Hi guys! We have Victoria Milne stopping by today with the tour for her new release Purple Method, we have a fantastic guest post, a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Purple Method
(Purple Method 01)
by
Victoria Milne
When one kiss changes everything, closeted heavy metal singer Max Diaz and MMA fighter Rick Bernstein must decide how hard they’re willing to fight—for their dreams and each other.
An up-and-coming heavy metal singer and a martial artist desperate to join a top MMA gym must decide how hard they’re willing to fight—for their dreams and each other.
Max Diaz is firmly in the closet, and as unbearable as that’s becoming, he can’t risk his only remaining family—his brother, Tony—or his band Purple Method’s chance to make it big.
Rick Bernstein dreams of rising in the ranks of the MMA circuit and securing a training career at a top gym, but with rejections coming thick and fast and his financial future in dire jeopardy, starting a relationship is the last thing on his mind—especially with someone who isn’t out.
But when Purple Method returns to Elfinbrook after a six-month tour, one kiss changes everything. Now Max and Rick face decisions that will change both of their lives forever.
Hi guys, we have J.R. Gray stopping by with his new release Oasis, we have a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Oasis
(Inferno 02)
by
J.R. Gray
I worshiped at the altar of pain, surviving on avoidance, physical to avoid the mental, anything to forget what I’d lost. When Remi walked through the door, I felt like I’d paid my price for the passage through hell and been granted a taste of Eden. Remi was my oasis and I was going to drown myself in him.
But life takes with no remorse and everything was a mirage. The past won’t stay dead and a cruel phantom comes to destroy our happiness. The more we need each other the further apart our lives drive us. I’m torn between my perfect past and the hope of an oasis, and either choice demands I cut out part of my soul.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (25th August 2017)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Prime
Blurb: Kasey “Tuff” Tuffman just told Nashville to kiss his you know what. After winning Best New Art-ist at an award show, he knows it’s time to head back home to Texas. So after a very public meltdown, Tuff makes his way to Austin, where the Red Dirt music lives large.
Jonah Littlejohn once loved KT more than anything in the world. When KT loses it on national TV, Jonah knows he has to reach out and offer his home studio as a place to heal and make music. A bad relationship has left Jonah broken and wary of romance, but he wants to help his old lover out. Seeing Jonah again proves to Tuff that he’s made the right decision. Now all he has to do is convince Jonah that they’re the most perfect duet there’s ever been.
Review: Best New Artist is a standalone romance by BA Tortuga, which will appeal to everyone that not only loves a good cowboy romance, some country music and a second chance at love. Well, it’s more country music than actually cowboy, but I hope you get what I mean. As for the author, I really enjoy Tortuga’s writing and always look forward to a wonderfully sexy cowboy romance, some books are sweet, some are angsty, some have a touch of mystery. There’s always something to enjoy as long as you love a cowboy!
Brian Hutchison performed the narration for this audio book. I’ve only heard his narration twice before, on what has actually become one of my favourite ongoing series. But Best New Artist is so different from the crazy world of PIs and mystery, that hearing Hutchison perform a romance about two country musicians was definitely novel. However, Hutchison perfectly suited the role. He nailed the uncertainty, the longing and the unrequited needs of the characters.
This is a story of two men who weren’t actually torn apart, but they never got over each other despite believing at the time breaking up was the best thing for them both – one didn’t want to live in a closet and the other wanted fame and fortune as a country singer.
Kasey “Tuff” Tuffman is a man that should be at the top of his game. But he is unsatisfied with the Nashville country scene. Like other Texans before him, he expects to be chewed up and spat out. So, when he has a very public meltdown on television, he goes back to Texas to lick his wounds.
Jonah Littlejohn used to be in love with Kasey. In fact, he still was in love with the man but breaking up ten years ago was something that he did for his own sanity. In ten years he’s gone through his own horror with an ex, while watching Kasey’s career from afar. But when he sees Kasey lose it on television, he calls Kasey’s parents to pass on the message that Kasey is welcome to regroup his thoughts at Jonah’s farm/music compound where many local musicians get together and jam and create raw music.
When Kasey makes it to Jonah’s place things are awkward. Jonah’s best friend is suspicious of Kasey, mostly because he saw Jonah’s misery when they first broke up and saw Jonah almost die as well. Even Jonah’s dogs are suspicious. But slowly, it’s clear that there is something very strong between the two guys. However, they have a lot of has happened and there is a lot of uncertainty and fear on both sides, despite the love being there.
This book is the journey of these two men finding their way back to each other. It’s sweet, highly emotive, low on angst and drama, but totally thoughtful.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (16th August 2018)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 3.5 Hearts
Reviewer: Prime
Blurb: California firefighter Hayden Hurst is starting to realize there’s more to life than fighting fires and drinking with his buddies. He has room in his home and his life for someone special, but no one has stood out among his hookups. And while he’s out at work, admitting he’s gay is very different from showing up at social functions with a man. He’s afraid that’ll be too much for his less-than-accepting “friends”.
Broadway dancer Jez Bouchet hasn’t been mistaken for straight since he was gay-bashed at 17. After getting a lucrative job offer in Hollywood, he uproots his life in New York and drives to Los Angeles. His brother, who is Hayden’s best friend, arranges for him to crash at Hayden’s place.
The attraction between Hayden and Jez is unexpected but fiery, and they succumb before they’re even sure they like each other. But Jez hates Hayden’s homophobic friends, and Hay-den knows Jez is too flamboyant for him to fly under the radar. Then there’s the complication of Jez’s brother.
Despite those hurdles, they fling themselves into a relationship. But Jez has secrets: a tiny spoiled dog and a determined stalker. If he doesn’t come clean, he might torch their burgeoning relationship before it has a chance to bloom.
Review: Set Ablaze is a standalone book by KC Burn and narrated by Darcy Stark. I was looking forward to this because I’ve enjoyed other books by Burn in the past, I really gel with Burn’s writing and there isn’t an audiobook performance that I didn’t enjoy.
The story starts with firefighter Hayden Hurst, he’s very much a closeted man who is afraid of what the macho, homophobic men in his world of firefighters think of him. When his best friend, who is also a fire fighter from another from another station, wants Hayden to take in his baby brother as a tenant, Hayden feels that there is no reason to say no. Then he meets Jez – again, because he did know Jez briefly when they were kids. Jez challenges everything about Hayden and his closeted lifestyle.
Jez refuses to be anything other than the man he his. His life was made hell because his family could never accept the fact that he is gay. He has been beaten for it, he has been ignored by everyone but his family and his life has been generally shitty. Except he was able to make a better life for himself in New York. It wasn’t until he moved back to California for a new and exciting job that he sees why he left California in the first place, as well as realising that he has been seeing his brother in the wrong light, he falls for the closeted Hayden, and then discovers that Hayden has a few homophobic a-holes for “friends”.
In terms of the audiobook, the narration was fantastic and probably one of my favourite things of the whole audio experience. I feel that this is one of those books that I would enjoy more listening to the audio than if I had actually read the book. I’ll get to the reasons why soon enough. Overall, there wasn’t anything that I didn’t like about the performance of the book, although I felt that it was held back (I can’t think of a better word) by my feelings about the plot of the book.
I liked the book for the most part. The closeted firefighter was an interesting, I loved getting to know Hayden. Jez was also interesting because this is a man who has clawed his way back from adversity and is someone that he wants to be and loves himself as a person. My biggest issue, however, was some of the threads of the plot seemed rather weak. I don’t want to give spoilers, but the men that surround Hayden, in particular, Jez’s brother and his motivations, aren’t particularly strong. Which wouldn’t normally matter for many minor characters. But these guys influence everything in how Hayden sees himself and his place in life and for that reason they needed to be stronger, or at least they needed to make more sense a lot quicker. Yet, in saying that I like how the story arc went and it was, overall, enjoyable.
If you’re into an angsty, closet case type of story, this is probably a good one for you.
Series: Fish Out of Water 04 / Racing for the Moon 02
Author: Amy Lane
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: Novel (290 Pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (August 28, 2018)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 3.5 Hearts
Blurb:Can a hitman and a psychic negotiate a relationship while all hell breaks loose?
The world might not know who Lee Burton is, but it needs his black ops division and the work they do to keep it safe. Lee’s spent his life following orders—until he sees a kill jacket on Ernie Caulfield. Ernie isn’t a typical target, and something is very wrong with Burton’s chain of command.
Ernie’s life may seem adrift, but his every action helps to shelter his mind from the psychic storm raging within. When Lee Burton shows up to save him from assassins and club bunnies, Ernie seizes his hand and doesn’t look back. Burton is Ernie’s best bet in a tumultuous world, and after one day together, he’s pretty sure Lee knows Ernie is his destiny as well.
But when Burton refused Ernie’s contract, he kicked an entire piranha tank of bad guys, and Burton can’t rest until he takes down the rogue military unit that would try to kill a spacey psychic. Ernie’s in love with Burton and Burton’s confused as hell by Ernie—but Ernie’s not changing his mind and Burton can’t stay away. Psychics, assassins, and bad guys—throw them into the desert with a forbidden love affair and what could possibly go wrong?
Review: Burton is black ops. Basically he is sent to kill for his country. However when he is sent to kill a kid, he is left with different feelings. Feelings he had not expected, seeing as he usually was with women. He was starting to feel things for Ernie and lets just see how far he runs.
Ernie is quite unique. He sees what is happening around him, he sees what is to happen and he can pretty much locate anyone with his thoughts. Oh and lets not forget he can talk to someone with his mind, pretty cool. When Burton comes to kill him but saves his ass, plus lets not forget some sexy hot times, the kid is falling in love.
I can honestly say that if it hadn’t been for the fact that I had just finished book three, this one would have sat in my inbox till eternity ended. The title itself is goofy, but for it to be for two different series is bewildering. This book should have been book three seeing as it has characters in it that should have been seen in that story. It is just off. Also two different series names makes it hard to locate. Second what is with the church reference? Really to call the man you love his church is just about as strange as one can get. Totally throws the whole book off. This is murder, suspense, mystery and some sexy times, and then the author throws in church, totally doesn’t go the way it was wanted I am guessing.
Then there is the way the guys talk, like they have no education. You know they have to have been smart in different ways, but the way they speak is not showing it. Then there is the fact that each characters boyfriend sounds like they have the same difficulties is making cookie cutters normal.
Overall the story would have been a five heart story had the story followed a different pattern than where it went. I actually have come to a final conclusion about this particular series. I felt like the author is pushing religion on her readers. To call someone their church is about as quirky as one can get and lets face it, it made the story drop quite a bit.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (30th October 2018)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 3.5 Hearts
Reviewer: Prime
Blurb: Can a computer program understand love better than the human heart?
Archer, the AI at the dating service Q*pid, realizes humans don’t always make the best choices, so it begins making some unconventional choices for them.
Fox Kincade is the last of his group of friends to be single, so he’s delighted when he discovers a new match in his Q*pid app – one that, according to the new AI wizardry, should be the love of his life. Instead of the woman he’s expecting, he’s paired with Drew Larsen, a shy, somewhat nerdy PhD student who has also grown discouraged with romance.
Drew and Fox have little in common – aside from the fact that they’re both straight. Or so they thought. But as the guys get to know each other, they realize Archer might have the right idea. Their path isn’t smooth, because both need to overcome every idea they have about themselves and what true love might look like. But with the help of Archer – and some friends who have stuck with Fox and Drew through the thick and thin of their relationship trials – they might find their way into each other’s hearts.
Review: Q*pid is a very enjoyable book by Xavier Mayne and the audio is performed by Randy Sanda. I’m not familiar with either the author or the narrator, so other than liking the sound of the blurb, I went into this one completely blind and with no expectations.
What you read in the blurb is basically what you get, which is always a good start. We follow the development and implementation of a new AI for a dating site, which accesses all of a person’s online activity in order to make a better match than the usual dating algorithms. It’s all pretty cool, techy stuff if you’re into that. However, a momentary lapse means that Archer, the AI, starts to make matches which disregard a person’s sexuality. Of all the matches that were made, and those that were actually sent out, we meet Fox Kincaid and Drew Larsen.
What starts out as dinner and drinks to laugh about the predicament of two heterosexual men being matched to another man becomes a really sweet and deep friendship. Drew is a PhD candidate who studies economic history, while Fox is a successful businessman. Fox is very analytical, devoted to his spreadsheets, while Drew is more fluid in his thinking despite his academic background. They also contrast in their reactions to the news. Despite having his two best friends (which I was disappointed we never met) who had the stunning realisation that they were gay (or gay for you) with each other, Fox is adamant that he is straight and that he would never be with a man. Drew is much more composed, if anything he is amused though his anxieties tend to make him over think everything. Drew and Fox are complete opposite in some ways, yet completely compliment each other.
There are some pretty entertaining secondary characters too. Fox’s best friend, Chad, is portrayed as a California surfer dude and he is a riot. He has a heart of gold and wants nothing but the best for his friend. Then there is Mrs Schwartzman, who is Drew’s neighbour upstairs and a strong mother figure for Drew. The elderly woman is written like a Yittish Yoda, but she is certainly entertaining. She too has only the best of intentions for Drew and his life.
What I loved most about this was that the book is thought provoking, particularly in terms of privacy in the digital age. To lesser extent, there was the whole gay for you thing going on, and it was intriguing that perhaps humans need to “broaden their parameters” a little. Seriously interesting thoughts. Another interesting point was how people present themselves online and how we really don’t know what we need in a partner when we must explain it.
The only downside was that I found the plot was a bit slow at times, especially when Fox was being a dick. I accept that in terms of his personality that it was part of his coming to terms with his attraction to another man, it was just sometimes the plot felt as though it slowed down too much. As for the narration, I liked it but it didn’t really connect with my. Granted, Sanda did a good job giving the characters individual voices and even in conveying the themes of the story. However, I was too distracted by the fact I really wasn’t into Fox’s voice and I felt some of the emotion was missing.
I recommend this one if you’re into a contemporary, gay for you story line.
Series: The Teddy Bear Club 02, Dreamspun Desires 83
Author: Sean Michael
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (195 pages)
ISBN: 978-1-64405-195-5
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (4th June 2019)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
Reviewer: Prime
Blurb: Too much of a good thing?
When Logan gets the call about newborn triplets in need of a home, he steps up, realizing too late the daunting task he’s taken on. He’d be lost without the men of the Teddy Bear Club—especially Dirk.
Dirk even offers to spend spring break at Logan’s home, helping him and the babies settle in. He loves being a dad, and he wants to help Logan find the same joy. It doesn’t hurt that they enjoy spending time together.
Before they even realize it, they’re settling into a routine… becoming a family.
Falling in love.
But their new bond is about to face the ultimate test. Will they come through and realize that with love, there’s no such thing as enough?
Review: The More the Merrier is the second book in The Teddy Bear Club by Sean Michael.
I’ve become more familiar recently with the work of Sean Michael and I am, quite honestly, a great fan now. For the most part, they are usually quite happy and fluffy stories, with some adorable children and strong themes of building families and bringing together people in a way that is totally relatable and believable. In short, Sean Michael has recently made it onto my seemingly long list of authors I must read these days.
I’ve been looking forward to this book since I read the first book in the series. And while it is a series and there are call backs to the kids and MCs of the previous book, I think this could easily work as a standalone book without losing any key points.
Logan is a lawyer, a single man who has a daughter with a friend who wanted a child (they have a very amicable agreement for their daughter), and now he has gone through the all the hoops to become a foster parent with the intention to possibly adopt. But then finding out that he is going to get newborn triplets, he understandably feels overwhelmed. Lucky for Logan, he has the men of the Teddy Bear Club to help him.
The Teddy Bear Club is a group of single dads who happen to be gay, their kids play with each other but most importantly the men support each other.
One of the men of the club is Dirk. The two men already of a connection and an easy friendship. Dirk also has a massive crush on Logan though he has never done anything to act on it. Logan’s desperate need for help, though, has leads Dirk to offer to move in with little girl to help with the triplets. It’s a win-win situation because Dirk can move into a safer neighbourhood and live in a larger home while he helps Logan. Logan sees the same advantages as Dirk and the men quickly fall into a routine as Logan deals with having the triplets, his older daughter, plus dirk and his daughter. The kids’ bond and the guys bond. Love grows. But life can change at the drop of a hat, Logan learnt that with the triplets, and it happens again. Now that he is growing closer to Dirk, the two men can now support each other.
I absolutely adored this book. I adored both Logan and Dirk and the five kids. Logan and Dirk are brilliant together. This was a sweet romance with low angst. Instead, this a story about two guys in an intense situation, one of them needing a heck of a lot of support, and both nursing a crush that could become something more. If you’re into romances with ordinary guys with extraordinary circumstances and lots of cute kiddies, then this will be a good book for you.
Hi guys! We have Gretchen Evans stopping by today with her new release Bumper to Bumper, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Bumper to Bumper
(Cruised 01)
by
Gretchen Evans
Gabe is bored with hookup culture. He’s in his thirties and wants something more stable. But sitting in traffic is even more boring. He expects more of the same tired, headless torsos when he swipes open Cruised, the most popular hookup app for men, during his morning commute. Instead, he meets Mark.
Mark is handsome, funny, and interested in conversation. He’s also interested in meeting Gabe in coffee shop bathrooms for quickies on the way to work. Mark doesn’t rush out of the room after sex either. He’s tender and sweet, and way more than Gabe had hoped for. The sex is hot, but the connection between Gabe and Mark is something deeper.
Gabe’s feelings grow each time he and Mark text, but seeing an attractive woman driving Mark’s car stops Gabe cold. He doesn’t want to hookup with a cheater. He doesn’t want to stop seeing Mark either. But could it all be a misunderstanding?
Gabe knows nothing about Mark’s life or how to negotiate a hookup into something more. Does Mark want something more, or is he already taken?
Hi peeps! We have C.F. White popping in today with her new release Love & Tea Bags, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Love & Tea Bags
by
C.F. White
Fate can be written in a tea bag too.
Mark Johnson is hitting his forties and is stuck in a rut.
He’s had the same boring office job for ten years, with no motivation or inclination to change it. The same crumbling house for ten years, with no cash or know-how to fix it. And the same Facebook status for five years—it’s complicated. It isn’t. He’s single. He just doesn’t want to correct it. That would be admitting defeat.
The day a tea bag splats onto his face whilst he’s emptying the dregs of his morning cuppa at Macy’s Tea Shoppe is the one that makes him question each of his current life choices…the tea bag and that the shop is currently being run by one rather friendly, rather hunky, but rather young Australian named Bradley Summers.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (4th April 2017)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
Reviewer: Prime
Blurb: Dakota Landry just got out of prison after 12 years. If anyone can understand how that feels, it’s his new friend, Sage, who is determined to help him get used to life on the outside – and be-lieves Dakota didn’t commit the crime he was in for.
Jayden Wilson is a former prosecutor who agrees to look into the case at the request of Sage’s lover, Adam. He sets out to prove Dakota is just another “innocent” ex-con, but once they meet, Jayden is more and more convinced Dakota just didn’t do what everyone thinks he did.
Trouble follows Dakota, and nothing is easy as he struggles to figure out how to live, now that he has choices. And Jayden isn’t sure how Dakota, or any lover for that matter, fits into his life. Their path from friendship to romance is a slow one, but Dakota begins to believe he deserves a chance at life, and Jayden falls a little more for Dakota every day. Now they just need to tell each other how they feel.
Review: Catch and Release is the third book in BA Tortuga’s The Release series. This book can work as a standalone book, but since the main characters of the two previous books feature so heavily, I would recommend avoiding this.
I really enjoy Tortuga’s writing and always look forward to a wonderfully sexy cowboy romance, some books are sweet, some are angsty, some have a touch of mystery. There’s always something to enjoy as long as you love a cowboy! Overall, The Release has also been a fantastic series which has the overarching theme of emotional and physical healing and making a family with the friends you find who support you unconditionally.
The narration for this book was done by Lou Lambert. After the unfounded trepidation I felt when I realised that the same narrator was not performing the whole series, I was ok to find that the third and final book had a different narrator again. I figure that these men were chosen because they suit the main characters of each book. After all, this isn’t exactly a cookie cutter group of people who happen to become friends, they are all different in personality and intensity, which is what makes me love the series. I hadn’t heart anything by Lou Lambert before listening to Catch and Release, but as I just said, his voice suited both main characters. He nailed the tone that conveyed their hope and their hopelessness, sometimes all within the same scene.
Catch and Release is the story of Dakota Landry and Jayden Wilson. Dakota has just served 12 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, too bad his own family did nothing to help him, like providing a lawyer. At the time he had been a lonely, gay, chubby college student who was found guilty of raping a girl at a party he had made a brief appearance at after she named him as her rapist. Getting out of jail, Dakota doesn’t have much hope. In many ways he is a lot like Sage from book 1, although Sage was guilty of being a druggie, both men went into jail as boys and went through their twenties in jail, often used by more tougher, violent men in the jail. And it is Sage that took it upon himself to take Dakota under his wing, with a lot of reservations from his husband. Dakota finds it difficult to realise that there is someone in his corner. It is through Sage that he meets lawyer Jayden Wilson.
Jayden used to be a prosecuting attorney, but the stress and danger of dealing with such horrible cases led Jayden to have a go a property law. However, his past caught up with him and he currently has a guy acting as security – Adam (Sage’s husband) who was in the army, was a cop and now a security specialist. Adam explains about his concerns of Sage befriending a convicted rapist who, on the surface had an open and shut case. With the danger over, Jayden feels the itch to have a look into things and quite suddenly things aren’t as clear as it had been assumed.
Dakota is so beaten down, he finds it nearly impossible to believe in the hope that Jayden is offering. However, as the men get to know each other more the connection between them grows into something more.
I’m finding it difficult to find a book in this series that I liked more than the others. It is impossible. Unlike many series that have a lot of similarities between characters and storylines, this series gives readers three very different stories with six very different characters, all of whom have been deeply affecting by an event in their lives before we meet them.
Catch and Release is an excellent story for those that like a little bit of crime, Law and Order style, with their romance.
Series: Search and Rescue 01, Dreamspun Desires 86
Author: Amy Lane
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (226 pages)
ISBN: 978-1-64405-543-4
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (16th July 2019)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
Reviewer: Prime
Blurb: Survive the adventure. Live to love.
Following a family emergency, snowboarder Tevyn Moore and financier Mallory Armstrong leave Donner Pass in a blizzard… and barely survive the helicopter crash that follows. Stranded with few supplies and no shelter, Tevyn and Mallory—and their injured pilot—are forced to rely on each other.
The mountain leaves no room for evasion, and Tevyn and Mal must confront the feelings that have been brewing between them for the past five years. Mallory has seen Tevyn through injury and victory. Can Tevyn see that Mallory’s love is real?
Mallory’s job is risk assessment. Tevyn’s job is full-on risk. But to stay alive, Mallory needs to take some gambles and Tevyn needs to have faith in someone besides himself. Can the bond they discover on the mountain see them to rescue and beyond?
Review: Warm Heart is the first book in a new series by Amy Lane for Dreamspun Desires called Search and Rescue. Since reading Amy Lane’s series The Mannies (also for Dreamspun Desires) I have been a great fan of Lane’s writing, I love the writing style and I love the down to earth characters who are quite extraordinary in many ways.
Warm Heart is no exception for me. This book is not only a romance, but there is plenty of drama and danger faced by the characters which force them to face up to feelings that have been buried deep down. I really enjoyed this story and with the groundwork laid out for the rescue workers who appear in the book as secondary characters (makes sense since the series called Search and Rescue), I am looking forward to the next instalment with a lot of anticipation. I really hope that the MCs pop up in subsequent books as well, because I love them both.
So, onto the story.
Tevyn Moore is a world class snowboarder. He has worked hard for his career, despite how dangerous it is. It also helps that the money he earns has allowed him to afford the care for his sick grandmother, who had raised him and he absolutely worships. However, love hasn’t really been anything on the cards for him. Despite his crush on his financial manager (or perhaps just a manager in general I found that description kind of vague?), Mallory Armstrong, he has had a lot of fun exploring his own sexuality with a seemingly endless parade of one-night stands. But that’s ok, because Tevyn is not ready for anything serious and so it easy to dismiss his fun when we finally get Tevyn and Mallory in the same room.
Mallory doesn’t like hanging out at official events, but he arrives at one to find Tevyn urgently. His feelings for Tevyn seem to be obvious to everyone, including Tevyn who just hasn’t examined the reasons for the extra attention and kindness from Mallory. Mallory is too professional and past experiences has Mallory more concerned about taking care of Tevyn instead of ruining what they do have with a romance. The weather is atrocious, but the helicopter pilot is confident and Mallory wants to, needs to, get Tevyn home to his grandmother whose health has taken a very bad turn.
However, with tragedy strikes, leaving Tevyn, Mallory and the helicopter pilot (Damien Ward) stranded in the middle of a blizzard. Damien is in bad shape and Tevyn is the most well equipped to be able to keep them alive as they form to plan to survive while they wait for help. Damien is ex-military and has faith in his friends, who are prominent in the search and rescue business, will find them. Survival and facing death mean that Tevyn and Mallory also find themselves having some rather intimate and truth-telling moments that will change their relationship.
They have fantastic chemistry and I really liked the fact that there were no useless sex scenes while the guys were trying to survive and keep their friend alive. I’ve been burned one too many times with books that slot in sex scenes in stupid places. I am very much looking forward to the next book, which is Damien’s romance with a guy that helps rescue the trio. I’m also super excited at the thought of Warm Heart coming out in audio.
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Detective & Thrillers
Length: Novella (115pgs)
Publisher: Westburg Publishing (July 18, 2018)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
Blurb: Kaua’i Detective, Jake Jensen, has just settled into married life with his new wife Angela and he loves his job in the laid back island paradise. When he hears his brother Lane, an undercover LAPD cop, has gone missing while on assignment, he flies to the mainland to help locate him.
Jake immediately rubs Lane’s partner Brennan the wrong way. Brennan has no need of his help, and he fears his intrusion will put Lane in even more jeopardy. Jake is not easily swayed when it comes to protecting family and when Bren finally realizes he’s not going to be able to shake the tenacious detective, the men vow to find a way to work together.
As Jake plunges into the unfamiliar world where Lane’s gone undercover, from the biker bars of the Inland Empire to the gay bars of West Hollywood, he uncovers evidence that perhaps Lane has more secrets than he’s been prepared to face.
With unforeseen danger lurking around every corner, Brennan and Jake form an uncommon brotherhood with one goal, taking down the bad guys… while getting Lane out alive.
Please note. This title qualifies as MM Young Adult fiction. There are gay characters but no on page sexual situations. Please note: there is language in the book which some readers and parents may find objectionable but no more so than a teen would hear in their local high school on a daily basis. If a parent is concerned about this, the author suggests they read the book before passing it on to their teen. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the author in advance. patricialogan.author at yahoo dot com.
Review: Jake’s brother Lane is a detective in the states and goes missing while on a case. Jake travels to the US from Hawaii to help find him despite what Lane’s partner Brennan thinks. They discover a link between a previous case of Jake’s and the one Link and Brennan are working on.
The clock is ticking as the two men hope to find Lane before his time runs out for good.
Action packed and highly addictive this is a non stop edge of your seat thriller that will grab your attention from start to finish as clues and secrets are revealed that lead Brennan and Jake on dangerous adventures as they try to find Lane as soon as possible and pray for the best.
I loved all the characters as they all life to the story. There is no sex in this story but it did not need the added distraction of an overabundance of them as is in most other books in the genre. The reader was able to focus on the facts and investigation of the whereabouts of Lane and the danger. I myself enjoyed this story immensely.
Blurb: Ajax Fairchild’s online alter ego has caused him trouble before, but never like this. After multiple death threats, his loaded parents decide he needs an enforced digital vacation and the best bodyguard money can buy.
That would be Dmytro Kolisnychenko, former soldier, former hired muscle for the Ukrainian mob—until he lost his happy home life to an enemy with a homemade bomb. Now he wants only two things: to spend every precious second he can with his daughters, and to provide for them by protecting people who can’t protect themselves—even entitled little asshats like Ajax Fairchild.
But Ajax doesn’t fit into the spoiled little rich kid box as neatly as Dmytro would like. Dmytro doesn’t have time for a romantic dalliance, and Ajax is a client, albeit one with unexpected depths. With one coincidence after another driving them to the sleepy seaside town of St. Nacho’s and away from their planned safe house, they grow to trust each other and find that love follows trust. Now they must learn where the threat to Ajax is coming from and neutralize it… before it’s too late for their happily ever after.
Review: Three Night Vlog, by ZA Maxfield, is the third book in the series Plummet to Soar. I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ve read books by Maxfield in the past but nothing really came to mind when I was reading the blurb other than “this looks like a fun book with a dash of danger”.
Three Night Vlog works fine as a standalone book. I knew it was part of a series when I picked it up but it wasn’t until about five minutes ago that I realised that it’s the third book in the series. Regardless, I am now curious about the preceding two books.
In the present story we are introduced to Ajax Fairchild. He’s a rich kid – young adult – in need of a bodyguard. But he isn’t your run of the mill rich kid with too much time and money on his hands, instead Ajax is something of a social warrior. After deciding that he didn’t need to put up an act on his blog as his internet vlogger alter ego, he announces that he is gay – in a stunning, drunken YouTube video – Ajax’s parent hire a bodyguard and force him to stay away from the internet. He finds himself in the beautiful seaside town of St Nacho’s after more death threats force the plan off script.
Dmytro Kolisnychenko is a former soldier, single father and the bodyguard hired to protect Ajax Fairchild. Dmytro accepts that he has a fluid sexuality, yet he cannot act on any attraction to Ajax, simply because the man is his client, and he has shied away from any sort of romance since a bomb killed his wife and destroyed his happy home. He spends as much time with his two cute daughters, but it is the events of the past that make him want to protect people that cannot protect themselves, which is a way for Dmytro to find peace and salvation. But as the threats escalate and the attraction grows, both Dmytro and Ajax need to keep their eyes on the current situation as well as work through their feelings and the emotional baggage of the past.
As I said earlier, this is a fun book with a dash of danger. Dmytro and Ajax have a sizzling attraction, although they both go on quite a journey before they can be anything real to each other. For those that like their romance with a bit of action, sexy eastern European bodyguards and a quirky leading man, this is a great book to get into.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (15th September 2016)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 3.5 Hearts
Reviewer: Prime
Blurb: Andrew and Paul learned about God and Jesus in different churches and realize their views of spirituality are worlds apart.
Andrew was raised Catholic and was told his homosexuality was a sin. For his entire life, he hid the truth. He married and had children to present a facade to the world that of a straight man. It’s not until he has an affair with Paul, who shows him a different side of Jesus, that Andrew realiz-es he can be gay and still believe in God. Paul’s Jesus is one of acceptance and love, and in Paul’s church, being gay is not a problem.
For Paul and Andrew, falling in love is the easy part of their journey. They must make it through the fires of cheating, being discovered, Andrew’s wife leaving, the necessities of childcare and family life, the demands of their jobs, and working on their commitment to each other. Only then can they be safe in each other’s heart.
Review: Safe in His Heart is the second book in Renae Kaye’s Safe series.
While I have been enjoying Renae Kaye’s writing as of late, I hadn’t known what to expect. Admittedly, I’ve not read or listened to the first book in the series and I don’t feel that it took anything away from it for me. The writing itself is great, as well as the character development.
I just hadn’t been sure about a couple points that are central to this book and how these would affect my enjoyment. While the story was good, the chemistry between the characters was strong, I do feel that my enjoyment was indeed affected by the following:
1) There is cheating. Ok, so there is a deal that the marriage was in name only kind of thing and that they could have sex outside of the marriage providing they were discrete, I wasn’t really sold on it. 2) Also the religion thing. I was born and raised Catholic and yes, I will admit that there is probably a place for religion in the world. However, I’m not the type of person who reads romances that feature religion so obviously. 3) But all of that is ok. It’s really just that this is an angsty book, which I didn’t realise, and I’m the type of person who can only handle so much angst in my books.
A definite highlight of the story was Randy Fuller’s narration. Despite my reservations and my feelings which did mean that I gave this book a lower rating, I did feel myself get immersed by the performance. This is one of those books where I know that I wouldn’t have been able to read it, instead I needed the audio and feeding off of the tone and emotion provided by Fuller. He does an excellent job giving their characters their individual voices and conveys their feelings well. There is a certain amount of angst in this book and he does that justice.
The story is about Paul and Andrew. What makes them interesting is in the blurb. Andrew was raised Catholic and grew up knowing that his attraction to other men was a sin. While Paul is the complete opposite, he attends a more liberal church where being gay isn’t a sin and is welcoming to all sorts of people from different walks of life.
Andrew is by far the more complicated character of the story. Because he is so firmly in the closet, he has gotten married and had a couple kids, although he has quite an unconventional arrangement with his wife. Meeting Paul is a turning point in his life, however, while the men are happy enough with their relationship they need to now navigate murky waters when Andrew’s wife changes the course of the family’s life. She isn’t the wicked wife that is an absolute bitch, but she is rather self-involved and does have her moments. However, Paul is there to support Andrew every step of the way. Paul has a massive heart and he quickly became my favourite character.
The characters are good. I really liked how the developed, I found myself being more inclined to understand and sympathise with them more. I found that there were very real men and exceedingly complex, complete with their obvious imperfections. I think I will just leave it at that, if you prefer a rosy romance, then this might not be the book for you.
Hiya peeps, we have Allison Temple stopping by today with her new release Cold Pressed, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Cold Pressed
(A Seacroft Novel)
by
Allison Temple
No strings attached is all Oliver can offer. He’s hiding a broken heart that holds him back from diving into a new relationship, but he’ll go on a blind date to make his family happy. Just one date, though; he doesn’t have time for love to derail his plans.
Divorced and demoted to the night shift, Nick has his own problems. He’s got an ex-wife who needs him and a kid with one foot in juvie. The last thing Nick needs is to butt heads—or other body parts—with a tempting hipster who wears a sad smile on their blind date.
Their chemistry can’t be denied, though, in an argument or in bed. No strings sex is uncomplicated and that’s what Nick and Oliver need. But getting into bed together is one thing. Staying out of each other’s hearts soon becomes so much more complicated than either one imagined.
Cold Pressed is an 80k contemporary MM romance. It features a smoldering bisexual single dad, a broken-hearted hipster with a thing for beet juice, and a friends-with-benefits arrangement that blooms into the HEA you’ve been looking for.
Hi guys! We have M.J. O’Shea stopping by today with the tour for her new release Chef On Top, we have a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Chef On Top
(Sizzling In The Kitchen 03)
by
M.J. O’Shea
Chef Jake Casey has never been what you’d call… liked. By anyone. He was the odd outcast son of the town drunk, and he’s spent his adult life doing everything he can to be nothing like his father. If that meant stomping on a few dozen toes, so be it. But contrary to popular belief, he is human. It gets a little old being alone all the time. When he lands a new job on the other side of the country, Jake decides he’s going to change. New city, new restaurant, new Jake.
It’s going pretty well until his first and only friend’s ex shows up with a fiancé in tow. Ty is horrified. Jake might not have much practice with the friend thing, but he decides he’ll do what everyone in the movies always does – he offers to be Ty’s fake boyfriend. It can’t go wrong. Right?
Ty Caldecott knows better. His life isn’t a teen rom-com and situations like these always end up in humiliation. But the prospect of seeing Taran every day with that ring shining on his finger makes Ty want to vomit. Ty doesn’t want to look like a pining loser, so he tells Jake he’s in.
Hi guys, we have Lane Hayes stopping by today with her new release Out in the Field, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $25 Amazon GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Out in the Field
(Out In College 04)
by
Lane Hayes
Max Maldonado loves baseball. He knows playing first base at a private college probably won’t get him to the big leagues, but he doesn’t mind. He loves the game and his teammates. If he has to stay in the closet until he graduates, that’s okay. Baseball comes first. Relationships are complicated anyway. And after his recent messy breakup, Max prefers to keep things simple.
Phoenix Bell is a fabulous theater geek. He’s excited about his recent transfer to a new school with an elite liberal arts program. Life has been on hold for a while, but this opportunity feels like the fresh start he was hoping for when he moved to California. And the chance reunion with the hot closeted jock is an unexpected surprise. The two men have nothing in common and their timing couldn’t be worse. However, when their unconventional alliance blossoms into friendship and perhaps something more, it may be time to make some hard decisions. And perhaps risk it all…out in the field.
Hi guys! We have Victoria Milne stopping by today with her new release Purple Method, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Purple Method
(Purple Method 01)
by
Victoria Milne
When one kiss changes everything, closeted heavy metal singer Max Diaz and MMA fighter Rick Bernstein must decide how hard they’re willing to fight—for their dreams and each other.
An up-and-coming heavy metal singer and a martial artist desperate to join a top MMA gym must decide how hard they’re willing to fight—for their dreams and each other.
Max Diaz is firmly in the closet, and as unbearable as that’s becoming, he can’t risk his only remaining family—his brother, Tony—or his band Purple Method’s chance to make it big.
Rick Bernstein dreams of rising in the ranks of the MMA circuit and securing a training career at a top gym, but with rejections coming thick and fast and his financial future in dire jeopardy, starting a relationship is the last thing on his mind—especially with someone who isn’t out.
But when Purple Method returns to Elfinbrook after a six-month tour, one kiss changes everything. Now Max and Rick face decisions that will change both of their lives forever.
Blurb: After a night at the movies in Albuquerque, NM, Brantley’s best friend, Matt, is shot right in front him during a robbery. Stunned and devastated, Brant tries to help Matt’s husband, Travis, deal with the funeral details even as he struggles with his own grief and Travis’s blame. When Travis’s best friend arrives, Brant is both annoyed and grateful, because he is so darn tired and can use the help.
Lex Espana is ashamed to admit he hasn’t seen his childhood best friend since Travis’s wedding. He’s even more amazed that he barely remembers Brant from that wedding, because he’s sure interested now. While it’s weird to fall for someone at a funeral, his feelings for Brant are real and make him long for a life he didn’t realize he was missing.
Neither Lex nor Brant knows how to be part of an us, though, and they both have a lot to work through before they can settle in. To become a real couple, Brant and Lex will have to dig deep to get past the roadblocks in their relationship.
Review: Ammo and Enchiladas is the second book in BA Tortuga’s Border Crossing series.
Now, I love BA Tortuga. I really enjoy Tortuga’s writing and always look forward to a wonderfully sexy cowboy romance, some books are sweet, some are angsty, some have a touch of mystery. There’s always something to enjoy as long as you love a cowboy!
However, even though I knew that this was part of a series, I didn’t realise that it was the second book. I have zero recollection of whether or not I’ve read book 1 before (Bombs and Guacamole), but this totally works as a standalone book. I had to think but I’m pretty sure that the link is tenuous (as in one of the previous MCs, Dusty, pops up occasionally in the role of best friend and work colleague) and not vital to read in order.
The book starts in sorrow. Brantley (or Brant) was out for a night of fun with his best friend, Matt, while Matt’s husband stayed home grading his student’s papers. They went to the movies and on the way home pulled into a gas station/convenience store, where a robbery goes wrong and Matt is killed in front of Brant. He is shattered, naturally, Matt is like a brother to him and he holds both Matt and his husband dear. Yet, his world takes another blow when Matt’s husband, Travis, blames Brant for Matt’s death.
Then in comes Lex Espana. He is Travis’s best friend, although in part because he was living so far away, he hasn’t seen Travis or Matt since their wedding. He doesn’t really remember Brant, although they were both their friends’ best men at the wedding. When Travis calls in tears, telling Lex the news that Matt has been killed, Lex drops everything to go to his friend. Over the days and weeks to follow, Lex supports his best friend in any way he can. He also finds himself supporting Brant when Travis lashes out at Brant over Matt’s death. Tensions are running high with various family members, including Matt’s parents who consider Brant a son, are gathered to mourn Matt.
It’s a complicated situation but slowly Lex and Brant get to know each other properly, after only a passing acquaintance at the wedding and hearing about each other in the intervening time. The circumstances of Matt’s death are a close reminder of how short and fragile life is and so the men embark on a journey together that could lead to great happiness.
This story goes through a roller coaster of emotions, I think there may have been tears. Lex and Brant are perfect for each other, I love their chemistry and despite not being big on relationships both men help each other as they get to know each other. It’s a really pleasing relationship which comes from a time of grief. This is both heart-warming and heart wrenching.
Blurb: When Noah’s insecurity threatens their fledgling relationship, can Sol con-vince Noah that he’s enough?
Noah thinks he’s nothing special. Average height, a bit on the skinny side, and cute but rather geeky, he’s relentlessly ordinary. He certainly doesn’t expect to be noticed by Sol, the gorgeous dark-haired stranger Noah usually sees on his commute home.
When a friend persuades Noah to take a big risk in a bid to get Sol’s at-tention, things turn out better than Noah dared to hope. But Noah doesn’t believe he’s interesting or sexy enough to hold Sol’s attention.
As Sol tries to get closer, Noah tries to protect his heart by pulling away. If their relationship is going to survive, Noah needs to accept that Sol sees him very differently to how Noah sees himself. Because to Sol, No-ah is something very special indeed.
This is a standalone story with a satisfying happy ending.
Review: Nothing Special is a standalone novel by Jay Northcote, this is a second edition of the book, which was previously published in 2014 by Dreamspinner Press. I’m not sure how much has changed with the re-release as I’ve not read this before. In fact, I really didn’t know what to expect because Jay Northcote isn’t an author that I am familiar. I’m sure I’ve heard the name before, just not sure if I’ve ever read anything by Northcote before now.
Set in London, the story starts with Noah talking to his best friend, Dom, about the hot guy he’s been talking about for the last couple months, who he sees every day on the way home on the tube. The hot guy wears a London Zoo polo and work boots, Noah just doesn’t believe a good-looking guy like Zoo Guy could ever have any interest in him. Noah has extremely low self-esteem, but it is his best friend that encourages to pursue Zoo Guy – Sol – who is just as interested in Noah.
Noah is such a sweet and lovable character. He is shy and geeky, which probably lends to his character having low self-esteem. He has finished uni, has an alright job at a bookstore and still lives with his parents. Sol is Noah’s opposite in the fact that he is outgoing, but is completely crazy over Noah. Sol is sweet, but he is also kind, gentle and despite outward appearances he also has his own insecurities.
The relationship between Noah and Sol is wonderful. This isn’t an instalove where the two guys get over their baggage, have tonnes of hot sex and fall in love. Instead, these guys take their time to get to know each other. But don’t worry, the intimacy and sex in the book reflects the same sweetness and reflects Noah’s need to be sure about love. The guys have great chemistry together, but they complement each other in so many ways it felt just right. The book is all about the romance rather than getting the guys to their HEA, if that makes sense to anyone other than me because it sounds good in my head. There is low level angst, which is entirely fuelled by miscommunication. I usually hate miscommunication plot points because they are usually just used and don’t make sense to the characters. However, everything that happened felt organic with the characters as we get to know them.
This is such a sweet and beautiful story. Nothing Special is a very simple romance and for me that it was makes it so excellent. It was just so easy to connect with Noah and Sol. I recommend this one for those that want a sweet, gentle romance and a HEA that had me smiling so much.
