Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

A MelanieM Review: Suspicion (Diversion Book 7) by Eden Winters

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

 

Lucky “Simon Harrison” Lucklighter left behind his criminal past to become one of the best agents in the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau. He’s found a committed partner in fellow agent Bo Schollenberger and built a life.

Now, enemies within the SNB and a friend’s betrayal leave him nowhere to turn—not even to his mentor.

His boss’s life, the future of the SNB, and Lucky’s career depend on him. With the help of his lover, an old enemy turned ally, and a man Lucky thought he’d seen the last of, he must stand and fight for what he believes in.

Even if he has to step outside the law.

Suspicion picks up after the events in Reunion, the sixth book in Eden Winters’ fabulously entertaining and complex Diversion series.  There Lucky “Simon Harrison” Lucklighter had quite the reunion with his father as well as old lover.  Bo Schollenberger too had his emotional travails and sorrows that almost broke him and them.  Now with Lucky recovered, the focus shifts back to their shared office and enemies at the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau’s Department of Diversion Prevention and Control.  And that  also means danger for Walter, Lucky’s boss, mentor, and unspoken “father” stand-in.

Through six books, we have been through incredible growth with these characters.  Emotional and great personal development as they matured and endured great upheavals in every sector of their lives.  Near death experiences, addiction, great loves lost and reunited, unbelievable angst, and yes, betrayal, laughter and joy.  This is quite the saga.

At this point, Lucky and Bo have settled into an established relationship, out at work as a couple,live in nephews, pets and all.  It’s been hard won, and we’ve been with them every step of the way.  Lucky and Bo, along with all the supporting cast of characters either from their work or from outside (Lucky’s sister, people from their pasts…) are all so well constructed.  Flawed, vivid, ornery at times, and all so real that you often forget they don’t exist outside this series.  They feel that authentic as do their situations and everyday complex realities of the pharmaceutical business.

Winters plot is tightly laid out,  dense layers threaded through with both an overall series arc as well as a singular storyline plot makes for a complex, adventurous tale.  A monkey box puzzle sort of feel at times, not sure if it’s going to be scary or fun or both. So many twists and turns for us and our main characters to fight through, one hurdle, one barrier or more at a time.  At its heart is Lucky, scrabbling with everything in him for the people he loves, Bo, Walter, his extended family, trying to figure out who to trust while coming out ahead.

How I love this man and the man he loves.

Eden Winters has said she has two more books  planned for this  series.  That both distresses me because it means the end is in sight for this series I love and that it not over yet. Something to celebrate.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting both Lucky and Bo, please don’t start here.  Do these great characters and their series justice by starting at the beginning.  I’ve listed them all for you below.  Watch that first inauspicious meeting, then that wild  ride of a road to romance, love and a settled relationship you will find here.  It’s one hell of a rocky road and should be read in the order they were written.  Don’t miss a book.  I highly recommend them all, including this one, Suspicion (Diversion Book 7) by Eden Winters.  

It’s one of my favorites this year!

Cover art: LC Chase.  It’s always hard for me to really get into these headless torso covers.  They are overdone these days, especially those with a gun.  I’d at least like to a Lucky the Cat or another element special to this story or series included.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 281 pages
Expected publication: January 5th 2019 by Rocky Ridge Books
ASINB07LDYVBTV
Edition Language English
Series Diversion – add to Goodreads here.

Diversion

Collusion

Corruption

Manipulation

Redemption

Reunion

Suspicion

An Alisa Review: Best Christmas Ever by Terry O’Reilly

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Bowing to his parents’ homophobic demands, Professor Henry Rodimacher always chose Christmas with his family over spending it with his partner. However, when Jeremy became terminally ill, Henry defied his family and stayed home for Jeremy’s final Christmas.

After Jeremy passes, Henry decides it’s time to mend fences, so despite a raging snowstorm, he starts the long drive home. Before he gets very far, though, he’s alarmed to see a hitchhiker out in the weather, Henry offers the man a ride, and is surprised the hitchhiker is Jimmy Wilks, a former student of his.

The heavy snow eventually forces Henry and Jimmy to leave the highway and take refuge in an abandoned log cabin. As the two hunker down to wait out the storm, they give into their mutual attraction and celebrate a wonderful Christmas together.

Can their newfound love survive once the snow thaws? Will history repeat itself with Henry going back home alone, or will the magic of their best Christmas ever live on into the New Year and beyond?

I really liked the bulk of this story.  It starts with Henry being very shy and uncertain of himself because of his past relationship and family.  Jeremy seems to know what he wants but isn’t quite ready to say it out loud.

I liked how they interacted once they were on the same page and really did have a great little Christmas together, though everything just worked out great from their feelings to the owner of the cabin being fine with everything, not very realistic.  Most of this is told from Henry’s point of view so I feel a little more connected to him and was very glad for him to realize his parents’ restrictions are too much for them to ask.  There was a big flash of doubt for Terry near the end which didn’t seem like him but it was quickly resolved.

The cover art by Written Ink Designs is a nice picture for the story.

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 68 pages

Published: December 15, 2018 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634868334

Edition Language: English

New Release Blitz for Whiteout Conditions (Black Ops Heroes #10) by  Dara Nelson (writing as Kendel Duncan) (excerpt and giveaway)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Whiteout Conditions – Black Ops Heroes #10

Author:  Dara Nelson (writing as Kendel Duncan)

Publisher: Dare Press

Cover Artist: Dara Nelson / Dan Skinner

Genre/s: Contemporary gay romance

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 58 060 words/ 361 pages

It is a standalone story but is part of a series.

Release Date: December 30, 2018

Add on Goodreads

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US

Amazon UK 

Tagline

Sometimes all it takes is a glance

Blurb

Sometimes all it takes is a glance

One brief moment in time, seemingly insignificant but ultimately life changing

That glimpse through the storm, that shadow, that silhouette, of something you can’t help but feel is something… more, something bigger than just you.

For Deputy US Marshal Vaughn Kepler – a man beaten down by both time and his own demons – it’s a smirk in the mirror, eyes that dance and a mouth that both infuriates and turns him the f*&k on.  A mouth belonging to one Caysun Rourke.

The problem?  Caysun is supposed to be his witness, the person who will lead Vaughn to his missing brother.

He’s not supposed to be the man that Vaughn desperately wants warming his bed.

But he is.  

What the hell is Vaughn supposed to do with that?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Sylas Thorne, that one glance was in the rearview mirror of his car.  

When he caught sight of the sexiest man he’d ever seen.

A man who gave ‘objects in the mirror are larger than they appear’ an entirely new meaning.

But Sylas didn’t do… people.

His severe anxiety had kept him hidden away from the world for as long as he could remember.

He was the man, the voice, behind the computer screen.  Anonymous.

Just the way he liked it.  

Or he did, anyways.

How could he ever hope to gain the love of anyone, let alone the handsome man staring at him with the gorgeous light green eyes?

Yet with just a glance, this man made Sylas want to be a man worthy of one Grainger Peele.

He wanted to face his fears and say ‘eff you’ to them.

But it wasn’t like he could snap his fingers and make his crippling anxiety disappear.  If he could, he would’ve done that years ago.

Now the only question that remained was: Could a man like Grainger ever love such mess like him?

When conditions are fierce, when you can barely see your hand in front of your face – is that one glimpse, that fleeting glance, enough to carry you through the storm to the end?

This is the 10th installment in the world of the Black Ops Heroes – strong yet vulnerable men who are stubborn and loyal, caring and fierce, and who, when they love, they love with their whole damn hearts.

While this book is a standalone, it is recommended that you read the other books in the series to meet and fall in love with all of the men in this amazing world.

Excerpt

Sylas’s fingers shook as he brought his hands up to grip the top of his steering wheel.  He was trying to stop himself from restarting his car, backing out of the parking space and going home.

Home was safe.

Home was dark.

Home was… lonely.

That’s why he was here, right?

He’d been seeing Cece for eight months now.  At first, she’d come to his place, then they started doing Skype sessions as she tried to convince him to venture to her office for their chats, as she called them.

Today was the first time in almost a year that he’d actually left the house.

Panic had his forehead sweating, his pulse pounding.  His head started to shake side to side, “Nope. Can’t do it,” he mumbled.

He shifted in his seat to turn the key in the ignition when something in his rearview mirror caught his eye.  Something big, like fucking huge. He had no clue what the face looked like that was attached to the body walking towards his car but, at the moment he really didn’t care.

“Damn,” he mumbled as he watched that deep blue pinstripe suit sauntering closer.  The suit jacket was unbuttoned, giving Sylas teasing glimpses of the firm torso barely hidden beneath the white button-up shirt.  The thighs bulged with every step the man took. Those thick legs were spread slightly and as Sylas’ eyes dropped a bit, he could see why.

“Holy fuck,” he whispered as he saw the outline of a thick, long cock bouncing from side to side on the man’s left thigh, like the arm of a metronome.  No wonder the guy had to spread his legs. And he was commando. Damn. If his cock was that big it probably meant he had some big, ripe juicy balls that he was forced to make room for too.

Suddenly being out in public didn’t seem so bad.

The man stopped next to Sylas’ car, with that bulge perfectly framed in Sylas’ mirror.

As Sylas touched the button to lower his window, his brain to mouth filter disappeared.  “I know it says objects in mirror are larger than they appear but damn, dude,” he said.

The man chuckled, a deep, sexy sound that flowed over Sylas like liquid chocolate.  “You here to see Dr. Peele?”

“I think so?” he mumbled, his nerves re-appearing despite the hunk of man standing next to him.

The man pulled a phone out of his pocket and brought it to his ear, “Hey, Brenda.  Are there any patients in the waiting room? No? Good. Tell Cece her next appointment will be up shortly.”

The man returned his phone to his pocket.

“The only thing standing between you and her is that door and a receptionist,” the man said.

Sylas stared at the office door.  

Could he do this?

“I promise things will feel better, Quattro.”

Sylas frowned, “Quattro?”

“Don’t know your name so I went with the car you’re in.”

Sylas smirked as he glanced into his rearview mirror again to see the sleek, black, powerful car parked behind him that blue suit had emerged from.  “Well, to be honest, there are three things standing in my way.”

“Three?”

“Yep.  That door, a receptionist,” he said as he pointed his finger over his steering wheel, “And your ginormous package, Mustang.”

The guy snorted a laugh that Sylas found completely adorable…and hot as fuck.  Mustang took a step back so Sylas could open his door – which he did, surprising even himself.

He stood to his feet turned around and dragged his eyes slowly up blue suit guy’s body until, yep, that was a gasp, because staring back at him with a grin on his face, with perfect white teeth, and dark, sexy stubble covering his chin and perfect jaw, high cheekbones with lickable dimples, strong eyebrows and light green eyes that were full of mischief and… understanding – was easily the most beautiful man that Sylas Thorne had ever seen.  

About the Author

I did not choose to write… writing chose me

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 reading – mostly 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 my pen name (Kendel Duncan), with total transparency and honesty.

Dara Nelson is the author of:

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!!”

Author Links

Blog/Website

Facebook

Twitter: @daranel 

Instagram @daranel1  

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win one of five copies of any ebook from Dara’s backlist.

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Love Contemporary Romance? Check out Always Forward! Never Straight by Charley Descoteaux (exclusive excerpt and giveaway)

Always Forward! Never Straight

by

Charley Descoteaux

Publisher: CeeTwo Publications

Release Date: January 1, 2019

Cover Artist: Rainbow Danger Designs

 

Blurb:

Love isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.

 

Baxter Bryan is the nerdy half of BaxCo, a start-up in Portland’s Silicon Forest creating cutting-edge high-tech toys. He’s also a hermit. When BaxCo sponsors the Portland Rock and Roll Half Marathon, Bryan decides to break out of his comfort zone and do more than listen to the music with a beer in hand. The race has barely started when he bumps into a fit, handsome man, causing sparks to fly. But the long hours needed to make BaxCo a success aren’t the only reason Bryan spends most of his time alone in his apartment.

 

Cay Nissen runs every day to stay in shape. He would love to run away from his job in a Silicon Forest cube farm, but keeps returning to support his teenaged daughter. His true love is music. Cay writes songs for the band he helped form in high school but doesn’t see any way to turn music into a career. The half marathon seemed like a decent way to pass a Saturday, make his boss happy, and catch a performance of his old band all at the same time. When he meets a man who sparks his interest, the safety of his cubicle isn’t the only part of his life that’s in jeopardy of changing.

Pages:  86

Exclusive Excerpt:

The final stage held a jazz combo playing something smooth, but not too smooth, and we veered toward it as though it had been scripted. Or maybe agreed upon, but I wasn’t in any condition to speak. I didn’t want to wheeze when Cay didn’t seem to be having any trouble, so I kept my mouth shut.

In front of the stage, a bunch of tables and chairs had been arranged, along with a booth to buy water and fruit. I frowned at the recycling bins there—adorned with the swish, of course—but before we reached them, I had decided if he made any kind of move, it was on. Without much thought, I realized I didn’t care if he had a kink for bearish men or if he wanted to have revenge sex or even if he’d never been with a man before (all things that had been no-brainers in my youth, automatic no-thank-yous)—I’d do anything he let me.

By the way he’d subtly directed our route, I thought it might turn out to be “anything he told me to do” and was surprisingly okay with that, even though vanilla should be my middle name. We stopped and grabbed water, and I almost sighed aloud when I saw the way his shirt clung to his body. Damn, never had a man with a six-pack before.

I reminded myself I might not get this one—probably wouldn’t—and he invited me to sit on a bench with a gesture. Both sitting—close enough to feel the heat coming off him in waves—I noticed he was breathing heavily, and smelled amazing. His large hands worried at the bottle of water between sips. Maybe he’s a little wound up from more than the race too?

Cay leaned his forearms on his thighs and glanced my way before asking, “You like jazz?”

I tore my gaze away from his hands and didn’t let myself linger on his eyes before checking out the band. Safer. “Yeah. I collect vinyl. Jazz records.” Duh, idiot.

“So, a redhead named Bryan. Are you Irish?”

Damn, he has a sexy voice. Even if I am more gray than red now.

“Sort of. I mean, a little. How’d you get a name like Cayman? I mean, it’s unusual.”

“Mom. Dude. Island.” I glanced over, and he had one eyebrow raised.

I got it. I opened my mouth to apologize for prying but instead out came a smartass comment, “Grand Cayman?”

A grin bloomed on his lips, and he turned away and laughed, as though he’d tried to contain it but failed. He sipped his water and then said, in a low rumbling voice meant only for me, “You’ll have to be the judge of that.”

I sprayed a mouthful of water onto the pavement in front of us. A few people moved away and made comments regarding my rudeness, but when I dared a look, Cay was grinning and shaking his head as he patted my back.

 

Buy Always Forward! Never Straight or read free on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon Universal Link:  mybook.to/AlwaysForward

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43096991-always-forward-never-straight?from_search=true

About the Author:

Charley Descoteaux is the author of the Buchanan House Love Stories. Book One was a USA Today Must-Read Romance.

Charley has always heard voices. She was relieved to learn they were fictional characters, and started writing when they insisted daydreaming just wasn’t good enough. In exchange, they’ve agreed to let her sleep once in a while. Charley has survived earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods, but couldn’t make it through a single day without stories.

Rattle Charley’s cages:

Newsletter: https://my.sendinblue.com/users/subscribe/js_id/2m34r/id/2

Blog:  http://cdescoteauxwrites.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/charley.descoteaux.3

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CharleyDescoteauxAuthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CharleyDescote

Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/aqe7g7r

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/charleydescote/

e-mail: c.descoteauxwrites@gmail.com

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Love to Listen to Your Stories? Check out A Dance For Two by Colette Davison and Neil MacFarlane (Narrator)

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW TOUR

Book Title: A Dance For Two

Author: Colette Davison

Publisher: Colette Davison/Independently published

Narrator: Neil MacFarlane

Release Date: December 6, 2018

Genre/s: Romance, LGBT

Heat Rating: 4 flames   

Length:  5 hours 33 minutes

The story stands-alone, but has a loosely linked sequel. An audiobook is in production for that.

Add on Goodreads

 

A Dance For Two is a stepbrother romance with ‘plenty of angst, love, attraction, lust and finally a HEA ending.’

 

 

Blurb

Adam and Luc used to be close. At least they were before Luc distanced himself from Adam at fourteen, then eventually left home. Adam never got over the sting of betrayal, or the loss of his one-time best friend.

When Luc is invited back home to help get his parents’ failing dance school back on track, Adam isn’t sure he can cope with having his stepbrother back in his life. Especially when he discovers Luc’s decade old secret.

Luc left home because he was sure no one would understand that he had fallen in love with his stepbrother.

Convinced that the years of distance he has put between them will have erased his desire, Luc doesn’t hesitate to return home to help the business that means everything to his parents. Confronted by Adam once more, Luc’s past feelings re-awaken. But will revealing his true feelings to Adam heal the rift between them, or drive them even further apart?

***This novel contains explicit language and sex scenes between step-brothers***

 

Buy Links

Audible US (bounty link) 

Audible UK (bounty link)

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Audible US

Audible UK

 

Listen to a sample on any of the above links or here on Soundcloud

 

About the Author

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

 

Author Links

Audible Profile

Blog/Website

Facebook

Twitter

BookBub

Facebook Group

Mailing list

 

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW TOUR SCHEDULE

 

 

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Release Blitz and Giveaway for You Forever Always by KA Merikan

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited.
 
Length: 50,000 word approx.
 
Cover Design: Natasha Snow
 
Underdogs Series 
 
Book #1 – Manic Pixie Dream Boy – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 – Just Here For The Pain – Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Blurb

 

—Years of loving in secret. Now the secret’s out.—



Mage. Reasonable. Mature. In love with his best friend’s little brother.
Dawn. Painfully shy. Crazy talented. An anxious cinnamon roll in need of protection.


Mage has always been Dawn’s hero. He’s been there for him when Dawn was bullied, when Dawn came out, and when he joined The Underdogs. He’s also been Dawn’s first and only love—painfully unrequited, since Mage is straight. But that’s only for the better, because they’re bandmates, and Dawn’s brother is Mage’s best friend.


It would all be too intense, too complicated, too real.


But then one drunken kiss proves Mage might not be as straight as he seemed, and their whole world turns upside down. Even though Dawn craves Mage’s love so much his heart could burst, his shyness stands in the way of any future they could share.


While they have to keep their budding relationship under wraps and they prepare to sign a major record deal, Dawn’s anxiety gets out of control. Mage will have to choose between the success he’s always craved and the love of his life.


POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
Themes: rock band, bandmates romance, older brother’s best friend, coming out, bisexuality, first love, anxiety, compromise, music, secret love
Genre: Contemporary M/M Rocker Romance
Heat level: sweet, explicit scenes
Length: ~50,000 words (Can be read as standalone, HEA)

K.A. Merikan are a team of writers who try not to suck at adulting, with some success. Always eager to explore the murky waters of the weird and wonderful, K.A. Merikan don’t follow fixed formulas and want each of their books to be a surprise for those who choose to hop on for the ride.


K.A. Merikan have a few sweeter M/M romances as well, but they specialize in the dark, dirty, and dangerous side of M/M, full of bikers, bad boys, mafiosi, and scorching hot romance.


FACEBOOK PROFILE
K.A. MERIKAN’S TWITTER (RUN BY KAT)
AGNES MERIKAN’S TWITTER
K.A. MERIKAN ON GOODREADS
PINTEREST
M/F ROMANCE BY MISS MERIKAN

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An Alisa Review : Midnight Angel by Kevin Klehr

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Dinner is overcooked. The guests haven’t arrived.

Luke is sitting alone at his dining table on New Year’s Eve. He was hoping to romance Nathan, one of the people he invited for this intimate evening meal.

As midnight draws closer, it seems an angel, who has magically appeared in Luke’s apartment, is the only person to drink champagne and watch the fireworks with.

But this angel has other ideas. He’s about to grant Luke the New Year’s Eve party he thought he wanted.

 

This was a different story and it’s so short I’m afraid to give everything away.  I understood the point of what the angel did but didn’t like the execution and mostly just felt for Luke as he was being blindsided.

 

In the end we get to see Luke find the love he wants just not in the way he had originally hoped.  Unfortunately I didn’t feel a big connection to any of the characters but felt as if I was watching from the sidelines.

I like the cover art by Natasha Snow is cute and one of the standard for holiday shorts this year.

Sales Links: Nine Star Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 10,500 words

Published: December 10, 2018 by Nine Star Press

ISBN: 978-1-949909-61-6

Edition Language: English