Category: M/M Romance

An Alisa Review: Sins of the Past by Amanda Young

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Sins of the PastTwo men bonded by love. A long forgotten secret neither knew they shared in common.

Andrew Vought is a wealthy single parent who’s all but given up on love. Ryan Ward is an up-and-coming landscape architect, who’s never believed true love exists.

In each other’s arms, they find the love they’ve sought. But can a budding new love survive the secrets both men harbor?

 

Amanda Young did a great job with this short story.  Ryan believes he will never know true love because of how he behaved in his younger years.  Andrew has been looking for love for a long time and continues to hope.  Their connection isn’t instant, but they are both willing to work for their relationship.

 

I connected with both of these characters.  They both slowly approach their relationship, but don’t know what to do when some past decisions come back to haunt them.  I could feel Ryan’s heart breaking when he felt that he would lose Andrew when he realized their connection to each other.

 

The cover art is very nice and caught my attention.

 

Sales Link: Amazon

 

Book Details:

ebook, 97 pages
Published: 2nd Edition May 14, 2016 by Amanda Young
ISBN: 9781599985992
Edition Language: English

Why Love Matters by Jay Northcote– A charity book release Announcement

whylovematters_smallerCover by Garrett Leigh

Why Love Matters: LGBT Charity Book Release Announcement

 

This is an unscheduled release from Jay Northcote, spurred on by the attack on the LGBT community in Orlando this weekend.

For more information please see the full announcement Jay Northcote’s blog,  my blog.

 

 All royalties from the sales of Why Love Matters (70% of the cover price once the vendors take their cut) will be split between two LGBT charities: The Human Rights Campaign in the USA and Stonewall in the UK.

Blurb

 

Alastair needs help overcoming issues with touch and physical intimacy in order to clinch a business deal with some demonstrative Italians who prefer hugging to handshakes.

 

Martin, his assistant, has the perfect solution. His mother runs cuddle workshops, which could help Alastair overcome his fears—if he’s brave enough to try. Alastair is nervous not only because of the workshop, but also because he will be sharing a room with Martin, who’s starred in his fantasies more often than an assistant should.

 

Alastair reluctantly decides to give it a try, so they head to a commune in Wales where Martin grew up. The weekend at the commune with Martin proves to be transformative in more ways than one.

 

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H2BUKEK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01H2BUKEK

Universal Amazon Link

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whylovematters-2058790-149.html

In the Spotlight: Elysium (Reunion #3) by JJ Harper (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Elysium
Series: Reunion Series #3
Author: JJ Harper
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: June 16, 2016
With Nico by his side, Ryan says goodbye to his old life and moves away, leaving his job and his hometown behind him.

Ready for a fresh new start together, Ryan and Nico settle down into a slower and easier lifestyle and life becomes as perfect as they could wish for.

When Ryan is unexpectedly reminded of the life he happily walked away from, his world is turned upside down when he gets notice of news that he never expected to hear. Ryan is tormented by what is being asked of him; the very thing he was promised would never be asked of him again.

A man Nico once knew returns, and Nico wishes he’d never caught up with Lyle. His ploy to keep Lyle away from Ryan fails and Lyle tells all about his previous connection to Nico. Ryan takes off, leaving no clues as to where he’s gone and Nico is devastated believing that Ryan has left him.

When Ryan finally returns home; so does his past and he is forced to visit an old friend. But things are not what they seem and Ryan must fight as hard as he can to keep himself safe.

Maybe the perfect life with a happy ever after just isn’t in the cards for Ryan and Nico after all.

Reading this may seriously raise you blood pressure, contains lots of hot scenes of sex between two men and has strong language throughout

This book is intended for 18+ readers.

I’m a slightly crazy one-click addict that writes the thoughts that run through my head.
I love a good love story and always want a happy ending. 
I live quietly in the Lincolnshire countryside, with my own heart-throb and my crazy dog.

HOSTED BY:

A BJ Audiobook Review: Second Hand (Tucker Springs #2) by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton Narrated by Iggy Toma

Rating:    4.75 out of 5 stars

SecondHand-AudioCoverPaul 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 is actually the third I’ve listened to in this series, and my favorite so far. A very sweet story with enjoyable characters, interesting families and a cute dog. Neither of the guys are gorgeous or have fancy careers, but are both ordinary guys that I could relate to. El owns a pawnshop which had been his grandfather’s and has a hoarder mother (loved the way that was handled), and Paul dreamed of being a vet but didn’t do so well in school and ended up working at a vet’s office as a receptionist. Paul’s denial and story read very real to me, perhaps because overall he didn’t come across as the smartest tool in the shed. No that he was dumb, but he was refreshingly simple. Thoroughly enjoyed Paul and also liked his mother, especially her reaction at the end.

El’s big family was well drawn and interesting, as was his big bouncer friend Denver who is the MC in the next story (which I’m now eager to read). And I loved El both for his role in his family, for taking over her grandfather’s store with hopes of helping his mother, and for his easy going and relatable personality. The way he dealt with his attraction to Paul and the little one item a day limit ploy that Paul never did figure out was great. I felt the chemistry between the guys, not scorching hot but a slow, realistic burn that had me unable to stop listening.

I could relate so well to Paul’s desire to be number one for someone at something as well as to his cluelessness about when folks were flirting with or interested in him. And El’s words about the unimportance of things, which tied up beautifully at the ending, really spoke to me. The secondary characters were also very relatable and individual.

The narrator, Iggy Toma, was perfect for this story. The voices were different for each character and sounded just right. The emotions and nuances of character came through well. Overall, I listened to this story in one single day.

The cover by L.C. Chase ties is very cute and fitting for the series.

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTune


Book Details: Published January 22nd 2016 by Riptide Publishing

Its Release Day for Heart Ripper: Coffin Nails MC (Sex & Mayhem #9) by K.A. Merikan (Guest post and excerpt)

Heart Ripper 1

Heart Ripper: Coffin Nails MC (Sex & Mayhem #9)

by K.A. Merikan

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have K. A Merikan here today to talk about their latest release, Heart Ripper, 9th in the  Sex & Mayhem series.  Welcome!

 

We knew we’d write Heart Ripper as soon as David appeared on the pages of Split as the MCs younger brother. There was just something about this tertiary character that spoke to us, and in no time, we were hard at work. David comes from a very devout Catholic background, and the overbearing nature of his mother doesn’t do him any favors in discovering his sexual interests. But then comes Raja, a friend of David’s brother, and he sweeps David off his feet without knowing who he’s dealing with.

This story is much sweeter than many of the other Sex & Mayhem books in the sense that one of the characters is not in any way connected to the criminal world, and  that is one of the reasons Raja, the newly appointed club president of one of  the Coffin Nails MC chapters, likes him so much. David is a sweet ray of sunshine and normalcy, the kind of boyfriend Raja never had, and he can’t deny himself the attraction, even if he knows he should not pursue this particular guy.

I guess most of us like a story of a forbidden love, one that needs to face many obstacles. It isn’t easy for Raja to openly date a guy, and it is even harder for David to put everything on the line, but their connection is explosive, and neither of them can make himself give up on it.

If you want to see our inspiration photos for this book, check out the ‘Heart Ripper’ Pinterest board: https://uk.pinterest.com/KAMerikan/heart-ripper-by-ka-merikan-sexmayhem-9/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29330795-heart-ripper—coffin-nails-mc

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GBO228Q/

Heart Ripper 1

EXCERPT:

The bearded guy from downstairs slid inside, locking the door of the bathroom with a loud, final-sounding clang, and then his dark gaze was on David, rendering him mute and unable to defend himself from that strong presence.

The man was taller than David, and the white T-shirt he was wearing clung to his athletic body as he glided through the bathroom. For a moment, the world slowed down, and David could swear he saw the pitch-black hair float in the air, the curved-up moustache twitch as the man smiled beneath the thick, well-kept beard. Bold black tattoos covered the man’s arms, all the way to his wrists, and some even peeked out from under the round collar of the shirt, beckoning David to have a closer look at the dark, warm-hued skin, which had immediately set the man apart from everyone else present at the party.

“I… I mean, okay, I guess you need it more,” David uttered and attempted to pass the guy, fleeing for the door. He was hot, cold, sweaty all over, and nervous as hell. Life had been so much easier years ago, before puberty hit him in the face like a red hot poker drenched in sin.

The man stood in his way, and before David could utter a word of protest, a palm as hot as molten lava burned the skin of his throat, squeezing gently as the man pushed David back. David stepped back in a daze, letting the stranger direct him toward the wall, until his knees hit something hard and cool. The man pushed him down, and David obeyed yet again, taking a seat on the closed toilet.

He could barely breathe from the stress of being alone with this guy in a locked room. “I’m sorry if I stared,” he wanted to say, but only managed a hoarse whisper. His body was still processing being touched by this man. Older, bigger, with eyes that could scorch David alive.

“I enjoyed you staring,” said the stranger with a small smirk to his lips as he traced his thumb over David’s lips. It was the sulphur to the match of David’s arousal, and he quickly clenched his thighs in panic. Even his accent immediately set him apart from most people David met. Rich and thick as sugar syrup, it was definitely Southern.

Even fumbly kisses with a girl at church camp weren’t as igniting as one touch from this man. David would burn in hell for the images crawling out of the back of his mind. His heart was beating so hard it made him light-headed.

The man liked him looking.

So he wasn’t about to scold David for it. But what could a man like this possibly want with him then? A man with all that dark hair on his thick arms, a face as handsome as if it were a gift from the devil himself, and touch that made every hair on David’s body bristle.

“This… this is a misunderstanding,” David mumbled.

The man smirked and pulled down the zipper of his jeans, slowly letting go of David’s neck. “Nice to meet you, pretty boy.”

About the author

K. A. Merikan is the pen name for Kat and Agnes Merikan, a team of writers, who are mistaken for sisters with surprising regularity. Kat’s the mean sergeant and survival specialist of the duo, never hesitating to kick Agnes’s ass when she’s slacking off. Her memory works like an easy-access catalogue, which allows her to keep up with both book details and social media. Also works as the emergency GPS. Agnes is the Merikan nitpicker, usually found busy with formatting and research. Her attention tends to be scattered, and despite pushing thirty, she needs to apply makeup to buy alcohol. Self-proclaimed queen of the roads.

They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and books. When you pick up a Merikan book, there’s one thing you can be sure of – it will be full of surprises.

e-mail: kamerikan@gmail.com

More information about ongoing projects, works in progress and publishing at:

A Lila Review: The High Kings Golden Tongue by Megan Derr

Rating: 5+ stars out of 5

The High Kings Golden TonguePrince Allen has trained his entire life to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious mother, who has made their kingdom one of the wealthiest and most influential in the empire. For the past few years he has trained to become the new consort of the High King. The only thing no one prepared him for was the stubborn, arrogant High King himself, who declares Allen useless and throws him out of court.

High King Sarrica is ruling an empire at war, and that war will grow exponentially worse if his carefully laid plans do not come to fruition. He’s overwhelmed and needs help, as much as he hates to admit it, but it must be someone like his late consort: a soldier, someone who understands war, who is not unfamiliar with or afraid of the harsher elements of rule. What he doesn’t need is the delicate, pretty little politician foisted on him right as everything goes wrong.

The High King’s Golden Tongue is an excellent fantasy tale of love, trust, family, and friendship.

The original story, in which this book is based on, was written in 2012 and was around 40 pages long. I read it about two years ago and rated five stars as well. I went back and skimmed over it, and found myself reading further than I first intended. The bones were all there, but this extended version is everything a reader could have wished for and so much more.

The fantasy world the author created includes several kingdoms with different languages and traditions— each of them with a rich history, royal families, and plots to take over the Empire. Simple things like food predilections, crops, and fashion are taking into account and spun into a well-connected tale.

Prince Allen is that connection between the kingdoms, but especially between the reader and the story. He had trained all his life to be a silver tongue, but more specifically, to be a King/Queen’s consort. He’s knowledgeable in politics, business, logistics, and many other things a regent would need to be taken care of. When Lord Tara’s family suggested him to be the Consort of the High King, he trained for two years just to be what King Sarrica needed.

Being a widower with two small children and a kingdom ready to go to war takes King Sarrica’s full attention. It’s not until the moment the Council brings a consort for him that he realizes that he didn’t want anyone to replace his late husband, Nyle. If forced, Sarrica wants a soldier, like him, to help him defend his Empire. He didn’t see value in Prince Allen’s knowledge and training. He pegs him as a spoiled royal looking for pampering and multiple lovers.

Sarrica’s dismissal puts Allen in an awkward position. If he returns home, his family would see him as a failure and his kingdom can take offense. If he stays, he would constantly be waiting for Sarrica’s call. Even if it’s just to warm up his bed, Allen wants to serve the stubborn King.

A series of misunderstandings, clever resolutions, and dark situations would mark a separate path for Sarrica and Allen. Their separation would show Sarrica how much he needed Allen and what he was willing to do to get his Golden tongue back. At the same time, Allen would find the friends he never had and a real reason to survive. He’s finally putting to practice everything he learned since childhood and discovering his own strength.

All these adventures are detailed, engaging, and fascinating. There isn’t a slow moment in this book. The plot moves forward steadily with every situation, and all the characters had a reason to exist. The amount of characters and setting involved is grant, but not overwhelming. Everything is presented cohesively and the narrations, as well as the dialogues, were well-written and witty.

I loved Tara, Rene, Lesto, and many of the Fathoms Deep and Three-headed Dragons. The friendship between Sarrica, Lesto, and Rene added a sense of familiarity and reality to the story. The settings, the fashion, and the food descriptions were great; the books and treaties, too. I only had trouble following some of the gender neutral names and I wished the author had explained the reason why some of the males  were able to bear children.

Overall, an exquisite fantasy story filled with unique scenes and engaging characters. Really happy to see more books being added to the series.

The cover by John Coulthart is beautiful. The intricate design and the attention to detail bring small parts from the setting & the castle to life. It definitely has the feel of a medieval High Court.

Sale Links: LT3 | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 400 pages
Published: November 4, 2015, by Less Than Three Press
ISBN: 1620046245 (ISBN13: 9781620046241)
Edition Language: English

Series: Tales of the High Court
Book #1: The High King’s Golden Tongue
Book #2: The Pirate of Fathoms Deep
Book #3: The Heart of the Lost Star (2017)

 

 

 

 

 

Cover Reveal for Collars N Cuffs, A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology (cover reveal and giveaway)

Collars N Cuffs Banner

Synopsis

How about a little bondage?

Does D/s get your motor running?

Do you enjoy a serving of pain to go with your pleasure?

Does your mouth water at the thought of clamps and cuffs and other naughty stuffs?

Then look no further!

The authors of Collars ‘N’ Cuffs have dripped wax on their keyboards, flogged their erotic bones, and whipped up their creative juices to bring you a collection of stories certain to enflame your imagination.

Release Date: June 23, 2016

Pre-order Links

Don’t miss the discounted pre-order and buy prices until 48 hours after release!

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/collars-n-cuffs-a-wayward-ink-publishing-anthology/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-collars039n039cuffsawaywardinkpublishinganthology-2057986-166.html
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Collars-Cuffs-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01G984JB2/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Collars-Cuffs-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01G984JB2/
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Collars-Cuffs-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01G984JB2/
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/Collars-Cuffs-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01G984JB2/

Stories included

FORGED IN STEEL

Layla Dorine

The last thing Flint expected upon discovering a homeless young man rummaging through the dumpster behind his shop was a kindred spirit.

The last thing Trace expected to find in that dumpster was a home.

 

PLAYING IT SAFE

Aimee Brissay

To safe or not to safe?

That is the question.

 

ROOM TO PLAY

Lily Velden

Jack wanted to dabble in some light BDSM, looking for a little role play. A little role-reversal.

Rhys took to their games like a duck to water.

 

A TOUCH OF KINK

Alina Popescu

A moody and angry Tudor follows his friend, Radu, to the airport to pick up a client.

Despite Radu’s efforts, he’s still sulking over his boyfriend, Kahoni, not being able to fly over for his birthday.

But the airport only opens up the door to a stream of steamy surprises for Tudor. Will his mood improve?

 

LET’S DANCE IN SIN

Kassandra Lea

Samuel wants to play with his favorite toy and Flynn is only too willing to oblige.

But first, he has a little treat for his delectable angel.

 

NEW LOVE, NEW SIGHT

Carol Pedroso

Exiled and lonely, Sorl longs for home.

Kidnapped, blind, and scared, Unjarf seeks help of any kind.

When they meet can love bring rescue, hope, and most importantly new sight?

 

SWITCH

Eddy LeFey

Robert is floundering, trying to get his life back together.

Daniel offers to help, to teach Robert what it means to truly let go of control, in order to be able to seize it again.

Life truly is a…. switch.

HELL BOUND

Asta Idonea

When Taharial, angel of purity, descends to Hell to reprimand him, lust demon Asmodeus cannot resist having a little fun with his unwanted guest.

However, when he chains Taharial to his bed, events take a turn he didn’t expect.

Book Trailer

Giveaway

Prize – 1 x $10 WIP Gift Card

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