Blog Tour + Giveaway: The Highlander (The Order #2) by Kasia Bacon

We're so excited to host Kasia Bacon at the clubhouse! She's promoting the follow up to The Mutt and she comes bearing treats! Check out today's book info and enter in rafflecopter for a chance to win an ecopy of The Highlander! 

See out tag team review of The Highlander HERE!

I, Lochan of the famed Féyes clan, know all about fighting.

As a half-breed Elf, I have struggled against prejudice and feelings of inadequacy.

A recluse by nature, I have battled my aversion to touch and interaction with others.

To become an assassin of The Order, I have learnt to overcome the limitations of my mind and body.

But denying the power Ervyn Morryés holds over me might be the one fight I lose. The truth is—damn it all—the relentless Highlander brings me to my knees.

Note: This novelette is the second in the Order Series, and not a stand-alone installment. Reading THE MUTT is crucial for its full enjoyment.

Excerpt

I knew my insomnia worried him. Elven Army regulations regarded bedtime as a serious matter. A soldier's body—well-honed, fed and rested—served as their primary weapon. A tired soldier made errors. And errors claimed lives.

To escape further scrutiny, I backed towards my cot and hopped under the blankets.

Of course, Ervyn took it as an invitation. Not that he ever acted as if he needed one. He shrugged out of his heavy leather jerkin and pulled off his boots.       

“Come now.” In the near darkness, I heard a smile in his voice. “Let me tuck you into bed, mu'hrōnye.”

He’d fallen into the habit of calling me that. I asked the meaning of it once, but he simply laughed and distracted me by biting on the shell of my ear.

Ghor still hadn’t stirred. For once, I didn’t mind his snoring.

The narrow cot made for a tight fit for Ervyn and me.       

Something else felt tight, besides. The crotch of my trousers.       

Ervyn’s hand immediately rose to brush my cheek and jaw line. “I missed you,” he murmured.       

My pulse jumped a notch.       

He tended to say things like that, nonchalant, as if betraying one’s thoughts cost nothing. His impulsivity meant he rarely bothered to conceal his wants and intentions. Such a barefaced approach shocked the hell out of me, although I partly admired, partly envied his readiness to show emotion.     

My eyes slid closed at the warm, rough feel of his thickened fingertips: the draw hand of the archer. Somehow this heightened my pleasure. The smell of pine needles, leather and horses hit my nostrils.

His thumb skimmed my bottom lip.

I moaned, already so aroused I could kill with my hard-on. Which, in fairness, would be a handy skill to have for an assassin.

Touch me. More. I need you.       

But then he stalled and drew back a little.

Bastard.

I knew precisely what he was after. What he thrived on: my pleas and desperation.

I offered him both, having no shame left at that point.

“Please,” I whispered, clinging to him. I ran my tongue over my lip, extending it so it would swirl around the pad of his thumb, too. “Don’t stop.”       

He gave a satisfied grunt in response, and hearing him express approval almost made me spill myself inside my leathers. The realisation that I held the power to please him never failed to fill me with a thrill of lustful pride. The reason behind why I wanted—no, needed—to do so in the first place remained a disturbing mystery. But right then, wondering about it, or fighting it for that matter, didn’t feature high on my agenda. I was close to exploding even though we’d barely done anything yet.

“It’s going to be quick,” he warned, as if reading my scrambled thoughts. His breaths, stuttering right in my ear, cranked my want even higher. His body, taut and ready, trembled against mine.

Thank fuck I wasn’t the only one frantic.

I stifled a laugh. “You don’t say.”       

Gods, he had no idea.

Author Info

A linguist and an avid reader with a particular fondness for fantasy and paranormal genres, KASIA BACON lives in London with her husband. When not tearing her hair out over a translating project, she writes stories about the shenanigans of emotionally constipated assassins and sexy Elves. Otherwise, she can be found shaking her loins at a Zumba class, binging on anime or admiring throwing knives on Pinterest. She has a mild coffee and lemon tart addiction. A lover of MMA and Muay Thai, she also enjoys nature and the great outdoors. She dreams of becoming independently wealthy, leaving the city and moving into her wooden mini-manor—located in the heart of stunning forests resembling those of the Elven Country depicted in her tales.

Find Kasia online:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

Goodreads

E-mail

Enter for a chance to win an ecopy of The Highlander by Kasia Bacon! Contest ends September 4th at Midnight EST! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Remember When by S.J.D. Peterson

Life is simple and hopeful in youth. Luke and Nelson are best friends exploring their budding sexuality. They have big plans for the future, and nothing can stand in their way or tear them apart—except a family move that puts a continent between them.

Ten years later Luke and Nelson meet again, but nothing is simple anymore. As strong as the attraction remains, obligations and expectations come between them as Luke is forced to honor family responsibilities over the desires of his heart.

Impossibly fate sees fit to offer them a last opportunity to see what might have been. Will the third time be the charm, or is trust so badly broken it is impossible to repair? Can they recapture the innocent love they once knew and make up for all the wasted years? In a love story that spans half a lifetime, two friends destined for each other will have to fight hard for their happily ever after.

I may have mentioned a time or three that friends to lovers is my favourite trope. Soppy old romantic that I am, I place a lot more value on the friendship part of love, than the lust, and I absolutely adore books where the friendship becomes something much deeper than either party foresaw. ****sigh****

Remember When is all about the friends to more - with added angst and heartache, and I loved it.

Loved it.

The story is written in three sections; firstly when Nelson and Luke are kids/teens, secondly when they're in their 20's and lastly when they hit their 40's. I like this style because I'm completely invested in the two of them having seen them as youngsters. It makes the painful moments harder to bear though. I'm not going to spoiler the story, but as it implies in the blurb, fate doesn't set them a straight, smooth path. The middle section practically broke my heart. I felt so much for them because the choices they had were so hard. I completely sympathised with them and couldn't fault the reasoning behind the choices (for the most part). I understood the decisions made - even if a bit of me wanted it to be an oh so different result, I couldn't unwish the way things went for reasons. (Reasons I'm not explaining cos spoilers!).

Basically this book gave me all the feelz. And that is feelz with a z on the end. Feelz. Feelz. Feelz.

I liked how each part of the story felt representative of them at the ages they were without losing sight of the essence of their characters. If that makes sense. I was reading about 13/23/40 year old Nelson and Luke. Not a repeat of 13 year old Nelson/Luke with deeper voices and facial hair NOR a 23/40 year old N/L who retained nothing of the original characters we met. It's quite a tricky balance, me thinks!

Basically, in case you missed the message, I liked this story A LOT and I think you should give it a go!

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

See the Remember When blog tour HERE

Giveaway + Blog Tour: Remember When by S.J.D. Peterson

S.J.D. Peterson is here today reminiscing about the 80s and promoting her new book, Remember When. See our review HERE! 

She's also offering a giveaway to a fellow reminiscer! Good luck!

Remember When

This book title makes me think of much more than the characters I’ve created but also of my own past. I was a teenager in the 80’s and those who were as lucky as me should remember when….

the Challenger disaster happened?

you aspired to one day be as cool as the teens in John Hughes movies?

it was OK to harbor a smart-mouthed, cat-murdering, extraterrestrial alien in

your home?

it was perfectly acceptable to wear neon spandex biker shorts with just a T-shirt to school?

the Berlin Wall came down?

all you wanted was your MTV?

using the library catalog to look for a book and the frustration of not finding the index card you were looking for?

And….

Remember when you went through a can of Aqua Net each week?

Oh man do I feel lucky to have grown up during such a fun time. How about you? Were you a teen in the 80? Another decade? Share a remember when stories from your teens and I’ll pick one lucky winner to receive a $10 Dreamspinner Gift Certificate.

BLURB:

Life is simple and hopeful in youth. Luke and Nelson are best friends exploring their budding sexuality. They have big plans for the future, and nothing can stand in their way or tear them apart—except a family move that puts a continent between them.

Ten years later Luke and Nelson meet again, but nothing is simple anymore. As strong as the attraction remains, obligations and expectations come between them as Luke is forced to honor family responsibilities over the desires of his heart.

Impossibly, fate sees fit to offer them a last opportunity to see what might have been. Will the third time be the charm, or is trust so badly broken it is impossible to repair? Can they recapture the innocent love they once knew and make up for all the wasted years? In a love story that spans half a lifetime, two friends destined for each other will have to fight hard for their happily ever after.

BUY LINK: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/remember-when-by-sjd-peterson-8788-b

Meet Jo Peterson

SJD Peterson, better known as Jo, hails from Michigan. Not the best place to live for someone who hates the cold and snow. When not reading or writing, Jo can be found close to the heater checking out NHL stats and watching the Red Wings kick a little butt. Can't cook, misses the clothes hamper nine out of ten tries, but is handy with power tools.

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS

AUTHORS AMAZON PAGE

Comment and share a teenage memory/story on today's post to be entered to win $10 Dreamspinner Press credit! Don't forget to include a way to contact you in your comment! Contest ends September 3rd at Midnight EST.

Review: Taste on my Tongue by Beth Bolden

Almost pop-star Landon Patton has just turned a corner on the worst two years of his life: dropped by his label and dumped by his ungrateful ex-boyfriend. However, his new agent's brilliant plan for Landon's superstardom doesn’t have anything to do with his music – it’s called Kitchen Wars, and it’s the hottest new reality show on TV.

Landon wishes he could have nothing to do with it.

Since the first morning he mixed flour and water, Quentin Maxwell knew he wanted to be a baker. After becoming the pastry chef at a popular LA bakery, anyone else might be satisfied. But Quen wants to call his own shots. Going on Kitchen Wars to win the money for his own bakery seems like a huge risk, but maybe it's worth it.

They’re an unlikely pair. Landon can’t even figure out how to turn an oven on, while Quentin makes his living with one. But with each passing week on Kitchen Wars, they discover what a great team they make – on set, off set, and between the sheets.

Winning should be everything, but what happens when the tastiest pairing is their own?

I came for the cookery. So singleminded in my purpose that I was willing to overlook the musician in my cookery. I will be retreating back to my no musicians or rockstars bunker now. Taste on my Tongue is suuuuuuuuuuper sweet. Landon and Quentin are sweet. There's virtually no conflict in their sweet relationship. Everything goes swimmingly for them resulting in a perfectly perfect HEA. If this is the sort of thing you look for in your romance reads stop reading here. This book is for you. If you're a foodie you might have some quibbles but otherwise it should be love at first sugar.

I tend to gravitate towards characters with some grit and for them to have to fight for their relationship. Landon does angst quite a bit which I believe was Bolden's effort to infuse the narrative with some gravitas by making him insecure, but it read one note to me: sweet. They have chemistry both on and off camera and their relationship moves swiftly. I do applaud an author who doesn't make me wait for the good times until the last 40+% of the book and some of the times were pretty hot. Honorable Mention to the Rory's desk scene.

Landon is the narrator of this story and exhausting high maintenance. He's a musician who's trying to kickstart his floundering career. His agent encourages him to go on Kitchen Wars, a mishmash of Cutthroat Kitchen and Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition. Since he's already been on The Voice, outted himself and suffered the career repercussions of that decision, he considers himself a reality TV and Hollywood veteran and as such a mentor to Quentin. I really would've liked Quentin's POV to maybe cut some of the sweetness, but I think he's just as bitten by the love bug as Landon so maybe it wouldn't've made a difference.

I have very little interest in celebrity so the Hollywood machinations were too much for me. At one point it even crossed my mind that Landon was using Quentin to achieve his ultimate goal of superstardom, but even though I found him to be vapid, histrionic, in need of constant reassurance, boy crazy with some serious heart eyes and a mean case of the instaloves, his feelings for Quentin appear to be genuine. Quentin is in the reality show gig for the cash prize so he can start his own bakery. Quentin comes across as unpretentious and pragmatic. What I know of him I like, but buying him as a professional chef was... a big ask. How many professional chefs do you know who regularly order takeout?

As a foodie, lover of cooking shows and chefs this book failed in delivering the level of chefery I craved. The cooking was uninspired. Kitchen Wars is boring and not well executed. I've never watched a competitive cooking show wherein the contestants didn't progress in their abilities by leaps and bounds by the end. If the best you can do after 7 weeks of tutoring from a professional chef is grilled cheese... what was the point? I've also never seen a competition wherein there was only one challenge per show either. I had many nitpicks including washing their own vegetables, not having the water boiling already and the logistics of them working as a team within the confines of 30 mins of cook time. Didn't add up. Literally. I wish more focus would've been put into the show and the other characters interacting with Landon and Quentin but... was not to be.

Taste on my Tongue could've used a final proof and edit to address the added/missing words and general filler. The story arc itself is fine but there was an excessive amount of descriptors, some repetitive that I found unnecessary. The dialogue is organic and some of the secondary characters added to the story positively with the potential for successive stories. Overall Bolden's writing style is easy to read and she convincingly wrote a sweet love story that showed their connection. Even though this was to saccharine for me I can objectively see the appeal of a story without a lot of dramatics contrived or otherwise, so I'm somewhere between 2.5-3 Hearts but I'll just round up to 3. If you like your romance with extra sweetness this will be a winner for you.

A review copy was provided.

Guest Review: The Nero Protocol by Victoria Zagar

Ario six-four-nine-one is an obsolete synth gigolo—especially when his latest trick proves to be his last in a brutal and horrifying way. But he's only a synth, it's not like he can really think and feel. No one will notice one more out of date synth tossed in the garbage.

Except for Elias, homeless and lonely because he's not what his father—or the world—wants him to be, haunted by a tragedy for which he cannot forgive himself. When he finds a battered, broken, long-discontinued synth in a dumpster, he decides to repair the poor thing despite all the reasons he shouldn't.

Then all those reasons come crashing down, and in order to save each other from a world that doesn't want either of them, Elias and Ario will have to sacrifice everything they hold dear: freedom, safety, and even themselves.

Warning: contains graphic depictions of violence and sexual violence.

Well this was disappointing… and that’s almost worse than being outright bad. I don’t even think I’d call this a romance.

Chapter One and the first half of chapter Two had me salivating imagining all sorts of delicious and enticing scenarios. The question of what makes us “human” is one that I like to ponder when I’m feeling particularly deep but I’m an aspiring amateur at any coherent thesis on the matter. Anyone who has an even cursory interest in the subject need only read “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” by Philip K. Dick which is the basis for Blade Runner, a movie everyone should watch for a hundred thousand reasons. One of them is that it teases out the very nature of humanity dressed in an epically beautiful piece of cinematic futurology. Also watch “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” from the late Stanley Kubrick via Steven Spielberg which will have you in blubbering tears and hating humanity and for bonus content “The Terminator” and subsequent entries in the franchise won’t steer you wrong.

Why do I recommend movies in a book review? Because you’ll save yourself some grief and I suspect quite firmly that the author took these and others as inspiration.

The book starts off with Ario, a male gigolo synth, who has long been used by his owner as a prostitute, in what turns out to be his last fateful assignation with a client. Things go badly and Ario is thrown out as trash. In chapter Two, Elias, a homeless tech genius who has turned tricks to survive on the streets, finds Ario and goes about fixing him. It turns out that Ario is no run-of-the-mill synth but rather a very high end one who has also been “modified”. I won’t get further into the plot but I’ll say that these first two chapters are the best thing here. What could be a great story of human-synth life and if you’re ambitious also a bit of taboo human-synth love is set in motion and then the wheels come off as in no follow through.

Elias’ character vacillates between being a guy who ended up on the streets due to his unwavering fight for “synth rights” to a whining teenage boy pining for his lost love. Also I’m confused. When was he doing all this “fighting in the streets”? While homeless? Plausible, except we are told this all came before street life. So he was a teenage warrior? Is this “The Hunger Games”? It also turns out that Elias is some kind of savant who has an uncanny affinity with synths which makes him special and the target of many. Quite frankly I found him annoying, sanctimonious, and at times selfish. Can’t say more ‘cause spoilers.

Ario of course is this idealized thing of beauty, intelligence, and perfection and I had no gripe with him. He was made that way. He was consistent and logical in his progression. I think the author should’ve let him go further. He was by far the most interesting character.

And so we come to the “romance” in this book. There is none but what we are told. Elias finds Ario, fixes him up and they spend about a day together during which there is a perfunctory sex scene which I could’ve done without because it brings nothing to the table. Immediately after we have a four year separation and then a reunion day which is an action and suspense packed episode of (pick any mid level show you like) in which everything gets resolved. The end.

What annoyed me about this book is that it’s sprinkled throughout with some very intriguing issues which are worth exploring, the world building isn’t awful, and the story has potential but is ultimately hijacked by a teen’s Tumblr blog. Lost potential is always worse. This should’ve been a first draft from which to work out a more polished and consistent book.

Too bad.

Recommended if you’ve read virtually nothing else related to A.I. and are pretty forgiving of wildly different tones within one story.

A review copy was provided.

Audio Tour + Giveaway: Learning to Love by Felice Stevens

Felice Stevens hosts the Learning to Love Audio Tour! Check out today's information and enter in the giveaway to win a $10 Amazon gift card!

LEARNING TO LOVE

FELICE STEVENS

M/M ROMANCE

AUDIO RELEASE: 07.14.17

COVER DESIGN: Reese Dante

NARRATOR: Derrick McClain

BLURB

After 10 years away from home, bad boy caterer Gideon Marks has a lot to prove. Getting the holiday catering job at his childhood synagogue is the first step in demonstrating to everyone he didn't turn out to be the failure they predicted. What he doesn't count on is Rabbi Jonah Fine, his high school nemesis and secret crush, stirring up old feelings Gideon thought long gone and secrets he's buried deep for years.

An unexpectedly passionate encounter shocks Gideon, but he pushes Jonah away, convinced he isn't good enough to be in a relationship and would never be accepted by Jonah's father. But Jonah hangs tough - he won't allow Gideon to hide or run away from life again. And when it comes to love, Gideon learns the most important lessons aren't always taught in school.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/bo…/show/29632344-learning-to-love

AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/2weRJAQ

AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/2wevxad

EXCERPT

“How did you know where to find me?”

“I didn’t. But when I went to your apartment and discovered you weren’t home, I thought to myself, ‘Where would a chef be early on Saturday morning?’”

Pleased he’d thought so carefully about me, I bit my lip to keep from smiling, then muttered with my head down, “Lucky guess on your part.”

“I’d like to think so,” said Jonah, his voice as soft as the breeze. My eyes met his, the hurt from our last conversation shimmering bright in their depths, causing a throb within me of a longing I’d never known existed. “Or maybe it was fate.”

He smiled then plucked the paper bag of rugelach out of my clutches, rummaged through it until he found an apricot one, and bit off half.

“Well, if you’re that hungry, I guess you can come home with me, and I’ll make you an omelet,” I grumbled but couldn’t stop the small grin tugging at my lips. “But I planned on browsing a bit more through the market first.”

“I’d like that.” Jonah walked beside me, and we meandered past the stands piled high with colorful peppers and squash. We strolled in silence, but every few steps I’d sneak a glance at him, expecting Jonah to speak. Instead he remained irritatingly, cheerfully silent.

I sampled some hot mulled cider and licked my lips. Spending so much time with Jonah gave me new insight. I’d always thought him superior and judgmental; perhaps I had been wrong in my assessment. He captivated me with the humor in his speech, warmth in his smile, and that unmistakable flare of desire in his eyes. Goddamn it, I wanted him.

I extended the paper cup. “Do you want a sip?” Its heady cinnamon scent remained one of my most favorite things about the fall season. To my shock, instead of answering me, he bent down and kissed me on my lips, lapping at their sticky sweetness. He stepped back, but I put a restraining hand on his wrist.

“What’s going on? Why are you really here?”

The honesty in Jonah’s face took my breath away.

“Do you really have to ask, after the last time?”

My body refused to listen to the war inside my head, kindling a deep need I couldn’t understand. I took a step forward, but unlike me, Jonah didn’t retreat. He stood firm, and I stood close enough to almost touch. Close enough to smell him.

“I’m not who you want; can’t you see that?”

“You don’t have any idea what I see when I look at you, Gideon.”

I wanted to yell back at him, No, you have no idea who I am, but I couldn’t bring myself to ruin the moment. I had no clue who Jonah thought I was, but I wanted to be that man if only to be able to have him always look at me like this. Like I was special. Like I was his. The sun beat hot upon my shoulders, and I held his gaze while contentment poured over me like a warm summer rain.

Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. While life is tough, she believes there is a happy ending for everyone. She started reading traditional historical romances as a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn't until she picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth's court that her interest in romance novels was renewed.

But somewhere along the way, her reading shifted to stories of men falling in love. Once she picked up her first gay romance, she became so enamored of the character-driven stories and the overwhelming emotion there was no turning back.

Felice lives in New York City with her husband and two children. Her day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. Although she practices law, she daydreams of a time when she can sit by a beach and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be some angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter:https://twitter.com/FeliceStevens1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/felicestevens/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8432880.Felice_Stevens

Instagram: https://instagram.com/FeliceStevens

Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/felicestevensauthor?ref=hl

Newsletter: http://felicestevens.us8.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=d43061d90bf2256eb322ed69f&id=586ac8fa57

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Audiobook Review: The Rancher's Son (Montana #2) by R.J. Scott

A man without memories, and the cop who never gave up hope.

When he wakes up in hospital, the victim of a brutal beating, John Doe, has no memories of who he is or who hurt him. The cops can find nothing to identify him and he can't remember anything to help... except the name Ethan and one recurring place from his dreams. Three words, and they're not much, but it's a start. Crooked Tree Ranch.

Cop, Ethan Allens has never stopped searching for his brother and his brother's best friend who vanished. When a report lands on Ethan's desk that may give new leads he jumps at the chance to follow them up. The man he finds isn't his brother, but it's someone who could maybe help him discover what happened ten years ago.

What neither man can know is that facing the very real demons of the past could very well destroy any kind of future they may think they have together.

Word Count: 66,200

Narrated by: Sean Crisden
Listening Length: 6 hours and 25 minutes

Reviewer - Shee Reader

This is the second book in the Montana Series, but works fine as a stand alone (with one tiny exception), but more on that later.

This book was a super absorbing delight from the outset. Ethan’s pain was tangible and the awful reality of amnesia was rather chilling. The dynamic in the story is unusual. The two men who haven't seen each other for many years were in the first flush of new love when one of them disappeared. Ethan doesn’t want to colour Adam’s recovery of his memories and identity by admitting what they were to each other. It’s challenging to read, (or listen to!) but enjoyable nonetheless.

There is conflict between Ethan and his father, and their rediscovery of each other is heartwarming.

Sean Crisden’s narration is superb. Warm and emotive, he displays the characters masterfully.
The only thing I didn’t really like was the huge number of questions about Ethan’s brother that were not answered. It sets up nicely for book three, but I am rather impatient and want my closure now!

All in all, this was a lovely book with darker corners in it. The end was perhaps more HFN than HEA but I did enjoy it.

Recommended.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Guitars and Cages (Guitars, #1) by Layla Dorine

Asher Logan is a bartender and a pretty wicked guitar player, when he isn’t wrecking his hands fighting in a cage. With a past he keeps hoping to outrun, Asher’s been on a downward spiral for longer than he can remember. When his sister-in-law leaves Rory, his eight-year-old nephew, in his care, Asher is forced into two things he’s never been good at: sobriety and responsibility. As he struggles to care for Rory, his own life begins to unravel.

When Asher’s brother, Alex, turns up, presenting as a girl and announcing her new name is Alexia, it further complicates matters, as does the arrival of his new neighbor, Conner. Both, in their own way, compel Asher to look at his own closely-guarded views on sexuality.

When the siblings’ older brother, Cole, reacts violently to Alexia, Asher is placed squarely in the middle of a family conflict which compels him to confront who he pretends to be versus who he really is.

Asher must choose who to trust and who to finally walk away from.

Trigger warning: Abuse and self-harm

This is not a romance………

This is a compelling story about what happens when Asher’s life unravels to the point he can’t imagine how to put everything to rights, and makes some epically bad decisions; starting with agreeing to look after his nephew, Rory, until his sister-in-law sets up a new life in Canada, a year after the death of her husband.

Asher is damaged. Very damaged. He has been hiding his sexuality for as long as he discovered he was bisexual, and has done any number of things to keep people off the scent, including hitting on his sister-in-law when he was a teen, to take the focus off his relationship with the boy he was in love with.

In his mid-twenties at the beginning of this story, we learn a lot about how Asher deals with life, and his connections with his brothers. How they all seem to be separated by pain, and an inability to function in the world.

There is a lot of angst in this story. A lot of complicated relationships and misunderstandings. Family can be the greatest asset or the biggest roadblock in a happy life.

Asher is trying to hide who he is so his brothers aren’t more disappointed with him, but it seems that it is getting harder and harder to ignore the other side of himself. The side that finds it easy to sell himself to men, as long as there is no emotion involved. The side that is a submissive to Catfish, the only man who seems to treasure him, even though it is a lie. The side that eventually sees no problem with his brother Alex becoming his sister Alexia because she is brave and followed her heart. But he can’t seem to get passed the expectations of his older brother Cole. Cole is a homophobic/transphobic alcoholic bully who thinks he is the leader of the pack and has the right to throw his weight around and abuse his siblings.

This story is rough, and raw. It is infuriating and heartbreaking. Asher’s journey is full of pain and holding back tears while he cuts himself to feel something else. There is a lot of messed up stuff that Asher gets himself into because at the end of the day, he loves deeply and he just wants everyone to be okay, even at the expense of himself. He also just wants to avoid emotional connections and the resulting heartbreak.

I loved this story. I loved the character development. I loved the rough edges and sharp points. I am looking forward to taking the next step in Asher’s journey of discovery on what it is to be an adult, and I can’t wait to sink myself into the in this series.

I’d recommend this to people who enjoy stories about family and the darker side of life.

A review copy was provided by the author for an honest opinion

Giveaway + Blog Tour: Stalking Buffalo Bill (Shifter U #1) by j. leigh bailey

j. leigh bailey is making her clubhouse debut today to promote her new Dreamspun Beyond novel, Stalking Buffalo Bill! See our 5 heart review HERE!

Make sure to leave a comment below to be entered for a chance to win! See the deets below.
Good luck!

Exclusive Excerpt

“Yeah, these guys—who gave me chills, by the way—stopped by the café and wanted to know if we’d seen you. They were evil. I mean, to the core. And they definitely weren’t from around here.”

He reached out and gripped my shoulder. “What did they look like?”

“Like a couple of thugs in an amateur production of Oklahoma.”

At his blank look, I gave him a more specific description of the weirdos. Then I told him what I’d seen. “So, Mafia Hit Man is out there right now, looking for you. And you stood there, a hulking target, just begging to be caught.”

Now that the adrenaline had started to fade, I needed to focus on anything other than the fact that I was naked. In front of the man of my dreams. Alone. It was an even split on whether I was feeling more awkward or horny. Given the situation, horny seemed inappropriate, so I searched the shelves for something to cover myself with. “So what are we going to do?”

“We? This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

“Excuse me? I just raced through town to save your ass. Of course it concerns me.” I pulled out a supersized garbage bag. It might have worked, except the plastic was clear. I tossed it aside, then continued my search.

“I appreciate the warning,” he said, “but you need to stay out of this.”

I squatted to sort through some boxes in the corner.

“What are you looking for?” He sounded exasperated. Good.

“I need to cover my junk if we’re going to have this conversation.” I glanced over my shoulder to see him. “I can’t exactly be caught running around campus naked, can I? I did that once, and it didn’t turn out well. Too much tequila at a full-moon party. Never a good idea.”

Grumbling under his breath, William pulled off the oatmeal-colored sweater I’d fantasized about earlier. He had a white T-shirt on underneath. He threw the sweater at me. I caught it, clutching the soft wool to my chest. It was still warm from his body heat, and I had to forcibly restrain myself from breathing in his scent from the material.

“Well?” He stared at me.

“What?” Despite my intentions, I inhaled and let the aroma of green grass, sagebrush, and herbs flood me.

“Put it on. We can’t spend all day in the closet.”

I snickered. “I never did like closets. I came out of mine years ago.”

He shook his head, then cracked open the door to peek out. Clearly he wasn’t amused at my little joke. I shrugged into the sweater, and the hem fell to my knees. Damn, he was big. Was he a bear shifter, maybe? That could account for the size. Not that there was always a direct correlation between human size and shifter size. Take me, for example. I’m pretty average-sized for a man—a couple of inches under six feet—but I shift into a forty-five-pound coyote. Still, I couldn’t picture him as a ferret or anything small like that.

“I think we’re clear.” William pushed the door open, then took two steps out. The acrid scent of Mafia Hit Man crashed into me, followed by the sound of a door slamming.

“Shit, it’s him.” I grabbed William’s arm and tugged him back into the custodian’s closet. I’m not sure what I would have done if he hadn’t cooperated; no way could I move him if he didn’t want to be moved. I pulled the door shut behind us, then shut the light off in the little room, just in case it glowed through the gap under the door.

“Are you sure it’s him?”

I stared at him. “Believe me, there’s no mistaking the stench.”

His nose wrinkled. “Yeah, it’s distinctive, all right.” He leaned his head against the door, as though trying to hear through it.

I didn’t need to press against the door to know that Mafia Hit Man was making his way down the corridor, opening doors to check rooms. It was only a matter of time before he reached our end of the hall.

A door slammed. It couldn’t be more than a few rooms away. Mafia Hit Man was close.

If we left, we’d get caught. If we didn’t leave, we’d get caught. Those didn’t seem like very good options. I scanned the closet, looking for inspiration.

William crossed his arms over his massive chest, and inspiration struck. I was going to get a chance to climb him like a mountain after all.

“Take off your shirt.”

Blurb

Stalking Buffalo Bill—A Shifter U Tale

A smitten coyote isn’t the only one stalking Buffalo Bill.

A buffalo walks into a cafe. Sounds like the start of a bad joke, but for coyote shifter Donnie Granger, it’s the beginning of an obsession. Donnie is a little hyperactive and a lot distractible, except when it comes to William. He finally works up the nerve to approach William but is interrupted by a couple of violent humans.

While William—don’t call me Bill—is currently a professor, he once worked undercover against an international weapons-trafficking ring. Before he can settle into obscurity, he must find out who leaked his location and eliminate the thugs. He tries keeping his distance to protect Donnie, but the wily coyote won’t stay away.

It’ll take both Donnie’s skills as a stalker—er, hunter—and William’s super-spy expertise to neutralize the threat so they can discover if an excitable coyote and a placid-until-pissed buffalo have a future together.

 About the Shifter U Series

A fun, male/male take on shapeshifter romance, the Shifter U stories include characters who shapeshift into more than the average apex predator. Sure, there are wolves, tigers, and bear shifters, but there are also coyotes, owls, beavers, bison, and more.

All books in the series center around Cody College, located on the outskirts of Cody, Wyoming, where the occasionally furry have a safe place to further their education. Affectionately known as Shifter U, the school offers shapeshifting students a “special track” which gives them the chance to learn important subjects like mathematics, philosophy, and, most importantly, how to hide their secret identity from local humans.

Maintaining secret identities is tough. Dark secrets, old enemies, mythical heritage, and a mysterious illness challenge the stealth skills of even the sneakiest students and staff. While these shifters struggle to handle their type of “normal,” thorny complications of attraction pop up—always at the worst possible times.

Author Bio

j. leigh bailey is an office drone by day and the author of Young Adult and New Adult LGBT Romance by night. She can usually be found with her nose in a book or pressed up against her computer monitor. A book-a-day reading habit sometimes gets in the way of... well, everything...but some habits aren't worth breaking. She's been reading romance novels since she was ten years old. The last twenty years or so have not changed her voracious appetite for stories of romance, relationships and achieving that vitally important Happy Ever After. She's a firm believer that everyone, no matter their gender, age, sexual orientation or paranormal affiliation deserves a happy ending. For upcoming releases and appearances information, sign up for her newsletter at https://t.co/FfL9gFVJLQ.

Social Media Links

Twitter @JenniWrites (http://twitter.com/JenniWrites )
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Website (www.jleighbailey.net )

Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press  

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I’ll be giving away a signed copy of my gay YA action/adventure novel DO-GOODER (US only) or a digital copy of one of the contemporary New Adult m/m romance titles in my Letting Go series (open internationally) to a random commenter who tells me: What’s your favorite kind of paranormal romance? Is there a specific “supernatural” element you just love? Contest ends September 7th Midnight EST.

Audiobook Review: Personal Secrets (Personal #4) by K.C. Wells

Blake Davis and husband Will are delighted when Ed Fellows turns up at the hospital the night their daughter is born-even if he is covered in mud from playing rugby and drunk out of his skull. Teammate Colin is the Good Samaritan who drives him there, and when he takes Ed home, Colin finds himself on the receiving end of a blowjob. He has no problem with that whatsoever. He's been in lust with Ed since Ed joined the rugby team some 14 months ago. Only thing is, Colin's assumed up 'til now that Ed is straight. Except the man sucking him off certainly didn't seem straight....

Talk about the morning after the night before....Ed awakens to find a nearly-naked Colin asleep on his sofa. The problem is that for some reason, he can't get Colin out of his mind. Okay, so it wasn't the first blowjob Ed's ever gotten from a guy - or given, for that matter - but that was a long time ago, right? And why does Ed now want more?

With friends Rick, Angelo, Blake, and Will to advise him, Ed finds himself on a completely unfamiliar road, as he struggles to accept that maybe the line he is walking isn't as straight as he'd first imagined...

Narrated by: Cornell Collins
Listening Length: 6 hours and 37 minutes

Reviewer - Shee Reader

This book is a charming addition to the Personal Series, it’s a real joy to see brash Ed find his happily ever after. Of course the road is not a smooth one, but the ending is all kinds of sweet and happy, and Colin is a great match for Ed.

There are many areas of conflict and development: is Ed really gay? Will his family accept him? Is Colin out of his league? Will the homophobia from some of the rugby players end things before they’ve really begun?

Each thread is dealt with well, the writing is classy and the characters are so real I felt I could reach out and touch them.

The dialogue is smartly done and the checking in with established couple Blake and Will is a real pleasure. I adored Colin fan-girling over Will’s books. Such fun!

I didn’t really like Blake’s evil ex popping up, but approved of how Ed dealt with it. Similarly the new PA was a scary character but the team rallied around and all ended well.

The narration is again by Cornell Collins and he does a wonderful job. Each character has a clear identity and the performance brings the book alive beautifully.

Highly recommended.

I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.