Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

A Lucy Review: The Captain’s Flirty Fireworks by Eleanor Harkstead and Catherine Curzon

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

When a hunky fireman and a gorgeous gold medalist meet on Guy Fawkes Night, sparks are sure to fly!

For fireman Rob Monteagle, this Guy Fawkes Night seems like it’s going to be anything but fun. After all, who wants to spend the noisiest night of the year saving careless cats from trees or rattling a fundraising bucket at Longley Magna’s annual bonfire, the pride of the village’s bad-tempered old retainer?

For Ollie Tresham, the night isn’t looking any better. He might have won gold in the Olympic showjumping ring yet he’s still expected to meet the public at his dad’s charity fireworks extravaganza. But when a rogue rocket heads straight for the showjumper, it takes a quick-thinking fireman like Rob to save the day.

As the flames of the bonfire smolder, Rob and Ollie’s night is just getting started. And it’s sure to go with a bang!

It’s hard to go into much detail about this story, as it is very short (32 pages of content) and the blurb says a lot.  It is a little misleading because it makes both men sounds as if they were dreading their respective plans for the evening and that doesn’t come across.  They do meet in the pub when Ollie needs someone to help rescue Mrs Cooper’s (a neighbor) cat from a tree.  Rob is new in the village and wants to make friends, get to know people.  He is also captivated by Ollie and his jodhpurs.  “…wondering how to strike up a conversation – wondering who would want him to.” He’s seen Ollie on his horse before and fell in lust.

Ollie is a medal-winning rider.  And wears jodhpurs.  I mention it twice because they are very nearly a character unto themselves in the story, being mentioned 24 times!

There’s a little bit of a misunderstanding, falling into bed with some of the cutest conversations every while doing so and a beginning of a possible couplehood.  It was a very quick, engaging read.

The cover, showing Ollie on his horse, seemed a little too serious for the tone of the story.

Sales:  Amazon | Pride Publishing

Book Details;

ebook, 43 pages
Expected publication: November 5th 2019 by Pride Publishing
ISBN 139781913186395
Edition Language English
URLhttps://www.firstforromance.com/book/the-captains-flighty-fireworks

A MelanieM Review : Life According To Liam by V.L. Locey

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

There’s always that chance that your heart’s desire is one click away.

Someone needs to pinch web designer/humor blogger/Pittsburgh Ravens mega fan Mike Kneller. Hard. For years, Mike has been living his life for his younger sister Kelly and his four-year-old nephew Liam. He’d opened up his home to Kelly when she found herself pregnant at sixteen and facing having a baby alone. Sure, his days are filled with skinned knees, snotty noses, and the occasional mishap with stuffed superheroes, but he’s perfectly happy because he loves Liam as much as he loves his baby sister. Giving up a social life and going to bed alone is a small price to pay. Little does he know that someone on the Ravens is about to show Ravens goalie Bryn Mettler one of his vlog posts. Of course he’s not going to believe it when his phone rings and the world-famous netminder—and his goalie crush—is on the other end. I mean, life doesn’t work that way for ordinary, hardworking uncles like Mike. Does it?

Bryn Mettler is a superstar athlete and a major part of the Pittsburgh sports society. He seems to have it all. He’s well-dressed, handsome, wealthy, an elite goaltender, a famed philanthropist, and the holder of numerous medals and trophies. To date, there are two things that have avoided him: lifting that big shiny silver cup over his head and finding a man to settle down with. Now that he’s over thirty, Bryn is finding the gay club scene is wearing thin. His teammates’ wives have decided it’s their duty to the team—and to Bryn—to find him Mr. Right. He’s relatively sure the man who’ll capture his heart surely won’t be found on a humor blog. Funny how life likes to take the things that you’re most certain about and flip them—and you—on its ear. When Bryn meets Mike, he is instantly drawn to the warm, funny, sexy man who shares his hectic days with thousands of Pittsburgh natives. Now he just has to convince Mike he is who he says he is so he can get to know him better. Thankfully, Bryn isn’t a quitter. But does he have what it takes to leap into life with Mike, Kelly, and Liam?

You know you’re in for a treat when you start to laugh pretty much right from the start of a story.  And that happens with Life According To Liam by V.L. Locey.  From the moment you are introduced to Mike and his  nephew Liam,  and yes, Liam’s mom Kelly (Mike’s sister), their warm, loving family dynamics pull you so thoroughly into this story that I almost forgot I was expecting a romance.  The interactions between Mike and Liam are realistic, downright hilarious, and will feel familiar to anyone who knows four year olds.  VL Locey has this locked down!

The characters and dialog are spot on as are the situations.  Bless that plumber!

Then we get Bryn Mettler in the bargain.  Wow.  Family and hockey.  Be still my heart.  Bryn is interesting because as a older hockey player, he is trying to maintain his position, his focus and his physical condition at a time when all that is becoming harder.  And the author lets us into his mindset because finding love at the same time?  With someone who also has more responsibilities, like a younger sister and a small child?   Doesn’t help focus.  Especially when you have to see what that sort of family arrangements truly mean.

The working out of the relationship between Michael and Bryn was lovely, as was seeing Bryn with Liam.  What I really wished for was that this story was much longer.  Yes, a wealth of riches! I wanted to see Bryn thoroughly swamped with living with a 4 yr old instead of getting a moderate education but the author made a good point of separating out Michael’s need for a life from Kelly’s need to be independent. Will I say more?  Oh know….read the book.  You will want more of this family too.

I love this story.  It’s a great heartwarming, feel good novel and I am thinking that the audio would be hysterical to listen to as well.  And yes, I’m definitely recommending it.

Cover art: Meredith Russell is so well done and heartwarming that it makes you want to read the story from the cover alone.  Well done.

Buy Links: 

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2nM2Hey

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2oy5DeD

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/LATL

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 138 pages
Published October 1st 2019
ASIN B07YMW2WBS
Edition Language English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Where Love Grows by Jay Northcote

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

As is typical of Jay Northcote’s work, this romance is between everyday people going about their everyday lives in the UK—something I always appreciate. In this story, the setting is Wales, and the characters have disabilities unseen to the naked eye. Yes, anxiety, depression, addiction, and recovery from Guillain-Barré Syndrome. A tough subject, but the author does an outstanding job showing all facets of both of their diseases and their work on recovery from past traumas.

Stephen is finally on the road to recovery from the Guillain-Barré Syndrome that has left him too weak to do more than work from home doing small bookkeeping jobs. That suits his reclusive nature, but he deeply hates the fact that his once beautiful garden and lawn is now a tangle of weeds, and he uses his blog to bitterly relate his distress over his loss of mobility. 

Luke is recovering from a breakdown after overuse of drugs and alcohol sent him into a decline. He’s fairly wealthy from the IT company he established, but that intense work is something he can’t currently face and he debates whether he even wants to return to the pressure. His assistant sees an opportunity to link Luke with his old college friend Stephen in the hopes that Luke can assist Stephen around his house while getting a heavy dose of country fresh air and Stephen will get someone who can perhaps help him with his garden.

As evidenced by the wording in the blurb, “a seed of hope is planted,” the author uses garden similes to move the story forward. Luke grows, changes, blossoms under Stephen’s pride in his work on the garden. Stephen, in turn, becomes more outgoing, flowering under Luke’s watchful eye and helpful hands. The bottom line is they grow closer, eventually have sex, then more sex, then friends with benefits, and then when Luke realizes he wants to stay, he puts his big foot in his mouth and causes enough turmoil to get booted back to London. 

Their internal conflicts, past experiences, family issues, and Luke’s history with addiction, as well as Stephen’s slow recovery from the disease that weakened all his muscles provides the meat of the story. It’s slow-burn, sweet, packed with the flavor of the UK, and ends on a HEA. I very definitely recommend it to lovers of MM romance.

The cover by Garrett Leigh is a black-and-white photo of a shirtless man standing in a dejected pose. It’s a bit dark to attract attention; however, it does nicely depict the emotional burdens the men in the story carry. 

Buy Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2lwpVEu

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2nduaFm

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/WhereLoveGrows

– Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 259 pages
Published September 24th 2019 by Jaybird Press
ASINB07YCL8YD5
Edition Language English

Don’t Miss Out on the Release Blitz and Giveaway for After Ben (Seattle Stories #1) by Con Riley

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link  Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited
 
Cover Design: Natasha Snow
 
Length: 95,000 words approx.
Blurb
 

Seattle Stories: Book One


No more kissing a ghost…


A year after the sudden death of his longtime partner, Ben, Theo Anderson is still grieving. The last thing he’s looking for is a new lover, but as Theo discovers, sometimes life has its own plans.


The strength of his attraction to fellow gym member Peter is surprising. So is how compelling he finds Morgan, a new friend he makes online. Morgan is witty and fierce on the internet forum they frequent, while Peter is physically present in a way that’s hard to ignore.


Both men bring Theo closer to acceptance: he needs to lay Ben’s memory to rest if he’s to start afresh with a new lover.


Getting honest about the reasons for his yearlong isolation means confronting why he lost Ben… only just when he’s ready to commit, Theo finds he isn’t the only one haunted by the past.


Whether with Peter or with Morgan, choosing to love again—after Ben—might not be Theo’s toughest challenge.

CON RILEY lives on the wild and rugged Devonshire coast, with her head in the clouds and her feet in the Atlantic Ocean. Injury curtailed her enjoyment of outdoor pursuits, so writing fiction now fills her free time instead. Love, loss, and redemption shape her romance stories, and her characters are flawed in ways that make them live and breathe. When not people-watching or wrangling her own boy band of teen sons, she spends time staring at the sea from her kitchen window. If you see her, don’t disturb her—she’s probably thinking up new plots.

 
 

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Need a Feel Great Story? Check Out the Review Tour and Giveaway for Life According To Liam by V.L. Locey

 

 
Buy Links: 
 
Length: 40,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Blurb
 

There’s always that chance that your heart’s desire is one click away.


Someone needs to pinch web designer/humor blogger/Pittsburgh Ravens mega fan Mike Kneller. Hard. For years, Mike has been living his life for his younger sister Kelly and his four-year-old nephew Liam. He’d opened up his home to Kelly when she found herself pregnant at sixteen and facing having a baby alone. Sure, his days are filled with skinned knees, snotty noses, and the occasional mishap with stuffed superheroes, but he’s perfectly happy because he loves Liam as much as he loves his baby sister. Giving up a social life and going to bed alone is a small price to pay. Little does he know that someone on the Ravens is about to show Ravens goalie Bryn Mettler one of his vlog posts. Of course he’s not going to believe it when his phone rings and the world-famous netminder—and his goalie crush—is on the other end. I mean, life doesn’t work that way for ordinary, hardworking uncles like Mike. Does it?


Bryn Mettler is a superstar athlete and a major part of the Pittsburgh sports society. He seems to have it all. He’s well-dressed, handsome, wealthy, an elite goaltender, a famed philanthropist, and the holder of numerous medals and trophies. To date, there are two things that have avoided him: lifting that big shiny silver cup over his head and finding a man to settle down with. Now that he’s over thirty, Bryn is finding the gay club scene is wearing thin. His teammates’ wives have decided it’s their duty to the team—and to Bryn—to find him Mr. Right. He’s relatively sure the man who’ll capture his heart surely won’t be found on a humor blog. Funny how life likes to take the things that you’re most certain about and flip them—and you—on its ear. When Bryn meets Mike, he is instantly drawn to the warm, funny, sexy man who shares his hectic days with thousands of Pittsburgh natives. Now he just has to convince Mike he is who he says he is so he can get to know him better. Thankfully, Bryn isn’t a quitter. But does he have what it takes to leap into life with Mike, Kelly, and Liam?

 

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review here.  We love it and highly recommend it.
 

USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.


V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, 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, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.


When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.

 

 

Check Out the Review Tour for Where Love Grows by Jay Northcote

 

Buy Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2lwpVEu

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2nduaFm

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/WhereLoveGrows

– Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited
 
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
 
Length: 70,000 words approx.
 
Blurb



When two broken men look to each other for help, an unexpected romance blooms.


Stephen’s home, deep in the heart of the Welsh valleys, suits his reclusive nature. However, as he recovers from illness, he’s struggling to manage alone. As nature reclaims the land he’s poured his heart into cultivating, he becomes increasingly unhappy. His only outlet is his blog, where he documents the decline of the garden that had been his pride and joy.


Luke is more used to a concrete jungle. He was a high-flyer, living and working in London, until addiction sent him into free fall. Now on the road to recovery, he still wants to make some changes, but he’s unsure where to find the purpose and fulfilment he craves.


A mutual acquaintance suggests Luke visits Stephen to help him out for a while, and a seed of hope is planted. From prickly beginnings, shoots of friendship emerge, blossoming into a deeper connection when they act on their mutual attraction.


This was only ever supposed to be a temporary arrangement, and soon Stephen will be able to manage on his own again. But both men need each other in ways they’re afraid to admit. If their love is going to last for more than one season, they’ll need to find the courage to be honest.

 

Check out Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words’ review here.  We love it and highly recommend it.

 

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.


One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.


Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press.


Website: https://jaynorthcote.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jay_Northcote
Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/jaynorthcotewriter
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/jaynorthcotefiction
Facebook author group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jaysplayground
Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/JN-readers
Jay’s books: http://author.to/JayNorthcote

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Special Books I’m Promoting This Weekend and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Book Highlight Weekend!

So I thought I’d do something a little different this weekend and highlight some books I thought should be in the spotlight. In case a few readers here and there had missed them.  Each for varying reasons but the first being excellence.

The first one is a teaser, you can preorder it now from MacMillan (Tor), the author is T.J. Klune.  Perhaps you all have heard of him? lol

The cover is amazing, the reviews from those that have read it incredible…

Charlaine Harris, the author of the True Blood books read The House in the Cerulean Sea and said, “The House in The Cerulean Sea is a modern fairy tale about learning your true nature and what you love and will protect. It’s a beautiful book.”

“1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in.” (Gail Carriger)

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

An enchanting love story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is Lambda Literary Award-winning author TJ Klune’s breakout contemporary fantasy.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Expected publication: March 17th 2020 by Tor Books

 Pre Order Links:  Amazon | Tor | Goodreads | Barnes&Noble

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

Next up?

Sales Links:     

All Proceeds Go To Charity:

Amazon US

Everywhere Else

Book Details:

Buy for $4.99 or try Kindle Unlimited to read over a million titles
Kindle Edition, 761 pages
Published October 1st 2019

That would be the Heart2Heart Vol 3 Anthology.  You can find the link to the tour here.  All proceeds go to charity and the anthology is only available for the next 90 days!

Blurb

Once upon a time, a group of authors wondered… What if the Heart2Heart app — the dating app with a glitch that matched up the oddest, most perfect couples, and sponsored the charity date raffles that helped dozens of people find love — offered a classifieds section, too?

Need a handyman who knows how to wear a tool belt? Have a closet of drag costumes that needs a new home? How about finally tracking down that guy who made the perfect drink, or who’s just the right height to reach the top shelf?

Join some of your favorite authors of gay romance as they bring you sixteen brand-new stories inspired by reader suggestions!

Once again, all proceeds from this collection will go to the authors’ favorite LGBTQ charities (which are named and linked -see above tour), to ensure that love in all its forms will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!

Participating Authors:Annabeth Albert , May Archer , Mary Calmes , Charlie Cochet , Eden Finley , Susan Hawke , Sloane Kennedy, Lucy Lennox  , Lily Morton , K.M. Neuhold , Nora Phoenix , Layla Reyne , Piper Scott, Damon Suede , Hailey Turner , Aimee Nicole Walker

#MustHave

One look at that lineup tells you this is something special!

In Addition….

And just in case you are having problems finding some of these authors and their stories lately?  Here are  some links to a few novels.  Not familiar? Pleases check them out! Those are links to the Amazon sales sights and the blurbs can be found there as well.

 

More authors next week.

 

Until then. Have a great weekend.  Happy Reading and happy listening to all your stories and authors.  Don’t forget to check out our week ahead below!

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, October 6:

  • Don’t Miss Out on the Book Blast with excerpt for The Black Mask by Samuel King
  • Love Historical Romance? Check Out the Release Blitz for Lost and Found by Liv Rancourt (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Check Out the Release Blitz with excerpt for the Best Man (Close Proximity #1) by Lily Morton
  • Special Books I’m Promoting This Weekend and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, October 7:

  • Review Tour – Jay Northcote – Where Love Grows
  • Review Tour – V.L. Locey – Life According To Liam
  • Release Blitz – Con Riley – After Ben (Seattle Stories #1)
  • A Stella Review: After Ben (Seattle Stories #1) by Con Riley
  • A MelanieM Review : Life According To Liam by  V.L. Locey
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:  Where Love Grows by Jay Northcote

Tuesday, October 8:

  • TOUR In Safe Arms by Ann Grech
  • Shots on Goal (Stick Side #3) by Amy Aislin – Cover Reveal Blitz
  • RELEASE BLITZ Master of Restless Shadows by Ginn Hale
  • Release Blitz  – Elle Keaton – Conspiracy Theory
  • A Stella Review: Things Happen That Way (Mann of My Dreams #2) by Tinnean
  • A Lila Review: Sundown, Holiday, Beacon (Extraordinary Book 1) by K.L. Noone

Wednesday, October 9:

  • Review Tour Request – Coast To Coast – RJ Scott & V.L. Locey
  • Book Blitz – BITE – Various Authors
  • Blog Tour Ground Zero by Aimee Nicole Walker
  • An Alisa Review:  BITE Anthology (Various Authors)
  • A Stella Review : The Lion and the Crow by Eli Easton
  • A MelanieM Review : Coast To Coast (Arizona Raptors #1) by  RJ Scott & V.L. Locey
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Ground Zero (Zero Hour #1) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Thursday, October 10:

  • Cover Reveal – Precariously Mated (D’Vaire, Book 14) by Jessamyn Kingley
  • Review Tour – Shinigami by Xia Xia Lake
  • Blog Tour “Dog Tagged” by James Brock
  • An Alisa Review: “Dog Tagged” by James Brock
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Shinigami by Xia Xia Lake
  • A MelanieM Review: Lessons in Playing a Murderous Tune (Cambridge Fellows #12.8) by Charlie Cochrane

Friday, October 11:

  • Release Blitz – Crystal Lacy – Ready For You
  • Cover Reveal – First Priority by Este Holland
  • New Release Tour for A Thousand Lifetimes – Katey Hawthorne
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Winter’s Knight (New Amsterdam #2) by Kelly Wyre
  • A Lucy Review: The Captain’s Flirty Fireworks by Eleanor Harkstead and Catherine Curzon
  • A MelanieM Review A Thousand Lifetimes by Katey Hawthorne

Saturday, October 12:

  • Release Blitz  – DJ Jamison – Wrangling A Groom
  • Book Blast – The Killing Spell by Shane Ulrrein
  • A Free Dreamer Review: The Killing Spell by Shane Ulrrein

Don’t Miss Out on the Book Blast with excerpt for The Black Mask by Samuel King

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: The Black Mask

Author: Samuel King

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Cover Artist: Erin Dameron-Hill

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Erotic Romance

Trope/s: Fantasy lover becomes reality, straight or gay?

Themes: Choosing reality over fantasy

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length: 13 000 words/ 55 pages 

It is a standalone book.

Add on Goodreads

 

 

 Charlie is torn between two men—one who seems unreachable, the other a superhero who steps out of a poster.

Blurb 

Charlie is the young, handsome writer of The Black Mask superhero adventure series. Recently broken up from his long-term boyfriend, he finds himself developing feelings of lust and love for his editor, the gruff, clearly straight Sam. Charlie’s love life takes an even more unexpected twist when his fantasy creation, The Black Mask, somehow becomes a reality—and his lover.

 

Buy Links

Pride Publishing  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon US

 

Excerpt

 On the wall above the TV is a poster of my creation, The Black Mask. Sam had a limited number designed by a comic book artist friend of his. He’s sold about a hundred so far and I get royalties on each sale. The Black Mask is crouching, ready to pounce, his tight, muscular body encased in black material. He has bulging biceps, thighs and pecs that threaten to burst through the fabric and more than a hint of something else bulging between those thighs. How can Sam deny The Black Mask is at least a bit gay? And did Sam specify how big to make that bulge?

Although his face is completely covered by his mask, I feel like he is watching me, which I find strangely erotic as I unzip the fly of my jeans and begin massaging my erect cock through the cotton of my white briefs. My cock is big, at least eight inches, and uncut. Its purplish-red head is already poking from above the waistband of my briefs, leaking pre-cum onto my flat stomach. I don’t work out much, but I run and eat healthily, so I have a fit, slim body, even if I do say so myself.

I push my jeans and briefs down to below my waist and begin stroking my cock. It’s hot and so solid. I grip it hard, squeezing out more pre-cum, which forms a weblike string between my stomach and cockhead.

I fantasize about Sam standing behind his desk, massaging his dick through his gray trousers. He’s glaring at me like I’ve really pissed him off, like he resents how horny he’s feeling. Suddenly I feel stupid, masturbating over a guy that will never look at me in that way. I should be out trying to meet other gay guys, not lying in my room jerking off over a straight man.

I’m distracted by a movement across the room. I stop masturbating and stare at the poster of The Black Mask. He is no longer crouching. He is standing and that bulge in his black-clad crotch is definitely a huge, hard cock.

“What the—?”

Then he leans forward and his head and shoulders protrude for real out of the poster, solid and three-dimensional. Now the poster is glowing like a TV screen with the brightness level turned up to the max.

“Shit…”

He reaches down with a leather-gloved hand and begins to rub his massive boner through the thin fabric of his skin-tight suit. Incredibly, it grows even bigger, and it, too, is now solid and three-dimensional, bursting from the surface of the poster.

Suddenly my bedroom door flies open and Jules is standing there, still naked.

“Sorry,” he says, “but do you have any lube?”

I release a jet of cum, which spatters across my stomach and chest, drenching my T-shirt and barely missing my face. I look from Jules, who seems impressed as much as embarrassed, back to the poster. The Black Mask is crouching again and the poster is just a poster.

“Wow,” says Jules. “Something certainly got you horny. You should have just joined us.”

I’m so shocked by what has just happened that I don’t even bother trying to cover my cum-soaked body, despite the fact that Jules is still standing in my bedroom doorway waiting for a response to his request. When I glance back at him, I notice he is fully hard and tugging on his balls.

 

About the Author 

Samuel King is London born and bred, and spent his twenties and thirties hanging out on the London gay scene, mixing with some true characters and even finding romance on a few occasions. Now more likely to be found eating in a nice restaurant on a Saturday night than clubbing, he also enjoys reading across many genres, and watching films—especially old horror films and romantic comedies. He is also the author of Male Male erotic romance, Hard Lessons, available from Pride Publishing from 1 October.

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter: @samuelk49275059 

 

 

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

 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

 

Love Historical Romance? Check Out the Release Blitz for Lost and Found by Liv Rancourt (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
 
Length: 75,000 words approx.
 
Price: 2.99 (4.99 from October 20)
 
Blurb
 

A dancer who cannot dance and a doctor who cannot heal find in each other the strength to love.


History books will call it The Great War, but for Benjamin Holm, that is a misnomer. The war is a disaster, a calamity, and it leaves Benjamin profoundly wounded, his mind and memory shattered. A year after Armistice, still struggling to regain his mental faculties, he returns to Paris in search of his closest friend, Elias.


Benjamin meets Louis Donadieu, a striking and mysterious dance master. Though Louis is a difficult man to know, he offers to help Benjamin. Together they search the cabarets, salons, and art exhibits in the newly revitalized city on the brink of les années folles (the Crazy Years). Almost despite himself, Benjamin breaches Louis’s defenses, and the two men discover an unexpected passion.


As his memory slowly returns, Benjamin will need every ounce of courage he possesses to recover Elias’s story. He and Louis will need even more than that to lay claim to the love – and the future – they deserve.

 
Excerpt
 

The table on the other side of me was empty, at least until I’d poured myself a second glass of wine. Then, crossing the room in a familiar halting rhythm, my neighbor, the man from the café on the Place du Tertre, took a seat.


I raised my glass in a toast of alcohol-fueled enthusiasm. “It’s nice to see you.”


He blinked as if surprised by my words. “I’m not sure I know you.”


His gaze suggested otherwise. “A while ago, you were at L’Oiseau Bleu.” I swirled the wine in my cup. “Are you following me?”


“I had a taste for fish.” Hooking his cane over the edge of his table, he shrugged again. “And I have better things to do than observe the habits of a drunk American.”


We were interrupted by the arrival of my dinner. There might have been humor in his tone, but still, the sting of his words quashed the impulse to invite him to join me.


Turning to the waiter, slick black hair gleaming, he placed his own order. When the waiter brought his wine, I took the opportunity to raise my glass a second time. “Cheers.” I deliberately did not smile. “Comment allez-vous?” How are you, using the formal “vous,” not the more intimate “tu.”


Tu. In all my time in France, I’d never regularly used the personal form of address. To be honest, if English had an equivalent construction, I could have said the same about my friends and family at home.


“Bien. I am well.”


His tone, and the slight tremor of his fingers on his glass of wine, hinted otherwise. He turned as if to shield himself from my appraisal. I couldn’t help myself. It was my nature to observe. Assess. Diagnose. “I’m Benjamin Holm.” The distance between us was too great to bridge with a handshake.


He raised his glass. “Louis Donadieu.”


I forced my fork through the crisp crust of fish. Juices ran free, and my mouth watered. I ate, hunger keeping my attention fixed on the food on my plate. Though it had been almost two years since I’d last sat at an army canteen, I still attacked each meal as if someone might steal it away.


At my last bite, I glanced at Louis. He watched me, a pool of stillness amidst the confusion around us. “Did you even taste it?”


“Yes.” Swirling my fork through the drippings on my plate, I fought the urge to smile, unsure of the rules for the game he played.


He sniffed. “Bien.” Shifting in his seat, he poured himself more wine. As long as he wasn’t looking, I continued my assessment. He held his right leg extended, as if he was unable to bend it at the knee, but was otherwise quite vigorous, virile even.


I finished my peas and potatoes, bemused by my strange dinner companion. After a week in Paris, I’d had no luck with my main goal, and this conversation, though tentative, intrigued me.


“Were you injured?” I gestured at his feet with my wine.


“What?”


“In the war. Your leg.” His narrowed gaze suggested I’d transgressed. So, no questions about his health. “Pardon. I did not mean to—”


“No, I was unable to participate in the grand conflict.”


He turned his attention away, leaving me confused. This was less a game than a jousting contest. Rather than bring another helping of rudeness on my head, I swallowed the rest of my wine and prepared to leave.


“What are you doing?”


I paused in the act of reaching for my wallet. “I’m finished. I need to be going.” Though I had no real destination beyond the poor comfort of my solitary rooms. Instead of my wallet, I fished out the photograph. “Here.” I stood, leaning over his table and offering him the picture of Elias. “I’m looking for my friend Elias. Have you seen him?”


Always the same words, bringing the same blank response.


“Maybe he doesn’t want to be found.” He tapped the white edge of the photograph, and I snatched it away.


“He’s my friend.”


“So?”


His acid tone burned through my good humor. Who is this man to follow and then abuse me? “Have a good evening.”


“Good evening, though if you give up so easily, you must not really want to find him.”


Surprise kept me planted by his table. “Do you know where he is?”


He tipped his glass in my direction, the corner of his lips curling in what could not truly be called a smile. Though it wasn’t a scowl either. “No, but if I do see him, I will send him to the heavy-footed American man who lives on the floor above me.”


Tired of being the target of his sport, I straightened, falling into the habitual pose of a military officer. “Again, good evening.” Annoyed beyond what the situation called for, I departed.



About Liv Rancourt



Liv Rancourt writes romance of all kinds. Because love is love, even with fangs.


Liv is a huge fan of paranormal romance and urban fantasy and loves history just as much, so her stories often feature vampires or magic or they’re set in the past…or all of the above. When Liv isn’t writing she takes care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether she’s at work or at home. Her husband is a soul of patience, her kids are her pride and joy, and her dogs – Trash Panda and The Boy Genius – are endlessly entertaining.Liv can be found on-line at all hours of the day and night at her website (www.livrancourt.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/liv.rancourt), or on Twitter (www.twitter.com/LivRancourt). She also blogs monthly over at Spellbound Scribes (https://spellboundscribes.wordpress.com/). For sneak peeks and previews and other assorted freebies, go HERE to sign up for her mailing list or join the Facebook page she shares with her writing partner Irene Preston, After Hours with Liv & Irene. Fun stuff!
 

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Check Out the Release Blitz with excerpt for the Best Man (Close Proximity #1) by Lily Morton

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Best Man

Close Proximity

Lily Morton

/M Romance

Release Blitz: 10.03.19

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Blurb

Zeb Evans doesn’t do messy.

The product of a disorganised and chaotic childhood, Zeb likes order and control, and as the boss of his own employment agency he can give that to himself. Life runs along strict lines and he never mixes business with pleasure. Everything in his life lives in neat, alphabetized boxes. Until Jesse.

Jesse Reed is Zeb’s complete opposite. He’s chaos personified. A whirling cyclone of disorder. He’s also charming and funny and a very unwanted distraction.

Which is why it comes as a complete surprise to Zeb to find himself asking Jesse to pose as his boyfriend for a few days in the country at a wedding.

Zeb doesn’t do impulsive, but as the time away progresses, he finds himself increasingly drawn to the merry and irreverent Jesse. But can he bring himself to break the hard-won lessons he’s learnt in life? And even if he can, how could Jesse be attracted to him anyway? He’s so much older than Jesse, not to mention being his boss.

From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages and Finding Home series comes a warm and funny romance about one man’s fight for control and another man’s determination to circumvent it.

This is the first book in the Close Proximity series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Universal link

http://getbook.at/Best-Man

Amazon US: www.amazon.com/dp/B07YKNQKHY

Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07YKNQKHY

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Excerpt

He looks at me and sighs wearily. “Do you think you could possibly behave?” he finally says.

I bite my lip. “I don’t think it would be entirely honest of me to promise that,” I say slowly. “Especially if people keep treating you like you’re some sort of desperate stalker. It’s not fair.” I frown. “You’re doing bloody Patrick a favour. They should be thanking you, not treating you like an unexploded bomb from the war that might go off in suburbia and wreck someone’s lavender bush.”

He blinks. “Where the hell did that come from?” He pauses. “And why am I the unexploded relic from the war?”

I smile at him sympathetically. “You have a lot of pent-up aggression,” I inform him.

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Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

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