Category: M/M Romance

A BJ Review: Sarge (F.I.S.T.S #1) by Bey Deckard

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

Sarge coverSergeant Wilkes has had a long and prestigious military career. When he’s injured on the front, Murphy brings him in. Murphy is the opposite of Sarge… big, tattooed, and delightfully submissive. Can a couple space marines stationed on an alien planet where an endless war rages on find something special in each other?

Gritty, violent, somewhat gory short novella. Its kinky, smoking hot and romantic almost in spite of itself. This story made me bawl like a baby, and I loved it!

Sarge is an older, hardened officer Dom; Murphy a younger 6ft 8in quiet, muscular, tattooed, sweet enlisted sub. Murphy also has the ability to see psychic/emotional colors (auras?). The two come together when Sarge is injured fighting on the front line, and Murphy uses his special talent to help him. Right there on the battlefield, wounded and in pain, Sarge propositions Murphy:

“You’re a good boy, Murph,” he says softly to me. “You get me home, get me patched up, and you’ll see what good boys get.”

At first it’s just an interesting diversion for Sarge, but that changes as he comes to realize what he’s found in Murphy.

Murphy is intelligent, but he doesn’t talk much. And damn it, he doesn’t need to because the nuance of communication between him and Sarge is exquisite. When it comes to D/s, one thing that fascinates me is when the physically larger guy is the submissive/bottom. And my goodness isn’t Murphy an enticing one. But its more the two together that really gets me about this story. They’re perfect together. Such devotion. I was seriously holding my breath and biting my nails at the end.

Speaking of the ending, it felt a bit abrupt at first. But the more I thought on it, the more I realized that wasn’t the case–the ending is perfect. I would love to explain that specifically, but don’t want to spoil it. Just read this little gem. I highly recommend it and cannot wait for the next in this series to come out.

The cover conveys the savage heat of the planet, and the overlaid images give a hint of the size difference of the characters. A good representation of what the book has to offer.

Sales Links:    All Romance (ARe)  –   Amazon       Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 56 pages
Published October 2014 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN139780993701764
edition languageEnglish
seriesF.I.S.T.S #1

In the Book Spotlight: Book Name: Buzz and Blow – Shave and Shimmer – Fade and Fluff by Alex Carreras

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Buzz and Blow – Shave and Shimmer – Fade and Fluff by Alex Carreras
Release Date: May 20, 2015

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Publisher: Wilde City Press
Cover Artist: Adrian Nichols

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Sales Links: Wilde City Press

STRW Author BookSynopsis

In the city of Sangre, Florida, vampires and humans coexist happily until one ancient and powerful vampire decides to mess up the entire thing. The hairdressers at Everlasting Salon who service vampires and humans alike decide to face the threat that lands on their doorstep enlisting the barbers across the street for a fight to the finish. Chaos ensues when fists fly, but it’s not all bad when old flames reunite and new relationships take root and grow. Between the clandestine meetings and vigilante justice, the vampires find love in unexpected companions, hoping to get some TLC along the way.

Pages or Words: 63,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Asher Riots unlocked the door to Everlasting, the salon he had worked at since arriving in the Sunshine State.

Normally the blazing sun wasn’t a vampire’s best friend, but after spending a hundred plus years in the northern United States, it was time for balmy breezes to warm his chilled skin, and soft, sandy beaches to tread on when the moon was full and high in the night sky, no matter what the season.

Stepping through the threshold, he inhaled the distinctive scents of the salon that made his senses tingle with excitement. The familiar smells of the hairsprays, gels, and lotions made him thankful that he had chosen this profession before he became what he was today, a member of the undead. His parents had coiffed the elite of Paris society, and their talents and attention to detail had been passed on to their son who possessed the same talents it took to excel in the beauty industry.

But times and styles had changed, leaving Asher longing for the days of platinum powdered wigs worn by courtesans, instead of bold, garish colors embraced by America’s youth. Releasing a sigh, he flipped on the neon Open sign that hung in the window. Looking out onto the street, he noticed that the barbershop across the way was still closed. Although attractive, the barbers were bad news, and they attracted similar clientele that made Asher’s skin crawl, but excited his lust for rough trade. He never admitted this to his boss, Jerrod, but Tory, his co-worker, suspected as much, judging by the smirk on his glossed lips whenever he caught Asher gazing at the comings and goings of the barbershop during the slow periods at the salon. Tory liked to play dumb, but he was anything but. Asher suspected that Tory preferred it that way because less would be expected of him. He was only fooling himself. Jerrod would never have hired the twink with a penchant for all things shiny, if he believed that was true. Jerrod only took on vampires who showed potential. And if that potential wasn’t realized, they’d be asked to leave. Many had passed through the doors of Everlasting, but only Asher had withstood the test of time.

“They’re in there.” Jerrod strutted through the door on a gust of wind, his deep baritone reverberating in Asher’s chest. “Can’t you smell them?”

“I can smell something, all right,” Asher mumbled under his breath before turning to see the man who had saved him from his own self-loathing when he arrived in Sangre, Florida, years ago. “And it smells like someone is wearing too much cologne.” Asher eyed his friend’s black-from-head-to-toe outfit. It was very hairdresser. And very vampire.

“Funny,” Jerrod grumbled, shooting a look at Asher. “I can sense something’s up but I can’t figure out what, exactly. Have you heard any tongues wagging in the street?”

“Nope,” Asher returned. “But I don’t usually listen to gossip. Ask Tory. He’d know if there is anything to know.”

Jerrod chuckled. “He’s late,” he said without looking at the clock on the wall. “What are we going to do about that guy?”

Just then, the man in question swished through the door, his strut better than any super model’s. “Are you two talking about me again?” Tory made it to the middle of the salon and twirled. “What do you think? It was a gift from an admirer.”

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Writer of M/M erotic romance, Alex Carreras believes there is nothing sexier than a hot, naked man with a cocky attitude and a sultry smile. Always on the hunt for inspiration, you will find Alex wherever there are attractive men hopefully in a state of undress. And since he lives in South Florida where the average yearly temperature is a balmy 82 Fahrenheit, there is certainly no shortage of inspiration.

Where to find the author:

Facebook Author Page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexCWrites

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Tour Dates & Stops:

May 20, 2015
Havan Fellows, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Wake Up Your Wild Side, MM Good Book Reviews, Divine Magazine, Molly Lolly, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, Emotion in Motion, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Cate Ashwood, BFD Book Blog, The Hat Party, Lee Brazil, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Multitasking Mommas, Christy Loves 2 Read, Full Moon Dreaming,
Hearts on Fire, Charley Descoteaux

May 21, 2015
Inked Rainbow Reads, Parker Williams

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Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Buzz and Blow – Shave and Shimmer – Fade and Fluff’
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Queue Up The Fiction Fun with Mischief Corner Books, The MCB Quarterly Vol. I(excerpts and giveaway)

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LGBTQ Press: Mischief Corner Books
Book Name: The MCB Quarterly, Volume 1

Release Date: April 30, 2015

Publisher: Mischief Corner Books
Cover Artist: Freddy MacKay

A Character Interview by J. Scott Coatsworth…

My name’s Tony, and I got this questionaire in the mail from The Center – I guess they want me to “move on” Like it’s just that easy to let someone go – the man who was a part of you, heart and soul.

But what the hell. Here it goes…

1. Now that you’ve gotten together, what comes next?

Well, I wouldn’t exactly say together. OK, so after Jake died, I did have this sort of weird thing happen. You know that thing where some guy tells you he met your soulmate in the afterlife, and … what, no? Well anyhow, it was one of those sort of things.

So next? I guess I pack up his things and figure out what to do now that Jake’s no longer here for me to take care of. He’d want me to move on. But still… it’s hard.

2. What was the hardest thing for you to overcome that you didn’t expect to be an issue?

Letting go. For a few unexpected days it was summer again. We were young together. Alive. But then it was snatched away. It’s hard to let it go.

3. Who or what makes you laugh out loud?

Jake. He had a wicked sense of humor… sometimes he’d wait until I took a drink, and then say something so funny I’d snort coke out of my nose. And oh my god, his Michelle Bachmann impression. Those eyes…

4. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Daiquiri Ice. It’s one of the lesser-known of the 31 flavors. I don’t even drink. But I’m addicted to the stuff. Jake… well, Jake liked chocolate chip. But he used the Italian name – stracciatella.

5. What movie will you watch over and over again?

Strictly Ballroom. Hands-down the best movie ever made, and the only other thing that makes me snort. Of course, Jake disagreed with me about that one too.

He swore up and down that Romy and Michelle was better. Turns out I’m the Mary, after all.

I hope I get to see him again in Avalon so he can fight me on that one.

Blurb:

The Quarterly is an eMagazine of LGBTQ fiction – of all kinds. This volume features four short stories: Facsimile by Mina MacLeod, Leash on Love by Beany Sparks, Man of the House by Brigid Collins, and Avalon by J. Scott Coatsworth. It also includes an Author Interview with Lexi Ander, talking about writing gay science fiction, and a Featured Artist section about the multitalented Catherine Dair. And our very own Angel Martinez offers an Op-Ed on “When is an Author not an Author?”

Pages or Words: 33,200 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Gay fiction, Horror, Lesbian romance, M/M romance, Romance, Transexual

(Please remember that not all stories will contain all elements listed.)

RC

Excerpts:

Avalon by J. Scott Coatsworth

Tony wheeled the chair down the long ramp to the beach, hoping it wasn’t too hot or too cold for Jake’s skin.

The day itself was wonderful, the clearest in weeks, and the Pacific Ocean waves pounded the beach in a steady, soothing rhythm that he hoped even Jake could hear.

Soon they were on level ground, negotiating the boardwalk that ran up and down this part of the beach. Jake had a sloppy smile on his face.

Tony smiled to himself. There were so few pleasures he could give Jake anymore. The man deserved so much more than this.

He reached forward to wipe the drool from the side of Jake’s cheek. “It’s a lovely day out, isn’t it, Jake?”

His lover didn’t respond, but only stared ahead, smiling.

There were still periods of lucidity, to be sure, but they were farther and farther apart. Sometimes Tony wished that Jake would finally succumb to the growth in his head and be at peace. But only sometimes.

More often, he treasured the time they still had together and remembered the strong, vital man Jake had been when they’d first met.

For just a moment, the rest of the world faded away, and they were alone together on a quiet, windswept beach. Tony breathed in deeply, savoring the pure sweetness of the salty ocean air, the wash of clean colors that assaulted his vision.

He glanced up at the road above, only to find it was gone. There were no other people on the bluff, no buildings, nothing. They were alone, really alone, in this little corner of the world.

Tony shook his head to dispel the vision. It was the late nights, he thought, the lack of sleep that led to these strange imaginations.

A hand came down on his shoulder. Hard. And suddenly they were back among the bustle of a thousand other people.

Leash on Love by Beany Sparks

There he is again.

Matty noticed the man exit the gym as he’d done numerous times over the past few months. The gym was only a few doors down from the veterinary practice where Matty came to help out his cousin Robert when he wasn’t at uni.

Every day after his classes finished, he’d pop down to the practice and walk the dogs that were in doggy day care. Some days he’d finish earlier than others, so he didn’t always walk the dogs at the same time, but on the days that he walked the dogs later, he’d leave around the same time as the guy left the gym.

He’d noticed gym-guy after the first few visits to his cousin’s vet practice. There was nothing outrageous about the man. He had light brown hair and muscles that were obviously from his time spent at the gym, but not that of a hard-core body builder. Something about him had caught Matty’s eye, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. He looked forward to seeing him, but he hadn’t gotten up the courage to say anything to him, let alone get caught watching him. Even now he was practically hiding behind his car, pretending to be looking for his keys.

“Hey, Matty!”

Matty turned to see Ronnie, or Veronica as her name badge indicated, coming towards him. Ronnie had been his best friend for years, which worked out well when she married his cousin. While Robert was a vet, Ronnie was a dentist who conveniently worked in the building opposite the vet practice. The only thing separating the buildings was the numerous parking spaces in between.

“Hey, Ronnie. What’s been happening?” Matty asked as he walked up to her and gave her a hug, which she happily returned.

“Oh you know, same old, same old.” She moved back a step and leaned against his car. “How are things with you?”

Man of the House by Brigid Collins

Some inconsiderate ass-dick had hit a skunk on the road out front of our house.

The God-awful stench woke me before my alarm, which I suppose I could have chosen to see as a blessing. For some reason, all I could focus on was the way skunk scent stuck in the back of my throat. Lucky I wasn’t much of a breakfaster.

God, it was bad. I hadn’t opened my eyes yet, but the darkness of pre-six o-fuckin’-clock in the morning pressed against my lids. That and the soft warmth of my bed whispered to me, urging me to roll over, press my face into the pillow, and pretend the dead critter out there was a squirrel. Those little bastard thieves deserved to get hit, and they didn’t stink up the neighborhood when they died.

But rolling over and pretending wasn’t what the man of the fucking house would do. I didn’t even have to go through my usual cycle of “what would Dad do” to know that. A man did what needed to be done, and that was that. No use bitching about it now, either. Dad was gone, and there was no getting him back. Someone still had to do the stuff that needed done, and I figured out months back that it wasn’t going to be Derrik.

I flopped my arm out from the blankets and around my nightstand until I managed to get my finger on the alarm switch. That taken care of, I sat up and cracked my eyes open. A red 5:23 burned out of the shadows of my room, and I groaned.

Look on the bright side, this gives you time to deal with the skunk without making you late for school.

Facsimile by Mina MacLeod

The night President Carnot is assassinated, Monique Chambly is nestled in a chair in her sitting room with a blanket wrapped around her legs. The fire is crackling, and her tea is hot. It smells of cinnamon and spice; the scent brings familiarity and comfort, but Monique cannot remember why. She remembers very little these days.

She’s staring at the amber softgel capsules, debating whether the pain is bad enough to warrant them. The phonograph is warbling Mozart. She has always adored Mozart. At least, she’s fairly certain she has.

Outside their Montmartre estate, the rain comes down upon the city, heavy and unforgiving. Thunder rolls across the sky and lightning rips through the clouds, illuminating the streets. It is a cold, terrible night to be outside.

Her joints ache. Monique winces and reaches for the capsules. Her muscles feel like they are being pulled from her bones. She manages to swallow the medication, wincing as it slides down her dry throat. Monique grabs the tea and takes a generous gulp, though her tongue protests the sting of heat. She lolls her head until her chin sits upon her chest. Dark ringlets of hair shift to hide her face. Her head feels heavy, so heavy—as though her neck isn’t strong enough to hold it up.

The next clap of thunder startles her; it cracks the sky in twain with its severity. The arc lamps in their home flicker. Monique is huddled there, curled in on herself, when Elvire finds her.

“Monique, my darling,” she says, kneeling before the chair. “Whatever are you doing awake?” She reaches out, brushing aside the curtain of Monique’s hair.

Dr. Elvire Mazet is a tall, wiry creature. Yet here she is, folded up neatly at Monique’s feet. Her dark eyes are wide with concern behind her wire-rimmed spectacles. She is still wearing her lab coat. Its immaculate whiteness has long since been stained with evidence of various experiments. A pair of safety goggles is holding her short red hair out of her face. Monique wonders idly what Elvire has been up to down in her lab. Normally, Elvire leaves all of her clothing and equipment downstairs.

Thunder rumbles through the sky yet again, and Monique shudders. “Am I—am I afraid of storms? I don’t…remember.”

Sales   Mischief Corner Books  All Romance (ARe)  – Bookstrand – Amazon – Barnes & Noble

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About the Press:

Mischief Corner Books is an organization of superheroes… no, it’s a platinum-album techno-fusion group…no, hold on a sec here…

Ah, yes. Mischief Corner is a diverse group of authors who met on a mountain in Tennessee and decided since we probably were too easily distracted to rule the world that we’d settle for causing a bit of mayhem instead.

In addition to making mayhem, we publish books with a diverse range of genres and topics… we live to break molds.

MCB. Giving voice to LGBTQ fiction.

Where to find MCB:

Giveaway

Contest:  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by MCB and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a
Rafflecopter Prize: 1 $15.00 Amazon gift certificate and copy of the Quarterly (winners choice of format), 2 $10.00 All Romance gift certificates, and 3 copies of the Quarterly (winners choice of format).

Rafflecopter Code:
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Tour Dates & Stops:

  • 11-May Angel Martinez
  • 12-May Bayou Book Junkie
  • 13-May Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance
  • 14-May Cate Ashwood
  • 15-May Cathy Brockman Romances, Full Moon Dreaming
  • 18-May  Divine Magazine, Molly Lolly
  • 19-May MM Good Book Reviews, Carly’s Book Reviews
  • 20-May  Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
  • 21-May  Inked Rainbow Reads
  • 22-May  BFD Book Blog
  • 28-May  Prism Book Alliance

Let Love Find The Way with “Light A Candle” by VJ Summers (tour and contest)

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Light a Candle (Club Velvet Ice #4) by VJ Summers
Release Date: May 18, 2015
Publisher: Riptide Publishing

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Sales Links:   Riptide Publishing – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon

About Light A Candle…

Will broke Dusty’s heart their senior year. One unexpected moment of passion between them, and Will freaked out. Not only wasn’t he gay, but he wasn’t kinky either—or so he insisted to Dusty. Their long friendship ended, and Dusty was left with only bittersweet memories of their last movie night together.

Ten years later, out as gay and a Dom, Will auditions for membership at Club Deviant, only to find that he’s been assigned an all-too-familiar submissive. His scene with Dustin feels like fate, and he’s determined to get back what they once had—and more.
Dustin had buried the pain of rejection deep, but playing with Will conjures all his memories of that one electric moment they shared and the friendship it destroyed. He’s built walls around his heart high enough to keep out the Trojan Army, but together, he and Will may find the courage to move beyond their past and face their future together.

About Author VJ Summers

When not working the EDJfH (Evil Day Job from Hell), obsessing over whether her parents are getting enough to eat, obsessing that her kid is sexting the boyfriend, making coffee, drinking coffee, or feeding the two cats who allow her to live with them, VJ can be found reading or writing erotic romance—either solo as m/m author VJ Summers, or as the shorter, more quiet half of the “Violet Summers” writing team (the tall half is Sierra Summers).

VJ loves to hear from readers! You can find her at https://vjsummersandsmut.wordpress.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VJsSmut.

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Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a $15 Riptide store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on May 23. Make sure you include a email address where you can be contacted in the body of your comment. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to add your email so we can contact you if you win!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Prizes provided by the author and Riptide Publishing.

 

Book Details:

(Publisher’s Note: This is a heavily expanded and revised edition of Velvet Memories, previously published in 2011.) – See more at Riptide Publishing’s Light A Candle page.
Author: VJ Summers
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62649-286-8
eBook release: May 18, 2015
eBook Formats: pdf, mobi, html, epub
Word count: 35,200, Page count: 136
Type: Standalone,

A MelanieM Review: Life, Some Assembly Required (The Rebuilding Year #2) by Kaje Harper

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Finding love in the ashes was easy. Building a life together? Don’t make Fate laugh.

Life, Some Assembly required covrAfter spending the first part of his life chasing pretty girls, love has finally come to Ryan in the form of John, a tall, lanky, red-headed landscape architect with wide shoulders and a five-o’clock shadow.

For the first time in his life, love feels easy. Hell, he even ran into a burning building for John and his son, and he’d do it again if he had to. But telling his father and brothers “I’m gay. I’ve met a man”? That’s a bumpy ride he’s not looking forward to.

For John, loving Ryan is as natural as breathing. Now if only the rest of his life would fall into place. Dealing with his teen son is complicated enough, but with his ex-wife causing trouble and his daughter wanting to move in, John’s house—and his relationship with Ryan—threaten to split at the seams.

Would one month without a new surprise knocking him upside the heart be asking too much? If the sound of Fate’s laughter is any indication, the answer must be yes…

Kaje Harper’s The Rebuilding Year was one of my favorite books of 2012.  It was the story of two seemingly “straight” men at an unsettled point in their lives, a time where they are discarding their past and trying to rebuild a future for themselves, and in John’s case, hopefully for his children as well.  That novel told the story of ex-firefighter Ryan Ward, disabled on the job and now going back to school for a medical degree.  He’s still dealing with the loss of his beloved profession, having nightmares over the fire that damaged his leg, and dealing with an unsettled vision of his future.  On the college campus, Ryan meets John Barrett, a man as familiar with loss as Ryan is.  John lost his marriage and kids when his wife cheated on him.  And when the divorce was final, he watched his wife move the kids to California in search of a new life with a new man.    Two men whose lives were shattered by events out of their control.  Two men who thought they were straight but whose strong attraction to each other has them rethinking their lives and future.

Now comes the sequel, Life, Some Assembly Required (The Rebuilding Year #2) and, with this story, I found myself falling back in love with John and Ryan, and their relationship.  Never quite the fan of  the “gay for you” trope, Harper made a serious argument for John and Ryan’s feelings in the first book.  While John had married and Ryan was considered a “hounddog” with women, both men had had attractions to men in the past, while not quite acting on them.  So the story became more one of old desires rekindled and recognized then a purely straight man falling for another. We watched them work through many emotional issues as well as acceptance by John’s children.  And that first story ended with Ryan telling his father that he was finally serious about someone for the first time in his life, and its with a man.  A wonderful ending that packed a huge emotional punch.

Life, Some Assembly Required picks up directly after the events in The Rebuilding Year.  I won’t go into detail because that is simply a book to be savored and a must read for this novel.  One (of many) of the things I appreciate so about Kaje Harper’s writing is her ability to make her stories feel so real.  Her characters and their lives aren’t enveloped in some softly glowing light where everything works out smoothly and with relative ease.  That’s better left for the fairytale romances.  No, Harper’s characters and their lives reflect the grittiness and intimacy of people living every day realistically and authentically.   It involves boredom, obstacles little and big, schedules that get too busy and the hiccups and burps that relationships go through.  Its the work the couple needs to do in order to have the partnership they want.  And that includes two men who love each other deeply such as John and Ryan do.

This book is full of life’s pebbles and boulders that get scattered in the way of their happiness and much of the joy in this story is watching them deal with those problems together (and figuring out that they need to come at these issues as a couple).  That doesn’t always make for easy reading, just throughly rewarding and satisfactory one, at least in my opinion.   Why?  Because life isn’t lived in a bubble. For John and Ryan, the relationship they are building together includes John’s children (who I adored and who went through some surprising emotional turmoil of their own), an ex wife’s determined to have their own way albeit one that is understandable from her point of view, and Ryan’s family with expectations of their own for Ryan which doesn’t include another man.

Throughout the story, its one of constant adjustments…in plans of every sort from dinner to vacations. It’s the ever deepening joy of a daily life together along with the typical hurt feelings, and occasional miscommunication that involves. On an intimate level, we watch the men deal with all the  repercussions of their love for each other and their decision to move in together. And how that effects their professional lives, families and the community around them.  I love how Harper lets us see into their decision making process and relationship dynamics through their conversations, actions and lovemaking.  Harper allows her characters the strength and depth that lets them act responsibility and respectfully towards themselves and those around them.  Yes, this is a book about grownups in a thoughtful adult relationship.  How I appreciated that tone and type of character as well.

Sometimes the issues are raw with emotion and the painful aftermath of the disappointments that can occur when hopes and family collide.   Yes, there were times I was so frustrated with the events that happen, both with John’s ex wife (again not a villain but a woman doing  what she thinks is necessary to survive) and again with Ryan’s family.  But their reactions and actions towards John and Ryan are pretty realistic and believable in their own way.  I appreciated that too.  And it makes the ending that much sweeter for all the hardship both men endured to get there.

I hope this isn’t the end of the story for John and Ryan.  I want to see them married now that Ryan has finished his degree.  I want to know what happens next to their mixed families and their future together.  If you are listening, Kaje, pretty please, can we have another?  Until I have an answer, I will try and  be content with Life, Some Assembly Required. It’s a perfect sequel to The Rebuilding Year, and a new favorite of mine.  I highly recommend them both.  Please read them in the order they were written, its the best way to understand John and Ryan’s journey to love and a relationship that feels so wonderful and real.

Cover art by Angela Waters.  I like this cover, although I have to say I prefer the cover models in the first cover, they better fit my own idea of John and Ryan.  But its warm, and real, just like the story within.

Sales Links: Samhain Publishing  – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: June 9th 2015 by Samhain Publishing
original title Life, Some Assembly Required
ISBN139781619230743
edition languageEnglish
series The Rebuilding Year #2

Books in the Series to Date:

  • The Rebuilding Year (The Rebuilding Year #1)
  • Life, Some Assembly Required (The Rebuilding Year, #2)

 

A Paul B Review: The Exiled Omega (The Exiled Omega #1) by Alex Ashmore

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Exiled Omega coverAfter being shunned by his home pack, all Caleb wants to do is raise his son and get away from his abusive alpha. Derek, the alpha from the rival pack offers sanctuary until Caleb is well enough to travel again. Will Derek be able to convince Caleb that there might be a future in his pack?

Derek is the young alpha of the Hawkthorn pack. He and his best friend and beta Nate have the general support of the pack. However the former alpha’s cronies have been pushing Derek to find himself a mate and produce the next generation of alphas. To complicate matters, there have been rumors of border encroachment from the neighbor rival Yesterfront pack. While on patrol on the pack border, Nate sees the rival pack shunned what appears to be an omega wolf and his pup.

Caleb is the omega from the Yesterfront pack. He had a relationship with the alpha and had a son as a result of the relationship. Caleb is isolated in the pack as the alpha has decided to take a female as a mate. She decides that Caleb is a threat to her relationship to the alpha and decides that Caleb has to go. She gets the alpha to have Caleb and his son shunned and run out of Yesterfront territory. They end up wandering onto Hawkthorn territory trying to escape.

When Derek and a border patrol find Caleb, Derek decides to take in the omega and his son. Although they agree that it would only be long enough for Caleb to recuperate from the shunning, the two quickly grow close. Caleb’s son Matthew and Derek take a liking to each other. This surprises Caleb as Matthew’s father did his best to avoid his son whenever possible. Caleb hopes that Derek’s interest in both him and his son will mean a future at the Hawkthorn pack and not a homeless shelter for rejected shifters. These dreams seem to be dashed when Nate is found severely injured while doing a border patrol. Seeing this as a message, Caleb must decide whether to put his happiness in front of the safety of the pack that has taken him in. It appears his former alpha does not want Caleb to find happiness and will do what is necessary to prevent it.

I really enjoyed this book. This story is told from three different points of view. This allows readers to have more insight as to what each characters thoughts are. The romance between Derek and Caleb is slow and well done. Derek knows that Caleb must put his son first and does what he can to help protect him. It is Derek’s affection for Matthew that actually provides a counterpoint for Caleb to his former alpha. Derek sees Caleb as a person and not just an omega for use.

Derek also sees in Matthew as a potential alpha heir through his actions with the other pups in the pack. When Caleb decides to leave, Derek is heartbroken but is determined to get the pair to their next destination safely. While facing off with the rival alpha, Derek is determined that no harm fall upon the two guys that have his heart.

Sales Link:   Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:
Ebook, 172 pages
Edition: English
Published: February 13, 2015 by Northstar Alpha Press
ASIN: B00TLXXRLG
Series: The Exiled Omega
The Exiled Omega (Exiled Omega #1)
Full Moon Heat (Exiled Omega #2)
A Purrfect Match (Exiled Omega #3)

In the Book Spotlight: Songbook: Paulo and Preston Shorts by Lee Benoit (excerpt and giveaway)

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 Songbook: Paulo and Preston Shorts by Lee Benoit

Release Date: May 20, 2015

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Goodreads Link:
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

Sales Links: Torquere Books

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Lee Benoit has collected all the Paulo and Preston stories into one volume.  Love a little kink with your romance?  Check out Songbook:  Paulo and Preston Shorts by Lee Benoit below and don’t forget to enter the contest at the end.

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Cue the music! SONGBOOK collects, for the first time ever, all of the stories in the Paulo and Preston series!

PRESTON is a lifestyle Dominant, recently retired from a career on stage at an exclusive BDSM club. When the series begins, he’s single and looking forward to a quieter life. All that changes on the night of Preston’s last performance when PAULO, a complete novice, takes the place of Preston’s usual stage submissive. By day Paulo does odd jobs and sings in the Sister City Gay Men’s Chorus. After that first night with Preston, however, he wants more. He wants everything. Can a newbie sub and a gracefully aging Dom learn to harmonize?

Each story chronicles a new phase in Paulo and Preston’s relationship and features song lyrics mangled in deliciously naughty ways by Paulo.
Pages or Words: 59,300 words

Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance, Multicultural, May/December, Disability

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

He was flying from my flogger, and I knew I could break him with the whip. I shouldn’t — he was too new — he’d imprint on me like an orphan nestling. I decided once more on this mad, unexpected night, to trust myself. I would whip Paulo, not break him, and let him down gently once our performance ended.

I examined my control for a split second as I drew back my arm. No uncertainty, no sense of wrongness intruded. I was flying, too, and as much I trusted myself, I found I trusted my surprise sub too. This was right.

He screamed around the gag at the whip’s kisses anyway, though mine were not blows that would shatter him unless I’d read him very, very wrong.

I dropped the whip and removed the obscene gag, kissed the swollen lips, swallowed the last notes of his strange, wild song just as our finale music burgeoned around us. A choir of boys sang John the Beloved’s hymn “Shine on Me,” the perfect song for my last Epiphany on this stage and, I knew now, my first on a new path.

 

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Before dawn and after dark, Lee Benoit is a writer of queer fiction, some contemporary, some speculative, some historical. During the daylight hours she is a professor of sociology & anthropology. In the old days, Lee traveled the world doing field research. Now she lives in the middle of a New England hayfield where being a single parent provides more than enough excitement. Proudly pansexual, whenever she gets itchy feet and misses the world of research and advocacy, Lee invents a new world in her head and takes notes on what happens there.

Discover more about Lee at http://www.leebenoittales.com

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Tour Dates & Stops: May 19, 2015
Parker Williams, Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie, Inked Rainbow Reads, Charley Descoteaux, Happily Ever Chapter, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Chris McHart, MM Good Book Reviews, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, 3 Chicks After Dark, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Velvet Panic, Up All Night, Read All Day,
My Fiction Nook, Rainbow Gold Reviews

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Contest:  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-book of Songbook: Paulo and Preston Shorts.

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A Sammy Review: Apple Polisher (Rear Entrance Video #1) by Heidi Belleau

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

If this is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

I don’t want to be right.

I want to be happy.

ApplePolisher_400x600Christian Blake has been trying to prove something to his mother for as long as he can remember. It doesn’t matter that she’s not even in the same country, or that he knows she’s wrong. The need to be more haunts him.

His life is all a very delicate balance of situations. He’s going to school to become a teacher, his aunt is sick, and he’s moving into a new place with people he’s never met. He doesn’t expect for the apartment to be full of temptations that could form a crack in his carefully constructed teacher facade. But Max, his roommate, well he’s one of the biggest temptations of all.

And then he’s confronted with more issues – like his aunt’s tanking porn store, and he’s forced to make choices and try to figure out how the balance he’s established can work when he’s a gay man in the teaching profession and working in a porn store. Overwhelming? Just a little.

This wasn’t reckless desire anymore, something Christian only acted upon because his life was going to shit. This was genuine want. He wanted Max. His body, his cock, his smile, his advice, his companionship. All of it.

Going into this, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I absolutely loved the premise behind it. Throw something that’s supposed to be forbidden at me (like a teacher working on a porn store) and I’m game. Some of the reviews made me a bit nervous, but I can honestly say that I’m glad I read it.

I found myself so enjoying the story, even when it made me frustrated. Take Max, for example. I know we’re supposed to be frustrated with Christian in this and his issues with being true to himself, but sometimes I struggled with Max’s method of pushing Christian. Was Christian right about the things he did? No, but I’m not sure it warranted Max’s reactions. Still, it worked for me because that’s pretty realistic of relationships. People suck sometimes. We still love them though.

A lot of the events really resonated with me too. Dealing with a family member with cancer, going to school, having all these stresses pile up at once and then having to worry about your image. It all sounds very superficial, but it’s a real problem so many people face, and I appreciated the author not shying away from that – though I do have some little nagging feelings about how the teaching profession seemed to be portrayed as a whole, and that’s part of what kept this rating from being higher.

But the sex, well that was steamy and delicious. I could’ve even stood to have some more, but that’s just me being needlessly greedy. I did feel the bit thrown in at the end with Max’s side career was a bit out of nowhere, but it was hot, so I got over it quickly. I would’ve loved to see it more fully developed though, especially with how Christian’s role in it comes into play. I feel like we only got a taste, and it was a yummy teaser, but I wanted more.

I also really enjoyed the side characters, who we get to see in future books, and that made me even more excited to read the next two books in the series! I can’t wait to see where she takes it. All in all, this was a fun, easy read that made me smile.

The new cover art by Vivian Ng is a lot of fun and compliments the story. After all, sweater vests play a bigger role than you may expect.

Sales Links:    Riptide Publishing      All Romance (ARe)  Amazon      Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 230 pages
Published July 27th 2013 by Riptide Publishing
original title Apple Polisher
ISBN 1626490341 (ISBN13: 9781626490345)
edition language English

A BJ Review: Just a Bit Unhealthy (Straight Guys, #3) by Alessandra Hazard

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

When the line between “need” and “want” gets blurred… 



SONY DSCGabriel DuVal, rising soccer star.

Jared Sheldon, team physician.

To the outside world, they’re just good friends. But the truth is, Gabriel isn’t entirely sure what they are to each other.

Some call their relationship unhealthy. Some call it codependency. Gabriel calls it confusing. He knows Jared wants him – as more than a friend. He doesn’t want Jared. He’s straight, he has a girlfriend, and he loves her. But Jared is… Jared is more. Jared is his. He needs him – his touch and his strength.

But is it enough for Jared?

 

Gabriel DuVal is a soccer star and Jared Sheldon the team physician who pulled him up from hell after an accident that threatened to end his career. Jared loves Gabriel, has for a long time. He tries to hide it because Gabriel is straight and has a girlfriend. Jared secretly knows exactly how Jared feels for him. Knows he should let him go, but can’t. Codependency? Maybe. When Jared discovers that Gabriel knows and quits the team, Gabriel is devastated. He makes a deal to get him back. A very unhealthy deal.

The latest in the GFY “Straight Boy” series is not a light-hearted, sweet romance… it’s just as the title implies, quite more than a bit unhealthy. Watching Gabriel struggle with wanting Jared, thinking of him as his and yet not thinking he physically wants him the way he knows Jared wants him was a fun ride. Both of these guys are rather shitty to each other at time and to others as well, so I can see why some folks might dislike them both. Despite that, I felt their connection, felt they belonged together, and thus I thoroughly enjoyed this!

This well-written series centers on “Straight Guys” who discover or come to terms with their sexuality a bit later and usually not without some trauma along the way. If that’s not what you are interested in reading, then this series may not be for you.

Cover was a bit different from the others in the series, not a matched set so to speak, but it works well enough for the story.

Sales Link:  Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 193 pages
Published March 26th 2015 by Alessandra Hazard
ASINB00V8L0G5O
edition languageEnglish
seriesStraight Guys #3

Publisher’s warning: This is not a light-hearted story; this is a rather twisted gay-for-you story. It contains some steamy MM scenes, explicit language, and two people so wrapped up in each other that the nature of their relationship goes beyond friendship–and beyond normal.

Straight Guys Series: