Blurb: In the sunny playground of Palm Springs, growing up was something confirmed bachelor and bad-boy chef Joel avoided at all costs—until a close friend’s death made him reevaluate his priorities. Ever since, he’s been dedicated to helping his widowed friend Perry get back on his feet by teaching him to cook and providing a shoulder to cry on. But when Perry announces that he’s ready to start dating again and then begins receiving gifts from an anonymous secret Santa, Joel is forced to confront the feelings he’s suppressed for so long.
As Joel struggles with jealousy and guilt amid the holiday season, he must decide if he’s ready to grow up and reach for what he’s always wanted but never thought he could have.
Review: When Dale passed away it left his husband lost. With Joel’s help Perry was getting back to normal. However he also started seeing Joel in a different light. So he decided after two years it was time to start to date again, now all he had to do is to convince the one man he wanted.
This was a very cute story about love and loss, and love again. Friends to lovers type of story. How it felt like Joel was competing for Perry’s heart with a dead man. However you can tell that is not what is going on. I actually found myself smiling and enjoying this story quite a bit. I would recommend it.
Hi peeps! We have Chris Scully visiting today with her new release Back To You, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~
Back to You
by
Chris Scully
Journalist Alex Buchanan has come home to the remote British Columbia town he grew up in, but only because his estranged father is dying. For Alex, the homecoming holds a mix of memories, mostly bad. The only bright spot is reconnecting with Benji Morning, the childhood friend he never truly forgot. As boys, the strength of their bond had frightened Alex. But now that he’s confident in his bisexuality, he’s drawn back to quiet, soft-spoken Ben.
Ben isn’t the same boy Alex left behind, though. His life has been overshadowed by the disappearance of his sister two decades earlier, and now a new break in the case threatens to undo the peace he’s worked so hard to attain.
As Alex struggles to repair the relationship with his father before it’s too late, he finds himself caught up in a twenty-year-old mystery, a story he never expected, and a shocking truth that could affect his and Ben’s future together.
Blurb: Check-in for a night at the boutique Benton Hotel, where the motto is “we’re not satisfied until you are”, with this collection of three sweet and sexy short stories.
In Watch Me, a hotel clerk makes a surprising discovery about his colleague’s personal life, and an even more unexpected discovery about himself when he borrows a uniform, while a married man looking to spice things up finds a night of passion when he meets a stranger in a hotel pub in Wedded. Finally, in Wanted, a young man exploring his sexuality gets more than he bargained for from his hook-up.
Review: First time reading from this author, and I gotta say. I love these three short stories. The Hotel setting description is beautiful and it makes you think that you are there watching everything. With these short stories, there isn’t much romance, but the sex scenes are hot and steamy.
In Watch Me, you have two hotel clerks, Win, works the late-night shift and is a CPA, and Lucas the flirt, works the shift before him and is always a popular with the staff and guest. Win is dealing with a stressful matter at home and doesn’t know how to handle the situation and it’s stressing him out. Win’s jacket has a coffee stain on it and Lucas is nice enough to loan him his. He finds a note in the pocket which leads to a website and he’s shocked at what he sees. In this story, Win is attracted to Lucas but doesn’t want to do anything about it, he is a jealous twit and can’t get past all the rumors that he hears about Lucas.
In Wedded, there is Dave, who was told to be there for 8 o’clock, is sitting in the hotel’s bar having a drink. He’s been married for 25 years, but doesn’t want to think about that or his husband. He’ll suffer the consequences of this night tomorrow, he says. He takes off his married ring and feels that by taking it off, he doesn’t appreciate the years that he had while the ring was on. He loves his husband, but can’t discount that their married life lately has been boring, and he doesn’t know what to do. He sees this handsome man in the hotel’s bar, tall and broad shouldered. Dave is about to go on a clandestine meeting in one of the hotel’s room. I was hoping for and got the twist that this story took. I loved it.
In Wanted: Evan is under a table hiding from a shootout in the Mall, where he literally saw his life flash before his eyes. Months later, he wants to tick some things off his bucket list, the biggest one is having sweaty sex with a man, and he makes sure that his anxiety attacks won’t stop him. He puts up a notice on Craig’s list for a hook-up, but the person that he meets is a shock for him. Graham, was expecting to meet his sister, not knowing that his sister set him up on a blind date. I love the interaction between Evan and Graham. I loved the way they talked with each other. They’re open and honest with each other. Graham tell his about his cancer, and having one of his testicles removed. Oh wow, I absolutely love the connection that these two have and was sorry that their story ended. This author did not disappoint and I would gladly recommend this story.
Blurb: Growing up Greek-Canadian, Peter Georgiou always knew his duty was to his family, for whom twenty-first century rules don’t apply. In his early thirties, Peter still lives at home, dates who his parents tell him to, and works at the family restaurant. But watching his two best friends find happiness in each other’s arms has made him worry over his destiny.
When Louie Papadakis returns home to nurse his broken heart and start a new life, he can’t believe his sister is dating his high school crush, Peter. There’s a sadness behind Peter’s eyes that draws him in, and a chemistry he wishes he could ignore. After his closeted ex broke his heart, Louie is afraid to fall in love again, especially with a man who’s keeping secrets.
As Peter finds himself drawn to Louie in unexpected ways, old and new worlds collide. Then a family crisis forces Peter’s hand and he must decide if he’s willing to sacrifice his happiness for family duty.
Review: I wanted to love this story. I really did. I always enjoy it when people find each other after years apart, and I had high hopes for “Happy”. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t connect with the characters.
I grew up around families of Mediterranean descent, and family is the most important thing in their lives. They’re utterly devoted to one another, and sometimes, that isn’t such a good thing.
Peter has allowed his family to hold him down for years and years, and it drove me freaking NUTS! Peter is trapped living in his parents’ home. Even though the basement has been converted into an “apartment”, he has zero privacy, with his mother just walking in, picking up his laundry, and hounding him about everything.
He’s stuck working in the family’s restaurant. He’s supposed to be running it, and he has so many ideas to make it more successful, but his father continues to shoot all of them down. Worst of all, he’s being forced to date a woman (of his Mother’s choosing), even though he’s gay. He’s expected to marry her and crank out babies. He’s absolutely miserable, and even though I felt sorry for him, I wanted to throttle him for tolerating all of this.
Louie has just broken up, and he’s come home to nurse his broken heart. He just so happens to be the brother of the woman poor Peter has been dating. Louie crushed on Peter back in high school, and when he sees him, he starts all over again. Knowing it should be forbidden, he allows himself to become close to Peter…as friends.
It makes him sad and angsty, and Peter gives off so many mixed signals. He flirts, he touches, and he gets jealous when Louie goes on dates. It became uncomfortable to me. Once again, I wanted to throttle Peter because of what he was doing to Louie’s heart.
I hated Peter’s family, especially his mother. She’s written stereotypically…overbearing and obnoxious. She berates Peter for hanging around with Louie because of his sexual orientation. She wants Peter to go into counseling with the priest of the Orthodox Church the family attends…to pretty much pray the gay away.
Peter had a few good friends, though, and they were relatively supportive. Louie’s relationship with HIS family is strained, to say the least. They’re shamed by his homosexuality. Thankfully, toward the end, he and his sister become close again.
I feel like I’m ranting here. Well, I guess I am. I had a queasy feeling in my stomach the entire time I was reading. There were some parts that were enjoyable. I loved the sex scenes. They were very hot. Especially the one in the dark restaurant. The way Peter and Louie come together and unite through a crisis is great as well.
The last 20% or so saved this one for me. Chris Scully’s writing style is smooth but very detailed. Even though “Happy” was only a 3.5 for me, I won’t hesitate to read some more of his work.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Hi peeps, we have Chris Scully stopping by with her upcoming release Happy, we have a fantastic guest post, a perfect excerpt and a fabulous giveaway, so check out the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~
Happy
by
Chris Scully
Growing up Greek-Canadian, Peter Georgiou always knew his duty was to his family, for whom twenty-first century rules don’t apply. In his early thirties, Peter still lives at home, dates who his parents tell him to, and works at the family restaurant. But watching his two best friends find happiness in each other’s arms has made him worry over his destiny.
When Louie Papadakis returns home to nurse his broken heart and start a new life, he can’t believe his sister is dating his high school crush, Peter. There’s a sadness behind Peter’s eyes that draws him in, and a chemistry he wishes he could ignore. After his closeted ex broke his heart, Louie is afraid to fall in love again, especially with a man who’s keeping secrets.
As Peter finds himself drawn to Louie in unexpected ways, old and new worlds collide. Then a family crisis forces Peter’s hand, and he must decide if he’s willing to sacrifice his happiness for family duty.
Hiya peeps, today we have Chris Scully popping in with her new release Until September, Chris chats about people watching, we have an awesome excerpt, a fantastic giveaway and Aerin’s review, so enjoy the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~
Until September
by
Chris Scully
As a teenager, Archie Noblesse clawed his way out of the poverty, heartache, and abuse of the reservation and left his family behind. Desperate to shake the shadow of his past, he reinvents himself as Archer Noble, an outspoken blogger and controversial author who lives only for himself. But when his beloved sister dies, Archer is saddled with guardianship of his niece and nephew.
Elementary school teacher Ryan Eriksson is devastated when his best friend Marguerite is killed, leaving her two young children orphaned. Helping Archer with his new responsibilities eases his grief, but when Archer offers him custody of the children, Ryan’s left with an impossible choice: get the family he’s always wanted, or respect Margie’s wishes and convince Archer to give parenting—and his heritage—a chance.
To buy time, Ryan promises to stay for the summer, hoping that Archer will change his mind and fall for the kids. But Archer’s reluctant, and the growing attraction between him and Ryan complicates matters. Legal decisions must be made, and soon, before Ryan returns to school. But with hearts involved, more than just the children’s future is on the line.
Title: Until September Series: N/A Author: Chris Scully Genre: Contemporary Length: Novel (298 pages) Publisher: Riptide Publishing (February 8th, 2016) Heat Level: Low/Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts Blurb: As a teenager, Archie Noblesse clawed his way out of the poverty, heartache, and abuse of the reservation and left his family behind. Desperate to shake the shadow of his past, he reinvents himself as Archer Noble, an outspoken blogger and controversial author who lives only for himself. But when his beloved sister dies, Archer is saddled with guardianship of his niece and nephew.
Elementary school teacher Ryan Eriksson is devastated when his best friend Marguerite is killed, leaving her two young children orphaned. Helping Archer with his new responsibilities eases his grief, but when Archer offers him custody of the children, Ryan’s left with an impossible choice: get the family he’s always wanted, or respect Margie’s wishes and convince Archer to give parenting—and his heritage—a chance.
To buy time, Ryan promises to stay for the summer, hoping that Archer will change his mind and fall for the kids. But Archer’s reluctant, and the growing attraction between him and Ryan complicates matters. Legal decisions must be made, and soon, before Ryan returns to school. But with hearts involved, more than just the children’s future is on the line.
Review: Usually I review a book immediately after reading it, so that my thought and feelings are fresh in my mind. Unfortunately, work and life got in the way, and it’s been 2 weeks since I finished his book, but I’ll try my best to review it.
First of all, even though it’s been a while, I definitely remember I loved this book, every beautifully written, emotional, gorgeous, heartbreaking page. It’s never easy dealing with the loss of loved ones, but it’s even more excruciating when young children lose their mothers and have to rely on the goodness of others to survive. I’m not gonna lie, this book made me tear up a lot, and usually I’m not a crier. But I just couldn’t help it; if this story won’t pull at your heartstrings, then you’re an insensitive bastard.
Archie and Marguerite are brother and sister, have grown up in the poverty ridden reservation in Canada, and had to rely mostly on each other to survive and love. Archie is a few years older than his sister, and when his drug addict mother refused to care for Marguerite, Archie had to resort to stealing and other minor infractions in order to care for his sister.
After their mother disappeared, Archie and Marguerite were sent to live with their grandmother and her family; Archie suffered tremendous amounts of abuse while in their care, and the only escape and chance for Marguerite to have a normal future was for Archie to run away at the tender age of 15 and fend for himself in the hopes that he’d be able to build a life.
There’s no wonder that Archie grew up to be insensitive, never affectionate, unable and unwilling to believe in love, and emotionally unavailable to those around him, including his sister. It’s sad that his niece and nephew didn’t really know who their uncle was, but they had to rely on him to give them a family after losing their mother in a tragic car accident.
Marguerite wanted both Ryan (her best friend and teacher at the kids’ school) and Archer to temporarily care for the children until Archer would hopefully step up and apply for permanent guardianship; Archer hasn’t been around children since his sister was little, and he has no clue how to deal with the kids, never mind that he doesn’t plan on sticking around and hopes Ryan would take the children off his hands.
They reach a compromise when Archer agrees to give it his best shot, and if he decides not to keep the kids at the end of the summer, then Ryan would keep them for himself.
Ryan is a lovely character, a beloved teacher and friend, whom everyone adores, and has always dreamed of having a family of his own. Basically Ryan believes/dreams of everything Archer despises most about homosexuality. Ryan is not normally Archie’s type either, but when Archie starts noticing Ryan, he can’t seem to stop. There’s chemistry between them, even though it takes longer for Archer to acknowledge it, and the sexual tension is delicious at times.
One thing I didn’t like about this book was the constant back and forth between Archer and Ryan. The constant denial when it came to their feelings and whether they were (or even wanted to be) in a relationship was fine and dandy at the beginning, but got tiresome after the book reached its midway mark. I wanted them to stop denying it so that they could get on with the sex and everything else.
But you know what? That’s about the ONLY thing I didn’t like! Those two amazing children broke my heart, made me cry and made me smile as well, I really loved them to pieces and they made this book amazing instead of just OK.
Chris Scully is a new author to me, but I’ll read his/her work again, definitely!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Hi guys, we have Chris Scully stopping by on the last day of her Nights Like These blog tour, we have a great interview where Chris questions Mike, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway and we have Prime’s review for you to check out. So enjoy the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
Nights Like These
by
Chris Scully
Starting over sucks. At forty, Miles Koprowski thought he had life all figured out. He had a nice car, a hot young lover, and a cushy job… and then he didn’t. Call it fate, or karma, or a downturn in the market, but this opinionated cynic is now forced to play rent-a-cop in a dying office building in the burbs just to make ends meet. Throw in an unhinged ex, a coworker who hates him, and a hot new boss, and suddenly everything is uncertain.
Miles doesn’t plan on liking the night shift or becoming embroiled in a mystery that reawakens old passions and puts him in danger. And he certainly doesn’t plan on falling for the overbearing head of security, Colton Decker, former soldier and doting dad. But nights like these can change a man, make him start to believe there’s more to life than a high paying job and a warm body in his bed. With a thief on the loose and his new job in jeopardy, Miles will have to decide what’s truly important. He might discover things he never knew he wanted… as long as he makes it through the night.
Hey guys, we have Chris Scully popping in to show off her the cover to her upcoming release Nights Like These, Chris answers a couple of questions and there’s a great excerpt for you to enjoy and there’s a great giveaway for you to enter, so enjoy the post then click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
Nights Like These
by
Chris Scully
Starting over sucks. At forty, Miles Koprowski thought he had life all figured out. He had a nice car, a hot young lover, and a cushy job… and then he didn’t. Call it fate, or karma, or a downturn in the market, but this opinionated cynic is now forced to play rent-a-cop in a dying office building in the burbs just to make ends meet. Throw in an unhinged ex, a coworker who hates him, and a hot new boss, and suddenly everything is uncertain.
Miles doesn’t plan on liking the night shift or becoming embroiled in a mystery that reawakens old passions and puts him in danger. And he certainly doesn’t plan on falling for the overbearing head of security, Colton Decker, former soldier and doting dad. But nights like these can change a man, make him start to believe there’s more to life than a high paying job and a warm body in his bed. With a thief on the loose and his new job in jeopardy, Miles will have to decide what’s truly important. He might discover things he never knew he wanted… as long as he makes it through the night.
Title: Touch Me: An Erotic Romance Author: Chris Scully Genre: Erotic Romance Length: Novella (73 pages) ISBN: B00NBJCPE6 Publisher: Chris Scully (September 23rd, 2014) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts Reviewer: Zane Blurb: Massage therapist Erik Morgan offers a very special after-hours service to a handful of select clients. From a young man anxious to explore his sexuality, to a stroke patient who fears he’ll never be a man again, Erik touches them all. But no one touches him. Not anymore.
Faced with a personal tragedy, Erik loses himself in helping others. Until one brave client turns the tables and gets under his skin, and Erik finds himself touched in unexpected ways.
Warning! This gay erotic romance novella is intended for an adult audience. It contains explicit scenes of erotic massage, edging, rimming, m/m sex and a vibrator or two.
Review: I had a feeling I would like this novella (I’m a fan of Chris Scully’s work) and I was not disappointed. From the start, Erik is a character you feel for – harboring his own emotional trauma. He helps others and uses that to bond with his ailing partner. What an emotional ride – the journey of love, loss, finding new love, and a May-December romance as well.
The characters are very likable; the two MCs are absolute sweethearts. The story is gripping from the get-go, and I was rooting for everyone, including the secondary characters being helped by our lovely Erik. The points of view are very clear, the love between couples is strong, and the sex, well, that was hot, too!!!
This book may be short in length but it certainly is not short in substance. Chris Scully is a great storyteller with the ability to elicit deep emotion, both from her characters and her readers. If you are looking for love, lust, laughter and tears in a short read, this book and this author are definitely worth your while.
** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through www.mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com **
Blurb: Nine and a half weeks ago, Joe Massone got the surprise of his life when his straight best friend and secret crush, Adam, kissed him. At the time, Adam was recovering from an accident that left him with temporary amnesia and broken ribs, so Joe isn’t sure if he should take it seriously. Is Adam really gay? Or was the blow to his head to blame? Having secretly loved Adam since they were teenagers, Joe doesn’t want to get his hopes up and have his heart-broken.
Despite that first kiss, Joe and Adam are still in limbo—now more than friends, but not quite lovers. Adam’s injuries have meant they can’t take their relationship to the next level, and for Joe, not much has changed from when they were just best friends and roommates. He starts to think neither of them is ready to take that final step.
Patience stretched to the limit, Adam makes plans to break the stalemate. But when Joe sabotages things by inviting their friends along, Adam is left to wonder if their new relationship is over before it’s even started. Before he gives up, though, he’s determined to prove to Joe he wants more than just a kiss.
Review: This story picks up 9 weeks after Inseparable left off. Joe and Adam are moving forward excruciatingly slowly. They’ve turned kissing and heavy petting into an art form, but Joe always pulls the plug before they get to the next level. Adam is getting frustrated and beginning to think the worst. When Adam goes out of his way to set up a sexy evening for the two of them alone, determined to get laid, Joe unknowingly screws it all up by inviting their friends over for beer and pizza. These two seriously need to get on the same page!
Joe has loved Adam for so long, he’s terrified that Adam will wake up and change his mind, decide he isn’t really gay and break Joe’s heart. If Joe takes that next step and they have sex, only for Adam to realize it’s not what he wants, Joe doesn’t think he’d survive that. So he only gives so much before he pulls back and puts the brakes on.
It took Adam more time to discover he was in love with his best friend. He went with the flow through high school and college and dated girls, because it was the way he was supposed to do things. Now that he’s gotten a taste of Joe and done some serious inner inventory, he knows exactly what and who he wants. He is not going to let Joe pull away, and he pulls out all the stops in a last-ditch attempt to seduce his best friend/lover/roommate.
The best friends turned lovers storyline has been stretched to the limits as of late. But Scully has revived it, breathed new life into it with the story of Joe and Adam! It’s not just the story of them. It’s the story of their past and uncertain future woven into the love they share that makes this story so different. Flashbacks give the reader more in-depth knowledge of the many years they’ve shared as friends. An upset Adam crawling into Joe’s bedroom window, comforted by his best friend. An unsure Joe sharing the secret of his sexuality with Adam, fearing that rejection. Adam’s moms death and subsequent abandonment by his father, only to be taken in by Joe’s family, of course! And that fateful night, the night of the accident that set the events in motion that would bring these two together, forever.
This is a must read for my fellow hopeless romantics! A story full of meat and some sexy make out sessions. Strong secondary characters set the pace as Joe and Adam come to realize they are soul mates.
This is the second book in a series that must be read in order to fully appreciate the characters.
Blurb: After a car accident, Adam wakes up in a hospital room with no memory and a man named Joe, who acts like his boyfriend. So when Joe says Adam is straight—and Joe’s not—and they’re just best friends and roommates, Adam is more than a little confused. But as Adam starts to fill in the gaps, the one thing that becomes apparent is that Joe is the missing piece that can’t be replaced.
Review: When Adam wakes up in a hospitable bed with no memory, all he has to rely on is, a man called Joe who is there whenever he wakes. When Joe tells him they aren’t together, but are best friends and roommates, Adam is confused because he thinks they should be something more and he definitely doesn’t feel quite straight, and he decides that losing his memory is the best thing to ever happen to him.
This is a great friends-to-lovers story where best friends from a young age have been scared to admit their feelings to each other. Adam is hit by a car and when he wakes up in hospital with a man holding his hand, although he feels safe he has no clue who the man is. He doesn’t even know who he is. Joe will do anything for Adam, they have been best friends and roommates for years, but admitting how he feels to Adam would just drive him away.
Adam and Joe are great characters. They have both been hiding their feelings from the other. Adam’s amnesia takes away the block that he has always had in place and he begins to dwell on what Joe makes him feel, and he tries to dig into his own past to discover why he always acted straight. I loved how the amnesia took away the inhabitations that had always stopped Adam in the past. He is now able to explore with no memories to hide behind, and poor Joe thought he was in love with a straight man. This is actually quite sweet and it is lovely when they both finally admit how they truly feel, with some passionate kisses and a longing for more.
I will recommend this to those who love friends-to-lovers stories, secret passions, interfering family (in a good way), and a happy ending for two best friends who have always loved each other.
Title: The Mature Man’s Guide to Surviving Change
Title: Do Not Disturb
Title: Happy
Title: Until September
