Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

Check Out The New Release Treading Water (Forgotten Soldier) by Jessie G (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Treading Water
Series: Forgotten Soldier #2
Author: Jessie G
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: July 18, 2017
After devoting eighteen years of his life to the US Navy, Petty Officer First Class Shane Parker is struggling with the very real possibility of becoming unnecessary. If he doesn’t make Chief Petty Officer before his twenty—and it doesn’t seem likely that he will—he’ll be retired from active service and placed on the Fleet Reserve list until his mooring lines are officially cut forever. While it would all be very honorable and ceremonial, he simply wasn’t civilian material.
Before even swearing-in, Julian Brand knew he wasn’t cut out to be a soldier, but refusing wasn’t an option. Generations of Brand man made careers in the military and the expectation of every Brand son was to follow in those prestigious footsteps. Though the prospect of being rolled back dodged his every step, somehow he made it through boot camp and did his time. Six years after not reenlisting, Julian still struggles to find familial acceptance as he fights to live life on his terms.
On the surface, they couldn’t be more different, but when Jared Ramos calls, neither are capable of refusing. If they can find a way to work together, they might be able to save a wounded warrior and each other in the process.

NOTE: The first story in this series is a 6K word short story originally written for an anthology. While it’s a different couple, I’m happy to provide that to reviewers as they have a brief appearance in the new book and are central characters to this benefit series.

Happily Ever Chapter – “Well-written story, strong characters.”


Bookobsessed – “Wonderful read”




10% of royalties earned from this and future books in the Forgotten Soldier series will benefit the Gary Sinise Foundation, but I’m not content to stop there. I’ve set up a fundraising page directly on the Foundation’s website and I’m asking for your help in reaching (and maybe surpassing) my goal. Every donation of $10 equals 1 entry to win signed books. If you donate more than that, every multiple of 10 will be an additional entry (so $20 = 2 entries and so forth).

1 Grand Prize Winner will receive all my paperbacks signed (8 books) 
4 Runner Up Winners will win a signed copy of Treading Water

 

Seeing Sean fall apart was something Shane wasn’t likely to forget. Never could he have imagined a single scenario that included this big, strong, strapping sailor curled up in his blankets sobbing. As Julian climbed back onto the bed, absorbing that pain as if it were his own, Shane feared he was the wrong man to help them. He was barely treading water and the overwhelming emotions coming off both men were like a rip tide threatening to pull him away.
Over the years, he heard Sean worry over his cousin’s emotional stability enough that he thought he was doing the right thing by offering Julian a safe place to vent. It wasn’t like his own emotions were in danger of getting involved—he only had a couple and none of them were tied up in a man he didn’t know. The same couldn’t be said for Sean. They were more than friends, more than the honorary brothers, and this breakdown had his own eyes itching in an alarming way.
Were those tears? It had been decades. For sure, never in his adult life. Not since…no, it was best not to think about that now. Talk about being useless. If he went down that path, Sean and Julian would be taking care of him.
A warm hand slid along his and the ease in which their fingers twined gave him pause. Cautiously, he looked over and found brown eyes filled with understanding and invitation. He had promised Julian he wouldn’t be alone and the quiet reciprocation had been nice, but nothing he expected to count on. Without consciously thinking about it, Shane found himself sitting on the edge of the bed. Though it wasn’t built for three grown men, he was able to wrap his arm around his little unit and was surprised how right it felt.
“We’re going to get through this, Sean. Will you let us take care of you?” Julian was still speaking when Shane felt Sean nodding against them.
For better or worse, they were in it together now and Shane refused to let them down no matter how uncomfortable it might get for him.

 

Like many readers, the dream of being a writer has been with me a long time. After three decades of trying, I’d begun to doubt. Thanks to social media, I followed my favorite authors hoping to glean some words of wisdom as I pounded out half-formed ideas with alarming regularity. Two repetitive themes emerged: to be a great writer you must read a lot and your butt must be in the chair every day like it’s a job. The more you write, the easier it will be to write and the better you will be at writing. I took that advice to heart and write every day. With three series in the works and a full schedule of releases planned for the next two years, it’s been amazing to have made this dream my reality.

I am a firm believer in marriage equality, love at first sight, power dynamics, and happily ever after. I’m a lover of strong secondary characters, and series filled with families—biological or chosen. All are themes you’ll find throughout my books.


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A Kai Audiobook Review: Summer Heat by Jay Northcote and Mark Steadman (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

When Adam is dumped by his boyfriend, a week away at a beach resort seems like a great opportunity to get over his ex. Sun, sea, and no-strings sex will be just the boost he needs to move on with his life.
Adam’s best friend, Finn, agrees to accompany him at short notice. Finn’s had a crush on Adam for years but is determined to put his feelings aside and be the perfect wingman in Adam’s time of crisis.
A spontaneous threesome with another guy forces Adam and Finn to confront their attraction to each other. Having a holiday fling together wasn’t part of the plan, and as their trip heats up, they soon realize that one night of fun won’t be enough for either of them.
The passion might be scorching, but their hearts and friendship are on the line. If their romance is going to survive the flight home, they have to be honest about what they want.

This story was a delight! A perfect hot summer read. And although I am in winter right now (sadly), this was just what I needed. It was a light, lown-angst and hot friends to lovers.

Jay Northcote brought two great characters to live and with a really simple plot put me smiling almost the entire narrative. It was well written and fluid: fast paced but not rushed.

I loved the scenario where the story took place and I have to confess I was so envious of Adam and Finn. I want so much go to a resort in a sunny Spain right now. (Thanks Jay for putting it in my dreams travels plans)

Finn and Adam were remarkable. They were sweet, real, HOT (yes, yes!) and simply perfect for each other. I was just so glad they gave it a try even with the fear of ruining their long time friendship.

This would be a perfect book for a holiday at the beach or at the pool or, just like was for me, to make you smile and remember the summer always come back. Lol

Mark Steadman did a great job narrating this novel. I just loved so much his voice and interpretation. Oh, and the accent was just lovely and sexy.

Highly recommend this audiobook!

The cover art by Garrett Leigh is hot and perfect for the book.

 

Sales Links

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Summer-Heat-Audiobook/B073HJHFQR

 

 

Audiobook Details:

 

Published July 3rd, 2017 by Jaybird Press (first published June 9th, 2017)

Written by: Jay Northcote

Narrated by: Mark Steadman

Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins.

A MelanieM Review: Force of Nature (Coming About #4) by J.K. Hogan

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

2 stars for the characters and disaster in the middle
4 stars out of 5 for the survival and nature parts

(really I wavered here, at points it was 2 for inconsistencies, others 4 for accuracy=what a strange story)

 

Everyone knows that bonds formed under extreme circumstances never last.

Harbor Patrol officer Neal Hesse has had his life turned upside down by a sudden break-up with his partner of ten years. After sleeping his way through Seattle failed to take his mind off his broken heart, he decides to take a leave of absence from work to find himself again. He hires a professional wilderness guide to take him up into the mountains, so he can get away from everything and live off the grid for a few days.

Travis “Rock” McCreary, ex-Army Ranger turned survivalist, hates doing guided excursions, but it’s his primary source of income while he’s working towards getting his own survival show. Working in such a testosterone-fueled profession has forced him so deep into the closet, he feels like he might never see the light of day again, which makes it even harder to put on a friendly face for his happy, normal clients.

When Rock is hired by clumsy city-boy Neal to take him up into the North Cascades for a survival adventure, his patience and his resolve are tested at every turn. He has to teach Neal to survive in the wilderness while fighting an attraction he can’t allow himself to act on. When their trip doesn’t go as planned, Neal’s getaway turns into a true survival situation, and he and Rock are forced to rely on each other to stay alive. If they make it out of the wilderness, can their newfound connection survive in the real world?

*Possible trigger warning: situations where consent may appear dubious.

Force of Nature (Coming About #4) by J.K. Hogan was such a strange and potentially upsetting book to read.  On one side, the author did a tremendous job of portraying the wilderness survival trip and the beauty of the woods and mountains.  It conveyed with a realness and immediacy that this retired Park Ranger could see and believe in.  So too the drama with with a calm hike could turn with a shocking swiftness into a fight for your life.  Totally authentic.

Then I have to get into the characters.

There is a larger cast of characters here that apparently belongs to the series. That would be the group of close friends of Neal Hesse, one of the main characters. This is, however, the first book that I have read in the Coming About series and I didn’t feel that I was lacking in any real information here. This absolutely can be read as a standalone novel.

I was into both characters.  Neal Hesse, the Harbor Patrol officer that’s coming off several bad events in his life.  His long term relationship of 10 years has ended badly, showing him exactly how shallow and meaningless  it really was and he and his Harbor Patrol partner are coming off a hostage situation that was personal.  Neal is depressed, questioning himself, and looking to see how to go forward.  A hike with his group of friends and accidental meeting with Travis “Rock” McCreary, a survivalist, YouTube star and guide changes everything.  Especially when Neal decides that a survival expedition is just what he needs to evaluate himself and his current situation and his guide turns out to be McCreary.

Travis is an ex-Army Ranger with an rigid conservative church background and family who would never accept a gay son.  Into the closet he went while in the Army and there he has stayed until meeting Neal makes him want more than he think he can ever have. I got Travis, this is a fearless man in the wild but in his personal life?  He’s bound by fear, beaten into him by his past and outside expectations as well as his own.  Their dynamics on the trail, and both men’s inner discourse on their attractions to each other, the wariness etc. delivers, again a nice dose of realism.  Then the author completely derails her story.

That’s where the “possible trigger warning” note comes in.  I was truly into these characters right up until the author took an unimaginable left turn into “what the hell did the author just do” land.   What the author does to her own characters is so completely bonkers in my opinion because it’s completely out of the character’s  personalities she’s laid down for them that not only is it shocking but deplorable.  In order to get back to the point that I liked and was able to enjoy this story again, I almost had to believe that those scenes didn’t take place. Because pages later, they all return to normal.

What was the author thinking?

Another iffy aspect here?  One that’s sort of folded into that mess above?  It’s where Neal decides to pull Travis out of his closet because, hey, it, totally shouldn’t be his decision. Shakes head.  Then there is a switch back to where Neal decides it is Travis’ decision to where he wants to stay in the closet or not.  I mean…this author had two great characters and one job to do….

Yes, I liked the ending.  I thought that was lovely.  And without that deplorable mess in the middle which granted wasn’t long, this rating would have been very different.  But it’s there and I keep feeling the rating should have been lower.  I just don’t know.  So much of the book is well done but I just can’t recommend it.

Cover art is lovely.  That part I recommend.

Sales Links:  Amazon  

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1, 276 pages
Published July 4th 2017 by Euphoria Press
ASINB073FKY2QB
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesComing About #4

 

Release Blitz for Stormy Nights by Jules Jones & Storm Duffy (giveaway)

Title:  Stormy Nights

Author: Jules Jones, Storm Duffy

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 7/24/17

Heat Level: 5 – Erotica

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 45000

Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, mermen, fae, D/s, leather underwear fetish, older men, public sex, cottaging, menage

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Synopsis

Sex and love, lies and truth, shades in between. Happy endings and might-have-beens. Nine tales of these things between men.

Blurbs

Gone Fishing

Mike’s doctor prescribed a few weeks on a lonely beach as a rest cure for a weary mind. But even if the beach is empty, the sea holds more than fish.

Naked

Just how far will a man go to understand his partner’s desires? Will he bare all – including all of his skin to the razor blade?

One Size Fits All

Hugh’s everything that Gavin could ask for in a lover. Everything, apart from his taste in underwear. It’s boring. So Gavin decides to rummage through Hugh’s underwear drawer—and what he finds is so interesting that he tries it out for size.

The Fraudster

A forensic accountant’s job offer to a computer fraudster fresh from prison is a second chance for both.

A Sparrow Flies Through

High tech cottaging provides a few moments of light and warmth on a dark cold night.

If I Offered Thee a Bargain

Just one night of your life in exchange for seven years of love. Would you pay the price?
Jack never dreamed that a reluctant trip back to his home town would thrust him into the world of the sidhe. He finds that the legends are true, but the sidhe have changed.

Any Port in a Storm

A spilt coffee at the tram station on a snowy night leads to a table set for three.

Car Wash

Colin had always loved washing the neighbour’s car for pocket money. Rod’s classic car collection was a boy’s dream. And so is Rod, now Colin’s home from university and not a boy any more. Colin’s had a little fantasy about Rod’s vintage Jaguar and her gleaming curves for a while now…

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Storm Duffy has a number of erotica shorts published under that and other names in a variety of venues, including “The Mammoth Book of Quick and Dirty Erotica”. As Jules Jones, she has written several erotic romance novellas and novels, including the first M/M romance published by Loose Id.

Amongst the 2500 or so books on shelves in her house, there is room for rather a lot of cross-stitch thread and entirely too many balls of wool. There are also more bits of computer kit than is quite reasonable for someone who doesn’t do that for a living. The two microscopes, on the other hand, are entirely in keeping with a career in science.

Website | Twitter | Authorgraph

 

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Release Blitz for Barging In by Josephine Myles (giveaway)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 93,000 words
 
Cover: Harper By Design
 
Blurb
 

When the boat’s a rockin’, don’t come knockin’!

Out-and-proud travel writer Dan Taylor is a city boy who can’t steer a boat to save his life, but that doesn’t stop him from heading into the English countryside to write up a narrowboat holiday. Compared to London, the canal seems dull as ditchwater. Until he crashes into the boat of a half-naked, tattooed man whose bad-boy, penniless appearance doesn’t fit with his posh accent. Dan is intrigued, and he always gets his man.

Still smarting from a past betrayal, Robin Hamilton is firmly closeted in his narrowboat—his refuge from outrageous, provocative men like Dan. But as circumstances keep throwing them together, he can’t help himself from coming to the hopelessly out-of-place city boy’s rescue. Exposure to Dan’s sunny charm starts to melt Robin’s resolve and he’s tempted by the idea of a brief, harmless fling.

After all, in less than a week, Dan will have left the canal and be back to his diet of casual hook-ups and friends with benefits.

Determined not to fall in love, both men dive into one week of indulgence…only to find themselves swept away by a current of escalating intimacy and emotional intensity. Troubled waters they didn’t anticipate… and haven’t a clue how to navigate.

Warning: Contains one lovable tart, one posh boy gone feral, rough sex, alfresco sex, vile strawberry flavoured condoms, intimate body piercings, red thermal long-johns, erotic woodchopping, an errant cat, a few colourful characters you wouldn’t touch with a bargepole, and plenty of messing about on the river.

Author Bio

English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.

Jo’s novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs and an incessantly curious toddler.



Website and blog: josephinemyles.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/josephine.myles.author
Twitter: @JosephineMyles
Newsletter: eepurl.com/hrQ4s

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A Jeri Review: Saving Sebastian (Custos Securities, #3) by Luna David

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

This is book three in the series but can be read as a stand alone. Tons of character cross over, but really the story lines are completely separate.

While I did enjoy this book more than the first two, it is plagued with many of the same issues. Way, WAY too wordy- too much irrelevant information and too much repetition. So once again there was quite a bit of skimming. We are also led to believe that Sebastian’s health problems are a port wine stain on his face and neck and although we find out it is much more than that, it wasn’t like a big aha moment at all.

That being said, I really did like the story.  This book really deals with BDSM in a way the first two didn’t. Again though, the contract between them and how often they saw each other for scenes was a bit similar to a well know mainstream BDSM novel. At least in this one they both really stuck to the contract to keep it impersonal.

I did love watching Sebastian’s growth from complete loner to accepting that he does have friends and people who genuinely cared for him. It was really sweet when he allowed himself to be loved, helped and cared for by other people.

Gideon’s switch flipped too quickly for me. From “omg I am a horrible person who did horrible things and don’t deserve love” to “omg I love him so much” really fast. A bit too fast.

Overall it is a good story. I think you will enjoy it if you enjoy BDSM stories. What they ultimately give each other as far as love and confidence was beautiful.

Cover art works great for the storyline and characters.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 525 pages
Published July 6th 2017
ASINB073S99K3H
SeriesCustos Securities #3

A Jeri Review: Protecting Braden (Custos Securities #2) by Luna David

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

This next book picks up right where the first left off. The cliffhanger is tied up fairly quickly and then the story continues as Cade and Braden continue their smooshy love fest while he has a stalker on the loose.

Honestly, this book didn’t offer much more than the first did. More of the same but different circumstances really. We get more of Cade’s family- I really liked all of them.

In the first book there is the small issue of Cade living in and owning a business in Denver and Braden living and owning a business in San Francisco. Well that is fixed quite tidily by just moving Cade’s business to SF. Uhm, ok. What about ALL the other employees? Details like this make me crazy.

And as Cade is renovating a huge warehouse to use as his businesses new headquarters, Braden is tasked with designing the top floor for them to live in together. On Cade’s dime. No expense spared. Again, this just harkens back to bodice ripping romance novels to me.

As with the first, there is SO MUCH DETAIL. Way, way too much. I was skimming pages and pages after a while. And it wasn’t just the detail, but the stories that didn’t add anything to the main story. While I appreciate that Cade was finally opening up to Braden about some of his time in the military, we didn’t need to hear all of the stories he was telling Braden.

The epilogue was nice, but a bit tidy. That isn’t going to happen in real life. But that is why we read books, right? To escape real life.

Nice cover with tie in to the characters.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

328 pages
Published July 6th 2016
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesCustos Securities #2

A Jeri Review: Trusting Cade (Custos Securities #1) by Luna David

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

This was the debut book by Luna David. And for that, well done. But… edit. Edit some more. And then edit again. Then send it to an editor to edit.

For the most part, it was a good story. Cade fell WAY too fast for Braden and jumped in head first. Now, I am hardly a personal security expert, but I am guessing that you shouldn’t be emotionally involved with the person you are trying to protect.  But, I am just a reviewer not a body guard.

From that point, most of the story was about Cade and Braden falling more in love with each other. Which was sweet and cute, but just too much. Something was bugging me about the cadence of the book as I was reading. And then it hit me. Swap out some pronouns and switch up the sex scenes and this could easily have been a “traditional” romance story when the big alpha guy comes swooping in to save the weak woman who needs help. There was a lot of talk about how Braden WASN’T weak, but the way that Cade coddled Braden constantly was cringe worthy at times. Like this guy has lived with diabetes for a long time. He doesn’t need to be reminded to check his blood sugar constantly. It just rubbed me the wrong way.

As for the stalker part of the story, that wasn’t a big shock at all. We pretty much knew who it was from the beginning so when it was revealed it was a bit ho hum. There was a bit of a twist in how the stalker came face to face with Braden again and I did like that.

The supporting characters were great. I loved Braden’s best friend Zoe, Cade’s best friend Cooper and I adored Nana. They added a lot to the story that helped the pages keep turning.

The book is left with a bit of a cliff hanger…. Review for that book next

Cover art is hot and steamy.  Definitely eye-catching.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 380 pages
Published February 13th 2016
ASINB01BR1U1WC
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesCustos Securities #1