Category: eBooks

Love a Little Suspense with Your Romance? Check Out the Release Blitz for Kept in the Dark (Locke and Keyes Agency #1) by Charlie Cochet (excerpt and giveaway)

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Kept in the Dark

Locke and Keyes Agency Series, Book 1

Charlie Cochet

Gay Romantic Suspense

Release Date: 08.20.19

Blurb

Former Army Ranger turned government assassin Álvaro Montero and CIA Officer Caiden Cardosa crossed paths two years ago in Vienna, where their encounter ended less than amicably—despite the explosive sexual chemistry between them.

Now Caiden is riding a desk at Langley after his cover is blown. And Álvaro—who was “killed”—has a new identity and purpose as Delta/D, an operative for the Locke and Keyes Agency, under the leadership of the mysterious Alpha Orion.

When D and Caiden team up in a deadly black ops mission, the urge to kill each other will have to take a back seat to the desire for revenge against the man who betrayed them both. Surviving the mission won’t be easy. Resisting the passion between them—that might be impossible.

Universal Link: http://getbook.at/KeptInTheDark

Kept in the Dark 2Kept in the Dark 1

Excerpt

“You don’t need to be a designer to know how not to decorate your house,” D said, scowling at the vintage floral loveseat across from the blue velvet couch. “I think my grandmother had a couch like that. Except it was vacuum sealed in plastic. Nothing like sitting on a plastic-lined couch in the summer with no AC.”

Caiden gasped. “Wait, you had a grandmother?”

“Have. Yes.”

“Which means you had a mother.”

“Have a mother. Yes.” D squinted at him.

“Where are you going with this?”

“Well, damn.”

“What?”

Caiden shrugged. “I was under the impression you emerged from the darkness below. Clawing yourself out from the dirt, like a zombie or a great evil that’s come back to life after a misguided loved one buried you in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary.”

D didn’t appear impressed. “Funny.”

“What does the Dark Lord look like?” Caiden asked, moving to inspect one of the pillars between two bookcases. “Was he like Tim Curry in Legend or sexy and British like Tom Ellis in Lucifer?”

“He was your height, blondish hair, with green eyes. A mouthy motherfucker who never shut up because he was a smart little shit who thought he knew everything.”

“Wow. That’s pretty specific.” Caiden nodded, removing his tablet from inside his messenger bag. “A mouthy motherfucker and a smart little shit. Sounds like an interesting guy.”

“Sounds like a certain pain in my ass,” D hissed from behind him.

Charlie Cochet is the international bestselling author of the THIRDS series. Born in Cuba and raised in the US, Charlie enjoys the best of both worlds, from her daily Cuban latte to her passion for classic rock.

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found devouring a book, releasing her creativity through art, or binge watching a new TV series. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

Website: www.charliecochet.com

Email: charlie@charliecochet.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/charliecochet

Twitter: @charliecochet

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/charliecochet

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/CharlieCochet

Instagram: www.instagram.com/charliecochet

THIRDS HQ: www.thirdshq.com

Sign up for Charlie’s newsletter: http://bit.ly/CharlieCochetNews

Follow Charlie on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/charliecochet

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A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review : Broken News by Sara Dobie Bauer

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

This book features a crime boss, Eric West, and the prostitute he falls in love with: Will, aka Simon Gladby, freelance reporter working undercover to get the goods on Eric. Neither are the sort of heroes I’d expect to meet in the pages of a romance, yet this story shows that even these men can find love.

I enjoy this author’s work, primarily because of her writing style and ability to build interesting characters and tell a complex story. This was indeed a complex story but there were quite a few situations and actions that were difficult for me to believe and embrace, hence the lower rating. The characters, including secondary, were many and varied. Among those, I disliked Melanie, Eric’s wife, but I believe that was the author’s intention. I thoroughly disliked Selena, editor-and-chief of the large newspaper Simon aspires to work for as a featured reporter. Her stereotypical badass boss role fell flat for me. I couldn’t accept her reasoning behind Simon’s actions in getting the story, nor her threats to destroy him if he didn’t keep doing the undercover work. On the other hand, I liked the other principal female character, Will’s friend and owner of the brothel, Catherine. That woman had a many-faceted personality and meshed well with others in all her roles. Rob, Eric’s second in command, was an interesting character with a strong personality.

The main character, Simon, aka Will, was okay, but unfortunately, I didn’t warm to him, especially when his real personality as Simon was on page, front and center. I couldn’t get behind his love for Eric at all. Having sex with Eric was a job. At least, that’s what he said and repeated when asked. And even when he finally expressed his love, he didn’t feel three dimensional to me. But Eric, the crime boss? My favorite character of all. And I didn’t want to like him, never mind love him. From his background to his present role as head of the organization, he had so many flaws, but he was honest in how much he cared about Will right from the beginning. The oddities in the circumstances of how the final stages of the story worked out were overlooked as I worked my way to the HEA because, after all, Eric needed his redemption. 

I recommend this to those who love a bad guy turned good, age gap, and lots of shooting and underhanded action.

The cover by Sara Dobie Bauer features a cute young man in a suit against a background representing a big city—perfect for the story.

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition
Expected publication: August 22nd 2019
ASINB07WG3ST8G
Edition Language English

An Alisa Review: Forever Nine by Kris T. Bethke

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

When Jesse Reid needs emergency surgery, he calls his neighbor to come pick him up instead of one of his many family members. As the youngest of nine, Jesse is used to feeling like a leftover, and he doesn’t need their coddling.

Holden McRae is a big, beautiful man, everything Jesse wants. But Holden has made it clear he doesn’t want Jesse as a submissive.

Under the influence of Holden’s care, Jesse becomes bolder and makes Holden see what he’s been missing. The two men’s interests line up, and the attraction that has always been there is something they can finally act on. As Jesse heals, he shares parts of his life with Holden, and Holden helps him see he’s so much more than #9. Their love might not be the most conventional, but maybe it’s exactly what both men need.

This was a nice short story.  Jesse is tired of being the afterthought with his family and is overwhelmed by them so he calls Holden from the hospital.  Holden has denied his attraction to Jesse for years but their forced closeness breaks through his barriers.

I felt for Jesse with his family and was so glad that Holden stood up for him with his family which helped him to learn some more about his brothers but also help get his thoughts across to them.  Holden seems basically scared of throwing Jesse into the BDSM deep end but Jesse has been curious for years.  I don’t know I think they jumped into some things a bit quick and Jesse had a hard time saying what he wanted which made Holden have to assume.  I’m not sure there was something wrong with the story but it just didn’t click or work for me.

I think the cover art by Written Ink Designs is a nice picture of Jesse.

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 83 pages

Published: July 20, 2019 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634869454

Edition Language: English

Don’t Miss Out on the Review Tour and Giveaway for Broken News by Sara Dobie Bauer (excerpt)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Broken News: M/M Mafia Romance

Author: Sara Dobie Bauer

Publisher: Self-published

Cover Artist: Quin Perin

Release Date: August 22, 2019

Genre/s: M/M Romance, M/M Thriller

Trope/s: May/December (age gap), mafia

Themes: redemption, first love, sacrifice, age gap, hurt/comfort, prostitution

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 62 000 words

It is a standalone story.

Add on Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

 

 

Blurb

He was supposed to hurt him. Ruin him. Instead, he fell in love.

In the big, bad city, Eric West holds the reins. A mafia king, he is feared, ruthless, and obsessed with a man half his age. 

Will, his favorite whore, is young, beautiful, and the only person to ever bring him to his knees. 

Will is a man to kill for.

A man to change for.

But what if Will isn’t what he seems?

*** Broken News is a standalone M/M romance featuring age gap, detailed adult content, violence, hurt/comfort, and mentions of rape/dubious consent.***

 

 

Excerpt 

Miss Catherine paused. “He’s been waiting,” she whispered and walked away. The only evidence of her presence was the sound of velvet dragging on carpet as she disappeared barefoot, back to her other guests.

The rest was up to Eric. Of course he’d flown first class from London but hoped he didn’t smell too much like airplane upholstery and cheap wine. He straightened his tie and adjusted his suit. He ran the palms of his hands over his slick, blond hair and took one long, deep breath before opening the door.

The room was as he imagined, cast in shadows of firelight, and a man stood facing the front window. He had the edge of a heavy curtain raised as he stared into the city’s night. At the sound of the door closing, the man turned—if he could be considered a man. He more resembled a wide-eyed teen, but beautiful, so very beautiful. 

Eric sighed, smiled, and shook his head. “My God,” he said.

Dark eyes appraised him. “I could say the same.”

They both took steps forward, which brought Eric’s new whore further into the orange light. Pressed to guess an age—and knowing Le Chateau only hired whores at least twenty-one or older—Eric guessed twenty-two at most. He wore the body and face of a youth but bearing of a confident man. His hair was black—short on the sides, long on top—and shined with the midnight luster of a thoroughbred’s flank. His eyes were shining, dark pools in the firelight but probably brown in the sun. He had high cheekbones, an angular jaw, and skin the color of untouched morning snow. Despite the poised demeanor, he was small in stature and frame, dressed in a black suit Eric imagined had been sewn for him, stitch by invisible stitch. Despite all the young man’s beautiful accouterments, it was his mouth that deserved worship, possibly idols built: a mouth so full, lush, and decadent, Eric was already half hard.

He stepped into the stranger’s space, towering almost a foot above the young whore, and opened the man’s suit coat. Eric ran his palms over slim sides and thumbed at the tops of jutting hipbones. Then, Eric bent forward with his mouth half open and sucked one wet, gentle kiss against the side of his neck. He smelled like spicy cologne and scotch.

“What’s your name?” He ran the tip of his nose over the stranger’s earlobe.

“Will,” he said.

“My name is Eric.”

“I know.”

Eric pulled back enough to see a small smile on Will’s face. His teeth were white and perfectly, perfectly straight. 

“You must have cost a lot of money,” Eric said.

Will stepped forward and rubbed his nose across Eric’s carved chin. He practically breathed his response into Eric’s mouth: “And worth every penny.”

With that mouth so close, Eric was done talking. He slid one of his hands behind Will’s head and took hold to the back of his neck. His thumb was lost in soft black hair as he pulled Will even closer until their lips met. Eric moved slowly and savored the pliant softness. Will opened his mouth and allowed Eric’s tongue inside. Not only did he smell like scotch but tasted like it, too—something expensive with a lingering edge of vanilla. Eric’s other hand went to Will’s lower back and pressed their bodies together, which earned him a deep, delightful moan from his new toy.

 

About the Author 

Sara Dobie Bauer is a bestselling author, model, mental health speaker, and LGBTQ advocate with a creative writing degree from Ohio University. Twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize, she lives in Northeast Ohio, although she’d really like to live in a Tim Burton film. She is author of the Bite Somebody series and Escape Trilogy, among other sexy things.

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Facebook closed group

Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up  

Goodreads  |  Amazon

 

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win one of

5 eBook copies of Escaping Exile, book one of the Escape Trilogy

3 eBook copies of my novella, A Lord to Love

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and reviews here

 

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Eva Muñoz on Writing, HEA, and the new release I Dare You to Break Curfew (Inshari Chronicles #1)

I Dare You to Break Curfew (Inshari Chronicles #1) by Eva Munoz

Harmony Ink Press/Dreamspinner Press

Published August 20th 2019

Cover Art: Kanaxa

Sales Links:

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Eva Munoz here today talking about writing, happy endings, and the new release I Dare You to Break Curfew. Welcome, Eva!

✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Eva Munoz

  • How much of yourself goes into a character?

A: I really see myself in Camron. My curiosity always gets me into more trouble then I should be in. I’ve had my share of rebelliousness in high school. Saying I can’t do something is the fastest way to actually get me to do it. How anyone hasn’t figured this out about me yet is a blessing.

  • Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write?  Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

A: I research as I write. When I’m putting together a scene and something pops up that I need more information on, I do a quick Google search. As much as possible, I want all the information I have to come from the story itself, that way the world building is much stronger.

  • Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

A: I’m a romance fan so an HEA is important to me. But, when I’m writing a series, the HEA only lasts until the end of the book. By the next book, everything is fair game. That is actually what is happening with the second book. Poor Camron.

  • Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

A: Yes. Anything with romance catches my attention. I love falling in love and I love reading about characters falling in love and the obstacles they face along the way. Reading romance is so satisfying even if you know what the ending will be. There is a comfort to that.

  • How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?

A: If you read I DARE YOU TO BREAK CURFEW, I specifically have a scene where Camron debates the merits of ebooks versus physical books. Since I stare at a screen for most of the day, reading from a physical book is a great rest from the bright LCD glare. Plus, the smell. Don’t we all love that book smell?

  • Do you have a favorite among your own stories?  And why?

A: I love this Inshari series because it’s my love latter to vampires. I grew up on Anne Rice and Twilight and Holly Black’s THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLD TOWN. I wanted to share the Inshari with the world and I can’t wait for all of you to read the next book in the series.

  • What’s next for you as an author?

A: Harmony Ink just signed my racing book that I can’t wait to share with all of you. Think Fast and Furious but with LGBT characters. All that high-octane action with a sprinkling of romance set in a murder mystery. This is going to be a cool book, I promise.

Blurb

Inshari Chronicles: Book One

To save humankind, Camron may have to fall in love.

Vampires are real, and they are called the Inshari. After Camron Masters breaks curfew the first time, he discovers them living beneath Braylin Academy. The second time he breaks curfew, he meets a mad scientist who convinces him to take part in an experiment in exchange for more information about the Inshari. A small pinprick later, Camron wakes up as one of them and finds himself bonded to the prince of his dreams—vampire or not, Troyan is dark, brooding, and oh so delicious. But there’s the enigmatic Zaire vying for his attention too. Or is Camron just a pawn in a centuries-old feud?

All Camron’s ever wanted was to live his own fairy tale. But there’s always a catch after meeting Prince Charming

 

 

About the Author

Eva Muñoz loves dreaming of worlds filled with hot guys falling in love with each other. She believes that love is love is love and everyone has a right to find their person. Her love for writing began in high school. It was because her teacher complimented a story she had written that put her on the path she is on today. She would spin yarns on her father’s electric typewriter, bind the pages together, and bring the finished product to school for her classmate to pass around and swoon over. Little did she know at the time that writing would be a career she never knew she wanted.

She may have taken a circuitous path towards her passion for writing, but when she finally made that decision to stick with it after countless rejections, she never looked back. A degree in creative writing helps too. When she’s not at her favorite coffeeshop thinking up new worlds and characters to explore, you can find Eva in a classroom teaching creative writing of all things. Talk about passion meets day job. Today she is molding impressionable minds the way her teacher once did for her.

Twitter: @EvaMunozAuthor

Check out the Release Blitz for Last Call in Wonderland by Rob Browatzke (excerpt)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Last Call in Wonderland

Author: Rob Browatzke

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza

Release Date: August 4, 2019

Genre/s: Contemporary gay fiction

Length: 62000 words/330 pages

It is a standalone story.

Add on Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Paperback  |  Amazon UK

 

Last Call Is Coming

Blurb 

Wonderland is the hottest club in River City, but it’s time to close. It’s a different world now, and club owner Chester doesn’t see Wonderland having a place in it. What will that mean for resident bartender and hotty bottom Brandon Sweet? Or for headliner, the Queen of Hearts? Or customers like Jesse and Colton, whose open relationship and threeways are the stuff of legend? This group of friends navigate the changes in their lives until one night when everything changes for good.

 

 Excerpt 

Jesse Sterling liked dick.

There was no denying that. If there was a twelve-step program, he’d be standing there saying, “My name is Jesse Sterling and I’m a cockaholic,” and he would have been saying it proudly.

Jesse sucked his first dick at thirteen, and he was hooked. All those after school specials about drug dealers who gave new customers that first hit for free? That was Jesse with dick. He was hooked from the first time a guy’s hard dick touched his lips.

He liked all dick: big ones, small ones, cut ones, uncut, curved, straight. He even liked soft ones because he knew they wouldn’t stay that way for long. Not around him.

Through his teenage years, he got his hands (and mouth, and ass) on as much dick as possible. He got them out, got them hard, and got them off. Nothing made him as happy as discovering a new dick and what made them cum. Every dick was unique in how they liked to be stroked or sucked or ridden, but one thing they all had in common…. they were all beautiful.

Well, not all, he sometimes reminded himself. There’d been one that was just…just not good. That had been long ago though, and there’d been dozens of dicks since to wash the taste out of his mouth. Literally.

And then he had met Colton.

Colton Wainford was perhaps the only other man on earth who loved dick as much as Jesse. And Colton’s dick? Perfection. Perfect length. Perfect girth. Perfect rigidity. Simply, perfect.

That they had found each other, that of all the gay bars in all the world, they had walked into the same one on the same night, and paused to take in each other’s sculpted bodies before stumbling and tumbling into a bathroom stall to appreciate each other’s dicks, that was also pretty perfect.

That bar had been Wonderland, nearly a decade earlier, and that’s why, when Brandon texted with the news of pending closure, Jesse had thrown his phone onto the couch, and exclaimed loudly. “Fuck! That sucks dick!”

“What does? Who does?” Colton called from the bedroom. “And do I get some too?”

 

 

About the Author 

Rob Browatzke has been writing for as long as he can remember, and is pretty darn excited for someone else to be reading his stuff finally! When it comes to gay bars and booze and drugs and drama, he knows what he’s talking about. He came out in the mid-90s, and liquor and drama went hand in hand. He has 20+ years of experience working in gay clubs in Edmonton, Alberta, and his current Wonderlounge is every bit as amazing as Alex’s Wonderland. Rob is now 8+ years clean and sober, although there’s still a bit of drama once in a while, for old times’ sake. 

 

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Facebook

Twitter: @robbrowatzke

Instagram: robbrowatzke 

 

Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and reviews here

 

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➜ Sign up to become a tour host here

 

Cover Reveal for The Marshal’s PI (Yours To Protect #2) by Este Holland (excerpt)

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: The Marshal’s PI

Author: Este Holland

Cover Artist: The Write Designer – Lisa Messegee

Release Date: August 29, 2019

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: Enemies to lovers

Themes: Forgiveness

Heat Rating:  3.5 flames   

 

Dodging bullets shouldn’t be fun…should it? 

 

Blurb

It is when the man protecting you is hot as sin.

Kai is a happy-go-lucky guy. At least, he was before the mob came knocking on his door. 

He’ll go to any length to protect a secret, even work with US Marshal Gannin West.

The only man who can help.

The only man who drives him crazy.

To figure out how to stop the one who wants Kai erased, he’ll have to cooperate… But will it be too late? 

 

Excerpt 

Kai woke when the SUV stopped and turned off. Stretching, he looked around. “Where are we?”

“A new hotel. I checked out of the Four Seasons.”

“Why?”

“Because if Walcott was watching the bank, he may have seen me there. Don’t want to take any chances.”

“Good point.”

Kai grabbed his bag and followed Gannin to their room. Apparently, he’d already checked in.

“The Golden Nugget? I haven’t been here in a while. What name did you check-in under?”

“Cliff Williams. It’s one of many names we use for hiding witnesses.”

Kai scrunched his face. “Cliff Williams? Why does that sound familiar?”

“He’s in AC/DC. Famous names throw people off.”

“How? Doesn’t it scream fake?”

“No. The bad guys know we’d know they’d think it’s a fake.”

“Gannin, I just woke up. Why are you giving me riddles?” He rubbed at his face with a knuckle, dizzy from the red-and-orange swirly carpet, then looked around the lobby. “Oh, look!” He smacked Gannin’s arm with the back of his hand and pointed to a sign. “There’s going to be a wedding reception here. We should totally crash it.”

Gannin side-eyed Kai. “Why would we do that?”

Kai stared at him with a puzzled frown. “Free cake.”

Shaking his head, Gannin stalked to the elevator.

Kai had to scramble to keep up. “What?”

“I thought you were going to say something else.”

Kai racked his brain. “You thought I wanted free booze?”

Gannin stared straight ahead. “Never mind.”

“Uh-uh. Nope. You have to tell me, or I will bug the ever-loving shit out of you tonight.”

The elevator stopped on the fifth floor, and Gannin led Kai to the end of the hallway.

“I thought you’d be looking for someone.”

“Someone? Like to hook up with?”

Gannin opened the room door. “That was my first thought.”

“What was your second thought?”

“I don’t know.” Gannin dropped his bag onto the queen-sized bed by the door, leaving the other for Kai. “I guess, I thought, no, he probably wants cake.”

Kai chuckled. “I read somewhere that your first thought is society’s conditioning. Your second, is who you are as a person.” Kai kicked his shoes off and wandered around the room checking out the amenities. The beds were fluffy white clouds he couldn’t wait to sink into.

“Huh, that’s interesting. I’ve never thought about it that way before.” Gannin unzipped his suitcase and took his toiletry bag to the bathroom. “But we aren’t going to that reception. We weren’t invited.”

Kai bounced on his bed and opened his duffle. He grabbed his purple sleep pants and followed Gannin into the bathroom. Kai took off his shirt and tried to turn the water on with his injured hand. “Shit!”

“Let me get it.”

Gannin stood close behind Kai and reached around him to twist the knobs.

“Will you wash my back?” Kai lifted his bandaged hand and stuck his bottom lip out.

Gannin straightened, glanced at Kai’s face, his hand; then a big smile shifted his beard. Straight white teeth contrasted sharply from the black whiskers, and his eyes shone with laughter as he chuckled.

Kai was dumbstruck, lost in a sea of gorgeous smiles, not noticing when Gannin reached forward and unbuttoned his jeans. He snapped out of it when Gannin lowered the zipper, and Kai wiggled until they fell, then kicked them off.

“Go ahead. I’ll watch and make sure you don’t use your hand too much.”

 

About the Author 

Este Holland is a writer and reader of all things romance. She’s also a treasure hunter, a word wizard, a lover, and a fighter. She was born in southern WV, and is a reader and writer. She lives in Virginia now, and works in marketing. Her favorite book is impossible to name. Her favorite movie are Romancing the Stone and Some Like it Hot. She began writing her first novel in 2012 and has practiced and studied ever since to get better. 

 

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram: @este.holland.writer  |  Pinterest

 

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A MelanieM Review: The Captain and the Theatrical (Captivating Captains #3) by Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

When Captain Pendleton needs an emergency fiancée, who better to turn to than his male best friend? After all, for Amadeo Orsini, life’s one long, happy drag!

Captain Ambrose “Pen” Pendleton might have distinguished himself on the battlefield at Waterloo but since he’s come home to civvy street, he’s struggled to make his mark.

Pen dreams of becoming a playwright but his ambitious father has other ideas, including a trophy wife and a new job in America. If he’s to stand a hope of staying in England and pursuing his dream, Pen needs to find a fiancée fast.

Amadeo Orsini never made it as a leading man, but as a leading lady he’s the toast of the continental stage. Now Cosima is about to face her most challenging role yet, that of Captain Pendleton’s secret amour.

With the help of a talking theatrical parrot who never forgets his lines, Orsini throws on his best frock, slaps on the rouge and sets out to save Pen from the clutches of Miss Harriet Tarbottom and her scheming parents.

As friendship turns into love, will the captain be able to write a happy ending for himself and Orsini before the curtain falls?

 

The Captain and the Theatrical (Captivating Captains #3) by Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead is a delicious surprise romp of a romance, totally in keeping with the theatrics in the title.  I am new to this series, Captivating Captains, but it made no matter.  Because this story certainly held me in its delightful sway from start to finish.

Here the friends to lovers trope is giving a merry ride when one of the friend’s assumes gown and heels to save his best friend from a loveless, business based marriage.  That Orsini is already the toast of the town as a gorgeous lady?  Makes it that much easier.  Or does it when the attraction looms large between them.

The language and manner in which the feelings pour out feels right for the era the book is situated in.  The characters are lovingly created, all sprightly and vivid.  They avoid being shallow, the author giving them depth of feeling with past histories like Pen’s PTSD from the recent war he has returned from and the parents (to be revealed) he is so fond of.  There is even a parrot to steal the show (the real show on stage) and the story, as well as a mystery to solve.

Plus a relationship and romance and marriage to carry off.  Yes this story has a full checklist but it makes a fun journey and a very entertaining quick read for it all.

If, at the end, you have to suspend a tad more belief with a slight roll of the eye, well that’s alright.  It’s all been done with a great wink, a audacious kiss to the cheek, and a knowing smile. Isn’t that fun delicious romps are all about?

Want to have a good time?  Spend it with the Captivating Captain of The Captain and the Theatrical (Captivating Captains #3) by Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead. I definitely recommend it.

Cover art is perfect for the characters , the story and even has the parrot.  Love it.

Sales Links:  Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: September 3rd 2019 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781786518354
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series The Captivating Captains #3

The Captivating Captains Series

The Captain and the Cavalry Trooper

The Captain and the Cricketer

The Captain and the Theatrical

An Alisa Review: Mason’s Run by Mellanie Rourke

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Mason:

I’ve escaped a past that would have destroyed most men: used, abused and sold for sex from a young age by those who should have protected me, an unexpected moment of compassion from a stranger gives me a chance at a new life.

 

Though I’ve started over, my scars run deep; I’m an LGBTQ fantasy graphic novel writer and artist with a huge following, but I’m terrified of the world. When I discover that the stranger who saved me from a life of abuse is the same man who has finally awakened my body to desire, I realize the truth: Can I ever really be free if I’m still afraid of my past and the people who shattered me?

 

Lee:

Serving as a medic in the Middle East, I felt the life of my fiancé slip away under my hands and was powerless to stop it. Discharged with physical and emotional wounds I can’t heal, I go home to my crazy, geeky family and try to learn to live with the damage.

 

Pain and grief lead me to some acts I’m not proud of, including paying strangers for sex. I’m determined to keep it strictly business, no emotions involved, but when I discover that Mason Malone isn’t a high-end escort, but a battered young man forced into a life of pain and degradation, I’m frozen in indecision. Then the man with the raven curls and blue-gold eyes whispers “”Please…”” and the barriers I built around my heart shatter.

 

Years later, fate brings us back together. He has a new name and career, but I could never forget those eyes. Mason, unfortunately, doesn’t recognize me. Every day I find myself more and more drawn to him, but I’m terrified of what will happen when our secrets are discovered.

 

As both of our pasts threaten our future, can we find a path to redemption? Can love and forgiveness overcome soul-shattering pain? Or will the discovery of our shared past create a chasm too wide to bridge?

 

Warning:  PTSD, major anxiety issues, and sexual abuse, including rape, the aftermath of child molestation, and human trafficking.

 

I am not usually good with long stories (and I didn’t know how long this one was going to be) but I didn’t have trouble with this book because it kept my attention the whole time.  There were so many heartbreaking parts in this story but thankfully both of these two would be able to break free of the fear and re-start their lives.

 

Having to read about Mason’s abuse was heartbreaking.  He had to deal with so much as a child and teen, more than many could ever understand.  I was so happy when he thought he finally got away but got thrown right back into heartbreak when Ricky found him.  But he was finally rescued by his Dark Angel though he still lived in fear until Lee really came into his life.

 

Lee has always had the support of his loving family but losing his fiancé and being injured at the time seemed to break him.  Rescuing Mason helped him break free of that and while he no longer lives in that darkness he doesn’t find it in him to move on until Mason inexplicably comes back into his life.

 

I loved that these two just had such a connection that it helps them to move forward.  It hurt so bad when Mason’s past came back at him but I was so happy that he was able to find the courage to take control and finally get the closure he needed.  I was so happy to see them building a life together and then Mason giving Lee the wonderful gift at the end.

 

The cover art by Reese Dante is an absolutely wonderful picture of Mason

 

Sales Link: Amazon

 

Book Details:

ebook, 461 pages

Published: August 1, 2019

Edition Language: English

Series: Twin Peeks Bookstore #1

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