Join Us for the Release Blitz with Excerpt for Devil’s Hour (Zero Hour #2) by Aimee Nicole Walker

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Devil’s Hour

Zero Hour Series, Book 2

Aimee Nicole Walker

M/M Romance/Mystery

Release Date: 12.16.19

Devils Hour Cover

Cover Design: Jay Aheer

Photographer: Wander Aguiar

Blurb

Devil’s hour, noun: the hour when the demon or devil who leads hell is at its strongest.

Born on the wrong side of the tracks, Royce Locke is no stranger to scrapping and fighting for the things he wants. What he desires most is Sawyer Key—his partner on the force and the man he’s falling in love with. After asking Sawyer to take a chance on him, Royce will need to back up his pretty words with fearless action instead of being his own worst enemy.

Someone is harassing the mayor of Savannah, and Locke and Key are tasked with finding out who. The investigation quickly takes a twisted turn, leading them to an enemy who thinks purification by fire is the only way to save the city. Scarier than The Purists’ elusiveness is their ability to turn public opinion in their favor, creating unrest and threatening anarchy by fanning flames and fear. When you play with fire, someone is bound to get burned.

When menace becomes murder, the two detectives will race the clock against the devil to save their beloved city from becoming a raging inferno. Royce will need to draw on his grit now more than ever if he hopes to realize the dreams that are finally within reach. The rag is lit, the Molotov cocktail is tossed, and the zero hour is upon them. Challenge received and accepted.

Devil’s Hour is the second book in the Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship. This is a series that must be read in order. Devil’s Hour has a happy-for-now ending with no cliffhanger. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older.

Universal Link: http://mybook.to/DevilsHour

DevilsHour Teaser 1DevilsHour Teaser 2

Excerpt

“We’re going to head out and interview the newspaper carrier and then meet you at Clancy’s.”Just hearing the restaurant name perked Royce up. He pointed to his shirt and signaled to Sawyer he’d be a minute, then headed to the locker room to change again.

He pulled the shirt over his head and dropped it on the bench in front of his locker on his way to the sink to wash off the stickiness before putting on a clean shirt. Otherwise, it would be like changing your underwear after a wet dream without washing off your sticky dick first.

In the mirror above the sink, Royce’s gaze snagged on the puckered scar on his chest. He ran his finger over it, noting how the tissue had softened and lightened from an angry red to dark pink. He heard the locker room door swing open and recognized Sawyer’s footsteps as he searched for him. Seconds later, the man appeared behind him in the mirror. Sawyer’s eyes immediately went to the exit scar next to his shoulder blade. He lowered his head and kissed the scar before sliding his arms around Royce’s waist and resting his chin on his shoulder.

“Have you forgotten where we are?”Royce teased.

Sawyer held his gaze in the mirror. “Nope. This just felt more important after the fight we had.”Sawyer looked at the scar a few inches above Royce’s heart. He ran his fingers over it just like Royce had, then rested his palm on his chest over his heart. “I almost lost you.”

“I’m not going anywhere, baby.”

Sawyer raised his eyes to meet Royce’s in the mirror again. “That isn’t a promise you can keep,”he whispered. Royce knew he was right. Victor Ruiz never would’ve chosen to leave Sawyer.

“If given a choice, I’m going to pick you.”It was the best he could offer—the best anyone could. It wasn’t the first time they’d had a variation of the same conversation nor would it be the last. It usually ended in a lot of kissing and tender sex, but it wasn’t an option right now. Royce’s gaze shifted down the long row of empty shower stalls, and he contemplated putting one of them to good use until Sawyer chuckled and took a step back.

“Get dressed so we can get on the road. I’ll treat you to your favorite catfish sandwich for lunch, Sarge.” Appeasing his stomach was a close second to his cock.

“Deal.”

Royce had used his last spare T-shirt after changing out of his uniform and had to settle for a navy blue polo with the SPD crest on the chest. He kept a few of them on hand for occasions when his casual attire wasn’t appropriate. Once he caught the appreciative gleam in Sawyer’s eyes, he decided to wear them more often. Considering his promotion and new responsibilities, maybe it was time to retire the T-shirts for good.

Aimee Nicole Walker Logo

Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day. I’d love to hear from you

https://linktr.ee/AimeeNicoleWalker

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Love Sci Fi? Check Out the Blog Tour for Starlight (Dark Space #3) by Lisa Henry

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Starlight

Dark Space Series Book 3

Lisa Henry

M/M Sci-Fi

Release Date: 12.01.19

Starlight

Cover Designer: Mayhem Cover Creations

Blurb

Brady Garrett is back in space, this time as an unwilling member of a team of humans seeking to study the alien Faceless and their technology. It’s not the first time Brady’s life has been in the hands of the Faceless leader Kai-Ren, and if there’s one thing Brady hates it’s being reminded exactly how powerless he is. Although dealing with the enigmatic Faceless might actually be easier than trying to figure out where he stands with the other humans on board, particularly when one of them is his boyfriend’s ex.

Cameron Rushton loved the starlight once, but being back on board the Faceless ship forces him to confront the memories of the time he was captured by Kai-Ren, and exactly how much of what was done to him that he can no longer rationalize away. Cam is used to being Brady’s rock, but this time it might be him who needs Brady’s support.

This time Brady is surrounded by the people he loves most in the universe, but that only means their lives are in danger too. And when Kai-Ren’s fascination with humanity threatens the foundations of Faceless society, Brady and Cam and the rest of the team find themselves thrust into a battle that humans have very little hope of winning, let alone surviving.

*Starlight can be read as a standalone but probably words better with knowledge of the first two books in the series.

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/darkspace-starlight

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Excerpt

The Faceless ship was silent, but the anger and the adrenaline rush of the battle ran on a constant feedback loop in our skulls. Spikes of pain, of fear, were like blasts of static in our heads. And sometimes, more than once, we felt that same dizzying sensation of sudden loss—and of that hole immediately being filled in again. The Faceless felt no grief for the fallen. The hive barely even noticed the loss of one drone.

I thought of my dad and how acutely I still missed him and how his loss was written in my bones, and in everything I did. A day didn’t go by when I didn’t think of him. And I thought of how my grief and my fear for Lucy had captured Kai-Ren’s attention in the first place.

I wondered which one of us was the most incomprehensible to the other. The most alien.

We made our way carefully down toward the core of the ship. Everything seemed dimmer. There were fewer lights drifting in the walls, and the fluid itself seemed darker than usual. The ship was hurt. Was she dying too?

Chris and Doc carried the hybrid between them, his thin arms held across their shoulders. His pale feet dragged more than stepped, but his eyes were open now. They were dark and wide and fearful, just like mine.

Cam and Harry led the way, and Andre and I brought up the rear. I held Lucy’s hand tightly. It was warm and damp with sweat. She was quiet. Her face was pinched. But she didn’t even stumble as we moved forward through the dimly-lit curving passageway of the ship.

As we moved toward the fighting.

“If anything happens,” I whispered to her, “run back to where we just were, okay?”

She nodded, and squeezed my hand more tightly.

We kept moving, right up until we didn’t. Cam and Harry had stopped, and I craned my head to see.

“It’s okay,” Cam said. “Keep moving.”

There was a dead Faceless lying in the corridor. His mask had been removed. His eyes were covered in a white film. His yellowish skin was stained black around his throat, and over one cheek, like someone had spat ink over him. And then I realized that no, it wasn’t a stain. It was necrosis, or something like it. His skin had been ruptured in several places, punctured, and the flesh around it had turned black.

Venom. It had to be venom.

I looked at Doc and Chris, and at the way the hybrid was slung between them. The hybrid’s fingers curled around their shoulders, and I thought of claws digging into their flesh and wondered how long it would take Faceless venom to kill a human. And then I thought of every time that Kai-Ren had run his hands over my skin, and of how the Stranger had prodded my stomach, and how each time I’d been staring death in the face. I’d thought of Kai-Ren as a god once, hadn’t I? A god who could strike any one of us down on a whim.

I held Lucy’s hand tightly as we passed the dead Faceless.

There was a voice in the back of my head—mine, for once—that told me we weren’t going to make it to the pods. That told me we’d be caught here, in a curving corridor with nowhere to take cover and that the Stranger’s Faceless would kill us, but whatever was happening in the rest of the ship was keeping all the Faceless busy.

My heart was beating out of my chest by the time we descended to the bay where the pods were kept, and the doors shut behind us, the sticky seams sealing closed.

There were six pods here, and seven of us plus the hybrid. It didn’t matter, because Cam and I had shared a pod before anyway. There was plenty of room. But mostly it didn’t matter because we had no way of getting the pods to work, let alone launching them.

And then it really didn’t matter, because we wouldn’t be launching them into some tranquil sea anyway.

“Holy fuck!” Harry exclaimed from the one of the windows that looked out into the nebula.

I look past him just in time to see a Faceless ship being torn apart by a massive explosion. It was colossal. It was blinding.

And it was close enough that the shockwave hit us like a tsunami.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a dog, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Lisa has been published since 2012, and was a LAMBDA finalist for her quirky, awkward coming-of-age romance Adulting 101.

Website: lisahenryonline.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.henry.1441

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaHenryOnline

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5050492.Lisa_Henry

Instagram: lisa_henry_author

Email: lisahenryonline@gmail.com

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Best of 2019 Lists Being Compiled and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Best of 2019 Lists Being Compiled  and Upcoming Announcements

 

Heading towards the holidays and the New Year, we here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words are working to pull together our Best of Lists for 2019.  Those books that made our year, those characters that we still hold so close to our hearts.

I’m hoping that you all will have some of your own to contribute as well.

Also coming?  An announcement about our  revised review and tour policies, one we have waited to announce as we finished with our previously scheduled tours. Our readers may have noticed certain changes back at the first of November but we wanted to makes our announcement at the end of December in keeping going forward with the New Year.  This will pertain to our relationship or current lack of one with Dreamspinner Press,  specifically arcs and tours.  More on that to come in our official announcement next week.

So we are making our lists, checking them twice, wrapping presents, and as always reading and listening to some wonderful stories.

What’s happening over in your reading nook?  What is on your Best of List this year?

Jot them down and send them in.  Let’s see if we match up or if we have new stories to put on our TBR pile.

In the meantime, be safe, be happy, and happy reading and listening.

 

 

 

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

Sunday, December 15:

  • Best of 2019 To Come and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, December 16:

  • Release Blitz The Rise of Virginie by Katey Hawthorne
  • Blog Tour Starlight by Lisa Henry
  • Release Blitz Devil’s Hour by Aimee Nicole Walker
  • A MelanieM Review: Angels Sing (Daddy Dearest #2) by Eli Easton
  • A Lucy Review: Stealing Gifts by Mere Rain
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Starlight (Dark Space #3) by Lisa Henry

Tuesday, December 17:

  • Release Blitz – Inheritance (Deadly Curiosities #4) by Gail Z. Martin
  • Release Blitz – What Works For Us by Colette Davison
  • An Alisa Review: What Works For Us by Colette Davison
  • A Lucy Review: This Christmas by J.R. Hart
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Unveiled by Jaime Craig

Wednesday, December 18:

  • BLITZ Rialto (Unbreakable Bonds #8) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott
  • Review Tour – A.E. Via – Prophesy II: The Bringer of Wrath (The King & Alpha Series)
  • Release Blitz – Roe Horvat – The Layover
  • A Stella Review  – A Boyfriend For Christmas by Jay Northcote
  • An Alisa Audio Review Review: Prophesy II: The Bringer of Wrath (The King & Alpha Series) by AE Via

Thursday, December 19:

  • AUDIO BLITZ – A.E. VIA – PROMISES: PART 1 (BOUNTY HUNTERS #1)
  • Release Blitz – Ruby Moone – Dances Long Forgotten
  • An Ashlez Review: Anyone But You by Brien Michaels
  • An Alisa Review: Angels Sing by Eli Easton
  • A MelanieM Review: Boys of Summer (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A.E. Wasp

Friday, December 20:

  • Release Blitz  – RJ Scott & V.L. Locey – Christmas Lights (An Owatonna U Novella)
  • RELEASE BLITZ Nicki’s Fight by Mellanie Rourke
  • An Alisa Review Forbidden Omega by Caitlin Ricci
  • A Chaps Moondrawn Review: Captivating (Elite Protection Services #2) by Onley James
  • A MelanieM Review: Score (Men of Hidden Creek – Season 1, #6) by A.E. Wasp

Saturday, December 21:

A MelanieM Audio Review:  Red Dirt Heart 3 by NR Walker and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

A MelanieM Review: I Buried a Witch (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #2) by Josh Lanyon

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Something old, something new, something borrowed…something blacker than the darkest night.

Cosmo Saville adores his new husband, but his little white lies—and some very black magic—are about to bring his fairytale romance to an end. Someone is killing San Francisco’s spellcasters—and the only person Cosmo can turn to—the man who so recently swore to love and cherish him—isn’t taking his phone calls.

The only magic Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith believes in is true love. Discovering he’s married to a witch—a witch with something alarmingly like magical powers—is nearly as bad as discovering the man he loved tricked and deceived him. John shoulders the pain of betrayal and packs his bags. But when he learns Cosmo is in the crosshairs of a mysterious and murderous plot, he knows he must do everything in in his mortal power to protect him.

Till Death do them Part. With their relationship on the rocks, Cosmo and Commissioner Galbraith join forces to uncover the shadowy figure behind the deadly conspiracy…

Can the star-crossed couple bring down a killer before the dark threat extinguishes true love’s flame?

I Buried a Witch is the second book in the smart and sexy Bedknobs and Broomsticks romantic gay mystery trilogy. If you like endearing characters, spell-binding conflict, and spooky, good fun, then you’ll love Josh Lanyon’s tale of a blue knight and his slightly wicked witch.

I just finished I Buried a Witch (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #2) by Josh Lanyon and came away with mixed feelings, far different than when I finished the first story in the  series.  I Buried A Witch is crammed full of more plot elements, a chest’s worth or more of clues and nods towards what the series arc is trending towards, as well as the addition of more characters and twist to the romance of the main couple.

Whew.

And it took awhile for me to eventually sort out what worked for me emotionally as a reader, and what worked as someone who loves Lanyon’s works as a mystery writer.  I appreciate both perspectives, and understand what she was trying to accomplish.  But in the end, only one part ending up moving me, and that was the ruptured relationship between Cos and John.    John is something of an enigma, as a personality and in his handling of his romance with Cos.  It does tend to make him less connectable as a character.   Luckily, Cosmos makes up for John’s lack of charisma.  You feel every inch of Cos’ pain here.

Which is, oddly enough good, because a good deal of the story, I feel a Cher moment coming on.  One straight out of Moonstruck, the movie.  One where she smacks her would be suitor to bring him back into reality with a “Snap Out of it” remark.  I wanted more than one of those for Cosmos in scene after scene where he is blithely ignoring giant warning signs or displaying the self awareness of a toddler.  He later explains his lack of criminal knowledge because he doesn’t watch crime shows on tv.  Uh, no.  That lack of logic in an intelligent person given the information he has doesn’t fly except because the story needs it to.   Sigh.  And I like this character but he swings from idiotic decisions to smart ones and back again.   So frustrating.

John’s character is displaying some wavering as far as his personality too  but I am writing that off as Lanyon’s plot, an element of which  I think I think is coming based on things that happen here in this story.

Trying to balance the need to implant all the necessary “data” and ideas into a novel for the overall series arc while still working on the story and romance at hand is a difficult job.  The second book is a tricky one, moving the story and characters forward, maintaining momentum and the mystery and yet not really solving anything.  Tough stuff.    I can see the ideas that Lanyon is trying to establish here, percolating away.  Really interesting elements and I can’t wait to see the author bring them to fruition.  And to see if I’m right! lol

The romance?  That too will have some might neat twists ahead for John and Cosmo if I read this correctly.  In this story, it was the best and most heart wrenching part of I Buried a Witch (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #2) by Josh Lanyon.  Now I really need to see what happens next in book 3, Bell, Book and Scandal coming out in 2020.

If you love Josh Lanyon and love a romance with a dash of mystery and magic, the  complex Bedknobs and Broomsticks series just might be the thing for you.  But make sure you read them in the order they are written.  They definitely aren’t standalone and the intricate storyline and character development makes it absolutely necessary that you do so.  I am definitely recommending them.

Cover art is wonderful and perfect for the story as well as branding the series.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published November 30th 2019 by Josh Lanyon
Original Title I Buried a Witch
ISBN13 9781945802942
Edition Language English
Bedknobs and Broomsticks Series

A MelanieM Review: Cowboy Seeks Husband by Leta Blake and Indra Vaughn

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Walker Reed’s Louisiana cattle ranch is in debt after costly repairs from hurricane damage. To get the money, his family schemes to make Walker the star of a new bachelor reality series: Queer Seeks Spouse.. How hard can it be to fake interest in a dozen handsome men for a few weeks in exchange for enough money to solve all of his problems?

Roan Carmichael never got his Masters degree after his mother was diagnosed with cancer. With medical bills piling up, and a costly experimental treatment available, Roan signs on to be a suitor on Queer Seeks Spouse. While he hates having to leave his sick mother long enough to win the cash for her treatment, he’s willing to do whatever it takes.

Can two men who are just in it for the money fake their way into real and lasting love? Cowboy Seeks Husband, the latest book by Vespertine authors Leta Blake and Indra Vaughn, features a cowboy, a hipster, opposites attract, steamy scenes, and heart tugging moments that will leave you wanting more.

While not a fan of the tv reality shows this novel is based on, I am definitely enthusiastic over this contemporary romance that uses one as the foundation for its story. Cowboy Seeks Husband by Leta Blake and Indra Vaughn turns out to be heartwarming and current, include characters of realistic depth and endearing qualities, as well as a romance I absolutely took to heart.  Did it make me want to watch the tv shows?  Nope!  But want more of these characters and their stories?  Yes, because I became very connected to them and the ranch it was filmed on.

Done all “behind the scenes” of a new queer dating game bachelor show, the authors bring all the contestants, and the hot, humid Louisiana setting of Walker Reed’s ranch vividly to life.  We meet not only Walker Reed (who I fell instantly in love with), but his father and lively stepmother, and then got a believable “feel” for the ranch they have lived on for all their lives and that will become the location for the show.  Then come the introductions to the many would be suitors, the showrunners, and  tv workers, equally important here.  The authors work to flesh out all the personalities to make the readers believe in them wholly, no matter where they fit into the novel.  It works beautifully.

I have to admit what worked for me the most is what also frustrates me about these shows.  The artificiality of it all, which is played up here in the story.  The growing romance between Walker and Roan, even knowing that it’s being filmed, the frustration and yes, secrets, the orders that have to be followed because of the legalities of the contracts.  All that is exactly why I won’t watch them but makes this story work so well.  I believe in these people, the good, the bad, the stressed out, all of them.

I won’t spoil anything by going further, except to say I love how it ended, as it should.  Except maybe another story to look into another stage in their lives.  I really connected with this couple and wasn’t’ ready to let them go.  There were other intriguing characters too here that I could see the authors revisiting. Hmmmm.

At any rate, I am definitely recommending Cowboy Seeks Husband by Leta Blake and Indra Vaughn as a heartwarming contemporary romance you will want to read! I love it and hope the authors revisit this universe soon.

Cover art: Dar Albert. I actually love this cover.  Colorful, and lively.  While it ventures a tad on the movie ish, that works for the storyline and characters.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 306 pages
Published February 28th 2019 by Leta Blake Books
ISBN1 39781626227811
Edition Language English

A Lucy Review:Tricks, Treats and a Spider (Winter Home Book 2) by Kassandra Lea

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

For Manuel Aguilar, holidays often bring on depressive episodes. But this is his first Halloween in the beautiful Victorian that his lover, Brett, renovated for them. He finds himself eager to celebrate. With the help of the neighbor girl, Poppy, he gets the house all decked out, including Blackberry, the large black and purple spider Brett gave him.

When the spider is stolen, Brett tries desperately to halt Manny’s spiral into depression even as the theft and vandalism disturb his own peace of mind. But whether it was a homophobic act or just a cruel prank, Brett and Poppy are determined to find Blackberry and save Halloween for Manny.

It is a cute Halloween-themed story centering around Manuel and Brett, who are spending their first Halloween in their own house.  With the help of Poppy, the teenage neighbor, Manuel has gone all out on the decorations, including the black and purple fuzzy spider, Blackberry, that was a gift from Brett and was sort of a talisman for their relationship.  It’s already been a difficult time because Manuel suffers from depression that is worse at holiday time.

In Brett, Manuel has unconditional love and acceptance.  There are numerous descriptions of “…the man he loved” and sometimes it was too much. Brett definitely does his best to stand by his man and support him and that part was lovely.  They are faced with dealing with the stolen spider, with Poppy, with depression and with repercussions of the theft.

There is a very good chance I will be in the minority for rating this one because while it was cute, it wasn’t memorable for me in any way.  I am a super fan of short stories and novellas but this one I felt needed more.  Things were a little too simplistic – Poppy and the spider, looking at leaves in the dark, depression.  Things needed to be developed more.

The cover, Manuel against a background of the house, is cute but simple.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:Kindle Edition, 70 pages
Published November 19th 2019 by Mischief Corner Books, LLC
ASIN B0819D5898

 

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Changes Coming Down (Changes #1) by Kaje Harper

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

This is an expanded edition of a short story being turned into a series. The relationship dynamic between the three lead characters is clear from the first scene, which is a phone call about a fatal car crash. The alternating of all three points of view throughout the story is vital to help piece together the different personalities, as well as softening the reader’s perception of what are three strong masculine characters. There are moments of insecurity and jealousy on Scott’s end, but it was Scott who decided they needed a third–someone nearby for Casey while he was on the road during hockey season, to be there for him with the horrors of his job as Sheriff. After adding Will, they have all been together three years. The author does a great job of capturing the tensions of the triad needing each other, but not being out–of not being able to touch each other in public, of everything happening behind locked doors, of living in fear of discovery. This relationship works really well because Scott is the glue that holds it all together–I knew it, but it was good to hear the guys say it too, that they know. These characters feel real. There is intimacy in everything they do, so while the sex is satisfying, it’s not the reason for the book; it’s well integrated into their relationship and the plot.

Due to them being closeted, there is a bubble they live in. Other characters are mentioned, but they don’t let anyone else into their lives. Casey’s family is cringeworthy. People can disagree on the politics of war, but they are very disrespectful towards Casey’s military service and job as a sherrif. Past hurts and pride are too much for Casey to overcome at one point, but that is as much a part of his character as anything else. Casey’s job takes center stage when it looks like the Slaters’ death wasn’t an accident. The Slaters were really Will’s only friends/family so with them dead, the ranch becomes the character that shows the most about who Will is as he struggles with his self worth, grief, and his place in the world. Even though he’s the oldest and in charge of the ranch, he rarely takes the lead in his personal life. Scott’s family is highlighted, but not focused on in this book. I like that the reader gets to see Scott’s POV when he is out of town in Canada, so that his profession isn’t given less weight as this plot mostly revolves around the ranch and Casey trying to solve the crime right before the election.

Even though I knew it was coming, parts of this are sad and disheartening. Kudos to the author for getting me so invested in these characters and their happiness, in what they wanted for themselves, that I forgot that sometimes when things don’t work out the way you want them to, things are actually better in the end. I liked all three characters enough to root for them as they make difficult choices. Life changes for each of them and they choose to grow together, using their relationship as a touchstone when all their careers are in transition. I would have rated this higher, but I wanted all the characters to feel as real as the triad. I wanted the epilogue to have been more nuanced rather than such a big slash. Still, those are small things since this is a book I can read enjoyably over and over.

The cover art is by Karrie Jax Cover Design (karriejax.com). I have to admit I didn’t love it at first as it’s a bit jarring, but that works well with the title and plot. The pictures show a lot about the book. Even the color choices are appropriate. It’s growing on me the more I look at it because the words also match each picture.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Published December 1st 2019 by self-published (first published November 27th 2019)
Edition Language English
Series Changes #1

A Lila Review: Red Popcorn Strings and Gumball Rings by Nell Iris

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Christmas is coming, and young couple Casey and Ellis are very much in love. Unfortunately, they’re also the definition of dirt poor, and they don’t have the money for nonessentials like decorations. Or a turkey. Or gifts. Between the recent death of Casey’s beloved momma and Ellis’s estrangement from his family, all they have is each other.

When Ellis finds the saddest-looking Christmas tree south of the Mason-Dixon Line thrown away outside his workplace and brings it home to Casey, things look up. Life is still a struggle, but wealth isn’t always measured in money, and what seems worthless to others is often invaluable to the people who love it.

Red Popcorn Strings and Gumball Rings is a cute holiday surprise. I loved the characters and how easy it was to feel their love for each other. In a couple of pages we experienced their loss, their needs, and their hope.

It’s kind of sad and at the same time, it gives the reader a sense of righteousness. It shows how little is needed to have a joyful holiday and how life only gives you what you can handle.

Happiness is apparent and I wanted more; more details,  more story, more love. For such a short story, it leaves a good impression and a smile on your lips.

The cover by Written Ink Design is simple and somehow matches the story. It’s a bit amateurish but it follows the JMS style.

Sale Links: JMS | Amazon | Nook

Book Details:
ebook, 46 pages
ISBN: 9781646561681
Published: December 7, 2019, by JMS Books
Edition Language: English

Release Blitz and Giveaway for Let Your Heart Be Light by J. R. Lawrie

 

 
 
Length: 49,000 words approx.
 



This holiday season, celebrate with a trio of festive gay romances by debut author J. R. Lawrie. This anthology features three stories sure to warm the heart and captivate the senses. Full of romance, humor, sweetness, and the perfect amount of heat, this collection is perfect for an evening by the fire.


FOR SERVICES RENDERED


Dr. David Christmas has heard every joke in the book when it comes to his name. Weary of the festive season and from his long shifts in the emergency room, David is also tired of his lonely single life. His only hope for Christmas is a glimpse of the shy but gorgeous neighbour who lives above him.


Christmas-loving Julian has nurtured a crush on the grumpy man downstairs for years now. Still hurting from his ex-boyfriend’s cruelty, he hasn’t yet dared to say hello. When an injury on Christmas Eve puts Julian directly into David’s careful hands, a little healing might be on the way.


KIND OF A BIG DEAL
and
THE FARRINGDON CLUB


Up-and-coming comedian Zack Wynn splits his time between the stage and the London pizza restaurant where he works, until life hands him one hell of a Christmas present. Richard Garston is the handsome and clever older man of Zack’s dreams, but what exactly is it that Richard does?


Soon, Zack learns the truth: Richard’s classified role in the British government makes him a much bigger deal than he claimed.


Is Zack ready for the politics and power of Richard’s world?
And is Richard’s world ready for him? 

J. R. Lawrie graduated from the University of Leeds with a BA in English Language and Literature in 2011. She believes queer readers deserve a wealth of interesting stories, not just familiar tales of self-loathing. She practices what she preaches in York, UK, with her wife and their three spoiled guinea pigs.


For news and updates, you can follow her on Twitter or Facebook 

 

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A MelanieM Review: Boy Next Door (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A. E. Wasp

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Hockey superstar Joey Luciano has always been good at being whatever people needed him to be. The fans want a good-looking fast-living party boy? Enter ‘the Looch,’ Joey’s carefully created public persona. But the cracks in his mask are starting to show, and he’s begun to lose touch with who he really is. It’s going to take someone who’s been there from the very beginning, to help him find his way home.

Coach Liam O’Reilly always had a very clear picture of what his life should look like. Falling in love with the infuriating, passionate, stubborn, and endlessly fascinating boy next door was not part of the plan. But when Liam’s carefully constructed life fell apart one Christmas Eve, Joey Luciano was there to pick up the pieces. Now Liam can’t stop wanting him.

The passion blazing between them on the ice and behind closed doors could leave both of them badly burned. But through the smoke, Liam can see glimpses of a future brighter than any he’d imagined, a future worth risking his career and reputation for, if only he is brave enough to reach for it.

But Joey’s got a secret he’s keeping from everyone. If it gets out, it could be the end of everything.

I really enjoyed the Boy Next Door (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A. E. Wasp.  It has so many elements I love in a contemporary romance, starting off with hockey players and hockey coaches in love combinations.  Or just a hockey element.  That always draws me in.  Wasp also has another aspect to this series and story I adore.  Large families that support the main characters!

Families easily identifiable by location (Boston), ethnicities (Irish and Italian), long association (neighbors), and even intertwined relationships.  This extended main cast is a huge factor in connecting the reader to the character of Joey Luciano (the Italian family) and Liam O’Reilly (the Irish one),  In a totally current and hilarious format, we often see the family members communicating with each other via group text.  It’s never overdone, totally funny, and very realistic.  It’s has the feel of family and truth.  And it brought these people and their lives right into my heart.

Joey, “the Looch” Luciano, is a 25 year old  with a lot of issues. On the outside, he’s let this “Looch” character he’s created take over his life (brash, outgoing to the  extreme that it seems like he’s hogging the media and outshining his teammates.  No one is happy with him, including himself.  On the inside it’s worse.  Wasp has created Joey as a insecure person, low self esteem to the point that he seeks approval from every source and everyone without asking himself why he needs it so.  This is an enormous issue, obviously.  Not his only one. On top of this Joey is dealing with the fact that he has loved Liam since he can remember, a love that he has never looked at what that meant.  Why?  Because he shrinks from being called gay or even bisexual.  Which imo is totally misused here with regards to Joey.

Joey is someone who has lacked self examination for most of his life and it’s not until he gets involved with Liam that he smacks into some hard realities for himself.  At about 51 percent, we get these musing from Joey…

“What did people see when they looked at him? Could they tell he was having sex with a guy? Probably not. He looked as normal as Paul and Robbie. And he wasn’t gay gay. If anything he was bisexual like Liam.”

There are so many flags in those sentences that show exactly how messed up Joey is over not only his sexuality but homosexuality in general.  Being gay isn’t “normal”?  He also has issues with femme versus masc. And as is worked out down the story, Joey really doesn’t enjoy sex with women, so no, not bisexual.  Yes, some of this flags get addressed, not as many as I wished but a lot.

There are so many broken layers to Joey, it’s just one right after enough. Panic attacks, health issues, and more that need to be seriously addressed. Are all given the depth of attention I would wish or deserve? Perhaps not but they aren’t blown off either. Believable, authentic cracks in this man.  Kudos to A.E. Wasp for creating such a character.

Liam is a strong character, older by 10 years than Joey.  I liked him and their relationship but honestly wondered if the author was going to use their hot, and admittedly kinky sex life as a bandaid for all of Joey’s deep problems.  Thankfully, the  answer is no.  Wasp let me wonder about that, while I enjoyed Joey and LIam working out their relationship and then gave me everything I hoped for in the ending of this story. That included my Washington Caps winning the Stanley Cup this year!  And therapy for Joey.  Win win.

The humor here had me cackling!  Whether it’s Knock Knock jokes or Liam’s younger brother Patrick trying to get Liam to switch out his posh furniture for a huge leather sectional that all the young hockey players can come over and watch TV on saying”

“It’s the traditional furnishings of our people!”

Well, this book and dialogue crackles with fun, the knowledge of what it is like to be young, in love, or a hockey player, or to just do dumb things.  And all of the above.

Yes, plenty of angst too.

If I also have a complaint, its the actual lack of hockey.

We get headlines, sports feeds,  but  little actual ice time.  These men are passionate about ice and hockey.  So where is the time on the ice?  Where is the sense of team?

We get little of that except towards the very end in the important game.  I wish so badly we had had lots more of that action throughout the story.  Then we could understand why Joey and Liam’s actions carried the weight of the love of ice behind them that they did.  I felt that was missing because we never really saw Joey on ice for the majority of the book.  We were told about it but never actually “felt” it through the character. And I felt that was a mistake.

But did I love this story?  Yes I did.  I thought the author did a tremendous job with the characters, actualizing a man on the brink of a life change for himself and letting us travel some of the journey with him.  Scary, messy, not totally complete, a work in progress as they say.  I think Joey would agree with that and be happy.  So would Liam and the rest of the two families.

I definitely look for more in this series.  I recommend this one for all lovers of contemporary romance and hockey and even a little love of spanking!

 

Cover art: Ana Phoenix.  Nice cover but doesn’t quite get the age difference.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US

Amazon UK 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 462 pages
Published September 21st 2018
ASINB07HL6TTW9
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHot Off the Ice #5