Cole Doren is starting over. He’s moved, started working as a food writer again, and is crushing hard on his new neighbor, Daniel Mazurek, who is a genuinely nice guy and as hot as a supernova.
Too bad for Cole, Daniel’s not what he seems.
And too bad for Daniel, the cute boy-next-door’s DNA says he’s one of America’s most wanted, and it’s Daniel’s job to confirm that and bring him down. Digging through Cole’s past, Daniel finds out about Cole’s BDSM videos and while it should set off warning bells, it only leaves Daniel damn hot for Cole. Getting closer to his subject is easy, but starting a relationship built on trust is a lot harder when everything Daniel’s ever told Cole has been a lie.
Review
Daniel is a bounty hunter trying to capture somebody named Ro. He thinks he’s found his guy in Cole. But when Cole shows up, drunk, clumsy, and cute – he has to re-think his data.
Cole reviews food for a living. But he also has a past that gives him some interesting hobbies.
The first part of the story is figuring out if Cole is guilty; the second is the couple finding their feet in a relationship; the third is them solving the mystery of “Ro”.
I loved the interactions between Cole and Daniel in the beginning and thought the mystery was a little unbelievable but gripping. I didn’t care for the BDSM part of the story or how it didn’t seem to fit the rest of the plot line. To me it seemed stuck in there for added “heat value” but didn’t necessarily fit well with the characters and how they interacted.
Overall this story has some great potential and I would look for more from this author in the future.
Excerpt from First Day of School, a And Manny Makes Seven short by Sean Michael
Lizzie stared at Hutch with huge, tear-filled eyes. “Please. Please, Hut. Don’t make me go away. I’ll be the best cooker ever. I promise.”
God, she was breaking his heart. Hutch managed to find a warm smile for her, though, as he crouched to give her a hug. “You’ll be home by three thirty. And I bet you find you like school. There’s so many fun things to do.” He’d known it would be hard to send the twins off to school every day, leaving the house empty until afternoon, but he hadn’t expected it to be this hard.
She shook her head, the tears beginning to fall. Felicia was desperate to be big, to go to school like Darla, but this one had been opposed to the whole idea and finding out she wasn’t in the same Kindergarten class as her twin hadn’t helped. The school claimed they split twins up to let them develop their own individuality.
Well, Hutch knew damn well his girls were plenty individual, each with their own unique personality despite being together since birth.
“When you get home you can help me make supper,” he promised. “That won’t change just because you’re going to school.”
“Please? You can tell Addie-Lou it’s okay. I know you can,” she insisted.
“No, little. He can’t.” Adam shook his head. “School is important.”
“Is not!” She stamped her little foot, glaring at Adam. “I want to stay with Hut!”
“Okay, Lizzie, that’s enough.” Hutch gave her his most firm voice. “School is important and you’re going to make friends and find really fun things to do. Addie-Lou and I will be here when you get home.”
He wanted so badly to tell her she could stay home, but he knew she needed to do this. It was his job to make sure she didn’t need him and Adam anymore and this was how it started. Even if it was the hardest thing ever.
Moving to Kansas City could be the best thing Austin Shelbourne has ever done. For a start, he can stop living a lie and finally come out of the closet. And there’s a chance, though slim, that he might be able to locate the love of his life, Todd Burton. It had seemed like a good idea when he seduced his friend, but Todd freaked out and vanished. Austin hopes to find Todd, make things right between them, and win his love. But when he meets actor Guy Campbell, things get even more confusing.
The moment Guy sets eyes on Austin, he knows Austin is The One. But Austin makes it clear he feels a responsibility to Todd, and Guy has some dark secrets of his own. He’s found redemption in acting and directing, but worries that if Austin learns the truth, he might not be able bear it. And what if Todd accepts Austin’s apology and the love Austin offers? Guy wants Austin desperately, but he also wants him to be happy. In the play of life, with the happiness of good men in the balance, anything could happen.
Austin and Todd were friends, Austin fell in love and hit on Todd, Todd freaked and ran. Now Austin is tracking Todd down and hoping that they both can live the life they should, out and proud.
What Austin finds is his Uncle Bodie and Guy. Together, all three men explore what it is to be true to yourself and your passion.
There is a lot of subtext and learning through the work Guy does in the theatre and this takes up a lot of page time.
The romance between Guy and Austin is filled with growth and learning the difference between true love and fantasy.
**
I did not read the first book in this series, though I’m told it works as a stand-alone and I think that’s accurate. I also LISTENED to this so that shaped my feelings as well.
On the one hand I ADORE Charlie David and when he gets to use his southern twang it is always a good narration! On the other hand, this is a very slow burn, character based, more coming of age book than a fast moving contemporary romance.
For me, it’s just not my favorite thing. I appreciated the growth of all the characters and the way the author used the theatre to demonstrate this growth, but I like my romances to be the central theme and at times the other characters and their stories took center stage.
I’d give the narration a 5 of 5 and the story a 2 of 5, so overall a 3 of 5 because it is an entertaining, nicely written story about men finding themselves and Charlie David does an excellent job brining life to the story with his narration.
Blurb
Established TV personality Daniel Josephs only agrees to take part in a reality dancing show in London to lose weight. Single, successful, and (mostly) sorted, he’s already happy, even if he secretly wishes his love life was as rewarding as his professional one. Young athlete Will Smith, who gave up the earldom he inherited to pursue Olympic dreams, is far from happy—not to mention not interested in someone as old as Daniel. But when Will’s past catches up with him, it’s Daniel who helps him piece his life back together.
Review
This is an odd story. On the one hand, it’s very British and you have to read it carefully to follow who is doing what and why. On the other hand, it is very fast paced and loosely framed, so the author leaves us with a lot to fill using our imagination.
Daniel is the older guy, out and proud, who stars on AM TV shows but took on the dancing with the stars stint to help stay fit.
Will is a member of the aristocracy, in the closet, training for the Olympics and looking to make some connections. He’s very intense, by comparison Daniel’s very laid back.
In a somewhat strange turn of events, Will gets dumped by one of the dance coaches and has no place to live after also being outed while dating said dance coach. Daniel, who had always had his eye on the younger man, but kept getting rebuffed, helps him out by offering him the use of his spare room until the contest ends.
Eventually, Will and Daniel end up romantically involved and though geography is against them, they manage to find their HEA.
**
This story never flowed quite right for me. It sort of hopped all over the place and I never felt a strong connection with either MC or their subsequent coupledom.
I appreciated the uniqueness of the writing style, but found it a bit too scattered to say that I liked it.
Excerpt:
Craig couldn’t help but chuckle, as the day’s events unfolded.
He’d had his eye on Brent for some time—weeks, in fact. Six feet tall with light brown hair in a neat cropped style, muscles that advertised his time at the gym, and gorgeous blue eyes. What was there not to notice? The guy scowled a lot, though, and moved with a jerky, decisive style. Brent was a guy used to giving orders, and he wasn’t happy about it.
Craig had known Brent would love taking orders. Yet, it had to be from somebody with the power and the balls to back it up. Happily, fifteen years as a Marine had given him that power.
As he cleaned up around the drinking fountain and the snack area, Craig grinned, recalling the feel of Brent’s mouth on his cock, the way the guy had challenged him, and then ended up begging for release. Brent’s little tagalong had been watching, too. Younger guy, blond and lean, probably more into running than lifting weights. Obviously a submissive, and pining after someone who might not give a fuck about him. But cute. Very cute.
Sales Links: Torquere Books
About the author:
J.T. Hall has a bachelor degree in Creative Writing and a Master in Education. She has long been active in the LGBT and local leather community and does charity work including AIDS education and suicide prevention. Currently, J.T. works as a technical writer in the healthcare industry and lives with her partner and teenaged daughter in sunny Arizona.
Neither James nor Gabe has ever had a real relationship. They might make a connection if they can get past their differences—and their fears.
At age fourteen, James Maron decided to prove he wasn’t gay despite vast evidence to the contrary. Now at thirty-two, he’s getting ready to send his son to college and wondering what he’s supposed to do next. Outside his son, his life consists of an IT job he hates and watching telenovelas with the women in his apartment building.
Gabriel Juarez is the CFO of a technology giant. He has looks, charm, fantastic wealth, a workaholic personality, and a string of boyfriends who only stick around because he’s too busy to tell them to leave.
A bad laptop/projector interface causes James and Gabe’s paths to cross. Friends, family, and coworkers jump to match Gabe with a nice guy, and James with anyone. But are they too different? Everyone will have to tread very carefully to keep things from ending before they start.
Review
James has been the perfect single father ever since his 14 year old mistaken attempt at being “straight” got pregnant and didn’t want the baby. For the last 18 years he’s lived like a monk, worked his fingers to the bone providing for his son and doing his best to ignore that there might be a life out there for him to enjoy.
Gabriel is a very out and proud CFO of a successful IT business and a player. He’s never had a relationship because he’s never found anyone worth that kind of attention.
From the moment the two meet over a broken lap top, there is a strong connection. Gabe is tickled with the idea of introducing James to the joys of being a gay man and James is pretty ready to be taught.
**
I really loved this book – but was frustrated because it’s one in a series so I didn’t get the ending I was geared up for – but I know is coming!
Ada Soto does an excellent job creating the right mix of innocence and exploration in a confident but shy James. She also gives us Gabe who is worldly but kind and genuinely caring. The chemistry between the two is perfect.
I loved the secondary characters as well, the assistant, James’ son, the best-friend and even the clueless co-worker who is about to become a father.
I really enjoyed getting to the point where real intimacies are becoming alarming co-existences. Can two men from such different worlds really make it work? I look forward to finding out in the next installment.
Blurb
First a soldier and then a diplomat, Juberi now spends his solitary days on a single ambition: trying to resurrect the phoenix, which has been extinct for centuries. He’s not pleased when he is obligated to attend a public ceremony in memory of an elderly friend and former colleague. But at the ceremony, Juberi meets the friend’s beguiling son, Desen. Despite being from a markedly different culture, Desen has much to offer. But after decades of denying his own desires, Juberi fears there is no alchemy that will reopen him to love. Review
Juberi has a passion for the Phoenix, an extinct bird that he believes he can resurrect. He’s devoted his life to studying the magic to do such a thing almost to the exclusion of all else.
In his past, he’s also been an ambassador to a country with far different rules than his homeland. There he was able to have his male lover and to drink alcohol and sleep on feather beds. When he’s called home from his service, his lover essentially breaks his heart and Juberi has never loved again.
We find Juberi at the funeral of an old friend from that time and we meet that friend’s son. The son, Desen, has heard all about Juberi and has had a virtual crush on the man for years. When they meet there is instant attraction but Juberi feels he’s too set in his ways and that to act on that attraction would be wrong.
It is Desen’s persistence and Juberi’s work on with the Phoenix that proves Juberi wrong.
**
Kim Fielding is an amazing writer and always manages to tell a great story – whether short or long. I love her ability to world build and to make the reader invested with a minimum of words.
Though I found this to be an engaging and wonderful story, it was not my favorite of hers. I loved the ending and was hopeful for the lovers, but I wish we’d seen just a bit more of the relationship between them. I didn’t feel that wonderful connection she usually shows us between the lovers nearly as strongly as I have in the past.
Bush pilot John Tillman never expected to raise his kid sister. As her graduation approaches, he can almost taste the freedom of the empty nest in his near future—to fly in his eagle form for days…walk around his house naked…maybe even bring a man into his bed for the first time in years. To save her college fund, John’s taking every run his plane can handle and doing his best to keep his shifting under the radar. Then his latest job walks into the local bar with a strange gait and velvety Southern drawl.
After three tours, two new legs, and one long-overdue divorce, the only thing Logan Maddox is counting on now is a distraction-free hunting trip with the son whose teen years he’s almost missed. Logan isn’t a hero, just a guy trying to readjust with new parameters. If he hasn’t quite put into practice the gay identity he’s finally accepted…well, it’s not top priority. But fate has its own tactics, and the only pilot available to ferry them looks like a recruitment ad for Alaska’s hottest unit, and arrives with a seventeen-year-old girl in tow.
Review
Logan is a newly single guy, sharing custody of his son, bonding on a trip to Alaska. He’s also learning to use his prosthetics after being injured in the military.
John is raising his sister, on the final leg as it were, and thinking about the future. He ends up taking a job of playing tour guide to Logan and his son and knows that, at least in the near future, things are looking good.
**
This is a novella, so things move quickly. The attraction is there immediately and the men – not bar sluts, so they move with some trepidation – act swiftly but with temperance. I loved that they didn’t immediately have sex though they did become physical right away.
Mia West is a new author to me and I’m looking forward to more of this series! Her writing is smooth and flows well. Her world building is EXCELLENT and the characters are complex, including the secondary characters.
As with any good story, I wish it’d been longer, but I definitely feel we got a solid HEA and that our guys were in it for the long haul.
I highly recommend this new series with 5 of 5 hearts!
Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6560 Blurb
If he can make room in his life and his heart, an isolated medieval history professor might find a real life knight in shining armor.
A terrible breakup in his twenties left David shying away from relationships. For years he’s been content with his solitary life, finding fulfillment in his career, books, television show marathons, and his cat’s companionship. When David meets his neighbor Zach, he can’t tell if Zach is just being friendly or if the handsome fireman might actually be interested in him. The more time they spend together, though, the more David questions his resolution to remain single. If Zach can extinguish the flames left by David’s past, David might finally break away from his structured life and take a chance on love.
Review
David has just moved to town, starting fresh with a promotion at the university, determined to be happy and alone, no man needed, no siree.
Zach is a fireman, a great neighbor, a rescuer of cats, a fixer of things, and a genuinely nice guy. Oh, and super hot.
At first David is confused by the good-neighborly acts of kindness Zach bestows upon him, but then, with a little help from another matchmaking neighbor, he begins to think that maybe his plans on being happy and alone might just need to be altered a bit…
**
I really like Nico Jaye’s writing style. It’s so smooth and effortless. This story just grabs you right from the start and keeps you enthralled.
With short-stories it’s easy to feel short-changed and this is definitely not one of those. The characters are well-developed, the pacing is quick but fulfilling, the smexy times are very hot and though (as is appropriate with any story) you wish it didn’t end, you still feel very satisfied at the HEA.
I highly recommend this and give it 6 of 5 hearts!
Available for purchase through September 2015, Finding Love is a limited edition box set of brand new, full length, stand-alone M/M romance stories that share the theme of celebrating pride. The authors banded together with the goal of raising funds for The Trevor Project and the proceeds are being donated to help support their efforts to provide life-saving and life-affirming services to LGBTQ youth.
His Fragile Heart by Jamie Lynn Miller
Do you believe in the power of love, even after death? After losing his lover in a car accident two years ago, actor Nathan Marshall wasn’t interested in another relationship. Until he meets waiter Justin Kowalski. Something about him seems so familiar that Nathan is instantly drawn to the younger man. Surprised at his capacity to love again, his relationship with Justin blossoms. But then an unbelievable truth is revealed – one that could break both their hearts for good.
Through New Eyes by T.K. Paige
Roommates Jed and Doyle have been best friends since meeting in college. Now that they’ve graduated and are starting new jobs they have no intentions of letting that change anything. Doyle is everything Jed isn’t, smart, cute and active at the LGTB center. Jed has always looked out for his friend and been there for him. They have plans and an amazing relationship, everything planned out to the smallest degree. Any changes could make it all go off the rails. So why can’t Jed get over how annoying he finds Doyle’s ex turned friend, who seems to be around way too often? Why can’t he stop noticing Doyle in new ways? If Jed doesn’t take a risk, he could miss what’s been there all along.
Iridescent (An Angels All Fire Series Short) by M. LeAnne Phoenix
Best friends, trusted confidants, partners in crime— call it what you like, Phai and Jen have been two halves of a whole ever since they met just over five years ago. The trouble is, that while Phai is falling more in love with his best friend every day, Jensen Whitfield seems content to call him brother. Hephaistion Amyntoros has faced many challenges during his long, long life, but the idea of confessing his heart’s desire to Jen and discovering that he doesn’t feel the same, terrifies him… but what happens if he does share his feelings? When the whole of Phai’s past rages into blistering life, ready to consume the very sun, Phai must focus on getting them out alive. Will they emerge from the fire intact or will the love in his life burn like a supernova once more?
Unexpectedly Lucky (The Bradford Boys, Book 1) by Carly Rose
Lincoln and Ryan have been best friends since the fifth grade. Their friendship has always been effortless, but a single night of passion threatens to change everything. Will the emotional fallout drive them apart or will they be lucky enough to find love unexpectedly?
What the Heart Wants by D.C. Williams Will has just graduated from high school and is struggling with coming out. A surreptitious visit to NYC Pride brings Kev into his life. Will is immediately attracted to Kev, but they’re separated by a huge age difference, and Will is still coming to terms with himself. Their friendship grows over the course of a year, but can it become more?
About The Trevor Project
Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
The life-saving, life-affirming work of The Trevor Project springs from the powerful intersection of storytelling on stage and film.
In 1994, producers Randy Stone and Peggy Rajski saw writer/performer James Lecesne bring to life Trevor, a character he created as part of his award-winning one-man show WORD OF MOUTH. Convinced Trevor’s story would make a wonderful short film, Stone and Rajski invited Lecesne to adapt it into a screenplay. Rajski directed the movie and TREVOR went on to win many prestigious awards including the Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short Film.
The Oscar-winning film eventually launched a national movement. When producer Randy Stone secured an airing on HBO with Ellen DeGeneres hosting, director/producer Peggy Rajski discovered there was no real place for young people like Trevor to turn when facing challenges similar to his. She quickly recruited mental health experts and figured out how to build the infrastructure necessary for a nationwide 24-hour crisis line, and writer James Lecesne secured the funds to start it. On the night their funny and moving coming-of-age story premiered on HBO in 1998, these visionary filmmakers launched the Trevor Lifeline, the first national crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of young people in crisis have reached out to The Trevor Project’s multiple in-person and online life-saving, life-affirming resources–Trevor Lifeline, TrevorChat, TrevorSpace and Trevor Education Workshops.
The Trevor Project is the premier organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ teens and young adults.
Jamie Lynn Miller has been writing fiction since childhood and decided to take the plunge and go pro in 2008, finding to her amazement that people truly enjoyed her love stories. She’s a romantic at heart, and her tales reflect the desire we all have to find “the one,” persevering through trials and heartache for that happy ending.
Jamie has a degree in fine arts and has spent the last twenty years working as a graphic designer, though she’d much rather be writing. She was born in Chicago and still lives there today with her husband and their two furry, four-footed children, er… cats.
If she’s not brainstorming story ideas, you can find Jamie at a sci-fi convention, in front of a furnace doing glass blowing, or on a mat twisted into a yoga pose.
Website – Facebook
T.K. Paige picked up her first book to read around the age of four and hasn’t stopped since. She discovered the M/M genre in August of 2012 and an addict was hooked.
If you see her and she is not reading, then she is thinking about the books that live in her head. It doesn’t matter what else she is doing, it is guaranteed half her brain has a plot running through it.
A stay at home mom for more years than she would like to think about, she is lucky enough to be married to a wonderful guy who encouraged her to write throughout their years together.
Then when she finally did it and she told him what she was writing, he turned only slightly green and asked “Do I have to read it?” Apparently, he had dreams of her being the next Urban Fantasy sensation with her taste in movies.
Website – Facebook – Tumblr
M. LeAnne Phoenix would tell you that the worst time of her life was the two years that she attempted to take off from writing. If you asked her to explain exactly why she did such a thing, you would most likely get the mad attempt to arch an eyebrow like her dad and then a shake of the head as she told you it was unlucky to speak of such things. Suffice it to say, it will never happen again!
Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas in the mid-1970’s, Ms. Phoenix was young and wild (and even free!) during the crazy wondrous decade known as the 1980’s and the even crazier but now grungy decade of the 1990’s. Music is second only to the muses that live and breathe to fill her mind with beautiful men, and music always helps them to tell their stories. She is never without her iPod or her computer no matter where she goes, although, she does like to hike and take pictures of the sky and the moon, and even the occasional shot of the sun through the branches of a tree.
An avid cat lover, Ms. Phoenix has been owned by many throughout her life, though her current owner is one Lily-Rose, who really would like for her to step away from the keyboard and pay her some attention! After all, hasn’t she earned it?
Website – Facebook – Twitter
Carly Rose was named after her grandmother, an accomplished poet, and a character her mom met in a romance novel while awaiting her birth, I guess you could say that writing has always been in her blood. As a child her parents used to threaten to take away her books and make her play outside when she wasn’t getting her chores done. Now she’s all grown up and her roles as wife, mother of two, and part-time nurse keep her hopping. As a blogger, book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, she still manage to spend time each day with her nose in a book.
She’s a student of life who’s always looking for new opportunities to learn and discovered early on that the love of family, friends and a positive attitude are all you really need. A free spirited motorcycle enthusiast who loves butterflies, dancing in the rain, and believes that everything is better in purple, she love to hear from reader so stop by and say “hi” anytime!
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Book Review Blog
D.C. Williams is a funny little middle aged woman who mostly lives in Pennsylvania and writes romance novels you wouldn’t expect.
Website
Excerpt From Iridescent (An Angels All Fire Series Short) by M. LeAnne Phoenix
“Something You’re Not Telling Me”
“Jen…” He sighed, folding his arms over his bare chest. “I thought we said all we could say this evening. What more could possibly be spoken between us that would not exacerbate an already strained conversation?” “You’re holding out on me. There is something you’re not saying. We are the best of friends, have been for a while now, I don’t like secrets. Ask River. He’ll tell you it’s my top pet peeve.” Jensen Whitfield had been in his life for a little over five years and they’d been close since the day they met. Hephaistion looked up to meet the gaze of those incredible green eyes as Jensen stepped closer to him, one hand outstretched. “I hate it, actually. More than that, I hate that there’s something you haven’t told me, but clearly, when you and Gann were arguing in—” “Greek. We were arguing in Greek,” he supplied in another sigh. “He said something that hurt you, that took you aback and well, I don’t speak Greek, but I wanted to punch him for whatever it was that he threw out there.” Jensen stepped closer still, the man’s warm hand sliding across his bearded cheek to cup his skull as long fingers threaded through his dripping hair. “I don’t like it when Gann speaks to you in such a way. It’s not fair of him, fucking winged or no.” He chuckled lightly, moving to take a step back and out of Jensen’s touch—Sweet Aphrodite! He’ll never know how much I relish it when he touches me!—as he murmured, “What he said to me was not offensive. It was… disappointing… is all. Nothing for you to worry about, Jen, but… gratitude.” “Disappointing how?” At the shake of his head in muted reply, Jensen went on. “Phai… I don’t like to see you shaken. Talk to me, man.” “How long did it take you to accept that Darien Gann was actually Gannicus the Celt in the tale of Spartacus?” he blurted out, wishing that he could be doing anything but having the conversation in which he was currently participating. “I think it was easier to accept that he was Gannicus than Cassiel,” Jensen admitted with a chuckle, leaning against the bathroom counter. “Why do you ask?” “You told me once that if I ever lied to you about anything, that would be it.” He lifted his eyes to the carven stone ceiling as he took a shaky breath. “I knew then, as I remember now, that your edict was because of River’s long delay in telling you about his condition.” Crossing the bathroom, Jensen reached out to grasp his arms. “You’re right… and man, if you’re about to tell me that you have a secret identity, I’m gonna say duh.” Jensen’s hands squeezed gently. “I know that you’ve kept that secret not because you’re worried about being attacked, but because you’ve been worried about me—the still human guy—getting too close to you and becoming a casualty.” He lowered his gaze, fighting his body’s natural reaction to Jensen’s closeness. “I have not kept it from you because I do not trust you, Jen. I trust you with everything, with my very life.” He moved from Jensen’s touch, stepping back a second time, but this time, his back hit the cold stone wall, startling him—
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