Review: The Friend (It's Just Us Here #1) by Christopher X. Sullivan

An asexual man meets a male model... and slowly falls in love.

Mark, the model, has not been challenged in his life and is emotionally withdrawn. He returns to Chicago in the hopes of reconnecting with his college friends, but everyone has moved on without him, starting families and growing up.

Chris, the writer, is socially awkward and introverted. He actively tries to be as invisible as possible.

The two men meet one day in Chris' favorite park and strike up a friendship. Since this is written as a romance, you probably have a pretty good idea where the story goes from there.

You'd be wrong. (Well... and kinda right.)

I'm Chris and this is my story. It's not a traditional romance. This is my version of a Happily Ever After, which means Mark and I became great friends... and that's it.

Mark and I end this first installment of my self-portrait in a Queer Platonic Relationship. There was cuddling and emotional closeness, but nothing remotely sexual... at least not to my mind. Mark obviously wanted more and he would eventually get it, but this book, Book One of It's Just Us Here, would have been my perfect, ideal romance.

If you need banging and crazy monkey sex to keep your interest in a story, then jump in at Book Four of this self-portrait (The Lover). Otherwise, come along for the ride and meet the man who would sweep me off my feet, Mark Wolff, one of the top ten most self-absorbed men in the whole world.

[NOTE: This book is a 95,000 word romantic self-portrait featuring the beginnings of a queer relationship. It the first book of a trilogy, which is itself part of a larger trilogy. Low heat... for now. I don't think we need trigger warnings for this book, but future installments might warrant them. Maybe that can serve as enough of a warning? Warning: this book if full of life.]

I admit that the thought of starting this really long and really ambitious autobiography was intimidating. I had hesitated over The Book of Beginnings which is the skeleton of a planned 10 volume omnibus, but I didn’t just want the outline. If I was going to attempt this behemoth, I wanted every word, every detail, and not just a chapter here or a snippet there. Actual books were on the horizon, and I was going to wait and see.

So I waited… and I wasn’t disappointed.

To be honest, you might think this is a weird story - an odd, self indulgent endeavor and maybe it is, but it’s also so very quirky and funny and real.

Chris is kinda a loner. He’s regimented, particular, and very sure in how he lives his life, planning out every minute detail. All was smooth sailing until one day, that very safe and reliable routine is interrupted by a force of nature named Mark.

Now Mark is probably one of the biggest extroverts ever. He certainly bamboozles his way into Chris’s life and somehow slowly, they become nigh inseparable. Mark is the complete opposite of Chris and with the best intentions (sometimes with benign selfish intent), he irrevocably turns his and Chris’s life upside down.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the main caveat of this story which may matter to some and not at all to others. Chris is asexual, and how he interprets and interacts and responds to Mark is all colored by this. Inevitably and not surprisingly, this provides some pretty great entertainment when coupled with each of Chris and Mark’s own array of special personal neuroses.

This made me smile, this made me laugh, this made me emote. Who knew I'd find such entertainment in bickering over bed sheets, the merits of proper underwear, making bacon, and buying the suit of all suits?

For further disclosure, I don’t think it’s a secret that I like established couples, and though Chris and Mark aren’t established yet here, the fact that this is a true story just appealed all the more to me. I also have absolutely no problem with the day in and day out mundanity of coupled life. I don't always need drama and angst and these two have plenty of unintentional shenanigans that kept me on my toes.

So that’s a long winded way of me saying that this first volume is all about how Chris and Mark meet, how their friendship starts, and how this ends with them on the cusp of realizing that possibly, probably, feelings might have developed and that love is just around the corner.

This is 400+ pages long and most who know me know I try to avoid anything over 200 pages if I can help it. All I’m saying is that despite the lack of romance, despite no smexy, what is promised ahead makes me look forward to the next 9 tomes!! If that doesn’t properly say how I felt about this, then I don’t know what will!

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Memoirs of a Triangle by Christine Twigg

Celebrate the release of Memoirs of a Triangle with author Christine Twigg and IndiGo Marketing today! Learn more about the historical menage story and enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway!

Title: Memoirs of a Triangle

Author: Christine Twigg

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: February 4, 2019

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Female, Female/Female

Length: 73300

Genre: Historical, LGBT, Historical, ménage, hypnosis, therapy, love triangle, Boston, family drama

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Synopsis

When Edith instigates a new game with her two best friends, May and Peter, on a warm spring day in 1869, she ignites sexual awakenings that will influence and shape the rest of their lives.

Although Edith lusts for Peter, she is aware that May’s desires are directed toward her, and when their triangular involvement begins to splinter, she leaves her two best friends to begin a career in Boston.

However, even after choosing what they thought was the more stable path, they learn that the past is not so easily left behind.

On their separate, yet connected paths, they find themselves drawn together, experiencing eroticism, love, confusion, trust, and grief throughout the course of their lives.

Excerpt

Memoirs of a Triangle
Christine Twigg © 2019
All Rights Reserved

Boston, 1942

Seated in Ella’s suite at the Statler Hotel, Jeremy Harris looked at the yellowed papers Ella had put in his hand. A few moments later, he was leaning forward in his chair, completely absorbed. After several minutes, he set the pages down and looked at Ella questioningly.

“Is this what it appears to be?” he asked.

Ella nodded, sliding the remainder of the aged and stained papers over to him.

“I had a phone call from a Mr. Thomas Benson last week. He recently purchased Edie’s Fine and Rare Books, my mother’s old bookstore?” She paused, looking at him with raised brows to make sure he was following, and then continued, “Mother sold the business to her apprentice long ago, but apparently she retained ownership of the building. The last owner died, and it’s been untouched until now. Most of the inventory had been removed, but my mother’s office was exactly as it was when she was there. It was like a trip back in time, Jeremy,” she almost whispered.

“Mr. Benson tracked me down as the only person with rights to the contents. I came down the day after the call and I’ve been there all weekend. I found this file in the bottom of a drawer in my mom’s old desk. I almost threw it on the pile of trash, but something made me stop and read that first page…”

“I remember the bookstore,” Jeremy said wistfully, feeling the tug of something long forgotten. Aunt Edie, as he’d always known her, had taken him and Ella there many times when they were young children. “Just thinking of it now, I can remember the way it smelled: dusty and warm like all those old books, mingled with the scent of beeswax she used to polish the shelves.”

He looked into the past as he remembered the pile of large, worn cushions that sat on the floor near the front of the store. He smelled the warmth of books heated by the trapped sun and heard the ping of flies hitting the front windowpane. His eyes began to close as he heard the echo of the soft flutter of turning pages.

Ella had found a rough manuscript, written by her mother, Edith, with a prologue written by May, the woman who had given birth to Jeremy. Never really knowing what to call her, he had simply continued to think of her as Princess Maybelline.

The manuscript appeared to be the beginning chapters of a book about the somewhat shocking love affair Edith had had with Jeremy’s parents when they were in their late teens.

Ella had also found a package Jeremy’s mother, Eve, had sent to Edith after May died, containing May’s journals, a beautiful emerald pendant, and a few small paintings. She pulled two paintings out of a large, dog-eared envelope and gently nudged Jeremy with her bare foot, rousing him somewhat from his pleasant reverie. She used the same foot to slide a box over next to his chair.

Jeremy took the paintings in his hands, studying them. Tentatively, he ran his forefinger across the grooves of colorful, thick, oil paint. Tears began forming in his eyes, causing the colors to blur even more abstractedly. This was his real mother, the woman he’d heard fairy tales about as a small boy, come to life. He saw the worn journals, stacked neatly in the bottom of the box, and he felt the pull of a history that had shadowed him his whole life.

Ella saw he was overcome. She leaned in and put her hand on his shoulder and said, “Oh Jeremy… I’m sorry… She seems to have been a special woman.”

He picked up the pages again and continued to read…

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Meet the Author

Chris Twigg lives near the shores of northern Lake Michigan. She is a healer, hypnotherapist and writer, along with being a mother, wife, and friend. She is an advocate of truth, honesty, and reason and believes in speaking her mind. Travel, good stories, nature and solitude fill her soul; feminism, politics, and equality fuel her fire.

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Audiobook Review: Changing Lines (Harrisburg Railers #1) by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey

Can Tennant show Jared that age is just a number, and that love is all that matters?

The Rowe Brothers are famous hockey hotshots, but as the youngest of the trio, Tennant has always had to play against his brothers’ reputations. To get out of their shadows, and against their advice, he accepts a trade to the Harrisburg Railers, where he runs into Jared Madsen. Mads is an old family friend and his brother’s one-time teammate. Mads is Tennant’s new coach. And Mads is the sexiest thing he’s ever laid eyes on.

Jared Madsen’s hockey career was cut short by a fault in his heart, but coaching keeps him close to the game. When Ten is traded to the team, his carefully organized world is thrown into chaos. Nine years his junior and his best friend’s brother, he knows Ten is strictly off-limits, but as soon as he sees Ten’s moves, on and off the ice, he knows that his heart could get him into trouble again.

Listening Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
Narrator: Sean Crisden

Reviewer: Annery

*4.00 for the AB* // *4.5 for the story*


Baseball is long gone, football season is almost over, and now is the time for hockey. This book will set you right up.

The audio is by Sean Crisden, who I know has legions of fans, and I can see why. I liked the narration very much. The voices for the MCs are clear and distinctly defined, the women are non-campy or cartoonish (which I always fear), in general everything was very pleasant if a bit rushed, and those were my stumbling blocks.

The story is told in a dual P.O.V. style, in alternating chapters. I don’t know if it was inspired by the character of Ten, who’s young, or the writing, but the narration, particularly in the Ten chapters, has a breezy, chit chatty, almost rushed quality, to the point where, at least in the beginning, the emotions seem to be brushed over or elided. I don’t know. However once Ten & Mads become an item things, narration-wise, settle to a better pace IMO. As I said I liked most of the choices Sean Crisden made except for that initial speed, which to me, seemed to dilute or diminish the real upheaval, conflict, or turmoil the characters are going through. My final point on the audio is that to my ears SCs voice is maybe a bit old for Ten, who’s 22, but then again these are hockey players, “fifteen going on thirty” physique-wise, so take that with a grain of salt.

The Book:

Tennant Rowe is the youngest of three hockey playing Rowe brothers. At 22 he’s looking for a way to get out from under the long shadow of his siblings and the opportunity comes when he gets traded to the Harrisburg Railers, an NHL expansion team, with a still untested roster. What he also gets in Harrisburg is Jared Madsen.

Jared “Mads” Madsen is 32, a former defensive player who due to health issues has transitioned into coaching. He still misses playing but has made the best of his options. He’s also the father of Ryker, a 17 year-old hockey prodigy, product of some youthful experimentation. And yep, he’s bi. I like Jared mucho.

Clearly, from the beginning, the authors meant to write a multivolume series and this first book quite nicely sets up a world of friends, family, coworkers, teammates etc. which I won’t mind revisiting. They’ve also cleverly positioned the story within the margins of quite a few tropes: sports, friend of a sibling, coming out, being bi, family dynamics, size difference (a little bit), and age gap. It’s absolutely not May/December because there’s only 10 (ten) years between our MCs and culturally that isn’t much nowadays, regardless of what Mads thinks.

Overall this is a low-angst and, much to Ten’s chagrin, slow-burn romance. The last time they’d seen each other Ten was 12 and clearly there was nothing, however upon meeting once again there’s a spark of lust which in time morphs into something more.

Save for Mads’ quasi ex father-in-law there are no villains or behind the scenes connivers and I think that fits. Whether they’re more cognizant of acceptable mores or have just grown up in a different world, younger people are less likely to be tripped up by someone’s sexuality. As for owners & management of sports teams they know where the political winds blow. This doesn’t mean that the real downside of coming-out in professional sports is glossed over or candy coated. There are just no hysterics. Just the facts ma’am.

Many of the things I liked about this story are will perhaps put others off. The road from lust to love develops at a believable pace. “I love yous” aren’t bandied about at the drop of a hat or after the first week of lustful eyeing. Those who want a play-by-play of every encounter by the MCs might be disappointed. I wasn’t. There’s quite a bit of sport and it’s very well done. The authors know their hockey, locker room culture, game dynamics, players and their psyche. I liked that the relationship developed over a few months, the pre-season to just over Thanksgiving, and there are other things going on in the MCs lives, besides the romance, that are equally addressed. Mads’ relationship with his son, his son’s grandfather, his conflicting emotions about no longer being able to play, his lust, and eventual love for the younger brother of one of his friends are given pretty much equal time because like in RL things overlap. Ten doesn’t suddenly cease wanting to be first line because he’s also lusting and falling in love with Mads; having the hots for a certain defensive coach doesn’t diminish Ten’s competitive drive or desire to be the best, to win. Ten can love hockey, Mads, having Skype piano-playing sessions with his mom, and evolve his Pokémon beasties at the same time. Real life.

Worry not those who love the smexy times. We have them. True that at first Mads, for valid reasons, limits their interaction to kissing, heavy petting, and some handjobs or frottage, which are plenty hot. Mads is in control but equally gobsmacked by the wonder of Ten, and I was happy that other than getting his son’s opinion, he wasn’t overly hung up on the age difference. Once they’ve reached the end of their respective tethers things get beyond lust to outright romantic, in a non-cloying way:

”Mads kissed me. I blossomed under his mouth and hands. All this time I’d thought I was so experienced and such a top notch lover, but Mads showed me that making love to someone was vastly different from simply fucking someone.”

*Heart eyes*

I can see going on with this series, because though technically it ends in a HEA, there’s lots more to be covered as to where the relationship goes and how things evolve, careerwise, especially for Ten. I know the other books have different MCs but I’m optimistic that in the mix we get more of Mads & Ten. I like them. They complement each other in the best ways.

Giveaway + Release Blitz: Diamond Heart (Cherrywood Grove #2) by M.A. Hinkle

Celebrate the release of Diamond Heart (Cherrywood Grove #2) with author M.A. Hinkle and Indigo Promotions! Find out more about this young adult romance, read an excerpt and enter in the $10 Ninestar Press credit giveaway!

Title: Diamond Heart

Series: Cherrywood Grove, Book Two

Author: M.A. Hinkle

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: February 4, 2019

Heat Level: 1 - No Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 60900

Genre: Contemporary YA, LGBT, contemporary, YA, high school, twins, arts/music/theater, gay, ace, panromantic, gender-bending, learning disability/social anxiety, family drama

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Synopsis

Gareth has a problem. He got expelled. Now he and his twin brother, Morgan, have to start over at an artsy new private school, and it’s all Gareth’s fault. Not to mention Morgan’s crippling social anxiety and Gareth’s resting jerk face aren’t making them any friends, and their father is furious with him. Gareth could live with this, but Morgan’s mad at him too, and Morgan is the only person alive who can make Gareth feel guilty.

Good thing Gareth has a plan. Cute, bubbly Felix, a student at their new school, has a crush on Morgan, and they both want to act in their school’s production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. Gareth figures it’s the perfect way to help Morgan come out of his shell and set him up with Felix. Then, maybe Morgan will forgive him, and Gareth can go back to not caring about anything or anyone.

But Gareth has another problem. He’s been cast as Oberon, and Felix is Titania. Oh, and Morgan doesn’t like Felix back. And maybe Gareth is enjoying the play and making new friends and having a good time at his new school. And maybe—just maybe—he’s got a crush on Felix. Can Gareth keep up his tough-guy act long enough to repair his relationship with Morgan, or will Felix get caught in the fallout of Gareth’s dumb schemes?

Excerpt

Diamond Heart
M.A. Hinkle © 2019
All Rights Reserved

Everything started when I punched a guy in the face, but I only realized this was more than a regular Tuesday once my twin brother Morgan got home from school looking like he’d been hit by a truck.

Not literally. Morgan resembled the guy on the cover of a romance novel—not Fabio, the Twilight knockoffs, where they were angsty instead of buff. Morgan’s hair was always windswept, except when he pulled it back as per the school dress code. While our school had a dress code, at least it was gender neutral, so anyone could wear whatever they wanted as long as their skirt hit below the knee and their hair was kept out of their face.

Morgan’s hair is always kept out of his face, is what I’m saying.

I was hoping word hadn’t gotten around school, but what a stupid hope. Morgan was ashen. I got to my feet. “Morgan—”

He shook his head without changing his expression.

Crap. I tried to stand still as Morgan went through his getting home ritual: shoes placed in a neat straight line next to the door, tie loosened but not taken off, laptop removed from bag, bag hung on the hook next to the empty one where mine belonged. I put my hands behind my back so he wouldn’t see me digging my fingernails into my palm.

Morgan finished and turned to me. I couldn’t read his expression. “So what happened this time?”

I tried to make my mouth work. But for one thing, I had a bad feeling Morgan already knew the answer. For another—

If he didn’t already know, explaining would be impossible. This went deeper than being dumb and teenage and angry. This was about Morgan and his nerves and me protecting him the only way I knew how. If I could explain it out loud, I wouldn’t have been in this mess. I could have talked things out with Warren Beauregard III (really, truly his name in the year of our Lord 2016) the way Sesame Street taught me, and we would sing a song, and everyone would have gone home happy after learning about the letter of the day.

But before I could figure out how to put it into words, my father came downstairs.

My father—excuse me, Dr. Trevor Lewis, PhD and some other fancy letters—was a professor of Welsh literature. He spent most of his time buried in books written in a language barely anyone spoke, writing papers seven other people would read. Whenever he tried to tell me about it, my soul left my body from sheer boredom.

I didn’t see him much. In order to focus on his research, Trevor taught night classes, which meant all the good people working full-time jobs and going through school snored their way through his English 101. Therefore, he was at home while I was in school, and I was at home while he was at school. It worked well. I didn’t have to see him and remember we looked alike and I hated it, and he didn’t have to see me and remember the family disappointment.

“Let’s sit in the parlor, boys.” His voice was cool.

The change of scenery wasn’t for anyone’s comfort; the furniture was so old it doubled as a torture device. Morgan and I took our usual spot on the couch, Trevor in the chair across from us. Morgan chewed on his lower lip. I wanted to do the same, but I also didn’t want Trevor to see he had me over a barrel.

“The principal decided to avail me of a number of things about you, Gareth,” said Trevor, after a long, long minute of staring at me. He still hadn’t raised his voice. “He said you are, in most respects, a brilliant student. A leader in class discussions, consistently high achieving on standardized tests, and well liked by your teachers. I was aware of all of this.”

I did not relax. Before everything else, Trevor was a rhetorician. He was not reassuring me; he was laying out background before he launched into his thesis. According to family legend, when he defended his dissertation, the evaluators only asked one question apiece because his argument about whatever he studied was so watertight.

“What I did not know is you have also been consistently on the verge of expulsion from the moment you started high school. I don’t see the point of going into detail of the reasons. I’m sure you’re aware—swearing, uniform violations, lashing out at other students.”

The expulsion part was news to me, which was not going to help my case.

Trevor waited, not to see if I wanted to respond. He was pausing for effect. “And it has only been by the grace of the aforementioned good qualities and my not inconsiderable donations to your school that you have not been run out for conduct unbecoming a member of their academy.”

I bit my tongue. Literally. It hurt. Sometimes, I appreciated Trevor’s frankness. Take when he talked about college. He always said, “I expect both of you to attend either the school where I teach or the University of Wisconsin, unless you get into an Ivy League college.” It might sound controlling, but I knew exactly where I stood with him—in the garbage.

“You’re getting kicked out?” Morgan asked, as though I should have led with it when he came in the door.

“I guess, but I just found out too.” I didn’t even know my school expelled people. Then again, I was the only kid ever written up for fighting on school grounds.

Morgan stiffened like we were going over the first drop on a roller coaster, only there was no track at the bottom to catch us. “I can’t stay there by myself.”

Now that was news to me. Among other things, Morgan was valedictorian, first chair violinist in orchestra, and student council secretary. (He’d be president, but then he’d have to talk.) All the teachers thought he was God’s gift to academia, and he’d been fielding college recruiters since we were in eighth grade. And everybody adored Morgan. Girls wanted to bang him, guys wanted to be him/possibly also bang him, nonbinary people high-fived him, et cetera. I wasn’t exactly an outcast, but I wasn’t anyone’s first choice for gym, either.

Trevor’s expression was unreadable. Behind his glasses, his eyes were the color of a freezing winter sky. My father had never been cuddly, but he used to talk to us more, before my mom killed herself four years ago. Suicide should have been the low point, but things only went downhill in our family from there. After the funeral ended and all the flowers were thrown away, we never talked about her again. I hadn’t bothered trying, but Morgan had, and Trevor dismissed him. Not in so many words, maybe, but we got the hint.

Anyway, as long as Morgan was calm and under control, he and Trevor had long and involved conversations about books and crap. But the second Morgan faced something more complicated than precalculus, Trevor was out the door faster than blinking, leaving Morgan alone with his deep-breathing exercises. And me. I always cleaned up the mess, whether or not I made it.

To be fair, I usually made it.

I got to my feet, one hand clenched in a fist. I wasn’t going to hit Trevor—no use. It wouldn’t get a rise out of him. But the pain helped me concentrate so my voice would come out calmly, the same way it did at fancy dinner parties when one of Trevor’s too-rich friends asked me a question that drove me up a wall. I knew Morgan hadn’t meant to say anything out loud, nor would he appreciate it if I answered him right now. So I put on my best Trevor face and pretended Morgan wasn’t hyperventilating beside me. “Well, this is all pretty shitty. When do I find out?”

Trevor’s expression hadn’t changed an inch; he might have been staring at one of the insipid paintings hung on the wall. “You’ve been suspended for the rest of the week while they decide. In the meantime, I suggest you research alternative options. I have enough work preparing for midterms.”

I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to taste blood so I wouldn’t answer. Morgan was about ready to barf all over the fancy Persian rug, but he almost always was. I couldn’t tell if it was worse than usual.

“You wanna help me search?” I asked. If I didn’t give Morgan some kind of out, he would sit there until the end of time, caught in his own head.

Morgan stood, jerkily. He nodded at Trevor and followed me upstairs.

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Meet the Author

M.A. Hinkle swears a lot and makes jokes at inappropriate times, so she writes about characters who do the same thing. She’s also worked as an editor and proofreader for the last eight years, critiquing everything from graduate school applications to romance novels.

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Tag Team Review: A Soldier's Wish (The Christmas Angel #5) by N.R. Walker

The year is 1969…

Gary Fairchild is proud to be a hippie college student, and he protests the Vietnam War because he believes in love and peace. To him, it isn’t just a counterculture movement—it’s a way of life. When tickets to the Aquarium Exposition—3 Days of Peace & Music, or Woodstock, as it was better known, go on sale, there’s no way he isn’t going.

Richard Ronsman is a sheltered farm boy who lives in the shadow of his overbearing father. He’s hidden his darkest secret to earn his father’s love, but nothing is ever good enough—not even volunteering for the Vietnam War. And with just a few days left before he’s deployed, a striking hippie invites him to join them at a music festival.

Three days of music, drugs, rain, mud, and love forged a bond between these two very different men that would shape the rest of their lives. They share dreams and fears, and when Richard is shipped off to war, they share letters and love. For Richard’s first Christmas home, he is gifted a special angel ornament that just might make a soldier’s wish come true.

Average

R *A Reader Obsessed* - 3.5 Hearts

I’m a huge fan of NR Walker, but this wasn’t my favorite. Don’t fret though, this was still extremely well written and of course, very romantic and smexy!

Though I’ve become a bigger fan of historicals this year, apparently I’m fickle and the time period just didn’t capture me as much. Throw in the horrors of war, terribly awful bigoted parents, and the enjoyment factor for me was decreased.

Unlike Christmas Angel and Summerfield’s Angel, the magical whimsy of said angel has diminished steadily in this series, and I honestly miss the fantastical theme of it all. Don’t listen to me though, and please go read any of the glowing reviews out there singing this book’s praises because Walker really is a fantastic writer. I’m the odd man out here, defective in my lack of Christmas cheer for this story.

Chelsea - 4 Hearts

This was the most fluffy lovey-dovey story of the series so far, which is very appropriate being set in the era of sex, drugs and acoustic guitars.

This story is set within a few years during the Vietnam war and despite its heavy themes the love story is as sweet as dancing naked in the rain.

Gary and Richard meet 3 days before Richard is due to fly out to Vietnam, they're connection is instant and they both continue to write to each other while Richard is away. During these letters they fall in love and make promises of a future together when the war is over.

Richard is a broken man, before and after the war. He's lived his whole life in denial about his sexuality due to living with conservative homophobic parents, then the war comes and breaks him even more but despite all of this he is so positive. It might be his naive look on life or his hope for a better world, but he always shines when Gary is around and doesn't hesitate to look at the positive side in every situation.

Gary certainly helps with all this positivity, he is all hippie; happy, relaxed but strong and determined to stand by Richard through everything.

This story was definitely steamer than its predecessors in the series which was great to read. The angel was also completely irrelevant and felt like an afterthought, but that didn't really matter as the angel is hardly the reason I'm reading this series.

Super sweet story with a nice side of steam! Definitely recommend it!

Tag Team Review: Love and Lint Rollers by Kaje Harper

Even with six beloved cats at home, Thom Fletcher can't help opening his heart to a little injured stray he finds at Pride. Luckily, the generosity of the veterinarian who helps him means he doesn't have to open his wallet. Thom's budget is stretched pretty thin, between his struggling start-up and medical expenses for his Crohn's disease, so the free cat care helps a lot. Thom may have fallen for the little feline, but he's also intrigued by the attractive vet in the bi-pride bracelet.

Dean Edwards went to Pride with his colors on his wrist, hoping to find community after his divorce. Instead, he's pulled into a cat rescue by an appealing man. Dean likes Thom's kindness to strays, his blue-gray eyes, his intelligence, and his perspective from decades as an out gay man. Maybe with Thom, Dean will finally feel able to explore his long-neglected attraction to men.

They're not a perfect match. From Dean's cat-hating dog to Thom's chronic health issues and preferences in bed, going from a casual date to something more will be a challenge for both of them.

Average

Annika - 3.5 Hearts

It all started with Pride, and a kitten stuck in a tin can.. Cat lover Thom and veterinarian Dean join forces to rescue the little critter. It seemed like a match made in heaven, but their relationship isn't as easy as one might think.

There was one thing that I really loved with this book, and that was that one of the main characters, Thom, was suffering from a chronic illness, Crohn's disease. You don't come across that in books. Sure you get the cancers, the HIV, and the mental illnesses - but stuff like Crohn's? Never. Or at least that has been my experience. So finding this book made me happy.

Suffering from a chronic illness myself (daily and never-ending migraines) I could relate so much to Thom and his struggles. The constant planning, the thinking "if I do this, I can't do that" or the "I wish I could do that. Always needing strategies for each and every thing that you do, for every trip - even something as basic as going to the store to buy some food. So while I don't have Crohn's, I can relate too many of Thom's struggles and I think that the way Ms. Harper handled it all was very well done. I can only thank her for including a character with this kind of major "flaw", because I for one is fed up with reading about picture perfect characters. Give me a real story any day of the week.

That being said, I truly wanted to love this story. It had all the ingredients for a cute story but with a lot of depth. To me, that's not really what we got. My wish was that the main focus would be on the relationship between Thom and Dean. Sadly that ended up in the backseat and all things cat and Crohn's kind of took over. Now I know I just said that I loved the fact that Thom had Crohn's, and that's still true. But it took over a bit too much of the story. I'm the first one to admit how much an illness like that can rule your life - and the lives of your loved ones. But I still feel that Dean was forgotten, he never really got much on page time or the chance to shine. His Dreams and wishes were kind of swept under the rug as if he didn't matter as much, it made the book feel a little off balance.

Then there was the cats. The many, many cats, the care of the cats and the cat stories. Thom might have been the male version of a cat lady, basically living for his cats (pre Dean), but at time it felt like they had more space in this story than Dean had. I'm a huge animal lover and love as many fluffy cuddles I can get, but I still think that the main character should feel more important than the cats...

This might not have been the hit I anticipated, but I'm still glad I read it. I'm even more grateful to Harper for writing it - we definitely need more stories like this, especially in a world where the perfect outside seems to matter more than what is on the inside.


Ann - 4.5 Hearts

I seem to always say this, but it’s a refreshing treat to read a story about two men, more on the mature side, finding their places with life and one another, and this is exactly what Love and Lint Rollers has going for it. It’s a character (and pet) driven romance and these men have histories and maturity behind them giving their characters a level of depth that was much appreciated and so interesting.

Thom has been living with Crohn’s disease for many years and has come to uneasy terms with it as a single man, but can’t imagine a partner ever having the patience and tolerance to deal with it as well. He has his kit kats and besties to keep him company, but it’s not the same as having a life partner to share your world with, so Thom’s loneliness is almost palpable.

Dean is a recently divorced veterinarian who identifies, privately, as bisexual. He’s been married to a woman for years and while she knew, he never thought his orientation was relevant to anyone else so he’s always kept that part of himself hidden, until now. He doesn’t have any grand plans to come out, but he’s definitely keeping his options open for future romances.

So, the dynamics were pretty interesting from the beginning once Thom and Dean had their meet-cute via Pride and a homeless kitten. If you’re a pet lover, and more specifically a cat lover, than this story is your catnip. Anywho . . . what comes next is my favorite part of the book, Thom and Dean just spend time together, getting to know and appreciate one another and I loved it. The organic ups and downs they went through made me root for them individually and as a couple.

Thom and Dean had to navigate a lot of realistic obstacles and there was the potential for a lot of angst, which, thankfully, was absent. I think that’s why I find older characters refreshing, they are over the angst BS and deal with life like adults. They also have a higher sense of self preservation so things move more slowly which I love when it’s as good as it is in this story. I’m obviously generalizing with the mature characters thing, but it was definitely true here.

Thom’s chronic health problems affect his feelings and preferences about sex and with good reason. It was sad that he felt that would keep him alone, but in the end of the day, this story is a romance and Dean is definitely Thom’s other half when it comes to compatibility. And sweet mother of all that is holy, the compatibility of these two is smokin’!

Thom has trouble believing Dean can be as in to him as Thom is in to Dean and Dean has to deal with coming out to his coworkers, family and friends. It’s not easy and the biphobia and bi-erasure he goes through is heartbreaking and frustrating.

There was no magic answer to every issue, but by the end there was a solid and believable relationship between two deserving men.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: In His Sights by L.A. Bryce

Author L.A. Bryce and Signal Boost Promotions celebrate the release of In His Sights! Learn more about the romantic suspense and enter in the Kindle Fire HD 10 giveaway!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | JMS Books

Publisher: JMS Books

Length: 104,000 words approx.

Blurb

Meet two men who need each other’s help but don’t realize it until it’s almost too late.


Noah is gay and terrified someone might find out. So much so that when he was blackmailed with pictures of himself with another man, instead of coming clean, he left his SEAL team without a word.


The other man is openly gay Mason, a former Marine and now part of the FBI’s Joint Terrorist Task force. It takes eight years after their first meeting in the desert for a chance event bring the two men together again. Now Noah must decide if he’s ready to accept who he is or if it’s easier to cut and run. Can they navigate the obstacles in their path to build a relationship? And why does the thought of that scare them more than investigating a group of terrorists?


Excerpt



Nausea racked his body again, but this time Mason couldn’t ignore it. He jumped up and ran to the bathroom. He made it just in time. Puking his guts out with a raging headache was the last thing he wanted to be doing, but he wasn’t given much of a choice. Every time his thoughts went back to what had happened, he ended up perched over the toilet. It hadn’t taken long for all the ingredients in his stomach to be lost to the porcelain gods, followed by the dry heaves that kept him in a bent over position. As he wallowed in self-pity, he heard something that had him standing straight, positioned ready to fight. Someone was in his house.

His hand moved to his holster, but it wasn’t there. Dammit. He looked toward his closet, then at his bedroom door that now hung partially open. If he went to get his gun and anyone came down the hall, they’d have a clear shot at him at his safe. He couldn’t risk it. He needed to be on the offensive. He looked around the room to see if he could find a weapon. Shit. It wasn’t the best, but it’d have to do. He picked up the plunger from behind the toilet. He’d use the rubber part as a grip.

His abdomen cramped as he moved. He took a deep breath and held the air in for a second. The pain subsided. He crept to the door, sliding it open enough to secure a better view out. He hadn’t spotted anyone or anything that appeared out of the ordinary. But right then, whoever invaded his home made their presence known. Mason couldn’t believe the intruder hadn’t heard Mason puking up his guts. But the fact they weren’t trying to stay quiet said they thought they were alone.

Mason slipped out of the bedroom door. He held still, checking if his opening the door wider had alerted anyone to his presence. Reassured he had gone unnoticed, he continued to the end of the hall. Once there, he peered into the living room. The area stood empty, and again, nothing seemed out of place. He paused to listen, all his senses on alert. The noise came from the kitchen. Mason tiptoed toward the room. Once at the door, he stopped dead. He could see the person’s shadow. But that’s not what made him stop. What rendered Mason immobile was the fact the culprit in his kitchen was now singing. Singing. What the fuck? Rob a house, sing a song? It hadn’t made sense. He hadn’t cared. Again, he took a step and froze waiting until the shadow got closer -- then he attacked -- slamming the wooden stick toward the head of the intruder. He came in contact with skin and bone and the wooden handle broke and fell to the floor. The man shouted, and Mason recognized the voice. His stomach roiled and nausea burned the back of his throat.

Instead of running for the bathroom, he opened up the French doors and ran outside. He made it to the grass just in time. It surprised Mason that something actually came out, but before long he was back to the dry heaves, his stomach cramping. Before realizing Noah had moved, he stood outside next to Mason. Noah placed his hand on Mason’s back and rubbed, and Mason body went rigid. What the hell was he doing there? Why couldn’t Mason remember? Part of him wanted to know, and the other wanted Noah to just leave. Mason knew that thought was bullshit before it fully formed. Deep down, he was glad Noah was there, no matter the reason.

Mason pushed himself up, closing his eyes while the blood rushed to the rest of his body. Cinderblocks crushed down on his head. Noah helped hold him up. Mason wanted to shake Noah’s grip off. But he also wanted to grab it and wrap it around himself. Mason stayed still and did neither.

About The Author

LA writes m/m romance with a splash of suspense. She loves her men to work hard, play hard and love hard. It doesn’t matter what their walk of life, although she has a special place in her heart for Military heroes, those that put their life on the line every day to keep us safe, trouble always seems to find them—whether it’s a homicidal maniac, someone with a grudge against the country, or an ex who’s seeking out revenge—LA’s guys aren’t always faced with just fighting for love, they often have to fight for their lives.

LA has always lived in the North East and has recently stretched her boundaries and moved further North—the more relaxed life style giving her more time to write—in theory anyway.

Among the things she loves besides writing and her family are her friends, those she writes with and those she writes about, reading, games (the kind with boards, not in love), playing poker, her dogs, Nutella and Bok Choy, and of course, the men and women from the Military, past and present, who keep us safe.

When she finds herself stuck at the keyboard, her fingers refusing to move, her characters refusing to talk, she likes to take a break, blast some music, and dance like no one is watching her or sing her heart out into her hairbrush microphone.

She’s living her happily ever after and wants the same for all her characters. LA believes love comes in all different packages and each should be wrapped in a ribbon and cherished.

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Tag Team Review: Any Old Diamonds (Lilywhite Boys #1) by K.J. Charles

Lord Alexander Pyne-ffoulkes is the younger son of the Duke of Ilvar, with a bitter grudge against his wealthy father. The Duke intends to give his Duchess a priceless diamond parure on their wedding anniversary—so Alec hires a pair of jewel thieves to steal it.

The Duke's remote castle is a difficult target, and Alec needs a way to get the thieves in. Soldier-turned-criminal Jerry Crozier has the answer: he'll pose as a Society gentleman and become Alec's new best friend.

But Jerry is a dangerous man: controlling, remote, and devastating. He effortlessly teases out the lonely young nobleman’s most secret desires, and soon he’s got Alec in his bed—and the palm of his hand.

Or maybe not. Because as the plot thickens, betrayals, secrets, new loves, and old evils come to light. Now the jewel thief and the aristocrat must keep up the pretence, find their way through a maze of privilege and deceit, and confront the truth of what's between them...all without getting caught.

3.875 Heart average

Adam - 3.75 hearts

The blurb had me practically salivating. Family drama, crime, Victorian aristocracy, contempt for said aristocracy, two very mismatched characters, and a hint of kink.

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this!

The book introduces readers to someone who should be one of Victorian Britain’s most privileged individuals - Lord Alexander Pyne-ffoulkes, i.e. Alec, the younger son of the Duke of Ilvar.

But Alec, living in a rundown apartment as a struggling illustrator, is far from a young noble living the high life. And there’s little love lost between himself and his ducal father.

I was rooting for Alec from the start. He’s shy and bookish, but had a strong sense of purpose and the grit to back it up. And his grudge against his father isn’t based on greed.

That grudge brings him to Jerry Crozier - one of the infamous Lillywhite Boys. Jerry has spent his life relieving the rich of their sparkly possessions, and the chance to get the Ilvar jewels is an opportunity he can’t pass up.

He’s also not opposed to possessing young Alec along the way.

What I liked most about Jerry is that he makes no apologies. He’s a thief and without compunction, and makes sure Alec knows what the deal is.

The two men are pulled together from the start. Alec’s attracted to the dangerous callous man, and Jerry wants to take ruin that naive innocence.

And Alec was all on board for being ruined. These two were hot. Alec submits so sweetly, and Jerry’s just the right amount of cruel yet giving. And Alec loves every second of it.

Their affair plays out against the backdrop of an elaborate crime. I really enjoyed the entire plot. I don’t want to reveal anything, but the way the crime plays out definitely threw me for a loop.

It was a fun ride, with the family drama making it more so.

My only complaint - I’d have liked Jerry and Alec to talk about what they wanted earlier on. Granted, the situation wasn’t conducive to them talking about their feelings, but the big talk didn’t happen until right at the end.

Even so, there’s no denying that these two just get each other and belong together. Jerry sees Alec’s inner strength, and Alec sees past Jerry’s rough edges.

‘Any Old Diamonds’ is a classic KJ Charles read, and hits all a lot of high notes. Recommended if you’re looking for an MM historical romance!


Lost in a Book - 4 Hearts

There’s something so comforting about a K.J. Charles historical romance. Well, as comforting as intrigue, murder, jewel thieves, and filial retribution can be...which for me is as effective as a cozy blanket and a mug of hot chocolate. #content

Lord Alexander has harbored rage for years after his family was turned away by his father, Duke Ilvar. The Duke and Duchess remain quite wealthy while their children live in poverty. With their anniversary coming soon, the Duke has commissioned a diamond parure for his wife and Lord Alexander (Alec) hires renowned jewel thieves to steal it.

Jewel thief, Jerry Crozier is unapologetic about his profession and instructs Alec that he must get in the good graces of the Duke and his wife. This is a really tough pill to swallow for Alec who has to alienate important people in his life to see the mission through. Part of the mission requires Jerry and Lord Alexander to become the very best of friends. The benefits they discover and partake in are strictly a bonus.

Jerry is harsh and doesn’t sugarcoat his past nor what he expects out of the present/future. Alec is independent but craves someone to take control in the bedroom (Jerry was good at doing control type things and let’s just say I was here for it). I do wish Jerry and Alec had more getting to know you moments instead of always hopping on the orgasm train... which isn’t totally a complaint but I wanted more. I could *see* some subtle moments during those intimate times, moving them closer together. Yet, I would have definitely welcomed more relational development.

The plot has a lot of moving pieces and I really like all the ground work that has to be laid in order to pull off the heist. There are lots of twists and turns along the way.

Holy plot twist Batman. I also enjoyed the mentions of the Vanes and Cirencester from the Society series. Any Old Diamonds is not a touchy feely romance. It’s sexy, entertaining, gruesome, and suspenseful, with plot twists around every bend. Recommended.

Book Blitz, Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Hot Wire Series by Kat Cassidy

Author Kat Cassidy and Signal Boost Promotions are jammed pack with goodies today! Learn more about the Hot Wire series through today's blitz for Night Moves (book #1) and the cover reveal for Backstreets (book #2)! Enter in the Night Moves eBook giveaway today!



Hot Wire Series

Book #1 - Night Moves - OUT NOW - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 43,000 words approx.

Book #2 - Backstreets - OUT MARCH 7 - Amazon US | Amazon UK (Pre-Order)

Length: 48,000 words approx.

Night Moves

“He’ll steal your heart and then your car.”

Peter Bauer is a career car thief with more skeletons in his closet than four-figure suits. Nikos Petrakis is a mechanic who's found himself on the wrong side of the law because of a secret of his own. Brought together by circumstance and a '65 Shelby Cobra, they'll have to navigate L.A.'s seedy underbelly in the sweet with heat world of Hot Wire.

Night Moves has been nominated for the Goodreads M/M Romance Members’ Choice Awards Best of 2018 for both Best Debut Book and Best Main Character. It contains themes of crime, suspense, family drama, hurt/comfort, dark humor, addiction, and abuse. Rated M for mature.

Backstreets 

“Where there’s nothing to gain and everything to lose.”

It’s modest, but after a lifetime spent barely holding on, former car thief Peter Bauer is proud of what he’s managed to achieve. He’s got a legal, legitimate job as a mechanic, a firm grasp on his addictions, and a steady relationship with Nikos Petrakis—stable, handsome, and recently widowed. Nothing is going to upset that, not the ever-present memory of Nik's wife, not the claustrophobia Peter is starting to feel trapped in domestic bliss, not even the sudden reappearance of Peter's ex—the sexy and dangerous Stavros Giannopoulos.

But when Nik's daughter goes missing, Peter will be forced back into the seedy underbelly of the LA crime world, where anything goes. Can his and Nik's relationship survive? Can Peter?

Backstreets is the second book in Kat Cassidy’s Hot Wire series which contains themes of crime, suspense, family drama, hurt/comfort, dark humor, addiction, and abuse. It should not be read as a standalone.

About The Author

Kat Cassidy is a romance novelist. She’s a dreamer, a schemer and, above all else, a believer in true love. She lives in Canada with her husband and her lovable mutt, and she likes loud guitars and strong IPAs.

Her debut novel, Night Moves, has been nominated for the Goodreads M/M Romance Members’ Choice Awards Best of 2018 for both Best Debut Book and Best Main Character.

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Blog Tour + Giveaway: Inside Out (Road to Blissville) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Author Aimee Nicole Walker and Vibrant Promotions visit on the Inside Out (Road to Blissville) blog tour! Learn more about the latest romance from the popular series and enter in the $5 Amazon gift card giveaway!

INSIDE OUT

A ROAD TO BLISSVILLE NOVEL

AIMEE NICOLE WALKER

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 01.14.19

COVER ARTIST: Jay Aheer/Simply Defined Art

BLURB

Romeo Bradly and Julius Shepherd moved to Blissville for the same reason: a fresh start. Romeo was looking for a school district where he could make a real impact in the lives of students and faculty, and Julius was eager to teach one of his passions to the best and brightest at a school with a nationally ranked science program. But the sleepy little town offered them much more than they’d bargained for—quirky people, unlikely friendships, and an all-consuming attraction that turns them inside out.

When unexpected circumstances threaten to cancel the school play, Romeo’s theater background and Julius’s musical expertise make them the perfect pair to save the day. Working together so closely makes it harder for the men to ignore their growing feelings. After all, the heart knows what it wants and doesn’t care about age gaps, race, or a professional conflict of interest. Romeo and Julius will learn that they have far more in common than they realize, and their differences will make them stronger if they give love a chance.

Their commitment to each other and the play will be tested when outside forces target them as a couple and exert pressure to cancel the production. Romeo and Julius vow to prove their love can conquer any challenge and will burn strong well beyond the curtain call.

Inside Out is a whimsical, May/December romance featuring a man learning to love again and a man falling in love for the first time. It is the sixth book in the Road to Blissville series and can be read as a standalone book or part of the series. This book contains sexually explicit material and is intended for adults 18 and older.

Buy Link: http://mybook.to/Inside_Out

EXCERPT

It was nearly impossible to keep from checking the clock after receiving the text from Rome that he was on his way back to Blissville. I tried watching the football games on TV, but I couldn’t tell you the score or even who was playing. I also kept my ears tuned for the sound of his car pulling up outside.

The apartment I rented was above a garage and could only be accessed by walking through it, which might make many feel like they were trespassing. Wren did keep a classic car in the garage below and a ton of tools, so I was always cautious to keep the door locked. When I finally heard Rome’s car pull into the driveway and stop beside my car, I jogged down the steps and opened the outside door.

“Hey,” I said when he and Dolly reached me.

“Hey yourself,” he said warmly. I could see how badly he wanted to kiss me, so I stepped closer and met him halfway. I didn’t want there to be any hesitation between us unless we were in a place where PDA wouldn’t be appreciated.

“I wasn’t sure if I should kiss you in open view of Dare and Wren’s house,” he said, staring at my lips. “They might not be watching.” I moved until my lips were just a breath away. If he wanted me, he would need to come and get me. “Then again, they could have the binoculars out.”

I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I'm a girly tomboy

who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees.

I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever-after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.

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Review: Heartache & Hoofbeats (Stallion Ridge #1) by Maz Maddox

Like all centaur shifters, Sheriff Calhoun is the epitome of honor. He protects his small town of Stallion Ridge and its people from any threat large or small.

When word comes in that the notorious Iron Bandits are making a play for a train in his territory he’s both livid and invigorated. If anyone can bring these thieves to justice it’s him and his crew.

What he did not expect was having a charming, whiskey-eyed outlaw dumped in his lap that challenged everything he thought he knew.

Good ole western fun, full of bad guys and stand offs and a lawman with a heart of gold and a criminal with the best intentions.

Centaur Sheriff Cal takes pride in upholding the law, so it’s no surprise when he and his fellow deputies interrupt a train robbery. Their prize? Jesse, who claims he’s just a transient helper to the notorious Iron Bandits and not an active participant ever, in the murder of many innocents.

However, the sheriff only sees guilt by association despite Jesse’s noble reasons for robbing the rich, and Cal has no choice but to alert the higher authorities that he has one of their most wanted. While waiting for a verdict, Jesse isn’t going to take his dire situation lying down. What ensues is a push pull that’s full of goading, teasing, manipulating, all of which slowly changes shared disdain to lust to actual feelings.

So expect some pretty darn hot UST which eventually, very nicely morphs into some pretty darn hot smexy. Um, human with centaur proportions anyone?? You know exactly what I’m saying...

Overall, the banter and the back and forth between Jesse and Cal (and all the other characters) were entertaining fun as Jesse knows just how to push everyone’s buttons and gets himself into quite the hairy situations. Throw in some angsty background for both Jesse and Cal, and they connect on their mutual hurts and long for some mutual comfort.

Thus, if you like fantastical creatures (that also include various shape shifters, a merman, and a Minotaur) with your realistic settings, mixed with the wild wild west, then I think this will suit your fancy!


Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.