Buyout ~ A Love Story by Dev Bentham Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, we have Dev Bentham stopping by today with her upcoming release Buyout ~ A Love Story, we have a brilliant guest post from Dev and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~

Dev Bentham - Buyout A Love Story Cover

Buyout ~ A Love Story

by

Dev Bentham

Everyone deserves a second chance. Or do they? Sean and Martim fell in love at Harvard. Things broke apart when Martim fell into a downward spiral of addiction after his father died. Sean kicked him out but has regretted it ever since. He’s never gotten over losing Martim. But then, not many aspects of his life have lived up to his collegiate dreams.

When he’s sent to evaluate Martim’s family hotel for foreclosure, Sean is once again in the position to put Martim out on the street. In the time since they parted, Martim has pulled himself together, although both health and financial problems linger as a result of his years as an addict. Can the two men bridge the gap of distance and time to rekindle their relationship, or will they fall apart again under the burdens of guilt and disease? 

Set in Lisbon, Portugal, this is the story of lovers reunited after more than a decade apart, and their second chance at romance.

Release date: 8th February 2017

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Tarnished Souls Bundle by Dev Bentham Release Blast, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Dev Bentham - Tarnished Souls Bundle RB Banner

Hi guys, we have Dev Bentham stopping by today with her new release the Tarnished Souls Bundle, we have a great new excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~

Dev Bentham - Tarnished Souls Cover

Tarnished Souls Bundle

by

Dev Bentham

Tarnished Souls is a series of contemporary romance novels centered around Jewish holidays:

Life can be hard. Hard enough to leave two men tarnished and hopeless.They might be too damaged to see the truth in each other, but just maybe finding their bershert, their true love, will finally make them shine.

BOOKS IN THE TARNISHED SOULS COMPILATION

Dev Bentham - Learning From Isaac Cover sLearning from Issac

It’s hard to break out of a rut. For years, Nathan submerged himself into his job at St. Genevieve’s. He enjoys teaching, hates faculty meetings, loves his science and has committed himself to the cycle of college life. Along the way, he’s become resigned to being a gay man in a straight culture, a Jew among Catholics, and single in a world of couples. Then the brilliant Isaac Wolf appears in his classroom. Isaac’s a few years older than his fellow students, gorgeous, self-composed and Jewish.

Isaac has his own secrets, which Nathan finds out at the racy new club downtown where the boys who dance out front can be bought in the back room. Nathan thinks he’s about to get a lap dance, but behind the beaded curtain the man on his knees turns out to be Isaac. Nathan’s mind isn’t the only thing Isaac blows. Afterward, Nathan can’t stop thinking about that night. The question is whether Nathan can let himself fall in love with a student, much less someone with Isaac’s checkered past. Is it too late for a student to teach his professor the true nature of love and respect?

Publisher’s Note: This book contains graphic imagery of men having sex together. And enjoying it. However, the story is primarily a romance. Don’t be disappointed if you read pages and pages and pages without encountering acts, organs or orgasms.

Dev Bentham - Fields of Gold Cover sFields of Gold

Life is full of compromises. That’s what Avi Rosen tells himself. He’s a yeshiva boy turned historian, working on his dissertation and stretching his meager stipend by moonlighting as a closeted politician’s houseboy. Their relationship used to feel like a real affair. Lately it seems more like a job.

It isn’t until he meets someone decent that he realizes how corrupt his life has become. Pete is a tall blond farmer who charms Avi with his dazzling smile and his straightforward life. But even if he can believe this refreshingly honest man doesn’t have his own political agenda, will Avi find the strength to emerge from the dark life he’s chosen and find a future in the sun?

Dev Bentham - Sacred Hearts Cover sSacred Hearts

Life’s a gamble–and lately David Schwartz’s partner has been losing so much that David must close their restaurant, the hippest little place in Portland. He sells everything and moves back home, but at thirty-five, he’s not eager to sleep alone in his childhood bedroom or to be supported by his father for the second time in his adult life.

David’s had enough. He needs to start over, maybe with someone like the elusive man he’s been seeing in his dreams. An old friend offers him a job catering a movie set in Puerto Vallarta. It’s been years since David’s alcoholism spun out of control along the highways of Mexico. Determined to experience Mexico sober, he stuffs his few remaining possessions in a backpack and takes the next flight down.

As Mexico prepares for Christmas, David lights Hanukkah candles, celebrating the return of the sun and wishing for true love. On the first night of Hanukkah, David meets a tall, dark stranger who rocks his world in a secluded moonlit cove. Is this the mystery man of his dreams–the answer to David’s prayers? And what must David sacrifice to make his dreams come true?

Dev Bentham - Bread, Salt and Wine Cover sBread, Salt and Wine

Some wounds never heal. George Zajac grew up in a religious family with a father who beat “the swish” out of him. At thirty-eight he’s a troubled man. Escaping his miserable life as a banker in New York, he moves across the country to start again in Los Angeles as the catering chef for a prestigious French Restaurant. Kenny Marks, a writer who’s currently waiting tables, is everything George cannot be—flamboyant, proud and sexually confident. Enthralled by Kenny, and against his own better judgment, George agrees to a date. Sparks fly. The sex is amazing. But even after the two get close, George is crippled by humiliating sexual hang-ups. Still haunted by his childhood, he lingers in the closet and can’t commit to a relationship with Kenny.

Love is the great healer, but is it enough? George’s emotional scars could drive Kenny away, and with him, George’s last chance at happiness.

The book in the Tarnished Souls series can be found on Goodreads

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Tarnished Souls Bundle by Dev Bentham Cover Reveal, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Dev Bentham - Tarnished Souls CR Banner

Hi guys, we have Dev Bentham stopping by today with the cover to her upcoming release the Tarnished Souls Bundle, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~

Dev Bentham - Tarnished Souls Cover

Tarnished Souls Bundle

by

Dev Bentham

Tarnished Souls is a series of contemporary romance novels centered around Jewish holidays:

Life can be hard. Hard enough to leave two men tarnished and hopeless.They might be too damaged to see the truth in each other, but just maybe finding their bershert, their true love, will finally make them shine.

BOOKS IN THE TARNISHED SOULS COMPILATION

Learning from Issac

It’s hard to break out of a rut. For years, Nathan submerged himself into his job at St. Genevieve’s. He enjoys teaching, hates faculty meetings, loves his science and has committed himself to the cycle of college life. Along the way, he’s become resigned to being a gay man in a straight culture, a Jew among Catholics, and single in a world of couples. Then the brilliant Isaac Wolf appears in his classroom. Isaac’s a few years older than his fellow students, gorgeous, self-composed and Jewish.

Isaac has his own secrets, which Nathan finds out at the racy new club downtown where the boys who dance out front can be bought in the back room. Nathan thinks he’s about to get a lap dance, but behind the beaded curtain the man on his knees turns out to be Isaac. Nathan’s mind isn’t the only thing Isaac blows. Afterward, Nathan can’t stop thinking about that night. The question is whether Nathan can let himself fall in love with a student, much less someone with Isaac’s checkered past. Is it too late for a student to teach his professor the true nature of love and respect?

Publisher’s Note: This book contains graphic imagery of men having sex together. And enjoying it. However, the story is primarily a romance. Don’t be disappointed if you read pages and pages and pages without encountering acts, organs or orgasms.

Fields of Gold

Life is full of compromises. That’s what Avi Rosen tells himself. He’s a yeshiva boy turned historian, working on his dissertation and stretching his meager stipend by moonlighting as a closeted politician’s houseboy. Their relationship used to feel like a real affair. Lately it seems more like a job.

It isn’t until he meets someone decent that he realizes how corrupt his life has become. Pete is a tall blond farmer who charms Avi with his dazzling smile and his straightforward life. But even if he can believe this refreshingly honest man doesn’t have his own political agenda, will Avi find the strength to emerge from the dark life he’s chosen and find a future in the sun?

Sacred Hearts

Life’s a gamble–and lately David Schwartz’s partner has been losing so much that David must close their restaurant, the hippest little place in Portland. He sells everything and moves back home, but at thirty-five, he’s not eager to sleep alone in his childhood bedroom or to be supported by his father for the second time in his adult life.

David’s had enough. He needs to start over, maybe with someone like the elusive man he’s been seeing in his dreams. An old friend offers him a job catering a movie set in Puerto Vallarta. It’s been years since David’s alcoholism spun out of control along the highways of Mexico. Determined to experience Mexico sober, he stuffs his few remaining possessions in a backpack and takes the next flight down.

As Mexico prepares for Christmas, David lights Hanukkah candles, celebrating the return of the sun and wishing for true love. On the first night of Hanukkah, David meets a tall, dark stranger who rocks his world in a secluded moonlit cove. Is this the mystery man of his dreams–the answer to David’s prayers? And what must David sacrifice to make his dreams come true?

Bread, Salt and Wine

Some wounds never heal. George Zajac grew up in a religious family with a father who beat “the swish” out of him. At thirty-eight he’s a troubled man. Escaping his miserable life as a banker in New York, he moves across the country to start again in Los Angeles as the catering chef for a prestigious French Restaurant. Kenny Marks, a writer who’s currently waiting tables, is everything George cannot be—flamboyant, proud and sexually confident. Enthralled by Kenny, and against his own better judgment, George agrees to a date. Sparks fly. The sex is amazing. But even after the two get close, George is crippled by humiliating sexual hang-ups. Still haunted by his childhood, he lingers in the closet and can’t commit to a relationship with Kenny.

Love is the great healer, but is it enough? George’s emotional scars could drive Kenny away, and with him, George’s last chance at happiness.

The book in the Tarnished Souls series can be found on Goodreads

Release date: 16th December 2016

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Nobody's Home by Dev Bentham Book Blast, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

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Hi peeps, we have Dev Bentham popping in today with her new re-release Nobody’s Home, we have a great new excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and Eli’s review, so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~

dev-bentham-nobodys-home-cover-s

Nobody’s Home

by

Dev Bentham

Second chances can appear where you least expect them.

An artist: You can’t go home again—that was Nick’s motto for the past twenty years. He was a teenager when he left his abusive, mentally ill father back in Lacland, a small town in the northwoods of Wisconsin.

Nick’s made a successful life for himself in New York. Then comes the call—his estranged father has killed himself. Nick flies home to a house crumbling from years of neglect, and one very fat bulldog.

And a veterinarian: Jonas doesn’t love his job enforcing university research protocol. His passion is working with dogs, especially volunteering for his boyfriend’s behavioral studies projects. But when he discovers his so-called “life partner” is messing around, he leaps at a job offer in a small town miles away.

In spite of the grief swirling around Nick and Jonas, their first meeting is electric. But Nick will be in town for only a short time and Jonas is still stinging from the betrayal. The men try to keep their distance, but that’s easier said than done, especially in a small town where misery and hope share the same address.

This poignant story about two mature gay men will warm the hearts of readers who believe happy endings are within anyone’s grasp.

**This is an author’s version of the original story first printed in 2013 by Amber Allure.**

Continue reading “Nobody's Home by Dev Bentham Book Blast, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!”

Nobody's Home by Dev Bentham Cover Reveal, Excerpt & Giveaway!

dev-bentham-nobodys-home-banner-sdev-bentham-nobodys-home-banner-1-copy

Hi peeps, we have Dev Bentham popping in today with her upcoming re-release Nobody’s Home, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~

dev-bentham-nobodys-home-cover-s

Nobody’s Home

by

Dev Bentham

Second chances can appear where you least expect them.

An artist: You can’t go home again—that was Nick’s motto for the past twenty years. He was a teenager when he left his abusive, mentally ill father back in Lacland, a small town in the northwoods of Wisconsin.

Nick’s made a successful life for himself in New York. Then comes the call—his estranged father has killed himself. Nick flies home to a house crumbling from years of neglect, and one very fat bulldog.

And a veterinarian: Jonas doesn’t love his job enforcing university research protocol. His passion is working with dogs, especially volunteering for his boyfriend’s behavioral studies projects. But when he discovers his so-called “life partner” is messing around, he leaps at a job offer in a small town miles away.

In spite of the grief swirling around Nick and Jonas, their first meeting is electric. But Nick will be in town for only a short time and Jonas is still stinging from the betrayal. The men try to keep their distance, but that’s easier said than done, especially in a small town where misery and hope share the same address.

This poignant story about two mature gay men will warm the hearts of readers who believe happy endings are within anyone’s grasp.

**This is an author’s version of the original story first printed in 2013 by Amber Allure.**

Release date: 15th November 2016
Pre-order: Amazon

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One Pulse ~ Charity Anthology Guest Post by John Amory!

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Hey guys, today we have John Amory, one of the authors from the Dreamspinner Press Charity Anthology One Pulse, visiting with an incredible guest post, so check out the post and then I want you to check out the blogs that the other One Pulse authors will be visiting during the next two weeks. <3 ~Pixie~ 

anthology-one-pulse-cover-s

One Pulse

by

Jon Keys, Alicia Nordwell, Mickie B. Ashling, M.T. Aspen, M.A. Church, Caitlin Ricci, George Seaton, Jayce Ellis, Bree Cariad, Chrissy Munder, Ellis Carrington, Felicitas Ivey, John Amory, Grace R. Duncan, John Goode, J. C. Long, Elizabeth Noble, Renee Stevens, Troy Storm, Connie Bailey, Dev Bentham, Andrea Speed, Laura Lascarso, Lila Leigh Hunter, Emery C. Walters, C.C. Dado, Sera Kane, KC Burn, Vicktor Alexander, Edmond Manning

Stories drive life. Sometimes life is good; sometimes life is bad. But it’s the nature of our community that in the aftermath of an act of hatred, we respond with love. Because darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. Cruelty cannot stand against compassion. Negativity will never overcome hope.

To show our support for those affected by the Orlando shooting, our authors, editors, artists, and staff have volunteered their talents to create this anthology. All proceeds will be donated to LGBT organizations in central Florida. Join us as we celebrate the triumph of love over every obstacle.

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Bread, Salt and Wine by Dev Bentham Re-Release Blast, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, Dev Bentham stops by today with her new re-release Bread, Salt and Wine, we have an exclusive excerpt and a brilliant giveaway, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~

dev-bentham-bread-salt-wine-cover-m

Bread, Salt and Wine

(Tarnished Souls 04)
by

Dev Bentham

Some wounds never heal. George Zajac grew up in a religious family with a father who beat “the swish” out of him. At thirty-eight he’s a troubled man. Escaping his miserable life as a banker in New York, he moves across the country to start again in Los Angeles as the catering chef for a prestigious French Restaurant. Kenny Marks, a writer who’s currently waiting tables, is everything George cannot be—flamboyant, proud and sexually confident. Enthralled by Kenny, and against his own better judgment, George agrees to a date. Sparks fly. The sex is amazing. But even after the two get close, George is crippled by humiliating sexual hang-ups. Still haunted by his childhood, he lingers in the closet and can’t commit to a relationship with Kenny.

Love is the great healer, but is it enough? George’s emotional scars could drive Kenny away, and with him, George’s last chance at happiness.

**Bread, Salt and Wine was previously published by Loose ID in June 2013, but is being re-released with a fabulous new cover, designed by Jordan Castillo Price.**

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Whistle Blower by Dev Bentham Book Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Dev Bentham - Whistle Blower 960x350

Hi peeps, we have Dev Bentham popping in today with his brand new release Whistle Blower, we have a great excerpt and a great giveaway so enjoy the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~

Dev Bentham - Whistle Blower Cover

Whistle Blower

by

Dev Bentham

Money can’t buy happiness. Jacob Nussbaum knows this better than anyone. He’s a corporate lawyer deep inside a huge New York firm, where he works overtime, sacrifices any chance at a personal life, and has been selling his soul for years. With a secretary as his only friend, he trudges on, until his whole world is blown apart by a manila envelope of photos—evidence that one of the firm’s partners is the dirtiest lawyer in one hell of a filthy business.

In search of the truth, Jacob travels to a small northern Wisconsin fishing resort. There he meets Ben Anderson, a brutally lonely man, who knocks him off his feet. Ben prompts Jacob to reevaluate his life. He’s a dozen years older than Jacob, still recovering from the death of his long time love, and doesn’t want to leave anyone a widower. But a jaded New Yorker on a soul-searching mission might be just the man to convince the grieving Ben that it’s never too late to begin again.

Continue reading “Whistle Blower by Dev Bentham Book Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!”

Whistle Blower by Dev Bentham Cover Reveal, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Dev Bentham - Whistle Blower 960x350

Hi guys, we have Dev Bentham stopping by with the cover to her upcoming release Whistle Blower, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway so check out the post and click that rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~ 

Dev Bentham - Whistle Blower Cover

Whistle Blower

by

Dev Bentham

Money can’t buy happiness. Jacob Nussbaum knows this better than anyone. He’s a corporate lawyer deep inside a huge New York firm, where he works overtime, sacrifices any chance at a personal life, and has been selling his soul for years. With a secretary as his only friend, he trudges on, until his whole world is blown apart by a manila envelope of photos—evidence that one of the firm’s partners is the dirtiest lawyer in one hell of a filthy business.

In search of the truth, Jacob travels to a small northern Wisconsin fishing resort. There he meets Ben Anderson, a brutally lonely man, who knocks him off his feet. Ben prompts Jacob to reevaluate his life. He’s a dozen years older than Jacob, still recovering from the death of his long time love, and doesn’t want to leave anyone a widower. But a jaded New Yorker on a soul-searching mission might be just the man to convince the grieving Ben that it’s never too late to begin again.

Release date: 5th February 2016

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Learning from Isaac by Dev Benton, 2nd edition

13572601Title: Learning From Isaac, 2nd edition
Series: Tarnished Souls, #1
Author: Dev Bentham
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella (117 Pages)
Publisher: Love is a Light (April 14, 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5 Hearts
Blurb: It’s hard to break out of a rut. For years, Nathan submerged himself into his job at St. Genevieve’s. He enjoys teaching, hates faculty meetings, loves his science, and has committed himself to the cycle of college life. Along the way, he’s become resigned to being a gay man in a straight culture, a Jew among Catholics, and single in a world of couples. Then the brilliant Isaac Wolf appears in his classroom. Isaac’s a few years older than his fellow students, gorgeous, self-composed, and Jewish.

Isaac has his own secrets, which Nathan finds out at the racy new club downtown where the boys who dance out front can be bought in the back room. Nathan thinks he’s about to get a lap dance, but behind the beaded curtain, the man on his knees turns out to be Isaac. Nathan’s mind isn’t the only thing Isaac blows. Afterward, Nathan can’t stop thinking about that night. The question is whether Nathan can let himself fall in love with a student. Much less, someone with Isaac’s checkered past.

Is it too late for a student to teach his professor the true nature of love and respect?

ISBN: 978-0-9832033-5-3

Product Link: http://www.devbentham.com/learning-from-isaac/

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: This story was a bit different for me. It doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it but had trouble staying with it. It was really well written, but seemed to be not much friction to it. I want a bit more to it. Everything was tasteful and sweet, may be a little too much. It was missing something important to me, that would have made it perfect. I have to admit that it did catch my attention when I started reading it, but lacked something that would make it pop.

Nathan has been a teacher for quite some time, but his life was missing something important. He was attracted to one of his students and for a while, that was a hit. However until Isaac graduated, there was no way he would ever make a move. His life is a juggle it seems. He is a Jewish man working at a Catholic college, but is a very calm man.

It isn’t till Isaac comes into his life, that he learns to live.
Isaac has the hots for his teacher, which is usually par to many students. Although he has a secret that might be the end of their budding relationship. He was a prostitute and would always be reminded of it. Even if Nathan didn’t mean to, he did at some points in the relationship. Things needed to change a bit if they were to keep on moving forward.

Nathan realizes later on that he was a coward, thinking that Isaac could be taken from him. He had no faith in his lover and needed to see the error of his ways. He might be older, but he could still learn what was important. He knew that it had been the only way for Isaac to pay his school fees. In most life times, someone who has sold their body isn’t nearly understood and accepted as well as Isaac had been.

Oh, he had his customers coming on to him, but it seemed that the whole time it happened was when they were out. Nathan had a bit of trouble with it, but even his family didn’t have issues that their son’s lover was a prostitute. It is to clean, neat and tidy for me, may be too much of it.

It was a cute little story, but everything was too safe. I mean in prostitution it is a dirty way of life, yet the way it is written just comes off way to easy and safe. I want more passion put into the story, more excitement into it. I want a story that is going to make me feel what they are going to be feeling. It missed the heart, I mean you can tell the love between them, but it came off as if it was just a job.

It is well written in a style that just flows off the pages, but I didn’t feel the authors heart was put into it. I actually liked the story and could see myself reading it once more, but I would not be pushed to read it. It doesn’t call to me as many others would. I would recommend reading it though.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

Driving into the Sun by Dev Bentham Book Blast Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

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Hi peeps, we have Dev Bentham popping in with her newest release Driving into the Sun, there’s a sweet teaser and a great giveaway. Enjoy the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~

Dev Bentham - Driving Into The Sun _FinalSM

Driving into the Sun

by

Dev Bentham

Bad choices. We all make them, some more than others. Dusty’s choices have left him unemployed, broke and practically homeless. Despite the major issues he has with his family, his only rational choice is to sell everything and move into his parents’ basement. At thirty. Looking for a ride west, he answers a phone ad. The voice at the other end of the line flows like dark, rich honey. Finally something to look forward to—listening to Joe’s voice all the way from Illinois to Idaho.

Rather than the hip crooner of Dusty’s fantasies, Joe turns out to look more like a panhandler. Is that because Joe dresses down, or are Dusty’s preconceptions about Native Americans clouding his vision? Joe is silent more often than not. He has a complicated past and still has amends to make. But he is ready to move on. Dusty feels trapped. Two damaged men, one small car driving two thousand miles into the sun—sometimes things need to break down before they can get fixed.

http://www.loose-id.com/driving-into-the-sun.html

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Nobody's Home by Dev Bentham

8197EPm1-sL._SL1500_Title: Nobody’s Home

Series:   N/A

Author: Dev Bentham

Genre: Contemporary

Length:  Novel (160 pages)

Publisher: Amber Quill Press (December 10th, 2013)

Heat Level:  Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 (Tender, Loving, Wonderful) Hearts

Reviewer: Eli/Mandingo

Blurb:  You can’t go home again—that was Nick’s motto for the past twenty years. He was a teenager when he and his mom left his mentally ill and abusive father back in Lacland, a small town in the north woods of Wisconsin. Since those horrible days, Nick’s made a life for himself as an artist in New York, and has a new show scheduled in nine months. He should be in a painting frenzy, but so far, he’s hanging empty canvas. Then comes the call—his estranged father has killed himself. Nick flies to Lacland, to a house crumbling from years of neglect and one very fat bulldog.

Jonas doesn’t love his job as a research lab veterinarian, although he enjoys volunteering on his boyfriend’s canine behavioral studies. But when he discovers his so-called life partner is messing around, Jonas leaps at a job offer in a small town miles away.

Despite the grief swirling around Nick and Jonas, their first meeting is electric. But Nick’s in town for only a short time, while Jonas is still stinging from the recent betrayal. The men try to keep their distance, but that’s easier said than done, especially in a small town where misery and hope share the same address…

Purchase Link:   http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/NobodysHome.html

Review: The m/m genre is littered with many books about hot men and fluff, and I love those as much as anyone else does.  BUT, every now and again, there is a book that simply stands out from the rest. Nobody’s Home is one of those books.  It’s not just a story, it’s a novel.  Everything that is right about a story is achieved in this book.  The author spends the first quarter of the book simply exploring the lives and characters of Nick and Jonas.  We get to know these men before they ever meet. By the time they meet, the reader is now thoroughly invested in these two men finding each other, because we know, like and understand these men.

The relationship between the two men is so much more than simply hot sex, which let’s be honest, they do have.  For Nick who’s lost his father and is feeling professionally adrift, the friendship he develops with Jonas provides him with an anchor and the realization that his life is rife with possibilities, if he’s willing to be open to them.  There is a subtle strength to Nick that is not first apparent because he’s struggling with his grief and personal angst.  For Jonas who’s questioning his worth as a man and a life partner, Nick provides him with much-needed honesty, validation of his worth and proof that he is a valuable person who is worthy of both love and friendship.

The story is beautifully written and elegantly told. What starts out as a character sketch of two imperfect men then becomes a dance of friendship and then the slow trek towards love. There is a slow build, which is sexy and seductive in its own way. The reader is moved seamlessly along the journey and because they are so intimately knowledgeable about these men, the reader shares in their joy, sadness, disappointment and even their fear. The reader has a bird’s eye view of the very real struggle both men must go through with their own personal demons if they are to create a life together. 

Readers will fall in love with Nick.  Like a good artist, he is willing to lay his feelings bare and it is this vulnerability that will win him the love of Jonas, a man who fears any further pain and rejection in his life.

The end of the book is sublime and I’m sure many readers may find themselves wiping away a tear. It was sweet and very tender.  Every page of this story is a revelation and it’s one of those stories that the reader will revisit time and time again.

EXCELLENT READ.

Painting In the Rain by Dev Bentham

PaintingRainTitle: Painting In the Rain
Series:  N/A  
Author: Dev Bentham
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Extended Novella (34K)
Publisher: Amber Quill Press, LLC (June 16th, 2013)
Heat Level:  Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb:
Helping teenagers is tough. They face so many dangers—peer pressure, drugs, pregnancy, STDs. As a trained social worker, Mike knows all about it. He’s taken a temporary job on the Oregon coast working with at-risk kids. But when he meets Gabe, the father of one of his charges, he finds himself in another type of danger—that of falling in love and getting stuck in a small, conservative town, not to mention living with an angry teenager. And yet, he’s drawn to Gabe in a way he never imagined possible.

Gabe, whose own father left before he was born, stays in a town where he no longer feels welcome. He’s living the life of a lonely artist so that he can be a father to his son, a bond that’s been threatened by divorce and Gabe’s public coming out. When he meets Mike, Gabe is bowled over with a longing so deep that he finds himself willing to risk everything.

But there are plenty of dangers in a small town, and when a gay kid gets hurt and they refuse to leave him to his fate, Mike and Gabe may be risking more than their hearts.

Product Link: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PaintingRain.html

Reviewer:   GiGi
Review: I’m an artist, so I have soft spots for other artists and was immediately attracted to the MC, Gabe. This is a risky and fast-paced romance between a single father with a surly and confused teenage son, and a young social worker who juggles teen on a daily basis. The sex was hot, the romance seemed a bit quick, and I must admit to being pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns in the plot! This is a great rainy day read!