Category: Contemporary fiction

Looking for Your Next Holiday Story? Check Out the Book Blitz with Excerpt for Pattern for an Angel by CJane Elliott

Title: Pattern for an Angel

Author: CJane Elliott

Publisher: CJane Elliott

Release Date: December 1, 2019

Heat Level: 2 – Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Male/NB

Length: 17,150

Genre: Romance, holiday, single dad, drag queen, contemporary, genderfluid, nonbinary, acceptance, family, angel, Christmas, chosen family, meet cute

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Synopsis

Can an angel gown for a little boy let a single dad and a drag queen stitch together a new pattern for love?

Hospice nurse Gabe Martin is bisexual but doesn’t have time for love—his main priority is raising Ian, his adopted five-year-old son. Ian loves wearing dresses at home and wants an angel gown for his kindergarten holiday pageant. When Gabe visits a sewing store to get help with Ian’s costume, he’s assisted by a bewitching employee named Loren who opens up Gabe’s focused world.

Drag queen Loren Schuster likes playing with gender norms and wearing skirts and dresses in everyday life. A bad breakup killed his interest in serious relationships, but he reconsiders that stance when gorgeous single dad Gabe walks into the shop. Loren helps young Ian see it’s okay to be himself, and together, Loren and Gabe create a new pattern for a family full of love.

Excerpt

Oh well, you win some, you lose some, Loren thought after he rang up her purchase. As he was replacing the purple-blue material on the shelf, the bell to the shop door tinkled. The store had been crazy busy, which was to be expected for the Friday after Thanksgiving. He turned. Now there’s someone I’d love to win.

The guy coming in the door was seriously hot—dark and lanky with a mouth made for kissing. He was being steered along by a gal, but they were enough alike to be siblings. Loren hoped. His mouth twitched at the expression on the guy’s face and his wide eyes. Safe to assume he’d never been in a sewing shop before.

Loren stepped out from behind the counter and remembered that he was wearing one of his favorite skirts when the guy’s gaze dropped. He braced himself for some negative reaction and was floored when the guy smiled happily and nudged his companion. She brightened.

“Oh, you’re perfect,” she exclaimed.

“I am? I mean, of course I am, but why?”

“We’re looking for a way to sew an angel dress for a little boy.”

“Aww. That’s wonderful.” Loren waited for Hot Guy to say something, but his smile was more than enough. “Do you have the pattern?”

“Oh. Yeah.” Hot Guy had a deep voice. Lovely. He got the pattern out of his bag and handed it over.

“Hmm. Yes.” Loren inspected it and nodded sagely. “This seems straightforward enough.”

“It does?” Hot Guy was even hotter with that hopeful expression.

The truth was, Loren was talking out of his ass. Mia was the expert, and this was her store. Loren enjoyed being around the fabrics and different materials, the buttons and the lace, because he loved playing dress up. But you could put what he knew about sewing into one thimble. However, Hot Guy and his girlfriend/partner/sister didn’t need to know that.

“The problem is,” the gal said, “neither of us know fuck-all about sewing. I still can’t believe Ian’s kindergarten expects the parents to sew these costumes. I mean, are we in the 1950s or what?”

“So this is for your little brother?” Loren asked.

“My son,” the guy said.

Huh. He didn’t look old enough to have a kindergarten-aged child. Bummer that Hot Guy was apparently married or whatever. But that was the story of Loren’s life.

Then the gal piped up. “Gabe adopted him last year. He’s a great kid.”

Sounded like they weren’t together if only Gabe adopted this kid. “Great. So you’re Gabe, and you’re…?”

“Nita. We’re sister and brother. Gabe’s a single dad.” Nita cut a significant glance at Gabe, who frowned back. Loren could relate. Sisters always loved to meddle in their siblings’ love lives.

“Hi, Gabe and Nita. I’m Loren. I’m sure we can help you figure out the sewing part. Let’s start with material.” Loren’s favorite. White satin was way more fun than drab paisley.

Ten minutes later, after a delicious wallow in all the permutations of white satin, they had the fabric. Gabe hadn’t offered many opinions about which material but had seemed amused by Loren’s and Nita’s many exclamations.

But when Loren confronted the rest of the pattern instructions, his head spun. Mia was usually here and helped folks with deciphering the patterns. Loren could only guess what some of it meant but did his best to pick out thread and other needed parts and assembled them on the counter.

“Well. This is everything.” Loren hoped. He started to ring up the items.

“Everything but a sewing machine. What do we do about that?” Nita asked.

“You can rent them. This seems a simple enough pattern.” Panic rose in their faces, and Loren quickly added, “Or, better yet, you can hire someone to sew the costume.”

“Could you?” Gabe asked, shooting a sudden intense glance in his direction.

Damn. Of course he could not. But something made Loren say, “Why, I’d love to!”

Life was getting interesting. Even if Loren had to learn to sew. By tomorrow. How hard could it be?

Purchase at Amazon

Meet the Author

After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane is an award-winning author whose sexy, passionate stories explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

CJane is bisexual and an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality. In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her family supports her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | eMail | Instagram

 

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Release Blitz and Giveaway for Angels Sing (Daddy Dearest #2) by Eli Easton

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
 
Cover Design: Reese Dante
 
Daddy Dearest Series
 

The Daddy Dearest series features single dads. Each book in the series features a new couple and can be read as a stand-alone.


Book #1 – Family Camp – Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

 
Blurb
 

Jamie Bailey has not had such a wonderful life. He gave up his dreams of Harvard at 18 to raise his sister’s unwanted baby, and later a prized job to help a sick friend. Now the father of six-year-old Mia, and assistant manager at Raven Books, Jamie’s dreams are dashed once again when Uncle Billy admits the bookshop is in dire straights.

 
Stanton Potter, son of the most notorious businesswoman in Bedford Falls, loves his job teaching at the local elementary school. But he’s less than thrilled when he is forced to put together a Christmas pageant with first-graders, including Mia Bailey.
 
When Stanton meets Jamie, angels sing. Jamie’s gender-bending fashion sense and sweet aura have Stanton suffering through the worse crush he’s had since he was a teen. But can there be any hope for them when Jamie and Mia’s lives are about to be uprooted?
 
This Christmas, it’s Jamie’s turn to receive a little help from heaven.

About Eli


Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, and organic farmer, Eli has been a m/m romance author since 2013. She has over 30 books published.


Eli has loved romance since her teens and she particular admires writers who can combine literary merit, genuine humor, melting hotness, and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, bulldogs, cows, a cat, and lots of groundhogs.


In romance, Eli is best known for her Christmas stories because she’s a total Christmas sap. These include “Blame it on the Mistletoe”, “Unwrapping Hank” and “Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles”. Her “Howl at the Moon” series of paranormal romances featuring the town of Mad Creek and its dog shifters has been popular with readers. And her series of Amish-themed romances, Men of Lancaster County, has won genre awards.


Her website is www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com

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Love Holiday Romances? Check Out the Release Blitz with Excerpts for Stocking Stuffers: A Holiday Themed Romantic M/M Multi-Author Collection

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Stocking Stuffers

An MM Holiday Anthology

H Q Kingsley, Meredith Spies, Angelo Diaz, Denise Wells,

Megs Pritchard, JP Sayles, Colette Davison, Alie Nolan

Release Date: 12.01.19

Stocking-Stuffers-Kindle

Blurb

An MM holiday romance anthology. A collection of sweet, steamy, fun holiday stories from MM authors.

Amazon: http://bit.ly/StockingStuffersKK

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/AppleStockingStuffers

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/BNStockingStuffers

Anthology grphic

ALL BLURBS

Fix Me Up by H.Q. Kingsley

Nettles Small and Ian Montgomery were best friends once upon a time…

Nettles Small has retreated to his old family cabin, isolated in the woods for the peace and quiet he needs to write his dissertation. He expects a full two weeks of absolutely no disruptions as he buries himself in research and lab experiments. But when an outdoor experiment goes haywire and his equipment explodes across the mountain, knocking an unsanctioned snowboarder off his board, his plans quickly change.

Ian Montgomery is on his way to the winter olympics. he’s trained his ass off for years and finally made it. But on his way to shred down one of his secret slopes, Ian is unexpectedly knocked off his board by an unknown object and the person who rushes to nurse him back to his feet is someone he had never expected to see again.

Teaser Quote: Fix Me Up by H.Q. Kingsley

“Night of the Moving Parts?” Ian asked, looking skeptical. “That sounds like a porno.”

“It’s not a porno.”

“How would you know, though?” he pressed, grinning at me. “Have you ever seen a porno, Nettles?”

Jingle My Bells by Meredith Spies

Rowan

Less than two weeks till the winter solstice and somehow it’s my fault the witches have misplaced their damned bells. If they weren’t such jerks about demon-borns being part of the Grand Council and their plans, maybe they wouldn’t need to use the stupid things anyway. But until they’re ready to admit that without us, there’d be no them, I guess they’re out of luck. It’s just dirty pool to send Whitaker Frost, scion of the Frost witch clan and sexiest man alive ohmygods to my shop when I’ve been accused of hiding those damned bells and endangering the witches’ annual winter solstice ritual to maintain their powers.

Whitaker

No matter what Rowan thinks, I haven’t forgotten our encounter at the summer solstice, and I know for a fact he hasn’t. The way he looks at me when he sees me in his shop just before the winter solstice is enough to set me on fire without the help of any of his demon magic. I don’t blame him for being hesitant with me—I am a witch, after all, and witches have been doing their damnedest for centuries to keep demon-born out of magical communities and gatherings. I wish he’d understand that I not only want him in the council, but in my bed, my life…

Jake’s Heart for Christmas by Angelo Diaz

Two online friends meeting up for an unforgettable Christmas vacation.

After facing some trouble back home, Declan was more than eager to spend Christmas with his online best friend, Jake, in his hometown of Winterwood. It was everything he’d hoped it would be. The town was friendly, Jake was a ray of sunshine, and the spirit of Christmas was in every corner. What he didn’t expect was the growing connection between him and Jake. The more time Declan spent with Jake, the more the line between friendship and something more started to blur. Maybe the trip to Winterwood was exactly what Declan needed to find himself again.

Now, all he wanted for Christmas was to win over Jake’s heart.

Jake’s Heart For Christmas is a sweet and spicy Hallmark-style Christmas romance featuring best friends becoming lovers, sexual awakening, first times, hot kiss under the mistletoe, and a happy ending!

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Excerpt: Jake’s Heart For Christmas by Angelo Diaz

I felt my whole body sweating before I even looked up, already guessing what it could be. When Declan and I lifted our eyes, my assumption was correct. A mistletoe hung right above us. Its red bow had little gold outlines with specs of white along the leaves to represent snow.

Declan and I looked at each other with widened expressions on our faces. This couldn’t be happening, right? Not after the awkwardness we experienced earlier that day.

Looking to Bruce and Cassidy, I shook my head. “Oh, I-I don’t think this is a good idea. I mean, Declan’s–”

“Jake,” Declan calling my name stopped my rambling.

When I faced him, he gave me a reassuring grin.

“It’s okay,”

“Are you sure?” I asked, but it came off as more of a whisper.

Declan nodded.

Now, I was positive that I was sweating underneath all my layers. My heart was drumming so loud, my ears were ringing. Declan and I were under a mistletoe, and he was giving me the okay to kiss him. I studied his face for any signs of awkwardness or discomfort, but I didn’t find any. All I saw in those dark chocolate-colored eyes of his was…something. Fondness? Tenderness? Caring? It was hard to decipher.

I took a step closer to him, inhaling the scent of my soap he used to shower with this morning mixed with the subtle hint of his cologne. He licked his lips for a brief second, and the sight had my cock swelling in my pants. I remembered how hard I felt when his body was against mine. The way his hands felt in mine when he pinned me down. It was playful, and erotic all at the same time.

I gulped, slowly lifting my hands to cup his cheeks. His skin was cold from the air outside. The faintest stubble tickling my fingers. Declan’s eyes slowly closed as he leaned his head down towards me. Mine closed just as I lifted my chin, and I nearly cried out at the feel of his lips pressed to mine. It was warm. Electrifying. Amazing.

When our lips parted, I stayed put, waiting to see if Declan would pull away or not. He didn’t. Instead, he brought his lips back to mine, deepening the contact. I felt his tongue pressing my lips, seeking entrance. I willingly opened up, allowing his tongue to explore my mouth. I groaned at the sensation, wanting more. Needing more. When I felt his fingers running into the curls of my hair, I felt my eyes burning with unshed tears.

How was it that I was kissing a straight guy, and it turned out to be the best kiss of my life?

Rebel Without A Clause by Denise Wells

Blurb Coming Soon

All Wrapped Up by Megs Pritchard

Crispin Jones had known Roan virtually his whole life, but when his disastrous marriage ended, he began to see Roan in a new light. He wasn’t simply his friend anymore. His feelings had changed to something more.

Christmas was approaching and Crispin had decided that it was the time to tell Roan the truth. The office party seemed the perfect opportunity. Would Roan accept his declarations of love, or would Crispin’s admission ruin years of friendship between them?

A Christmas Wish by JP Sayle

Can Christmas wishes come true?

Roman Austin is shy, more than a little geeky, and thinks he’s overweight. Past experience has taught him that he’s better off with his nose buried in a book. Until the boy who left town years ago returns.

Donavan’s return makes Roman face what he’s avoided for years, himself. With each new revelation, can Roman see what is right in front of him? Will past secrets and a meddling brother stop Roman from finding love with the one man he never knew wanted him?

A Christmas Wish is a standalone sweet gay romance, a small-town friendship, and a guaranteed HFN

Teaser Quote: A Christmas Wish by JP Sayle

Roman

“Back off, I saw him first.”

Gabriel glanced at me, smirking. “What are we? Five-year-olds fighting over a new toy! If he saw you with your nose pressed against the glass, peering out like some crazed stalker, you’d stand no chance. Anyway, I’m the cute one.”

3

One Room at the Inn by Colette Davison

Travel photographer, Ellis, is driving home for Christmas, but a freak snowstorm forces him to seek refuge in the Holiday Inn. He doesn’t expect to meet his two best friends from high school there, or to end up having to share a room with them.

Although eight years apart has changed them all, Ellis realises he still has strong feelings for fit footballer, Zev, and loveable geek, PK. A game of Never Have I Ever and a bottle of Applejack bourbon leads to revelations about their feelings for one another.

Can anything be the same for these three men after an unexpected night of passion?

One Room at the Inn is a friends to lovers, MMM Christmas romance, with steamy scenes and lots of snow.

Teaser Quote: One Room at the Inn by Colette Davison

“As far as I can tell, we’ve spent most of the evening so far tripping over ourselves to hide our mutual attraction. So what if it’s purely physical? We’re snowed in. It’s Christmas Eve. Let’s give ourselves, and each other, a fucking awesome Christmas present and then go our merry ways tomorrow.”

Until After Christmas by Alie Nolan

Henry isn’t a fan of Christmas and usually spends the holiday alone, wallowing in self-pity. Until he gets drunk with his adorable, awkward co-worker at the office Christmas party and somehow finds himself with Christmas plans for the first time in years.

Callum is tired of his family setting him up with random strangers at Christmas, so when Henry offers to pretend to be his boyfriend for the holiday, it seems like he’s found the perfect solution… until real feelings get mixed up into their fake relationship.

Teaser Quote: Until After Christmas by Alie Nolan

I hadn’t ever been someone’s boyfriend before, so I thought it might be fun to be pretend boyfriends for a few days, just until after Christmas.

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A Lucy Review: Snowdrop in a Storm (Snow Globes #3) by Ava Kelly

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Daniel Wu’s life is wonderful. He has an amazing family in his partner, Jeff, and their adopted daughter. The only thorn in his happiness is Abby’s biological father, Nick, who can’t seem to let go of the past.

Ridden by guilt for trying to tear apart Jeff’s family a year prior, Nick Mariani struggles to find a place for himself in a future that seems bleak. With the backdrop of a holiday vacation, he embarks on a journey of redemption. An unexpected surprise is Leon, who flirts shamelessly from the moment they meet. Leon brings Nick hope, but the shadows of the past threaten to swallow all that newfound brightness.

I have to be honest – I didn’t realize this was the third in a series until right now, after I finished reading it.  So while the Nick that I got to know here talks about the  mistakes he has made and is trying hard to overcome what he’s done.  Because he’s been in therapy and he’s truly working on being part of a family again, his suffering is all the more poignant.

Jeff and Daniel are the parents of Jeff’s niece, Abby.  She was legally adopted after her mother, Lauren, died in childbirth and Nick, Lauren’s husband, took off, unable to handle the death of his wife.  To make matters more difficult, Jeff and Lauren were twins who’s best friend forever was, you guessed it, Nick. 

When Nick first returned he was awful to Daniel and said some terrible things.  Because Jeff is a good and decent person, he has given Nick another chance to prove he can be part of this family.  And Nick is trying.  They are all going to a resort over Christmas with the elementary school chess teams to compete.  Daniel is a little leery about this – what will it be like with Nick around all the time for two weeks?  “I guess deep down I was expecting Jeff to have a me-shaped hole in his life.  Instead, he was happy with you and I felt robbed.”  He’s honest about how he felt and he just wants to be part of something again.

Nick is on his best behavior.  The thing is, this is a man who was crushed by the grief of losing his wife in childbirth. “…I thought how lucky it was that I wasn’t holding the baby.  And then I thought that maybe the baby deserved it.  It had killed my wife, after all, hadn’t it?”  He knew right away that wasn’t an appropriate response, but in grief you aren’t always rational. 

It is at the resort that Nick meets Leon, another twin.  He is so attracted to Leon but can’t go there because in his head, “There it was, another twin for me to murder.”  Of course, Leon knows that isn’t what happened – Lauren died in childbirth – but again, you can’t control the guilt you feel on losing someone so important to you.

I liked the relationship between Daniel and Jeff particularly. The love they have comes through with every touch, every word.  Nick has to work hard to see where he fits anywhere but he does try.  For me, the focus was more on the evolution of Nick with a lesser emphasis on the developing relationship of Nick and Leon.  Leon is a great character and knows what he wants.  He is good for Nick.  Just as a random note, I loved how the title related to the book.

I would recommend this very much. I am hesitant to go back and read the second book, Family In a Storm, because I am afraid the Nick of that book (pretty horrible) will do irreparable damage to my vision of the Nick of this book. 

The cover by Natasha Snow, referencing the Snowdrop, is simple and perfect.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 70 pages
Published November 18th 2019 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781951057824
Edition LanguageE nglish
Series Snow Globes #3

A MelanieM Review : No Place Like Home by Annabelle Jacobs

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Will Oliver get the gift he’s hoping for this Christmas?

Oliver Walker’s Christmas is shaping up to be a quiet one. That is until hunky neighbour Ed Middleton moves in next door.

Attraction is instant, but Ed is only there temporarily and neither wants to start something with an expiration date.

As the festive season approaches, holiday cheer wraps around them, and giving in to temptation is inevitable. But Ed is still set on moving in the new year—a fresh start, miles away from those he’s closest to.

If Oliver doesn’t want to lose his heart, he’ll have to show Ed that home is wherever he wants it to be, and love is possible no matter what.

No Place Like Home is a heartwarming story of love between neighbours, family and friends, about adorable rescue cats, and remembering that sometimes the very thing you’re looking for is right under your nose.

My only complaint about No Place Like Home by Annabelle Jacobs?  That is wasn’t longer!  I just adored this story!  It was heartwarming.  It was adult, that dealt with a number of themes besides the wonderful romance.  All of which Annabella Jacobs addressed with sensitivity, folding it gently into the building slow burn romance between Oliver and Ed.
One that kept recurring was Ed’s half hearted “leaving for the North” motion and the later revelations behind it.  It made sense as did what happened when Ed thought through everything that had happened and all it had meant to him.  It was realistic and meaningful and heartwarming.   There is so much here about family.  Whether is is Ed, his sister’s, his friends and their SOs or Oliver’s nan, and Oliver’s family. They all start to meld together in one joyous holiday group of familial love.  There’s the understanding moments of acknowledging Oliver’s nan’s aging and decline in memory, the all encompassing support from all corners.  for her , for Ed, and for Oliver.
And the cats, including Monty, looking for his forever home.
This story is so beautifully written, the characters so well crafted, and the relationships so well developed and laid out that I know No Place Like Home by Annabelle Jacobs is a story I will revisit again and again.  Looking for a special holiday story?  Look no further, here is one to treasure and one I highly recommend.
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 218 pages
Published November 26th 2019
ASINB081TD3QC4
Length: 48,000 words approx.
 

Review Tour and Giveaway for No Place Like Home by Annabelle Jacobs

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
 
Length: 48,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Natasha Snow
 
Blurb



Will Oliver get the gift he’s hoping for this Christmas?


Oliver Walker’s Christmas is shaping up to be a quiet one. That is until hunky neighbour Ed Middleton moves in next door.
Attraction is instant, but Ed is only there temporarily and neither wants to start something with an expiration date.


As the festive season approaches, holiday cheer wraps around them, and giving in to temptation is inevitable. But Ed is still set on moving in the new year—a fresh start, miles away from those he’s closest to.


If Oliver doesn’t want to lose his heart, he’ll have to show Ed that home is wherever he wants it to be, and love is possible no matter what.

For Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review, visit here. We highly recommend it.

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.


Twitter – https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction
Website – www.annabellejacobs.com
Email – ajacobsfiction@gmail.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction


 

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COVER REVEAL for Rialto (Unbreakable Bonds #8) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Rialto by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Cover created by Design by Drake

RELEASE DATE: December 16, 2019

Available to Pre-Order at Amazon

Book 8 in the Unbreakable Bonds series!

Someone has it out for Rialto.

Ian Banner is loving his hectic life. He’s newly married, ready to start a family, and opening a new restaurant. All his dreams are coming true.

The last thing he needs is a problem with his restaurant.

But when one attack after another comes, he grows convinced he has another enemy.

Ian tries to handle things by himself, but his friends are soon drawn in when the attacks become violent. That’s when Ian realizes the target isn’t Rialto. It’s him.

Rialto is the final installment in the Unbreakable Bonds series and features sexy times, Daciana snuggles, overprotective family, fire, and of course, code names.

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Into December and Our Holiday Stories. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Into December and Our Holiday Stories

It’s officially December and our holiday stories, in all formats, are here for our reading and listening pleasure!    While some of us may have returned to our comfort reads this holiday season, there are plenty of wonderful new stories out there to add to your reading festive list!

One of mine this year has been Mr. Right Now by Annabeth Albert!  How I loved that sweet contemporary fake boyfriend story!  If you are in the mood for audio?  Try this one, especially if you are already a fan of RJ Scott’s Texas series.  I loved listening to Home for Christmas (Texas #9) by R.J. Scott  and Narrated by: Sean Crisden.  Barb, our Zany Old Lady, just loved Mr. Naughty List (Home for the Holidays #2) by Leta Blake while I just finished the wonderful No Place Like Home by Annabeth Jacobs (which I will review this week) and The Christmas Oaks (Laurel Holidays #1) by V.L. Locey.

Peter Cratchit’s Christmas Carol by Drew Marvin was recommended by two of our reviewers!  Not to be left out?

A Christmas Wedding by A E Ryecart
717 Miles Christmas by Sophia Soames
A Boyfriend For Christmas by Jay Northcote
Yuletide Treasure (Goddess-Blessed #3) by Eliot Grayson
Mr. Frosty Pants (Home for the Holidays #1) by Leta Blake and John Solo (Narrator)

 

Some of these stories we have reviewed already, some will be reviewed this week.  And there will be more to come.  What stories have you read or listened to that you have loved or enjoyed this holiday season?  Ones that have made your   annual  Holiday List?  Comment and let us know!

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, December 1:

  • New Release Blitz with Excerpt for Starlight (Dark Space #3) by Lisa Henry
  • Into December and Our Holiday Stories. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, December 2:

  • Review Tour – Annabelle Jacobs – No Place Like Home
  • COVER REVEAL Rialto (Unbreakable Bonds #8) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott
  • BLOG TOUR A Broken Winter by Kale Knight
  • A Lucy Review: Snowdrop in a Storm (Snow Globes #3) by Ava Kelly
  • A MelanieM Review : No Place Like Home by Annabelle Jacobs

Tuesday, December 3:

  • RELEASE BLITZ Stocking Stuffers, A Holiday Themed Romantic
  • Release Blitz – Eli Easton – Angels Sing
  • BLITZ Pattern for an Angel by CJane Elliott
  • An Alisa Review I’ve Got You (True-Blue #2) by Becca Seymour
  • A MelanieM Review: Boy Next Door (Hot Off the Ice #4) by A.E. Wasp

Wednesday, December 4 :

  • Release Blitz – Warrior’s Way by M.J. Calabrese
  • Release Blitz, for V.L. Locey – The Christmas Oaks
  • TOUR Becoming Us” by Becca Seymour
  • An Alisa Review Becoming Us (True-Blue #3) by Becca Seymour
  • A MelanieM Review: Boys of Summer (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A.E. Wasp

Thursday, December 5:

  • Release Blitz  – Awakening (Wild Oak, Book 1) by JJ Harper
  • Release Blitz – Waxing Poetic for Christmas by Mara Townsend
  • A Lila Review Peter Cratchit’s Christmas Carol by Drew Marvin
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Honour by A.F. Henley
  • A MelanieM Review: Skater Boy (Hot Off the Ice #3) by A.E. Wasp

Friday, December 6:

  • Cover Reveal – What Works For Us by Colette Davison
  • Review Tour – Jay Northcote – A Boyfriend For Christmas
  • An Alisa Review Rules for Santa (Davey’s Rules #3) by Susan Hawke
  • A Stella Review : A Boyfriend For Christmas by Jay Northcote
  • A Melanie Review The Wolf and the Sparrow by  Isabelle Adler

Saturday, December 7:

  • Release Blitz Request – Red Popcorn Strings & Gumball Rings – Nell Iris

 

A Stella Review: Roxy’s Recovery by Kim Breyon

RATING 4,5 out of 5 stars

As the newest veterinarian in the small town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Vaughn Winters doesn’t have time for relationships. He is too busy healing injuries and establishing his reputation as a trustworthy vet. But when a strange man waves him down on a stormy night seeking help for his injured dog, Vaughn simply can’t refuse.

Obviously homeless and with no means to pay for Roxy’s medical care, Vaughn throws caution to the wind and strikes a deal with the hesitant stranger that would allow Roxy the time to heal and provide some much needed TLC to his property as well. As the days pass, Vaughn’s curiosity grows. Alex’s dedication to the job is as surprising as the sexy tats hidden beneath his rugged clothes. What could have pushed this kind, hardworking man to the streets, or cast such dark shadows in his otherwise bright blue eyes?

Will six weeks be enough time to earn Alex’s trust? Or will asking questions cause him to tuck tail and run as soon as Roxy is able?
***
Roxy’s Recovery is a 61k standalone contemporary romance involving two men, a meddling sister, and a seriously sassy pug.

Roxy’s Recovery is an awesome reading, it called to my heart and I fell soon deep in love with the characters. The romance deals with some important themes, as being homeless, still the story was easy to read, there wasn’t too much angst, on the contrary, through all the novel I got a sense of positiveness, of joy and openness. The way Vaughn is ready to help Roxy and her owner with no hesitation, he goes ahead and decides to host both of them until Roxy will be fine. Alex has been hurt bad, it’s not easy to trust Vaughn but he had to, it can’t risk Roxy health. He has to wait and try to repay the young veterinarian trying to fix his properties. Week after week the two men learn to know each others and strong feelings start to rise between them.

I will definitely have a look at the other titles by Kim Breyon, I very much enjoyed this new release, I found ti well written and with amazing characters, but most of all it lightened my soul, it gave me hope, it’s a story full of love, and especially the love shown for the dogs let me see how a good job the author did.

The cover art by Cate Ashwood is lovely and well done, I love this artist style.

SALE LINKS Amazon US | |Amazon UK | Universal Link | Goodreads

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 167 pages

Published November 21st 2019

ASIN B081G8WQ6Z

Edition Language English

A MelanieM Review: Mr. Right Now by Annabeth Albert

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

He’s Mr. Right Now, but for how long?

When Russ suffers a Thanksgiving disaster, his gorgeous neighbor Esteban is there to save the day. And after an innocent mix-up leads to the former Hollywood hottie playing the role of Russ’s date, Russ thinks scoring Esteban as his fake boyfriend is a huge win. The newly discharged marine is healing inside and out and could use some holiday cheer.

For his part, Esteban is intrigued by his big, bad neighbor. He likes how his matchmaking cat brings out an unexpected caring side of Russ. Desire flares as the reasons to continue their ruse pile up for both men.

And pretending feels so good. From chocolaty kisses to late night cuddles, their burgeoning friendship is getting cozier and cozier. But as the end date for their little deception looms, all the real feelings they’ve tried to ignore come tumbling in. Each must decide whether they have what it takes to ring in the New Year as a couple.

Mr. Right Now is a stand-alone holiday novella with sweet, low-angst feels, spicy love scenes, and foodie inspired, quirky Oregon romance with a military flavor. Happy ending guaranteed with no cliffhangers!

Mr. Right Now by Annabeth Albert is exactly the sort of story I love to read during the holidays.  For me, it’s close to a perfect Christmas story.  Little angst, holiday celebrations, fake boyfriend trope, adorable animals (cats in this one), and a great chemistry between the main characters.

Located in Portland, a go to city for so many of Albert’s stories, I immediately took to these characters. Russ, the ex-marine trying to adjust to life without his life within the service and being  gay …outwardly gay for the first time.  And Esteban, the actor who has retreated from Hollywood to Portland and a new life closer to his larger and close family.  Two neighboring condo units, a wandering Siamese cat, and an attraction that jumps off the page.  Albert’s descriptions alone paints such a great picture of these two.

Russ is massive, tall, all marine muscles and haircut, gentle,  with a reserved nature.  Estaban is slimmer, Hollywood star gorgeous, older, and more outgoing in nature, preferring colors and a kitchen to cook in.  Albert’s writing lets us into their shared space of small condos, their introduction, and then growing relationship via the “fake boyfriend” need that springs up and doesn’t quite go away on schedule.  It’s lovely, sexy, and heartwarming.  And just what I want and love to read for the holidays.  Or anytime of the year.

It’s the romance Annabeth Albert writes so well and one of the reasons I would love for her to revisit this couple for their wedding.  I hope she is listening.  Perhaps a Valentine’s Day story?

Looking for your next holiday romance?  I highly recommend Mr. Right Now by Annabeth Albert.  I’m sure I will be rereading it over the holidays to capture the glow once more.

Cover art is nice but honestly I would have loved something a little more Christmassy,  but it’s ok.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published November 14th 2019 by Annabeth Albert
Edition Language English