Hi peeps, we have Jane Davitt stopping by today with her new re-release Gambling on Love, we have a brilliant guest post, a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway! So guys, check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~
Gambling On Love
by
Jane Davitt
When Gary and Abe came out to each other in their final year of high school, a longstanding friendship turned into a new love. Keeping their feelings a secret was easy until a coach caught them together in the locker room, and their fragile relationship shattered around them. Panicked, angry, and rejected by his mother, Gary fled town, breaking Abe’s eighteen-year-old heart.
Eleven years later Gary returns just as unexpectedly, crashing into Abe’s truck during a blizzard. He’s as arrogant and stubborn as ever—and just as irresistible. Time has changed them both in ways they never imagined, but the heat that flares between them is enough to thaw any ice.
While Abe discovers what Gary did to survive in the city, Gary realizes that Abe has grown into a man with needs to match his own, and they fall in love all over again. But Gary’s determination to carry out one final order from the rich, older man he lived with—and obeyed—for years means that a dead man’s plans might split them apart again . . . this time for keeps.
Publisher’s note: This title is an edited second edition, previously published in 2011.
Title: The Empty Box Series: The Square Peg, #3 Author: Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow Genre: Contemporary Length: Novel (299 Pages) Publisher: Loose Id (April 7th, 2015) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½ Hearts Blurb: Dave’s taking life day by day after leaving Travis, his emotionally abusive partner of fifteen years. Working as the cook at the Square Peg is all the social life he has and he’s content with that.
When a swerving car leaves him sprawled on the snowy sidewalk with a broken ankle, being rescued by his new neighbor, young, sinfully pretty Jeremy, seems like the start of something good, even if twenty years separate the two men. But Travis isn’t content to let Dave slip away and Dave’s his own worst enemy, holding Jeremy at arms’ length when Jeremy wants to get as close as possible.
With decisions about his future complicated by his tangled past, can Dave accept the second chance Jeremy offers or will his heart stay empty of love?
Review: We met Dave in The Square Peg so having his own story just felt natural in getting to know all of the characters more intimately. In case you don’t remember, Dave is the cook/chef, at the bar owned by Ben and Shane. He ended his 15 year relationship with Travis a year or so ago and moved to the other side of town.
Walking home one night from work Dave is struck by a car, a hit-and-run, and left on the sidewalk to freeze. He knew right away he broke something which left him lying there, in the snow, helpless. Thank goodness, Jeremy, Dave’s new neighbor from across the hall happens by and offers Dave assistance. He even takes him to the hospital and waits for him so he will have a ride back home.
Jeremy works from home building computers for clients and for the most part has only ever dated women. He knew he found guys attractive but he never experimented too much with them. He also knows that he is and has always been attracted to the older male. If there are streaks of gray in their hair or other age defining marks all the more attractive they appear to him. He is in his later 20’s and doesn’t appreciate being treated like a kid or someone who doesn’t know what he wants.
And…he wants Dave. He immediately has an attraction for Dave, who is in his later 40’s, and he’s also in very good shape and takes care of himself, which doesn’t hurt either. Since Dave doesn’t have anyone immediate to help him now that he has a broken ankle and a cast, Jeremy offers to be there for him, in any capacity.
Dave is flattered by the attention but he’s not ready to hook up with anyone after his fiasco with Travis and he can’t get past the idea that he is too old for someone Jeremy’s age. Jeremy is relentless, however, in pursuing Dave and he doesn’t stop until Dave agrees to give it a try.
The story carries on from here but never really gains any speed. Dave and Jeremy are trying to make a go but there is a lot of resistance on Dave’s part therefore not gaining much ground. If it wasn’t for Jeremy being so persistent I don’t think they would have ever made any headway.
Travis has been out of the picture for a year yet he still has a hold over Dave. Little things start happening with Jeremy’s belongings and it appears that it could be Travis. This was never really proven although speculation was pretty clear. Dave decides he should approach him and ask him about it but all he accomplished was letting him back into his life.
The authors seemed to be adding some mystery and suspense into the storyline which allowed it to pick up the pace but it fizzled out pretty quick. If Travis was behind all of the little pranks, which I feel certain he was, he never admitted to it and it was pretty much forgotten. A tragedy does happen pulling Dave back into Travis’ world but this just caused unnecessary conflict between Jeremy and Dave. Again, this never really has any resolution either and we just seem them moving on to other things.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. I loved catching up with Shane and Ben and, Patrick who you can’t help but love. Dave finally gets to make a dream come true for himself in being a co-owner of a new restaurant, The Empty Box, with Shane and Ben.
My main problem with the story is it never seemed to go anywhere. It was day-to-day activities with low-level excitement and I never had the feeling that Dave and Jeremy really made any progress with their relationship. They do love each other, but I never really felt it from either one. There’s not much passion between them and when Dave slips up with his “I love you” there wasn’t any fireworks. I’m not sure if Jeremy even acknowledged that he heard him.
If you loved The Square Peg, then I would recommend reading this one as well just to catch up with the other characters. Some new characters were introduced so there is always the possibility for another story. If you want a story with a lot of sex or a lot of drama I would probably pass on this one. * I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Hi peeps, we have Jane Davitt popping in with the tour for her newest release Closing The Loop, we have a great excerpt, a fantastic giveaway and Zane’s review, so ejnoy the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
Closing The Loop
by
Jane Davitt
A “closed loop” voyage occurs when a vessel departs from a port and returns to the same port upon completion of the voyage.
A week on a tropical gay cruise is just what Lee needs after a bad breakup and a Canadian winter. It’s a shame his ex is on board, but Lee is sharing a cabin with Cole, a hot lawyer who—as luck would have it—is actually from Lee’s city. So when Cole unexpectedly awakens Lee’s kinky side, Lee begins to dream that they can actually take their shipboard romance home with them.
But Cole is keeping secrets involving a troubled young man on board the ship. And Lee, after his recent brush with betrayal, finds it difficult to trust Cole when he says Justin isn’t a rival.
Then he learns the truth and is also drawn into the tragic story. His dream vacation is in danger of turning dark, but he’s determined to navigate Cole and himself to a safe harbor before their blisteringly hot romance is lost at sea.
Hey guys, today we have Riptide Publishing’s Jane Davitt and her newest release Lucky Strike. We have a great giveaway where there’s a $25 Riptide store credit to be won and we also have Leigh’s review to enjoy 🙂 So just leave a comment to enter the giveaway and enjoy the post <3 ~Pixie~
Lucky Strike
by
Jane Davitt
Death’s a heartbeat away, but love is even closer.
Flying a traveler to Leap celebrations on the luxury planet Crestal is no problem for intrepid partners Jake and Rill, even if they have to navigate a deadly meteor shower to get there. But their fresh-faced, privileged passenger is carrying more than Leap gifts: Lian has a message to deliver, treachery and murder to avenge, and a killer close on his heels.
Lian thought he was ready for independence from his overbearing extended family, but his first solo trip off-planet has landed him in a nightmare of deadly intrigue. Though he’s devastated by betrayal, and no longer able to tell friend from foe, he’s fascinated by the gruff pilot and scorchingly handsome first mate who’ve become his reluctant rescuers.
With a dazzling fortune at stake and the fate of the United Protectorate of Planets in their hands, there’s no time for the three men to fall in love. But with their future measured in hours, crew and passenger may have just enough time to discover that three can become one, and that together they are strong enough to beat any odds.
Title: Killing Time
Series: N/A
Author: Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow
Genre: Fantasy/ Paranormal
Length: Novel (371 Pages)
ISBN: 978-1-62300-693-8
Publisher: Loose ID (February 25th, 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate to Hot
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Reviewer: Lisa
Blurb: Max and Kaelan, best friends and business partners for five years, are powerful casters with a tendency to get themselves into and out of all kinds of trouble. Pretty much the only thing they’ve been able to avoid is getting romantically involved – until now. Their sexual attraction hits them like a runaway fireball and they can’t keep their hands off each other.
While their sexual attraction burns out of control, they’ve attracted the attention of a dark caster named Jannes who’s planning a spell so potent that it could end the world. To keep them off-balance, he’s targeting Max and Kaelan through those they love, and there’s no one they love more than each other.
With friends, family to protect, and their only allies a group of casters who find it easier to fight than cooperate, the odds are stacked against them. So can Max and Kaelan keep it together and stop Jannes before he ends the world, or is the best they can do just killing time?
Review: Kaelan had been just buying a drink when he felt a power fairly strong, so strong that he had to find out what was going on. He was a caster, could sum up portals, do spells for good, and stop those who are evil. So when he opened up a portal and found a man and woman casting evil spells, he was surprise to find someone who was blocking himself from being found out. An investigator who was also trying to do the same thing Kaelan was doing. Max was a wealthy man who wanted to figure Kaelan out.
They had agreed to never make their relationship to sexual, but there was so much fire and passion in them. The only major problem was that someone was using that feeling against them. James was planning a spell so potent that it could end the world. So to keep Kaelen and Max off-balance he uses a spell to keep them off-balance. A spell to target the people they love, well it turns out that the ones they love the most are each other. Surprise for them all the way around.
They could not figure out how they knew what each other liked when they had not had sex before, or had they and just couldn’t remember. With friends, family to protect, and their only allies a group of casters who find it easier to fight than cooperate, the odds are stacked against them. So can Max and Kaelan keep it together and stop James before he ends the world, or is the best they can do just killing time?
I love the way they are around each other. One of their major rules is that if they were bringing sexual partners home, that it was done in the bedroom no other place in the house. Of course, Kaelan broke that one once, and what Max did to him was funny as hell. I loved the cold drink against the bare skin. The sex in this story is majorly hot, sensuous and a bit kinky. You can tell from the first chapter in the book that these two want each other bad, so I loved the fact that they did hook up in the story.
They are very strong casters with lots of powers. This story caught my attention from the very beginning and kept it all the way to the end. It is told with just a hint of humor to it that I loved it even more, then the serious tone that it uses. If you love a good mystery, even though it isn’t really a mystery story then you will get a kick out of this story. It brings a fantasy to a whole new level. I have read many stories about witches and warlocks but this one shows the powers that are used for stopping evil casters from hurting others.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves sexy men fighting their attraction, loyalty between friends, powers that are used to fight the evils of the world, hot sex, and quirky attitudes. I would be reading it again, it is perfect book to read when it is cold outside, and you want to lose yourself in a good story.
Blurb:Forced to room with a student who hates him on sight, Seth’s expecting a rocky semester, and falling for the surly Gabe only adds to his troubles. Gabe’s past is full of secrets, a closed book, but can Seth find the way to Gabe’s heart by reading between the lines?
Previously published by Torquere in Kegs and Dorms (2008)
Review: The book starts one way and then veers off into an unexpected direction. Seth and Gabe are unexpected roommates with a love/hate relationship. Gabe loves to hate Seth. Seth sees Gabe as a puzzle to figure out and he begins his investigation to unravel the mystery. That leads him to discover violence in Gabe’s past; the discovery, however, still doesn’t allow he and Gabe to develop any kind of friendship. It will take a confrontation for both men to be able to be honest with each other and to admit their true feelings. Gabe must confront his past in and Seth must help him deal with the issues that have arisen from that.
This is a short story, but it manages to embrace the themes of homophobia, fear, violence and how the events of one’s life can haunt you if not confronted and dealt with. The reader knows that Seth and Gabe will get together and their fights, disagreements and squabbles are viewed as the necessary sexual tension required. When they do manage to get together, it doesn’t feel contrived and there’s a ‘realness’ to their conversation that is true to their age and their life experience.
As the story closes, this feels like a college relationship and not like it’s going to be an ever after story. But it is very appropriate for where Gabe and Seth are in their life. While I was expecting some ribald college romp, this story had a hidden depth to it that made it sincere in its effort to depict what life could be like for two young men in college in this position. I was pleasantly surprised by the content and while it has some angst to it, the ending with how Gabe and Seth had developed both a relationship and a friendship was a pleasant ending.
Length: Short Story (54 pages) Publisher: Torquere Press (September 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating:♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts
Blurb: Steve is a human donor, making a living by allowing dying vampires to feed from him. Then he meets North, a vampire sun-damaged and terribly scarred but very much alive. As North feeds from Steve, they become friends with a strong attraction building.
Once healed, North makes Steve an offer he doesn’t want to refuse; let North hunt him through the city before being brought back to North’s home to fulfill every fantasy Steve’s shared with him.
It’s going well until a mugger threatens Steve’s life and North intervenes, creating an unbreakable bond between the two of them that threatens to ruin what they’d begun to build.
Review: I know I saw many mixed reviews for this short story, but I loved it! It was a very unique and refreshing take on vampire love. Actually, this is almost a Heathcliff and Catherine type of love hate romance. Codependency, choices taken away, even though the same choices would probably have been made. Let’s face it the vampire thing has been nearly beaten to death among writers and moviemakers, so to see this new take on things had me under the spell immediately! I also am a fan of BDSM, specifically the D/s aspects, and I really enjoyed how Steve fought his natural inclinations towards submission and how passionately North wanted, no needed to exercise his want to hunt and dominate Steve. It’s a shorty, but definitely, a goody, I found myself both gasping and laughing and smirking throughout the story! Good job Jane, I highly recommend for fans of BDSM, and vamps too!
Series: The Square Peg, Book #2 Author: Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novel
Publisher: Loose ID (July 2nd, 2013)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb:Vin’s a hot Goth, tattooed and pierced and the most popular bartender at the Square Peg. Want to date him or buy him a drink? Sorry. Vin’s body is a temple and he’s barely been kissed. His heart belongs to Riley, the guy he crushed on in high school and can’t forget.
How about Vin’s BFF Patrick? He’d let you buy him a drink and have your wicked way with him in the men’s room (shh, don’t tell Shane or Ben, the bar owners!) Okay, maybe Vin needs to loosen up and Patrick needs to calm down, but they’re set in their ways.
Enter Riley, looking for Vin, and suddenly everything changes. Vin’s handed a happy ending on a plate and Patrick’s free and easy lifestyle loses its glitter as he sees what Vin has.
But does Vin really have his dream guy or does he just have Riley? Maybe they’re not the same thing, after all.
Review: Wow! This story took a tilt I had not expected, but none-the-less cheered for throughout the story! You could feel the train wreck coming just beyond the return of the high school sweetheart, but I was glued to the pages anyhow to see how this story would unfold. The characters are believable, the story so well written I felt like I was walking in their shoes. A wonderful story of people discovering themselves, turning their lives and their love around. This story could stand alone, but we do get another peak at the great couple from Square Peg. Highly recommended.
Series: Room at the Top, Book #2 Author: Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow Genre: Contemporary/BDSM/Ménage Length: Long Novel Publisher: Loose Id (December 18, 2012) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts Blurb: Three sexy men, one hot relationship. In Room at the Top, devoted sub couple Jay and Austin went looking for a no-strings attached Dom and ended up falling for Liam, who, much to his surprise, turned out to be the Dom of their dreams. But their happy ending was only the beginning of their story.
Now Jay is begging Liam to turn up the heat with fire play and Austin wants them all under one roof, no matter what people might think. Caught up in the difficulties and pleasures of their new relationship, it’s easy to miss the way they’re moving dangerously close to the edge of falling apart, not deeper in love.
Reviewer: Heart Review: Room at the Edge is the second book in the Room at the Top series, which is about two submissive and a dominant working on their collective relationship and exploring their limits. When compared to the first book, it misses the tension and anticipation felt when the men’s bond, and their shared future, was uncertain. This book shows Austin, Jay, and Liam in a more equal relationship with matured needs.
Submissives Austin and Jay have come to depend on their Dom, Liam. They need his attention and presence: their weekly meeting used to be more than enough, but now they crave more.
Liam is really careful with Austin and Jay’s boundaries, and does his best to give both men what they need,while simultaneously satisfying his own desires. Despite this, they are afraid of their relationship falling apart.While Austin and Jay remain an unbreakable unit, Liam feels like a third wheel but is reluctant to rock the boat.
The authors absolutely succeeded in developing this wonderfully kinky story, specifically in terms of the men’s relationship,in sense of both the conventional and their ‘play’. This sequel introduces some new aspects of BDSM,and brings the mens’ other needs to front and center. Snow and Davitt make their character’s interactions, and their dependence on each other, nothing less than a beautiful, pain-stung dance.
Room at the Edge builds slowly, which in this case was a bit of a negative trait, requiring focus and persistence. Even so, I completely enjoyed this sequel and wouldn’t mind reading more about Austin, Jay, and Liam.
Blurb: Benedict, a successful accountant, who’s just been dumped for being boring, is surprised and pleased to learn that he’s inherited half ownership in a gay bar from his estranged father, seeing it as a chance to get out of his rut. That’s until he meets his new partner, a mouthy, disturbingly hot Brit called Shane, and discovers that the bar’s in the red and Shane’s not interested in renovations that could drive away their regulars.
When a late-night confrontation turns into the hottest sex either of them has experienced, they realize there’s one way to fit a square peg into a round hole, but are they solving problems or papering over the cracks? As they explore the new dynamic between them, pushing their limits until Ben’s shocked at where his desire to dominate Shane takes him, the renovations to the bar begin. They’re building something new, something good — but fear and an unexpected act of violence may tear down what they’ve created.
Review: I had mixed feelings about this book. At some points I flew through the pages, eager to see what would happen next, and at other points, I was tapping my toes.
Let me start with the things that had me flying through pages:
The clean writing. The authors use clear, precise sentences to convey information, and they employ many of the senses in any given scene. That led to a more tactile experience of the book, where I felt, smelled, and heard as well as saw the story being played out.
The two perspectives. This choice was great. I loved reading how the other felt/thought. It kept things interesting.
The Square Peg. I liked the idea of the bar and its transformation (which nicely echoed the relationship status between Shane and Benedict – at least for the beginning).
The sex scenes. Yeah, they were pretty hot for the most part. Certainly they had me flushed. 😉 (More on this further down . . .)
Vin. What a wonderful likeable character. His story is going to sweep me away. I can just feel it, and the end of The Square Peg alludes to that story coming pretty soon. This hook was a great way of sucking in readers for wanting more.
The things that made my foot tap:
The 180 lust to love. This happened too quickly that it didn’t feel real. I would have liked a little more development emotionally between Shane and Benedict.
Ben as a Dom. I think this was the crux of my issues with the book. When I first started reading, I was introduced to a character who, to me, did not feel the confident Dom type. In fact, I was thinking, if anything, it would have been Shane to be the more aggressive of the two. Now, as the story progressed, I accepted the fact it wouldn’t be as I anticipated, and went with it, but that first transition made the experience a bit rocky.
Coming hand-in-hand with this ‘something’s not quite right with Ben as a Dom’ was the way Ben seemed to second guess his actions after giving Shane a firm hand. I wavered with this one. Sometimes I was irritated, I guess I just wanted strong and commanding and no quibbles. Then, at other times, I thought maybe these insecurities show a more realistic side to someone trying out being a Dom for the first time.
Overall though, this was a good read, and I would recommend it to those in the mood for a light, erotic read. It’s fun.
Blurb: Determined to outdo each other, business rivals Sean and Andrew land themselves in hot water when their private feud spills over at a very public charity auction. With neither willing to back down over the dream vacation at stake, they’re told by their boss that they’re both going and that they’re to return as friends.
As fate would have it, their plane crashes and they wash up on a desert island where their feud is as likely to doom them as the lack of food and their inability to start a fire. But there’s enough heat between them to set sparks flying once out and proud Sean discovers that Andrew’s gay, but determined to remain in the closet.
Rescue comes, but brings with it new challenges. They’re whisked back to their old lives with secrets to keep and a shared passion that makes it impossible for them to stay apart for long.
Choices must be made, new paths taken, and two men who have always been good at fighting find themselves, finally, with something worth fighting for: each other.
Review: This novel follows Sean’s and Andrew’s “war and love”. Yes, of course, those two go together. Sean is a junior partner in Carney Enterprises. He loves his job and is very good at it. He is also a very proud gay man, coming out to his family ever when he was 12. He’s not letting anyone step on him, due to his sexuality, at any point of his life. His life whirls around his job that is very demanding, leaving him not much time for personal relationships or even rest. While he thinks that everything is ok, at this point of his life, with little to take care of, there is one person that can unnerve him at any given moment and that is Andrew Carney. Yes, as in Carney Enterprises… Andrew is the boss’s son. In his estimation, Andrew was a spoilt brat, a playboy, having people throwing all over him because of his “old rich” blood. Sean thinks that even his job is being done by hardworking employees that would do anything to satisfy him. And being such a proud person, Sean never lets Andrew’s charm reach him; never hiding his despise and loathing either. And mostly, there is not a single encounter that they don’t fight. It is no wonder that in the charity event they both participate they’d end up in a similar situation. They bet against each other, on Sean’s dreamed vacation, until Harris Carney interrupts them. Harris’s notion of a nice working environment does not include having his two best managers at each other’s throat whenever they’re in the same room. So, he orders both of them on a joint vacation to solve things out. Of course, their plane crashes. Of course, they land in a desert island alone. And of course, they turn all their need to fight into a more personal level. But, when they are rescued and finally back to civilization things get even worse between them. See, Andrew has been in the closet forever and has no intentions on coming out. He actually intents to marry, have kids and continue living a lie. And yes, things get a lot worse before they get better…
A nice book… but, I found it somehow lacking. I had the feeling the entire read was about a big, huge fight. The characters were constantly on war, even when they got personal they were fighting, sort to speak. It got me quite tired, waiting and hoping they would grow up already. Yes it reminded me, somehow, of kindergarten. While I liked Sean’s character (he had his nasty moments), I was so very disappointed from Andrew’s. He gave me the feeling of a hypochondriac, whining all the while when there’s nothing wrong with him. Always taking one step forward and two steps back. I had to wait until the very end of the book to literally see him grow some… uhm ,spine. J So, while Rock and a Hard Place is somehow a light read, it left me with a sigh.
If you love a good fight and have an inclination towards desert island fantasies and a happy ever after story this is the book for you.
Title: The Empty Box
