Hiya guys! We have Jere’ M. Fishback visiting today with his new release Jeff, Karma, and Me, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Jeff, Karma, and Me
by
Jere’ M. Fishback
Twenty-year-old college student, Jakub Mazur, is a loner consumed by feelings of helplessness due to his mother’s unexplained disappearance many years before. He feels he’s not in charge of his own life, that forces beyond his control will always determine his destiny. But when a summer affair ignites between Jakub and Jeff Brucelli, Jakub tastes both romantic love and self-empowerment.
After returning to school for his third year of college, Jakub suffers another tragic loss; it shakes his faith in his ability to navigate life’s challenges. Is he doomed to suffer at the hand of fate forever?
When Jeff is diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a potentially fatal cancer of the lymphatic system, Jeff’s oncologist says he must endure debilitating chemotherapy cycles, then radiation treatments. Jakub is devastated when he learns of this, but decides, for once, he will take control of his future instead of behaving like a helpless bystander.
Warning: Drinking and driving, infidelity, suicidal ideation, suicide, homophobia, deceased family member, drug use, child abuse, cancer, death of a prominent character
Series: Dissolution Cycle 01 (Tales of the Dissolutionverse)
Author: William C. Tracy
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Steampunk, Fantasy
Length: Super Novel (415pgs)
Publisher: Space Wizard Science Fantasy (December 19, 2017)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts
Blurb: A young man with anxiety stands between the ten homeworlds and a shivering death.
Sam van Oen barely escapes freezing to death in his house, as his watch stops and fire ceases to burn. He is pulled into the Nether where he discovers the nexus of an intergalactic society. In this place, changing the musical Symphony underlying the universe alters reality. Sam is surrounded by aliens strange and familiar, some non-binary or gender fluid. Soon he meets sister and brother twins, also new to the Nether, who support him during his anxiety attacks. Sam finds he is attracted to both of them and does not want to choose.
While coping with the anxiety prompted by his new surroundings, Sam must learn to hear and change the Symphony in order to discover what happened to his home. But more freezing voids like the one that started his journey are appearing and Sam’s chances of getting back are fading. Not only that, but the Assembly of Species is threatening to dissolve and the maji are being attacked by those they protect. Meanwhile, rumors grow of an ancient shape-changing species of assassins returning to wage war.
The Dissolution is coming.
If you like epic fantasy, space opera, music-based magic, and diverse cultures, genders, and alien species, you’ll love this first book in William C. Tracy’s Dissolution Cycle. Download The Seeds of Dissolution and start an epic science fantasy space opera sequence today!
Read the rest of the Tales from the Dissolutionverse! The first six books can be read in any order: Book 1: The Five Hive Plateau (Adventure, Alien contact) Book 2: Tuning the Symphony (Coming of Age, Adventure) Book 3: Merchants and Maji (Intrigue, Steampunk adventure) Book 4: The Seeds of Dissolution: Dissolution Cycle Book 1 (Epic Space Opera, LGBT) Book 5: The Society of Two Houses (Sherlock Holmes-esque murder mystery) Book 6: Journey to the Top of the Nether (Jules Verne-style adventure, kid-friendly) Book 7: (forthcoming 2019) Dissolution Cycle Book 2 (Epic Space Opera, LGBT)
Genres: Space Opera / Fantasy / Science Fiction / Steampunk / LGBT Bisexual Non Binary
Review: Sam is a young man staying with his aunt when all of a sudden cold becomes a real threat that they have no hope of escaping. Trying to build a fire Sam is pulled through a portal into another world. Once there he discusses with the magi who pulled him through how to get back. Alas there is no way.
Sam is thrust into a world with aliens, magic and a group hellbent on destroying the world. Sam for his part wants to help and so begins his training in between him and his new friends being kidnapped and rescued. There is a lot going on in this story. Many twists and turns, secondary characters as well as representation of the lgbtqi.
It was a fascinating read. But I do admit to being confused at times as the story progressed. Still it was an interesting mix of situations and characters that had me reading till the end.
Hi guys! We have E.J. Russell stopping by today with the tour for her new release Howling On Hold, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway where you can win a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card and an ecopy of an ebook from E.J.’s backlist, so guys check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Howling On Hold
(Mythmatched Universe)
by
E.J. Russell
Sometimes it’s harder to teach a young dog new tricks.
That’s why werewolves embark on a Howling: a three-year rite of passage in which they’re sent to a group residence to wrestle with their wolfy instincts and assimilate into the Wider World. But Tanner Araya’s Howling is almost over, and he could be called back to his remote pack at any moment. His twenty-first birthday might be his last chance to act on his strongest instinct and finally kiss Chase Denney.
Chase is RA at the Howling residence affectionately dubbed “the Doghouse,” and he takes his job seriously. So seriously that when he realized he was developing feelings for a resident, he forced himself to keep Tanner at a distance. But now that Tanner’s twenty-one, he’s not Chase’s charge any longer. They could be friends or—if Chase is lucky—something more. At least until they both return to their home packs for good, as tradition demands.
It would take a miracle for them to get together—especially when the other Doghouse werewolves insist on “helping.”
Warning: Many Frisbees are harmed in this story, forgiveness is not always easier than permission, and the five-second rule does not apply.
Emotional abuse (manipulation) from a parental figure Violence / Gun violence
Hi guys! We have Amy Aislin stopping in today with the tour for her new release Shots on Goal, we have a great exclusive excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Shots On Goal
(Stick Side 03)
by
Amy Aislin
Recently traded to the newly formed Vermont Trailblazers, professional hockey player Roman Kinsey needs to focus on helping the team win games and filling the stands, not on the blond, bespectacled part-timer who works at the library he volunteers at. He knows all too well that outing himself equals heartache and ridicule…or worse.
Cody Evans, psych major and grad school hopeful, notices everything and thinks too much. But he doesn’t know what to think when he sees Roman reading to kids. The rugged hockey player just doesn’t look like the type. But it stirs something in him, something he’s never felt before.
When the library is threatened with closure, Cody enlists Roman’s help. As they get to know each other better…much, much better…they realize that they have more in common than books. But Roman’s keeping a big part of himself from his team, and giving in to his feelings for Cody might be more than he’s willing to risk.
Hi guys! We have Sara Codair visiting today with her new release Life Minus Me, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Life Minus Me
(Evanstar Chronicles 0.5)
by
Sara Codair
Mel is half Angel, but despite her ability to heal and read minds, she feels powerless to help anyone. When a prophecy shows a local pet supply store owner driving their car off a bridge, Mel sets out to stop it.
Baily, owner of Barks and Bits, is barely holding it together. Things keep going wrong, and their depression spirals out of control. Just as they start wondering if they’d be better off dead, a new friend provides a glimmer of hope. But is that enough to keep living?
Mel never thought saving Baily would be easy, but she can’t figure out when, where, or why Baily’s suicide will happen. As her confidence fades away, she wonders how she can help anyone when she needs so much help herself.
Warning: Depression, Suicidal ideation, Suicide attempt, Self harm , mention of infertility and miscarriage
Hi guys! We have Effie Calvin stopping by today with her new lesbian fantasy release The Empress of Xytae, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
The Empress of Xytae
(Tales of Inthya 04)
by
Effie Calvin
Crown Princess Ioanna of Xytae has kept her truthsayer blessing a secret for twenty years. In any other nation, her powerful magic would be cause for celebration. But Xytae’s patron is the war goddess Reygmadra, and the future empress is expected to be a brutal warrior.
Reserved and peaceful by nature, Ioanna knows the court sees her as a disappointment. She does her best to assuage their worries every day, working quietly beside her mother to keep the empire running while her father is away at war. But when news of the emperor’s untimely death reaches the capital, Ioanna finds herself ousted by her younger sister Netheia, who has the war magic Ioanna lacks.
Princess Vitaliya of Vesolda has come to Xytae to avoid her father’s upcoming wedding, which she sees as an affront to her mother’s memory. Vitaliya has absolutely no interest in politics or power struggles and intends to spend her time attending parties and embarrassing her family. But when she saves Ioanna’s life during Netheia’s coup, the two are forced to flee the capital together.
Despite their circumstances, Vitaliya enjoys travelling with Ioanna and realizes that the future empress’s shy and secretive nature is the result of her unhappy childhood. Ioanna is equally unaccustomed to being in the company of one as earnest and straightforward as Vitaliya, for she has spent her life surrounded by ambitious and cutthroat nobles.
Ioanna cannot allow her sister to continue their father’s legacy, and plots to rally supporters to her side so she can interrupt Netheia’s coronation. Vitaliya knows she ought to leave Xytae before the nation is ripped apart by civil war but finds she is unwilling to abandon Ioanna. But Ioanna’s enemies are always watching…and they’ve realized that Vitaliya is a weakness to be exploited.
Blurb: Henry Appleby has an appetite for life. As a recent high school graduate and the son of a wealthy family in one of Chicago’s affluent North Shore suburbs, his life is laid out for him. Unfortunately, though, he’s being forced to follow in the footsteps of his successful attorney father instead of living his dream of being a chef. When an opportunity comes his way to work in a real kitchen the summer after graduation, at a little Italian joint called Fiorello’s, Henry jumps at the chance, putting his future in jeopardy.
Years ago, life was a plentiful buffet for Vito Carelli. But a tragic turn of events now keeps the young chef at Fiorello’s quiet and secretive, preferring to let his amazing Italian peasant cuisine do his talking.
When the two cooks meet over an open flame, sparks fly. Both need a taste of something more — something real, something true — to separate the good from the bad and find the love — and the hope — that just might be their salvation.
Review:This story is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. Henry knows what he wants to do with his life now that he’s graduated from school and it isn’t what his wealthy father has planned for him, but he doesn’t know if he will be brave enough to go after what he wants until he spots a help wanted ad for a little Italian restaurant called Fiorella’s. Vito was blessed with a good life until a tragic turn of events took what he loved most, now he lives quietly, keeping to himself and working as the chef at Fiorella’s. For over a year nothing has breached the shell he lives in until a blond ‘bubble dancer’ begins to crack his shell, but Vito doesn’t want his safe shell shattered and Henry’s life is falling apart around him. Will either man take a chance on something more or will they retreat to the safety or the world that they know.
Fiorella’s is another wonderful story from Rick R. Reed that touches our hearts. Henry is the typical rich kid who has had everything offered to him on a platter except the love of his parents, his mother is cold and distant and his father is a powerful attorney who has Henry’s life mapped out for him. Henry wants to take a chance of grabbing his dream though, a dream that would have him cooking for other people, a dream that his father would look down on but with only the summer free before he starts collage he decides to grab the chance he is offered. Vito is perfectly with his lonely life working as the chef at Fiorella’s, at least that’s what he wants everyone to believe, the loss of those he loved the most still weighs him down and he never wants to open is heart to that kind of hurt again. Having Henry come into his life has Vito tempted to live again. As Henry’s life begins to fall apart and he turns to Vito, but cracking Vito’s secretive shell isn’t easy.
Henry is a young man who doesn’t want to be caged into a life he won’t enjoy, but going against his father’s wishes isn’t easy especially when he gets no support from his mother. As Henry moves into the world of adulthood he learns that life isn’t easy or going to fit into what he wants, it’s a hard world with realities he might not like and he has to grow up. Vito knows that life is far from easy; he now keeps himself to himself with no interest in love. We don’t get an easy romance, in fact Vito seems to barely tolerate Henry, what we get is a young man on the verge of making his own adult decisions and a jaded man who has turned his back on life.
This is a beautifully written story, we are made to feel both men’s pain in this story, Henry’s pain as his life changes and his solid family base is shaken and Vito’s bleeding pain as he tries to let go of the past. There are some poignant moments as Vito loses himself in his dreams and memories and as he begins to open up to Henry but we also have his anger as he feels that he’s being forced to let go of the past. With Henry we get his excitement of beginning his life, the fear of going against his father, the devastation of his family not being what he thought and the twisting feelings he has for Vito. These two men need each other and it takes a large part of the book to get to that stage, but it fits as we get to know both Vito and Henry, it’s the pace that suits both of them.
I recommend this to those who love stories of embarking on your own path in life, of being poked back to life and the living, of a tentative new love blooming, of grabbing life with both hands and facing the fall out, and of two men who embark on a new stage in their lives.
Hi guys! We have J.R. Hart stopping by today with her new release This Christmas, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
This Christmas
by
J.R. Hart
Alex Ross can’t catch a break when it comes to Christmastime. With a long history of bad holiday experiences—like getting rejected under the mistletoe or playing referee to his mother’s divorce—he’s just trying to survive it.
New in town and a stranger to everyone, he plans on ignoring the holiday altogether. That would be easier if his ridiculously cheerful new neighbor would cool it on the Christmas hype. Nicholas is annoying and loud. Worst of all, he’s also impossibly attractive and nice to everyone. It’s getting harder for Alex to deny his interest, especially when Nicholas leaves Christmas cookies at his door and wages a snowball fight against him on the coldest day of the year.
Can Alex open up to him and get into the holiday spirit before he endures another ruined Christmas?
Hi guys! We have L.J. Hasbrouck stopping by today with her new release Evolution, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Evolution
(Stalker/s 02)
by
L.J. Hasbrouck
Brian Jameson left behind a world of chaos—vicious Stalkers, ruthless survivors, and an unforgiving landscape of bitter cold and snow—and escaped to an idyllic island paradise with the love of his life. But now he must abandon everything he fought for and return to the warped remnants of America, land of the lost and the home of the depraved.
His sizzling affair with hotheaded Cajun Louis Lavellé came to a boil when Louis’s secrets surfaced: among them, the fact that he left his sister in the clutches of a twisted, infected psychopath and let Brian think she was dead. Unable to bear Louis’s betrayal or the enigma of Eva’s fate, Brian flees the island—without Louis—and returns to New Orleans to begin his search for the missing girl.
If Brian can find his friends, gregarious D and her badass brother, Antoine, he thinks he might have a shot of fighting his way back to Eva’s last known location. But the Stalkers haven’t died out—in fact, they’re exhibiting frightening new patterns of behavior. And memories of Louis continue to torment Brian…along with the strong probability that Louis hasn’t forgotten him either.
Hopes and fears of reuniting with the Lavellé twins drive Brian as he navigates through familiar but shifting surroundings and obstacles. Sweltering heat has melted the snow, revealing once-buried horrors and allowing both Stalkers and other survivors to emerge from hiding. Everything Brian thought he knew about this warped world is shaken by mounting revelations, and each one chips away at his hopes for a happy ending.
But at this point, he doesn’t even know what his version of a happy ending could be.
Warning: scenes of horror and gore, suicidal ideation, references to past trauma and deceased family members, guns, and the deaths of prominent characters
Hi peeps, we have K.R. Collins stopping by today with her new release Sophomore Surge, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Sophomore Surge
(Sophie Fournier 02)
by
K.R. Collins
Entering her second season in the North American Hockey League, Sophie Fournier sets her expectations high. The Concord Condors will make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They have the veteran core to do it and the new talent to give them the extra push.
From the beginning, things don’t go according to plan. The season begins without one of their best players, and they lose others to injury and trades as the season progresses. Hockey is a team sport, and Sophie can’t drag them to the playoffs on her own. Is her voice loud enough to convince her team to believe the way she does?
Blurb:Jazz Vanessen is weird—and not just because he’s a werewolf. For most of his life, he’s felt different from his alpha male brothers and friends. Since he’s adopted, he can’t even blame it on family.
Now eighteen, Jazz meets his idol, the social activist Lysandra Mason, and her breathtaking nephew, Dash Mercury. When Dash is around, even stranger things start to happen, including Jazz falling hopelessly in lust. Not only is Jazz having visions, making people disappear, and somehow turning invisible, but somebody’s following him and threatening to reveal his pack’s secrets to the world.
Together with Dash and Jazz’s equally amazing friends—Carla, BeBop, Khadija, and Fatima—they discover the danger is even more lethal than they thought, and Jazz’s weirdness may save all their lives. .
Review: This is a spin off to the Harker’s Pack series. I read those books years ago and forget them.
A lot of information regarding the characters from those books take up a lot of room in the beginning. There was so much I felt bogged down at times. But then it levels off and we get to Jazz and Dash’s story which I liked but felt it was too fast paced at times and sometimes there were things that did not make sense.
Never the less this story, when it gets going, is intriguing and I enjoyed the plot and the new characters introduced. Jazz’s power was interesting and the way it played out was entertaining. The mystery was well written with a side of danger.
Hi peeps, we have Julia McBryant stopping by today with the tour for her newest release Neon Saturday Night, we have a brilliant guest post, a great excerpt and a fantastic $20 Amazon GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Neon Saturday Night
(Low Country Lovers 02)
by
Julia McBryant
Audie and Calhoun continue their long-distance relationship through college. They sneak off to Myrtle Beach. Audie drives to Charleston when Calhoun gets the flu.
They meet for a fake fishing trip on the Outer Banks. But Audie needs to belong, and because of his traumatic past, he feels like he has little to offer in a committed relationship. While he and Calhoun have fun together, they also have a difficult time negotiating Audie’s need to give as much as he takes and build an authentic relationship together.
Calhoun says his job is to learn to be loved. But Audie wants to be more than a fun top and a tragic boyfriend.
Warnings: descriptions of past child abuse, depictions of past violence
Hi peeps, we have Julia McBryant stopping by today with the tour for her newest release Hurricane Dreams, we have a brilliant character interview, a great excerpt and a fantastic $20 Amazon GC, eBook copies of It’s Enough, Like Sunshine, and Slow Dance giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Hurricane Dreams
(Southern Seduction 04)
by
Julia McBryant
Audie Currell, the only son of one of the richest families in Charleston, runs off from his parent’s wine tasting with his father’s business associate’s son, Calhoun Chatterton, another well-off teenager from Savannah. They start dating in secret. But Audie’s abusive childhood stands in the way of an authentic relationship — as does their family’s homophobia. They have to hide their relationship while coping with Audie’s trauma. Can two naive teenagers manage such a difficult task?
Series Blurb:
The Southern Seduction series chronicles the interconnected lives of a group of well-off, high society young adults in Savannah, Georgia, most of whom have known each other since kindergarten. Their complicated relationships (and unconventional sexcapades) form the meat of the series, along with a careful attention to chronology, character, and prose. More than romantic erotica, the Southern Seduction series details a fully realized world of drama, theme, and most of all, memorable characters.
Warnings: depictions of previous child abuse, use of the word f****t once
Hi guys! We have A.D. Lawless popping in today with her new release Breathe Out Slow, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Breathe Out Slow
by
A.D. Lawless
When unexpected tragedy strikes, shattering eighteen-year-old Ryan’s idyllic life, he does the only thing he can to stay sane… he slaps on a mask, pretends he’s fine, and takes off for college. Week after week, he drifts through school in a bleak half-life. He doesn’t care about anything, or anyone—least of all himself.
Then Liam Doyle hurtles into his life with easy smiles, effortless caring, and those kind hazel eyes that see straight through him. Liam sees him and wants to stick around anyway.
And that… well, that’s terrifying.
Intensely unforgettable, Breathe Out Slow is a heart-rending journey of loss, bittersweet memories, and two incredible love stories.
Hi guys! We have Kristina Meister stopping by today with her new release Love Under Glasse, we have a great excerpt and an awesome giveaway where a custom ordered biker-style patch that represents El and Riley, and a signed copy of Cinderella Boy are up for grabs, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Love Under Glasse
by
Kristina Meister
This runaway might want to get caught.
El Glasse’s mother controls her life. What she does, who she dates, even what she’s allowed to say. El only has two ways of holding onto her freedom. One is her popular anonymous blog, hidden from Mama Glasse. The other is what she so often blogs about: her feelings for Riley, the girl who works at the ice cream parlor. Riley is fierce, free, and rides a killer motorcycle, and El cannot help but love her. But Mama Glasse can never find out about her sexuality—unless El is willing to rebel.
When El runs away, Riley feels responsible. She knows what it’s like to be alone, and she can’t deny her deep desire to learn El’s story. In a move she might end up regretting, she makes a devil’s bargain with Mama Glasse to hunt El down.
Riley isn’t trying to bring her home though, because she knows an evil spell when she sees one—a spell of fear and shame El is finally starting to break. This huntress might lose her own heart, but it’s a risk she’s willing to take.
Reader discretion advised. This title contains the following sensitive themes:
Emotional Abuse Explicit Violence Sexual Assault (references to it throughout and 2 attempted assaults)
Publisher: Harmony Ink / Dreamspinner (13th August 2019)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
Blurb: Popular athlete Brian had everything until a school shooter nearly killed him. He survived the massacre with the help of a hero—his classmate Landon, who faced death to help others… and who is openly gay. Brian might be alive, but he can’t face his fears or move on, especially since the shooters were never caught. He’s falling apart, and he can only reach for Landon and hope Landon will take his hand a second time.
Landon did what anyone would do when he found Brian dying on the cafeteria floor. He doesn’t think of himself as a hero, but he’s ready to take a stand against the gun violence tearing apart the lives of young people—people like Brian, who returned to school a shadow of the happy, outgoing quarterback Landon used to admire. Brian still needs him, and as their friendship grows and deepens, wounds might begin to heal. The bond they share could lead a new start for them both.
Only the terror that visited Jefferson Waller High School isn’t over yet.
Review:Boy Shattered by Eli Easton is nothing short of amazing. To be honest from reading the blurb I didn’t know what to expect, but Easton is one of my favorite authors and I was therefore more than willing to give it a go.
When I started this young adult tale of a teenager who survives a mass shooting at his high school, I thought to read only half of it and finish the rest the next night. Instead, I stayed up all night and cried from start to finish, Seriously, get those tissues ready, it’s impossible not to feel the depths or horror and despair and hope in this book.
The story is written from the POV of two teenage boys, one is a high school senior and the other is a couple years off of finishing. Landon, the senior, is out and proud to the rest of the school and not at all popular. Meanwhile Brian is a jock. He’s the quarterback on the football team, he’s friends with other jocks and to hide his sexuality he has even dated cheerleaders. Two of his friends seem to show some homophobic tendencies, while his best friend is more down to earth. Landon and Brian have both noticed each other but due to the social circles they occupy, nothing ever happens between them, or even any sort of acknowledgement of each other’s existence.
Everything changes for the boys when two gunmen open fire at the school, changing their worlds forever. Caught in the hallway, Landon does his best to find his brother and finds Brian bleeding out in the cafeteria. Brian hadn’t meant to be in the cafeteria, but when the bullets started he tried his best to hide and take cover. Brian wasn’t so lucky and as he bleeds out, Landon did his best to put pressure on the wound and keep Brian conscious.
Landon saved Brian’s life that day, but Brian has a long road to recovery. He and Landon grow close, although it is easy to see that what may have started as a dependency caused by Brian’s PTSD has turned into something more meaningful. Brian’s brush with death leaves him with a lot of fears but it also makes him want to step out of the shadows and be who he is, albeit very slowly. Landon also changes, he was already a smart and sensible guy, but he takes his passion for wanting to help others, especially since he sees the varying effects of a shooting first hand at himself and everyone at school. Landon has a great head and mind. He is one of the most inspiring characters I’ve come across, not only in young adult fiction, but any fiction.
This is a wonderful young adult novel, yet I think that it would be valuable and enjoyable for many adults as well. It is so easy to relate to the kid’s thoughts and feelings because despite the horrible circumstances it is easy to place yourself back in the mind of being a teenager once more.
The subject matter is confronting. The romance in the book is merely incidental to the actual guts of the book. However, it was the perfect mix of emotion. As many Australians, it’s difficult to understand the lack of urgency for gun reform in the US and this book highlights it all the more.
And that is the only personal view on a current affair I will put into the book review, understand that reading the book is very thought provoking and had me thinking about this. It also had me thinking, how many kids fear going to school because they know people from their school, or from other schools, who have been touched by this horror.
Hi guys, we have Lane Hayes stopping by today with her new audio 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
(Narrator: Michael Pauley)
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 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 CJane Elliott visiting today with the tour for her new release The Player’s Protégé, we have a great guest post from CJane, a great exclusive excerpt and a brilliant giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
The Player’s Protégé
(Campus Connections 02)
by
CJane Elliott
When his friends bet cynical Jerry that he can’t turn sweet Arlo into a player, Jerry might win the bet but lose his heart.
College senior Jerry Helstrom survived a gay childhood in Texas by being fierce and fabulous. At school he’s known as a player and has kept his heart so guarded that he’s forgotten he has one. When his friends bet him he can’t teach inexperienced Arlo Barnes to become a stud like him, Jerry takes on the challenge and quickly finds himself drawn to his enticing trainee.
Arlo kicks butt as a Tae Kwon Do black belt, but his sexual game is lacking. He’s been dumped by his only boyfriend and needs help getting himself out there. Enter Jerry Helstrom, player extraordinaire and happy to provide Arlo with some hands-on coaching. Jerry encourages Arlo to ask for what he wants in sex and in life, something Arlo struggles with. The struggle deepens when Arlo discovers that what he truly wants is the seemingly unattainable Jerry Helstrom.
Jerry can teach Arlo to play the field, but can Arlo teach Jerry to play for keeps?
Blurb: Senior year is here, and everything is on the line. Benoit’s time to shine in the crease is now, and he’s going to do everything he can to make sure those professional scouts take notice. He’s earned a great reputa-tion for his skills in the net, and his laid-back demeanor is his key to maintaining his cool when things get heated in the goal crease.
As the Eagles roar into a new season, Ben’s laser-sharp focus is shat-tered by his attraction to Ethan Girard, the team’s new defensive con-sultant. Trying his best to ignore the budding friendship that’s taking a hard, fast turn into something far more passionate, Ben is determined to keep his mind on the sport he loves and not let his feelings for the hand-some older man creep into his performance. But love, like hockey, is wildly unpredictable, and soon Ben finds that he’s unable to distance himself from Ethan who is slowly and surely working himself into his heart.
Famed Boston defenseman, Ethan Girard, isn’t stupid. Celebrating his thirty-second birthday in the emergency room after breaking his leg, and with a warning that healing will be a long process, he knows he has to think about his future. He was drafted at eighteen, and he’s never known anything but hockey, but with no contract in place yet for the new sea-son he considers that maybe it’s time for him to hang up his skates for good.
Volunteering to help out with the Owatonna Eagles fills his time, but from the moment he lays eyes on goalie Ben, he knows his world will never be the same again. Falling in lust is as easy as stealing his first kiss, but Ben refuses to engage. Has Ethan finally met his match?
When the lines between career and love blur, will Ethan and Ben find a way to create a future that will work for both of them?
Review: Benoit is the third book in VL Locey’s and RJ Scott’s Owatonna series, revolving around the lives and loves of the young men playing on the Owatonna University’s ice hockey team, with the hopes of making it the big time. I absolutely love the collaboration between these two authors, the writing is fun. There is a lot of passion behind the hockey, the characters are wonderfully likable and relatable and the chemistry between the couples is undeniable.
This book doesn’t necessarily need to be read as part of the series. Well… maybe a standalone, not really… at this point there are a lot of characters being called back to, so I do strongly recommend doing so because there are strong links with the previous two books in the series. Not only that, there is also some not-as-strong links to Locey’s and Scott’s Harrisburg Railers series. (Which reminds me, at the end of the book I saw that there is another spin off series, the first book released in September and I think I lost my mind with excitement).
The boys that we met in book 1, Ryker, are now in senior year (although poor old Ryker’s boyfriend has already graduated). Now in their final year Benoit knows that his chance to prove himself worthy of a spot of a professional team is upon him. He just wants to get through the year and focus on his hockey, even though his two good friends show him how happy being in love makes a person. Benoit is ready to give it his all and while the new coach, Ethan Girard could help him professionally, their instant attraction is undeniable. There is only ten years between the men and Ethan isn’t actually employed as a coach so there isn’t really any rules against a mentor and a player having a relationship. Instead, the guys get to have a very normal kind of relationship, dating and discovering each other. But all around them real life provides it’s challenges. The biggest challenge being for Ethan is the broken leg that leaves him at a cross road – he needs to decide if he should continue his NHL playing career or retire. However, with Benoit’s career starting and Ethan’s ending, things aren’t always so clear as to how these two can work it out.
This was a fun book and had some great call backs to the Harrisburg Railers series. For one, favourites Mads and Ten (Ryker’s father and stepfather) and Stan (the Russian goalie with a big heart) making appearances to guide Benoit in his career. We also get to hear from Ten’s big brother, Brady, who happens to be Ethan’s best friend and teammate from Boston. Brady doesn’t play as big a background role as he did back in Ten’s story, but it was nice to see a friendly face. There is so much fan service for those that have followed the series, I don’t think you can’t help but to be satisfied with this book.
Ok, strike what I said in the beginning. This is not a standalone book. You need to read the full series. I just hope it’s not because I’m a massive fan of these series!
