Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

An Ali Review: Second Hand (Tucker Springs #2) by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton, Iggy Toma (Narrator)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Second Hand audiobookPaul Hannon moved to Tucker Springs for his girlfriend, but she’s left him with a house he can’t afford and a pantry full of useless gadgets. All Paul wants is to get back to normal, even if he’s not sure what that is anymore. When he wanders into Tucker Pawn for a gift to win her back, he meets El Rozal, pawn shop owner and all-around cynic.

El Rozal doesn’t do relationships, especially not with clueless straight boys still pining for their ex. El may make his living dealing in castoffs, but that doesn’t apply to men. Still, when Paul starts clearing out his old life, pawning kitchen equipment he never wanted in the first place, El is drawn to Paul in spite of himself.

Paul and El have nothing in common except a past full of disappointments. There’s no reason to believe the two of them could fit, but in El’s line of work, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. When it comes to love, El and Paul may learn that secondhand doesn’t mean second best. 
 
This was an average story. Nothing really wrong with it but nothing that made it stand out either. Paul has gone through a bad break up and while looking for a gift for his ex-girlfriend he meets Eli. The two men become friends and while Eli realizes immediately that he has feelings for Paul, Paul just cruises along cluelessly. Paul bordered on getting on my nerves with his cluelessness. At other times though I felt for him and I thought the internal discussions/fears/etc he has over his sexuality were probably pretty realistic. Eli I liked throughout the entire story.  I didn’t really feel the emotional attraction between the two men.  It just felt like they were friends unless they were in the bedroom.  The bedroom scenes though were great.  The chemistry just jumped off the pages.  Unfortunately hot sex scenes isn’t enough to carry an entire book for me.  I needed more relationship development.  Again, I didn’t love this book but I didn’t dislike it either.  

The narration by Iggy Toma was just ok.  Overall I did not really care for the narrator.  He did a wide range of voices and did them all differently which is a plus.  I didn’t like some of the voices though.  This is probably a matter of taste.  While it didn’t work for me it might for others.  I suggest listening to a sample of the audio first.
 
Cover art by L.C. Chase. I like the cover.  I think it is a good representation of the main characters and their story.
Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon
Audiobook Details:
Audible Audio
Published January 22nd 2016 by Audible (first published September 1st 2012)
Original TitleSecond Hand
SeriesTucker Springs #2 settingColorado (United States)

What Does It Take To Turn A Brat Into A Man? Find Out with Patricia Logan’s ‘The Brat (excerpt and giveaway)

The_Brat

The Brat ( Marine Bodyguard #3) by Patricia Logan
 Release Date: February 10, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Patricia Logan
Cover Artist: JP Adkins Design (Jeff Adkins)

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Patricia Logan author of The Brat, a standalone novel in the Marine Bodyguard series. Hi Patricia, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself. If you could bring back one TV show, what would it be and why?

I love so many shows and cried that they ended them. Fringe on Netflix is one that I adored. I am a bit of a geek so it appealed to me. I also like to learn something from a show and so much of that show went right over my head, after watching all 5 seasons twice, I still find myself wondering about quantum physics and wishing I’d stuck with the higher sciences in college. I suppose I could always go back to school but I get a pretty good education from my reading and TV. I also love history, so sometimes these shows with “time-jumps” appeal to my senses so much. Fringe and Torchwood, aside from the amazing acting and super hot male heroes, are those type of shows. They keep me thinking (and lusting, haha) which is never a bad thing.

Thanks, Patricia, now more about The Brat.

********

Blurb

Charles Fordham III has been expelled from Oxford and sent home with his tail between his legs. The self-professed “brat” has always gotten away with things because of his father’s influence and money. Poor Chas is in for the surprise of his life in the form of a tall, well-muscled, former Marine bodyguard… but even more daunting days may lie ahead. Have his years abroad prepared him for the expectations of his father when he’s forced to live up to his legacy?

Tate Heston returns home from Iraq when his beloved career is cut short by an IED. He’s used to turning boys into men and then leading them into battle where sometimes the good guys lose. This makes him even more hesitant about taking on a job guarding a spoiled brat, but he believes he can probably do what he does best… make young Chas a man.

Not everyone wants to see the brat succeed in his father’s place. Things have been running just fine for years and the return of Charles Fordham III and the shake up his arrival causes, has his family’s enemies in a panic. But as the boy assumes his rightful place, Tate understands sometimes a man must take his fight to the enemy… regardless of battlefield… or boardroom.

 

Pages or Words: 96,000 words
Can be read as a standalone
 Categories: Contemporary Crime Fiction, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Thriller

Excerpt

Chas whirled on Tate, stalking up to him, probably having decided that he was the whole problem. Hell, Tate was totally fine with that. Better he hate him than his father. Hate was easy to handle but he was really surprised when he stopped right in front of him and shouted at him.

“You have no right to tell me how I should talk to my father, you… you cretin!” he screamed.

Tate was only slightly surprised as spittle flew out of Chas’s mouth when he spoke and he raised his hand. Is he gonna…?

Tate reached up and stopped Chas’s slap inches from his cheek as he viciously swung his hand toward him. Tate managed to grasp Chas’s wrist, stopping the blow and the action brought the young man flush up against his body. For a few seconds their faces were inches from each other and with all of Chas’s rage, the way his chest heaved with anger, Tate inexplicably felt his cock harden in his jeans. His fury is magnificent. Tate didn’t know whether he should stop the kid or just bend him over his father’s desk and fuck him right then and there and get it over with. He let the thought slide through his mind for a few seconds as he stared into Chas’s magnificent angry amber-colored eyes. It’s probably not the right time… more’s the pity.

Tate hesitated only a second and then tore his gaze away from the man’s, bringing Chas’s arm down and then around the man’s side so that he was forced to turn his back on Tate. Chas cried out as Tate deftly brought his hand up between his shoulder blades, causing him to bend forward to take the pressure off or have his arm snapped in the process. A second later, Chas’s knees gave out and he dropped to his knees on the thick carpet to relieve the pressure on his arm. Tate bent over him, still holding Chas’s fingers up behind his back with one hand. He laid his hand on the back of the young man’s neck, pushing his forehead firmly to the floor with the other hand.

“Ah! You’re hurting me!” Chas gasped out, drooling down toward the carpet beneath him. His body was shuddering but all the fight had gone out of him and he suddenly went boneless as his body relaxed.

Tate leaned down to speak softly at his ear. “No hitting. No slapping. No getting physical of any sort. That clear?” Go ahead. Fight me, you little fucker. I’ll have your jeans around your ankles and my dick up your ass so fast, you won’t know what hit you.

A second later Chas gave an almost imperceptible nod. His chest was heaving and Tate thought he heard a sob come out of the man as he grunted in pain again.

“Okay,” Chas finally ground out through gritted teeth, “Let me up.”

Buy the book:

 

RC

 

Meet the Author:

International bestselling author Patricia Logan, resides in Los Angeles, California. The author of several #1 bestselling erotic romances in English, Italian, French, and Spanish lives in a small house with a large family. When she’s not writing her next thriller romance, she’s watching her grandchildren grow up way too soon, and raising kids who make her proud every day. One of her favorite tasks is coaxing nose kisses from cats who insist on flopping on her keyboard while she types. Married to a wonderful man for 30 years, she counts herself lucky to be surrounded by people who love her and give her stories to tell every day.

Become a fan of Patricia at http://authorpatricialogan.com/ and receive a free book of your choice. Email her at patricialogan.author@yahoo.com. She loves to hear from readers more than anything and will respond to all emails.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

10-Feb Parker Williams, KathyMac Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Velvet Panic

11-Feb Jessie G. Books, 3 Chicks After Dark, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Kirsty Loves Books, BFD Book Blog

12-Feb Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Alpha Book Club, Louise Lyons, Inked Rainbow Reads, A.M. Leibowitz

15-Feb MM Good Book Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, Molly Lolly, Open Skye Book Reviews, Hearts on Fire

16-Feb Bayou Book Junkie, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Love Bytes, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Divine Magazine

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: 3 copies of ‘The Brat’ by Patricia Logan.  Must be 18 years of age or older.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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A Stella Review: Until September by Chris Scully

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars          ★★★★★

UntilSeptember_600x900As a teenager, Archie Noblesse clawed his way out of the poverty, heartache, and abuse of the reservation and left his family behind. Desperate to shake the shadow of his past, he reinvents himself as Archer Noble, an outspoken blogger and controversial author who lives only for himself. But when his beloved sister dies, Archer is saddled with guardianship of his niece and nephew.

Elementary school teacher Ryan Eriksson is devastated when his best friend Marguerite is killed, leaving her two young children orphaned. Helping Archer with his new responsibilities eases his grief, but when Archer offers him custody of the children, Ryan’s left with an impossible choice: get the family he’s always wanted, or respect Margie’s wishes and convince Archer to give parenting—and his heritage—a chance.

To buy time, Ryan promises to stay for the summer, hoping that Archer will change his mind and fall for the kids. But Archer’s reluctant, and the growing attraction between him and Ryan complicates matters. Legal decisions must be made, and soon, before Ryan returns to school. But with hearts involved, more than just the children’s future is on the line.

I read the Inseparable series by Chris Scully two of years ago and when I saw Until September with the great cover and the interesting blurb, with promises of a lot of emotional moments and a couple of kids, I was soon conquered. I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed and I was right. I found it an amazing read, it simply took my heart.

The first chapter was hard to read. Abused by his uncle since he was a child, at sixteen Archie is tricking behind school to earn some money and move from the hell Manitoba Reservation has become. His only light is Margie, his baby sister, thirteen years old, the only person he truly loves. He was the one to protect and feed her when their mother left them alone. Leaving the place is his only chance at survival and staying away from all the drugs and child abusers the Cree population suffers. Now that the uncle is dead Archie needs to be strong, abandon Margie and save himself.

Then the story switched to twenty years later but that only first chapter broke my heart. Just a few pages helped me understand a lot about Archie, his deep connection with his sister and the mask he used to hide his scars from indelible things from her.

Twenty years later Archie is Archer Noble, new name, new place, new money, but the fear of losing everything still clings to him. He is now on tour, promoting his new book, when a call comes that will change his whole life.

Ryan Eriksson is a 25 years old teacher, with little social life, who has found in Marguerite, the mum of one of his student, a sister he never had, they shares secrets and hopes. He supports her after the loss of her husband and she knew about his desire to build a family and the disaster with his ex boyfriend.

When tragedy happens, Archer and Ryan need to be together and try to give a family to Dillon and Emma, Marguerite’s children. But Archer can’t take care of them, he still has a lot of work to do on himself. He can’t be a parent, he’s not ready. But he’s willing to give this family thing a try for a bit. Then he will be on his own and the children with Ryan. Ryan has until September to convince Archer that he belongs with his niece and nephew.

I have to be honest and say Until September is one of the best stories I read this new year. It has all the themes I love to read about, moreover it was delivered to my heart with an easiness and straightforwardness, I hardly had found somewhere else. I fell in love with the children and the MCs. Archer and Ryan both changed so much during the book and the development of their relationship, even if slow, it never bored me, on the contrary, it was right for a book like this.

If you want a book emotional that will put a smile on your face till the end, a tear on your cheek a couple of times, full of sweetness and the cuteness only children can give, you can’t miss Until September. I adored it. Plus, it was beautifully written, I felt every single word. 5 full stars!

The cover art by Lou Harper is perfect. It fits the story, cute and great in the colors. I love it.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

ebook, 298 pages
Published February 8th 2016 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN 1626493553 (ISBN13: 9781626493551)
Edition Language English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Dom on the Side (Blowing It #3) by Kate Aaron

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Handsome man holding a briefcase in a vintage interior
Handsome man holding a briefcase in a vintage interior

“I’d love to Dom you one day. You’d be a natural.”

When a one-night stand makes Ryan Jessop a casual offer to introduce him to BDSM, he’s torn between denial of his submissive fantasies and their irresistible pull. Taking a chance, he discovers in Jim a skilled Dominant, and under his guidance, Ryan’s submission blossoms. Unfortunately, guidance is all Jim can offer. The one thing Ryan wants most—a loving Dom to whom he exclusively belongs—is off the table.

Sameer Farouk is the right guy at the wrong time, and as far as Ryan can tell, not kinky. No matter how clearly Ryan can foresee a future with Sameer, he refuses to settle for less than total compatibility, both in and out of the bedroom. Despite their obvious connection, breaking up is the right thing to do, even if it breaks Ryan’s heart.

Torn between them, Ryan must decide if he’s prepared to gamble everything on one man, or if he’d be better off with a vanilla boyfriend and a Dom on the side.

*Dom on the Side is the third book in the Blowing It universe, but can be read as a standalone.

I have mixed feelings about this story that I’ll mention below, but two important facts readers should know about this story up front—this is a prequel to the other two books in the series and takes place about five years before the start of Blowing It. And the second fact—Sameer, the second MC, isn’t introduced until the latter part of the story (at 75%) so it’s difficult to label this a romance.

The words that started Ryan on the road to BDSM were fairly simple and casually spoken after a one-night stand with a guy named Jim: “I’d love to Dom you one day. You’d be a natural.” He’d always known he was a little kinky, preferring stronger, more dominant men in bed, and he’d visited a club once with his best friend, Owen, but he’d never seriously considered it until those words ate at his subconscious, and he finally gave in and called Jim to talk about it.

Jim introduces him to the world of BDSM and all its various facets, but he makes it very clear from the start that he’s only looking to play with Ryan—he’ll never get serious since he’s already got a life partner. That shocks Ryan and later causes him to add penetrative sex to his list of things he won’t do with Jim, but he gains more understanding of the open relationship Jim and his partner, Gaz, pursue once he meets Gaz at a local BDSM club. That was an experience, not only for Ryan but for readers as well. No spoilers! However, Gaz’s preferences in the scene were totally different from most this reviewer had previously read, but it was the first time it was positively presented, and I felt drawn to learn more about that kink. As a side note—it would be great to see a sequel featuring Gaz and his partner-in-play, Liam.

The author takes us on Ryan’s journey into the world of BDSM play—from his first visit to a club through his weekly sessions with Jim as they explore various forms of play, including use of restraints, paddles, floggers, sounding wands, and more. In fact, most of the story centers around Ryan’s relationship with Jim. Though he wishes desperately to find a man with whom he can experience both worlds, he despairs of ever having that happiness. When he meets Sameer, at first it’s just a one-night stand, and then weeks later he sees him again, and the two begin to seriously date.

But Ryan always shields his heart because he’s desperately afraid he’ll fall in love, and he just knows Sameer will turn away from him if he reveals his kinky side. This leads to an emotional tug-of-war throughout the last fourth of the book.

This story can be read as a standalone since it comes way before the first book in the series. If anything, readers may be prompted to continue Owen’s story with the first two books after they read this. I enjoyed it and the author did an outstanding job in explaining the world of BDSM and many of the aspects of the lifestyle and of the equipment used, however, it fell flat as a romance. Between the fact that Sameer wasn’t introduced until the end of the book, and Ryan’s efforts to remain emotionally uninvolved with him, it really didn’t feel like a romance at all. His relationship with Jim, however, was interesting, emotional, and clearly illustrated many of the aspects of a good Dom-sub relationship. If you are well-versed in BDSM, you may find this story too much of a primer. If you are new to the theme, this book provides a very good foundation, and I would recommend it with the caveat that you won’t be getting a lot of romance. Hot sex? Yes! Romance? No.

~~~~~~~~~

Cover design by Elizabeth Mackey Graphics features a man’s two arms tightly gripping white fabric and linked by a pair of bright blue leather handcuffs, clearly illustrating the MC in this story.

Sales links:  ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 285 pages
Published January 25th 2016 by Croft House (first published January 24th 2016)
Original Title Dom on the Side
Edition Language English
URL http://kateaaron.com
Series Blowing It #3