May 16 2022

We Choose You by Katy Manz Release Blitz

Release Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway: We Choose You By Katy Manz

Choice Versus Fate, Book 1

James and Aidan didn’t need fate. They had each other.

Alpha James and Beta Aiden love each other and don’t care what fate has to say about that. Mating doesn’t need to be based on pheromones and scents. And kids? There were many ways to build a family.

When fate comes knocking years later, James does what any wolf in his situation would—he runs away. He has a mate he loves more than anything, and they’re just about to get everything they want: a family. He can’t risk losing everything because Fate decided to be a butt.

Omega Riley scented his fated mate once months earlier, and the wolf ran away. He is coming to terms with his singledom. Everything is going as well as it can, that is, until his fated mate’s children walk into his classroom.

We Choose You is book one in the sweet with knotty heat MM shifter mpreg romance series: Choice Vs. Fate. It features an alpha wolf shifter who mated his beta best friend, the omega sent by fate, true love, twins who will steal your heart, adorable babies, and a guaranteed happy ever after.

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Excerpt:
Only I could end up in the ER as an adult for getting a building block stuck in my nose. It should be one of the dozen or so kids under the age of five who I worked with here right now waiting for the on-call doctor to help free the annoying toy. But no, it was me, the grown-up charged with keeping them from doing it. I was the grown man who got such a thing lodged in his breathing hole. I tripped over Eddie’s missing shoe while Andy was holding up a building block to show me it was his favorite color. The fates decided I had to be laughed at more in life. The kids all laughed, at least, except poor Andy who cried thinking he hurt me. Luckily, it was a quick fix, more embarrassing than anything. Now, I needed to meet my friend Leslie in the hospital cafeteria, and we could pretend this day never happened. “Hey, blockhead,” Leslie called out from across the cafeteria, making me vow to tell anyone who would listen about when she threw up after her first time watching a five-year-old eat his own booger. Note to self: get more embarrassing stories about my best friend, pronto. “Seriously? Can we pretend today never happened and we came here to ogle hotties in lab coats and scrubs?” I asked as a nurse strutted past us and put a bit more swagger into his walk. Yum. “Nope. But I will let it go for now. Was the doctor cute at least?” “There’s my bestie. Always about trying to get some action! And to answer your question, he was all right. But definitely an omega, and so not my type.” Her eyes widened, and a slow smirk grew. “Omega? Oh, mama likes them smart and steamy. Show me.” I laughed at Leslie. “Sorry, hun. From the ring on the finger, the bump of his belly, and mark on the neck, that omega was spoken for and very happily so.” “Figures. Oh well. One day I will meet the omega of my dreams. Maybe they’re too busy creating the next medical breakthrough. Or discovering life on Mars.” All I could do was shake my head. Yes, one day it will happen but for now, I need food. “Did you want to grab something to eat?” I motioned toward the prepackaged sandwiches. “Or should we go grab something from the café, perhaps?” “Um, yeah. Let’s go with the café. I would die for one of those delicious flatbreads they had the other day.” Leslie and I grabbed our stuff and started toward the door. As we reached the exit, we saw two alphas standing near the doors, and my world stopped. Growing up, we were told of the moment your soul recognized its fated. And everything I was warned about happened. The instant connection pulling me to them and the heat of recognizing only that person could satisfy me. What wasn’t covered was what to do when the fated got a look on their face like the worse news was delivered to them and took off running in the other direction.

Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate their debut release, Katy is giving away a Paperback copy of We Choose You, and some Author Swag!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

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Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57458/?

About the Author:

Katy Manz has always dreamed of being a romance writer. She wanted to bring the stories created in her mind to a world of readers that would fall in love with her characters as much as she has. Keep a look out for more books in this series and future series to come.

Connect with Katy: Linktree Website: http://www.katwritesthebooks.com Amazon: http://www.Amazon.com/author/katymanz Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22149586.Katy_Manz Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/katy-manz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatyManzWrites/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katymanzwrites/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/katyManzwrites TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katymanz

May 13 2022

Real Risk by Elle Keaton Blog Tour

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Real Risk By Elle Keaton

West Coast Forensics, Book 3

It’s possible they’re a match but first the two men will have to survive trial by fire. Chief Flynn is fighting smoke and flames, tirelessly protecting the lives and property of his fellow islanders from yet another spate of fires. Arson or accident? When injury puts him on the sidelines, West Coast Forensics Arson Investigator Kimball Frye offers his assistance. Frye is The Most Irritating Man in the World, a condescending know-it-all who rubs Devon the wrong way. Or does he? Decades ago an arsonist stole his family from him since then Frye has devoted his life to putting them behind bars. At forty-nine, he doesn’t believe in permanent relationships, instead preferring the company of interchangeable younger men. Is the arsonist trying to shift the blame onto Devon, or trying to kill him? If it’s the latter it just might work. Feeling the pull of attraction to Devon as the firebug grows bolder is inconvenient. Will Kimball listen to his heart or his head? The younger men he’s always preferred are nothing like the solid, stalwart Fire Chief. Real Risk is the third in the West Coast Forensics series and can be read as a standalone but may be enjoyed more if you read the Real Trouble and Real Danger first. It is dual POV following Devon Flynn and Kimball Frye as they bicker and fumble their way to their happily ever after.

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Excerpt:
Was it weird he was irritated Flynn hadn’t called him about the fires, yet he still wanted to make sure the man ate a square meal? Probably. Too bad. Kimball was hungry, and he might as well make enough for two. Five minutes later, the shower was still running, and Kimball was texting Birdy. K: What does Flynn like to eat? B: Hi Kimball. K: Hey Birdy. There’s no food here. B: I noticed when I was there. K: Is there a grocery store or somewhere to order delivery? B: The closest store is Chester’s. They’re open for another hour. Kimball checked his watch. It was just seven p.m. K: You guys close early here. B: Island time. Also, winter. No decent delivery this time of year. K: Thanks. Kimball set his phone down and began to hunt around for a piece of paper to leave Flynn a note, but before he found either, Devon reappeared. He was toweling his hair dry and had changed into worn, form-fitting Levi’s and a long-sleeved navy Henley. Where Kimball’s hair had turned white when he was in his thirties, Devon’s was jet black with just a few silver streaks at his temples, and his skin was several shades darker than Kimball’s. He looked better after his shower but still tired, circles pronounced under red-rimmed eyes. His feet were bare, and Kimball couldn’t help but notice his long toes, the second toe longer than the first. “What are you doing?” Still grouchy, then.

Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate Elle’s upcoming release, we’re giving away 2 e-copies of Real Risk!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

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About the Author:

Elle Keaton writes contemporary gay romance and MM romantic suspense set in the Pacific Northwest. Elle’s books are known for their hot mm romance, complex characters, and unique sense of place. The men start out broken, and maybe they’re still banged up by the end, but they always find the other half of their hearts.

Elle published first in 2017, now she has over seventeen books available for you to read or listen to.

She loves cats and dogs, Star Wars and Star Trek, pineapple on pizza, and is known to start crossword puzzles with ballpoint pen.

Love always wins, thank you for supporting this indie author!

Connect with Elle: Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ElleKeatonWrites Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HighwayToElle/ BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elle-keaton Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellekeatonauthor/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PirateQueenRdz1 MeWe: https://mewe.com/profile/5ac2766f310a7853d4ce8ad4 Website: https://www.ellekeaton.com/ Amazon: https://amzn.to/ek-amazon-profile Goodreads: https://bit.ly/ek-gr-profile

May 11 2022

Reak Risk (West Coast Forensics #3) by Elle Keaton

It’s possible they’re a match but first the two men will have to survive trial by fire.
Chief Flynn is fighting smoke and flames, tirelessly protecting the lives and property of his fellow islanders from yet another spate of fires.
Arson or accident?
When injury puts him on the sidelines, West Coast Forensics Arson Investigator Kimball Frye offers his assistance. Frye is The Most Irritating Man in the World, a condescending know-it-all who rubs Devon the wrong way.

Or does he?
Decades ago an arsonist stole his family from him since then Frye has devoted his life to putting them behind bars. At forty-nine, he doesn’t believe in permanent relationships, instead preferring the company of interchangeable younger men.
Is the arsonist trying to shift the blame onto Devon, or trying to kill him? If it’s the latter it just might work.
Feeling the pull of attraction to Devon as the firebug grows bolder is inconvenient. Will Kimball listen to his heart or his head? The younger men he’s always preferred are nothing like the solid, stalwart Fire Chief.

So, do you have to read the first 2 books in the West Coast Forensics series to read Real Risk? I honestly have no idea because once again, I jumped in mid-series. *sigh* What I can tell you is that even though I didn’t have whatever background was built in Real Trouble and Real Danger, it didn’t confuse me or cause me to not totally enjoy my time spent with Devon and Kimball.

I honestly adored both Devon and Kimball, even though they didn’t “adore” each other in the beginning. Actually, Devon considers Kimball’s appearance an intrusion. That opinion is reinforced when he finds out his meddling sister has offered his spare room without even asking. It turns out his sister knew him better than he knew himself – or at least knew what he needed. 😉

The back and forth banter between the characters, along with the suspense, mystery, danger, attraction and heat between Kimball and Devon and the fact that there wasn’t a lot of down time kept the pages turning. I was honestly sorry to see the story come to and end… which means that even though I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by skipping the first two books in the West Coast Forensics series, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be adding them to my TBR list. 😉

May 10 2022

Fagin’s Boy (Oliver & Jack #1) by Jackie North – Christina E. Pilz

In 1846 London, respectable young men do not fall for street thieves. This is the love story of Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger.
Oliver Twist has one desire: to own a bookshop and live a simple, middle-class life, far away from his workhouse-shadowed past. One thing stands in his way: Jack Dawkins–The Artful Dodger–who’s just returned to London and is looking for Fagin’s old gang.
Jack’s visits cause Oliver nothing but trouble, but he finds himself drawn, time and again, to their shared past, Jack’s unguarded honesty, and those bright, green eyes.
Oliver craves respectability, which he won’t find with a forbidden love. Can Jack convince Oliver that having one doesn’t mean losing the other?

I’m a sucker for a re-imagining of a classic, whether it’s a twisted fairy tale or a different perspective from a familiar story or character. That’s one of the reasons why I decided to pick up Fagin’s Boy. It’s the story of what happens to Oliver after the Charles Dickens classic closes. Fair warning, if you want to believe that the orphan boy that went through so much in Oliver Twist lived happily ever after, than you probably want to skip past this one because that’s not the story that Fagin’s Boy portrays.

I had mixed feelings when I finished Fagin’s Boy. It’s an imaginative and well written story that is easy to get wrapped up in with the feel of the classic and familiar tale. It’s not an easy story to read, mainly because I think I wanted to keep that image of Oliver and know that the orphan boy finally got the life that he deserved. It also doesn’t paint a rosy romantic picture of London in the time frame. It shows the darker side and the descriptions hold nothing back. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just not what I was expecting.

As for the story itself, Oliver has a goal in his life. He wants to stay out of trouble so when he reaches the age where he can finally gain his inheritance he can open a book store and become a respected, proper citizen. He sees Jack as someone who will keep him from that goal. Things aren’t always what they seem on the surface though and the lines begin to blur between right and wrong – especially during a time when justice is brutal and definitely not fair.

My heart broke for both Jack and Oliver more than once in Fagin’s Boy. Neither one of them seemed to be able to catch a break and it became clear that they only had each other to depend on and trust. Their story is far from over at the end of Fagin’s Boy. Oliver & Jack continues with At Lodgings in Lyme. As hard as this one was to read, I’m probably going to continue with their journey just to see what adventures they get into and how they finally get out of them.

May 9 2022

Bout-of-Books 34 Progress

As usual, I’ll keep this post front and center for the duration of Bout-of-Books.

Also as usual, my reading will be an eclectic mess of mixed genres, physical books, ARCs, ebooks, audio books and even some library picks – so consider yourself forewarned. 😉

Since (as usual) I’m behind on my reviews, expect to see a couple of those posted from previous reads this week as well. (That’s the plan, anyway.) So if you don’t? Remind me because they definitely need to be shared. 😉 I’m still planning on reviewing all the books I read this week as I finish them, but they may not be posted here right away. They will be on Amazon and Goodreads though and I’ll cross them off my reading list as they’re complete.

And there you have it! My plans for the week – which are most definitely subject to change. 😉 Be sure to visit the Bout-of-Books site and find out how you can join in on the fun… after all, you were gonna read anyway, right? Why not join in on the epic craziness?

5/9
Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened to Today: Approx. 211 Pages; Approx. 3.5 Hrs.

Continued Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) by Harlan Coben (Library Book) (252 thru 283 = 31 Pages)
Started Trusted & True (Men of Haven #7) by Rhenna Morgan (ARC from NetGalley) (47% = Approx. 180 Pages)
Started Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Deadwood #1) written by Ann Charles, narrated by Caroline Shaffer (Audio Book) (Approx. 3.5 Hrs.)

Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened so Far: Approx. 211 Pages; Approx. 3.5 Hrs.
Today’s #insixwords Challenge: Eclectic Mess of a Reading Day 😉
Books I’ve Read so Far:

Continued Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) (Library Book)
Started Trusted & True (Men of Haven #7) (ARC from NetGalley)
Started Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Deadwood #1) (Audio Book)

5/10
Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened to Today: 1 Book; Approx. 158 Pages; Approx. 4 Hrs.

Finished Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) by Harlan Coben (Library Book) (283 thru 370 = 87 Pages)
Continued Trusted & True (Men of Haven #7) by Rhenna Morgan (ARC from NetGalley) (12% = Approx. 46 Pages)
Continued Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Deadwood #1) written by Ann Charles, narrated by Caroline Shaffer (Audio Book) (Approx. 4 Hrs.)
Started Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) by Kevin Hearne (Personal Collection) (25 Pages)

Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened so Far: 1 Book; Approx. 369 Pages; Approx. 7.5 Hrs.
Today’s #insixwords Challenge: Fell Harder For Coben’s Myron Bolitar ❤
Books I’ve Read so Far:

Finished Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) (Library Book)
Continued Trusted & True (Men of Haven #7) (ARC from NetGalley)
Continued Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Deadwood #1) (Audio Book)
Started Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) (Personal Collection)

5/11
Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened to Today: 2 Books; Approx. 233 Pages; Approx. 8 Hrs.

Finished Trusted & True (Men of Haven #7) by Rhenna Morgan (ARC from NetGalley) (41% = Approx. 157 Pages)
Finished Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Deadwood #1) written by Ann Charles, narrated by Caroline Shaffer (Audio Book) (Approx. 4.5 Hrs.)
Started Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) by Kevin Hearne (Personal Collection) (25-54 = 29 Pages)
Started Sable (The Night Folk #1) by J.L. Bryon (ARC from the Author) (12% – Approx. 47 Pages)
Started Consumption of Magic (Tales from Verania #3) written by T.J. Klune, narrated by Michael Lesley (Audio Book) (Approx. 3.5 Hrs.)

Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened so Far: 3 Books; Approx. 602 Pages; Approx. 15.5 Hrs.
Today’s #insixwords Challenge: Re-Read/Listen = Knowing the Heartbreak’s Coming 😦
Books I’ve Read so Far:

Finished Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) (Library Book)
Finished Trusted & True (Men of Haven #7) (ARC from NetGalley)
Finished Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Deadwood #1) (Audio Book)
Started Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) (Personal Collection)
Started Sable (The Night Folk #1) (ARC from the Author)
Started Consumption of Magic (Tales from Verania #3) (Audio Book)

5/12
Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened to Today: Approx. 64 Pages; Approx. 7 Hrs.

Continued Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) by Kevin Hearne (Personal Collection) (54-87 = 33 Pages)
Continued Sable (The Night Folk #1) by J.L. Bryon (ARC from the Author) (8% – Approx. 31 pages)
Continued Consumption of Magic (Tales from Verania #3) written by T.J. Klune, narrated by Michael Lesley (Audio Book) (Approx. 7 Hrs.)

Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened so Far: 3 Books; Approx. 666 Pages; Approx. 22.5 Hrs.
Today’s #insixwords Challenge: Reading Took Back Seat to Listening
Books I’ve Read so Far:

Finished Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) (Library Book)
Finished Trusted & True (Men of Haven #7) (ARC from NetGalley)
Finished Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Deadwood #1) (Audio Book)
Continued Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) (Personal Collection)
Continued Sable (The Night Folk #1) (ARC from the Author)
Continued Consumption of Magic (Tales from Verania #3) (Audio Book)

5/13
Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened to Today: Approx. 94 Pages; Approx. 1.5 Hrs.

Continued Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) by Kevin Hearne (Personal Collection) (88-143 = 55 Pages)
Continued Sable (The Night Folk #1) by J.L. Bryon (ARC from the Author) (10% – Approx. 39 pages)
Continued Consumption of Magic (Tales from Verania #3) written by T.J. Klune, narrated by Michael Lesley (Audio Book) (Approx. 1.5 Hrs.)

Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened so Far: 3 Books; Approx. 760 Pages; Approx. 24 Hrs.
Today’s #insixwords Challenge: Slow Day For Reading & Listening
Books I’ve Read so Far:

Finished Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) (Library Book)
Finished Trusted & True (Men of Haven #7) (ARC from NetGalley)
Finished Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Deadwood #1) (Audio Book)
Continued Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) (Personal Collection)
Continued Sable (The Night Folk #1) (ARC from the Author)
Continued Consumption of Magic (Tales from Verania #3) (Audio Book)

5/14
Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened to Today: Approx. 10 Pages; Approx. 2 Hrs.

Continued Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) by Kevin Hearne (Personal Collection) (143-153 = 10 Pages)
Continued Sable (The Night Folk #1) by J.L. Bryon (ARC from the Author)
Continued Consumption of Magic (Tales from Verania #3) written by T.J. Klune, narrated by Michael Lesley (Audio Book) (Approx. 2 Hrs.)

Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened so Far: 3 Books; Approx. 770 Pages; Approx. 26 Hrs.
Today’s #insixwords Challenge: Well Today Was A Total Failure 😦
Books I’ve Read so Far:

Finished Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) (Library Book)
Finished Trusted & True (Men of Haven #7) (ARC from NetGalley)
Finished Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Deadwood #1) (Audio Book)
Continued Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles #7) (Personal Collection)
Continued Sable (The Night Folk #1) (ARC from the Author)
Continued Consumption of Magic (Tales from Verania #3) (Audio Book)

5/15
Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened to Today:
Total Number of Books, Time & Pages I’ve Read/Listened so Far:
Today’s #insixwords Challenge:
Books I’ve Read so Far:

May 8 2022

The Long Game (Game Changers #6) by Rachel Reid

To the world they are rivals, but to each other they are everything.
Ten years.
That’s how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long they’ve been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from family…from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything?
Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship…Ilya wants it all.
It’s time for them to decide what’s most important—hockey or love.
It’s time to make a call.

Although I’ve pretty much loved every book so far in the Game Changers series, I know that I’m not alone in being totally enamored with Shane and Ilya. Ever since they were introduced in Heated Rivalry (the second book in the series) I’ve spent the rest of the series wanting more than just the glimpses and teases that readers have been taunted with in the other books. We may have had to wait a while for The Long Game, but Rachel Reid definitely made it worth it.

Just because the book gave Shane and Ilya the HEA that they so deserved, that doesn’t mean that the author took it easy on them. My heart broke for both of them more than once during The Long Game. Ilya was battling inner demons along with self doubt and Shane was terrified that he was going to lose everything he’d worked his entire career for, but even through that fear, he couldn’t imagine anything worse than losing Ilya. There was no easy solution, but something had to give because living the secret was taking a toll on both of them.

Shane and Ilya are definitely the premier couple in this series. They are adorable together and I love the banter between them. There’s a side to both of them that no one else sees, except for a select few. The supporting characters that surround them are great too and those good ones more than make up for the jerks – and there were plenty of them.

Even though The Long Game was the perfect HEA for Shane and Ilya, I’m still hoping that we haven’t seen the last of them. ❤

May 7 2022

Bout-of-Books 34 (May 9-15, 2022)

Another Bout-of-Books kinda snuck up on me. This is becoming an unsettling pattern. Yikes!

If you’ve never participated, you really need to consider joining in on all the fun. There’s always crazy shenanigans, some crazy fast twitter chats and loads of ways to meet and interact with some crazy cool bloggers. Did I mention it’s a CRAZY week, but in a good kind of crazy way as opposed to…well, you know. Oh, and it’s also a great excuse to read as much as you can for an entire week! No pressure, just plain fun! To find out more about Bout-of-Books 34, read the official blurb below and follow the link to the Official Bout-of-Books blog.

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 9th and runs through Sunday, May 15th in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, Twitter chats, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 34 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

You’ll find me flitting around twitter, Facebook and hopefully Instagram from time to time this week, so be sure to say HI!

May 6 2022

The Moves We Make (Artists and Athletes #2) by CD Rachels

Landon
On my university soccer team, people see me as an obnoxious loud-mouth, but this semester, I’m turning over a new leaf. Part of that involves supporting my best friend and his new relationship (with a guy!). Ravi being gay has really thrown me for a loop. The way he looks at Steven, it makes me feel… jealous? I’m not gay, but no girl has ever made me feel the way those two feel about each other. To top it off, I’m forced to take my university arts requirement in the form of a dance class! I have to fumble around trying not to fail while the teaching assistant Dane refuses to take it easy on me.
Still, the longer I spend in dance class, the more I get to know the real Dane: he’s fun, interesting, sweet, attractive, and… did I say attractive?! No way, that’s not what I meant. Because if I actually feel that way then… turning over a new leaf just got a LOT more complicated.
Dane
Dance is my life, and being a performing artist is my ultimate goal. That’s why I took this university TA position and why I’m hoping to secure an internship in the big city. I refuse to get distracted by some (admittedly handsome) jock that I’m tasked with teaching. He’s uncoordinated, but eventually, I can tell that he’s actually trying, so I cut him some slack. There’s also the tiny detail that he admits he may not be 100% straight.
That’s fine by me. It’s not like a guy like that would go for someone with a messed up face like mine. Still, as the weeks go by, something shifts and we become closer. I can’t let myself become sidetracked in catching feelings for a boy who’s new to being queer. I just need to disregard the burning chemistry we have whenever we’re in the dance studio alone. It’ll be easy to ignore the way he makes my heart flutter when he talks to me, or how charming he is when he lets down his guard.
Well… maybe one kiss won’t hurt, right?

It’s been a while, but I once again picked up another series book that wasn’t the first book in a series. *gasp* (Actually it hasn’t been all that long, but who’s counting?) Anyway, other than missing what a jerk that Landon was in The Lines We Draw, I don’t think I missed much. Although I do love it when an author makes me fall in love with a character that I previously didn’t like…

Regardless of my lack of back story where Landon was concerned, it was obvious that he was trying to turn himself around. He was overly conscious of his attitude and the way he interacted with others. It also made some of his self revelations kind of interesting, especially when it came to his interactions with Dane.

It was kind of ironic that Dane had preconceived opinions about Landon before they even met, considering how self conscious he was about how others saw him. I adored them both though – once they got over their initial reactions to each other.

I really enjoyed this story even though both of these guys were totally out of their comfort zone. Dane wasn’t used to someone really seeing him and Landon had no idea he could be attracted to anyone the way he was attracted to Dane. It was a revelation to both of them, but they ended up being perfect for each other.

This was my first read by CD Rachels and I’m not sure if I’ll get a chance to go back and read The Lines We Draw, but she has definitely landed on my reading radar.

May 5 2022

Beck (Bar 28 #4) by JJ Harper Cover Reveal

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Beck By JJ Harper

Bar 28, Book 4

Finally, he’s found his perfect man. Will he be able to keep him?

Beck Thompson is out and proud. He has a job he loves and friends he considers his family. Okay, he doesn’t have a boyfriend, but chances are slim he’ll find the man who’ll accept all of him, his past and his tattoos. He’s happy. Sort of.

Until he sees the perfect man…with the same woman hanging on his arm every night. Damn.

Munro Sylvester has put every aspect of his life on hold to make his business a success. And he’s done it. But he’s never been true to himself.

One look at the gorgeous, colourful man changes everything. He knows he has to make the first move, but he may risk losing everything he’s worked so hard for.

Can Beck trust his heart that Munro is the one for him? Is Munro brave enough to come out and fight for their happily ever after?

Beck has a tattooed bartender who has never had any luck with love, a hard-working gym owner who’s never said “I’m gay” out loud, instant attraction, and well-meaning, meddling friends.

It is the fourth book in the BAR 28 series, a MM contemporary series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but you’ll enjoy them best by reading them in order. This series is based in the UK.

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About the Author:

You will normally find her in the living room—typing away—with her wayward puppy, Siddiqi. As a hopeless romantic, JJ dives into her stories, always falling in love with her men, making sure they get the happy-ever-after they deserve, even if they do have to work hard for it. JJ lives in a small, very quiet, village in Lincolnshire, UK, with her husband and dog, and spends all day dreaming up stories full of really hot men

Connect with JJ:

Website: https://www.jjharper-author.com Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorJJHarper Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jessjhoney Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/ha7whyj6 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessjharper BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jj-harper Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/jjharper Harper’s Honeys: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HarpersHoneys/

May 4 2022

Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper

There are three things you need to know about Preston “PK” Kingsley:
1) He’s a writer, toiling in obscurity as an editorial assistant at a New York City publishing house.
2) He is not a cliché. No, really.
3) He’s been secretly in love with his best friend, Art, since they once drunkenly kissed in college.
When Art moves in with PK following a bad breakup, PK hopes this will be the moment when Art finally sees him as more than a friend. But Art seems to laugh off the very idea of them in a relationship, so PK returns to his writing roots—in fiction, he can say all the things he can’t say out loud.
In his book, PK can be the perfect boyfriend.
Before long, it seems like the whole world has a crush on the fictionalized version of him, including Art, who has no idea that the hot new book everyone’s talking about is PK’s story. But when his brilliant plan to win Art over backfires, PK might lose not just his fantasy book boyfriend, but his best friend.

Okay, so I really adored this one… even though I felt like shaking PK more than once.

PK was one of my favorite kind of characters. He was adorably awkward and because of that, being in his head was quite entertaining. That’s a good thing, since Book Boyfriend was told totally from PK’s point of view. Although I love getting multiple POVs in one book, this wouldn’t have been the same story if readers had known what was going on from Art’s perspective.

Along with Art and PK, there was an entire cast of characters who really added to the story. PK had a lot of friends who tried to keep him straight. The really bad part was that PK thought he had things under control, until he realized that he really didn’t. I think I felt worse for him in that moment than I felt for Art, basically because he just didn’t get it – even when things totally fell apart. *sigh*

This is my third book by Kris Ripper, but stay tuned because it definitely won’t be my last. I have at least one that I’ve already added to my TBR pile that I missed at the beginning of The Love Study series and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for readers next. 😉