgling relationship. That would be my only complaint, that isn’t even really a complaint, I just plain want more. I don’t think an epilogue would have been enough, but I can hope that the author would be willing to revisit Brandywine and continue Chico and Raf’s story.

For more info on Dancing Lessons check it out on Goodreads.

And to get your own copy, head over to Dreamspinner Press!

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

Review: Out (Shamwell Tales #3) by JL Merrow

When the costs are added up, will love land in the black?

Mark Nugent has spent his life in the closet—at least, the small part of it he hasn’t spent in the office. Divorced when he could no longer deny his sexuality, he’s sworn off his workaholic ways and moved to Shamwell with his headstrong teen daughter to give her a stable home environment.

His resolve to put his love life on hold is severely tested when he joins a local organization and meets a lively yet intense young man who tempts him closer to the closet threshold.

Patrick Owen is an out-and-proud charity worker with strong principles—and a newly discovered weakness for an older man. One snag: Mark is adamant he’s not coming out to his daughter, and Patrick will be damned if he’s going to start a relationship with a lie.

Between Mark’s old-fashioned attitudes and a camp, flirtatious ex-colleague who wants Mark for himself, Patrick wonders if they’ll ever be on the same romantic page. And when Mark’s former career as a tax advisor clashes with Patrick’s social conscience, it could be the one stumbling block they can’t get past.

Product Warnings: Contains historically inaccurate Spartan costumes, mangled movie quotes, dubious mathematical logic and a three-legged pub crawl.

JL Merrow is one of my most read authors, she's a go to read for me. Of the three Shamwell Tales books, this one has been my favourite. Like the other books, this is set in the fictional English village of Shamwell and has a very English vibe to it. I like that about it.

Divorced, workaholic, single parent Mark is settling into life in the village. He's learning how to deal with his strong-willed teenager at the same time as he's learning to find himself. Actually, learning is a good way to describe this book; it's all about learning and growing. Learning to be, learning to accept other points of view, learning to stand up for your beliefs, learning when to compromise and when not to.

Which makes it sound very goody-goody and boring... but it isn't. It's hilariously funny at times and subtly funny at others. Patrick and Mark are so different in just about every way (and kudos to JL Merrow for managing to write characters that are so different without resorting to the bear/twink formula. Not that I've anything against said combo, but I do like to read something different from tome to time), yet they work. I mean, not without some work, it doesn't all slip into place with no effort, but it's not overly ridiculously difficult. The (please forgive me for using this word) journey they had, from first meet to relationship, was tricky, but it felt real and not unnecessarily angsty.

I have to mention Fern, Mark's teenaged daughter. I liked her a lot. Feisty and rebellious and opinionated with a heart of gold and a strong sense of right and wrong. She's smashing, one of my favourite characters.

A fun, easy read with humour and joy. recommended - and it's released today, lucky ducks!

For more information see Goodreads.
A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

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

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

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

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

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

Many.

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

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

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

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

I ask for them EVERY time I see my daddy.

They’re like spicy crack.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“No.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Buying? With what? Your good looks?”

Buy your own copy of Refired here ~

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

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

For more information on Refired ~

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

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

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

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

Tour Dates & Stops:

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

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

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

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

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

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

9-Feb Caraway Carter, QUEERcentric Books, Joyfully Jay

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

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

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

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

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

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

Review: Secret Funding (Secret Agreements #1) by S.M. May

Young, handsome, sometimes cruel. Noah Kress is a hardened broker, skilled enough to bring success to his company and determined to face the ever-growing challenges of the venture capital market. In his private life he is Master Noah, a very popular dominator at the Circle, one of the most exclusive private clubs in Boston. For him, at work as well as in the dungeon, people and events are just variables to be interpreted, numbers to be broken down, combinations to consider and evaluate.

But when the latest, most difficult deal threatens to make his company sink without trace, his only chance seems to be the large investment fund managed by the mysterious Martin Scheer. And in order to provide credit, Martin demands a very special guarantee.
For both of them it's just business. Yet, what was supposed to be a mere contract might just shatter the perfect surface of their lives.
And will talented player Noah be willing to gamble following brand new rules?

Due to m/m mature content, this book is recommended for an adult audience.

Lost in Translation

The concept of this book isn't bad and if you like foreign films this could work for you. I like some foreign films, but sometimes they get too obscure for me, too lost in the aesthetic. When they start focusing on how untethered balloons are a metaphor for life I check out.

There are so many bizarre metaphors in this book that I just have to share a few.

Noah went stiff and tense like a piece of wood, like the violin he'd so often dreamed of playing.

He stared at Scheer as if he was looking at a wrinkled palm tree among the desert's scorching dunes.

His recent exertions had brought out some small wrinkles around his eyes that Noah hadn't noticed before and that made Scheer look experienced in life but not old - like Gran Reserva brandy that had been left to decant in secret, becoming stronger and full-bodied.

...reality is nothing but a downpour of random variables; falling shooting stars that tremble and fade before you have the time to think about a wish.

My face nearly every time.

Neither one of these characters are likable and, I believe, that is by design. Noah is an arrogant "professional" dominator at The Circle. Seriously, I'm going to have to shorten this to 'dom' because dominator makes me think of an evil villain from a Bond movie with the ubiquitous lap Persian. He's very popular for reasons. I've no clue what those are because he seems exceedingly selfish, vain, narcissistic, lacks empathy, has a superiority complex and is absolutely horrified of being touched. AND he's a sucky dom!

Sounds super drool worthy don't he?

Mr. Personality is also a venture capitalist with a 60 million dollar deal that's about to go belly up when the mysterious Martin Scheer comes to his rescue with the money and an indecent proposal. Not an original concept but it's still got some tread on the tires, though I still don't understand what prompted him to step in and be the hero. Mine is not to question why, I guess.

Scheer is enigmatic, distinguished and Noah idolizes him mostly for his financial prowess, so he's not exactly averse to the offer despite the derogatory comments about his appearance and age to the contrary. But there's zero chemistry between them. That coupled with the abundance of financial talk which no doubt was some sort of overarching metaphor about how greed and the über rich are corrupting the U.S. financial industry while bankrupting their souls and by extension Americans, but...

SOPORIFIC!

Their relationship, if you can call it that, is just as bizarre and dramatic as those metaphors. I think there was an attempt at some character development by making them both prickly and with the 'horrified by being touched thing' with Noah, but it's like that was never even mentioned when the two get together and I found that difficult to buy. They're both supposedly "dominant" but the kink between the two is non-existent and what occurs in The Circle prior to their arrangement was awkward, contrived and not at all titillating. Noah comes across as an overgrown petulant child with the depth of a cesspool and he's 37! going on 12, so, I guess, apropos. But still. Not attractive or interesting.

The abundance of pretentious minutiae I found to be a poor substitute for world building. I really don't care that they only dine at Michelin starred restaurants, drink wine that's aged to perfection or wear Versace suits and Philip Patek watches. I don't need to know how to savor wine or that the purpling sky is portentous. They are pretty metaphorical words but they don't advance the relationship or the storyline nor did they draw me in to this story or this couple.

I'll leave you with this quote and if anyone can decipher it... good on you! I've read it close to 20 times and still... bupkis.

"Even an empty box can be useful." Scheer walked toward the lifts leading to the upper floors. "It reminds people I'm interested in that I exist, even though I'm not there."

*wut wut*

Not my favorite but I didn't hate it.

A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more on Goodreads.

Review: Heart on the Run (Heart of Parkerburg #2) by Havan Fellows and Lee Brazil

Charles Darwin Millsworth, Chaz to one and all since infancy, has no wish to live up to the grandeur of his name. Fortunately, his Southern belle mama isn’t at all inclined to push her son into a career that won’t make him happy. She thinks he needs to loosen up and enjoy life. After all, that’s the whole point of being independently wealthy, isn’t it?

Chaz can see her point, but his father died in his forties as did his father before him. As far as Chaz is concerned, he has limited time on this earth to make his dreams come true. And he refuses to leave anyone weeping over a wasted life.

Sprocket Moretti is a simple guy. He loves his job, enjoys college, lives in his beloved childhood home—why worry about the little things when the big stuff looks so good. Unfortunately, one of the little things he tries not to stress over is a broken friendship with a very hot and bewildering sous chef. They were pals, hung out and had fun. But one night they stepped over that invisible line, and the next morning Chaz kicked Sprocket out of his bed and his life.

Now, no matter how much Sprocket tries to charm Chaz, the guy has no desire to return to their pre-sex playful bantering ways. And if Sprocket stays true to his motto, this little thing—Chaz—should be written off and never worried about again.

If Sprocket had known one night of reality-altering orgasms would endanger their easygoing friendship… How do you finish that sentence when all your mind wants is its friend back and all your body wants is another taste?

I’m a big old sucker for the Merry Jizzmas stories and I loved the first Parkersburg story that came out last year, Christmas in His Heart. Heart on the Run is set in the same small charming town of Parkersburg and the characters from Christmas in His Heart make a return in this one. But, the authors do a good job of giving you just enough info about them without being too much to make it confusing so you can read this one as a standalone.

I love the town of Parkersburg and it’s the kind of place you want to spend a weekend wandering around just soaking up all the charm and friendliness. All the characters are so devoted to making Parkersburg THE go to place for the small town experience and that’s one of my favorite aspects of this series. Any time a story can have a set of likable characters with a similar goal of wholesome goodness at Christmastime, I’m happy.

Sprocket was one of those not-so-bad boys that sticks with me. I want to hang out with him and soak up his humor and all around goodness all wrapped up in a tattooed package. My only problem was with Chaz and considering he was the other MC, that was a bummer. He was completely likable, but he was also completely frustrating for me.

Chaz has this fear that he has a short lifespan. He’s lost immediate family members at young ages and he’s convinced he has the same fate. So, rather than leave someone heartbroken with his not-so-certain death he shuts himself off and lives a quiet albeit lonely life. Now, keep in mind, he is perfectly healthy so it’s not like he’s in death’s crosshairs. Chaz and Sprocket were casual friends until they had one “cross the line” moment that killed their friendship. Of course, the sex was ball boggling good and the only reason things changed was because Chaz ran. So, Chaz ran, Sprocket doesn’t do relationships historically so now they are both frustrated and lonely. And that’s how they stayed for the bulk of the story.

The story begins after the “night” so there isn’t a lot of insight into what their friendship was like before. It kind of made it hard for me to wrap my brain around them as friends. I didn’t really get why Sprocket didn’t know about Chaz’s family before if they were such good buddies. Or, why Chaz just didn’t tell Sprocket how he felt. So, it wasn’t like there was the “big misunderstanding” to fuel the story there was just no understanding. I don’t want unnecessary angst to be the reason two people don’t get together, it frustrates me.

At the same time, Sprocket was stubborn and not willing to put his heart out there for no real reason he could see. And I couldn’t really blame him. There was more communication and connection to me between Sprocket and his BFF, Mason, than there was between Sprocket and Chaz. I think I just didn’t get enough of them being honest together to buy into them together completely. But, then the Epilogue and Chaz’s plan for redemption were completely charming and I ate that up like the bestest of Christmas cookies. I needed more of THAT to balance the distance between them throughout the rest of the story. Even if Sprocket was still putting the brakes on their complete HEA, I was still much more optimistic.

You know who I really loved though was Mason. I hope he’s front and center in the next story. He cracked me up with his snarkily charming attitude. I could totally see why he and Sprocket were best friends. I could also see why Chaz had his jealous moments and boundary issues with Mason. Sprocket really should have respected that more. Shame on you Sprocket for that one, I was disappointed in him right then. Anywho, Mason was really kind of a dick to Chaz and I didn’t blame him one bit. He’s protective of his friend and all anyone really knew of Chaz at that time was that he was ditching Sprocket for no real reason. Regardless, I really want someone to come along and get his undivided attention. That would make for a really fun read.

For more information on Heart on the Run check it out on Goodreads.

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

Review: Planetary Submissives Series by Amber Kell

In order to stop his magic from eating him alive, Chalice seeks out a man strong enough to dominate and control him.

Chalice might be a prince on his planet but his submissive tendencies prevent him from dealing with the incredible energy coursing through his body. Magic users need a second to balance them out, but there has never been a case where the one with the power didn't hold the dominant position. Chalice's ability as a rare four elemental magic wielder already marks him as different, though. And with the king in denial of his son's needs, he has no choice but to look off—planet to find a powerful partner.

He runs into a diplomat on a mission who leads Chalice to agree to be the pet of an emperor—one whose reputation for tossing aside subs is only balanced out by the fact that Chalice thinks he's the sexiest creature he's ever seen. Chalice takes the plunge, hoping the biggest gamble of his life won't prove to be his biggest mistake.

I was a little disappointed in what should have been some great sci-fi erotica.

Magic users need someone to help balance out all their power. And since Chalice is really powerful, his magic is almost useless, since he isn't able to control himself without a partner. The magic user usually takes the Dom position in the relationship, but Chalice is a sub. No matter how much his family wants to deny it, he needs someone to take control of him. So he runs away and finds himself a master.

Terrin and Chalice immediately have the hots for each other and put their new "contract" in good use. Chalice isn't the typical, obedient pet that Terrin is used to, but he knew he wanted to keep Chalice.

Their story was very rushed and the plot was thin, to say the least. Everything between them happened really fast, and that would be okay if I had felt their connection, but I didn't really feel much between them. Especially with such a serious relationship these guys are entering, I expected there to be some level of tension or love between them.

I did like Zall, who was Chalice's slave (Chalice - who was a pet - has a slave? I know. I didn't really get it either). But I liked him and he has his own story in this series, so I'm looking forward to that.

*****

Orlin didn't know when he put himself up for sale that he would be responsible for changing a kingdom.

Broke and homeless, Orlin puts himself up for sale as a pet. Approached by his new Master, Orlin decides maybe being owned by a gorgeous king wouldn't be fate worse than death. He doesn't expect to become the one person who changes the views of an entire kingdom...or to be more than a lover for the man who buys him. At first sight of the sexy oiled sub, Aester Fall knows he's not leaving until Orlin belongs to him. He might be hanging on to his kingdom by his fingernails but he knows some things are worth the fight. When he returns home with Orlin, he learns his new pet might not be as pet-like as he first appeared. Neither man expects to change the fate of a world much less two of them."

Orlin is in search of a sugar daddy. His parent's are gone and he's broke. So he puts himself up for sale and ends up purchased by a king.

This one started up much more promising than the first. Orlin is a strong character and I liked the guy. Even though he's now a slave, he still stood up for himself. And Aester allowed this because he was so taken by his new pet.

Again, things moved way too fast and what could have been really good, turned into an unbelievable plot and lackluster romance. I enjoyed this right up to the end, when an already shaky romance took a turn right into I-Love-Yous-ville and full of commitments.

Either adding more length to the story or keeping the romance at a HFN would have helped me enjoy this one a little more. While I do love an HEA, I like it to be something I can really believe in and I did not find that here.

*****

When ex-slave Zall is asked to be Captain Teslan's cabin boy, he learns sometimes you have to bend your rules to offer your heart.

Zall is settling in on the ship Chalice chose for him. Even though he's not a soldier, he's learning from them and developing his own skills. When the ship changes captains, Zall has to decide if he'd rather keep his independence or offer himself to a man who might be everything he's ever wanted…or his biggest mistake.

Danner Teslan has agreed to investigate a possible smuggling ring on a military ship. However when he arrives and meets Zall, he's convinced the ex-slave is his other half. Zall is not interested in becoming another man's property and Danner has to decide whether he's willing to give another person the freedom to destroy his heart.

*siiiiiiiiiiigh*

Again. Not much else to say, at this point. Things moved much too fast, without much of an emotional romance.

Danner is the captain and is in need of a cabin boy who can give him what he needs. From the beginning, we know the guy is a bottom, but he's never been able to find someone to satisfy his big bottoming needs. So, I was excited about this one, initially.

Turned out, he wasn't much of a bottom. He talked the talk and claimed he wanted someone else to take control in the bedroom, but it never came through in the sex scenes.

*shrugs* The series was mediocre, at best.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

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