Review: Penny For Your Thoughts (Shadowy Solutions #5) by Nicky James

Rating: 4.75🌈

Penny For Your Thoughts is the fifth book in Nicky James fantastic series , Shadowy Solutions. It’s a series that quickly became a hit with me, surpassing the original series it’s connected with, that of Valor and Doyle. I feel parts of Valor and Doyle became repetitive, although Aslan is a huge hit with me.

But the complexity of the dynamic between Tallus Domingo and deeply damaged PI Diem Krause, each with a legacy of parental violence, family domestic abuse, and childhood trauma. But one who carries the deepest visible scars as well as the emotional traumatic memories. Ongoing pain and PTSD. That’s Diem, who has tremendous anger issues and anxieties as well as substance abuse problems.

Over the course of 5 novels, James has built up, albeit slowly and realistically, a hard won relationship between these two very different men. It’s been compelling to watch and read about as Diem fights with his demons, and both have to devise ways to make their lives work for themselves.

Even here, Diem has to make the decisions about his use of alcohol and cigarettes, even as his father and family life has the greatest impact on his life.

I’m not sure if James is finishing the series with the story or not. I would be happy if this was the finale.

It’s got a terrific storyline. All the crossover characters are here from Valor and Doyle in meaningful scenes. Aslan, Fox, Quaid, Costa and Kitty Lavender.

Then there’s Darcy Gingrick, Echo, and Baby the snake, that actually gives both Tallus and Diem as touching family, of sorts. Especially, Darcy, what an incredible element he turns out to be.

This is one of my favorites of the series. And if it’s the finale, I’m absolutely satisfied with how everyone is left at the end.

There’s an extra bonus story, The Baby Visit, linked at the end of the book. Don’t miss out on this one. Sweet bonus and intimate window into a favorite side character.

Highly recommended.

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow Designs

Same Universe:

Valor and Doyle (8 book series)

Shadowy Solutions (5 book series):

Skeletons in the Closet #1

Power of the Mind #2

Reading Between the Lines #3

A Breath of Life #4

Penny For Your Thoughts #5

Buy link

Book 5 of 5: Shadowy Solutions

Blurb

Diem never thought he would have a steady boyfriend and enough cases to keep his business in the green. He never thought his nana would live to be ninety-three.

Life is, dare he say, good?

He could do to drink less, and he still needs to quit smoking, but he’s getting there.

He’s happy.

In love.

If he could manage his stress, life might even turn out to be… great?

But then Tallus arranges dinner with his parents, where Diem faces questions about commitment and weddings and a weekend bonding trip with a stepfather he doesn’t know.

And a resident of Nana’s nursing home ends up involved in a twisted version of a grandparent scheme, so Diem agrees to investigate. The police clearly aren’t doing their job.

It’s all downhill from there.

The case somehow leads to Diem figuratively adopting the most obnoxious teenager imaginable. A boy whose troubled life reflects Diem’s past. A boy who is deeply entwined in a con far more complex than he realizes.

One misstep tips their hand. The hunter becomes the hunted. Diem and Tallus—and their unfortunate sidekick—are in a race against the clock, desperate to nail the person responsible before he skips the country… or seeks revenge.

So much for reducing stress.

Amidst the chaos, Diem finds himself bonding with his petulant rescue-teen. Diem is nobody’s role model, but the boy’s incessant questions open Diem’s mind and heart to things he never thought possible.

Things that make him think that maybe life could be… amazing.

*This is the fifth installment in the Shadowy Solution series. It is a same-couple mystery series with mental health rep, size difference, and a sassy vs surly dynamic. The series should be read in order for full enjoyment*

March 26, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

461 pages

Book 5 of 5

Shadowy Solutions

Review: Mercy Blade: A Jane Yellowrock Novel Book 3 by Faith Hunter

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Mercy Blade is a book whose description is one I think was deliberately kept succinct and vague for a reason. And that was to keep the readers from any plot spoilers that might have been picked up from a longer blurb.

Mercy Blade itself opens up an entire introduction to new characters, paranormal species, and several areas of ways that the various beings govern themselves, or have the ability to.

Hunter has really constructed a complex universe that is just starting to emerge here. And it’s going to spread throughout the course of the series and over the country.

The few things I will say is that Mercy Blade sees the official emergence of a African black were-leopard group, in New Orleans to meet with Leo, a tumultuous revelation that includes Rick, and yet several more paranormal species that will have ongoing conflicts and roles for the future.

Jane’s life will be more heartbreaking, dangerous and in an unstable state where she’s scrambling for trust and support.

It’s a danger greater than anything before and makes for a fantastic story.

I’m so hooked into this character and universe.

Jane Yellowrock (15 book series):

Skinwalker #1

Blood Cross #2

Mercy Blade #3

Raven Cursed #4

Death’s Rival #5

Blood Trade #6

Black Arts #7

Broken Soul #8

Dark Heir 9

Shadow Rites #10

Cold Reign #11

Dark Queen #12

Shattered Bonds #13

True Dead #14

Final Heir #15

Buy link

Mercy Blade: A Jane Yellowrock Novel

Blurb

Jane, a shapeshifting vampire-hunter-for-hire, crosses paths with a stranger who has arrived in New Orleans, enlisted to hunt vampires who have gone insane-or so he says…

Publisher

Ace

Publication date

January 4, 2011

Language

‎English

Print length

322 pages

Book 3 of 15

Jane Yellowrock

Review: His Mate By Defiance: MM Mafia Shifter PNR (Lunetti Pack Book 4) by Mel Aitchess

Rating: 4🌈

“The Lunetti Pack is a steamy MM Enemies to Lovers Paranormal Romance series set in New Trinity, a city ruled by three crime families: the Lunetti Pack of mafia wolf shifters, the vampire mobster Cruor Coven, and the witch Elemental Mayhem MC. It features knotting (and other paranormal fun) but no mpreg.”

His Mate By Defiance is the penultimate story in Mel Aitchess’ paranormal mafia crime fated mate series. The Lunetti Pack has followed several top level members of this criminal wolf shifter pack as they fight to keep their place and power in the trinity of politics that’s New Trinity City, a dark horror of a city where it’s divided into sections ruled by witches, vampires or shifters, depending on the territory.

This is Rafe, the pack doctor’s romance, one that starts years prior with his first encounter with a badly injured young jaguar shifter in an underground fighting ring.

This meeting is recapped here and then we come forward to present day, where the jaguar shifter, Adrian ,aka Adri, is still part of the fight scene.

The author does an excellent job explaining Adri’s background and meshing that with the natural history/instincts of the jaguar to give Adri a distinctive personality and outlook from that of the other shifters.

And Rafe, as someone older and with different skill sets, has a perspective on what their relationship and how it might develop than Adri has.

Their dynamic is excellent and is the best thing about the story.

There’s also another aspect of the book, a continuation plot that’s not resolved here but will continue into the final story. It sets up the last fated mates match.

But the lack of at least some sort of completion to some aspect of this complicated conspiracy left me frustrated.

The romance was certainly completed but it’s a HFN, and far too many people were hurt and issues left unresolved.

I am certainly looking forward to the last book to see how it all wraps up. If you like to binge, wait until it’s finished, and read right through.

A definite winner.

Lunetti Pack (5 book series) :

His Mate By Vengeance #1 – Angelo and Vin
His Mate By Resistance #2 – Luca and Cal
His Mate By Allegiance #3 – Rocco and Emilio
His Mate By Defiance #4 – Rafe and Adri
His Mate By Dominance #5 – Alpha Marco and Seth’s, the finale. Feb, 21,2027

Buy link

Book 4 of 5: Lunetti Pack

Blurb

“For you? I will take it all. All your pain. All your desire. Everything. It’s all mine.”

Rafe is done giving Adri space. For thirteen years, he’s waited for his jaguar shifter mate to be ready to acknowledge what’s between them. Thirteen years of tracking the pack’s fighting ring and racing to respond whenever they need a doctor. The night he turns up to find Adri brutalised by a feral shifter in the ring, he knows he’ll never let him go again. Especially when shifters start going missing.

Adri told the doc he didn’t need saving over a decade ago, and nothing’s changed since. The last thing he needs is Rafe’s overbearing protectiveness when he’s trying to save his friends from a new unsanctioned fighting ring and whatever bioweapon is at play. Waking up in Rafe’s bed wasn’t in the plan. As soon as he’s healed, Adri’s out of there.

His Mate by Defiance is an MM paranormal romance with a bite. It features age gap, fated mates, and hurt/comfort

Publisher

Mel Aitchess

Publication date

March 11, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

254 pages

Book 4 of 5

Lunetti Pack

Review: The Wolfing Hour (Smokethorn Paranormals #4) by C. P. Rider

Rating: 5⭐️

From Book 1: “Thanks for your concern, but I don’t need your protection. I have a mystical cat, an unprincipled gnome with a violent streak, and I have my magic.”

Such an excellent series, my only regret being the wait time between releases. But its absolutely worth it as proved by the newest book in C. P. Rider’s Smokethorn Paranormals series, The Wolfing Hour.

In a series already bursting with thoughtfully crafted, complex and compelling storylines about multi dimensional damaged characters, this story took them all to new levels.

Of betrayal, pain, loss, self discovery, recovery and revelation. New depths to their relationships and, of course, a cliffhanger of a twist in one or maybe two of the series plots.

Never has the writing been better or more engrossing, able to pull the reader immediately into the story and the ongoing conflicts and never losing their interest.

Betty’s character here undergoes an extraordinary transformative growth. It’s startling and terrifying. To her, those characters around her and the readers who have come to know her. It’s truly a remarkable piece of her journey and the story. And we’re not done yet.

A thriller of an urban fantasy romance that’s absolutely amazing and satisfying in every way. I’m highly recommending this series. And eagerly awaiting the next one to come.

Cover design by The Book Brander

The Smokethorn Paranormals Series (5 book series):

Strike It Witch #1

Any Witch Wolf #2

Wicked Witch of the Wolf #3

The Wolfing Hour #4

Last Witch Effort #5 – July 31,2026

Buy link

The Wolfing Hour: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 4

Blurb

“Ah, Ronan. This witch is about to make your life a whole lot more complicated.”

Just when Betty Lennox thought she had a handle on her life—reconnected with her earth magic, brought the saguaros back from the dead, sexy alpha wolf sharing her bed—everything goes sideways.

Turns out she’s not just an earth witch. Thanks to dear old Grandpa Sexton, she’s got a demon side that’s tired of being locked away. A powerful and ruthless demon side with zero qualms about damage control when someone threatens her people. When Demon Betty takes the wheel, Witch Betty ends up doing morally questionable things like killing people who really, really need to die.

Meanwhile, Ronan’s birth father—Alpha Floyd Pallás, certified creep and all-around evil person—has kidnapped his sister to force him into submission. The pack is in chaos, shifters across the county are dying, and Betty’s running out of time to find her before the convocation where Ronan must challenge Floyd for the pack.

But here’s the thing about power-hungry wolves: they cheat. And here’s the thing about Betty: She won’t let the people she loves get hurt—even if it means embracing the monster within.

For fans of urban fantasy.

VC Group, LLC

Publication date

July 31, 2026

Accessibility

Learn more

Language

‎English

Simultaneous device usage

Unlimited

ISBN-13

978-1969799013

Book 5 of 5

The Smokethorn Paranormals Series

Review: The Pushy Pixies Are Going Down (Hopefully) (Carry A Faerie #2) by Michele Notaro

Rating: 4🌈

The second novel in Michele Notaro’s Carry A Faerie series, The Pushy Pixies Are Going Down (Hopefully) is an entertaining tale , one jammed packed with emotional drama of the group of characters as well as their multiple personal storylines.

There’s sub plots which have a series mystery element associated with abducted fantasy creatures. A big storyline that’s building is one that features the younger characters of mages Aeson and Chaos, now working at a local museum. Their story is prominent here in, not just because they require the help of Miles (Empath) and Winter (Null) to take care of another pixie infestation but as we can see, they aren’t doing as well personally since we saw them last.

Miles and Win’s relationship moves forward in several ways, including the reveal of their own histories.

But most interesting, a third POV is added to the mix at the end of the story.

The characters of the young mages and the fantasy animals/familiars are fantastic. Detailed, engaging and engaging. Their circumstances are such that the reader is immediately empathetic to their story.

Which is why another aspect of this book is bothering me. Hard to go into details without spoilers but for the author to go down this route so early in the series (and having set up the situation to go bad considering the characters involved), makes me wonder why and what Notaro’s thoughts were. Especially given the sensitivity of the storyline.

This series seems to veer from comedic scenarios to extremely complex emotional dark scenes and histories. And I’m not sure it’s giving enough context and depth to the latter. And this talented author is more than capable of doing so. See her series, The Magi Accounts.

I’m recommending this story. It’s cute, shows lots of potential and has great characters.

It will be a year before the next book is released. I’ll be looking forward to it.

Carry A Faerie (3 book series):

Did It Have To Be Gnomes?! #1

The Pushy Pixies Are Going Down (Hopefully) #2

Gremlins, Goblins, And… What Is THAT? #3 – November 5,2026

Buy link

Book 2 of 3: Carry A Faerie

Blurb

Am I afraid of gnomes? Maaaaaaaybe.

Did I take on a huge gnome job anyway? I sure did.

Am I about to ask my crush for help?

Well, I have to ask someone, right?

I get called out to a huge mansion with the biggest number of invading gnomes I’ve ever seen, and I’m not sure who to call to help. And I definitely need some help.

So when Winter Montgomery just so happens to stop by, I know I have to ask him. I’ve been crushing on the handsome guy from afar for years, so now’s my chance to get close—and get some much needed support.

As long as I don’t let him see just how much I hate gnomes—okay, I’m actually terrified of them, but he doesn’t need to know that… right?

Did It Really Have To Be Gnomes?! (Carry A Faerie Book 1) is a MM urban fantasy and the first book in Miles and Winter’s love story. Each book will have its own supernatural problem with a HFN ending for the couple, but there will be overarching plot themes throughout the series

Publication date

July 31, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

296 pages

Book 1 of 3

Carry A Faerie

Review: Shadow Throne King (Emperor’s Assassin Book 3) by Kai Butler

Rating: 4🌈

Shadow Throne King is the third novel in Kai Butler’s Emperor’s Assassin series and I thought this is where the series would be wrapped up.

But there’s more to come and I’ll be honest, I’m struggling a bit here.

Butler has written about a complex political situation, with an equally strong layered world upon which the author made its foundation. Kingdoms at war, subtly and magically. Ice and fire, ancient blood magicians, and monstrosities abound.

And dragons as well as things that lurk in the dark.

That’s all pretty exciting. Love the ravens. And the characters are, individually, intriguing and given strong backgrounds.

Based on its elements alone, it’s a 4.5, as a series and story. Solidly crafted and executed so well that I really enjoyed it.

Especially that last section of dramatic fights and flight from the mountain. So excellent and moving. I was with those mountain badgers and their families every single step. And that song at that moment? Heartbreaking.

What I’m struggling with? And shouldn’t be is the relationship between the two main characters. I feel absolutely no connection with them. Individually yes. Together no.

I just don’t find them credible as a pair. No real chemistry between them. And Kai Butler can write chemistry like crazy. Just read Butler’s The Empty Throne Trilogy. But, at least for me, I’m not feeling it here.

I enjoy Airon, the northern assassin/Prince Consort, although at times I feel that he’s not consistent enough in his character for me here. He’s a trained assassin. Yet he doesn’t know to trust his instincts here in the story? Particularly regarding a certain character whose actions are screaming don’t trust me?

Things like that in a character and storyline just will take a reader right out of a narrative quickly. As it did me several times here.

For me, it just highlights that you can have all the “pretty things “ like great world building and details but you need to get the actual substance, the core , the relationship right for a story to feel complete. And at book three it’s not happening.

But could be that’s it’s just me. So for all the great execution of the plot and characters, 4 stars.

Cover by Hannah Latham at oexasart

Emperor’s Assassin series:

Betrothed to the Emperor #1

Emperor’s Wrath #2

Shadow Throne King #3

Dragon Blood Curse #4 – March 16,2026

Buy link

Book 3 of 4: Emperor’s Assassin

Blurb

As the Imperium crumbles beneath our feet, will I be able to keep hold of Tallu?

The imperial generals who so loyally served Tallu’s monstrous father have declared war on us and fled the capital. The enemy nation of Krustau claims to have Empress Koque and Prince Hallu, the second son of Emperor Millu. If that is true, Krustau would have claim to the Imperium’s throne.

Unable to risk the possibility that Tallu’s brother could fall into the wrong hands, Tallu and I must confront a greater threat than either of us could dream of. Will Tallu’s secrets lead to our loss or will he finally trust me with the truth he can barely whisper in the dark?

Publication date: October 27, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 394 pages
Book 3 of 4: Emperor’s Assassin

CW: Animal death (temporary), dismemberment, death.

Review: The Orc Who Hated Christmas (An MM Monster Christmas Book 1) by Gigi Rivers

Rating: 4.75🌈

Gigi Rivers has written a really beautiful fantasy romance that weaves into the relationship between an adopted Pixie Cas and a cast off, painfully maligned Orc, Graal, so many emotional themes.

Abandonment, emotionally and physically, adolescent and adult trauma due to racism or rather speciesism, found families and acceptance in every aspect of their lives. This is a highly complex, often emotional story with wonderful moments and some very sexy scenes.

Cas was adopted into the family of hearth and kitchen witches that this series is focused upon, and his retelling of that moment is both heartfelt and magical. That scene has so many layers to it. It’s funny, poignant, heartwarming, and beautiful. And exactly why I love this book.

Rivers’ characters have been vividly defined, by their well crafted personalities and by their backgrounds that support their own actions and responses to the events around them. To say more is to go into the details that might remove those magical moments that connect with us and make us feel so deeply drawn into their lives and developing love story.

I just love this couple, this series and Gigi Rivers is on my auto list. Highly recommended.

Don’t forget to check out the Author’s Notes for the exact reading order for the stories listed below (not that I knew about this to begin with). I should have done that and have been working on it now.

Another great cover.

AN MM MONSTER CHRISTMAS

A Werewolf Mate for Christmas

The Orc Who Hated Christmas

The Loneliest Dragon at Christmas The Last Gargoyle’s Christmas Wish

AN MM MONSTER CHRISTMAS SIDE STORY

Me and My Christmas Familiar

Buy link

The Orc Who Hated Christmas (An MM Monster Christmas Book 1)

Blurb

A grumpy orc who hates Christmas. A Christmas-obsessed pixie. Can these opposites find love together?

Graal is an orc who hates Christmas. Every year, he spends the day alone in his crappy rented room, haunted by memories of a family who never loved him. He just wishes Christmas and everyone who celebrates it would leave him alone.

Cas is a pixie who loves Christmas. He dresses up in sparkly outfits, calls himself the Christmas pixie, and spreads holiday cheer and pixie dust in the bakery where he works. But this year, his partner cheated on him and then left him. Still, Cas won’t let a broken heart ruin his favourite time of the year.

When Graal steps into Cas’s bakery, Cas is determined that the grumpy orc will enjoy the holiday. Graal is reluctant, but it’s hard to resist the pixie’s charms. As Cas shows Graal the magic of the season, something lingers in the air between them. And it isn’t just pixie dust.

But can a pretty Christmas pixie really love a grumpy orc? And can Cas open his heart again so soon after being betrayed? Or will Graal celebrate another Christmas alone?

The Orc Who Hated Christmas is a cosy fantasy romance with plenty of spice. It features grumpy/sunshine, hates Christmas/loves Christmas, hurt/comfort, fling to more, size difference, an orc who doesn’t believe his worth, a pixie keen to show him it, and a guaranteed HEA. Whilst this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Publication date: November 1, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 184 pages

Review: The Christmas Keeper (Laurel Holidays Book 6) by V.L. Locey

Rating: 5🌈

V. L. Locey’s Laurel Holidays novels are a must read for me , and this season’s release has to be my absolute favorite of all. The Christmas Keeper, Laurel Holidays Book 6, just resonates with me on multiple levels.

All the heartwarming Locey elements are here and elevated. From the realistic, beautifully crafted small Pennsylvania town and community, as well as the wonderfully layered characters and holiday traditions. Locey weaves all these elements together to create a truly heartfelt romance that makes you feel so much a part of the season and the lives of a town and couple that you forget all are fictional.

Brann Argraves, a man whose previous relationship has soured him on romance and the holidays, is returning home from his sister’s wedding, when he helps a man in need at the small airport near home.

Brann is a perfectly realized character, from his wounded personality with raised shields to the well drawn family who are concerned about him. Every detail of his life fits, his great realistic rescue geese, his small sparse cabin , bare of most usual personal touches expected from someone that’s well settled and happy. It all speaks to the character Locey has built and who will evolve over the course of the story. The excellent attention to character building continues with Kenan Gardet, a busker singer in a small airport , with a history of substance abuse, who’s trying to chart a new path for his life. Kenan is a moving character, but his equal is Brann in surprisingly strong depths of personality traits and support in terms of narrative foundation . In short, they work as believably wounded people finding their way towards recovery and each other. During the holidays, Kenan’s Jewish traditions and those of of Breann’s he’s rediscovering, which will bring them closer together.

Honestly, The Christmas Keeper (Laurel Holidays Book 6) by V.L. Locey will be on re-read, and not only for the holidays, it’s just that comfort story that you embrace.

And one I’m highly recommending, no matter what or if any holiday you celebrate.

Laurel Holidays series:

The Easter Redemption

The Christmas Extra

The Christmas Oaks #1

The Christmas Pundit #2

The Christmas Tenor #3

The Christmas Rescue #4

The Christmas Keeper #6

Buy link

vllocey.comhttp://vllocey.com › the-christmas-…The Christmas Keeper (Laurel Holidays #6)

Blurb

A grumpy pub owner is about to have his chilly heart warmed by a down-on-his-luck country singer.

Brann Argraves has never left the charming village of Whiteham before nor does he wish to. As the owner of the Whiteham Taphouse, he is content to spend his life serving drafts of beer to the locals, shooting darts with his buddies, and shutting himself away in his cabin for the duration of the holidays. Who needs all that ho-ho-ho, any who? His sister, on the other hand, not only yanked him out of his happy yet somewhat solitary bubble, but she’s also reveling in it. Planning a winter wedding was plain foolish, Brann feels, as is making people fly to some frozen wasteland in Canada to tie the knot. Now, he’s never been happier to return home after the wedding and get back to his bar, his darts, and his little home on the outskirts of town.

Landing at a wintry airport smack dab in the middle of a nasty snow squall, Brann and his weary fellow flyers are entertained by a handsome, rumpled man busking outside the airport. There’s something almost magical about the man’s dark, sad gaze as well as his angelic vocals. Perhaps it’s the residual merry-merry of his sister’s nuptials, or maybe he recognizes a lonely kindred soul, but Brann steps way out of his comfort zone when he offers the man a warm place to sleep above his bar. Kenan Gardet settles into the pub with ease and Southern grace. The down-and-out singer quickly proves himself an asset to Brann’s business as a good barkeep and as a nightly draw on stage. What he didn’t expect was Kenan capturing his heart one plaintive song and gentle kiss at a time.

The Christmas Keeper is a standalone grumpy/sunshine, hurt/comfort, insta-love, gay Christmas romance with a bah-humbug bar owner, a recovering country crooner, a small town tavern chock full of unique townsfolk, two geese who are not feeling the Christmas spirit, a gingerbread house bake-off, and a sweet as plum pudding happy ending.

Content warning: This story has references to past substance abuse.

Publication date: November 30, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 186 pages

Join us for the tour and giveaway for Down the Line by AG Meiers (Other World Ink)

AG Meiers has a new MM romantic suspense book out: Down the Line. And there’s a giveaway.

Revenge is a Dangerous Obsession.

Dean Hunt needs the story of a lifetime—Since his uncompromising attitude got him fired, the investigative journalist is hell-bent to expose the powerful and corrupt Conway family. It’s a career move, and absolutely not a vendetta against the oldest son Noel, who ghosted Dean after a mind-blowing weekend together.

Noel Conway needs a new start—After years away, Noel has come home to rebuild the bridges he’s burned. Too bad his past caused a ripple effect he can’t outrun. Now, he’s asked to save his family from the one man he never expected to see again but can’t forget.

Dean is chasing front-page news, and Noel is trying to protect the ones he loves. But the line between enemies and lovers gets blurred when a dangerous criminal from Noel’s past resurfaces. Will the truth shatter their tentative trust? Or do they have a shot at happily ever after?

But none of that matters when suddenly Noel disappears…

Down the Line, the final book in the award-winning Jake’s Bar series, is a spicy, M/M romantic suspense featuring a rainbow-colored bar full of quirky characters, and all the romance you can handle. So, download today, and get ready to fall in love with Jake’s Bar.

Warnings: smoking cigarettes and weed in the hot tub, kidnapping (on page scenes restrained), verbally abusive father

About the Series:

The award-winning Jake’s Bar series is a set of steamy, M/M romantic suspense novels, featuring a rainbow- colored bar full of quirky characters, and all the romance you can handle.

Universal Buy Link | Amazon

Giveaway

AG is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card with this tour:

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47310/?

Excerpt

As Dean reached the top of the staircase, a man stepped out of the shadows in front of his door. Dean straightened his shoulders. “Detective Conway.”

“Hunt.”

In a parallel universe, they might have been friends. They were fighting the same fight. Had the same enemies. In this world, they weren’t brothers in arms. In this world, Dean had been cast as the villain.

“How can I help you this fine morning?”

“Open the door. We gotta talk.”

“Look, it’s been a long night—”

“Just open the damn door.” Conway snarled, pushing into Dean’s personal space.

Dean stood his ground. “Are you here in an official capacity? Because then, the answer is no, I won’t let you in. You have no warrant, no permission to search my property. I don’t consent—”

“Just shut the fuck up. None of us wants this shitshow to be on the record,” Con growled.

Dean, curious, took a step back and raised his empty hand, palm up. “Okay.”

He fished for his key, pushed open the door, and quickly disarmed his alarm system. Conway didn’t wait to be invited in, just crossed the living room, dropped his shearling coat onto the sofa, then walked over to the large window overlooking the river.

The view was the only redeeming feature of Dean’s otherwise-generic apartment. The mess didn’t help. There were dirty dishes piled up in the sink, a pizza box on the breakfast counter separating the cramped kitchen from the living room, and an unmade bed in the other corner of the room.

“For a guy who anxiously waited at my doorstep, you’re awfully quiet.” Dean smirked. “Coffee?”

“No.” Conway turned his back, now studying the row of framed newspaper front pages Dean had hung on the apartment’s interior wall. His personal collection of historic headlines—headlines that changed the world.

The oldest was from July 6, 1776. The Pennsylvania Evening Post, printing the Declaration of Independence on its front page. Next to it, the Daily Telegram, declaring the end of the Second World War. The two most recent, the New York Times’ “OBAMA: Racial barrier falls in heavy turnout” and, of course, the front page the day after 9/11.

Dean had added a few more personal favorites, like Moneta J. Sleet’s photography of Coretta Scott King at MLK’s funeral. The first Black man to win the Pulitzer for journalism.

Conway took his time examining each framed newspaper. Dean already regretted allowing the intrusion into his space. He felt exposed—vulnerable—under silent scrutiny.

Irritated, he started banging around the kitchen. He was in no mood to explain that looking at those headlines every day fueled his ambitions and inspired his dreams. Dean believed with every fiber of his being in the power of a free and independent press.

He turned on the coffee machine and leaned against the counter. As if Conway felt Dean’s angry glare across the room, he finally turned and stared right back. For a moment, they engaged in a silent standoff.

Unease flittered through Dean. Camille had been right. Her brother was seething with anger. And Dean had no fucking idea what he’d done to piss him off. He sighed and shook his head, then took two mugs out of the cabinet and put them onto the island. “Miguel, have a damn coffee. You look like you need it.”

“Says the man who clearly slept in his party clothes and crept home at sunup.”

“Guilty as charged.” Dean shrugged.

Conway curled his lip. “I do not know what my sister sees in you.”

It wasn’t a question, so Dean didn’t bother with an answer. “You wanted to talk? So, talk.”

Instead of talking, though, Conway pulled out a stack of papers. Pushing aside the coffee cups to make room, he spread them out over the counter.

Dean froze. The first blurry photograph featured Dean in another man’s arms. In the next, the same man was pressing Dean against a white porch railing, his own hands tangled in the man’s messy curls. Conway fanned the stack, revealing nearly a dozen more.

Dean and Noel Conway, kissing.

Suddenly, he was there again, the ocean breeze tugging on his clothes. Noel’s warm skin, tasting like sunshine and a hint of salt, his eyes blown with desire. Goddamn, so fucking beautiful, with that shy smile, whispered promises—

Dean’s throat was desert dry. His ragged breath and the hissing of the coffee machine came together like a fucking symphony. “I—”

“Save it. My sister thinks you’re this hotshot journalist. Full of passion. Braving adversity. Motivated by a noble cause. Yeah, fuck that. You’re after my family because Noel pounded your ass, then dropped you like he does everybody else. Your pride—your precious ego—is hurt because you’re just another notch in my brother’s carved-up bedpost.”

Conway grabbed his jacket and walked to the door. He turned and added, “Watch it, Hunt. You got no job. No friends. No prospects. But if you think you’ve reached rock bottom, think again.”

Dean contained himself until he heard his door close with a soft click. Only then did he allow himself to swipe papers, cups, and the fucking photos off his counter. The cups shattered

on the tile floor.

Author Bio

Eighteen years ago, AG Meiers came to the US for adventure and stayed for love. Currently, she lives in New England with her husband and two awesome kids—balancing work, friends and family, and writing.

When she has some free time, her favorite thing to do is travel and visit new places. Her past trips have already brought her to a variety of countries on four continents. She never passes up an opportunity to experience different cultures, diverse people and amazing locations.

Even though she has been dreaming up stories all her life, she has only recently started to write them down and share them with the world. As a writer she loves to put her characters through a lot of challenges, conflict and heartbreak, before she allows them to find their happy-ever-after.

Author Website: https://www.agmeiers.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/ag.meiers.1/

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agmeiers/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/AG-Meiers/author/B07MCHQH5B

Join Us for the Tour for “Earthquake Ethan” by R.L. Merrill (giveaway)

R.L. Merrill has a new contemporary MM romance out, Forces of Nature book 3: Earthquake Ethan.

The Earth shook the morning actor Ethan Bradley arrived in Los Angeles looking for a second chance. He hoped his former producers Reese Matheson and Toby Griffiths meant it when they said to look them up if he were ever in LA because he had no other options. The pictures the paparazzi took at the wrap party for their London show made sure of that. What he wasn’t counting on was the reception he got from their manager, Arthur Frye. He was absolutely the kind of together guy Ethan wished would notice him, and for more than his pretty face and talent. Too bad Arthur only sees Ethan as a complication.

Arthur Frye has his hands full with his best clients—and best friends. The last thing he needs is another diva to care for, especially one who has a reputation for causing trouble. He has a strict rule against getting involved with the talent, no matter how pretty they are. Only Ethan Bradley shines for real, and when Arthur realizes his nice-guy innocence is genuine, he’s ready to do anything to help Ethan get his career back on track and get him out of LA. He’s too much of a temptation, and Arthur can’t afford to lose focus…not even for a chance at happiness for himself. Especially not when his star clients are about to risk their professional and personal happiness with their newest creation; a musical about two boys falling in love in the 1960s featuring music written by Reese’s grandfather, whose health is in decline.

Ethan Bradley shakes things up wherever he goes, and Arthur Frye is afraid he’ll be left in the wreckage if he gets too close. Can these two opposites find love on solid ground?

Warnings: implied sexual abuse off page

About the Series

Forces of Nature follows a group of talented men who are natural disasters, and the men who love them.

Amazon | QueeRomance Ink | Goodreads

Giveaway

R.L. is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card with this tour:

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Excerpt

The morning after Ethan Bradley landed at LAX the earth shook. Literally. Being from Iowa, he’d always been afraid of earthquakes. He remembered watching footage when he was a little boy of the one that hit Northridge and it stayed with him. He’d even turned down a part in the film San Andreas because he was terrified of the real thing.

Plus—at the time—he’d wanted to be considered a serious actor, and accepting a role in a Hollywood disaster blockbuster didn’t fit in with his professional goals. Instead, he’d ended up going to London to film a clever romantic comedy. Then came the stage and more accolades at the age of twenty-six than he’d imagined possible.

When his hotel room rattled his first morning in LA and sent him diving under the desk in the early hours, he’d wished he’d stayed.

But London had nothing to offer him after the paparazzi ruined his life, and he couldn’t go home. So there he was, back in the states, and ready to grovel before his former producer—and crush—for a role, any role, that would allow him to get back to doing what he loved…acting, singing, performing.

Love was a strong word. It was what he knew, what he was good at, where his God-given talents lay.

He’d come to LA with a plan. Sort of. Go see Reese Matheson. Pray he opened the door and took pity on him. And that he didn’t hold a grudge.

He plugged the Malibu address he’d gotten from his London manager’s office into the Lyft app and went outside to wait for his ride. And prayed.

If Reese wouldn’t see him, he had a plan B.

He’d go to see Reese’s business partner Toby Griffiths. Which was probably a terrible idea, but the best he had.

Because there was no plan C.

He had exactly fifty dollars cash on him and a credit card dangerously close to being maxed out. Rock bottom was flying up to meet him fast.

The Lyft driver dropped him off at the end of a long driveway leading to a quaint little house that backed up to the Malibu shoreline. He knew nine o’clock on a Sunday morning was early, but the earthquake had shaken him so much, he couldn’t wait to get out of his room at the Holiday Inn. He’d been to LA before to promote his films, but he’d never felt comfortable among the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

Malibu had the scenery people thought of when they imagined Southern California. Palm trees, mountains that broke off into the sea, miles of sand with beautiful people jogging along the water’s edge. It was picturesque, and sometimes cliché. For Ethan, it represented his last hope.

He climbed the steps, cleared his throat, reached for that enthusiastic confidence that used to come so easy for him once upon a time—

The door opened before he even had a chance to knock.

The short Filipino man standing there in a pair of scrubs had one eyebrow raised and a hand on his hip.

“Can I help you?”

His tone didn’t come across as helpful, despite his words.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m looking for Reese Matheson? My name is—“

“I know who you are.” The man’s raised eyebrow turned into a frown. “Just a minute,” he said before closing the door with a little less force than a slam.

Breathe. It’s fine. Reese is a good guy. He won’t be angry that I showed up. He’s a generous, kind person—

Author Bio

R.L. Merrill brings you stories of Hope, Love, and Rock ‘n’ Roll featuring quirky and relatable characters. Whether she’s writing about contemporary issues that affect us all or diving deep into the paranormal and supernatural to give readers a shiver, she loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after.

Winner of the Kathryn Hayes “When Sparks Fly” Best Contemporary award for Hurricane Reese, Foreword INDIES finalist for Summer of Hush and RONE finalist for Typhoon Toby, Ro spends every spare moment improving her writing craft and striving to find that perfect balance between real-life and happily ever after.

She writes diverse and inclusive romance, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and works on various other writing and mentoring projects that tickle her fancy or benefit a worthy cause. You can find her connecting with readers on social media, educating America’s youth, raising two brilliant teenagers, trying desperately to get that back piece finished in the tattoo chair, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more Rock ‘n’ Romance.

Author Website: https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/rochellerlmerrill/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor/

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9828914.R_L_Merrill

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/r-l-merrill/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/R.L.-Merrill/author/B00PI6Q1LI