Saturday, 26 November 2022

Release Blitz with ARC Review - A Gift-Wrapped Holiday by Amy Aislin

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: A Gift-Wrapped Holiday

Author and Publisher: Amy Aislin

Cover Artist: LC Chase

Release Date: November 22, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M romance

Tropes: single dad, age gap (10 years), small town, found family

Heat Rating:  3 flames

Length: 69 000 words / 272 pages

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Apple  |   B&N  |  Kobo 

Blurb

Mal's first priority is giving his six-year-old son the best Christmas ever, a goal made trickier by a recent move to New England after losing his job. As a single dad, he's not looking for romance—especially not with a blond California boy ten years his junior.

After being ridiculed at the family business, Luca sets out to prove himself by opening an eco-friendly gift-wrapping store in a small town with a hard-on for Christmas that’s about as far from LA as he can get. Out of his comfort zone in snowy Maine, love is the last thing on his mind.

But the magic of the season has other ideas. As Mal and Luca collide on wintery streets, will they let their first Christmas in Lighthouse Bay lead to happily ever after?

Content warning: stillbirth. Although it took place off-page and in the past, it is discussed on-page.

My Two Pennies' Worth 

Adorable Christmas story. Low angst. Sweet couple. Slight age gap which isn't an issue for anyone. A kid who acts his age which is lovely to see. 

I don't know that Luca's business model would be that busy in a small town but I really don't care. The idea is charming as is the whole vibe of Lighthouse Bay. 

I was happy to catch up with the other couples from the series. 

I wish I could get this series in audio. I'd love to listen to them over Christmas.

Excerpt 

Mal slowed at the bottom of a driveway and nodded at the house. “This is me.” 

“I was wondering who lived here,” Luca said, taking in the house’s boxy structure. 

“Why? Because it’s hideous?” 

That startled a laugh out of Luca. “Well . . . yes. It doesn’t match the rest of the houses.” The area just west of Christmas Lane housed Lighthouse Bay’s historic homes, but this modern construction was decidedly not historic. Luca had passed it a couple of times on his evening gift deliveries and wondered what the owner had been thinking. “Why’d you buy it if you don’t like it?” 

“I’m not. I’m leasing.” 

Even so, Mal had gone all out with the decorations. Icicle lights hanging from the roof, flashing multicolored lights framed around each window, static white lights around a nine-foot-tall pine tree, and a lit-up reindeer family. He even had some sort of spotlights buried somewhere in the yard that swirled red and green snowflakes on the house in an unidentifiable pattern. 

“Which is probably another reason I haven’t unpacked,” Mal continued. “I hate this place.” 

“Why lease it, then?” 

Mal blew out a breath that ghosted the air in front of him. “The short version is that I was in a rush.” 

“And the long version?” 

“The long version is something I’ll have to give you another time.” 

Luca glanced at Otis. “I think he’s asleep.” 

“Bet he gets a second wind as soon as I walk in the door.” Mal’s voice was a disgruntled grumble that Luca shouldn’t have found as charming as he did. “Thanks for walking us home.” 

“Thanks for letting me. I like talking to you.” 

Mal’s smile went lopsided. “I like talking to you too. Still want to do it again sometime? I promise not to feed you ice cream while it’s below freezing outside. Real food only. Scout’s honor.” 

Luca’s armpits went damp despite the winter weather, and butterflies took flight in his belly. He dug his toe into the sidewalk. “You must really want to date me if you’ve asked me out twice in one week.” 

“Or I just want an adult to talk to for once,” Mal said, a teasing tilt to his smile. 

Luca stuck his tongue in his cheek and backed down the driveway, keeping his gaze on Mal’s. “Or maybe you like me.” 

“Damn. And here I thought I wasn’t being obvious at all.” 

The butterflies floated into Luca’s throat. “Text me?” 

“I will.” The darkness enveloped Mal as he moved away from the sidewalk and into the shadow of the house, but Luca could still see the quirk to his lips. “Good night, Luca.” 

“Night, Mal.” 

Luca watched Mal and Otis head inside, waved at Mal through the glass-fronted door, then turned toward his own home only a couple blocks away, an extra bounce to his steps. 

About the Author 

Amy’s lived with her head in the clouds since she first picked up a book as a child, and being fluent in two languages means she’s read a lot of books! She first picked up a pen on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class had to stay inside for recess. Tales of treasure hunts with her classmates eventually morphed into love stories between men, and she’s been writing ever since. She writes evenings and weekends—or whenever she isn’t at her full-time day job saving the planet at Canada’s largest environmental non-profit.

An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram, or sign up for her infrequent newsletter.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram

Newsletter Sign-up  |  Facebook Group 

Giveaway 

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one signed paperback of A Gift-Wrapped Holiday

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Sunday, 20 November 2022

New Release - Second Wind by AL Lester

Second Wind is out now!

Are you looking for a low angst gay romance with a trans MC set in a little Welsh town? With a truly terrible community orchestra? A. L. Lester has got you covered.


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Second Wind

What do a shy French-horn-playing accountant and a single-dad trans trumpet player have in common other than both being members of the community orchestra at Theatr Fach in the little town of Llanbaruc?

Gethin’s been more or less hiding from life since his marriage broke up a couple of years ago. He’s joined the orchestra because his sister told him he needed a hobby rather than sitting at home brooding about his divorce.

Martin is careful who he dates because of his gender and his teenage daughter. He came to Llanbaruc as a stage manager for the Theatr Fach twelve years ago. He’s got a good set of friends here. Shannon’s a good kid. They’re a team.

Martin and Gethin hit it off. Will their mutual baggage prove too much to sustain a relationship?

A gentle m/transm romance in the Theatr Fach universe.

Buy Links: Amazon US : Amazon UK : JMS Books : Everywhere Else

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Excerpt

“Martin!” Julie, the lead violin, waved him over. “This is Gethin,” she said, her hand on the arm of a tall, thin man nervously clutching a French horn and peering out from behind a thick pair of glasses. He resembled a nervous heron. “He’s new,” she added unnecessarily. “Can you take him under your wing a bit?”

Martin shot her a look. She was a very competent, friendly woman with no tact at all.

“Of course,” he said. “Pleased to meet you, Gethin,” he held out a hand and Gethin took it. “I’m Martin. Trumpet.”

“Gethin Jones,” the thin man said, shaking his hand a little too hard. His palm was warm and firm and he was clearly apprehensive. “Erm. French horn.” He waved his instrument vaguely at Martin. “As you can see.”

Martin smiled. “Come on,” he said. “Brass is over here. Let me introduce you around.” They started picking their way through the chairs. The brass section was made up of Martin and Alan on trumpet, Tim and Lucy on trombone, and Portia, a ten year old who played a tuba almost as large as she was. They were setting up music and gossiping about their week when Martin and Gethin reached them.

“Hullo hullo,” Martin said. This is Gethin Jones.” He waved vaguely at Gethin beside him. “Gethin, this is Tim, Lucy, Alan and Portia.” Everyone made noises of greeting. The room was beginning to echo with the sound of instruments being tuned and scales being played. It was a familiar cacophony.

“Are you Marion’s Gethin?” Lucy asked suddenly, leaning toward them to be heard over the cat-like screech of a young violinist and a burp from Portia’s tuba.

Beside him, Gethin tensed. “Not any more,” Gethin said brusquely, nodding. “But yes. I used to be.”

Lucy nodded, blushing. “Sorry,” she said. “My sister is Penny Wright. They went to school together. Penny told me what happened.”

Gethin nodded again. “Pleased to meet you,” he said, again. He didn’t add anything else. He seemed almost paralytically shy. But then, Martin would be reticent if he knew everyone was talking about his private business.

“I’ll go and get you some music,” Martin said, forestalling any more awkwardness. “Here, stick your horn down on the seat and grab yourself a music stand from the stack in there”. He gestured at the open door of the cupboard behind them.

The spare sheet music was on the table at the front. He made his way across the room, wending around chairs and people offering greetings until he could pick up a sheaf.

Julie met him there. “Is he all right?” she hissed at Martin, glancing past him over his shoulder at Gethin, an anxious expression on her face.

“Yes? Why shouldn’t he be?” Martin asked, frowning at her, puzzled.

“He’s Posey Morgan’s brother,” Julie hissed some more. “You know. Posey the health visitor?”

Martin shook his head. “Not my area,” he said apologetically. “Never met her.” He couldn’t remember who Shannon’s health visitor had been. An older woman though, no-one who could have been the sister of someone Gethin’s age.

Julie scowled at him, apparently blaming him for his lack of knowledge. “Well, she said he needed to get out of the house,” she continued, still hissing. “His wife left him two years ago and he’s become a recluse, she told me. I suggested he come along here to help take him out of himself.”

Martin bit his lip. As a gentle first step back in to a social life, he had his doubts about the suitability of the orchestra. One of it’s other activities was going to the pub after practice on a Friday and drinking steadily ‘til closing time. And there was a country-dancing-for-exercise sub-set of members he tried to avoid ... they’d invited him along to one of the sessions and he’d been crippled for days afterwards.

“So?” he said. “He seems perfectly normal.”

“The wife took off with his best friend,” Julie told him, shooting another guilty look over his shoulder at the brass section, who were settling the newcomer in their midst like a chicken in a nest of ferrets. Martin stopped himself turning properly to look at them, watching out of the corner of his vision.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Martin promised. “Does he actually play?”

“He brought it in to the shop to have it serviced,” she said. “He seemed to know what he was doing. And Posey said he played at school. But I don’t think he’s done much of anything for a while.” She pulled a face. “He’s an accountant.”

Buy Links: Amazon US : Amazon UK : JMS Books : Everywhere Else

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About A. L. Lester

Writer of queer, paranormal, historical, romantic suspense, mostly. Lives in the South West of England with Mr AL, two children, a terrifying cat, some poultry. Likes gardening but doesn't really have time or energy. Not musical. Doesn't much like telly. Non-binary. Chronically disabled. Has tedious fits.

Facebook Group : Mastodon : Newsletter (free story) : Website : Link-tree for everywhere else


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Friday, 18 November 2022

New Release - Perfect Gifts (Railers 12) by RJ Scott and VL Locey

Perfect Gifts (Railers 12)   


Family comes first in all things. Whatever the cost.

Ten had always heard the saying, “Out of the mouths of babes,” but he hadn’t expected it to hit home as it had. After a comment from their daughter, Ten and Jared ponder an addition to the family. Moving into the adoption process is nerve-wracking and riddled with anxiety—kind of the way the Railers have been playing as of late. Bringing two young men into their homes and hearts won’t be a smooth ride. But with patience, humor, and love, the bumpy road might just be a little easier to travel. 

Expanding their small family was always in the cards, but no one could have foreseen the process clashing with the worst ever start to a Railers season. A string of losses, a vital player missing from the defense, a captain in the emergency room—and winning a single game seems impossible, let alone getting the team to the playoffs. Faced with hard decisions, Jared refuses to take his work home, but it’s difficult when your husband is at the leading edge of the losing streak. His focus fractures when one sibling they’re matched with is frustrated, angry, and has a healthy dose of mistrust.

Jared and Ten’s parenting skills are tested, but they’ll do anything to make a place in their home the perfect gift for two children lost in the system.

Details


GLBTQ, MM, Trope: Adoption, Hockey, Family/Friends
Released: 18 November 2022
KU: 25 November
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Series: Harrisburg Railers, 12
Length: 33,000 words
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
All Buy Links can be found here: https://rjscott.co.uk/read-perfect
Available - Wide Release, all platforms - moving to KU 25  November
ISBN - 9781785643910

Series Overview

This is not a standalone book - the books should be read in order to get the best out of the series.

  1. Changing Lines - http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-ChangingLines (Railers 1)
  2. First Season - http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-FirstSeason (Railers 2)
  3. Deep Edge - http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-DeepEdge (Railers 3)
  4. Poke Check - http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-PokeCheck (Railers 4)
  5. Last Defense - http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-LastDefense (Railers 5)
  6. Goal Line - http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-GoalLine (Railers 6)
  7. Neutral Zone - http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-NeutralZone (Railers 7)
  8. Hat Trick - http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-HatTrick (Railers 8)
  9. Save the Date - http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-SaveDate (Railers 9)
  10. Baby Makes Three - https://rjscott.co.uk/Read-BabyMakesThree (Railers 10)
  11. Rivals - https://rjscott.co.uk/read-rivals (Railers 11)
  12. Perfect Gifts - https://rjscott.co.uk/read-perfect (Railers 12)

RJ Scott

RJ Scott, author of M/M romance.Writing love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred and fifty romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.

She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.

RJ's Social Media Links in full

VL Locey


V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee.(Not necessarily in that order.)

She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

VL's Social Media Links in full

 

Excerpts


“So, where do we think she got on the brother kick?” Jared asked as he stirred some of the honey that Adler’d brought us into his mug. Ad had taken up beekeeping. Why? Not a clue, but we all suspected that it was so he could brag about having a big stinger in the locker room. They’d found out Layton was allergic, so he watched the bees from a distance. 

“Probably at the indoor playground over in Camp Hill earlier,” I said while dunking a Stella D’oro cookie into my tea. I’d have a few. Cookies were not recommended by the Railers nutritionist as healthy afternoon snacks. “She was playing with Michelle Khan.”

“Oh, yes, Mrs. Khan just had a baby,” Jared replied, then added one more dollop of honey to his mug. “A little boy.”

“Yep. She was cooing and cuddling the baby until we left. She even skipped the jungle gym and slide to tickle tiny Joey’s chin.” 

Jared’s eyes flared. Lottie never passed the jungle gym and slide. Ever. I’d had to climb in a time or two to extract her when it was time to go. Jared—the old D-man that he was—was too burly to fit. The parents who had gotten to witness a hockey player trying to wedge his shoulders into a skinny tube with monkeys painted on the sides had found it pretty amusing. As had the local press the following day. Nothing says professionalism after just signing a new multi-million dollar contract like being photographed wriggling through the monkey tumble tube. 

“That explains it,” he commented as he began thumbing languidly through his daily read of The Patriot News online. The man looked sexy AF in those reading glasses. 

“Yeah, I guess.” I nibbled on my cookie, my phone showing a half-read article in The Athletic waiting for me to return to it. “You know we could consider it.” That brought his gaze up from the local news. He studied me over the top of his DILF glasses. “What? It’s not as if we haven’t discussed having another baby. It was kind of always our plan.”

“Well… yes, I know we’ve discussed it.” He removed his glasses, folded them, and laid them by the cookie box. He assessed me intently. “Do you think it’s something we should look at more closely?”

“Maybe?” I reached for another cookie, my sight darting from the cookie to Jared to the window where the glass was coated with a touch of frost around the edges. Fall was here, and it was glorious. We had pumpkins to carve, cider to drink, and Halloween costumes to decide on before the end of the month rolled around. “I mean she is here alone all the time.”

“She’s not alone. She has us, a nanny, and now, a dog.”

“Well yeah, I don’t mean like we Kevin McAllister her or anything, it’s just…” I plucked the cookie from its wrap, then dunked it quickly into my tea, hurrying to get the shortbread treat to my mouth. I chewed, then swallowed. Jared sat across from me waiting patiently for me to make my point. “Okay, so, and never tell them—especially Brady—but having siblings to grow up with was pretty nice. Most of the time.”

 




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Wednesday, 16 November 2022

Release Blitz with ARC Review - A Box of Wishes by Jackie Keswick

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: A Box of Wishes

Author and Publisher: Jackie Keswick

Cover Artist: Covers by Jo

Release Date: October 20, 2022/November 10, 2022 on Amazon

Genre:  Contemporary M/M Romance with a touch of magic, small town romance, holiday romance, coffeeshop romance

Tropes: slow burn, characters with cats, characters with special gifts, home-made family, a touch of hurt / comfort, coffee fixes everything, love and baked goods, you’re never lonely with a cat

Themes: saving each other, we’re all special, finding the courage to start over

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 64 000 words/244 pages

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Blurb

Does Fate Grant Wishes?

Ryan O’Shaughnessy, owner of the Top o’ the Morning Coffeehouse, is convinced of it. Besides brewing the best coffee in Rothcote and baking delicious pastries and cakes, he helps Fate with her errands, never minding that it's always someone else’s turn to catch a bit of happiness. Not until he meets a man who takes his breath away.

Detective Sergeant Ben Hobart has made a career of helping others. He never asks help for himself. Not even when a bad breakup leaves him lonely and with only his cat for company. Until he sets foot into Ryan’s coffeehouse to investigate a break-in and finds what’s missing from his life.

Fate may grant wishes, but she doesn't hand them out for free. Can Ben let go of the past? And will Ryan find the courage to make a wish of his own?

A sexy, slow-burn, mm coffeeshop romance with a touch of magic and a cat.

My Two Pennies Worth 

I loved Jackie Keswick's Christmas story last year, a contemporary story with just a hint of something magical and otherworldly. This year's story has much the same feel and gave me the same warm fuzzy feelings. 

The romance is gentle, character driven, and slow burn and there's an additional storyline of an accusation pointed at Ryan which adds a touch of uncertainty and drama. 

I fully expect to be reading Alistair's story this time next year. 

Excerpt 

When the party thinned out, Ben found Ryan, and they escaped from the cheerful uproar into the dark courtyard where the white tree with its single red bauble glowed and glittered.

Ben poked the bauble with a fingertip and watched it swing back and forth. “The first time I saw this, I wondered if it was a signal.”

“I knew you were a clever man.”

“You mean it is a signal?”

“Of course. It’s our way to say that everyone is welcome, whether you’re like everyone else or one of a kind, whether you’re in a crowd or on your own. That’s what hospitality is all about. We always make room for one more. Or two.”

Ben swallowed past the lump in his throat. He reached for Ryan and smiled when Ryan leaned against him with a deep sigh. “Tired?”

“You said it. I could happily sleep standing here.”

“Recovering from exposure isn’t pleasant. And if you fall asleep right now, you’d miss… this.” He didn’t give Ryan a chance to ask. He wrapped his arm around Ryan’s shoulders, drew him close, and kissed him.

 Ryan’s lips were dry, and a little rough, but he leaned into Ben’s hold and kissed him back, sharing the taste of cinnamon and custard, and the elusive flavour of Earl Grey tea.

It was the most perfect end to a perfect day.

Ben hadn’t forgotten that they stood in front of a lit Christmas tree, that anyone who cared to peer out into the courtyard could see them, wrapped around each other.

He didn’t mind. 

About the Author 

Jackie Keswick was born behind the Iron Curtain with itchy feet, a bent for rocks and a recurring dream of stepping off a bus in the middle of nowhere to go home. She's worked in a hospital and as the only girl with 52 men on an oil rig, spent a winter in Moscow and a summer in Iceland and finally settled in the country of her dreams with her dream team: a husband, a cat, a tandem, a hammer and a laptop.

Jackie loves unexpected reunions and second chances, and men who write their own rules. She blogs about English history and food, has a thing for green eyes, and is a great believer in making up soundtracks for everything, including her characters and the cat.

And she still hasn't found the place where the bus stops.

For questions and comments, not restricted to green eyes, bus stops or recipes for traditional English food, you can find Jackie Keswick in all the usual places

Blog/Website  |  Facebook group  |  Facebook page  |  Twitter 

Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up  |  TikTok  |  Patreon 


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Release Blitz - Eight Months Without You by Nell Iris

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Eight Months Without You

Author: Nell Iris

Publisher: JMS Books

Cover Artist: Written Ink Designs

Release Date: November 12, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: second chances, established relationship

Themes: jealousy, possessive main character, reunion, bisexual representation

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 15 207 words

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links

JMS Books  |  Universal Amazon Link

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Can Sami and Joakim’s relationship survive accusations of cheating, a thrown wineglass, and eight months of silence? 


Blurb

Hurtful words and a thrown wineglass in a fit of jealousy tear Sami and Joakim apart; fiery tempers and stubbornness keep them from making up. But then, after eight months without a single word, just as Sami is about to make the first move, Joakim shows up, eager to make things right.

Can they overcome accusations of cheating and eight months of silence? Are conversations, confessions, and planning for the future enough? Will the love they still share conquer all? 

Excerpt 

I must have stood by the front door like an indecisive fool for longer than I realize because Joakim steps out of the kitchen—eyebrows drawn together, asking did you sneak out?—and approaches carefully, as though he’s unsure of whether I’ll flee like a spooked antelope or attack like a hungry tiger.

When he’s within reach, he hooks his index finger in the belt loop of my jeans and tugs once. Gently. “Come, please. I’ve made tea.”

I don’t even like tea, and I don’t know why I drink it, but I let him lead me by the tiny scrap of fabric to the kitchen. I don’t object when he nudges me into my spot and hands me a steaming mug. I wrap my fingers around it and take a careful sip—he always makes the tea too hot—and the earthy flavor of the chamomile finally loosens my tongue. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.”

“Why?”

“Because we need to talk, don’t you think?”

I take another sip and allow myself to look at him. He doesn’t quite meet my eyes and the lines above his nose have deepened. He’s surprisingly pale, which is unexpected for him in August after a warm, sunny season. He’s an outdoorsy guy, his smooth skin always turns golden in the summer, but looking at him now, I’d think it was February, after many long months of cold and darkness.

He presses his lips together as though he’s trying to stop himself from speaking, as though he’s waiting for me to say something.

And he’s right. I should say something, but I’m still reeling from him showing up on my doorstep when I was about to call him.

Has he, too, spent sleepless nights fighting with himself on whether to call or not? Has he felt utterly alone and miserable? Has he walked by my building, has he stood on the street below my apartment and looked up, trying to find the courage to take the first step? And if he has, how come he did it today?

“Why now?” I ask.

“It was time.” He shrugs. “Long overdue really.” He scooches his chair closer and lays his hand next to mine on the table, hooking his pinkie in mine. “We should never have let this stupidity go on for this long.”

The hairs on my neck rise to attention at his light touch, and I want more. I want his entire hand covering mine, his arms wrapped around me, his body crowding mine. I want him to stake his claim, growl at anyone who looks at me with interest, I want him to take my breath away.

My eyes start to prickle. I try to blink the feeling away, but my vision grows blurry, and I let my eyelids fall closed. “You’re too hot-headed,” I mumble, voice thick.

“And you’re a stubborn fucker.” He squeezes my finger.

He’s not wrong.

Neither am I.

“Eight fucking months.” What was meant to be an angry roar comes out as though I’m choking back tears. But I can’t be; I’m not a crier. I haven’t cried since I was five and fell off my bike. I didn’t cry when my grampa died, I didn’t cry when Joakim left—or rather when I realized he wasn’t coming back—so I’m not going to cry now.

Joakim sighs. “I needed time to cool off.”

“That usually takes you eight minutes, not eight months.”

“Would you look at me?”

I shake my head, refusing his request. The prickle is still there—more intense now— and I’m not risking anything by looking at him.

“My blood was fucking boiling, Sami. I was afraid I’d say something I could never take back.”

“So instead, you said nothing.”

“You didn’t say anything either.”

Finally, I find my roar. “You called me a liar and a cheat. I was fucking hurt.” I rub my knuckles over my heart.

“I was hurt, too,” he roars back.

About the Author 

Nell Iris is a romantic at heart who believes everyone deserves a happy ending. She’s a bona fide bookworm (learned to read long before she started school), wouldn’t dream of going anywhere without something to read (not even the ladies room), loves music (and singing along at the top of her voice but she’s no Celine Dion), and is a real Star Trek nerd (Make it so). She loves words, bullet journals, poetry, wine, coffee-flavored kisses, and fika (a Swedish cultural thing involving coffee and pastry!)

Nell believes passionately in equality for all regardless of race, gender or sexuality, and wants to make the world a better, less hateful, place.

Nell is a bisexual Swedish woman married to the love of her life, a proud mama of a grown daughter, and is approaching 50 faster than she’d like. She lives in the south of Sweden where she spends her days thinking up stories about people falling in love. After dreaming about being a writer for most of her life, she finally was in a place where she could pursue her dream and released her first book in 2017.

Nell Iris writes gay romance, prefers sweet over angsty, short over long, and quirky characters over alpha males. 

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook Author Page  |  Facebook Profile

Twitter  |   Instagram   |  Goodreads

Pinterest  |  BookBub  |  Newsletter

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Monday, 14 November 2022

RELEASE BLITZ - 7 MINUTES IN HEAVEN - DJ JAMISON

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: 7 Minutes in Kevin (Games We Play, Book 3)

Author: DJ Jamison

Publisher: Must Love Books LLC

Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood 

Release Date: November 10, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Forbidden love, best friend’s dad, small town, drag queen, bi-awakening

Themes: Finding where you fit in the world, acceptance, unconditional love, supportive community

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length: approx 93 000 words

It is part of the Games We Play series, but it works as a standalone. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads


Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK


7 minutes in...holy heck, what have I done?!


Blurb

What happens when I return early from a work trip to find my son throwing yet another party?

Annoyance. Exasperation. Temptation...

I'm tired, yearning for my bed, but I hadn't counted on the games my son and his friends play--or the one person who'd be waiting in my closet after everyone else is gone.

The guy who's been haunting my fantasies lately.

He's too beautiful. Too young. Too off-limits, being one of my son's best friends.

And...on his knees for me.

Oh god.

7 Minutes in Kevin is a son's best friend romance with a bi-curious dad, an androgynous beauty who opens his eyes to a whole new world, and a quirky small town full of people who might lose their minds if they find out just how close these two are getting …

My Two Pennies' Worth 

I've been waiting for this book from the first moment Kevin made puppy eyes at Garrett. And boy I wasn't disappointed. 

Sweet, fluffy and steamy with a great cast of supporting characters gossiping all over town. 

Can't wait for the audio 😍 

Excerpt - Garrett’s POV

“There’s, uh, someone in the closet. You should probably get them out.”

I glanced at the living room coat closet. “That one?”

Linc nodded and hurried away, a smile playing on his lips. Something about his expression struck me as strange. I turned on my heel and crossed the room to the closet. I pushed open the door but didn’t see anyone immediately. Then a shadow shifted in the back corner.

I stepped inside, the trickle of living room light spilling in to splash over the guy’s face.

“Finally,” he said, tone exasperated.

I blinked as recognition hit me, followed quickly by surprise as he fisted my shirt and yanked me close.

“Kev—” I started to say.

My words were cut short as he went up on his toes, his mouth catching mine. I gasped, shocked to feel his full lips at last, that slender frame pressed tight against me.

Then his tongue swept into my mouth.

That was when my mind shut off and my body took over. I grabbed his face and kissed him back with every ounce of pent-up need I had. Years’ worth of longing and lust poured forth as we stumbled into the back wall, mouths still latched, hands roaming.

I palmed Kevin’s ass, squeezing it with a groan of delight, and he slid his hands under my shirt, caressing my back.

By the time we broke apart, we were both gasping for air, eyes wide with shock.

“You’re not Mark,” Kevin said, stunned. “I mean, of course you aren’t. You’re too tall, and too broad, and too…” He licked his glossy lips, his gaze eating me up, blue eyes shockingly vivid in contrast to his dark eyeliner. “He said he would join me in a minute, but you— You’re not him.”

“No,” I rasped. “I, uh…the party was over, and I heard someone was in here so…”

My eyes lingered on his lips. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to kiss him again.

Kevin smiled coyly, and it reminded me of an expression I’d only seen on his face once before, when he’d been dressed in drag. It was bold. Flirtatious. Maybe a little challenging.

“We were playing Seven Minutes in Heaven. We’ve only used about two minutes so far. That leaves five more…” He raised an eyebrow. “What do you say, Garrett? Want to play?”

Hearing him say my first name in that tone sent a shiver down my spine. Watching him sink to his knees in front of me destroyed any sensible thoughts I might have had about not crossing lines.

With shaking hands, I unfastened my jeans and watched as the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen licked his shiny red lips.

I’d been hesitant to explore my attraction to men. Something had held me back, and now I knew for certain exactly what it had been.

I’d been waiting for the most beautiful person I’d ever met.

Waiting for Kevin.

About the Author

DJ Jamison writes romances about everyday life and extraordinary love featuring a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual. DJ grew up in the Midwest in a working-class family, and those influences can be found in her writing through characters coping with real-life problems: money troubles, workplace drama, family conflicts and, of course, falling in love. DJ spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before chasing her first dream to write fiction. She spent a lifetime reading before that and continues to avidly devour her fellow authors’ books each night. She lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, one snake, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.

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Saturday, 12 November 2022

Release Blitz - M.M. Scrooge (An MM retelling of A Christmas Carol) by Lee Colgin

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: M.M. Scrooge (An MM retelling of A Christmas Carol)

Author and Publisher: Lee Colgin

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date:  November 4, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Heat Rating:  5 flames

Length: 47 000 words/200 pages

It’s part of a multi-author series. Monster & Mayhem #11

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

A spicy hot retelling of A Christmas Carol

Blurb 

Marley Jacobs is dead, and Max Masters Scrooge has no time for the grieving son’s sob story. Even if Jacobs Jr. is kinda cute—for a nerd.

Daniel Jacobs is anxious, drifting, and lonely. His gut tells him he’s overdue for a dose of self care, but the thought of setting foot in a gym gives him hives. Though he craves gentle guidance, what he gets is the heavy hand of the gym’s head trainer and sleaziest playboy, Max Masters.

Accustomed to topping the leader board, among other things, Max sells Daniel on his gold package. After things get steamy in the locker room showers, Max is ready to make like a ghost and vanish, as usual. But this time, he won’t get away with his selfish antics, not if a vengeful past hookup with a powerful uncle has anything to say about it.

MM Scrooge is a spicy hot horror retelling of A Christmas Carol, as part of the collaboration Monsters & Mayhem: An MM Horror Collection, adapting some of your favorite classic horror stories with an MM romance twist.

Content Warnings:

This book’s list of potential warnings is longer than my grocery list. Buckle in. Readers, feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions. In no particular order: Dub-con that some readers may interpret as non-con. Consent issues. Poorly negotiated BDSM elements. Sexual violence/spanking. Sex as punishment. Death of a parent/grief. Medical kink. Sexually explicit scenes. 

That said, this book doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that list might make it look darker than it really is. Better to err of the side of caution.

Excerpt 

Just when I think my first workout is done, Max directs me back to the turf. “Now that you’ve got the hang of it, we’ll repeat each station for four rounds. Squats, rotations, rows. Ten reps each. Thirty seconds between stations. Ready?”

I widen my eyes. “I’m sorry. I could have sworn you said four rounds. I must have misheard. What?”

Max grins. “You’ve got this. Round one, Daniel. Knock it out.”

So I do what the man says and squat.

By the time I’m actually done, sweat beads on my forehead and drips down into crevices that are decidedly not meant to be wet in public. Will I be able to walk tomorrow? Time will tell. My arms are made of pudding.

Max’s warm hand lands on my damp back and squeezes my shoulder. “Nice work. You’ve got grit.”

He can’t possibly mean that, but I thank him anyway. I glance up to meet his eyes. His are hazel, ringed brown in the center and green at the edges.

“How do you feel?”

I blink. My heart pounds, and I’m gulping for air like a fish out of water, but…I feel good. Like maybe I could keep going, or I don’t know, jog somewhere or something. Not a feeling I’m accustomed to. “Great, actually.”

He leans in. He’s a head taller, but he stands close enough his breath ruffles my hair. “It’s the endorphins. They’re a rush, huh?”

“Yeah, a rush.” So this is why people work out.

His gaze lingers on mine. “You want to hit the showers?”

“Oh, I don’t need to wash up.” I didn’t come prepared for that. I don’t even have a change of clothes in my bag. “I’m going home after this. I’ll shower there.”

Max arches his dark brows and darts his tongue out, wetting his upper lip. “I didn’t ask if you needed to. I asked if you wanted to.” His eyes trail down my body like a caress and land on my groin. He looks hungry.

And now that I think about it…tasty.

“Oh.” What an offer. It’s not like me to put out on the first date, and this isn’t even date adjacent.

Orgasms fall under the umbrella of self-care, right? Opportunities like this just don’t land in my lap every day. But will sex make future training sessions awkward? I don’t want things to get weird, though rejecting him would do that too, so…

I peer up at him through my lashes, not completely lacking wiles of my own. “Now that you mention it, I am rather dirty.”

Max’s glinting smile could cut diamonds. “Right this way.”

About the Author 

Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot, sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he's not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press.

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