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Finding Love: Box Set of M/M Stories That Celebrate Pride by Jamie Lynn Miller, T.K. Paige, M. LeAnne Phoenix, Carly Rose, D.C. Williams

finding love

5 Authors – 5 Stories – 1 Charity

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.

Watch ‘Trevor’ on YouTube
(20 minutes)

BUY LINKS: Amazon US Amazon UK (Coming soon to ARe and in Print)
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25665642-finding-love
COVER ARTIST: Dakota Trace
RAFFLECOPTER: June 12th – June 30th
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AUTHOR PROFILES:

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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Indigent (Charity Book 1) by F.E. Feeley Jr, Leona Windwalker, Shaye Evans, Mari Evans, & M. LeAnne Phoenix

indigent coverFive authors have joined together to produce stories evoking both loss and hope. Reaching deep within their fiery imaginations, these stories take flight and showcase dreams for a better today and future for LGBT everywhere. Embodying a diverse set of talents and stories, this volume sets out to grab the hearts of those who read the m/m genre and to offer hope to LGBT across the globe. By offering this book, we hope to support the following charities across the globe:

GALA, South Africa

Lost-n-Found, USA

Youth Off The Streets, Australia

The Albert Kennedy Trust, United Kingdom

This anthology edited by Louis J Harris and Kimi D Saunders

Indigent has been produced to entertain and delight and all the stories leave the reader with a “feel good” state of mind.

Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr’s “Indigent”, after which the anthology takes its name, brings the reader to witness an apocalyptic war between the good and evil that rages in one man’s mind. Soon he will know that his problems are insignificant compared to those of others.

Mari Evan’s “Stumbling into Forever”, involves a handsome young vampire who will learn that just a sip of blood is the difference between love and freezing to death.

Leona Windwalker’s “If Only the World”, takes rejection to another level. A heartbreaking story that is turned on its head by the kindness of strangers.

Shaye Evans’ “Rescued”, is a contemporary social statement about the aftermath of a young man’s life after his drink has been spiked at a bar.

M. LeAnne Phoenix’s “Higher Love”, takes us on an almost spiritual journey through the minds of two people who have never met, but have spoken on a telepathic level. When they do come together, that bond is already cemented, but there is a price to pay.

From CoolDudes Publishing – we’re making an effort to support our gay community. Are you?

View the book trailer:

 
Excerpt:

“Light?” the man asked, kneeling down to bring his head level with the window.

“Oh… yeah, of course.” Bobby handed him a lighter. The man cupped his cigarette, snapped the flame on, and inhaled. His face became the picture of intense pleasure as he placed his hand, which held the lighter, on the window sill to maintain balance. Bobby couldn’t help but stare at him in wonder again. Like a rose.

What is beauty? His professor had asked in his philosophy class.

Hands had shot up. He picked them, one by one. Some gave examples and one girl gave a protracted answer about sociological influences dictating standards of beauty. The man patiently listened to the feminist answer before he finally spoke.

“Plato believed that all souls were alive in heaven before they were sent to earth….” He stopped mid-sentence with a curious look on his face that Bobby took as a cue to finish the thought.

“…so the beauty of a rose would be a reminder of… heaven?”

-Indigent, F.E. Freeley Jr

Buy from Amazon

Bios:

freddie

F.E. Freeley Jr:

F.E. Feeley Jr was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and lived there for twenty years before joining the military. He is a veteran of the US Armed Services; having done a tour in support of Operation Iraq Freedom in 2002-2003, he turned college student, pursuing a degree in political science. He now lives in Southeast Texas where he is married to the love of his life, John, and where they raise their 1½ year old German shepherd, Kaiser.

As a young man, reading took center stage in his life, especially those novels about ghosts, witches, goblins, and all the other things that went bump in the night. His favorite authors include such writers as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice, whose work allowed him to travel to far off places and meet fascinating and scary characters. As a gay man, he wishes to be able to write good fictional literature for those who love the genre and to write characters that readers can relate to. All in all, he is a cigarette smokin’, whiskey drinkin’, rock and roll lovin’, tattoo wearin’ dreamer of a man with a wonderful husband who puts up with his crap and lets him write his stories.

Author links:

Amazon

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Twitter

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Leona Windwalker:

Leona is a longtime staunch supporter of human rights and environmental causes. Her favourite genre to read is M/M fiction and she particularly enjoys science fiction, fantasy, and action/suspense subgenres–especially if they have a nice seasoning of romance. She has far too many books on her Kindle, has overloaded her phone with even more and, when not reading, writing, being driven to distraction by her children, or being overlorded by her three cats, can be found trying to locate the portal that the sock monster uses to steal socks from her dryer.

Amazon

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

mari

Mari Evans:

Mari is a wife and the proud mother of a very active daughter, two

dogs and two cats. She’s a very social kind of girl, who loves to talk. It’s both her best and worst quality.

From the moment she could read, she devoured books. Anything goes, as long as it has a happy ending.

There were always stories swirling around in her head and as a child she liked to lay in bed and let the characters have their story and happy ending. It wasn’t until 2013 that she actually tried to put one of the whole stories down and submit it to a publisher. To her own surprise and excitement it was accept- ed. This gave her the drive to keep going.

The decision to write m/m was made when a friend told a story about a young gay man that struck a chord, even as her husband had already encour- aged her to try it earlier.

Now she found her passion, having already found the love in her family and friends, her life is completely chaotic, crazy but wonderful.

Amazon

Goodreads

annie

M. LeAnne Phoenix

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?

Facebook 

Twitter 

Goodreads 

Shaye Evans:

Shaye Evans is a proud Australian author of the M/M Romance genre. She prides herself in not only writing the genre but also reading it. As an author and supporter to the LGBT community, Shaye wishes to inspire anyone who reads her books and hope they help in whatever insignificant or significant way.

At age nineteen, Shaye found her love in the genre when she read her first M/M and was instantly hooked, but it took her an entire year to begin writing her own. She has had five of nine short stories accepted to be published in 2014 alone. Something she is very proud to admit–and who wouldn’t be?

When not writing or plotting her next piece, Shaye keeps busy by either reading one of over four-hundred books in her collection, designing her next book cover, or shopping. She one day dreams of being a paramedic and her books making it to the movies!

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Shaye-Evans/e/B00RNVZRT8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_4

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11012242.Shaye_Evans

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/ShayeLEvans?fref=ts

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The Bohemians by Sean Michael Tour with Excerpt & Giveaway

thebohemians600

Topaz is a free-spirit, loving easily, though searching for his true soul-mate. As soon as he meets Quincy, he realizes this is the man who has been calling for him in his dreams and he offers his whole self, body, heart, mind and soul, without thought.

Quincy gives away his heart too easily, and has been hurt in love more than once. Still, that doesn’t stop him from falling head over heels for Topaz when he first meets the man.

It seems like a match made in heaven, but Topaz lives with two men who are his best friends, and also his lovers. Will Quincy ever be able to understand that Topaz has more than enough love in his heart for his best friends and his soul-mate, or will Topaz’s bohemian ways be too much for Quincy to understand?

Originally published in the Bus Stories Anthology.
Pages or Words: 28,000 words

 

Excerpt:
Topaz parked the bicycle in the back yard and backed into the kitchen, bags in hand. “Daisy? Ku? I brought tomatoes and cilantro and some spinach on my way home from Rosa’s. They had beautiful honeydews, too.”
Grinning Leonaka grabbed the sacks with huge, calloused hands, shiny black hair held back in a braid. “What did she say, Topaz?”
He sighed, heading for the refrigerator for some tea. “She said I have to wait for him to come to me. That the spirits want me to be patient and calm.” He poured a glass and then brought the pitcher to the table, refreshing Leo’s and Stephan’s before kissing Stephan’s cheek. “I don’t do patient so well, Daisy.”
Topaz settled into a padded chair, watching Leo wash the food in the bright, sun-drenched kitchen. One of the kittens climbed up for her love, his fingers stroking her soft ears without hesitation.
Stephan smoothed the edge of Leo’s t-shirt down with graceful fingers and then came over and began to rub his shoulders. “You don’t do patient well? Leo, do you believe that?”
“Little bit, I have seen you sit for hours and hours, untangling a single skein of thread. You might be eager, but you are the most patient man I know.” Leo chuckled, gaze warm. “He’s that special?”
Topaz relaxed under Stephan’s magical fingers, the worries and negative energy of the day fading. “You should see his eyes, Ku. There’s something about them. Something I want to know all about.”
“They are a pretty blue,” Stephan added. “I haven’t seen you this excited about someone in a long time, Sunshine.”
“Oh, Daisy. It’s been so long since I had a soul mate. Someone who looked at me like Leo looks at you.” He turned his head, kissed Stephan’s fingers. “I know you two love me, but part of my heart is missing. Maybe making those eyes laugh is a piece of that.”
He heard Ku’s soft cluck, the worried sound that meant that Leo was sure he was leaping into open air without a net. Again.
Stephan’s hands tightened on his shoulders and then pet him gently, his friend sitting next to him. “How can we help, Sunshine?”
“Rosa did my cards, Daisy. She says he’ll come. That I should be still.” Topaz grinned, taking Stephan’s hand in his. “That doesn’t mean we can’t let the universe know I’m interested though. I’m thinking some long meditations, a cleansing bath, a few candles lit in hope.” He gave Stephan a grin. “Maybe some more wildflowers?”

Sales Links:

Amazon

Torquere Books

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About the author:

Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to “Chicago.”
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He’ll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004713810507
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites
Twitter: seanmichael09
Other: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca/
Other: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com/

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25656052-the-bohemians?ac=1
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay
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In the Distance (In the Kitchen Book 3) by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin

Carina Press Presents http://ebooks.carinapress.com/1B442965-C83A-4162-9AAF-8C8B7054CF71/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID={EEB8C335-52AD-4057-8FE3-8DA4E98AB89B}

in the distanceBlurb

Tyler Mitchell has worked hard to rebuild his life after his family kicked him out. A culinary student and sous chef who spends his spare time volunteering with kids, he’s happy enough even though he has no time to consider a relationship.
Trevor Pratt is finally getting over losing the one person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, but it’s taken screwing every cute guy in Manhattan to get there. He’s vowed to repair the friendship he broke along the way, but that’s hard to do when his friend’s new employee catches his eye. Despite being warned to stay away from Tyler, Trevor turns on the charm.
Romance is a terrible idea. Trevor is ten years older and a relentless playboy. Tyler is still unsure of his place in the world. Neither of them is ready for life-changing love, but as things heat up, their chemistry in the bedroom might just take that decision out of their hands.

Review

Tyler has trust issues. He was kicked out of his “loving” family for being gay, forced to the streets, but rescued by Ethan and Jamie – two restaurateurs who help him to become a sous chef and get him enrolled in school.

Trevor is Jamie’s best friend, the proverbial playboy, and is 10 years Tyler’s senior. Trevor sees Tyler and wants to bring him out of his shell, help him to explore his new sexuality, but knows he will bail at any sign of drama or permanence.

Tyler is captivated by the older man but leery. Both Jamie and Ethan tell Tyler to stay away from Trevor, in fact they practically forbid it. But he can’t stay away and a tenuous relationship begins.

Oh, Tyler lives in Seattle and Trevor in New York – so there’s that, too.

Through some stolen weekends and many phone conversations and texts, the couple draws closer, but Trevor refuses to take it that ultimate step, fearing for Tyler’s heart.

Just when it seems the couple might be crossing some bridges, trust on Tyler’s part, commitment on Trevor’s, something comes up. They reconcile. Then something else comes up. They reconcile… etc.

Finally, after facing his awful family, coming to grips with what he really wants for his future and deciding that he has to value himself first, Tyler essentially boots Trevor to the curb.

When faced with absolutely no connection to Tyler, Trevor also begins to re-consider his values, fears and desires and decides that nothing is going to keep him from Tyler, especially not Tyler’s fears.

**

First let me say that I didn’t read books one and two. But I read the blurb and this sounded really intriguing and it sounded like a standalone.

I believe you didn’t have to have the background from books one and two – per se- but it would have made the story so much richer. Trevor and Jamie and Ethan have a LONG history together that totally shapes the story. Add to that, this is a long book, much of it filled with Jamie/Trevor/Ethan interactions that probably held more appeal for followers of the series.

There was a lot to like in this story. The characters are very well developed, and there is as much development of the secondary characters as the MCs. The emotions feel mostly authentic and each hurdle is handled realistically and thoroughly.

The May/December aspect was maybe downsized and rolled into the lack of experience/trust/playboy hurdle more than an actual issue of age.

The distance is handled really well, and very realistically.

What I didn’t like:
I never felt that connected to Trevor. The authors did too good a job setting him up as an unfeeling ass, and though he was good to Tyler, Tyler was so shiny and good that he really needed someone as wonderful to balance him out. (Tyler works all the time, volunteers when he’s not at school or at work, won’t take a handout, is demure about his talents, etc., etc.) Trevor just shows up, is hot, works a lot, pines over Tyler and never really shows himself as NOT being the playboy his reputation leads us to believe. He just wasn’t as likable as Tyler.

Add to that, Ethan, one of Tyler’s heroes, absolutely despises Trevor for some past sin (undoubtedly found in the other books) and this shades the reader’s opinions as well.

Another thing I didn’t care for was Tyler’s seemingly split personality. He’d be at once flirty and adventurous, then suddenly give Trevor the cold shoulder.

There wasn’t much time with the couple as a couple, and most of their interactions were via text or the phone, which were nice ways to develop their relationship, but we aren’t given much time at all to see them in a relationship on the same coast. It didn’t make me feel that the couple had a lot of potential longevity.

So, overall, I wasn’t that impressed by this. I liked the writing, the editing, the characters and most of the plot, but I wasn’t crazy about this couple or the length. Far too much time was spent on Tyler’s insecure waffling and it got a bit monotonous.

If you have read books one and two, this will undoubtedly be something you should read, and perhaps had I read the first two I’d have felt more warmly about this.

3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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Lost Treasure Audiobook by Kate Sherwood Narrated by Jm Matzan

Dreamspinner presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6362

LostTreasureAUDMEDBlurb

When Kyle Champlain’s grandmother, Molly, passes away, he returns to Wetlake, Canada, to settle her estate. Kyle spent his summers in Wetlake as a child, and now he has the chance to renew his acquaintance with some old friends, including Ryan Summers, before going home to Chicago. But when Kyle tries to pressure Ryan into a business decision, their renewed friendship—and any possible attraction–is almost immediately on the rocks.

As Kyle begins to deliver the personalized bequests from Molly’s will, he meets an odd assortment of people from all walks of life and realizes he has a lot to learn about living and love. But he’ll have to fight his parents, suspicious beneficiaries, and Ryan’s fears if he plans to stay in Wetlake.

Review
Kyle (aka Casey) has been away from Westlake for 15 years. As a teenager he got caught messing around with his boyfriend, Ryan, and subsequently rushed away and kept away until now.

Kyle has returned because his grandmother has died and he’s shocked to find Ryan still lives in the quiet town. (Turns out to take care of his ailing father.)

The two reminisce and reconnect – only a little – they are both afraid of what that holds for them. Kyle is still in the closet, Ryan is a father and afraid to be someone’s secret.

Eventually they find that there is more to their romance than just history and they find a very, very sweet HEA.

**

Keep in mind that this was an audio book and as such it lacked some of what I see many others saw by reading it.

I’m a Kate Sherwood fan, but this was a “meh” story for me. It lagged, there was very little tension to keep me engaged and the chemistry/romance was a bit too subtle to keep me involved. As a result I kept finding my mind wandering as I was listening and it took a long time for me to finish the story.

Overall, it was more of Kyle’s story about coming to grips with his past, his coming out as a gay man and his grief over the loss of his grandmother far more than the romance between him and Ryan.

The narrator did a nice job, again, nothing too compelling in either direction – good or bad.

If you are in the mood for a low angst, character driven (rather than action driven) story read by a narrator with a nice voice but not too much drama, this should fit the bill.

3 of 5 hearts

3

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The Little Things Audiobook by Jay Northcote Narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6415

LittleThings[The]AUDMEDBlurb

There are lots of things that brighten Joel’s life. His three-year-old daughter, Evie, is one. His close relationship with her mother, his best friend from university, is another. Joel’s boyfriend, Dan, adds spice to his child-free nights, and Joel is pretty happy with how things are.

Then one cold and rainy night, everything changes. Joel’s life is turned upside down when he becomes a full-time dad to Evie, and his previously carefree relationship with Dan cracks under the strain.

Meeting Liam, who acts as if getting hurt isn’t a foregone conclusion, shakes Joel to the core. Their attraction is mutual, and Liam makes no secret of how serious he is about Joel. But Joel is wary. He tells himself he’s keeping Liam at a distance for Evie’s sake, when really he’s protecting his own heart. Taking a chance on this new relationship with Liam may seem a small step—a little thing—but is it one Joel can take after losing so much already?

Review

Joel is a newly single parent after having lost the mother of his child. He’s young and struggling with grief and parenting alone.
In the first part of the book Joel is with his partner Dan and it’s Dan’s inability to be a full time parent and commit to a monogamous relationship that eventually leads to their break-up.

In the second half of the story Joel meets Liam. Liam is just who Joel needs, older, steady, loving, caring, interested in parenting.

Though there isn’t as much time as I’d like with the couple as a couple, what there is, is very sweet.

What I appreciated about this book was that it showed a different side to Jay’s writing. She is always a very fluid writer, giving us well-developed characters who are, more than anything, real.

This is the most “angsty” of her books that I’ve read, and it showed her talent for drama as well as light-hearted comedic romance.

Though I would have liked more time with the new couple and perhaps less with Dan, I can see how showing us more fully what happened in the past made Joel who he is now and why he makes the decisions he does.

I thought Evie was well portrayed too and enjoyed the relationship between her and Joel very much.

If you are looking for a more “realistic” take on romance, with some hard twists and turns to the story, this is a great book to check out.

Audiobook

Again I love that we are given a British narrator. He does a great job giving each character a unique voice and he does a great job with the emotion.

I loved his Liam and even thought Claire and Evie were nice (women and kids can be difficult to voice but he did a great job.)

I think his work continues to improve with each narration and I think this is my favorite of his narrations so far.

Overall, 4.25 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Places in Time by Cardeno C

Romance Authors Presents https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-placesintime-1824738-149.html

places in timeBlurb

A relationship-challenged actor unexpectedly finds love in the arms of his childhood best friend.

“Sexiest Man Alive” and Golden Globe winning actor Ethan Baker lights up the screen but fizzles in his personal life. When his latest girlfriend breaks up with him, Ethan turns to his one “forever” person—Jude Harrison. But as Ethan makes the familiar drive to his best friend’s house, an unexpected detour and a bewildering passenger take him through places in time he’d long forgotten. Suddenly Ethan sees Jude’s actions over the years from a different perspective, but it’s his own reaction that’s the biggest surprise.

Review

This is a short story that recently got re-released.

Ethan is a self-centered actor, self-acknowledgedly so, who has been best friends with Jude most of his life.

Jude has been in love with Ethan since the moment they first met.

It takes a trip through time for Ethan to realize that Jude has feelings for him and that Ethan has feelings for Jude as well!

It’s a very short, sweet story that makes you smile and sigh and – just as all Cardeno’s stories do – feel good inside.

I loved that when Ethan finally figures things out, he and Jude just jump in, no questions asked.

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Wayward Son (Sons book 2) by Shae Connor

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6286

WaywardSon

Blurb

Family isn’t just about blood—it’s about heart.

After his move to Atlanta and away from the influence of his conservative parents, Mikey O’Malley finally feels free to be himself: art student, aspiring animator, and out gay man. He has friends, a new job, and not one, but two men interested in him. Cory Lassiter and Jimmy Black have been a happy couple for years, occasionally bringing a twink into their bed, but only for a brief roll in the hay. When Mikey meets the pair, the attraction is immediate, and it runs three ways. Mikey just can’t believe they’d have room in their lives for a permanent addition.

When Mikey’s newfound life is shattered by a lawsuit that accuses him of molesting a child years earlier, he’s determined to face his troubles on his own, but Cory and Jimmy are just as determined that he not have to go it alone. To reconcile his need for independence and his desire for love, Mikey has to learn that being a man isn’t just about standing on your own two feet. It’s about letting yourself lean on the ones who love you.

Review

We start the story with Mikey, a young man, living with friends, kicked out for being gay, but making his own life, about to lose his job because he’s being sued for inappropriate actions.
Mikey’s not all alone, however, he’s got good friends and two boyfriends.

Mikey is just starting a relationship with Cory and Jimmy – two older men in an established relationship – and though he cares about them and vice versa, he doesn’t really know where he stands with them. As a result things haven’t moved much beyond the innocent.

Both Cory and Jimmy are big personalities and they have often invited a third to join them, this time they want someone to keep. Mikey doesn’t know how he feels about that, but he knows he wants to explore it and he knows that in this cruel world, he can’t afford his ego and must lean on whomever he can for help.

**

This is a tough review to write. I didn’t read book one, so I know that some of my confusion may be as a result of that fact. However, it’s listed as a standalone. But – the story literally jumps right in the middle of things and while I can appreciate that as a writing ploy, as a reader I really wished I had seen more of the “get to know you” story of Jimmy, Cory and Mikey. I kind of felt like I had missed a chapter or something, what with them already being on the cusp of a relationship but not quite fully involved, right at the beginning of the book.

I really liked the writing and found the characters engaging. I thought the lawsuit part of the story was engaging and well-handled.

As a triad, I’m not sure how successful this one will be. On the one hand, the author did a great job of showing us why Cory and Jimmy live apart, but I never really saw exactly how much Mikey contributed to the triad, other than the sex part. We just didn’t get enough time with them as a triad for me to believe in their success. It still felt like Mikey was more of a diversion than an equal in the relationship, even by the end.

I believe that they have a chance, and that’s a good enough place to leave them, but the whole experience left me feeling like I sort of fell into the middle of their story, not the beginning nor the end.

Overall, it was an intriguing book and for the most part well done, but it felt incomplete.

3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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Rise and Fall Audiobook (Thirds # 4) by Charlie Cochet Narrated by Mark Westfield

Dreamspinner presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6600


Rise&FallAUDMEDBlurb

After an attack by the Coalition leaves THIRDS Team Leader Sloane Brodie critically injured, agent Dexter J. Daley swears to make Beck Hogan pay for what he’s done. But Dex’s plans for retribution are short-lived. With Ash still on leave with his own injuries, Sloane in the hospital, and Destructive Delta in the Coalition’s crosshairs, Lieutenant Sparks isn’t taking any chances. Dex’s team is pulled from the case, with the investigation handed to Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs. Dex refuses to stand by while another team goes after Hogan, and decides to put his old HPF detective skills to work to find Hogan before Theta Destructive, no matter the cost.

With a lengthy and painful recovery ahead of him, the last thing Sloane needs is his partner out scouring the city, especially when the lies—however well intentioned—begin to spiral out of control. Sloane is all too familiar with the desire to retaliate, but some things are more important, like the man who’s pledged to stand beside him. As Dex starts down a dark path, it’s up to Sloane to show him what’s at stake, and finally put a name to what’s in his heart.

Review

Wow. Just wow. This book is sooooo full of good feels.

Sloane and Dex are so wonderfully gushy and sweet in this book. Their relationship is definitely cemented by the end.

We get a peek into the mystery that is Hobbs and an amazingly sexy and funny scene between him and Calvin.

Ash is looking like less and less of a hard ass and more and more like the love of Cael’s life.

All of the relationship stuff is amazing. The dialog, like always is hysterical. The spying done is both naughty and funny. The danger… well this isn’t really that “tense” of a book.

The biggest “hurdle” in this story is Dex trying to avenge Sloane’s attack. Predictably, Sloane doesn’t want him involved, and in fact, the team has been ordered to stand down. But… Dex is determined to capture the culprit himself, in Sloane’s name.

I kinda wanted to shake Dex, and totally understood Sloane’s feelings about it. I liked, however, that this was the first time we saw Dex as the guy who might screw up the relationship, and Sloane was doing everything “right” for a change.

All in all this totally appealed to my every romantic sensibility and tickled my funny bone.

I can’t wait for the next installment and I really hope Calvin and Hobbs get their own book ☺

Audio

I really enjoy Mark Westfiled’s narrations. He does a great job differentiating the different and myriad characters. He adds extra touches like altering his voice for telecom and intercom communications. I love even his female characters and his accents are wonderful!

6 of 5 hearts

amazing

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Work in Progress Audiobook (Belladonna Arms #2) by John Inman Narrated by Caleb Dickinson

Dreampsinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6535

WorkinProgressAUDMEDBlurb

Dumped by his lover, Harlie Rose ducks for cover in the Belladonna Arms, a seedy apartment building perched high on a hill in downtown San Diego. What he doesn’t know is that the Belladonna Arms has a reputation for romance—and Harlie is about to become its next victim.

Finding a job at a deli up the street, Harlie meets Milan, a gorgeous but cranky baker. Unaware that Milan is suffering the effects of a broken heart just as Harlie is, the two men circle around each other, manning the barricades, both unwilling to open themselves up to love yet again.

But even the most stubborn heart can be conquered.

With his new friends to back him up—Sylvia, on the verge of her final surgery to become a woman, Arthur, the aging drag queen who is about to discover a romance of his own, and Stanley and Roger, the handsome young couple in 5C who lead by example, Harlie soon learns that at the Belladonna Arms, love is always just around the corner waiting to pounce. Whether you want it to or not.

But tragedy also drops in now and then.

Review
(Book reviewed on this site previously)

We return to the amazing Belladonna Arms. Arthur is still there, in horrible drag. Chi Chi and Ramon are there, but fighting. Stanley and Roger are there and in love. Sylvia is about to have her surgery, the kleptomaniac Charlie is still taking his meds and he and Bruce are still a couple. All in all love is in the air, specifically the Love Pollen that Arthur claims falls on the unsuspecting tenants and makes them succumb.

Harlie thinks he’ll be immune to the pollen, however, since he has just gotten back from a four month journey across the country getting “over” his ex. He’s alone and plans on staying that way. His only focus: getting a job and writing his novel.

Sylvia comes through with a job for Harlie, working as a baker’s assistant at the restaurant she works. The owner of the restaurant, Mr. Burger, an older gentleman whose lover has recently died. We suspect she probably knew that his son, Milan, might just cure Harlie of his blues, as he too is a gay man recently alone.

Sure enough, the two set off sparks. At first, Harlie thinks Milan is straight and hates him, which only makes him that much more fascinating, but then we see them connect outside of work and Milan is really just shy and heartbroken.

Sylvia has other plans for our Belladonna Arms tenants. Arthur. Harlie, mistakenly!, tries to change Arthur’s style by making him more “butch”. What a hilarious failure that was! No matter what he tries, Arthur glams it up and looks miserable without his flowing garments. But… Mr. Burger sees something in Arthur he’s been looking for and it is love at first sight!

The remainder of the book is Sylvia healing, Arthur and Mr. Burger sexing and loving, Milan and Harlie sexing and loving, and… a horrible, horrible sad story involving Chi Chi and Ramon…

Overall, it was another amazing book by John Inman and I loved (almost) every second of it as much as the first book Serenading Stanley. I’m not sure why the sad story was included… maybe to give some more depth to this very sweet story, but it was hard to read. I hope we hear more about their story in another installment, because it’s just too good to stop now!

I highly recommend this book and the series.

5 of 5 hearts.

Audio

Tyler Stevens narrated the first book in the series and he is a hard act to follow. For reasons of both continuity of character and the fact that I really adore Tyler I wish he’d done this. Caleb Dickinson did a nice job, he just lacks some of the “flair” Tyler put into his characters. There wasn’t as much character voice differentiation and though he does a nice job with the pacing and emotion, it lacked the panache that I admire with Tyler’s work.

4 of 5 hearts

Overall 4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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