A Stella Review: Trusting Him (Bromley Brothers #1) by Laura N. Andrews

RATING 4 out of 5 stars

Event coordinator Trey Bromley is the youngest of three brothers and is out and proud. The last thing he’s looking for is a man who doesn’t know what he wants. After a chance meeting with David Rossi, a security guard who has recently discovered his bisexuality, Trey begins to question exactly what he wants and how much he’s prepared to bend his own rules.

Trusting Him was a pleasurable surprise, it’s the first book I read from the author and I’m so ready for more. It’s also the first book in the Bromley Brothers series and yes I’m dying for the coming stories about the other two brothers. I adore series like this one, where the main characters I will meet in the next books are important characters in the present story I’m reading. I started to love all of them here in Trusting Him and I already know they all will deserve the perfect person beside them.

I liked Trey and David a lot, the first so outgoing and full of joy, the second so cold and reserved but it’s just a guise and then when they are near each other, sparks flied. The relationship they began  was hot and sweet, with a little misunderstanding. At the end they were well done and explained, I knew a lot about Trey and David, their pasts, their dreams and needs. And although I had just one POV (Trey’s), it was enough to me and that’s cause the author delivered an awesome novel, good writing, enough development in the plot but nothing too much.

Everything was well balanced, the main love story beautifully blends with the friends and families relationships and that’s the reason why I enjoyd and  feel to recommend Trusting Him.

The cover art by Claire Smith is lovely, I like it.

SALE LINKS  Hot Tree Publishing | Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 178 pages

Published October 28th 2017 by Hot Tree Publishing

ASIN B074VVKFZ3

Series  Bromley Brothers #1

Edition Language English

Need a New Romance? Check out Reservations by Kindle Alexander (giveaway)

Title: Reservations
Author: Kindle Alexander
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: October 30, 2017
Wildly successful entrepreneur, Thane Walker is stubbornly set in his ways. Adamantly resistant to the shackles of commitment, he’s seen enough unhappy endings to learn the best way to play is by keeping his men on the payroll. 

Levi Silva’s dream of graduating from one of the country’s top medical schools is in his grasp, until news from home changes everything. Now, he’s raising his two teenage brothers and trying to keep everyone’s head above water, emotionally and financially. 

When Levi’s new job puts him in Thane’s path, their chemistry explodes, but their fear of being involved in relationships keeps them apart. Unfortunately, despite the intense desire drawing them together, neither man can move forward until they get past their own…Reservations.



Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer, and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It’s always a surprise to see what’s coming next!

I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it’s true, the only thing bigger than an over active imagination, may be women’s hair!
Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life – I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations – regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal… I don’t want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I’m going to tell you about Kindle.

I tragically lost my sixteen year old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I’ll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died – weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn’t have to be alone.

That time in my life was terrible. It’s everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.

Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness – it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle ereader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.

Through the course of that crippling event I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fan fiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn’t a time she wasn’t there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love and harmony. It’s its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn’t be here today without her.

Find out more by visiting http://www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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In the Spotlight: Life on Pause by Erin McLellan (tour and giveaway)

Life on Pause by Erin McLellan
Riptide Publishing
Cover artist: L.C. Chase

Read an Excerpt/Buy it here at Riptide Publishing

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Erin McLellan today on her Life on Pause tour.  Welcome, Erin.

✒︎

Welcome to the Life on Pause blog tour! Follow along as I stop off at several blogs this week to learn more about this small town m/m romance, which follows a nerdy museum worker and a high school choir teacher as they watch way too much sci-fi on Netflix, wear ridiculous historical costumes, and fall in love.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a $20 Riptide Publishing gift card!

About Life on Pause

Niles Longfellow is a nerd, and not the trendy type of nerd, either. He wears a historically accurate homesteader costume to work every day, has a total of one friend, and doesn’t know how to talk to guys. So when he gets a flat tire and the hottest hipster ever stops to help him, all Niles can think is that he’s wearing his stupid cowboy getup. Normally, Niles feels invisible to other men, but he’d take that invisibility any day over Rusty Adams seeing him in suede and fringe.

Rusty moved to Bison Hills to help his sister raise her daughter, and nothing is more important to him than that. He’s also fresh off a breakup, and isn’t prepared for anything complicated. But then he meets Niles. Rusty sees Niles as more than a clumsy, insecure guy in a costume. He sees a man who is funny, quirky, and unexpected.

Nothing about their connection is simple, though, especially the lies and insecurities between them. Niles doesn’t know if he can trust Rusty with his heart, and when Rusty’s sister decides to move away, Rusty doesn’t know if he can stay behind.

Available now from Riptide Publishing. 

About Erin McLellan

Erin McLellan writes contemporary romance, often set in the South or Midwest—particularly Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas—with characters that are complex, good-hearted, and sometimes a little quirky. Erin likes her stories to have a sexy spark and a happily ever after.

Erin has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in library and information studies from the University of Oklahoma. She has always enjoyed writing, but becoming a librarian and meeting enthusiastic romance readers helped her find her own writing passion. Now Erin cheerfully writes romance with characters across the LGBTQIA spectrum. A former public librarian, she still enjoys being surrounded by books and readers, but Erin hopes to find her stories on the shelves as well.

Originally from Oklahoma, she currently lives in Alaska with her husband, and spends her time dreaming up love stories set in the Great Plains. She is a lover of chocolate, college sports, antiquing, Dr Pepper, and binge-worthy TV shows.

Connect with Erin:

● Website

● Twitter

● Instagram

● Pinterest

 

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Life on Pause, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 4, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Late in the Day (The Vault #2) by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Second from The Vault

Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.

The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day.

I loved the first story in The Vault series, A Day Makes, so I couldn’t wait to see what the sequel would bring.  Late in the Day brings into focus a character we’ve met before in other stories,  not just A Day Makes. Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne, these are all names that Darius Hawthorne has gone by at one stage of his life or another.  In a series of flashbacks throughout the story, much like the first novel, we see the progression of events that lead up to the man Darius is when the story opens.

It’s an effective format and one that pulled me in immediately.

Mary Calmes engages her reader on many levels from the opening scene.  We’re let into a moment fraught with danger, we understand the personalities of the men involved, and the author sets out an explosive start for her tale that pulls us in emotionally and intellectually.  And then starts to explore why this event has so much impact to Darius and his future.

This author also does lovers reunited like nobody’s business.  That would include Efrem Lahm, the one man that Darius fell deeply in love with and never got over.  The  effect on the reader of these two men meeting again is so strong, so vivid it’s almost gut wrenching. I love it when an author can pull that sort of emotional response from me, making me aware of how powerful a ground shift it would be for a character to see this man again. Mary Calmes does it here…over and over.  And not just from Darius.

Along with the romance, there’s suspense, action, and, yes, humor albeit on the darkish side.  Yes, I think this book and series really has it all going for it with fascinating characters, a complicated series foundation, and outstanding cast of characters.  What this book is not is a standalone novel.  Late in the Day exists within a specific universe, that has its own framework of morality, carefully interlocking family of characters, and even other stories that can be joined to this by weaponry.  Don’t miss out on the note at the end for other stories by Mary Calmes that will connect with this one.

At the end of the novel, I was so happy that I was ready to go back to the beginning of the series and read through the two books all over again.  I can’t wait to see where the author is taking this series next.  Until then, I highly recommend you read Late in the Day if you’ve read A Day Makes, and both books if you are new to the series.  If you are a Mary Calmes fan, you are already ahead of me.

Cover art by Reese Dante is perfect for the character and makes a stunning cover.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: October 30th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781635339802
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series The Vault :

A Day Makes (The Vault, #1)
Late in the Day (The Vault, #2) 

An Ali Review: The Family Eternal (Deputy Joe #5) by James Buchanan

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
When the body of a young woman is found in a burning rental cabin, Deputy Joe Peterson and newly minted Fire Inspector Kabe Varghese must learn to work together to find out who she is and why she died.

Folks will tell you that family is second only to God in Utah. But what brings strength to some can sow sorrow with others.

On a bleak winter morning, a young woman’s corpse smolders in the remains of a burned rental cabin. Clues to her identity are rarer than frozen choke-cherries in the Utah backcountry. Deputy Joe Peterson, assisted by Kabe Varghese in his first case as a fire inspector trainee, doggedly hunts for who she is and why she died. As they sink deeper into the investigation, Joe struggles with how his life is now personally and professionally intertwined with Kabe’s.

Outed, excommunicated and disciplined because of the man he found love with; the last year of Joe’s life has careened like an avalanche toward an abyss. Is doom inevitable? Or is the best chance to live surrendering to the fall?
This is a series I wish more people read.  Joe is one of the most complex and well written characters in this genre in my opinion.  This installment was another really good one.  We start it by seeing the two men working a case together.  It was great to see Kabe now in a career and doing really well for himself.  The course of this series has shown Kabe grow and come into himself and I was proud of Kabe (like he’s a real person). 
There are two aspects to the book.  There is the murder case which was super interesting.  We learned a lot about the difference between the mainstream Mormon church and the polygamist offshoots.  On a personal note, I did a lot of traveling in Utah last year and I went through the area that this series is set in.  It’s a beautiful area with really interesting people.  It made the setting of this book so much more real to me.  I could picture it all perfectly.  I felt this aspect of the book was well developed and it kept me interested from beginning till end.
The other aspect of the story is the growth of Joe and Kabe’s relationship.  I marvel at how far they’ve come over the years.  There are two aspects that I’d like to note.  One being the bdsm part.  There aren’t a lot of sex scenes but the ones that are there are intense.  I love that the author clearly shows that Kabe is a sub by choice and only in the bedroom.  In the earlier books he wasn’t submissive out of the bedroom per se but his overall life situation made for a power imbalance.  Over time and life changes the men are  now equal in power in their day to day.  I love how the author has shown the reader the development of this dynamic from book to book.
The other aspect I find interesting is Joe’s faith and how he has come to be able to have both it and his relationship with Kabe.  I’m personally not a big fan of organized religion and I don’t often read books with religious characters because in inevitably goes wrong for me.  This series is a major exception.  Joe lives by his faith and he’s a believer.  He lives it by example.  As readers we’ve watched Joe struggle with being gay in a religion that tells him it’s a sin.  He’s struggled hard over the years but it’s just lovely to watch him now.  He’s solid in not only his faith but his love for Kabe.  He sees their relationship as a the beautiful gift it is. It’s also been touching to watch Kabe, who is also against organized religion, learn to respect it’s importance to Joe.  Some of my favorite romantic scenes in the entire series happen in this book.
This book could be read as a standalone but I don’t recommend it.  The mystery works fine and you could follow the romance parts too without reading the previous books.  You would miss out on a lot of the emotion though.  If you’re already a fan of this series I think you’ll really like this one.  If you’re not, I recommend going back and starting with book one.
Cover art by
Sales Links:   MLR Books | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 262 pages
Published August 18th 2017 by MLRPress (first published August 15th 2017)
Original Title The Family Eternal
ISBN13MLR1020170783
Edition Language English
Series Deputy Joe #5

Dirk Greyson on Turning Personal Experience into Characters and his latest novel ‘Hell and Back’

Hell and Back by Dirk Greyson
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Book Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Dirk Greyson here on his Hell  and Back tour. Welcome, Dirk.

 

I often get asked how much of myself I put into my stories and sometimes I’m not really sure.  I’m not a lawyer and I’m not ex-military turned detective, but I do like to think that I have a big heart and I think that’s where I insert myself most often into the stories I write.  Okay, I’m going to tell you something that I rarely go into online.  My school years weren’t happy ones. I was alone much of the time.  The kids at school picked on me and that made those years really tough.  As a reaction, I turned quiet in introspective.  I stayed away from others and didn’t open play with them because I never knew when the next trick or insult was coming.  It was a pretty miserable existence.  But I think that period of my life also helped me develop a real heart felt understanding for the underdog and those that are having a difficult time with life because I’d been through it.  I really feel for my characters and throw my heart into them, quite literally.  I really hope that comes through to you as well.

 

Blurb/Synopsis

Seventeen years ago, Forge Reynolds fell in love… and had his heart broken.  When Gage Livingston was brought into Forge’s Army field hospital, temporarily paralyzed, Forge sat with him, read his letters, answered his mail, and formed a connection he thought would last. But Gage was sent home, Forge transferred to a new post, and Forge’s letters to Gage went unanswered.

Now, in the middle of a bitter divorce, Forge is sick and tired of his husband’s manipulation and is almost ready to make any sacrifice to get closure, and then he finds Granger murdered execution-style in their home. Forge had no idea about Granger’s illicit activities, but the killers don’t believe that. They think Forge has something they want, and they’re coming after him.

When Forge’s lawyer arranges for professional protection, the last face Forge expects to see is Gage’s. Can he even contemplate a second chance for them after almost two decades or will hoping only lead to more heartache? Before they can explore the possibilities, they must figure out what information Granger had—and others are willing to kill for—or that possible heartache could become a certainty

Excerpt

Gage went through the house to turn out the interior lights before settling in the family room in front of the television with the volume on low, listening for anything out of the ordinary. One thing the Army had done a good job of training into him was patience. He could sit in a mostly empty house and listen for nothing for hours.

A lot of his jobs were hurry up and wait. This one had seemed like it would be more active. When the call had come in to the office, he’d been about to go off duty. Margie, his receptionist, had relayed who was calling and what they needed.  That woman never seemed to sleep and had forwarded the office phone to her cell..  There had been no one else available, so he’d sprung into action and hurried home to get a bag together. It wasn’t until he’d been driving and Margie called to give him the particulars that he’d heard the name and nearly run off the road.

After all these years, to run into Forge again, and under these circumstances….

He turned toward the stairs and got up to make a round through the house, then checked outside just to ensure everything was quiet.

Forge Reynolds. Gage sat down, turned off the television, and retrieved his bag to pull out his iPad so he could read for a while. After a few minutes of reading the same page over and over, he set it aside, leaned back, and closed his eyes. Concentration wasn’t something he had at the moment.

Almost instantly he was lying in a hospital bed.

He’d been hit with shrapnel, a ton of it if what he’d been told was true, and a piece had nicked his upper spine. He couldn’t walk or use his arms at first. And he’d never forget the day a man, about his own age, sat in the chair next to his bed and picked up the pile of letters on his tray. They hadn’t wanted to transport him in case it caused more damage, and his family couldn’t visit him where he was, so old-fashioned communication was the best way.

“Would you like me to read them to you?” The man’s voice had been mellow and gentle, at odds with most things in the Army.

“Please,” he’d said softly. At least he’d been able to talk.

Forge had opened the first envelope and read Gage the letter from his mother, then a second one. The third envelope contained one from his mother and one from his dad, and Forge read both. Gage had been tired and fallen asleep, but when he woke, the man was still there. He picked up a pen and paper and asked if he wanted to write a letter. “My name’s Specialist Forge Reynolds, by the way. I never did tell you.”

“Gage Staff Sergeant Livingston. Gage,” he’d croaked, hating the way his voice sounded. He remembered feeling useless, helpless, and wanting to die. And when he’d dictated that first letter, all of it had come out in a burst of self-pity and loathing that Forge had faithfully written down, showed to him, and then ripped to shreds.

About the Author

Dirk is very much an outside kind of man.  He loves travel and seeing new things.  Dirk worked in corporate America for way too long and now spends his days writing, gardening, and taking care of the home he shares with his partner of more than two decades.  He has a Master’s Degree and all the other accessories that go with a corporate job.  But he is most proud of the stories he tells and the life he’s built.  Dirk lives in Pennsylvania in a century old home and is blessed with an amazing circle of friends. 

Author Links

Other Works by Dirk Greyson

Yellowstone Wolves Series

Challenge the Darkness

Darkness Threatening

Darkness Rising

Day and Knight Series

Day and Knight

Sun and Shadow

Dawn and Dusk

Standalone Titles

An Assassin’s Holiday

Flight or Fight

Playing With Fire

Lost Mate

Hell and Back

A VVivacious Review: Improper Fraction by V.L. Locey

Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5

O’Malley Ramsey and Garrison Rook have been inseparable from a really young age.  Mal has been in love with his best friend ever since he learnt what love was but the day they both head off for college sees Mal’s wildest dreams come true as Garrison might not be as straight as he wants to appear. They both make fervent promises to come back to each other but while Mal keeps his end of the promise Garrison breaks his.

When Mal and Garrison come face to face four years later, will Garrison be able to convince Mal to forgive him and will Mal be willing to let go of the hurt and embrace a chance at love?

This book was amazing. God! I am really loving this author when I picked up this book I hadn’t read anything by this author but when I finally got around to reading this book I had read two shorts by this very author and I really liked both of those. And this kind of turned out to be the cherry on the top, because it was so good. Ah! Just so amazing!

First off, right of the bat, I have got to say how much I loved all the characters, I mean not only Garrison and Mal but Mrs Rook like completely stole my heart. Not only for all the humour she added to situations but she felt like such a parent getting Garrison in embarrassing situations it was so cute. In fact, I liked the entire Rook and Ramsey family, they were all like such well- developed characters and I liked them all so much.

Mal is a math aficionado and just that fact makes my heart flutter. I am so math crazy that it was amazing to read about someone even crazier than me about math, I just can’t get that scene were Garrison is telling Mal to stop doing percentages inside his head out of my head, it was just so ingenious like Mal would totally be the kind of guy to refute everything with mathematical exaction.

I had a little more problem liking Garrison because his excuses for not keeping his promise kind of don’t sit well with me. But once I got over that, I really liked him too. I especially loved Garrison and Mal together because whenever they were together it felt like they belonged there. This especially helped a lot in the beginning of the book when the characters weren’t as established and I was still trying to wrap my head around Garrison, because the kind of chemistry Garrison and Mal shared from the very beginning was priceless. They totally had the Oh My God these kisses are combustible kind of chemistry. It was easy to see how much they belonged together especially when I had my doubts about if they should but once all the doubts cleared up these two were just such a rock-solid couple.

This story doesn’t only focus on the romance and it has a plotline that isn’t based on the romance but no matter how I didn’t like that aspect of the plot, I think I liked how it was used to make a point and further the plot and be that additional push to get things in the right place.

Overall, this story was amazing like hot chocolate. It was just what I needed and it made me feel so good. Loved it, loved it and definitely recommend it.

Cover Art by Reverie Design. I liked the cover.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | KOBO | iTunes

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 179 pages
Published October 18th 2017 by Gone Writing Publishing LLC
Original TitleImproper Fraction
ASINB0755YPLQX

A Treat and A Boo and Its November! This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

A Treat and A Boo Then It’s November!

Hard to believe it’s time to say goodbye to October.  It seems as though it just got here.  We finish up this week with Halloween, Samhain or All Hallows Eve depending on how you call that date.  And then we begin November, a month traditionally geared here in the States  (Canada celebrated on October 9th) for giving thanks and our holiday Thanksgiving.

Rather than go into the historical background, I thought I’d sort of switch it around.  Turn it into things we’re grateful for…bookwise.    In some cases, its new authors (not new necessarily, but new to us or yes, just plain spanking new release new), new books, whatever.  Could be new narrators if you love audiobooks…all it has to be is book related.  Could even be a new cover artist because in my mind they are so important when it comes to bringing a reader forward and getting them interested in a story, yes, even in this age of eReaders and eBooks.

What have you discovered or have found this year in books that you are grateful for?  Write in and let us know.  Short, long, recommendations, however, you would like to tell us.  I’m starting us off with my first Author and Series Discover on J.M Dabney on Saturday.  I’ve been reviewing this author’s interconnected series and am starting on the reviews of the Twirled World Ink series, the one that began them all.  Other authors that I love that jump to mind?  That fabulous Rhys Ford of course! So more to come.

Let’s hear from all of you.  And yes, details of our What Are You Grateful For in Books Giveaway(s) coming up next week. Multiple gift certificates will be handed out.

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, October 29:

  • A Treat and A Boo Then It’s November!
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
  • RELEASE BLITZ ~ Bernie by A.E. Ryecart
  • A VVivacious Review: Improper Fraction by V.L. Locey

Monday, October 30:

  • Dreamspinner Promo Dirk Greyson on Hell and Back
  • Release Blitz for Sweet William by Diane Hartsock
  • Release Blitz Tour – Anna Butler’s The Jackal’s House
  • Tour for Welcome Home Soldier by Deanna Wadsworth
  • A Free Dreamer Review: A Question of Counsel (The Republic #1) by Archer Kay Leah
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Late in the Day (The Vault #2) by Mary Calmes
  • A MelanieM Review: Lavender Fields by Natalina Reis
  • An Ali Review: The Family Eternal (Deputy Joe #5) by James Buchanan

Tuesday, October 31 (Happy Halloween):

  • DSP Publications Promo -Mark Wildyr on Cut Hand
  • RIPTIDE TOUR & Giveaway: Life on Pause by Erin McLellan
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Silk by KC Wells
  • A Stella Review: Trusting Him  by Laura N. Andrews
  • An Alisa Review: Angels and Man-Beasts by T.L. West
  • An Alisa Review: The Past Comes Home (Ames Bridge #2) by Silvia Violet

Wednesday, November 1:

  • Book Blitz :Keeping the Faith by A.M. Leibowitz
  • Series Review Tour ~ The Wyverns by L.M. Somerton
  • Shattered Pieces by K.M. Neuhold Release Day Blitz
  • A Julia Review: Ardulum: first Don by J.S. Fields
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Camp H.O.W.L. by Bru Baker
  • A MelanieM Review: Shattered Pieces by K.M. Neuhold
  • An Alisa Review: Steel Trap (The Wyverns #5) by L.M. Somerton

Thursday, November 2:

  • Book Tour for The Valet by S.J. Foxx
  • Dreamspinner Promo Anna Butler on The Jackal’s House
  • In the Spotlight: ​Off the Ice (Hat Trick #1) by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn ( Riptide tour and giveaway)
  • A MelanieM Review:The Valet by S.J. Foxx
  • A VVivacious Review: Changing On The Fly: The Second Period Anthology – Various Authors
  • An Alisa Review: For Better or For Worse by Emery C. Walters

Friday, November 3:

  • Dreamspinner Dreamspun Desires Promo Bru Baker
  • Review Tour – Anna Butler – The Jackal’s House
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Four (The Republic #2) by Archer Kay Leah
  • A MelanieM Review :The Jackal’s House (Lancaster’s Luck #2) by Anna Butler
  • An Ali Review: Kill Game by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Saturday, November 4:

  • A MelanieM Review:Berzerker (Twirled World Ink #1) by J.M. Dabney
  • A MelanieM Review: Lyle’s Story by Kay Berrisford

 

Release Blitz for Bernie (Barista Boys #4) by AE Ryecart (excerpt and giveaway)

Book Title: Bernie

Author: A E Ryecart

Publisher: A E Ryecart

Cover Artist: Meredith Russell

Genre: Contemporary MM Romance

Length: 60,600 words

#4 in the Barista Boys series, but it can be read as a standalone

Blurb

“You fix the lives of others. The waifs and strays, the lost and broken, you fix them all, Bernie. But the life that needs fixing most of all is your own.”

Bernie Porter is a haunted man. He holds tight to the guilt that he was responsible for the death of the only one he’s ever loved, a man he vowed to protect and keep safe.

Every frightened and damaged kid who washes up at Barista Boys door, Bernie rescues each and every one – all because of the man he failed to save so many years before.

Emotionally and physically scarred, Jared Hastings survived a night of violence and madness that almost left him dead. As he emerges from the nightmare that threatened to destroy him, Jared’s determined to plunge head-first into a future that’s free from the horrors of his past.

A night-time street robbery, and Bernie and Jared are thrown into each other’s worlds. But as fast as Jared comes into Bernie’s life, he’s gone, leaving Bernie with the gnawing conviction he’s let something precious slip through his fingers.

Their paths cross again in a way neither could have foreseen. From their first tentative steps, the slow burn of their relationship gathers pace. But as dark histories are revealed, and souls and hearts bared, each man finally comes to understand they can fix not just themselves, but each other.

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Excerpt

A faint aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg and cocoa floated on the air, underscored by a subtle spice. Bernie breathed in deep, the scent an intoxicating mix of expensive cologne and the warmth of Jared’s skin. Bernie licked his lips as unaccustomed nerves overtook him. In the sunny garden, the timing was different, the situation was different. He opened his mouth, ready to ask if he could see Jared again. He’d seen, he was sure he’d seen, a glimmer of interest in those big blue eyes. There was only one way to find out. Before he could speak Jared asked a question which stopped him dead.

“You know,” Jared said as tilted his head towards the wicker chairs for them to sit down, “I never for one moment expected to run into my Good Samaritan again, and especially not here. Lindy said you’re an old friend of Mikey’s. How long have you known him?”

Bernie sipped his drink, buying himself time. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted, but it was inevitable the question would come up. How he’d met Michalis was tangled and screwed up, and a nightmare that haunted him still. The innocent question had a far from innocent answer. He needed to pick his words carefully as he had no idea how much, if anything, Jared knew about his brother-in-law’s business activities.

“I’ve known Mikey for years. We met when he had business interests in nightclubs.” The answer was bland, but it was true, every single word of it.

Jared had been about to take a swig of beer, but he paused and tapped the rim of the neck against his lower lip. Bernie watched him, seeing the questions swimming in his eyes.

“Do you still work with him?”

Bernie stared into eyes that didn’t flinch or waiver. He’d never said he’d worked with or for Michalis. He’d deliberately omitted that part, but Jared was smart and had seen through his carefully constructed answer. What Jared thought of that, Bernie had no way of knowing. But this was a question he could answer in all honesty, and with no ambiguity.

“No, I don’t. I worked with him in the early days, and not for long. We parted company and took very different paths in life but we’ve remained good friends and I hope we always will.”

“Good.”

Neither spoke, nor moved, as they looked deep into each other’s eyes. Bernie exhaled a long breath, and Jared’s lips curled up into a big smile that held more than a hint of relief. Whatever Jared meant by his one word answer, Bernie wasn’t going to delve, not when Jared was smiling at him and making his heart beat faster.

About the Author

A E Ryecart writes mm romance/gay fiction. Filled with angst, high drama and emotional tension, she writes the books she likes to read. An avid people watcher, most of her writing takes place in a local café amidst the background hum of hissing coffee machines, where she can check out the other customers for character and story inspiration!

A born and bred Londoner, she may have moved to someplace more leafy but the city is still very much part of her DNA, which is why her books are set in and around present-day London, providing a thrilling, metropolitan backdrop to the main action.

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A MelanieM Review: Whiskey Kisses by Anna Martin

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

In a small town about an hour’s drive outside Dublin, there’s a whiskey distillery.

Jim has worked in the distillery as its business manager since he returned to his home town after getting his degree. Whiskey is a slow business and rural life is quiet, but Jim takes it in his stride. That is, until the handsome and mysterious Mr Aiden Rooney moves into a room above the local pub and sets off a flurry of gossip.

Aiden’s an artist, and his devil-may-care attitude is a revelation to Jim. But he still lives in a small town in rural Ireland, and he’s not even sure if he wants to be out and proud. The choices they make could change everything, if only Jim dares to follow his heart.

I love Ireland so any romance or book with Ireland as a setting usually has me at the narrative “hello”.  I also say the same about whiskey so Whiskey Kisses by Anna Martin seemed like a sure bet.  While what I found didn’t fulfill my hoped-for promise indicated by the blurb, it still remains a very nice love story, one I think most people will enjoy.

Told from the perspective of Jim/James/Jimmy (depending upon who you are talking to in his large family and small town), he makes for a sweet narrator of his own story and romance.  He tells us of his childhood, his injury, his brief escape to college and city life and his amazingly happy and content return to the village he was born into and now resides.

The only drawback?  His sexuality and basic closeted status.  Which gets a good shakeup when an artist comes to town in the form of Aiden.  It’s one look and Jim is quite smitten as is the artist.  The pursuit and romance is on.  The rest of the story is lovely, mostly angst free and short.

All that’s wonderful except that it meant that the romance had too much instant love for me.  Jim/James is closeted but falls right into the arms of Aiden (almost literally).  The move in together and love seems practically instantaneous  (even though it’s separated by a few “and a few weeks/months later”).  The flow of the story just  doesn’t seem  to indicate too broken of a time line for me to get a feeling of time passing here.

While I loved Jim and family, Aiden always felt like more of a blank canvas.  In some stories, even when you only have one pov, you get  many fully formed characters, but Aiden always felt less than substantial.  I still rooted for the couple to succeed, but I would have loved to have more personality or as much a character foundation to Aiden as I did for Jim.

But my real quibble here?  Somehow the elements of whiskey and village life could just as easily been transported to another country altogether.  The story is called Whiskey Kisses!  So give us some real whiskey goodness here, some good old Irish background  on the peat, wood barrels, something!  Give us some marvelous foundation to wrap this story around, not bookkeeping and a dreary employee lunch room.   Make this section come alive for us and the  rest of the village too while we are at it.  I’ve been to Ireland many times but other than the names of the  nieces and nephews, you’d never know it honestly.  You could have transplanted this story anywhere.

So, for me Whiskey Kisses is a light romance, a short sweet read.  Not what I had hoped for but if that’s what you are looking for, this is the story for you.

Cover art is very generic.  I don’t know who this model is but I’m seeing him all over the place.  He’s so cute but where’s are the elements of the story?

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 69 pages
Published October 21st 2017 by Anna Martin Originals
ASINB076NN8VVM