Category: M/M Romance

A MelanieM Review: Baked Fresh (Portland Heat #2) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Baked Fresh coverFrom its famous coffee to the mouthwatering fare at its cafés, restaurants, and bakeries, Portland, Oregon, has a lot to whet the appetite, including the hard-working men who serve it all up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…

Vic Degrassi is a baker on the rise, and it’s all thanks to his rare ability to make—and keep—his New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s losing weight, giving up smoking, or graduating from culinary school, Vic goes after what he wants—and gets it. This year? He wants Robin Dawson, the sweet-hearted hottie who volunteers with him at the local homeless shelter. When he learns that Robin is suddenly single after being unceremoniously dumped, Vic is more than happy to offer a shoulder to cry on—or at least a fresh-baked pastry to bite into. But it’s been a long time since Vic’s gone on a date, and he’s nervous about risking his friendship with Robin. So when their flirtation turns into a steamy night together, Vic and Robin have to figure out if they’re friends with benefits or lovers in the making, and if Robin is ready for something more than just a rebound. There’s only one way to find out: turn up the heat…

Annabeth Albert is an author I was unfamiliar with before now. Baked Fresh is my first introduction and its a good one.  The blurb offers up a number of elements guaranteed to pull me in such as cooking, baking, and romance.  But what is not apparent from the synopsis is that Baked Fresh contains one more element that I find irresistable….realistic characters who physically conform more to the norm than to the “Greek god” form of perfection.

Please don’t get me wrong…I do love my romances that contain love between two rugged/stunning/drop dead gorgeous/over the top specimens of the male gender. *fans* But its all about variety for me as well.  I want the guys who are a little worn around the edges, maybe a little bald or plump, maybe a little older or tarnished in attitude or outlook. Or even those men who have worked hard to tone up or better themselves….for themselves.  And its those men that Albert is writing about…heartwarmingly and realistically.  They grabbed at my heartstrings and I hope you will give them a chance.  Let’s take a closer look.

Vic DeGrassi is one of those quiet, surprising men that you might actually meet on the streets, Portland or otherwise.  A family history of heart disease and dying young made Vic take a hard look at his own health and extra (lots of extra) weight that he was carrying.  His answer to his predicament is a stomach band, a brave and often unpleasant operation.  Albert lets us into the fact that this is not the glamourous cure all you might think it is.  There’s the ugly scar, the minuscule list of food items that Vic can eat without making himself ill….it’s not an easy lifestyle to maintain, even after the operation.  But Vic looks at the risks and changes his lifestyle and we believe in him all the way.  The operation is over when the book begins and Vic has already well on his way to remaking himself.  He shaved his head, works out but the image in his mind is still the large, ungainly guy he remembers reflected back at him all those years, from his family included. The man you come to love through his thoughts, conversation and actions is a little more “old world” in manners, and outlook.  Vic’s charming, protective, and a wonderful man.   And he’s perfect for Robin.

Robin Dawson is also that quiet young man working away, trying to make a difference in his community and world.  He’s a little beaten down, lacking in self confidence.  His background is more problematic than Vic’s and it will explain his work at the local shelter, again made very authentic for the reader.  Robin’s pain is never far from the service and we meet him on a downward spiral after being dumped.  I took him to heart as well.

Their relationship is slow to grow, which is great.  We are there as Vic and Robin build something substantial, brick by hopeful brick.  They get to know each other, there are some surprises and quite a lot of very sexy love scenes.  These two, especially Vic, are inventive and fierce when they finally come together.  It’s hot, its sexy and it’s a lot of fun to read.

Is the book perfect?  No, just as its characters, it has some flaws and imperfections.  Not enough background in some cases, too much exposition in others.  And also a tad short…..I did want more of Vic and Robin and their future together.  You will too.

I haven’t read the first story and you really don’t need to in order to involve yourself with Vic and Robin.  But I so enjoyed this story that I will be searching out the first and then waiting for the third story to arrive.  I believe Annabeth Albert has me hooked with her honest characters, heartwarming romance and believable plots.  So consider Baked Fresh by Annabeth Albert a new wonderful surprise and a lovely recommended read.

Cover art by ?, I thought the cover  quiet and simple.  Not over the top which is actually kind of perfect for the men within, neither of which are those models on the cover.  That’s the only shame.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 159 pages
Expected publication: April 13th 2015 by Kensington
ISBN 1601833938 (ISBN13: 9781601833938)
seriesPortland Heat #2

Book in the Portland Heat series:

Served Hot (Portland Heat, #1)
Baked Fresh (Portland Heat, #2)
Delivered Fast (Portland Heat, #3)

 

A Sammy Review: Cronin’s Key (Cronin’s Key #1) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5:

Cronin's key coverWeird and Alec MacAidan tend to go together. From bending bullets to people suddenly turning to ash, his experience on the police force and in life haven’t necessarily been the most normal, but it’s about to get a whole lot weirder when a vampire named Cronin shows up at the station and disappears with Alec in front of a whole bunch of cops.

Alec’s full of questions, but the answers always seem to lead to more. There’s a whole other world out there Alec had no idea about, and Cronin and his coven are all part of that. Alec’s been told most of his life that he’s special, but he just never had this in mind – being fated to a vampire is one thing, but what they discover about just how special he is… well that’s a whole different ball game.

He wanted to be everything to Cronin. And he would be. Everything he needed, everything he wanted, Alec was it.

 As Cronin was to him.

N.R. Walker has always been the author I go to when I need a break from reality. her books tend to provide me with easy escapes and easy reads, and Cronin’s Key is no different. When I had time to read, I flew through the pages and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

This book, which I hope is the first in at least a three book series, provides a great introduction to both Alec and Cronin. They both have distinct personalities that Walker does a great job of highlighting. Furthermore, the way that the connection between them builds, despite there being an instant love factor due to fate, is really great, especially the bits of humor that are laced into it. I had so much fun reading their banter and it kept me smiling.

The side characters were really great too. I enjoyed getting to know them as well as how they laced into the story of Alec and Cronin. They didn’t take away from it, but they added greatly to the depth. It presented a whole new dynamic that I certainly appreciated.

But my favorite part, hands down, is the alternate history and therefore the world that Walker created. Instead of just throwing vampires into society as we know it, she took events such as the Black Plague and reimagined them. I was so giddy over this and so enamored by the past that she built. I really hope that this continues in coming books, as it was such a strong element to the book that it’s something I will remember this book for.

My only complaint would be that I wasn’t immediately drawn in at the beginning, and unfortunately some of the lines were a bit cheesy, especially toward the end in battle scenes. It was just that the villain sounded like they were from a badly scripted series, but besides that, it read very well. In general, this was a fun start to a new series that I will look forward to reading more of.

The cover art by Sara York does a nice job of accenting the story, though I am not necessarily the most pleased with it aesthetically. It fits the story, but looks-wise, it’s not that great.

 

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

Book Details:

ebook, 265 pages
Published March 13th 2015 by Self-Published (first published March 12th 2015)
original titleCronin’s Key
edition languageEnglish
seriesCronin’s Key #1

A Mika Review: You In My Arms (The Sunset Club #1) by A.C. Katt

Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5 star

You in My Arms coverJason’s priorities are non-negotiable: take care of his sister; keep a roof over their heads; go back to school eventually. Can one club owner make it easier to uphold his priorities and maybe add him to the list? 

Jason Monroe had to leave school to be the guardian of his sister Kitty when his dad and step-mom die in a car crash. He’s working two jobs to keep them afloat, but their boat is leaking much like the roof of their old house. Jason doesn’t have time for love that is until Zach Montgomery, the owner of the Sunset Club, the premier gay club on the Jersey Shore comes calling.

I love kids, and tragedy together. You In My Arms by A.C.. Katt has both.  I honestly liked the characters. Of course we had a crude guy who didn’t do relationships, because hey, that’s what appeals to people. I knew right off the back his tune was going to change once he met the right person. I think it has the potential to be a 4 star book if the author went in with a red pen and crossed out most of the communication between the two. On my goodness, these people TALKED too damn much. It was so scatter-brained between everyone. I mean, come on, one minute one topic then the next it’s tears and run on sentences. I actually didn’t see the chemistry building up between the two so fast. One minute they were in the bar talking, the next Zach bogarts his way into Jason’s life.

I actually liked how devoted Jason was to taking care of his sister. But some things in the story? I don’t know if I believed in them well enough because its as though Jason had blinders on. Zach definitely moved fast when it came to Jason, I mean super fast. All in all, it was okay. I enjoyed the premise more than the execution.

Cover Art by: WinterHeart design. I think the design team got it backwards. Zach is supposed to be the older burnet guy, where as on the cover he looks the youngest. Jason was the 22 yr old blond and he looks middle aged to me. I think it could have been better.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 166 pages
Published March 19th 2015 by ManLove Romance Press
ASINB00UZIXQ58
edition languageEnglish
seriesThe Sunset Club #1

In Our Book Spotlight: Down On the Other Street by Jennifer Cie (excerpt and Giveaway)

 Jennifer Cie is back in the Spotlight with the second book of Down On the Other Street collection of stories!

Check it all out below, including our exclusive excerpt, and don’t’ forget to enter the contest!

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Down On The Other Street Book Two by Jennifer Cie

Goodreads Link

Release Date: April 13, 2015

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STRW Author BookSynopsis

About Down On The Other Street – Volume Two:

Scars dripping over broken skin and whispers silenced, there can be no point of return. Wrapped in the ripples of warm waters, staring down at unkempt mountains, Stefanie can feel the thrum of the old world’s song. The first conversation, stained into ceramic cups and shadows in the night, gave birth to the last confession. Before metal bars clanged shut or chanting grew quiet, there was the woman with the violet smile. Somewhere in the gaggle of exposed bodies, worn cassettes and children’s fairy tales, he is waiting for the red coat. Woven together through trials of sexuality, political dissonance, and self-discovery, this heady collection of six short stories examines who we become after finding love

Pages or Words: 152 pages, 29,122 words

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Fiction, New Adult, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Down On The Other Street: Vol 2 Exclusive –From “Ceramic Cups”

The air of confidence that had brought us there from dinner at CK’s diner, the seats of your rattling Oldsmobile, and new indents in your sofa’s cushions had decompressed. You were suffocating under sheets of “I-never-do-this” and “God-you-must-think-I’m-a-slut.” The way you choked on waves of silence as I traced my finger across your collarbone was adorable. I would have given anything to be you—so beautiful, attempting to find poise in uncertainty at twenty-three, and still hungry for the ailment lingering underneath your sheets.

At the inevitable end of your unnecessary confessions of “not-being-the-type,” I didn’t confide that I understood on a personal level. I teased you, mercilessly. I pressed against you with the type of intensity that had made you melt minutes before.

Watching your eyes roll back, straddling the lines of pain and immutable pleasure, I asked if you were sure of your type.

Trailing kisses back down your body, I gave some lengthy whispers of sinners tasting better than saints. Running the thumb of my free hand across your lips, while gripping your hipbone with the other, I reveled in every gasp of your misery.

I think I should have told you then, about the difference. In that moment, rather than ignoring the heart whimpering on your shoulder, trying to overpower your body’s aching, I should have explained the difference between being in love and screwing someone into a wordless stupor.

 

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Publisher: Jennifer Cie
Cover Artist: Najla Qamber

Sales Links: iTunes – Amazon – Amazon Kindle  (0.99) – Nook – Createspace and Kobo

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About  Author Jennifer Cie

Jennifer Cie is a Tennessee native who loves taking aimless road trips and diving into social issues through her writing. A fan of poorly playing tennis, using snail mail, and longing for the return of Brach’s Red Twist, when she is not indulging her guilty pleasure of taste testing whiskey and low grade tequila—for science, you can find her rambling about poor life decisions, book formatting, and everything in between on her blog: http://www.journeytopaperback.com

Where to find the author:

Twitter: @JenniferCie1
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jennifercie/
Blog: http://www.journeytopaperback.com
Goodreads Author Page

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STRW Spotlight Contest Header


Contest:  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Rafflecopter link and prizes provided by Pride Promotions.

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Down on the Other Street, Volume Two’

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Tour Dates & Stops:

13-Apr

My Fiction Nook

14-Apr

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

The Novel Approach

15-Apr

MM Good Book Reviews

16-Apr

Nephylim

Love Bytes

17-Apr

Prism Book Alliance

20-Apr

Bayou Book Junkie

21-Apr

Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

22-Apr

BFD Book Blog

23-Apr

Inked Rainbow Reads

24-Apr

Molly Lolly

27-Apr

Rainbow Gold Reviews

 

A Sammy Review: Fallout by Lisa Henry and M. Caspian

Rating: 5 out of 5

“When I was little I used to climb in my treehouse and pretend a dragon kidnapped me and yell for my dad to come and rescue me. I guess he got sick of me pestering him every five minutes, because one day he came home with a plastic sword from the store and said I needed to learn how to rescue myself.” A smile tempered her tone. “So I told him now we had to take turns rescuing me.”

Bastian’s throat ached.

[Name removed] was silent for a long while before she spoke again. “I don’t remember whose turn it is though.”


Fallout coverBastian and Jack have been friends for more than half their lives, lovers since high school. They have a rhythm, a kind of routine, but as with many relationships, things become rocky. That’s why they head back to Missouri, their home state, to rekindle their romance with a hike that they took as teenagers. That, and Jack needs to do research for his masters.

What unfolds after their short time on that mountain is nothing short of disastrous. The world, once so colorful, is blanketed in dull gray ash. But the ash brings more than darkness with it, and the world as Jack and Bas knew it is a broken, mangled thing of the past.

The water stain on the wall looked like a face. There was a word for that: the way the brain interpreted random shapes and patterns as faces. That had seemed nice once, that people were always searching for meaning around them, for connections with other people. Something spiritual. But he’d be wrong; it was something primal instead, something vicious. Something in an animal’s brain that needed to see a predator in a split-second through any camouflage.

I went into this hoping for something dark and twisted, and I got exactly what I wanted. The world that Lisa Henry and M. Caspian created was nothing short of divine, a true and original conception of a time that we conceptualize as apocalyptic.

There’s something about shows and movies that allow their watcher to experience something that is almost outside their existence, like travelling to another place we hope we never actually have to exist in, but get some sort of sick thrill from watching others suffer within the imaginative doom. This book did that for me. It painted a scenario that I would do anything never to live through, but some part of me ached to touch it and the way it was written gave me that ability to grasp at it, at what the world would look like in a thick layer of ash and without rules. It was a treasure to read.

The authors boldly went into the darkest places of humanity, right to the edge. They looked at the way some humans react to chaos, and how a world without rules creates monsters out of men. Then, they took men, men who we got to know, and showed us just how far they would go to survive. It was beautiful and more than a little bit raw. I have a great deal of respect for the authors who exposed the depths of a human that others are afraid to acknowledge.

Then there’s the way in which they took characters, characters who did absolutely despicable things, and made you feel with them, for them. When Bas was going through emotions, I went through them too – that confusion about a saving grace or the one thing that would push him over the cliff. I felt the way he grasped onto everything that he could just to push ahead, and how the pain was more than just a physical thing for him. He breathed it, and he moved on. He was truly a strong, unapologetic character.

It’s simple, this story is not going to be for everyone. Another reviewer has mentioned that it’s not a romance, and I would agree to an extent. It’s about survival, and about moving forward together, and if that’s not just a little romantic, I don’t know what is. Even in the fucked-up world Henry and Caspian created, there was something tender to that realization. It’s dark and brutally honest, and if you’re not ready to confront that, you’re going to be left with a bitter taste in your mouth. But if you can confront it, well then you’ll be quite pleased.

In sum, this was a wonderful and memorable book in a world that I would love to read more of, after all the ash touched more than just their small area, right?

The cover art by Natasha Snow is simply beautiful and fits the story so well. It has that dark edge and the shadows that reflect in the story.

Sales Links:      Amazon          Buy it Here

Book Details:

ebook, self published
Expected publication: April 17th 2015
edition languageEnglish

A BJ Review: The Protector by Cooper West

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

The Protector coverGuardsmen teams comprised of a human Handler and a weredog Protector are rare and highly valued but also feared by some because of their unusual abilities. Protectors always die within a short period of losing their Handler. Except that Alex Taylor didn’t. He’s lived as a widower for three years after his partner’s death. The pairs normal bond in their teens or early-twenties, but Handler Marcus Stephanek, at twenty-six, is well past the age when most have bonded to their Protectors. He’s almost given up hope of ever fulfilling his destiny as a Handler when he meets and bonds with Alex. But Alex is still grieving over his previous Handler and unwilling to let Marcus into his heart. Unexplained murders and strange events seeming to surround Alex, but he doesn’t put two and two together until a friends’ life is on the line. Handler and Protector will need to learn to trust and accept their bond if they are to work together and survive.

Well-written and enjoyable read with a fascinating premise revolving around one of my favorite things… DOGS! The author created a captivating world where Guardmen pairs (Protector dog and Handler) live intertwined lives. The outstanding history behind this AU world was enthralling reading. Early on, I was sure that this would be an easy five star for me. Unfortunately, it lost a bit of ground when it came to building the relationship between Alex and Marcus.

As separate characters in the time before they bonded, I adored both Alex and Marcus. I was rooting so much for them to get together that I could hardly wait for it to happen. When they finally met, the initial bonding was nearly instantaneous and picture perfect—exactly what I’d craved. In the period after the initial bond though, I felt no chemistry between the pair coming through. With so many callous and uncaring actions on both side sprinkled liberally with lots of bickering, the storyline came across as lots of hurt and very little comfort. I wanted to see love grow between them, but I felt as if they were tearing each other apart.

The turnaround between the two men finally came, but by then it felt weak to me, more like an acceptance of their fate and a giving in to their need for one another than the thrilling tale of falling in love I’d hoped for after the initial build up at the beginning. It felt like compromise.

This AU world where dogs and men bonded was beyond awesome. Some well-developed and fun secondary characters added depth as well, but in the end, the MCs love story felt too weak to warrant a five star.

Cover art by Reese Dante who created a lovely cover with a gorgeous representation of the two MCs plus the Protector in his canine form.

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


Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Published May 5th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published May 4th 2014)
ISBN 1627984437 (ISBN13: 9781627984430)
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.cooper-west.com/

A Bluewater Bay Wedding? It’s All About Wedding Favors by Anne Tenino (giveaway)

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We are going back to Bluewater Bay with Wedding Favors by Anne Tenino!  What or where is Bluewater Bay? Well, Bluewater Bay is a series of must read stories by many of your favorite authors.  Here is a little more history on this series.WolfsLanding_transparent
Welcome to Bluewater Bay! This quiet little logging town on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula has been stagnating for decades, on the verge of ghost town status. Until a television crew moves in to film Wolf’s Landing, a soon-to-be cult hit based on the wildly successful shifter novels penned by local author Hunter Easton.

Wolf’s Landing’s success spawns everything from merchandise to movie talks, and Bluewater Bay explodes into a mecca for fans and tourists alike. The locals still aren’t quite sure what to make of all this—the town is rejuvenated, but at what cost? And the Hollywood-based production crew is out of their element in this small, mossy seaside locale. Needless to say, sparks fly.BWBlogo_Web

This collaborative story world is brought to you by eleven award-winning, best-selling LGBTQ romance authors: L.A. Witt, L.B. Gregg, Z.A. Maxfield, Aleksandr Voinov, Heidi Belleau, Rachel Haimowitz, Anne Tenino, Amy Lane, SE Jakes, G.B. Gordon, and Jaime Samms. Each contemporary novel stands alone, but all are built around the town and the people of Bluewater Bay and the Wolf’s Landing media empire.

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Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a draw for a $15 Riptide gift card. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 18th. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to add your email so we can contact you if you win!

Wedding Favors Blurb:

Lucas Wilder’s best friend is a traitor. First, Audrey moved back to their hick-infested hometown, Bluewater Bay, and now she’s marrying a local. His own brother, in fact. And as her man of honor, Lucas gets coerced into returning for an extended stay. Although, between his unfaithful ex-boyfriend and his artist’s block, going home isn’t the worst thing that could happen. Even if the best man is Gabriel Savage, Lucas’s first crush, first hookup, and first heartbreak.

The only reason Gabe hasn’t been waiting for Lucas to return to Bluewater Bay is because he never thought it’d happen. Not that it matters now that Lucas is back—Gabe’s still a logger who’s never been anywhere (Canada doesn’t count), and Lucas is now a famous sculptor who’s been everywhere twice. Plus, there’s that shared past.

When Audrey asks Lucas to make her wedding favors, the only place to set up a kiln is at Gabe’s tree farm. Soon, they pick up where they left off twelve years before, then blow past it, discovering why neither of them forgot the other. Now they have to choose how much of their history they’ll repeat, and what future they’ll make together.

Excerpt

The party started at five thirty, and Lucas and Audrey were about fifteen minutes late. Pretty good, considering their track record.

“Are you nervous about seeing Gabe again?” Audrey asked over the staccato tap of her heels as they walked down the hall toward the cafeteria.

“Yeah,” he answered absently. Who had an engagement party in an elementary school? “Why is this happening here, again?”
Audrey’s arched brow was in her tone, he didn’t need to look at her. “Because: your mother.”

“Oh yeah.” Mom was a lunch lady. “She’s making the food?”

“No, she just got permission to hold it here. I told you this, Lucas.” She didn’t sound annoyed so much as tired. Probably of his only listening to half of the things that came out of her mouth.

“I know. Sorry.” He really was too wrapped up in himself, lately. More so than normal. He needed to make an effort here. One’s best friend didn’t get married every day, or—hopefully—more than once.

“So,” she said, in the manner of someone who was about to bring up a subject only she took delight in discussing, “you are nervous about seeing him.”

Lucas halted, then turned to her when she did the same. Who? They’d been talking about . . . “Gabe? You mean him? Why would I be? I’ve seen him since that happened.” Oh shit, he’d just admitted it, though, hadn’t he? Holding up a hand—even though she was just looking at him smirkily and not actually about to say anything—he added, “I just said yes because that’s what I usually do when I’m not actually paying attention.”

“I know.” Audrey sounded more amused than annoyed. “It’s just that pretending nothing happened for twelve years gets awkward. This is the first time you’re really going to have to interact with him.”

Lucas faux-gasped and clutched his chest. “You never said I had to interact.” He walked on toward the cafeteria, and a second later Audrey’s feet tapped along behind him, moving faster until she caught up and looped her arm through his, which he took as a sign that she didn’t intend to push the topic.

“Ha. Ha.” She didn’t give up, not that he’d really expected her to. Instead she jogged her elbow into his side.

“It’s not like it’s all on me. We were taking turns avoiding each other.”

“This is official, though. You’re the MOH, and he’s the best man. It’s sort of like he’s your date.”

“He’s not my date to the wedding.” Mental note: get a date for the wedding. “Don’t worry, I’ll be very civil.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” she muttered.

To say that he and Gabe had been avoiding each other the last twelve years wasn’t entirely true. Gabe had definitely avoided him after that night, until Lucas left for college. In the years after that, Lucas had only glimpsed the guy in passing, until his last few visits home, when Gabe kept dropping by his parents’ house, trying to make conversation.

From that point, the avoidance was all on him. They’d done a one-eighty from those few months after he and Gabe had . . . done what they did. Handjob, a tiny voice squeaked from some hidden corner of his mind, then slipped back into the shadows. His brain always tripped up on the specific details of being with Gabe, but the sense memories—those were crystal clear. Every once in a while, in the middle of sex with later partners, the slide of a lube-slicked hand against his skin would take him back to that moment, and he’d be consumed with it again, just like then. Dizzy and exhilarated and hazy with lust. It had been a great first experience. It was what had happened afterward that had soured it for him. Gabe had admitted to playing Lucas, then avoided him like the plague. It had hurt in surprising ways that had nothing to do with sex. Well, not much.

He’d been so naive.

Wedding Favors by Anne Tenino
Buy It Here at Riptide Publishing

Details:

Author: Anne Tenino
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62649-292-9
eBook release: Apr 13, 2015
eBook Formats: pdf, mobi, html, epub
Print ISBN: 978-1-62649-293-6
Print release: Apr 13, 2015
Word count: 86,500,Page count: 318
Cover by: L.C. Chase

Author Bio: Anne Tenino
Catalyzed by her discovery of LGBTQ romance, Anne Tenino left the lucrative fields of art history, non-profit fundraising, and domestic engineering to follow her dream of become a starving romance author. For good or ill, her snarky, silly, quasi-British sense of humor came along for the ride.
Anne applies her particular blend of romance, comedy and gay protagonists to contemporary, scifi and paranormal tales. Her works have won awards, she’s been featured in RT Book Reviews, and has achieved bestseller status on Amazon’s gay romance list.
Born and raised in Oregon, Anne lives in Portland with her husband and two kids, who have all taken a sacred oath to never read her books. She can usually be found at her computer, procrastinating.
Connect with Anne:
Website: http://annetenino.com/
Blog:  http://www.chicksanddicksrainbow.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AnneTenino
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anne-Tenino-Author/177759365608572
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/annetenino

The Cherry Blossoms Are Out and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Our Japanese Cherry Blossoms are out in our neighborhood as well as those  along the tidal basin in DC.  And all it took was a day of  warmth and sunshine to bring them out.  How I love this time of the year.  The snowdrops are fading but everything is just starting to come into its own.

We do have an announcement to make.  It’s the two winners chosen by Abigail Roux to win those fabulous Go Bags of Ty’s.  See the announcement below:

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Winner Announcement for the Crash & Burn, Ty Go Bag Contest:

Abigail Roux is pleased to announce the two winners from the Crash and Burn tour:
Maya Jade and alohahelper – chosen from more than 1800 entries!

Congratulations to them both. I’m envious!

We have some wonderful books and yes, more new authors, at least to us, that we are reviewing this week.  Barb the Zany Old Lady is reading and reviewing Dreamspinner Press’ new Curious Cookbook series, 6 authors, 6 stories and what a line up it is. Sammy has Fallout by Lisa Henry and M. Caspian that you won’t want to miss, BJ is here with The Protector, Stella has Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood, Mika is reading contemporary romance, I’m all about the fantasy and science fiction this week and we round out once again with Aurora’s YA Saturday.   Interspersed among the reviews, you will find more author interviews, giveaways and announcements.  Stay Tuned!

        This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Baked Fresh covershiftingcargo72A-Good-Family-Man-500For A Rainy Afternoon cover

Sunday, April 12:

  • The Cherry Blossoms Are Out and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, April 13:

  • The Other Side of Winter Tour (Riptide)
  • In the Spotlight: Rebecca Cohen’s Under Glass (contest and interview)
  • A Sammy Review: Fallout by Lisa Henry and M. Caspian
  • A MelanieM Review: Baked Fresh by Annabeth Albert
  • A BJ Review: The Protector by Cooper West

Tuesday, April 14:

  • Book Blast: When The Band Came To Town  by Author: H. Lewis-Foster (contest)
  • Jennifer Cie’s Down the Other Street Vol. 2 Tour and Giveaway
  • Annabeth Albert ‘Baked Fresh‘ (Portland Heat #2) Excerpt and Giveaway
  • A Sammy Review: Cronin’s Key by N. R. Walker
  • A Mika Review: You In My Arms by A. C. Katt

Wednesday, April 15:

  • V.L. Locey’s Two Man Advantage Excerpt and Giveaway Blast
  • Get Supernatural with Tina Blenke’s Shifting Cargo Excerpts and Contest
  • In the Spotlight: Andrew Q. Gordon’s ‘The Eye and The Arm’ (contest)
  • A Stella Review: A Boy Called Cin by Cecil Wilde
  • A MelanieM Review: Unproven Theory by Lillian Francis

Thursday, April 16:

  • Cover reveal for Thianna Durston’s ‘A Good Family Man’‏ (contest)
  • In-Decision by Sue Brown‏ Creative Minds Tour
  • In the Spotlight: ‘Every Inferno‘ by Johanna Parkhurst‏ (interview and contest)
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: For A Rainy Afternoon by RJ Scott
  • A MelanieM Review: Emerald Keep by A Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder

Friday, April 17:

  • Just The Way You Are by E E Montgomery release day book blast and contest
  • In the Spotlight: Kjartan the Gentle by Catherine L. Byrne (excerpt and contest)
  • A Stella Review: Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood
  • A Barb Review:The Silence of the Stars by Kate McMurray ~ Audiobook narrated by Michael Ferraioulo

Saturday, April 18:

An Aurora YA Review: There Is No Fear (Children of the Knight, #3) by Michael J. Bowler

Fallout coverThe Protector coverYou in My Arms coverA Boy Called Cin