Category: eBooks

A MelanieM Review: Private Charter by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Stuart Jenner’s job is high stress, high stakes, and everything he’s strived for. So why, when the apex of his career is within reach, does he stumble? At his doctor’s insistence, he books a privately chartered yacht to sail around the Whitsundays for two weeks of sun, surf, and sex. When his friend-with-benefits bails on him at the last minute, Stuart decides to go alone.

Foster Knight left the rat race behind six years ago, bought a yacht, and now calls the Great Barrier Reef his home. Sailing tourists around tropical waters is all in a day’s work, and he’s never been happier. When his next client arrives alone, the two-week charter will be the most private job he’s ever had.

Foster can see how stressed and exhausted Stuart is, and he promises him extensive rest and relaxation. Stuart slowly realises his original plan for two weeks of sun, surf, and sex might not be lost yet. Confined to a yacht, isolated by aqua-coloured oceans and the sweltering sun, Stuart and Foster are about to find out just how hot the tropics can get.

I hate to admit how many times I’ve reread this story already, especially that ending!   Something about Private Charter by N.R. Walker has just gotten under my skin.  When I need something happy to think about before closing my eyes, I reach for my Kindle and that fabulously moving ending that I know now by heart.  True, I believe I can recite it!

If you had asked me if I would have had that reaction from reading that blurb, I probably would have said no, not even with N.R. Walker as the author.  The timeline seems too short and the plot a little light. I should have known better.  This is N.R. Walker after all, one of my favorite author’s and this story is so much more than it seems.

Stuart isn’t just stressed out and exhausted.  He is at a crossroads in his life and a particular set of circumstances have led him to a sailing yacht and man who might be the only one to understand his dilemma and situation.   Against a gorgeous background of sailing and the ocean, Walker brings us two men oddly not that different from each other.  The characters of Foster Knight, owner and Captain of the White Knight and Stuart Jenner, corporate financier, are carefully crafted and so well layered that I was into both men immediately.  I was pulled onto their lives as they sailed the Whitsundays, exploring each other, letting Stuart experience the f freedom of being himself and revelling in it.

We did as well.  The chemistry that builds with them is amazing.  We feel the power and beauty of being under sail, the awe of the sea, and the joy it brings them both.  Plus the terrible pull of the deadline that the end of the voyage has on them both.

I was so caught up in every part of this story that I didn’t realize how quickly it was flying by.  When that incredible ending came (not the epilogue mind you, love that) but the ending that made my heart swell …well I wasn’t ready to let go of these men.  I wanted a movie, another book, anything!!!

Yep, hooked but good.

So I settle for rereading it.  Over and over.

Yes, I absolutely recommend this to all lovers of contemporary romance.  It’s turned out to be one of my favorites.    See if it will be one of yours.

Cover art is sexy, hot, but doesn’t really make me think of Stuart.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 244 pages
Published August 22nd 2018
ASINB07GSKKVTT
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Lucy Review: Stumbling in the Dark by Deja Black

Rating: 3 stars  out of 5

In this novella, 94 pages on my iPad, we have Jake, a 12-year-old boy who has been abused by his stepfather and his mother.  While on a camping trip Jake runs away,  knowing that to stay would be tantamount to worsening abuse.  His stepfather sounds like a pedophile and has been watching Jake a little too much, between all the verbal and physical abuse.  “He’d had to struggle to move out of Brad’s spidery touches when they were just a little too much to the left of weird as he gripped Jake and yanked him close…” Jake is lucky enough to run to the circus, where a lovely circus couple, Colleen and Leonardo, realize the abuse and take him in as their own.   They become the mom and dad Jake should have had. I loved that immediately, when Jake’s biological mother and stepfather come looking for him, Colleen asks if Jake’s family had come.  “No, amore mio. Not his family.  A woman and a man.”   He knows right away there’s something not right.

Fast forward ten years and Jake is now 22 and a knife thrower in the circus.  He has been in love with Blaine, the lion tamer, since he was young but Blaine has never shown any interest in him.  We are told this has happened but we don’t see it, we don’t see their history. Jake says Blaine treats him like a child but again, we aren’t shown that.  Since Blaine doesn’t want Jake, Jake tries to soothe himself by sleeping around.

What I loved were Jake’s parents, especially Colleen.  She is the catalyst for Blaine getting his head out of his butt.  “Now, we can continue this conversation, or you can intercede before he’s found another vapid fool to dip his cock in.”  She pulls no punches and she wants her boy happy.

There were things that just didn’t work for me.  Blaine not bothering to even attempt to mention the shifter aspect until after he’s done something permanent, the whole dream aspect, and the fact that Blaine says “I wondered what to do because I couldn’t envision leaving you…” yet that was exactly what he had planned to do, so that was confusing.

All in all, it was probably just too short to make the story rich.  I needed more backstory of the Pride, to be shown more instead of just told, and even more of Jake’s biological parents. They just drop out of the picture. I wish the book had been longer with more detail, I would have connected with it more.

The cover art, a headless very muscled torso, must be a stock cover because I just read another book, Lush Lunches, with the exact same cover.

Sales LInks:  Extasy Books  | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 34 pages
Published June 14th 2018 by Extasy Books
ISBN139781487419325
Edition LanguageEnglish

Release Blitz and Giveaway – Nightwings Collection by V.L. Locey

 

Buy Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Q3kzLf

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2Q0N1NI

 
Cover Design: Sloan J Designs
 
Blurb
 

The Nightwings Complete Collection contains all three novellas in the New York Nightwings MM hockey romance trilogy. The first two—On Broadway and Rookie Moves—were previously available in the Changing on the Fly charity anthologies. The third novella—Transitions—is a brand-new story written just for this collection. All three books are filled with passion, romance, humor, and fast-paced hockey action!


The set includes –


On Broadway (New York Nightwings #1)
Rookie Moves (New York Nightwings #2)
Transitions (New York Nightwings #3)

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, Dr. Who, Torchwood, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, two Jersey steers and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.


When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

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Release Blitz – Buckle Up by Karen Botha (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Buckle Up

Series: Commitment 1

Author: Karen Botha

Publisher: Karen Botha

Release Date: September 3rd 2018

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 237 pages 43800

Genre: Romance

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Synopsis

Passion, lust and desire are the fuel that drives us. So, buckle up for the ride of your life.

Elliott Judd is a superstar race car driver and hotter than hell. Men and women fall at his feet and he enjoys the easy pickings. No one has tamed this wild stallion, but is he ready to settle down for the right person?

Kyle Beaumont, a straight mechanic with a body to die for joins the racing team of his dreams, and with his mind fixed on the job, he doesn’t realise that he is Elliott’s next trophy of choice.

As the racing season and the fight to be the world number one starts, so too does Elliott’s game of seduction.

Will Elliott crash and burn, or will Kyle succumb to this gorgeous man’s onslaught?

Buckle Up is the first book in a gay romance series by Karen Botha and a story of unlikely love. The series is free on Kindle Unlimited.

Download your copy of Buckle Up now.

A note from Karen

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and my other series, it’s always great to hear what readers say directly. All my contact details are on my Amazon Author Page, feel free to message me.

Excerpt

His forehead is almost touching mine, our mouths millimeters from meeting. I want to pull away before I lose myself, but whatever my mind is saying my body is doing its own thing. My breath is fast and light, my head swimming with unspoken possibilities.

And yet I’m still unprepared. When his mouth covers my lips, it’s firm, not an innocent tease, but with his lips tight and unwavering, demanding my response. He’s shaved, but still his chin bristles against mine. And he’s taller than a woman. I don’t have to stoop, and his hair, although long for a man, doesn’t tangle in my mouth.

He presses his tongue into the seam of my lips and as they meet, an almighty crescendo cascades down from my head as the pent up tension of the last twenty-four hours releases into the pit of my stomach. It somersaults, my emotions bouncing, my breath catching, mingling with his.

My senses tingle and I don’t even realize I’ve placed my hands on his hips. His muscles ripple as he presses deeper against my body, matching my form on every level. Drunk with desire, my only need is to touch his taut muscles under the formality of his uniform so my hands creep around his back, pulling him into me. The pressure of his heart beats into my own chest. God, he’s rock solid. Everywhere.

Purchase at Amazon

Meet the Author

 

Ooh, where to start? I used to work in a proper job that was KILLING me — slowly! I packed it all in and retrained as a massage therapist and reflexologist which meant I had downtime to fill and I knew just the thing.

So, now I spend more hours than I work in my office conjuring up all manner of sex scenes and scrapes. I say I’m so happy because I have whichever imaginary friends with me, doing exactly what I like, when I want. Who could ask for more? Hah!

By the way, now I have NO downtime.

Please follow me, I’m on Facebook and Twitter Twatter and Instagram and I have my own website, http://www.KarenBotha.com. It would be great to get some interaction from you guys. Much as I love my imaginary friends, it’s great to speak to real people too.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail | Instagram

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A MelanieM Review: Time for Love by Lynn Michaels

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

 

Surf and sand, beach and bar-tending, and practicing Taoism are the important things in Jeremy Ringer’s life. Until a death in the family sends him across the state, and he realizes that it’s not enough. By trusting the wrong people, he is pushed toward sexy police specialist, Oliver Mendosa.

Ollie Mendosa is only interested in one thing, the new police app he’s developing. That is until he meets a victim of crime, surfer-boy, Jeremy Ringer. When his protective nature is brought out in full force, he can’t resist the temptation of a summer fling.

Is it possible for these two men, from such different worlds, to overcome their differences and fears in order to find the love they both desire?

My first and final thoughts on Time for Love by Lynn Michaels is that it’s a sweet contemporary romance.  I enjoyed reading it and thought the story flew by pretty quickly.  The ending?  Just what I could have hoped for.

I think several things here keeps me from the total enjoyment and immersion that most people are going to experience when diving into this  story.  It’s a slow burn sort of romance with Ollie Mendosa and Jeremy Ringer sort of fighting an attraction neither man thinks is going to last over a long distance.  That I thought was realistic.

Even the characterizations were solid and well done.  Jeremy with his belief in Taoism and home on the Gult, Ollie with his Ap and job career.  I think its their relationship that is the issue for me here.  I didn’t buy into it 100 percent, not the almost instant love or the chemistry between their personalities.  And I think that’s key as it how you will feel about the story.

I guess  Jeremy was just a tad problematic for me , so laid back that he lends things out to people he’s barely  met in the name of Taoism,  What saves this is that later on  he acknowledges the  fact that perhaps, thinking a “mere acquaintance” was a friend was cover for another overlying issue.  Props as they say for addressing that and other elements in Jeremy’s personality.  I certainly liked him more after that.  There’s many things lurking here for Jeremy…father issues, abandonment, reconnecting with family once more (loved his cousins), that this book could have easily been double in size on the strength of this thread alone.

But then he wouldn’t have met Ollie.  Too bad the whole thieves thing is the weakest part of the storyline including the characters.

But its there to bring these men together and cause  a lot of drama. In the end, its best to concentrate on the romance and the ending.  Both of which are still very sweet.

Cover art: Jay Aheer.  It’s a lovely cover, full of the beach, and a gorgeous model.  Just not sure that’s Jeremy.

Sales Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2wbO1Wd

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2Moh0kr

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2PmUuGP

Other stores: https://www.books2read.com/u/4NGg0G

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 172 pages
Published August 20th 2018 by Rubicon Fiction
ASINB07G5J12CN
Edition LanguageEnglish

Blog Tour Time for Love by Lynn Michaels (excerpt and giveaway)

 Time for Love Tour Banner

TIME FOR LOVE

LYNN MICHAELS

M/M ROMANCE

175 pages

RELEASE DATE: 08.20.18

Time for Love Cover

 

 

COVER DESIGN: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art

 

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2wbO1Wd

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2Moh0kr

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2PmUuGP

Other stores: https://www.books2read.com/u/4NGg0G

 

BLURB

Surf and sand, beach and bar-tending, and practicing Taoism are the important things in Jeremy Ringer’s life. Until a death in the family sends him across the state, and he realizes that it’s not enough. By trusting the wrong people, he is pushed toward sexy police specialist, Oliver Mendosa.

Ollie Mendosa is only interested in one thing, the new police app he’s developing. That is until he meets a victim of crime, surfer-boy, Jeremy Ringer. When his protective nature is brought out in full force, he can’t resist the temptation of a summer fling.

Is it possible for these two men, from such different worlds, to overcome their differences and fears in order to find the love they both desire?

 character card Dano

 

EXCERPT

Ollie couldn’t stop thinking about their witness, Jeremy. The guy was too cute and entirely too laid back. “What do you think about Jeremy’s case?” he asked Walker as they walked into the precinct.

“Never going to find his car. You shouldn’t have given him false hope.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t help it.” He stuffed his phone in his pocket.

Walker stopped and looked at him, grabbing his shoulder. “What? You do like the guy? I mean like-like?”

“He’s cute.” Ollie shrugged. He wanted to play like he was calm and laid back like Jeremy, but he wasn’t. Not at all. The old saying about butterflies in the stomach seemed more like a fact than a literary description.

“I was teasing, but… Seriously, ask him out.”

Ollie huffed. “You know I can’t. At least not until we close his part of this bullshit.”

“Nah. You’re just here for the data. You’re not a detective. Ask him out.”

Ollie shook his head. He wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted dating Jeremy to be a conflict of interest or not. He hadn’t dated anyone. Not in a long time. Not really, not ever. What was he doing, anyway? “He lives too far away. I’ll be back in New York in a month. Easy.”

“That’s an excuse. If you like him. Go out with him. Hell, maybe getting laid would do you good.”

Ollie snorted. “That’s for sure.” He knew exactly how long it had been since he’d gotten any. Hookups he could do, and in New York, they’d been frequent enough. Plus, he had Corey Bishop. A good friend and in for a good fuck if they were both unattached and needing release. It was nice to have a friend he could count on, have sex with occasionally, but wouldn’t ever ask or expect more than that from them. In Jacksonville? None. Nada. Nothing. La negative. Not even Corey, since he was back in New York.

Walker bumped into his side. “Go for it.”

Ollie watched him walk away. He bit at his lip. He did want to see Jeremy again. Wanted to see those sapphire eyes, wide open, as he came apart. Wanted to hear that sweet voice, not humming or singing, but calling out. Maybe calling Ollie’s name. “Maybe I will.” Maybe they could be a fun hookup while he was in Jacksonville. At least until Jeremy went back home. Even if it was a conflict of interest, hell, Ollie never gave a damn about what anyone else said, anyway. He made his own rules.

Lynn Michaels Loogo

Lynn Michaels lives and writes in Tampa, Florida where the sun is hot and the Sangria is cold. When she’s not writing she’s kayaking, hanging with her husband, or reading by the pool. Lynn writes Male/Male romance because she believes everyone deserves a happy ending and the dynamics of male characters can be intriguing, vulnerable, and exciting. She has both contemporary and paranormal titles and has been writing since 2014. Her stories don’t follow any set guidelines or ideas, but come from her heart and contain love in many forms.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RubiconWriting/

Website: https://rubiconwriting.com/lynn-michaels/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sljasble

Amazon Author: https://amzn.to/2MBZkkG

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A MelanieM Release Day Review: The Quarterback’s Crush by John R. Petrie

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Dylan Porter needs a Hail Mary….

Because it’ll take a miracle for him to pass English and trig so he can stay on the football team, get a scholarship, and go away to college—where the distance from his friends and family will give him the confidence to finally tell them he’s gay. But flunking his classes will put a stop to all of his dreams.

Luckily there’s Tommy Peterson to help him. In Dylan’s eyes, Tommy’s perfect. Short, smart, and sexy, he checks every one of Dylan’s boxes, so it’s no surprise when Dylan falls head over heels. Too bad Tommy doesn’t seem to feel the same, and a pining Dylan accidentally outs himself to the team. Now Dylan has to deal with the fallout of his coming out to the team, his dad, and his coach while trying to score the ultimate touchdown—the love of Tommy Peterson.

It took me almost no time to fall totally under the spell of this endearing story and its amazing characters.  And it’s all due to the unique voice and personality of the main character, Dylan Porter.  You see, it’s his perspective that we see the story from and he’s an astonishing person!

As crafted by John R. Petrie in The Quarterback’s Crush, Dylan Porter is that amazingly elusive animal….a layered human being with the ability to surprise you over and over, not just the length of the story, but even several pages.  He’s not “peggable”.  What comes out of his mouth frustrates him,  makes him angry, or cry, but for the reader?  It makes you want to hug him, cheer him on,  support him, and in every respect do what’s necessary, because, damnit, this author has made us quickly believe in him.

The Quarterback’s Crush is a coming out tale from Harmony Ink Press but  its also so much more.  It deals with the stresses of senior life in high school (oh the joy and horror), the college entrance tests, prom, bullying, cliques, and more.  Normally those are topics we expect to get from a “nerds” pov,  and we do here.  But it’s also from a popular high school football player’s and his team.  They will surprise and delight you as well.  They certainly did me.

Tommy Peterson is the other side of the romantic equation (a sentence I think he would respond to).  He is as well put together as Dylan and a great match.  Did I wish to know more about Tommy’s story?  Yes, but honestly, this isn’t his story, It’s Dylan’s, and while I loved Tommy and wished for more, I wouldn’t to the detriment of Dylan’s voice.  So maybe a prequel with Tommy?

In fact, all the other characters here, Riley, Dylan’s best friend and the other  football players, Coach, father, have a certain stability and strength to them which only made this story more real and the relationships better defined.

The only thing that keeps this from a 5 star rating is that epilogue.  It was cute but I would rather have had more stories than something so full of teasers and questions.  Sort of a let down for me.  It could have ended without it and been a 5 star story in my opinion.

The Quarterback’s Crush is John R. Petrie‘s first published romance which amazes me.  It’s heartwarmingly wonderful, it’s characters endearing, and it’s storyline captivating.  I recommend it highly to all.

Cover Artist: Adrian Nicholas.  I like the cover, although all the models seem more like college age than high school but the composition and characters are spot on.

Sales Links

Amazon (Kindle/Paper format) |  Dreamspinner Press  |  Harmony Ink Press  |  Barnes & Noble: 

 

 

Book Details:

ebook, 167 pages
Expected publication: September 4th 2018 by Harmony Ink Press
ISBN139781640803909
Edition LanguageEnglish