Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

A MelanieM Review: Forged in Flood by Dahlia Donovan

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

 

When one drunken night forever scars three best friends, will they ever find a way to pick up the pieces?

Eaten up with guilt, Ivan Black spends ten years hiding from the world. He retreats to his family forge to wallow in misery. Alone. So lonely his heart aches with it.

Wesley Cook and Rolland Spence have been together since university. They struggle through the physical scars of the accident, building a life in the ruins of their dreams. They find happiness but continue to miss their angry ginger Viking—Ivan.

In all the anger of wasted years, the three men find a way to forge a relationship as hot as the fires in the smithy.

I’ve long been a fan of the novels of Dahlia Donovan, but Forged in Fire may be her best story yet.  It is a deeply moving love story between three men who lost each other and their chance at major careers in rugby directly after the university. Young men drove drunk and disastrously crashed, rolling the car, ending their triad through grievous injuries and the guilt one still carries to this day.  That would be the driver Ivan.

All this we learn in bitter bits and pieces one wet, flooded night as the waters rise about the village of Boscastle and Ivan’s family’s forge high on the hill.  It’s over a decade after the accident and “Ivan the Terrible” as his family calls him has fully retreated from life to his forge, shutting off all contact, including the two men who used to mean the most to him.  He’s plagued by memory loss from brain damage, deep guilt, and a deep seated rage that is his legacy from his father, now in prison.  His past not only haunts him but he fights it every second of the day.  And it mostly wins and tears him down.

Ivan is a savage portraiture of a man.  Driven by his demons yet Donovan continues to make us understand him as she reveals more and more of his past and his struggles to get by them.  They include his father who we meet in prison and who Ivan is named after.

But the heart and soul of this story is the dynamics, return of love and relationship of the triad. Born in the rising flood waters in Boscastle, it’s painful, so slow its like slogging through the rising tide, full of anger, resentment, pain, and loss.  They have a decade of issues to work through…even abandonment.  Incredibly, the author also manages to bring in laughter, giggles, light touches, and some incredibly  sexy scenes that show that the pull between all three men isn’t just some surface attraction.  No, it’s cellular.  These men need each other in order to be complete.  Donovan makes us believe it absolutely.  We feel it as much as the men do.

If Ivan is a complete character, so is Wesley Cook and Rolland “Rolly” Spence, who have been together as an existing couple since the accident.  They have returned to get their third, Ivan, and bring him “home”.  Each one of them, so clearly defined and beautifully written that its a joy to meet them and be included in their relationship.  It’s fun to watch and listen to, the dialog shows the ease of a couple who has been together for years as does the sex between them.  Loving, quick, and warmhearted.  Yet still they yearn for Ivan, all prickles and anger who they’ve missed all this time.  And he’s missed them as well.

The emotions here are huge, the growth, the pain, the fear the oozes off of Ivan as he faces his past, his father, his disabilities and even his future, it will scare even you.  Bring tissues.  For 130 pages, this is a big book.

I can’t begin to tell you all how much I love it and the men here.  It will leave a lasting impact.  One incredibly stupid decision and three lives changed forever.  Now we how the aftermath turns out and lives change again.

I highly recommend this story. The writing is incredible, the descriptions vivid and carry such emotional heft, and the characters so real you believe in them and invest in them absolutely.

And for those of you who are wondering, no this is not connected to her Sin Bin series other than a brief mention of Taine Afoa.  It’s completely standalone.

So yes, go pick it up, dive in and lose yourself in these men and their road back to each other.

Cover art: Claire Smith.  I love this artist’s work and this cover is no different.  It’s perfect for this story.

Sales Links:  Hot Tree Publishing  | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 130 pages
Published July 14th 2018 by Hot Tree Publishing
ASINB07DS6HLPJ
Edition LanguageEnglish

Forged in Flood is a British contemporary M/M/M romance. With heartache, hot men with foul mouths, and plenty of heat, enjoy getting to know Ivan, Wesley, and Roland.

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Be Still My Heart (Four Kings Security Book 2) by Charlie Cochet

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

This is the second in a series that features a sexy group of security men, each of whom have a nickname related of a suite of cards. This story highlights Red, a former Special Forces medical sergeant who suffers from PTSD after the loss of half of his group of brothers-in-arms while still on active duty. We first met Red in book one when he saved Laz, the equally sexy fashion photographer, who fell into Colton’s pool when his ex shoved him and he hit his head.

Bryan, the ex, is still causing trouble in this story. First, his taunts are still playing in Laz’s mind, leaving him feeling unworthy of Red, and second, the ex is involved with Paolo, the husband of the fashion designer Laz has contracted to work with. This is the same man who Laz found out about when he was still with Bryan so there’s no love lost when it appears that Bryan or Paolo might be the person who seems to be trying to kill Laz now.

Sound crazy? It is. All of this drama fits in with a lot of sexy times between Laz and Red and tons of backstory fill. In fact, about halfway through the story I realized that the author spends more time in this book “telling” and less time “showing” us what is going on. There are many pages of lengthy paragraphs outlining what happened yesterday, today, and several years ago. But there are much less pages filled with dialogue, something I happen to like as it generally carries me along with a story “showing” me what’s happening. That might be why I kept losing interest as I was reading. I’d put the book down and forget about it for a while.

One minor point that bugged me—at the beginning of the story Laz stated he had no idea why he never heard from Red after he got out of the hospital 3 months before. He thought they’d gotten along well so couldn’t figure out why there was no communication. Of course, his self-esteem had been knocked so low by Bryan he wouldn’t try to call Red himself. At any rate, when he and Red finally meet again, they immediately hook up and never again mention that time apart. In fact, they often refer to how they got together when Laz fell into the pool, so it seemed odd to me that they acted as if they’d been together all along.

Overall, the plot was okay, but not complex, and there was so much time spent between Laz and Red trying to establish their relationship, and then doubting it, and then jumping into bed, and then declaring their love for one another, I felt as if I was reading an old Harlequin romance. It felt gratuitous and quickly put together with a simple storyline that heavily relied on the full cast of characters—the former band of brothers who now work for King Security. So, although I liked it, I didn’t love it. Someone looking for sexy men, light plot, lots of sex, and a host of characters should like this one.

The cover by Reese Dante features a good-looking man with a full back tattoo and a Florida city skyline, likely Miami. It is an attractive cover and represents Red, the MC from this story.

Sales Links:   Amazon

Book Details:

  • File Size: 1498 KB
  • Print Length: 306 pages
  • Publication Date: July 28, 2018
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B07FZPFVQN

In the Spotlight: The Long Way Around by Quinn Anderson (giveaway)

The Long Way Around by Quinn Anderson

Riptide Publishing

Cover Art:  L.C. Chase

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

 

 

 

I’m Quinn Anderson, author of Fourteen Summers and the Murmur Inc. series. Welcome to my blog tour for The Long Way Around! Stay tuned to get fun facts about this release, learn about our leading men, and hear about the many road trips I took in my antique car, Lou. Leave comments for a chance to win a $10 Riptide gift card. I look forward to chatting with you all!

 

About The Long Way Around

 

Sam Cooper is the definition of an introvert: shy, bookish, and the sort to think a wild Friday night involves ordering takeout. He enjoys his quiet life, but after a bad breakup, he’s been yearning for a change of scenery. Luckily, his best friend and former college roommate has the solution.

 

Wesley Reed—a jokester and expert Sam-handler—proposes an epic road trip to a wedding across the country. They’re both between jobs and boyfriends. Why not hit the open road and make some memories?

 

Stuck in close quarters for the first time since their dorm days, they’re both surprised at the heat that springs up between them. As best friends, they’ve shared so much over the years, so why does sharing a hotel room—and occasionally a bed—make them want more? Chemistry this smoldering is hard to ignore, but there are road blocks to their romance. Wesley’s keeping a secret, and Sam can’t rely on Wesley to drag him out of his comfort zone forever. If they’re not careful, their relationship may take the ultimate wrong turn.

About Quinn Anderson

 

Quinn Anderson is an alumna of the University of Dublin in Ireland and has a master’s degree in psychology. She wrote her dissertation on sexuality in popular literature and continues to explore evolving themes in erotica in her professional life.

 

A nerd extraordinaire, she was raised on an unhealthy diet of video games, anime, pop culture, and comics from infancy. Her girlfriend swears her sense of humor is just one big Joss Whedon reference. She stays true to her nerd roots in writing and in life, and frequently draws inspiration from her many fandoms, which include Yuri on Ice, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Buffy, and more. Growing up, while most of her friends were fighting evil by moonlight, Anderson was kamehameha-ing her way through all the shounen anime she could get her hands on. You will often find her interacting with fellow fans online and offline via conventions and Tumblr, and she is happy to talk about anything from nerd life to writing tips. She has attended conventions on three separate continents and now considers herself a career geek. She advises anyone who attends pop culture events in the UK to watch out for Weeping Angels, as they are everywhere. If you’re at an event, and you see a 6’2” redhead wandering around with a vague look on her face, that’s probably her.

 

Her favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Gail Carson Levine, Libba Bray, and Tamora Pierce. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending too much time on the internet, playing fetch with her cat, screwing the rules, watching Markiplier play games she’s too scared to play herself, and catching ’em all.

 

Connect with Quinn:

 

Giveaway

 

To celebrate the release of The Long Way Around, Quinn is giving away a $10 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on August 11, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Cover Reveal for Heart Untouched (Hearts Entwined #3) by Andrew Grey

Heart Untouched (Hearts Entwined #3) by Andrew Grey

Release Date: October 9, 2018

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase   

Buy Links:  Dreamspinner Press eBook and  Paperback: 

About Hearts Untouched….

 

An accident crushed Duncan’s Olympic dreams and landed him in a chair, but he knows it’s time to get his life back on track—and he has a plan in mind. Working with his friend Todd, an Olympic skeleton racer, on a promotional campaign will not only help Duncan regain some direction, but it’ll give Todd the financial boost he desperately needs. The sport Todd loves is draining his resources—so much so that he’s thinking of giving up racing just to make ends meet.

 

As the two men work together, their friendship blossoms into much more, and suddenly the future is looking brighter than it has in a long time. But just when love, happiness, and success seem within their grasp, the USOC steps in with plans to stop their campaign. That’ll mean an end not just to Duncan’s business, but to Todd’s dreams… and Duncan isn’t about to let that happen to the man who means everything to him.

Category: Contemporary

Pages: 192 (ebook), 200 (paperback(

 

About the Author

Andrew Grey is the author of nearly 100 works of Contemporary Gay Romantic fiction. After twenty-seven years in corporate America, he has now settled down in Central Pennsylvania with his husband, Dominic, and his laptop. An interesting ménage. Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He is a recipient of the RWA Centennial Award, has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and now writes full-time. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing). He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Barnes and Noble Page

Dreamspinner Press

Facebook

Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey

Goodreads

Twitter @andrewgreybooks

Website

For Other Works by Andrew Grey

(Please Be Sure To Stop by His Website to See All of His Works)

 

 

A MelanieM Review: Saddle Up (Clean Slate Ranch #3) by A.M. Arthur

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

 

Reyes Caldero keeps his past buried deep and his emotions buried deeper. But what he doesn’t say he always makes up for with his actions. When the hot chef he once saved from an abusive ex turns up at Clean Slate Ranch, the quiet cowboy is happy to act on their sizzling chemistry, even if he’s not ready to share his secrets—or his heart.

Miles Arlington needs to get the hell out of San Francisco, and heading north for a job near Clean Slate Ranch seems like just the thing. It doesn’t hurt that his secret crush slash onetime rescuer happens to work at the ranch. Miles has never been one for the outdoors, but the superhot Reyes has him ready to saddle up.

Reyes is happy to keep things casual, even though his heart has other ideas. And when Miles is forced to confront his past again, Reyes and Miles will have to put all their trust in each other if they want any chance at building a future together.

Saddle Up by A.M. Arthur is part of the Clean Slate Ranch series, one I haven’t read. However, I didn’t feel that diminished my enjoyment in reading the third book in the series where several of the couples were well established.  Arthur gave enough of their back history and the universe for this series that I felt that I knew some of the relationships not to feel that there were holes in the story or overall fabric of the group dynamics.

A.M. Arthur does broken men so very well and Reyes and Miles are no exception.  Each man is both running from their pasts. Reyes from his gang member teenage years and a horrific, brutal crime that he has kept his deepest secret secret.  Miles from his abusive, possessive ex-boyfriend and a night he can’t remember, an ex-boyfriend who won’t leave him alone. Both have come to Clean Slate Ranch for second chances.  Reyes as the head cowboy at the ranch and Miles under a new name as the head chef at the Saloon at the Ghost Town they have just opened up.

Assigned to bunk in together, both fight their attraction to each other while fighting their own demons.  Miles his fear and Reyes his anger, a combustible combination.  I liked how Miles slowly found his footing through creativity through his food, the Ghost Town’s history, and of course, the horses.  Helping him is Reyes, falling in love even though Mile’s isn’t in any emotional condition to handle it.

I liked their romance.  And perhaps, this is where not reading the other stories does hurt, but Reyes’ anger issues threw up red flags for me where Miles was concerned.  For someone coming off of a controlling, stalker abusive ex, to then have a older man wanting to “protect” him showing huge flashes of barely in control anger?  Uh, maybe not.

It does come out later on in the revelations in Reyes’ back history…still you do have to wonder.  Fear and anger/fight and flight can be two sides of the same coin but that doesn’t necessarily mean they belong in the same relationship.

I loved the elements with the horses, appreciated how they became part of Mile’s adjustment and more, part of Mile’s finding himself.  I could also have done with more of the Ghost Town and it’s merry group of workers, including Mile’s partner in the kitchen.

The drama with Geoff clearly showed me that perhaps I should go back and read the previous stories as I do enjoy this author’s writing.  More to add to my TBR list!

There was a suspenseful ending along with the wonderful HEA, almost a too quick HEA. I think I would have settled for a HFN with all that went on in this novel.  So many trials and tribulations, so many emotional upheavals and adjustments, that this ending almost felt to unrealistic.  Sweet, romantic, and lovely.  But unrealistic.

If you love A.M.Arthur, are a fan of this series, or just adore broken man and their road to HEA, then this is a story for you.

 

Cover art seems almost right for Reyes but that figure is too muscular for Miles, that stance too combative.  Would work great for another story however.

Sales Links:  Carina Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 336 pages
Expected publication: September 17th 2018 by Carina Press
ASINB07C9F6436
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesClean Slate Ranch #3

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

An Ali Review: Love It Like You Stole It by Ki Brightly

Rating: 2 out of  5 stars

Michael Levine is backed into a corner. He started tearing apart cars for the local mob with the best of intentions—to save up money to pay for his mechanic certifications and impress his crush and mentor, Ben. But Michael soon finds himself in way over his head. He knows stealing is wrong, but it’s only cars, and the insurance will pay to replace them, right? What started out as a small job to make some extra bucks soon turns into a nightmare he’s not sure he’ll ever be able to find his way out of.

Ben Jelen isn’t sure where his life is going. On the surface everything looks fine. He has a successful business, he’s raising his niece into a strong person, and he has a boyfriend most guys only dream of—sexy and rich. But nothing feels right. The only things that really keep Ben’s attention anymore are his classic Road Runner, his niece, and Michael—his Meeko. Ben took him under his wing forever ago, and their love of old cars and fast driving has forged a strong bond. Ben’s days don’t feel right if he doesn’t get to see Meeko at least once. But something seems drastically wrong in Meeko’s life, and Ben hopes he can put the pieces together to help him before it’s too late.

I picked this book solely because of the title. I had not read this author before and was hoping for a new gem. Unfortunately this didn’t work for me at all.

My first issue was early on in the prologue. We meet Ben who is an adult who owns his own business. He sees some teens picking on another teen and goes to break it up. He is immediately sexually attracted to the one being picked on. The one he thinks is about 15 years old. I was immediately creeped out. I’m not down with adults perving on kids. This might have not been an issue for me if we knew how old Ben was. Maybe he was only 18 or 19? I don’t know because the author never told us. We have a story about an age gap romance and we never find out how old one MC is. It messed up the entire romance for me because I didn’t know. When they got together were they 20 and 25? 20 and 30? 20 and 50?? Those numbers make huge differences for me in how I perceive a story and if I’m going to enjoy it or not. I decided  I was going to just make Ben a few years older and go with that. Even with that Ben still felt like a creeper in many places. His relationship with an adult fails because he can’t stop thinking about “his Meeko”.  Even though Michael is 20 when they start their relationship he is presented as frail and dependent and he felt very young and teen like to me.

My next issue was I didn’t like any of the characters. Ben was just so bleh and boring. No depth to his character. Michael was such a victim. Everyone is his entire life picks on him. No one likes him. (Literally no one in the entire book except Ben). There is no explanation for this. It made no sense. Then, I’m also expected to believe he’s going to be able to run a bunch of chop shops? With what social skills?  How could he be the boss of anything when no one listens to him or respects him and when he can’t even meet people’s eyes when he talks to them? The side characters were all really terrible people. Michael’s “friends” were horrible. They were the kids who used to bully him. No logical explanation was made as to why they were now friends. Ben’s teenage niece was such a rotten, disrespectful brat. (His parenting could not have been worse.)  I seriously would have been happy if her character had gotten killed off. And Ben’s ex Grant.  That relationship was also not a bit believable and Grant was a super unlikable. I have no idea why he was even there. It totally took away from Ben and Michael’s romance and it felt like it was just a tool for more drama. A big part of my dislike of the characters was because I felt they were poorly developed. There was no substance to any of them.

Their romance made no sense to me. They don’t talk to each other, they don’t even meet each other’s eyes. Michael because he’s scared and Ben cause apparently looking in Michael’s eyes will make him lose all control and confess his love.  They say they’re best friends yet they tell each other nothing.  Michael didn’t even tell Ben when his grandfather died. Years before. What??? As the plot goes on they start telling each other all kinds of things about their lives but by then I wasn’t buying it. How were they best friends for 5 years yet knew nothing about each other?

The overall plot with the bad guy also made no sense to me.  It was a convoluted and you have to suspend giant amounts of reality to buy even just a little. So, so many things that were unbelievable to me. By the last 25% I couldn’t even take it anymore so I just started skimming.

This story was drama llama drama on steriods.  Soap operas and telenovellas have less drama than this book did. I know this is a personal thing.  Some people enjoy drama in their stories but it is not something I enjoy at all.

The thing that made this book catch my eye ended up making me cranky. The title was catchy and creative when writing about car guys. The author didn’t stop there though. Every single chance they got to use a car reference or metaphor they did. Every. Single. Chance. I thought I was going to throw my Kindle if the phrase “it’s cherry” was used one more time. It just went on and on.  I went from “This is kind of cool” to “Oh my god I will throat punch the next character to make a car pun”.

Unfortunately nothing about this story worked for me.  I did not enjoy it at all.  I’m giving it two stars because some of the things I disliked may have just been me and because the technicality of the writing was fine.  I know I have used the phrase “Made no sense to me” repeatedly but really it didn’t.  I’ve never met people like these in my life and I don’t know anyone who acts like these people so I just couldn’t find any frame of reference with any of them.  This is completely subjective though and other readers may related more based on their life experiences.
 
Cover Art:  The cover was done by Natasha Snow and I really like it.  I think it’s an eye catching cover that fits the vibe of the story perfectly.
Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 1st edition
Published July 9th 2018 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781949340105
Edition LanguageEnglish

In the Spotlight: Happy Endings (Cozzi Cove #5) by Joe Cosentino (character interview)

Happy Endings (Cozzi Cove #5) by Joe Cosentino

Cover Design: Fred Wolinsky
Release date: August 1, 2018

 

Interview with Cal Cozzi the leading character in

Cozzi Cove: Happy Endings, the fifth novel in the Cozzi Cove series

By Joe Cosentino

Welcome, Cal Cozzi. You must be tired. This is your fifth Cozzi Cove novel.

Cal: I’m game for five more.

How does Joe Cosentino, the author, feel about that?

Cal: He writes what I tell him to write.

You are described in the books as tall, muscular, in your thirties, with auburn hair, green eyes, and a wide nose.

Cal: I’m on the book cover of book one. My husband Michael joins me on the cover of book two.

Who’s on the other covers?

Cal: My brother George is on book three. My ex-houseboy Billy Dean is on book four, and my current houseboy Carlos is on the new cover.

How come your first houseboy, Connor, was never featured on a cover?

Cal: Speak to his agent.

What led Joe Cosentino to write a fifth novel in the series? Was it you whispering in his ear at night?

Cal: Partially. My legs get stiff living inside a book. But mostly it was the readers. Joe received messages on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and his web site begging him to write another Cozzi Cove novel. One reader wrote that she misses me more than her family! They also said they missed the quirky characters, mystery, drama, sweet romance, plot twists and turns, beautiful locations, and happily ever after endings. I missed them too!

What was it like for you having another Cozzi Cove adventure?

Cal: It was amazing as usual to revisit the old crew: my hot husband Michael, my legend in her own mind sister Taylor, Taylor’s wife Carla who owns the restaurant in town, and my bald and muscular tattooed buddy Tommy at his bar. It was also great fun meeting the new guests this summer and finding out their stories. As usual, their stories are full of humor, secrets, and shocking surprises. And of course, lots of hot romance!

In case anybody hasn’t read the Cozzi Cove series so far—

Cal: They should!

—Tell us about the series.

Cal: Cozzi Cove is a magical place on the New Jersey Shore where nothing is what it seems, and romance is always in the sea air. In each of the novels, you get my story, and four additional interwoven stories about the tantalizing guests in my bungalows.

Give the readers the order of the novels.

Cal: They are Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out, and Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings, and now Cozzi Cove: Happy Endings.

Is Cozzi Cove a real place?

Cal: It is to me. It’s my home. Actually, Joe made it up. But it’s based on a spot at the New Jersey Shore that he visited every summer as a kid. His family had a bungalow near the beach, bay, and a private cove that formed when soft rocks were worn away by the sun and salty water faster than the harder rocks surrounding them. This created a stunning bay of turquoise water shielded by large rocks in the distance and smaller rocks near the water’s edge. Every summer Joe swam and made sandcastles at the beach, waded in the bay, played miniature golf, ate salt water taffy, and jumped up and down on trampolines. We get to do the same things in Cozzi Cove.

How did Cozzi Cove become a gay resort?

Cal: My great-grandfather built the town and all the bungalows on the resort. My father, sensing his son’s orientation, decided to run it as a gay resort. I took control after my folks passed away.

What’s the story in book five?

Cal: I’m thirty-four years old. My husband Michael and I enjoy sharing the cove with our one-year old son, C.J., Cal Junior. When I worry about our financial future, Kevin Donovan, my old football buddy from high school, appears at Cozzi Cove offering to buy the resort for a hefty fee. Of course, my top one-percenter sister, Taylor, is ready to call a moving company. However, Michael does some investigating and finds out Kevin’s offer isn’t exactly what it seems. I also hire a new houseboy and nanny and romantic sparks fly. Carlos is an exhibitionist who believes he is the reincarnation of Adam, the first man. Alfred has Mormon paraphernalia is his bureau. However, this is Cozzi Cove. Nothing is actually what meets the eye. Nobody knows that better than me. Also, a professional matchmaker, Gilead, checks in with his clients: Marine Master Sergeant Matt Pummel, young businessman from Hawaii Keone Paoa, and young writer Luis Lui. Two matches are made, but who ends up with whom will surprise you. Finally, another guest, Nyx believes he was abducted by aliens in the woods. When he meets Kurt, who believes he is a sexy werewolf, the two share some tantalizing moonlit nights leading to a shocking climax that could affect the whole world.

Will each couple have a HEA?

Cal: Of course! This is Cozzi Cove.

What’s the theme of this book?

Cal: We all need to feel special, love, and be loved.

Why do you think the readers love the Cozzi Cove beach series so much?

Cal: Cozzi Cove is a magical place, where anything can happen.

Which other character do you enjoy the most?

Cal: That’s like asking a parent the name of their favorite child. Though my parents would have no problem answering me.

How come?

Cal: You’ve seen my sister Taylor in the books. She’s quite a character. Of course, my favorite character is my young husband, Michael. He’s handsome, sexy, devoted, honest, and true. As for the new characters in this book, they’re all quite entertaining and interesting. My new houseboy, Carlos, is a nudist who believes he was famous nudists in his past lives. His relationship with my new nanny, Alfred, has lots of surprises. Oh, Gilead the matchmaker made me laugh out loud. I love his outlook on love and life.

Which character didn’t you like?

Cal: Kevin and I have a strange relationship.

How so?

Cal: You’ll have to read the book to find out. It’s quite a story with lots of emotional peaks. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, there’s a game changer. 

And you’ve won Favorite Book of the Month at The TBR Pile and Rainbow Award Honorable Mention.

Cal: But Joe got all the accolades.

Your books are quite cinematic.

Cal: Joe’s written a teleplay pilot. Hear that, producers! Make him an offer! I’m ready for the screen.

Will there be more Cozzi Cove novels?

Cal: There will if I have anything to say about it.

Readers have compared the books to Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series. How do you feel about that?

Cal: Incredibly humbled and thrilled.

What frustrates you?

Cal: People who demean and attack the rights and self-worth of others, including those who hide behind their religious or political beliefs to do so. Religious freedom means freedom to practice your religion, not discriminate against others. We all need to stand strong against intolerance and hate. And I do in my books.

Tell us about Joe’s gay novellas published by Dreamspinner Press.

Cal: I’m not in them. But you should check them out anyway. In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star are loosely based on Joe’s high school and college years respectively. They were so popular as individual e-books, Dreamspinner Press published them together in one paperback.

In the Bobby and Paolo Holiday stories, Bobby, an American law student, takes a trip to the romantic and gorgeous island of Capri, Italy, where he embarks on a relationship with his captivating third cousin, Paolo, in A Home for the Holidays. In The Perfect Gift, Bobby and Paolo move to Philly, marry, and adopt a child.

The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland is Joe’s hysterically funny gay take on his favorite beloved fairytales like Cinderella, Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, Pinocchio, Jack and the Beanstalk, and The Snow Queen.

Joel Leslie did the incredible audiobooks.

The Cozzi Cove novels have mysterious elements, but Joe also has two mystery series.

Cal: Again, I’m not in them. But they’re still pretty terrific. Joe’s Nicky and Noah mystery series are farcical, gay, cozy, who-dun-its. In Drama Queen theatre college professors are dropping like stage curtains. With the inept local detective more interested in getting into Nicky’s pants than solving the murders, it is up to well-endowed Directing professor, Nicky Abbondanza to use his theatre skills (including playing other people) to solve the case, while he directs a murder mystery onstage. Complicating matters is Nicky’s intense crush on Assistant Professor of Acting, gorgeous Noah Oliver, the prime suspect in the murder, and Nicky’s eventual lover. In Drama Muscle Nicky and Noah have to use their theatre skills to find out why musclemen are dropping like weights in the Physical Education department while Nicky directs the Student Bodybuilding Competition. In Drama Cruise Nicky and Noah go on a cruise to Alaska, and discover why college theatre professors are going overboard like lifeboats while Nicky directs a murder mystery dinner theatre show onboard ship. In Drama Luau, muscular male hula dancers are dropping like grass skirts as Nicky directs the Luau show. It’s up to Nicky and Noah to figure out whodunit and why. In Drama Detective, Nicky and Noah do a musical Sherlock Holmes play and actors drop faster than hammy actors at a curtain call. Once again it’s up to Nicky and Noah as Holmes and Watson to save the day. The games’ afoot! In Drama Fraternity, Nicky and Noah shoot a slasher film movie on campus, and life imitates art. It’s up to Nicky and Noah to catch the murderer before they end up on the cutting room floor.

In the Jana Lane mysteries (the Wild Rose Press), with straight leading characters and gay supporting characters, Jana Lane was the biggest child star ever until she was attacked on the studio lot at eighteen years old. In Paper Doll Jana at thirty-eight lives with her family in a mansion in picturesque Hudson Valley, New York. Her flashbacks from the past become murder attempts in her future. Jana ventures back to Hollywood, which helps her uncover a web of secrets about everyone she loves. In Porcelain Doll Jana makes a comeback film and uncovers who is being murdered on the set and why. In Satin Doll Jana and family head to Washington, DC, where Jana plays a US senator in a new film, and becomes embroiled in a murder and corruption at the senate chamber. In China Doll Jana heads to New York City to star in a Broadway play, where she is faced with murder on stage and off. In Rag Doll Jana stars in a television mystery series and life imitates art on the set. The novels are full of mystery, romance, humor, and theatricality. Since they take place in the 1980’s, Jana’s best friends are gay, and Jana is somewhat of a gay activist, the AIDS epidemic is a large part of the novels.

How can your readers contact you?

Cal: Through Joe. We love hearing from readers! They can contact us at: http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com

So grab your Speedos, suntan lotion, and shades and head back to Cozzi Cove. I have a bungalow waiting just for you. I hope to see YOU there!

COZZI COVE: HAPPY ENDINGS

The fifth novel in the Cozzi Cove series

by JOE COSENTINO

http://mybook.to/CozziCove_HE

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/835400

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cozzi-cove-joe-cosentino/1128860553?ean=2940155279358

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=Cozzi+Cove%3A+Happy+Endings

It’s summertime, the perfect season for another trip to Cozzi Cove: the magical place where nothing is what it seems and romance is always in the sea air. Welcome back to hunky Cal Cozzi’s seven guest bungalows on the New Jersey Shore. This summer Cal is visited by Kevin Donovan, a handsome man from his past who makes Cal a tempting offer to buy Cozzi Cove and provide financial security to Cal and Michael’s baby. Cal’s Wall Street sister, Taylor, has hopped aboard Kevin’s green wagon. However, Cal’s husband, Michael, and Taylor’s wife, Carla, aren’t convinced, sensing something much deeper in Kevin’s offer than meets the roving eye. Cal’s exhibitionist new houseboy, Carlos, is smitten with Cal’s sweet-faced nanny, Alfred, who carries a shocking secret in his magic Mormon underwear. Middle-aged matchmaker Gilead has matched guests Marine Master Sergeant Matt Pummel and much younger businessman Keone Paoa to the chagrin of cute young lawyer Luis Lui. As skeletons come out of their closets, the bears and cubs search for their true honey. Woodsy guest Nyx Oberon meets a sexy werewolf at the cove and they share a howling moonlit night. Nyx believes his newfound lover could be part of a much larger plan that would change his life and the world forever. Will Cal, his family, and his guests have happy endings? It’s Cozzi Cove after all.

Praise for the COZZI COVE series:

“I loved this story. It carries you through the full range of emotions, from joy to sadness, from happiness to anger. The characters are beautifully written…I look forward to a return visit to the Cove.” TBR Pile Book of the Month

“In true Joe Cosentino style, this book is packed full of drama! This cast of characters will have you laughing out loud one minute before ripping your heart out the next.” Joyfully Jay

“Joe Cosentino has the amazing ability to combine heartwarming, feel good moments with droll, sometimes biting humor, along with insights into the frailties and peccadillos of being human….Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back is the very finest in literary fiction with a romance theme, yet it’s more than just that—it’s about human connections and empathy and finding a way out of the fear and inertia faced by so many. It’s also about courage and strength, about respect and coming to terms with all that life has to offer, and it’s about letting go. I loved this book and look forward to the next in the series. This is a highly recommended read, well-deserving of Five Stars.” GGR Reviews

“Who knew that 7 bungalows set surrounding a beautiful cove, could hold so many secrets, love and intrigue?…The humour, whether subtle or not-so-subtle was superb, the timing delivered with perfection, Joe Cosentino is a natural comedian and another reason why I love reading his books. He is also very clever, he weaved moral messages throughout the entire storyline….Great fun entwined with the Cosentino romantic magic that brings his books alive, I loved it.” Three Books Over the Rainbow

“Oh, Cozzi Cove, you are fast becoming a favorite vacation destination with your action and excitement! Joe Cosentino once again wins his way into your heart and soul with this fun, flirtatious romance. Love, laughter and smoldering intimacy await all who dare to venture to the clear blue waters of the Cove.” 3 Chicks After Dark

“Imagine a beautiful getaway where the hot, sexy, and wealthy gay men go…it’s a place where there’s never a dull moment. Every page of this new title brings readers nothing but excitement, intrigue, and an intensity that will burn away the night’s quiet. Most novels offer readers one journey in which readers travel upon, however, readers are brought not one but several journeys that will leave them breathless and hooked. As with all of Joe Cosentino’s novels, humor comes in abundance and fits in perfectly with all of his stunning characters….Joe sweeps his readers into his characters’ lives by creating realistic characters with real issues. The book automatically captures your heart from page one and forever holds it. After reading the story, readers will be begging for the next grand adventure. Funny, heart melting, and swoon worthy, readers will finish reading this in one sitting. I loved reading this riveting tale, and I highly recommend it to readers everywhere.” Urban Book Reviews

“Spending a week in the sun with the permanent and transitory residents of Cozzi Cove makes for a superb, unputdownable, read. There are laugh out loud moments, lots of chuckles, some very heartwarming as well as heart wrenching moments, lots of gorgeous men and women, love, lust and even some tears. Joe Cosentino has a brilliantly unique sense of humour, and a masterful way of writing stories containing farce, larger than life men and women, and often over the top characters you’ll fall in love with. For all that his characters come across as completely relatable and realistic. His books are one of a kind and utterly addictive. I have yet to read a Joe Cosentino book that was less than 5 Stars, and this book is no exception. Do yourself a favour and grab this book with both hands. I guarantee you’ll be very glad you did.” Divine Magazine

“There is plenty to feast upon within each sudsy storyline, including intrigue, deception, desire, romance, and sex….As the pages turn quickly and events unfold, the ensuing antics are irresistibly entertaining, but more importantly the characters are likeable and deserve our genuine interest and concern as some of their relationships are put to the test. Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings is clearly just that — the beginning — for Cal and Michael, and this highly engaging, enjoyable novel examines both their past and present history as proof that they were destined to be together.” Edge Media Network

“I adore this series so much. I adore it partly because of the setting, the writing, the romance, but also because each one of the guests at Cozzi Cove has a story beyond their face value….There is so much packed into this book’s short 174 pages and I loved every single one of them!” Alpha Book Club

Bestselling author Joe Cosentino won Divine Magazine’s Readers Poll for Best LGBT Mystery Novel, Best LGBT Humorous Novel, and Best LGBT Contemporary Novel of the Year. He wrote the Cozzi Cove beach series: Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back (TBR Pile Book of the Month/Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out, and Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings (NineStar Press); the Nicky and Noah mysteries: Drama Queen (Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Favorite), Drama Muscle (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity; the Dreamspinner Press novellas: In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories: A Home for the Holidays and The Perfect Gift, The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland; and the Jana Lane mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll (The Wild Rose Press). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married. Joe was voted 2nd Place Favorite LGBT Author of the Year in Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards! Upcoming novels and novellas are Drama Castle, Drama Dance, and Drama Faerie, Nicky and Noah mysteries; The First Noel, Bobby and Paolo Holiday Story Book 3 (Dreamspinner Press); and Holiday Tales from Fairyland, Tales from Fairyland Book 2.

Language: English

Length: 225 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1720665014

ISBN-10: 172066501X

ASIN: B07DGVLCMX

Excerpt of Cozzi Cove: Happy Endings, the fifth Cozzi Cove novel, by Joe Cosentino:

The porch door swung open to Carlos Araujo. The young man was in the buff with his large olive-toned muscles and club-like penis on display. “Good morning.”

Cal moved behind his desk in the living room, not quite believing his own eyes.

Carlos approached the desk. His dark eyes glistened in the morning sunlight emanating from the window. “I’m ready for a new adventure.”

“It seems you forgot to get dressed this morning, Carlos.”

He unleashed a row of white teeth. “One of the many benefits of working at a gay resort in the summer.”

“Not exactly.” Cal felt older than his years. “This isn’t a nudist camp. If you want to work here, you’ll need to put on some clothes—and keep them on.”

Carlos sighed. “You may want to rethink that, Cal.”

Cal did a double take. “Excuse me?”

“Many brilliant people were nudists, including some past presidents like Roosevelt, Adams, Johnson, Kennedy, and Richter. Though I wouldn’t want to have seen any of them naked, except maybe Kennedy. He was pretty hot.”

Cal stifled a grin. “Richter wasn’t president.”

Alfred said, “He invented the earthquake measuring system.”

Noticing someone else was in the room, Carlos flexed his huge biceps. “And Richter would have shaken like an earthquake if he measured these.”

Cal said, “Carlos, this is Alfred Castle, C.J.’s nanny.”

“Hey,” Carlos replied, checking himself out in the wall mirror.

Alfred put his hands in his pockets and looked down at his shoes.

Cal cleared this throat. “Carlos, how about you put some clothes on.”

Carlos said like an adolescent facing curfew, “Do I have to?”

“Yes, you have to,” Cal replied.

“You’re the boss.”

“Yes, I am.”

Carlos shrugged his large shoulders, sprinted out to the parking area, pulled some clothes out of his trunk, dressed, and hurried back into the main bungalow. With his pec, back, ab, thigh, and calf muscles bursting out of a lime tank top and white shorts, he spun in front of Cal’s desk. “Better?”

“Much,” Cal replied.

Cal looked out the window as Michael got into his sports car and drove off. The sun was already out in full force casting a golden ray over the bay.

Carlos followed Cal’s gaze. “This place is like paradise.”

“No argument here. My great-grandfather and Michael’s great-grandfather built it. My brother renovated it with my sister’s money, including the solar panels on the bungalow roofs.”

Cal noticed Carlos was combing his hair, clearly not listening. He sat and turned on his computer. “Any questions about your duties, Carlos?”

“No. They seem pretty basic, especially stocking the night table drawers with condoms.” His dimples appeared. “I’m accustomed to that.”

“It’s for the guests.”

“Speaking of the guests, I do have one question.” Carlos rested his palms on the desk and his pecs swelled like melons. “Can I take off my clothes when I make up the bungalows?” He grinned. “I imagine the guests would love it.”