Category: M/M Book Reviews

Blog Tour – Finding My Way Home (Doyle Global Securities #2) by Kendel Duncan (excerpt)

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Finding My Way Home – Doyle Global Securities #2

Author:  Kendel Duncan 

Publisher: Dare Publishing & Design

Cover Artist:  Dara Nelson & Dan Skinner

Release Date: July 25, 2018

Genre/s:  Gay Romance, MM

Length: 53 000 words/230 pages

It is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone.

Add on Goodreads    

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US   

Amazon UK 

Blurb

“Have you ever been so lost that you couldn’t remember what home looked like, what it felt like?

So lost that home was a distant memory – a place that you never had hope of finding it again?

That’s how I felt, how I’d felt for years, for longer than I could remember.

Until I found you, Bas.

I just wish I could tell you that….

I’m coming.  I’m coming for you, Bas.  And I’m going to do my best to try….for you.”

~Ten

                                                                                                                                                

For longer than he could remember Tenley ‘Ten’ Pinkerton had been lost.  Wandering this earth with no hope, no soul, no heart, no purpose.  The day the love of his life, Sawyer, had been brutally murdered was the day that everything beyond the basic elements of survival – like breathing and a beating heart – had been shut down.

Until him.

Sebastian ‘Bas’ Monroe.

Fucking Bas Monroe.

Somehow the man had wormed his way past Ten’s defenses, past the armor plates surrounding his heart, past the pain.  Somehow he’d gotten inside.

Ten wasn’t really sure how he felt about that.

But the day that Bas went missing?

Ten knew that he would die if he that’s what it came to in order to find Bas, in order to save him.

The question that remained:

Was he going to be saving Bas Monroe?  Or was he going to be saving himself?

Excerpt

Ten followed Morgan back out to his car.  They were both completely silent for the twenty-minute drive to what looked to Ten like an abandoned warehouse complex.  But when they got closer Ten could see the tell-tale signs that this was a secret government facility: the electronic laser fencing, the high-tech motion sensors.

“I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy,” Ten said quietly.

He looked over to find Morgan smiling slightly even though every other part of his body was tense, “You would be correct scarecrow.”

As he turned into a weed covered parking lot, he slowed by what looked like a large rhododendron. As he rolled his window down, Ten mumbled, “Tin man.”

“What?” Morgan said as he looked back at Ten.

“I would be the Tin man in that scenario.  No heart, remember?”

“Oh,” Morgan said as he leaned out to move a large branch to the side revealing an electronic keypad with a fingerprint scanner below it, “You’re full of shit,” he mumbled as he punched in a code and pressed his thumb to the scanner.  There was a barely imperceptible beep, the circle around the fingerprint turned green and then Morgan let his foot off the brake.

“That’s it?” Ten said as he looked out the windows, “All it does is beep? How do you know you’ve been given clearance?”

“Because nobody is shooting at us.  And you’re still full of shit.”

“What do you mean?”

“About the shooting or the shit?” Morgan said with a smirk.

Ten rolled his eyes, “The shit, smartass.”

“You have the biggest heart of anyone I know.  You just choose to have it locked down tight.”

Morgan could pretty much hear the silent huff that Ten made as he glared at him.  “Stop trying to fix me, Morg.  It’s not possible.”

“And yet here you are ready to do anything and everything to save Bas.”

“Because you asked me to!”

“Bullshit.  That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

Ten opened his mouth to say something else but Morgan interrupted him.  “Tamp it down, Pinkerton.  We’re here,” he said as he put his car in park and shut it off.  He turned in his seat and pinned Ten with a look that said listen very carefully, so Ten did.

“Don’t do or say anything in there unless I tell you to.  Stay with me.  Don’t touch anything, don’t, just don’t….”

“Don’t what?”

“Just fucking behave, okay?”

Ten smirked, “Yes, Dad.  Can we go into the secret clubhouse now?”

“This is not a fucking joke, Ten.  Anyone in this building could kill you between heartbeats and there wouldn’t be a damn thing that I could do to stop it.  Do you hear me?”

Ten dipped his chin, the smirk long-gone from his face, “Yeah, Morg, I get it.”

“Okay, good.”

They both climbed out of the car and Ten frowned when Morgan didn’t lock it, “You’re not locking it?”

“They’re going to search it while we’re inside and when we leave so there’s really no point.”

“They can break into your car that easily?”

Morgan shook his head, “These people can do anything they fucking want to, Ten.  How can I convince you of that?”

“Okay, Morg, okay. I get it.  I promise, I get it,” Ten said as he walked over to Morgan and touched his tense shoulder.

Morgan took a deep breath and sighed it out, “I hope so, Ten.  I really hope so,” he said and then together they began walking to the front door.

About the Author

I was born and raised in the Bay Area of Northern California but have made my home in the Pacific Northwest for the last two decades.  My husband & I live on a small farm surrounded by chickens, goats, rabbits, a turkey, 5 dogs and a cat, in the shadow of stunning Mt Rainier.

With my grown children and grandchildren nearby, my life is always busy, happy and full of laughter.

I am an active Blogger, having created Love Unchained Book Reviews out of my love for all things MM books.

Owner of Dare Press – Offering quality, affordable services for indie authors, including:

Editing, Publishing, Book Cover Design

NY Literary Magazine Best Story Award 2017 Nominee

When I’m not on the phone with my best friend (which is at least once every day) – I am an avid, addicted reader.  It is my passion, my escape, my joy.
And I am most definitely a writer. The characters in my head are constantly demanding that their story be told.
But above all that – I am a human being. My passion for people is unparalleled, my firm belief in Love is Love unwavering, my hope that all can be accepted, undying. I do not write because I want to, I do it because I have to.  I write because these voices, these beautiful men, have chosen me to tell their stories – and how damn lucky am I for that?

As an author, I write under both my name and a pen name, with total transparency and honesty:


Dara Nelson 

Author of the wildly popular ‘Healing Hearts’ series (Love in the Aftermath, Love After Chaos, Love Worth Fighting For – and more to come soon)

“5 stars 5 stars  Amazing!!”

“Highly recommended”

“This is not your average romance story. It is so much more. A book that touched my heart.”

“OMG!!! This was probably one of the best books I’ve ever read.”

“This is the first time I’ve read anything from Dara Nelson, but it won’t be the last. I need more of her writing!”

Under the pen name Kendel Duncan:                                                                                         

Author of the popular & critically acclaimed ‘Black Ops Heroes’ series and the new top-selling ‘Doyle Global Securities’ series

“I can’t recommend Kendel Duncan or Black Ops Heroes ENOUGH!!!! OMG, everyone who likes strong vulnerable men will love these stories!!!”

“I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND THIS AMAZING SERIES!!!!!”

“I love how you keep the story going and keep all the characters interesting. Can’t wait for the next book!”

“The emotions are so raw and just I don’t have the right words to express how amazing the books are. You have to read them to understand. I can’t wait for the next installment!!”

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Facebook

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A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Romeo for Real (Romeo & Julian) by Markus Harwood-Jones

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

I’m glad I read Just Julian before this story or I may have been completely lost. Although the couple is the same and the events are the same, this story is told from Romeo’s perspective and it’s completely different from Julian’s. And yet, the two stories together complement each other. Unfortunately, the author does not indicate which book should be read first, and in reality, he probably should have simply combined both POV’s and created one book.

I liked this story, in large part, I believe, because I knew what was going to happen already. I also like Romeo’s character more—at least I liked much of his character and perspective in this book, though I didn’t care for his early participation in gay bashing. I did, however, understand the peer pressure that led to it.

I think even Julian’s mother was easier to understand when viewed from Rome’s POV. His own parents were barely mentioned in Julian’s book and were perfect examples of unlikeable persons in this one. The vice principal, Mrs. Duke, was quite nasty to him in this story, and yet was a friend of Julian’s mother and an advocate for LBGTQ rights in that book, in which she also had a larger role.

The friend base was a bit different and interactions among their friends included more on those secondary characters in this story. But like the other book, I found it odd that there was so much diversity in that high school—especially given the homophobic bullying and the parents’ attitudes.

All in all, I would recommend that if someone wants to read this, they should read Just Julian first as I believe the perspective is in better balance reading that before this one. But neither book is one I’d highly recommend to my friends in general. But those who enjoy YA stories might like this look at a little slice of life in this small town.

Cover art by Shabnam Safari using a Shutterstock image features a head shot of a beautiful young man with a perplexed or confused look on his face. The look is fitting for the character, but the man is not how I would have pictured Romeo.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 168 pages
Published April 1st 2018 by Formac Lorimer (first published February 1st 2018)
ASINB079K58SK3
Series Romeo & Julian

Just Julian

Romeo for Real

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Just Julian (Romeo & Julian) by Markus Harwood-Jones

Rating 2.5 stars out of 5

In a nutshell, I thought this story had lots of potential that was not quite achieved. And to be honest, the number of LGBTQ+ characters for one small town seemed way out of proportion to the general population.

Perhaps because the underlying theme is YA and I don’t read many books featuring teens, or perhaps because of the very obvious play on the Romeo and Juliet theme, or perhaps the author’s writing style or his desire to pack every diverse LGBTQ character known to mankind into one short story, somehow it didn’t ring true to reality. It was okay, and I liked many parts of it, but it was a bit overdone in some of the dramatics and characterizations.

Julian Capulet is nineteen, but hasn’t finished school yet. He’s taking online courses because the bullying and physical abuse he suffered at school became impossible for him to overcome, but there’s one course left, and he can’t focus long enough to finish. When he gets stressed or depressed, he retreats to his room and paints. Well, it appears he paints—he throws paints on canvas in dramatic brush strokes. His mother seems to have a part time job and is an advocate—an OTT advocate—for LGBTQ rights. His friends are all apparently somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum: gay, bi, lesbian, trans, nonbinary, asexual, demisexual, and more. Given that so many teens in this story identify as non-heterosexual, the focus in the latter part of the story on the need to increase awareness of LBGTQ teens in the schools and stop homophobic bullying seems superfluous.

When Julian meets Romeo (yes, Romeo!) at a party and their attraction seems mutual, he’s at first distrusting since Romeo has been with the group of boys who’ve bullied him. But Romeo claims he’s different, and he and Julian become a couple. Julian’s mother very liberally lets Romeo stay overnight. Later in the story when we meet Romeo’s mother (Mrs. Montague) it’s evident that she’s not happy with the relationship.

Of course, there’s no smooth sailing for either young man because just when they think they are free to be themselves, Romeo’s former buddies show up and attack the couple (see blurb for more detail). As the story ends, the two have decided to fight for their rights by participating in a school rally organized by Julian’s mother (of course) and the mother of Julian’s trans friend. I suspect their relationship-building will continue in the next story as this ends on a HFN.

Cover art by Shabnam Safari using a Shutterstock image is a photo of a young man with auburn hair and oriental features. It clearly represents the main character, Julian, and with the cloudy sky background, it’s attention-getting.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 168 pages
Published February 1st 2018 by Lorimer
ISBN 1459412931 (ISBN13: 9781459412934)
SeriesRomeo & Julian

A Lucy Review: Admiring Ash (Love Letters #1) by Anyta Sunday

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Ash Heartford’s parents have not been the greatest role models.  Since he never knew his father and his mother had a bad habit of falling in obsessive love that pushed her men away, he’s been sort of on his own.  That was okay until four years ago when his half-sister, Danielle, turned up on his doorstep on the wrong side of Greenvile. Mom had died and Dani had nowhere to go.  Ash stepped up, put his life on hold so he could take care of Dani and make sure her future was settled.  The fact that Ash is crushing those pennies is beside the point.  “He was sick of struggling financially.  No matter how hard he worked scrubbing toilets, he was constantly failing Danielle.”  Of course, he isn’t failing her at all and he has sacrificed everything for her but he doesn’t see that.  He has his cat, Chucky, for company and that’s all he needs as he tries to survive his jobs (yes, multiple) cleaning for other people.

So it is with some trepidation that he receives a letter delivered by the beautiful River.  A letter that lets him know he did have family in a grandfather, Lester, who has now unfortunately passed away.  He is bequeathing his historic home and book store to Ash, a continuation of a family legacy.  Since River was like a grandson to Lester, he has been asked to help Ash out with anything he needs.  Everything, that is, except getting involved with him.  Ash, according to Lester, is off limits.

Silver Pines is a lovely place and there are some suits from a corporation willing to pay big money for it.  River desperately wants Ash to keep it, keep Lester’s legacy, but it’s very difficult when you are literally scratching for pennies to turn down two hundred grand.  River has a week to convince Ash the more modest living he will get from Silver Pines is worth it.  River is from the rich side of town and has never really understood what it’s like to scrounge. “River had never hated being wealthy.  Until now, as Ash dropped on all fours in the obscenely large second kitchen to scrub…”

So River begins to show Ash what the legacy means.  Who Lester was.  The letters, exchanged by River and Lester through a mailbox inside Silver Pines, were so sweet.  The last one especially, that Lester never got to read.  How to run Silver Pines and care for it.  He shares stories with Ash and they begin to be friends, and maybe more.  But Ash keeps it cool because he always remembers that everything River is doing for him, he’s doing because of Lester.  River, who never does relationships and keeps it at one-night stands, begins to understand why Lester declared Ash off limits.

Of course, there is the moment that River has his epiphany that causes problems.  Not the classic misunderstanding, per se, but something like that.  Can they come back from it?  Can they even make this work, the rich guy and the poor guy?

Secondary characters here are interesting.  Dani is not a spoiled girl and she appreciates all that Ash does for her.  When Ash realizes his 16-year-old sister is having sex, the mild attack he has was funny, if bittersweet. Because the Heartfords drive their men off, he’s very afraid that either he or Dani will fall into that same trap.  “He’d made it a point to avoid engaging with me.  Men and Heartfords didn’t stick.  Men were only ever points of obsession.”  There is River’s twin brother, Landon, a sweet man who had a week-long fling with a straight (very closeted?) basketball player and is now spending his time in constant pain of unrequited love.  Their great friend, Ben, knows that that’s like (and I know where I want the next book, Begging Ben, to go).  “I don’t chase after guys who will never return my feelings.”  Ahh, Ben.

This was a good start to a new series.  There are supposed to be 26 Love Letters, working through the alphabet, so I’m curious to see how that works.  I am a fan of Anyta Sunday and I am looking forward to this series continuing.

Cover art by Natasha Snow is simple, colored background with Ash pictured.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 176 pages
Published July 29th 2018
Original Title Admiring Ash
ASINB07G18ZKDT
Edition Language English
Series Love Letters #1

Release Day Blitz: Love Letters by Anyta Sunday

 

 

 

Admiring Ash

Series (name + # in series):  Love Letters #1

Publisher: Anyta Sunday (self-published)

Release Date (Print & Ebook): July 31st, 2018

Length (Print & Ebook): 41600 words / 222 pages

Subgenre: Light-hearted, sexy gay romance

Direct Link: https://www.anytasunday.com/projects/admiring-ash

(Link will be live July 31st)

Book blurb:

A is for Ash Heartford.

Adorable, strong, and independent.

Abandoned by his parents and attached to only person—his little sister.

Attracted to River, the sultry man who saunters onto his doorstep with startling news.

Always yearning for more River, yet afraid to let him in.

Should he play it safe, or claim his legacy and risk losing his heart?

A is for Admiring Ash.

Tropes: Slow burn, virgin, one true love, happily ever after, related but not, hurt/comfort, forbidden love

Themes: Sudden inheritance, broken family, insta-dad 

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Begging Ben

(Please do not publish title or cover before July 31st!)

Series (name + # in series): Love Letters #2

Publisher: Anyta Sunday (self-published)

Release Date (Print & Ebook): July 31st, 2018

Length (Print & Ebook): 41000 words / 220 pages

Subgenre: Light-hearted, sexy gay romance

Direct Link:

https://www.anytasunday.com/projects/begging-ben

(Link will be live July 31st)

Book blurb:

B is for Ben Spengler.

Brilliant. Bashful. Burned.

Brimming with desire for his BFF Landon, who is beyond compare.

But they aren’t the same Ben and Landon anymore. Not after what Landon did. And didn’t do.

Bitter about his unrequited love.

Bound by a night of drunken promises.

Will the chemistry between them change, or will Ben break first?

B is for Begging Ben.

Challenging Chance

Series (name + # in series): Love Letters #3

Publisher: Anyta Sunday (self-published)

Release Date (Print & Ebook): July 31st, 2018

Length (Print & Ebook): 32000 words / 182 pages

Subgenre: Light-hearted, sexy gay romance

Direct Link: https://www.anytasunday.com/projects/challenging-chance

(Link will come live July 31st)

Book blurb:

C is for Chance Roosevelt-Sutton.

Chiseled jaw. Smug attitude. Wild ways.

Chained to his ego—or so everyone thinks. Except his personal assistant, Brook. He knows better.

Chance is challenged to make his father happy for once, but he needs Brook’s help.

Choosing honesty is too risky, so instead they choose secrecy.

Choked by their pasts, they dream of a better life . . . and

Charm each other into submission.

Will their pasts ruin what they have, or will they grow together?

C is for Challenging Chance.

Tropes: Alpha male, millionaire bad boy, athlete, help/comfort

Themes: Basketball, coming out

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Series blurb:

Feisty. Nerdy. Sexy. Secretive.

Greenville has them all.

A small town with big hearts, Greenville awakens at the mercy of Millionaire Row, the wealthy neighborhood across the tracks from Poplar Low.

Bad-tempered boys meet cheeky lovers.

Colliding worlds spark a fire of emotion. Heat rages. Hearts mend. Love is lost. And found.

Love Letters are playful, sexy, contemporary M/M stories that can be read as standalones.

Welcome to Greenville. Come for the sexy boys. Stay for the HEA.

Excerpts:

Admiring Ash Teaser #1:

Who was this River? What was he doing here, unless . . .

Ash narrowed his eyes. Attractive and charming. Hadn’t his sister mentioned she was crushing on a local college guy? “Oh, fuck me. You’ve knocked up my sister, haven’t you?”

All playfulness evaporated as Ash catalogued River from head to toe. Would Ash be spending the next twenty years raising a kid that resembled this man? Would that kid grow up—like all the Heartfords—addicted to love? Raising fatherless children? Obsessed with falling for men, believing, every time that this one was the one?

He’d hoped he and Danielle would kick the tradition. 

He almost punched the stunningly sculpted man in the mouth. 

Admiring Ash Teaser #2:

“You have deft fingers.”

Ash’s voice vibrated through him, urging River to make a move. The playful twitch of those lips begged to be kissed as much as River’s lips begged to do the kissing. 

He wanted to slide his hands into Ash’s tangled hair and let their lips collide.

He wanted Ash under him, mapping every inch of his skin with his mouth. 

He wanted Ash not to be off-limits . . .

But he was.

Begging Ben Teaser #1:

Waking up after a night of drinking? Fun times.

Ben’s pulse rang in his ear. He shifted slightly, foot moving the sheets and funneling air over his body—

An arm tightened around him, and Ben froze.

What. The. Hell.

With a shaky breath, he absorbed the details. The arm strapped across his chest; the boner pressing against the small of his back; the steady breathing drifting through the back of his hair. The heady scent of Landon cloaked around him, musky, traced with citrus.

He screwed his eyes shut tightly, pulling the pieces of last night together. There’d been puns and drinking games, and a wedding ceremony in the twenty-four-hour chapel.

No, wait. That last part was a bizarre dream.

Begging Ben Teaser #2:

“What do you want from a real marriage?”

Ben paused, clawing back the “you” desperately trying to escape him. Not Landon. He was over that. “I want to have someone who supports me, and vice versa. I want conversations and shared interests. I want common goals, my husband and I, a team. Us against the world. I want to be so close to him that I can guess what he is thinking. I want a man who sees I have failures and flaws but loves me anyway. Who has a fantastic sense of humor and finds joy laughing at the silly things. And . . . .”

“And?”

Ben couldn’t hold Landon’s deeply curious gaze. “I want to be his first choice. Not a backup when the guy he really wants doesn’t want him back.”

The silence that followed felt thick and taut, and Ben struggled to breathe.

Landon sat back with a determined stare toward the road. He licked his bottom lip and his hand rested on the wheel, thumb tapping. “You deserve all that, Ben. That and more.”

Challenging Chance Teaser #1:

Clenching the folder tightly against his chest, Brook kicked up a half smile. “I know you are a playboy, and charmingly faulted,” he said. “Didn’t think you’d be sexist too.”

Chance slung the towel around his neck, stretching it taut by pulling the ends. “There you have it,” he said. “I’m all those things.”

He sounded cocky, but the follow-up swallow and downward glance had Brook pausing. The glimpse of vulnerability quickly vanished as Chance strode off the court.

Brook hustled after him, matching his long stride easily since Chance was only a hair taller.

“I can do the job as good as anyone,” he said. “I’ll be at your beck and call, whenever you need me. Most importantly, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Chance abruptly stopped and whisked around. “What do you mean you’ll keep your mouth shut?”

“Public intoxication, public indecency, driver’s license revoked two years ago for accumulating too many fines. None of it is my business. I’ll help you navigate whatever paperwork comes with it, of course. But outside you and me? My lips are sealed.”

He would never blurt Chance’s mistakes in a crowded café. Though he’d been grateful to overhear the ex-PA, he didn’t condone being unprofessional and blabbing about an employer’s affairs.

Everyone made mistakes. They didn’t need those mistakes defining them.

Challenging Chance Teaser #2:

Brook pulled him tighter by the lapels of his suit, returning the kiss. He pulled back, breath drizzling over Chance’s wet lips. Brook’s eyes held a ray of earnestness. Something soft and unspoken drifted between them but Chance couldn’t quite grasp it. He frowned and stepped back. Ran a hand through his hair and glanced at himself in the mirror. Lips red, cheeks flushed—and he was grinning.

“Never stop smiling like that,” Brook whispered, sliding behind him, arms circling his waist to undo the jacket button. “You look amazing. I’d like to see that last jacket on you though. To make an informed decision.”

Informed decision, his tight ass.

He smirked at Brook in the reflection of the mirror. The sales assistant knocked on the door. Chance called out, “Just trying on the last jacket.”

“If you need any help . . .”

Brook drew off the jacket, palms sweeping over his shoulders down to his forearms.

“I’m fine, thanks.” Chance hoped he hadn’t croaked on that last sentence. Heels tapped across marble floor, growing fainter.

 

About Anyta Sunday:

HEART-STOPPING SLOW BURN

A bit about me: I’m a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.

My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, and Thai.

Author website: http://www.anytasunday.com/

Author newsletter signup: http://www.anytasunday.com/newsletter-free-e-book/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anytasunday

Instagram: https://instagram.com/anytasunday