Hiya guys! We have Cardeno C. popping in today with the tour for her new release Smitty’s Sheriff, we have a great new excerpt and Prime’s reviews for all three Hope books so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Smitty’s Sheriff
Cardeno C.
Todd is too flakey. Richard is too stubborn. Together, they’re perfect. A May-December couple get a second chance at love.
Retired soldier Richard Davis wants a stable life in a quiet town with a forever man. Becoming the sheriff of Hope, Arizona, accomplishes two of his three goals, but instead of finding a serious partner, he falls for too-young-to-be-committed and too-flakey-to-be-serious Todd Smitty. Richard won’t find the right man if he’s obsessed with the wrong one, so he walks away from Todd.
It’s lust at first sight when Todd meets his sister’s army friend. He sets his sights on the worldly, strong, stable older man, and the more time he spends with Richard, the harder he falls. But after three years together, Richard cuts off all contact with no explanation.
When a mutual obligation requires Todd to move into Richard’s house, he’s thrilled at the opportunity to earn a second chance. Ignoring Todd from across town was hard enough. Can Richard resist temptation under his own roof?
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Excerpt!
“Todd.” Leanne snapped her gaze toward him. “You’re not too young to know the nickname people used to call guys named Richard, are you?
“Uh.” Todd blinked and darted his gaze between Rich and Leanne. They were finally paying attention to him and all he wanted was to go back to being invisible.
“Dick,” she said. “Big D got his nickname before we met, but some of us in my squad figured it wasn’t just about his last name being Davis. So we had a bet going.”
She flicked her gaze to Rich again, as if expecting him to interrupt.
He didn’t.
“Problem is, we couldn’t agree on which side won because we couldn’t get solid evidence.” She focused on Todd. “But now I have an eyewitness.”
“I, uh, I don’t—” Todd stammered, hating being in the middle of what felt like an argument.
“Don’t let Sparky get to you,” Rich said, still completely unbothered.
“Some of the guys saw Big D in the latrines, and they said he’s big all over, but when they tried to collect on the bet, the other side made a good point.” She narrowed her eyes menacingly at Rich. “If the man’s a show-er, that means he isn’t grow-er, so he doesn’t actually have a big D, now does he? That means the other side should win.”
Todd drew his eyebrows together and tried to follow Leanne’s question. “Are you saying you guys have a bet going on the size of Rich’s dick?”
“Yep.” Leanne leaned against the chairback, looking smug. “And you, little brother, are going to settle that bet.”
Normally, Todd had no problem talking about a guy’s package. Hell, in the right situation, dicks were damn near his favorite topic. But he had never spoken to anyone about Rich’s body or, really, anything else related to Rich because he knew that was off limits. Of course, Leanne was asking him the question because she already knew he had the answer.
Flicking his gaze toward Rich, Todd said, “Am I allowed to…”
“It’s a simple question,” Leanne snapped. “Is he a grow-er or a show-er?”
Rich didn’t tell him to stay quiet so Todd figured he had permission to answer. “Both.”
She blinked.
“Seriously.” He bobbed his head. “Length, girth.” He held his hands far apart. “It’s awesome.” As long as he had permission to share, he figured he should be thorough in his explanation. “His balls too.”
Leanne coughed.
“I mean it. They’re huge. Each one’s a mouthful by itself.”
“Ehm.” Leanne cleared her throat. “Thanks.” Looking decidedly uncomfortable, she held her palm up in a stop motion. “I’m good on the details. You don’t need to keep going.”
“Are you sure?” After a lifetime of being the butt of the joke with his siblings, Todd enjoyed turning the table. “I can sketch you a picture, but I’ll need one of those extra-long pieces of paper if you want it to scale.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Leanne actually blushed. “I’m all set.”
Rich threw his head back and laughed. “Thanks, Todd. Eighteen years these jackasses have had the silly bet going and I do believe you just put it to rest.”
Thrilled with the praise and relieved to be playing and flirting with Rich again, Todd smiled broadly. “No problem. When it comes to your big D, I’m always willing to lend a hand.”
He settled into the chair, comfortable for the first time that night, and when the conversation turned back to stories about people he didn’t know, he truly didn’t mind. Eighteen years was a long time. If Rich had cared about putting an end to the bet, he’d probably had a dozen different chances. That he did it now, meant his goal had been less about the bet and more about a point. Todd knew something about Rich that nobody else did, or at least nobody who mattered enough to meet his friends. That meant Todd mattered. Leanne knew that now. And so did he.
Hope series!
McFarland’s Farm
Quiet but lonely Jared has to decide how much of himself he’s willing to risk to keep party-boy Lucas.
Wealthy, attractive Lucas Reika treats life like a party, moving from bar to bar and man to man. Thumbing his nose at his restaurateur father’s demand that he earn his keep, Lucas instead seduces a valued employee in the kitchen of their flagship restaurant, earning himself an ultimatum: lose access to his father’s money or stay in the middle of nowhere with a man he has secretly lusted over from afar.
Quiet, hard-working Jared McFarland loves his farm on the outskirts of Hope, Arizona, but he aches to have someone to come home to at the end of the day. Jared agrees to take in his longtime crush as a favor. But when Lucas invades his heart in addition to his space, Jared has to decide how much of himself he’s willing to risk and figure out if he can offer Lucas enough to keep him after his father’s punishment is over.
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Jessie’s Diner
Two men with a shared history and a mutual attraction must be honest with themselves and each other so both their dreams come true.
Quiet, unassuming Tanner Sellers spends his time running a diner in Hope, Arizona. Not particularly social, twenty-two-year-old Tanner keeps to himself and enjoys his simple life, but he longs for someone to call his own. In his most secret fantasy, that someone is sexy Steve Faus. But Steve is his friend’s father and mentor’s widower and therefore off-limits.
Despite some challenges, thirty-nine-year-old Steve Faus has had a good life. He’s extremely successful at work, has a great relationship with his college-age son, and lives in a wonderful town. Eighteen months after losing his partner, the one thing Steve lacks is someone to share his life. If Steve is honest with himself, that someone is the young man he has known and cared about for years. Steve and Tanner want one another, all they need is a little push in the right direction to make both their dreams come true.
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About Cardeno C.
Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever- after sunset.
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Review
Title: MacFarland’s Farm
Series: Hope #1
Author: Cardeno C
Genre: Contemporary, May-December
Length: Novella (26K words)
Publisher: The Romance Authors LLC (10 Sept 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Blurb: Wealthy, attractive Lucas Reika treats life like a party, moving from bar to bar and man to man. Thumbing his nose at his restaurateur father’s demand that he earn his keep, Lucas instead seduces a valued employee in the kitchen of their flagship restaurant, earning himself an ultimatum: lose access to his father’s money or stay in the middle of nowhere with a man he has secretly lusted over from afar.
Quiet, hard-working Jared McFarland loves his farm on the outskirts of Hope, Arizona, but he aches to have someone to come home to at the end of the day. Jared agrees to take in his longtime crush as a favor. But when Lucas invades his heart in addition to his space, Jared has to decide how much of himself he’s willing to risk and figure out if he can offer Lucas enough to keep him after his father’s punishment is over.
ASIN: 978-1-942184-00-3
Product Link: http://cardenoc.com/en/book/mcfarlandsfarm
Reviewer: Prime
Review: Cardeno C’s Hope series is for those of us who don’t mind reading a sweet May-December romance. I love a book that doesn’t make a big deal about an age gap, I mean after reading some May-December books it’s laughable when some books make a big deal out of 5 years difference. But that’s another rant for another time.
I’ve read Cardeno C in the past, but is still one of those authors I judge by the books as they come. However, in saying that, I’ve read the second book in the Hope Series, Jesse’s Diner, when it was released a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. Although I have read the series out of order, I recommend reading the series in its proper order to get a full feel on the characters. Between each book we get to meet our upcoming heroes as well as catch up with our old friends.
MacFarland’s Farm is about Jared and Lucas. Jared is a quiet guy who works hard on his land but is in real need of help, not that he is looking for any help. He’s open about his sexuality, but does not advertise and is still close friends with ex-wife and deeply respects his ex-father-in-law.
Then there is Lucas, he has been spoiled his entire life by his father. His father, who was widowed, worked hard to make a lot of money to provide for his kids. The problem is, Lucas is 24, barely finished college over 5 years and thinks that life is party. He also assumes that his father’s money is his. Things come to a head when Lucas is caught in a compromising situation. His father and sister decide that the best way for Lucas to learn responsibility is to go to the town of Hope in Arizona and work for his ex-brother-in-law.
The problem is that 1) Lucas needs a massive attitude adjustment before he can grow up, and, 2) they guys are attracted to each other.
Look, Lucas is unlikable in the beginning but Cardeno C weaves magic and Lucas becomes a relatable character. The guys work well together although I was disappointed that the chemistry wasn’t exploding off the page. This is a sweet romance and part of me just wanted there to be more!
Title: Jesse’s Diner
Series: Hope, #2
Author: Cardeno C.
Genre: Contemporary, May-December
Length: Novella (112 pages)
Publisher: The Romance Authors, LLC (29 Sept 2015)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
Blurb: Two men with a shared history and a mutual attraction must be honest with themselves and each other so both their dreams come true.
Quiet, unassuming Tanner Sellers spends his time running a diner in Hope, Arizona. Not particularly social, twenty-two-year-old Tanner keeps to himself and enjoys his simple life, but he longs for someone to call his own. In his most secret fantasy, that someone is sexy Steve Faus. But Steve is his friend’s father and mentor’s widower and therefore off-limits.
Despite some challenges, thirty-nine-year-old Steve Faus has had a good life. He’s extremely successful at work, has a great relationship with his college-age son, and lives in a wonderful town. Eighteen months after losing his partner, the one thing Steve lacks is someone to share his life. If Steve is honest with himself, that someone is the young man he has known and cared about for years. Steve and Tanner want one another. All they need is a little push in the right direction to make both their dreams come true.
ISBN: 9781942184331
Product Link: http://cardenoc.com/en/book/jessesdiner
Reviewer: Prime
Review: Jesse’s Diner is the second book is Cardeno C’s Hope series. I will admit that this is the only book in the series I’ve read so far, so I can definitely say that this can be read as a standalone story.
However, in saying that, after reading this book, I want more of this series. That means for the time being it’s back to book one, McFarland’s Farm.
This is a sweet story about the equally as sweet Tanner. He’s quiet and finds it difficult to be around people and so as a result he is quite lonely, too. However, when he moved to live with his grandmother as a teen, he made friends with local boy Mike. Being friends with Mike meant that in school he had “friends” but once school was over and Mike left, no one kept in touch with him.
But Tanner’s one saving grace is that one of Mike’s dads, Jesse, hired Tanner to work and when Jesse got terminal cancer he left his beloved diner to Tanner. Mike calls Tanner one day, worried about his father and asks Tanner to look in make sure that Steve is eating, looking after himself, etc.
Then there is Mike’s other father, Steve. He arrived in Hope as a young man (around Tanner’s age), pretty lost and probably a tad bit burnt out. He met Jesse, who was approaching 40 and ready to settle down with a partner and adopt a child (i.e. Mike).Now, fast forward around 20 years, Jesse is gone and Steve has thrown himself into work and has become something of a recluse when he did change his work habits.
There is a shared attraction between Steve and Tanner and now Steve is the older man in the relationship.
This is just filled with tender, sweet emotion. This is something of a slow burn, which on reflection, probably makes for a more satisfying story. If you like May-December stories, this is a great one to immerse yourself into, especially if you like the whole “best friend’s dad” type of story.
Title: Smitty’s Sherriff
Series: Hope #3
Author: Cardeno C.
Genre: Contemporary, May-December
Length: Novella (33K words)
Publisher: The Romance Authors LLC (17 July 2017)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
Blurb: Todd is too flakey. Richard is too stubborn. Together, they’re perfect. A May-December couple get a second chance at love.
Retired soldier Richard Davis wants a stable life in a quiet town with a forever man. Becoming the sheriff of Hope, Arizona, accomplishes two of his three goals, but instead of finding a serious partner, he falls for too-young-to-be-committed and too-flakey-to-be-serious Todd Smitty. Richard won’t find the right man if he’s obsessed with the wrong one, so he walks away from Todd.
It’s lust at first sight when Todd meets his sister’s army friend. He sets his sights on the worldly, strong, stable older man, and the more time he spends with Richard, the harder he falls. But after three years together, Richard cuts off all contact with no explanation.
When a mutual obligation requires Todd to move into Richard’s house, he’s thrilled at the opportunity to earn a second chance. Ignoring Todd from across town was hard enough. Can Richard resist temptation under his own roof?
ASIN: B073W51Q8Y
Product Link: http://cardenoc.com/en/book/smittys-sheriff
Reviewer: Prime
Review: Cardeno C’s Hope series is for those of us who don’t mind reading a sweet May-December romance. I’ve read Cardeno C in the past, but is still one of those authors I judge by the books as they come. However, in saying that, I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in the Hope Series. Although I have read the series out of order, I recommend reading the series in its proper order to get a full feel on the characters. Between each book we get to meet our upcoming heroes as well as catch up with our old friends. Being that I actually read the third book last, it was nice that everything fell into place nicely.
The story is about Todd Smitty and Sheriff Richard Davis, who also happens to be a retired soldier. For three years Todd and Richard had a secret relationship. Richard thought that Todd was just there for fun, which was why he didn’t want their relationship revealed. But when Todd’s sister, also Richard’s best friend, needs their help, the two are thrown back together and they need to do something they had not done before: communicate.
OK, so two things. 1) This is one of those books that seem to be based around the fact the guys didn’t communicate the first time around. It’s now up to them to get it right the second time. This kind of trope usually pisses me off, but I have to admit that I kinda just went with the flow for this book. 2) There is an element of BDSM in their relationship, I personally liked it and suited them very well. The only thing is that I thought that others, who may not like BDSM (the Dom is too controlling) or were not expecting it, may be turned from the book.
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