Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

Monday, 3 November 2025

RELEASE BLITZ - The Best Parts of Him by Amy Aislin

 

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The Best Parts of Him

Series: Vermont Trailblazers 1

Author and Publisher: Amy Aislin

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Release Date: October 28, 2025

Tense/POV: third person, past tense

Genres: M/M Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Hockey, forced proximity, opposites attract, long-distance romance

Heat Rating:  3 flames  

Length: 57 000 words / 210 pages

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

Goodreads

Buy Links

Universal Link 

Sometimes the sweetest victories happen off the ice.

Blurb

Ryland Zervudachi lives for the game of hockey—and for the chance to build the kind of team unity that will carry the Columbus Pilots all the way back to the playoffs after last season’s crushing defeat. Off the ice, though, there’s one goal he hasn’t managed to score—the heart of Kyle Dabbs, the Vermont Trailblazers’ team captain and his long-time crush.

Kyle Dabbs has built a life centered on quiet strength. After a childhood scarred by his father’s verbal abuse, Dabbs pours his energy into his career on the ice and the book series he’s written to help kids like the boy he once was. He doesn’t need someone flashy, loud, and spotlight-loving like Ryland turning his world upside down.

But when an untimely appendectomy leaves Dabbs stuck at home, Ryland—recovering from an injury—shows up to help. Between late-night Scrabble competitions, pumpkin-carving mishaps, and long talks that peel back layers they’ve both kept hidden, Dabbs begins to see past Ryland’s bold exterior.

With chemistry sparking and walls crumbling, both men must decide if they’re ready to risk their hearts for something even better than a championship: love.

Excerpt 

“Hey,” Ryland said, his mouth going dry when Dabbs’ gaze met his. “How’s your summer been so far?”

Dabbs leaned his forearms on the top of the high-backed kitchen chair on his left. It sent his biceps straining against his blue T-shirt. Ryland forced his gaze off them.

“Well, let’s see,” Dabbs said, his voice a deep timber that stroked along Ryland’s skin. “Bellamy and I just moved into a new place, so there are still boxes of crap taking up floor space in the kitchen. One of the kids at hockey camp this week decided the ice was too slippery, so he sat out almost every activity. And one of my dogs swallowed a bee.”

Ryland gasped. “Oh my god. Is he okay?”

“He’s fine.” Dabbs regarded him for a long moment, his expression softening. “Nice of you to be concerned though. How has your summer been?”

“Oh, its . . . ” Ryland stumbled over his words for a moment, still stuck on Nice of you to be concerned. “Fine. Good. I can’t top any of that, but my niece did puke candy all over my feet when I picked her up from daycare last week.”

Dabbs made a face. “Gross.”

“I was wearing flip-flops.”

Dabbs made gagging sounds.

“Imagine trying to get vomit out from under your toenails.”

“Oh god, stop talking.” Dabbs straightened and covered his mouth with the back of his hand, as though his gag reflex had engaged.

“On a lighter note, I built a canoe.”

“You . . . what?”

“Built a canoe. Well, me and six other people. We took part in a canoe-building workshop in Glen Hill over the past two months, and we built a communal wood strip canoe. We even took it out onto the water last week.”

“Did it float?”

Putting on his most scandalized Southern belle impression, Ryland brought his hand up to his chest. “Excuse you. Yes, it floated. Rude.”

Dabbs chuckled. “Sorry. You just don’t seem like the woodworking type.”

“Oh, I know how to work wood.” Ryland gave Dabbs an up and down glance. “Very, very well.”

He wasn’t sure what to expect from Dabbs. For him to be so turned on that his cheeks pinked and he stuttered over his words?

Dabbs, coolly confident in a way Ryland had never managed, did neither of those things. Instead, he drawled a lazy, “Me too,” and added three tiles to the Scrabble board, adding wo, and d to an existing o.

Wood.

Ryland had to laugh, surprised by this aspect of Dabbs’ sense of humor. “Not exactly what I meant.”

Dabbs grinned. “Wood for eight points, plus a double letter score on the w for a total of twelve points. Your turn.”

Swearing under his breath—word games weren’t Ryland’s strong suit—he added a g and a to an existing e, netting himself four points for get.

“It’s okay,” Dabbs said. “We can’t all be good at everything.”

Ryland laughed. “Oh, you did not just go there.”

“Hey, are we heading out to dinner, or what?” Jason called from the front door. “I’ll drive.”

“Do you play darts, Dabbs?” Ryland asked, grabbing his wallet from the table in the foyer.

“I’ve played a game or two,” Dabbs said hesitatingly. “Why do I get the feeling I’m going to regret admitting that?”

Ryland grinned. “You’ll see.” And followed the group out the door.

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 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Monday, 28 July 2025

Release Blitz - Walking on Broken Paths by Amy Aislin

 

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Walking on Broken Paths

Author and Publisher: Amy Aislin

Cover Artist: Morningstar Ashley

Release Date: July 22, 2025

Tense/POV: third person, past tense

Genres: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Childhood friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, damaged hero, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine

Heat Rating:  3 flames      

Length: 53 000 words / 210 pages

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

Goodreads

Buy Links - Audiobook also available

Amazon  |  Apple  |  B&N  |  Kobo  

Direct store 

ebook  |   audiobook  |   bundle 

Blurb

Desperate to escape the pain of his brother’s death, Jesse Melnik ran—but he couldn’t outrun the grief, no matter how much distance he put between himself and his past. Now, after fifteen years of trying, he’s finally ready to face his hometown of Charlottetown again.

He expects the memories of his brother to hover in every corner of his family’s sailboat and whisper in every sea-tinged breeze.

What he doesn’t expect is Parker Willis, the best friend he left behind without a word the day he fled.

And he certainly doesn’t expect old feelings to resurface.

Parker’s been stuck in a rut since his father died three months ago. Every day is the same: try to keep his father’s dinner cruise business afloat so he can chip away at Dad’s debts, all while working a job that leaves him more frustrated than satisfied.

Then Parker’s routine shatters in the best way possible: Jesse Melnik returns to Prince Edward Island for the summer, all six feet three inches of gorgeous hockey player.

Now, that’s different.

Jesse kickstarts Parker’s heart.

 Parker makes Jesse feel again.

And although both men are a little bit damaged from struggling down the broken path of loss, maybe—just maybe—if they can lean on each other, they’ll learn to move forward at last.

Content warnings: themes of grief, discussions of a parent's death from cancer, discussions/descriptions of a sibling's death from suicide 

Excerpt

Jesse glanced over and nearly swallowed his tongue.

How dare running shorts be so goddamn tiny and cling so goddamn nicely to long, shapely legs dusted with hair the same shade as the finest dark chocolate? Jesse was still reeling at being in the same place at the same time as Parker for the first time in years—had, in fact, tossed and turned all night thinking about Parker—and now he showed up out of nowhere again and sent Jesse’s libido into a jumble of desire and yearning?

There were things that Jesse had left in his past, and his attraction to his best friend was supposed to be one of them.

Former best friend? Best friend he’d recently gotten reacquainted with? Former best friend who could be his new best friend?

Fuck. Relationships were hard.

Along with the shorts, Parker also wore a long-sleeved running shirt in teal and a baseball hat with Montreal hockey’s logo on the front. His dark hair curled out from underneath the sides of the hat, and the two-day stubble on his jaw was way sexier than Jesse wanted to admit. He was a couple of inches shorter than Jesse’s six foot three, but whereas Jesse was—admittedly—very big, even for a defenceman, Parker was lanky and toned, the muscle definition obvious in his running gear in a way it hadn’t been in the jeans and Willis Dinner Cruises-branded long-sleeved T-shirt he’d been wearing last night when he’d appeared like a figment of Jesse’s childhood wishes and sat next to him on the bench at the marina.

Whatever he wore, Parker looked like he’d fit into all of Jesse’s empty spaces.

Shaking his head to rid himself of that thought, he shoved his phone back in his pocket and scowled. “I’ll get you a new hat.”

Parker’s lips quirked. “I like this hat.”

“Since when are you a Montreal fan?”

“Hey, don’t knock them. They made it to the playoffs.”

The unlike you was left unsaid, but Jesse heard it loud and clear and refused to be amused.

“So.” Parker’s shoulder bumped up against his. “What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?”

“This is my jogging route.”

“That so?” Jesse would have to remember to be by his window in the mornings so he could watch Parker run by in his short shorts.

“Mm-hmm. Is it your jogging route?”

“No.”

“What are you doing here then?”

Glancing back at the house, Jesse let out a long breath. “Deciding what to tackle first. What colour would you paint that door?”

Parker blinked once and frowned. “Why would you paint it any colour?”

“Because that rusty red makes me think of dead bodies on a crime show?”

“No, I mean . . .” That unique greyish-greenish gaze of Parker’s swung from Jesse to the house and back. “Do you know the people who live here? Are you doing work for them this summer or something?”

I live here,” Jesse said. “And I don’t want to live with that gross colour for the next two months.”

“You . . . bought a house?”

Jesse grunted.

“But you live in Vancouver,” Parker said slowly, as though reminding Jesse of this fact.

“No, I know, but . . .”

But what? He’d wanted a project for the summer? Something that would keep him occupied so he didn’t have to think about where he was and why he was back for the first time in fifteen years? A fixer-upper was as good a distraction as anything.

His therapist wouldn’t love that he was keeping busy instead of sitting with and analyzing his feelings. But she didn’t have to know. Right?

When Jesse didn’t continue, Parker said, “Are you retiring from hockey and moving back here?”

“Fuck no,” Jesse blurted.

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 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Friday, 28 March 2025

Blog Tour - To Tempt A Troubled Earl by Fearne Hill

 

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: To Tempt A Troubled Earl

Author: Fearne Hill

Publisher: NineStar Press

Cover Artist: Melody Pond

Release Date: March 4, 2025

Tense/POV: Third person/past tense/alternating POV

Genres:  MM Regency Romance 

Tropes:  Adventure, Enemies to lovers, hurt-comfort, slow burn, opposites attract

Themes: Humorous, aristocracy, scheming shenanigans on the side

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 75 0000 words

It is book 1 in a new series. It does not end on a cliffhanger. 

The next book is out later this year

Goodreads

Buy Links 

Nine Star Press   |   Amazon US   |   Amazon UK 

A devil’s bargain, an uneasy alliance.


Blurb 

A chancer and a rogue, Kit Angel is down on his luck. Presenting himself at Rossingley Hall in the dead of night, he begs an audience with the eleventh earl, the most enigmatic nobleman in Regency England.

The visit has purpose. Kit, hungry to ruin the lord who ruined his sister, believes Rossingley is the only man who can help him.

Lando Duchamps-Avery, eleventh earl of Rossingley, doesn’t trust the sinfully handsome stranger one bit. He does not care for the tales he spins, his hot temper, or his thick, ebony curls. And, most definitely, he is not in thrall to the delicious golden hoop dangling from Kit Angel’s left ear. Lando has his own motivations to ruin the same lord, and the two men form an uneasy alliance.

As the dangerous plot they hatch unfurls, the suspicious earl and the shady scoundrel are increasingly thrown together. Whilst the wily earl gradually surrenders to his growing attraction, Kit can’t make up his mind if he wants to swive him, declare undying love for him, or throttle him.

Bit by bit, as mutual desire swells between them, Kit wins over the earl’s body, his passion, and his trust.

But in order to win the earl’s elusive heart? The scoundrel must risk losing everything

My Two Pennies Worth 

Well that was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed this long con romp via Regency Romance. It's opposites attract with a side order of trust issues,first from Lando who is worried Kit intends to blackmail him over his lavender tendencies, then from Kit who worries Lando is setting him up to take the fall for their (rather ridiculous) revenge con.

Grief plays a part here, Lando is still mired in his grief at the start of this story even though three years have passed since Charles' death. Unable to openly grieve the man he loved because so few knew of the relationship, he has locked himself away and stagnated in it. 

I enjoyed it all, from the con, to Lando's found family of like-minded staff and his close relationship with his legitimate brother. And of course the relationship between Lando and Kit was exquisite. 
 

Excerpt 

CHAPTER 1

ROSSINGLEY ESTATE, SUMMER, 1821

“You have visitors, my lord.”

Inglis floated across the eleventh Earl of Rossingley’s sleepy eyeline, looking peevish. Lando swore the man had silken castors in place of feet. With white-gloved hands clasped together in front of his vexed frame, his head butler awaited his response.

“And you have chosen to disturb me about this because…” Lando tilted his balloon of brandy this way and that, playing the flickering candlelight against the delicately engraved crystal. That the evening was late was an irrelevance. He and his butler were of the same accord; visitors at any time of day were unusual, unwarranted, and unwelcome.

“A Mr Christopher Angel, my lord. And his sister, Miss Anne. The young man says it’s important.”

One of a pair, the balloon glass had been a gift from dear Charles. “I know of no one named Angel. Begging the question ‘important for whom’?”

“He didn’t make that distinction, my lord,” admitted Inglis. “But he gave the impression the matter is somewhat urgent.”

Lando took a warming sip of brandy. The drink of the damned. He didn’t especially care for it, but he fancied it lent him a louche, philosophic air. “What is urgent is seldom important, Inglis,” he deemed, pleased with his wisdom. Rousseau himself might make a similar pronouncement. “If it’s alms he’s after, toss him a half-crown, some cold meats, and send him on his way.”

The gloved hands wrung together. “I did try that, my lord. But he’s…ah…more insistent than our usual callers, and neither is he a pauper. And…” Inglis paused. Never let it be said the butler couldn’t milk a drama. “He…he mentioned one of his close relations. His uncle. One…ah…a former cavalry officer sadly no longer with us, God rest his soul.”

As Inglis made the sign of the cross, Lando took another, more contemplative sip. So many good men had fallen during the wars in France, and a chap struggled to keep up. “Oh, yes?”

Inglis cleared his throat. “Yes. A…ah…Captain Charles Prosser, my lord.”

Like rancid vinegar, the fine liquor soured on the earl’s tongue. He fought to swallow it down. Perhaps he should have stuck to port after dinner. Maybe it would have better softened the dull ache now swelling behind his rib cage. Captain Prosser. His dearest Charles, his lover. His heart.

Lando didn’t make his older lover’s acquaintance until after the wars, from which Charles returned hale and hearty. But where French bayonets and the battlefields of Trafalgar had failed, the insidious wasting disease prevailed. An annoying tickle became a cough, a cough tinged with blood. Slowly, inexorably, his lover faded away, their time together, in all of its perfection, too brief. A life only half lived; a conversation forever unfinished. Lando, not daring to be at Charles’s bedside at the end, heard the news of his passing from a mutual friend some two weeks after his lover had been buried beneath Kentish loamy earth.

Three long years ago. Yet even now, at unprepared moments such as this—and was there ever such a thing as a prepared one?—that name still had a powerful hold upon the eleventh earl. If Inglis hadn’t broken the crushing silence, it might have persisted well into the night.

“I have taken the liberty of passing the young man’s sister over to Mrs Sugden, my lord. The girl is in a state of great distress. And I have shown her brother to the small parlour. He’s…ah…not fit for the library.”

Inglis’s waspish voice sounded as if coming from an awfully long way away. “My lord might wish to be more suitably attired before receiving him?”

Tipping back his fair head, Lando forced another swallow of fiery amber liquid. For a second or two, it threatened to reappear, then he pulled himself together. Ridiculous. Three years gone and one mention of Charles turned him into a limp dishrag. Well, it was high time it didn’t. Time to make a clean breast of things. Time to stop bloody moping. Charles would have hated him squandering his salad days drinking alone and brooding in front of a dying fire.

He cast his gaze down his spare frame. Fussy Inglis might wish him more suitably attired, but Lando gave not a fig. As purportedly one of the richest men in England, Lando could host a ball clad in only his underclothes, and the ton would declare it the latest fashion in Paris. He pinned Inglis to the spot with his pale eyes.

“I’m decent. Uninvited callers find me as I am, or not at all. As you damned well know.”

About the Author  

Fearne Hill resides far from the madding crowds in the county of Dorset, deep in the British countryside. She likes it that way.

Her queer romance, Two Tribes, was a finalist in the 2023 Lambda Literary Awards.

Author Links

Facebook  |  Instagram   |  Goodreads  |   Bookbub

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

one of five copies of Two Tribes

(nominated for a Lambda Literary Award in 2023)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Friday, 8 November 2024

Release Blitz with Review - The Unquiet House by Ellie Thomas

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The Unquiet House (Regency Paranormal, Book 2)

Author: Ellie Thomas

Publisher: JMS Books

Cover Artist: in-house with publisher

Release Date: October 26, 2024

Tense/POV: Third person, past tense, single POV

Genres: MM Historical Paranormal

Tropes: Hurt/Comfort, Opposites Attract, Friends to Lovers

Themes: Haunting, ghosts, romantic suspense, peril

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 17 520 words

It is not a standalone story.

It is book 2 in my Regency Paranormal series. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

 

In Regency England, Sam and Christian come across a ghostly disturbance at a country house.

Can their combined skills resolve the problem before someone, including themselves, gets seriously hurt?

  Blurb After barely surviving their terrifying encounter with the spectre of the hooded monk during the previous autumn, Christian Maxwell and Sam Gillespie have consolidated their romantic relationship and are starting to gain a reputation for dealing with the unknown. For this reason, they receive an invitation to Haverford House in Wiltshire during the spring of 1817. The owners of the historic haunted manor house, Mr. and Mrs. Huxley, are being afflicted by a series of inexplicable incidents. With his sensitivity to atmosphere, Christian is immediately alerted to danger. Yet, despite their best efforts, neither he nor Sam can discern the cause, although their search brings them closer as a couple and as a team. As sinister events develop, can our devoted duo unmask the culprit without putting themselves in danger?  

 

My Two Pennies' Worth 

This is a review for both books in the series so far. I say so far because I'm really hoping for more.

It's a perfect pair of novellas for those long dark nights. Creepy and menacing in all the right places but balanced by a sweet romance between our two amateur paranormal investigators.                   

In the first book, The Monk's Lair, they stumble upon the paranormal mystery. However by the time of the second book their reputation has grown and they are actively invited to investigate. The author manages to pack a punch despite the story length, with a rollicking good mystery and some lovely character/relationship development. I loved how Sam supported Christian when his low self-esteem got the better of him.

Highly Recommended


Excerpt

Christian regarded the stolid group of middle-aged people surrounding Sam, the second vicar, with a darker shade to his complexion from the Caribbean sun. Sam had already struck up an animated conversation with the colonel’s lady. His face, shaded by candlelight into fascinating planes and hollows, was alight with interest. Christian was so distracted that he lost the thread of Mrs. Huxley’s discourse.

“You’ve met my husband, of course.” Christian dragged his attention away from Sam to regard his host. “And near to him is Ernest Bell, a distant relative of mine. It’s very good of him to support us in our endeavours since our son Gordon returned to university after the Christmas vacation. Of course, Ernest’s very fond of the place. He was a regular visitor in my Cousin Grenville’s day.”

Christian placed Mr. Bell in his early thirties, somewhat younger than the Huxleys. There was little or no family resemblance to the fair and even-featured Mrs. Huxley. The man was dark haired and had a strong craggy face. He seemed completely at ease, conversing easily as though taking his cue from his hosts.

As the meal commenced, Mrs. Huxley was monopolised by the gentleman on her other side, allowing Christian to absorb the surrounding ambience. The candlelight flattered the diners and the ready supply of wine increased the merry flow of conversation.

The food is excellent, Christian thought, nibbling on a chicken leg. The dishes were removed by a small number of well-trained staff. The Huxleys clearly hadn’t stinted on the domestic sphere of their enterprise.

“Have you come far?”

A gruff male voice broke into Christian’s preoccupations.

“Not at all. Only the other side of the county,” he replied.

“We hail from Suffolk.”

Unprompted, the gentleman leaned over the lady sitting between them and launched into a treatise on the historic sights of that region. Thankfully, he required little in the way of a response. Without having to pay much attention, Christian simply interjected the occasional, “Oh really? How interesting.”

In such congenial surroundings, Christian almost forgot that he and Sam weren’t invited to enjoy the convivial atmosphere.

When the hair rose on the back of Christian’s neck, at first, he assumed it was due to a stray draught, understandable in such an ancient and large space. Rather than easing, the sensation intensified and Christian felt his shoulders tense, as if braced for attack.

He felt a sudden burst of malice like a silent cackle of mocking laughter.

Again, he couldn’t place the source of ill-intent until a footman leaned between Christian and Mrs. Huxley to place a covered salver on the table.

As the servant reached across to lift the lid, Christian hissed, “Don’t!”

His voice was low, but his urgency transmitted to his hostess and the footman, who hesitated in mid-action.

Mrs. Huxley threw a startled glance towards Christian. However, her voice was calm as she said, “Take it away, please, Simon.”

The young server obeyed without question. Mrs. Huxley murmured, “Excuse me.” She accompanied the footman from the room without attracting any attention.

Christian’s collar felt constricting and the candlelight too bright for his strained nerves. He took a sip of wine to steady himself before he glanced around the table.

There was no discernible change in the level of chatter and general merriment. Christian attempted to focus in vain. He could no longer sense the slightest whiff of the ill-feeling that had vanished like a puff of smoke in a strong breeze.

He jumped at the light touch on his shoulder.

“May I borrow you for a moment?” Mrs. Huxley asked.

Christian turned to see that his hostess was pale, her eyes wide with alarm.

“Yes, of course.”

He rose to follow her, unnoticed except by Mr. Huxley, briefly hesitating in mid-comment, and Sam, who quickly looked up before resuming his discourse.

Christian followed the lady into the service region of the house. In a pantry, the silver salver sat alone on a shelf, guarded by the footman.

“I thought you ought to see this for yourself.”

Mrs. Huxley nodded to the footman, who lifted the lid without ceremony. Instead of the expected delicacy, on the gleaming silver platter lay a dead rat with a candied cherry in its mouth.

 

About the Author

Ellie Thomas lives by the sea. She comes from a teaching background and goes for long seaside walks where she daydreams about history. She is a voracious reader, especially about anything historical. She mainly writes historical gay romance.

Ellie also writes historical erotic romance as L. E. Thomas.

 

Author Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Facebook Group

Twitter | Newsletter Sign-up | Bluesky

Goodreads | Bookbub

 

   

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Saturday, 25 November 2023

Release Blitz with ARC Review - Get Frosted by Amy Aislin

 

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Get Frosted 

Author and Publisher: Amy Aislin

Cover Artist: Morningstar Ashley

Release Date: November 21, 2023

Genre: Contemporary m/m romance

Tropes: brother’s best friend, Christmas, rivals to lovers

Themes: A story about home and finding the place where you belong.

Heat Rating: 3 flames   

Length: 58 000 words 

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

Blurb

For years, Mik has wanted nothing more than to put coal in Rudy Snow's stocking.

As former pro hockey players, they’ve been rivals for years. It started in Mik’s rookie season, when a reporter pitted him against his older brother's best friend. Rudy pushes Mik’s buttons like no one else, going out of his way to one-up him at every turn.

Now they manage pubs in a small town that takes Christmas to a level best seen in Hallmark movies, but not much else has changed. They’re still rivals, this time pitting gingerbread martinis against pomegranate sangria.

But when they’re forced to work together to plan a special holiday party, sparks ignite. Maybe it's a bad idea to put coal in Rudy's stocking after all. They both might just catch fire.

Then again, what better way is there to stay warm on a cold winter's night?

Christmas Falls is a multi-author M/M romance series set in a small town that thrives on enough holiday charm to rival any Hallmark movie.

All books in the Christmas Falls series:
Nov 14: Grinch Kisses by DJ Jamison
Nov 17: Snowbody Loves Me by Jacki James
Nov 21: Get Frosted by Amy Aislin
Nov 28: Silent Knight by Beth Bolden
Dec 1: Under the Mistle-Tome by Sammi Cee
Dec 5: Clausing a Scene by Casey Cox
Dec 8: No Elfing Way by Hayden Hall
Dec 12: Ready, Set, Glow! by Rye Cox
Dec 15: Scrooge You! by Brigham Vaughn

My Two Pennies' Worth 

Feel good Christmas story. 

* Frenemies to lovers 

* Best friend's brother 

* Mutual pining

* communication FTW

A few tears but mostly this just left me with a warm squidgy feeling of happiness. 

Loved it. 

Excerpt 

“You certainly know how to make a splash,” said a dry voice at his elbow, shaking him out of his irritation.

And setting into motion a new kind of annoyance that fizzled in Mik’s blood. “No one asked you,” he said to his brother’s best friend.

Rudy Snow raised one dark eyebrow, because of course he could do that. When Mik tried, he ended up with both eyebrows at his hairline.

“It’s certainly . . .” Rudy cast his gaze around, taking everything in. “Unique.”

“It’s majestic.”

“It looks like the Island of Misfit Toys. All you’re missing is a Charlie-in-the-Box.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Mik clenched his teeth. “You’re not allowed to judge. You don’t even have a wreath on your front door.”

Rudy made a sound in the back of his throat, a rumbly laugh that made the back of Mik’s neck itch. “Do you often happen to find yourself outside my house, Miki?”

Mik’s stupid feelings went all gooey at the nickname. Or maybe that was just hunger. “It’s on my way to work.”

“Sure. If you take the long way.”

God. Why did he have to be so annoying?

And hot.

And annoyingly hot. All dark-haired and dark-eyed and scruffy-jawed, with a natural tan to his skin that perpetually made him look like he’d just come from the beach. He stood a couple of inches taller than Mik’s five feet eleven. At a year older than Mik’s thirty-one, Rudy was as fit now as he’d been when he’d played in the NHL, even two and a half years post-retirement.

Mik had considered himself lucky to be drafted to his brother’s team’s rival. With Mik playing for Washington and Josh playing for Pittsburgh, it had given Mik the chance to step out of his brother’s shadow and assert himself as his own person. And playing up the rivalry between their teams had been all sorts of fun at family get-togethers.

The problem Mik hadn’t anticipated had been twofold.

First, because Josh’s rookie year had been the gold fucking star of rookie years, Mik had been instantly compared to him when he’d been drafted a year later, forevermore casting him in the role of Josh Gilmore’s little brother.

Second, there was Pittsburgh defenseman Rudy Snow. And Pittsburgh defenseman Rudy Snow wasn’t shy about checking his teammate’s little brother into the boards during Mik’s first Washington versus Pittsburgh game.

“It’s no secret in the league that your brother and his teammate Rudy Snow are good friends,” a reporter had said to Mik during the post-game interview after that game. “What do you have to say to your brother’s best friend after that check in the second period?”

Um, nothing?

He’d barely known Rudy. Plus, checking was what hockey players did.

While both those things were true, that hadn’t been what the reporter wanted to hear. So Mik had smirked and said, “That he better watch out. He won’t get the jump on me again. In fact, next time, I’m going to swipe the puck out from under him and score. Just wait and see.”

Mik had later learned that Rudy had responded to that with a pithy, “He can try.”

And that was it. Instant rivalry.

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.

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Sunday, 6 August 2023

Release Blitz with Review - Tattered Allegiance: MM Fantasy Romance: A Luminia Novel

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Tattered Allegiance: MM Fantasy Romance: A Luminia Novel 

Author and Publisher: Lee Colgin

Cover Artist:  RJ Creatives

Release Date:  July 27, 2023

Genre: MM Fantasy Romance

Tropes: friends to lovers, found family, only one hayloft

Themes: standing up for your loved ones

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length:  50 000 words/ 190 pages

It is a standalone story and also book 1 in new series. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links  - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 


Blurb

Turmoil is brewing in the southern lands. Hushed voices whisper of war. When humans revolt against Fae authority, which perilous path will a young mixling choose?

Rahz

I love Jindal with all my heart, but he’s full fae and I’m only a mixling. He doesn’t grasp how much harder life is for me. As the chasm yawns between us, I’m afraid we’ll lose everything we’ve built.

Jindal

Rahz is my world, and whether he believes it or not, I’d do anything for him. Even when we struggle, my fealty is true. And so is my love. I refuse to let anything tear us apart.

Danger arrives in a royal carriage, gilded with jewels and trailing colorful silks. A loathsome pledge. A demanded oath. A cursed registry.

Can Rahz and Jindal weather the oncoming storm, or will a tattered allegiance break their vows and shatter their hearts?

***

Tattered Allegiance is the first book in Lee Colgin’s new Luminia Series. Surrender to an enchanting tale of friends-to-lovers romance. Immerse yourself in Rahz and Jindal’s fantasy world full of apricot pastries, mischievous bullies, young crushes, mysterious gatekeeping bogeymen, and lots of spicy times in the hayloft. A steamy MM paranormal love story in which being queer is normal and accepted, being a bully is uncalled for, and being childhood sweethearts is one in a million!


A lovely gentle romance between two best friends who have always known they loved each. It's set against a war between human and fae that has ability to tear them apart. This what gives the story its edge rather than the relationship aspect. Ends on a low stress cliffhanger that ensures more of Jindal and Rahz will be coming in future books. 

I find I can't go wrong with one of Lee Colgin’s supernatural romances. They're enjoyable reads and this one is no exception.  

Excerpt

“What is it?” Rahz asks. His hazel eyes glitter with concern.

I sniffle. “Nothing.”

“It’s definitely not nothing.”He lets go of my hand and wipes the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs. Then he slings an arm around me, drawing me in. “Don’t be afraid. We’re safe here together.”

Warmth floods my chest. I stare at his mouth. We’re so close. If I leaned in, just a little, I could—

Rahz kisses me, bridging the gap between us and pressing our lips together gently. A quick peck. There and gone. In that second, my entire world rearranges itself.

My body alights with a tingling rush of sensation that curls my toes and flutters my wings. I lick my lips to taste him there and nearly moan at the sensation.

His cheeks are pink, and he’s turning away.

No, no, no.

I grab his face and bring it back to mine. This time, when we kiss, the touch lingers. Soft and warm. Our mouths pressed together, parting slightly to fit even closer. I breathe through my nose so I don’t have to pull away. Tasting sweet apricots and sugar, I’m swooning, floating, even though my wings lay folded on my back.

I don’t know what to do—this is my first kiss, er, well, second if I count that little peck he just gave me—I only know I never want this moment to end.

Rahz’s hands are hot on my waist. Mine cup his nape under the silky-soft weight of his silver hair. I chase him as he pulls away, and both of us grin.

“Feel better?” he asks shyly, his cheeks still pink as fresh peaches.

Whatever upset me is a distant memory that pales compared to his lovely, shining lips. “Mm-hmm.” I dart in to kiss him again, but he stops me with a hand braced on my sternum.

“Jindal, slow down.”

I search his face and find no answer. “Why?”

Rahz stands. He’s so much bigger than me. I want to climb him and cling like a sloth, press my nose into his hair, and breathe him in. My best friend. My crush. My Rahz.

But the vulnerable look to his expression concerns me. Maybe he doesn’t feel the same way I feel after all. My heart sinks. Was that kiss only to make me feel better? Is there no deeper meaning?

I wring my hands in my lap, stewing over my next words carefully. “Sorry I tried to maul you.”

A slow smile lifts his lips and shoos away my undue worry. “It’s not that. I liked that.”

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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Monday, 29 May 2023

Release Blitz with Reviews - Don’t Date A DILF (Rules We Break, Book 1) by DJ Jamison

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Don’t Date A DILF (Rules We Break, Book 1)

Author: DJ Jamison

Publisher: Must Love Books LLC

Cover Artist: Morningstar Ashley

Release Date: May 25, 2023

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Single dad, teacher/parent, fake dating, small town

Themes: Small town life, family, starting over, bi/pan awakening

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length:  95 000 words

This is Book 1 in a new series. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |   Amazon UK 

Blurb

I have one rule to live by: Don't Date a DILF.

I've seen the consequences of blurring the boundaries between teaching and dating, and I am not about to take that kind of risk.

But I didn’t count on Hunter Rhodes walking into my school. Never expected that the broad-shouldered, stubble-jawed, absolute glory of a man would be such a sweet and caring father. Or that as a seemingly straight man, he might decide he wants me.

If my Nana has her way...I'll be in love with someone by the end of the school year, but there's only one man who tempts me.

With her matchmaking becoming overwhelming and half the single women in Granville setting their sights on Hunter, we're both feeling the pressure. Faking a relationship could get everyone off our backs.

It seems like fun and games for Hunter, but separating pretend feelings from real won't be so simple for me. And then there's that rule...

Can I date a DILF without disaster—or will all my fears come true?

Don't Date a DILF is Book 1 of Rules We Break, a spin-off series from Games We Play, set in the small, quirky town of Granville, where nosy residents meddle in one another's lives, great friendships are made, and silly innuendos are a way of life.

My Two Pennies' Worth

This is Kevin's brother, Hunter's, story. Hunter returned to Granville during Kevin's story, a single Dad returning home after an unwanted split with his wife. Now a year has passed, he's divorced and his 10 year old is living with him. And a newly single man in the small town means fresh meat for all the single ladies. 

His response, to start fake dating the local high school teacher. A man. 

This is similar to Kevin's story in that it's an older man discovering (and embracing) a new side to his sexuality but that's where the similarities end. Kevin's story is sassy and joyful and I read it without a care. Hunter's story gave me low level anxiety from about 70%, issues with the ex-wife, the kid's reaction to their 'real' relationship, and the problem at Clark’s old school that had sent him scurrying home. 

* small town

* age gap

* bisexual awakening 

* kids

* teacher

First of a new series but plenty of friends, old and new, to meet. 


Excerpt

Clark’s voice filtered in from the hallway.

“Nana, for the last time, I was trying… Yeah, well, maybe I should run all your proposed dates through my friends first if you think Percy Helix was a good choice!”

I smirked at his sass, then had to muffle a laugh when he followed it up with, “No, I’m not being sassy. I’m sorry, Nana.”

Fuck, that was adorable.

Clark was a grown man who had his shit together far more than I ever would, and yet here he was, getting scolded by his grandmother. There was something so sweet and wholesome about that.

He glanced toward the classroom and caught sight of me through the doorway. He held up one finger, in the universal sign to wait a minute.

“We can talk more later, Nana. I have a parent here for a meeting, okay? But I really don’t think another setup is a good idea… Because I don’t. Because it’s uncomfortable!” He groaned theatrically. “Yes, okay, we’ll talk later.”

He lowered the phone and turned toward me.

I winced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

He shrugged. “Well, you were at the pub, so…not like you didn’t know already.”

“Your nana feels pretty strongly about setting you up with a date, huh?”

“Unfortunately.”

“My mother hassles me every time we talk too,” I said.

“Must be something in the water,” Clark said with a pout.

Still adorable.

“Yeah, I actually lost my cool at work. Yelled at Tucker about how everyone in this town wants me to date. You know what we should do?”

“What?”

“Go on a date together.” I laughed. “That would shut everyone up.”

Clark’s eyes widened. “I think it would do the opposite.”

“You know what I mean though. Can’t set up a couple of guys who are already dating.” I wiggled my eyebrows. “Genius, right?”

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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