New Release Book Review: Lest We Forgive by Phillipa Nefri Clark

4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I don’t read a lot of crime fiction, so when I do it’s because it sounds too good not to read, and Lest We Forgive (Detective Liz Moorland #1) by Phillipa Nefri Clark was exactly that.

It had me hooked from the get-go and I stayed up until god knows what time reading it because I couldn’t put it down (didn’t want to, who needs sleep).

The cast of characters was vast but well done. I felt like I already knew Vince, the bitter, reclusive retired cop who is the driving force behind wanting to find out what really happened to cause the crash that took his daughter Suzie and her husband David, leaving him fighting for custody of his granddaughter Mel against her godparents, Carla and Bradley, the latter being business partners with David.

There was a lot of emotional baggage to unpack with Vince, he’s a complicated character and I think if he hadn’t been forced to deal with it after taking on the care of Mel, then maybe he would never have got there and started to heal.

Vince is a force to be reckoned with and he will go to any lengths to uncover the truth, drawing his ex-police partner and friend, Detective Liz Moorland, who was called to the scene of the accident, into his investigation. Liz is already investigating the disappearance of an escaped and dangerous prisoner but is drawn into the investigation of the crash when evidence is uncovered that proves it wasn’t an accident. I really liked Liz, she was a strong female character who wasn’t afraid to go after the truth or put her partner Pete in his place when he acted out of line. The friendship between Vince and Liz blurred some of the lines in her investigation, but also helped Vince on his path to healing.

Mel was a fabulous character, for a little girl who’s lost her parents and had her life completely turned upside down, she brings a lot to this story and plays an important part in uncovering some of the clues that lead Vince and Liz to dig further into David and Bradley’s business, but also put her in danger. There are also some lovely scenes between Mel and her kitten Robbie and a horse called Apple and also Vince’s neighbour.

There are many twists in this story, unexpected connections that arise, danger from different sources, schemes and blackmail and dodgy business dealings and more murders. The bad guys are not nice people at all and I was stunned at the lengths some were willing to go to for money.

There is also a deeply emotional element running through as Vince, Mel and Carla deal with their losses Vince also has to deal with his past in order to be what Mel needs in the present and Carla deals with her desperate need to have a child and wants custody of Mel.

This book had me rapidly turning pages as I was drawn into uncovering the truth behind all that was going on, the tension ramping up to a really great ending.

Though the series is Detective Liz Moorland’s, I feel we only uncovered the tip of the iceberg with who she is so I’m looking forward to more Detective Liz Moorland books in the future and finding out just how far she will go to uncover the crimes and catch the bad guys.

Paperback available now

Ebook available March 28th 2023 – available for preorder

All retailers (will let you select once you click)

Series Tour & Giveaway & Book 1: Oz Review: Finding Home Series By Lily Morton

Universal Series Link

Add the Series to Goodreads

Book 1: Oz

What happens when temporary becomes forever?

Oz Gallagher does not do relationships well. Bored and jobless after another disastrous hook up, he decides to leave London for a temporary job in the wilds of Cornwall. Surely managing a stately home on a country estate will be easier than navigating the detritus of his relationships at home. Six months there will alleviate a bit of his wanderlust and then he can come back to London as footloose and fancy free as the day he left it.

However, when he gets there he finds a house in danger of crumbling to the ground and a man who is completely unlike anyone he’s ever met. An earl belonging to a family whose roots go back hundreds of years, Silas is the living embodiment of duty and sacrifice. Two things that Oz has never wanted. He’s also warm and funny and he draws Oz to him like a magnet.

Oz banks on the fact that they’re from two very different worlds to stop himself falling for Silas. But what will he do when he realises that these differences are actually part of the pull to one another? Will falling in love be enough to make him stop moving at last and realise that he’s finally home?

From bestselling author, Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy about two very different men and one very dilapidated house.

This is the first book in the Finding Home series but it can be read as a standalone.

Universal Link

Add to Goodreads

Review

This was a fabulous read, I loved Oz and Silas and I so enjoyed the journey of their relationship. Oz was so sunshiny and Silas wasn’t, but when Oz comes to work for him, a bit of a cheeky ploy by his friend Niall, who hired him and thought Oz might be the perfect man for Silas, his whole life is turned upside down and the things he thought he wanted and those he thought he could live without have to be re-examined.

Oh my goodness, I don’t know when I have laughed so much when reading a book, certainly not for a long time. There is a scene where Silas is going to give Oz a driving lesson that had me doubled over crying I was laughing so much.

Oz is just wonderful to get to know, he comes from a poorer background and hasn’t had the best of luck with men so has low self-esteem in some respects, but in other ways, he is so confident and sassy and people are constantly underestimating him. Taking the job at Silas’ estate and meeting change his whole life too and it was so enjoyable seeing everything come together for him, professionally and personally.

I can’t wait to read the rest of this series as I really want to see Milo and Niall hopefully get their HEA.

Book 2: Milo

Once upon a time a brave knight rescued a young man. Unfortunately, he then spent the next few years bossing the young man around and treating him like a child.

Milo has been burying himself at Chi an Mor, hiding from the wreckage of his once promising career and running from a bad relationship that destroyed what little confidence he had. Niall, his big brother’s best friend, has been there for him that entire time. An arrogant and funny man, Niall couldn’t be any more different from the shy and occasionally stuttering Milo, which has never stopped Milo from crushing wildly on the man who saved him.

However, just as Milo makes the decision to move on from his hopeless crush, he and Niall are thrown into close contact, and for the first time ever Niall seems to be returning his interest. But it can never work. How can it when Milo always needs rescuing?

From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages series comes a story about a man who needs to write his own happily ever after.

This is the second book in the Finding Home series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Content warning: There are descriptions of domestic abuse in this book.

Universal Link

Add to Goodreads

Book 3: Gideon

Gideon Ramsay is so far in the closet he should be a talking faun.

A talented, mercurial, and often selfish man, Gideon has everything he should want in life. Fame, money, acting awards – he has it all. Everything but honesty. At the advice of his agent, Gideon has concealed his sexuality for years. But it’s starting to get harder to hide, and his increasingly wild behaviour is threatening to destroy his career.

Then he’s laid low by a serious illness and into his life comes Eli Jones. Eli is everything that Gideon can’t understand. He’s sunny tempered, friendly, and optimistic. Even worse, he’s unaffected by grumpiness and sarcasm, which forms ninety percent of Gideon’s body weight. And now Gideon is trapped with him without any recourse to the drugs and alcohol that have previously eased his way through awkward situations.

However, as Gideon gets to know the other man, he finds himself wildly attracted to his lazy smiles and warm, scruffy charm that seem to fill a hole inside Gideon that’s been empty for a long time. Will he give in to this incomprehensible attraction when it could mean the end of everything that he’s worked for?

From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages series comes a story about a man who needs to realise that being true to yourself is really just a form of finding home.

This is the third book in the Finding Home series but it can be read as a standalone.

Universal Link

Add on Goodreads

Also available as a Series Bundle

The bestselling Finding Home series is now available in one collection. Set in Cornwall, the series follows a group of friends as they each find love with a lot of heat and humour along the way.

Universal Link

Add to Goodreads

Enter the Giveaway

To celebrate Lily’s new covers, we are giving you a chance to win your choice of any book from Lily’s backlist! Three winners will be chosen!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

About Lily

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

Lily has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

Connect with Lily

Facebook | Lily’s Snark Squad Facebook Group

Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Website | Newsletter

Cover Reveal, Excerpt & Giveaway: Foolish Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James

Synopsis

ALEKS

After my divorce, I’m ready to have fun, date around, and not get into anything serious. Then I meet Gabe Crosby, superhero firefighter and a disgrace to the Crosby name. He doesn’t even like hockey!

Yet, there’s a draw to him I can’t deny—something I haven’t felt since my teens. But that’s the problem. I have no idea what dating is like, let alone how to do it with another man. He makes me flakey and nervous, and I’ve never been that guy.

Gabe turns me inside out and upside down in the best possible ways. I only recently became single, but if I continue to chase after him, I might not stay that way for long.

GABE

When I meet Aleksander Emerson during an emergency call-out, there are three things that catch my attention: his sexy tattoos, his kind eyes, and his drunken offer to have my babies.

He’s new to Seattle and recently divorced, so I take him under my wing–and under my sheets. I’m showing him what the world of hookups is like, only those hookups turn into sleepovers and dates and public displays of jealousy.

Aleks is in his casual era, and I’m working my way toward settling down and starting a family. What the two of us have is fun, but not a good idea permanently.

Too bad Aleks has already set my life on fire.

Release Date: April 13, 2023

Genre: M/M Sports Romance
Trope: First time dating, hockey

Cover Design: Story Styling Cover Designs
Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography
Model: Gabriel B.

Add to your TBR List!

GOODREADS LINK

Excerpt

When my teammates and I walk into the firehouse, Sanden glances at us from where he’s wiping down one of the trucks. His face lights up.

“Is that your man?” Katz asks.

“You’re Brennen Katz,” Sanden says and then turns to my other teammate. “And you’re Cody Bilson.”

“Not him,” I say. “My guy wouldn’t even know who you two are.”

“Then I definitely disapprove.” Katz approaches Sanden and throws his arm around his shoulders. “You should date this guy instead. He’s a fan.”

Sanden laughs. “Sorry, Aleks is so not my type.”

“Ah. Straight?”

“Nope. Just not into the big and brawny thing.”

Bilson looks confused. “Wait … are we … are hockey players not attractive in queer circles? Why does this feel like an abomination on society as a whole?”

“Are you sure you want to go with queer people are an abomination?” I ask.

“Anyone who doesn’t find me attractive, then yes.” Bilson pouts.

“Only Bilson could be offended for not being attractive to someone he’s not even interested in,” Katz says. “You watch, now he’ll have to run out and find his next wife so he can have that validation.”

I turn to Bilson. “You have issues, man.”

“Don’t we all?” Bilson spots a woman in uniform heading up the stairs to the upper level. “What can I say? I have a weakness.” He automatically follows the blonde, and when I watch him go, my eyes catch on someone coming down the same stairs. He looks so fucking sexy in his navy uniform, but I do wish he was wearing his fireman pants with the hot-as-fuck suspenders.

I smile and hold up the billion pies we ordered.

“You wanted to see me that badly you felt you needed to bribe me and my coworkers with food? How cheap do you think we are?”

“Did it work?”

He points to the balcony above us that overlooks the truck bays. “What does that tell you?”

There are six guys watching us.

“Are they looking at me or the pizza?”

“Definitely the pizza,” Gabe says and takes half of the boxes from me. “Come meet the team.”

Sanden puts down his towel. “Break time.”

“Truck doesn’t look clean,” Gabe sings without even looking at it.

“How does he know?” Sanden complains and gets back to work.

“You don’t let the poor man eat?” I ask.

“He needs to get his chores done first.”

“You’d make the meanest parent ever.”

“I plan on it.”

I ignore the trickling guilt about kids because unlike in my marriage, Gabe doesn’t mean with me. Anytime Rebecca brought up the topic of kids, I’d find an excuse to change the subject. I don’t need to do that here because Gabe and I won’t ever get to that serious point.

I know that. He knows that.

We’re dating. That’s it.

Gabe introduces me to everyone, but I forget their names as quickly as he says them. It’s daunting, almost like a meet-the-family thing, but all of his team are hockey fans, and they’re easy to converse with. When in doubt, mention hockey.

Katz and I are talking to Gabe’s chief when Bilson comes over to us. “I’m in love.”

“Oh boy, here we go,” Katz says.

I add, “So much for a firehouse being safe from Bilson’s love life.”

Gabe’s hand lands on my bicep. “Can I steal you for a moment?”

Anytime.

His hand trails down my arm, and I interlace my fingers with his as I follow him outside and around the corner into an alley.

“What are we doing out here?”

Gabe slams me into the wall, backing me against it, but then laughs. “Oops. I thought you hockey players knew how to brace for hard hits.”

“When we’re expecting them, but that was nothing. Actually, it was kind of hot.”

“Only kind of?”

I lick my lips. “Mm, I can think of a way it could be hotter.”

Gabe presses against me, lowering his voice. “Yeah? How?”

Instead of answering him, I fuse my lips to his and push my tongue inside his mouth.

He moans, and my cock strains against my pants. His hands roam my chest while mine settle on his ass and pull him flush against me.

When he’s had his fill, he pulls away breathless. “As much as I’d fucking love to get your cock out right here and now, I’m on duty.”

“I know.”

“Considering we live in the same damn city, you’d think we’d be able to see each other more than our one date.”

“It doesn’t help that I’m never here, and when I am, you’re working.”

“We have to figure out a system.”

I nod. “We really do. I’m starting to worry you’re all talk. How do I know how awesome your dick really is if I can never get near it?”

“When are you back from your road trip?”

“Eight days.”

Gabe grunts. “Another reason for me to hate hockey.”

“You know, every time you mention that, the hockey gods smite the closest hockey player. You wouldn’t want to smite me, would you? I have a Stanley Cup to win.”

“A Stanley who?”

“Now you’ve done it. Don’t jinx me. I need to impress my new team.”

Gabe sighs. “Fine. Go sports. Rah, rah.” He pretends he’s holding pom-poms.

“That’s better. Even if it’s sarcastic.”

Gabe smiles, but his face falls when a ringing alarm echoes from the building. “Damn. Gotta go.” He kisses my cheek and runs back inside, calling out as he does, “I’ll text you later.”

Pre-order Link

~ Amazon Universal ~

Giveaway

One of Five eARC’s for Foolish Puckboy

a Rafflecopter Giveaway

ENTER HERE

Other Titles Within this Series

PURCHASE

PURCHASE

PURCHASE

About the Author

Eden Finley is an Amazon bestselling author who writes steamy contemporary romances that are full of snark and light-hearted fluff.

She doesn’t take anything too seriously and lives to create an escape from real life for her readers. The ideas always begin with a wackadoodle premise, and she does her best to turn them into romances with heart.

With a short attention span that rivals her son’s, she writes multiple different pairings: MM, MMF, and MF.

She’s also an Australian girl and apologises for her Australianisms that sometimes don’t make sense to anyone else.

Connect with Eden

Website

Newsletter Sign Up

Facebook Author Page

Facebook Reader Group

Goodreads Author Page

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Amazon Author Page

Bookbub Author Page

About the Author

Saxon James unapologetically writes happy endings for LGBT+ characters.

While not writing, SM is a readaholic and Netflix addict who regularly lives on a sustainable diet of chocolate and coffee.

Member of SCBWI.

Connect with Saxon

Website

Newsletter Sign Up

Facebook Author Page

Facebook Reader Group

Goodreads Author Page

Twitter

Instagram

Amazon Author Page

Bookbub Author Page

New Release Book Review: Bellevue by Alison Booth

4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

After reading Alison Booth’s last book The Painting and absolutely loving it, I jumped at the chance to read Bellevue, her latest novel.

Bellevue was another fantastic read for me, while it took a couple of chapters to draw me in, once there I didn’t want to put it down. Set in the Blue Mountains in NSW in the early 1970s the author really manages to capture both the time period and the place in her writing.

The story is told mainly from Clare’s perspective but we also get a young boy Joe’s perspective interspersed between chapters and I really enjoyed this because it enabled me to glimpse a different aspect of both Clare and the town and its people.

Clare hasn’t had the easiest of lives and we are taken back in Clare’s memories to the early 1950s when she meets her husband Jack, to his death and the secrets he has kept from her and the loss of their property due to those secrets, some of which are only fully uncovered in the later part of this story.

Clare has been left Bellevue by Jack’s Aunt Hilda who came to Clare’s aid when she first lost everything and has continued to be there for her ever since. Remembering how happy she was there with her young daughter, who is now an adult travelling in Europe, she decides to retire and live in Bellevue whilst doing it up.

Things are never simple though and while Clare finds some wonderful people who inhabit the town, she also finds a few not-so-nice ones who are determined to cause her trouble because they want to buy her property for a new development.

This was a time when people were starting to stand up to developers and the government in order to save the land, cultural heritage sites and historical sites, from their greed. When they decide to try and intimidate Clare into selling, they had no idea the fight that would bring them. Clare was part of a big push to save the bushland where she previously lived and she is pushed to take up this newest fight to save not only her property but the town and the surrounding area from being developed and destroyed.

Clare uncovers corruption and greed that bring with it answers to secrets from her past. There were so many twists and turns and mystery and intrigue, and there were times I didn’t know who to trust or believe, who was Clare’s friend and who wasn’t. The author does a great job of only slowly letting us have small pieces of the puzzle, revealing little character traits, and bits of things overheard or seen, keeping us from seeing the whole picture until the very end.

The friendship that Clare forms with young Joe, a boy who has lost his mother and whose father has become neglectful and somewhat abusive, turns out to have a big impact on both their lives. I loved seeing how they each helped each other, Clare proving a safe place for Joe to hang out, a nurturing grandmother figure for him to give and receive affection from, something they are both lacking. And in turn, Joe helps to thaw some of the pain and hardness that Clare has been carrying and which Joe sees in Clare the first time he glimpses her leaving a garden party.

This isn’t a fast-moving story, though the second half moves along faster than the first, instead, it is a slow-burn read as we get to know the town and its characters, learn about Clare and her past and her dreams for the future. It is a look at family and its often messed up relationships, it is a reminder of how fragile our environment is and the need for everyone to stand up and protect it if we want any of nature or our history to survive the greed that is prevalent even more today. It is a look at grief and the effect it can have on those around us and the baggage we carry with us that can affect so much of how we live our lives. It is about friendship in its many forms and about healing from our pasts and letting go of the baggage we are carrying.

I really enjoyed this novel and I can’t wait to see what Alison Booth delivers next.

Alison Booth has written an interesting post on the background to writing her newest novel if you are interested in having a read.

Background to writing Bellevue

New Release Book Review: Destructive Relations by Hayden Hall

Destructive Relations by Hayden Hall

Parrish Turner has always been my ultimate fantasy. He was my gay awakening, my sweetest torture, and my forbidden fruit ever since my father remarried and merged our families.

And he never even noticed me. The most I got from him was a passing growl. And it was enough to make me wild with desire. Until he left.

Now, five years after I’d last seen him, we’re back in the same house. Even worse, we’re in tight quarters, forced to share the same bed. Luckily, it’s only for a couple of weeks.

But that is long enough for my will to cave in. Especially now that I’ve got nothing else to lose and Parrish is starting to tease me in ways I can’t interpret. Either he’s trying to bully me for fun, or he’s flirting. With him, the two are never far apart.

He blurs the line between right and wrong. And I can’t resist the temptation that could only ever end in the destruction of whatever family we have left.

Destructive Relations is the first novel in the Destined to Fail series. You can expect forced proximity (only one bed), two young men who hate each other, forbidden love, heart, heat, humour, and a happily ever after. Make sure to use the Look Inside feature to read the content warnings. All books in this series are complete standalones.

Review

I really enjoyed Destructive Relations Destined to Fail #1), Hayden Hall showed me in Rescued (The Sanctuary book 1) just how great he is at writing a book that tugged at my heartstrings and he managed to do the same in this book.

My heart broke for Parrish and the way his mother and stepfather treated him from the very start and they only proved how awful they were when he returned for his sister’s wedding. I was pleased he’d made a life for himself elsewhere but sad due to the baggage he carried.
Every time the parents opened their mouths I wanted to slap them, their behaviour was just awful and I will never understand parents who are like this towards their children.

That baggage included his animosity towards his younger stepbrother Levi and it took him a while to realise it wasn’t Levi’s fault, that everything that happened was on their parents.

Poor Levi having to live with them and put up with their expectations, Parrish coming home turned out to be the best thing for both of them in many ways.

The animosity between Parrish and Levi and the sexual tension between them built up until it exploded with a massive and very hot Bang. The author does a great job making the bedroom scenes very hot and steamy while enabling us to see the changes in their connection as time went on.

I don’t personally understand the ‘tabooness’ around step-siblings, just because parents get married doesn’t mean the kids are going to think of each other as siblings and it doesn’t make them related other than by marriage. I was glad that Parrish and Levi got past the stepbrother issue and followed their feelings.

I loved seeing how Parrish started to heal through his relationship with Levi and I loved how they had each other’s backs as time went on. There were a few angsty places where I held my breath hoping things would turn out ok, but overall it was low angst, just how I like my books.

There are some nasty characters in this book, actually more than there are nice ones, thankfully they mostly get what’s coming to them.

A great read and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Live on Amazon 9th March

Blog Tour, Excerpts & Giveaway + Review: A Long Way Home By Blake Allwood

Coming Home Series, Book 1

With the odds stacked against them, will they be able to overcome, or will their pasts push them apart, forever?

Gib clings to family, while being afraid to trust them. As a former foster child, he clings to security denied to him in early childhood. When he begins having feelings for one of his best friends and fellow medical school student, all his issues are expanded.

Allan has everything a kid from a wealthy New York family could have. When he decides to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a Harvard trained doctor, he didn’t anticipate meeting and falling for the enigmatic Gibson Ridley.

With Allan’s daddy issues, and Gib’s fear of intimacy, the stakes couldn’t have greater risks. Can these two men work through their issues and give love a chance, or will they lose it forever?

NOTE: A Long Road Home is a low-heat, sweet, high drama romance.

Triggers: Death, loss of family members, orphaned children, trauma, fear of loss, recovery, homophobia…

Universal Link

Add on Goodreads

An exclusive excerpt from A Long Way Home

Dreamy, drop-dead gorgeous. I couldn’t breathe.

Gib Ridley was tall, at least six foot three. Beautiful dusty-blond hair fell across his forehead, longer than it should’ve been, but still suiting his handsome face. He had an air about him that said controlled and well put together. I wanted to take him apart the moment we met, and that was before hearing his sexy-as-hell Southern accent.

I turned into a blubbering idiot whenever I was around Gib, and continued to flirt with him as if my life depended on it. Unfortunately, the guy was clueless. Fuck, I thought, he’s straight. I finally meet a man who ticks all my boxes, and he’s fucking straight.

I resigned myself to my secret crush. Over the weeks I watched him, getting to know him as a friend, and hoping against hope he was gay, and maybe I had a chance. Gib was quiet, but not what I’d call shy, to say nothing of his occasional dark expressions and contemplative brooding. He was more of a take me or leave me kind of guy. There was also something about the way he held himself, almost like he was a proper Southern gentleman from another time. Of course, that pushed all my buttons.

It took a long time to fully break the ice with Gib. He was friendly, but guarded, and wasn’t forthcoming about his family or background. We knew he didn’t have a scholarship, so he must come from money, but nothing about him seemed to convey that.

I doubted Gib ever worried what others thought, and for that, I was really jealous. I might have been out and proud, but I still obsessed about how I looked, how I moved, and if I was being too femme, or not femme enough. I was a total queen, and I knew it.

After the first month secretly pining for Gib, I’d had enough. I needed help figuring this out, or I was going to drive myself mad. “Alexi, help!” I finally asked, when we were alone together.

“Help what?” she asked as she started the coffee machine I kept in my room.

“Is he gay? I have to know!”

Alexi looked at me knowingly, and asked, “Who?”

“Ugh, you’re such a bitch! You know who.”

Alexi just smirked. “Here’s a clue, you’ve literally thrown yourself at the guy since you met him. He’s not made any moves, right?”

I sighed and lay back on my bed. “That doesn’t mean he’s not gay. He could just be shy.”

Alexi laughed out loud. “Listen, if it’ll make you feel better, we’ll find out.”

I jumped off my bed and grabbed Alexi in a bear hug, nearly causing her to drop her coffee. “You’re the best friend ever!” I exclaimed. She just shook her head.

Excerpt 2

I sat on the lonely bench nestled in the trees, ignoring the coolness of the air. I loved spending time in the small hidden alcove when I wasn’t in class. The other students bustled around me, but unless they looked straight at me, they rarely knew I was there.

My classes were hard. I knew they would be, of course, but knowing and experiencing were two very different things. The university I’d gone to for pre-med had done absolutely nothing to prepare me for Harvard Medical School.

As I hefted my monster textbook onto my lap, regretting my decision to buy a real book, instead of using the e-book option most of my classmates used. I noticed two men making out across from me. Either they couldn’t see me, or didn’t care, and I was trying not to be too much of a perv by staring, but even now, seeing two handsome guys kissing and in public sent chills through my body.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I tore my gaze away. That’s never going to be me. Even if by some miracle someone decided they liked me, I doubted I’d ever feel comfortable with PDAs like those two men.

I’d always known I was gay, long before I ever acknowledged it to anyone, myself included. Growing up in a conservative, small Southern town, being out wasn’t really a viable option. I also knew as long as I stayed there, it was unlikely I’d ever have a long-term relationship with anyone. One of my hopes in attending Harvard, before I’d actually experienced it at least, was that maybe I’d find love here. My hopes had yet to materialize in the form of a man, though.

Other than hooking up with the occasional stranger, I hadn’t made any friends during undergraduate school either, and mostly just studied and kept to myself, exactly like I was doing now at Harvard. Seeing men openly kissing and holding hands here on campus felt liberating, but also made me feel even lonelier.

I flipped my textbook closed and forced the monster into my already overpacked bookbag.

I quickly glanced over at the two kissing men and sighed inwardly. No, I’d never have that. I was pathetically shy and missed my siblings, although I couldn’t really call them that anymore, could I? It was bad enough that everyone on campus probably thought I was a redneck, because I spoke with a Southern twang. If they knew the two people I’d grown up with and considered my brother and sister were now married and had a kid, well, that would pretty much stick a fork in what was left of my reputation.

I missed Olivia and Chase so much sometimes, it hurt. We’d never been far away from each other before. In high school and college, the other kids thought we were cliquish and pretty much avoided us anyway, because Olivia was a bit of an overly protective jerk. I just didn’t think they understood what it was like being foster children who, at any moment, could lose everything that meant anything to us, including each other.

The alarm on my phone went off, pulling me from my thoughts, and telling me it was time to go to class.

I arrived early enough to sit near the front. I was easily distracted, and sitting in the back didn’t help, so I made a point of getting to all my classes early to grab a prime seat.

“Today, students,” our elderly professor said, looking as if he could drop dead at any moment, “I will pair you up with partners for this course. Make sure you combine your schedules, because your grade will depend on how well each of you perform.”

I sighed. I hated group participation. I always seemed to get stuck with a lazy partner, and more often than not, my grades suffered when they couldn’t or wouldn’t pull their weight.

Gibbon Ridley, you will be paired with Alexi Jones. I looked up just in time to see a beautiful woman, also sitting in the front, stand and walk toward me. Her smile was bright, and it lightened my sour attitude. Before I knew it, I was smiling back at her.

“Gib,” I said, when she shook my outstretched hand.

“Alexi,” she replied. “Hope you like studying.”

I prefer it to failing!” I said, letting the smart-ass side of me slip out.

Instead of offending her, she literally laughed out loud, causing several other students to look over at us.

She blushed a bit before smiling again. “I think we’re going to get along fine.”

That afternoon, as I met Alexi in her dorm room, she introduced me to her friends Fiona and Allen. The three were intense, to say the least.

As they rambled on about several topics at once, Alexi must’ve noticed me staring with a look of surprise and maybe a little envy. “I’m sorry, Gib,” she said. “We’ve known each other since we were kids. We can be a bit much.”

I laughed. “I have siblings and we’re the same way. Trust me, I get it.”

The three welcomed me into their world after that. Apparently, no one wanted to spend time with them, because they were kooky and loud and didn’t give a damn what everyone else thought.

Even though Alexi and I were officially paired together for the entire semester, we were all in med school together, and the three friends came as a package deal, so that is how I became one of the Apple Fritter Gang. The name was a take-off of an old nineteen seventies film called The Apple Dumpling Gang. The moniker didn’t hold much meaning other than cause one of us to pick up apple fritters once a week from the bakery just off campus, which was a perk we all enjoyed.

It wasn’t long before the four of us became inseparable. We really were our own gang, if you could call a small group of geeky med students who studied more than partied a gang. For the first time since my relationship with Olivia and Chase had shifted, I felt like I had people who just got me.

Review

A long way home was an emotional read for many reasons. Gib comes from a foster care background and has spent his life being abandoned over and over, the two people he connected with and considered siblings take their relationship in a romantic direction and he feels he has lost them as well and doesn’t deal at all well. I both could and couldn’t empathise with how he felt, but his reaction to this hurt both them and him and caused him to have issues letting people in once he gets to university.

Allen has a father who only cares about himself and is an ass, he’s also a doctor and has high expectations for his son to follow in his footsteps. Allen is very smart and comes from a rich background, very different to how Gib grew up.

Once Gib and Allen meet, along with Allen’s friends Fiona and Alexi they all form a friendship bond that will see them through many ups and downs. But as Allen’s feelings for Gib grow and Gib fights his feelings because he is afraid, something has to give.

Oh man, Allen wore his heart on his sleeve and was all in when it came to a relationship with Gib, but Gib continually held back and I was so sad for Allen every time he pulled away. When things were good they were great, but Gib has never dealt with his feelings of being abandoned and not enough and this causes its own issues in their relationship. Thank goodness their friends and Gib’s foster siblings are there to talk some sense into him.

There is a traumatic event in the last part of the book that had me in tears and leads to more changes for Allen and Gib, but by this time they are solid in their relationship.

There are some important topics raised in the book, sexual misconduct allegations, abuse of power & homophobia are the main ones and though they caused issues and me some angst for what they had to deal with, they were handled well.

The book spans quite a few years, so you really get to experience their journey as they both grow and change and make life decisions, both big and small. It has a HEA which I am so glad about because there were times I wasn’t sure if they’d make it and I don’t need that negativity in my reading, I need my romance books to have HEAs.

Enter the Giveaway

To celebrate the release of A Long Way Home, Blake is giving away a paperback or e-copy of the release!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

About the Author

Blake Allwood was born in west TN, then moved to Kansas City MO after attending college in Lamoni, Iowa. He met his husband in 1995 and they officially married in 2015, once gay marriage was legalized. In 2017, he and his husband sold their home, purchased an RV and began travelling the country with their two dogs. Their travels provide the inspiration and settings for many of his novels.

Typically, Blake can be found relaxing in the RV or by the fire with his laptop and their Jack Russell Terrier, Buddy, curled up between his legs demanding attention. Denver, their Siberian Husky mix is often asleep at his feet or playing tug of war with Blake’s husband.

Connect with Blake

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Confessions: Ethan By Ella Frank

Confessions, Book 7

Everything in the world is about sex except sex.

Sex is about power. ~ Oscar Wilde

Desire. Dominance. Sex.

Ethan Holt is in the business of all three.

He believes that any fantasy can be created,

and that any kink should be explored.

Why wouldn’t he, when he has several of his own?

Control. Ethan has to have it.

In his job at The Office. In his relationship with Zayne.

He’s very particular on who he lets in his world,

and even more so on who he lets in his bed.

After all, he’s not the only one who sleeps in it.

Everything in their world is in perfect order,

just the way Ethan likes it.

Until a mysterious redhead walks into their club

and turns their world inside out.

What happens when control turns to chaos?

Do you give in to it? Or do you make chaos…submit?

Confessions: Ethan begins a new sub-series within the Chicagoverse. It is an MMF contemporary romance series that revolves around Chloé Thornton-Priestley, the wild-child daughter of the three P’s. This can be read as a standalone series.

Universal Link

Add to Goodreads

Review

I was really looking forward to reading Chloe’s story because Robbie, Julien and Priest’s 4 books are some of my all-time favourite reads, so getting to know their now grown-up daughter was something I jumped at.

I enjoyed the first book in Chloe, Ethan and Zayne’s story, and while it didn’t hit the high expectations I had for it, I will be looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

This is heavy on the BDSM scene, with Chloe diving into exploring everything Ethan and Zayne have to show her after seeing them ‘perform’ in their BDSM club and being enticed by what she saw. Part of me would have liked this just to be Ethan and Zayne’s story as I really liked their connection and would have liked to see more of that, but then that defeats the idea of continuing on the Confessions series with Chloe’s story.

Ethan was a good introduction to all three characters and like always I enjoyed getting chapters from all three players. I look forward to seeing how Chloe, Zayne and Ethan navigate their new relationship, especially now her dad’s all know.

Enter the Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Confessions: Ethan, Ella is giving away a paperback copy of the release!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

About the Author

Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favourite Preslocke series with Brooke Blaine. Her Prime Time series has been praised as “highly entertaining!” and “sexy as hell!”

A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction. Some of her favourite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.

Connect with Ella:
★ Website & Newsletter
★ Instagram
★ Facebook
★ Facebook Page
★ Brooke & Ella’s Reader Group
★ Bookbub

Blog Tour, Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Illegal Motion By Rheland Richmond & Emerson Beckett

The Package Deal Series, Book 4

Callum Kennedy

I should have known behind that deep sexy southern drawl, and beautiful face lived the world’s biggest asshole.

I’ve tried my damnedest to put him behind me. But it was hard to do when I saw his face every night in my dreams and couldn’t forget how he worked my body over.

It was okay. I had my work as a vet, my equine rescue to manage, and my friends. I’d forget him or work myself to death trying.

Except there’s one problem.

Turns out he’s the new free-agent running back who just signed a one-year deal with the Portland Pirates. The infamous Declan Miller has turned my world upside down and reinserted his unforgettable self back into my life for the next year.

Declan’s the last person I want help from, but it looks like I don’t have a choice.

Declan Miller

When I walked into Alejandro’s Bar that night in late July, I never expected to meet someone my first night in town.

But the sexy guy with wavy dark blond hair and hazel-green eyes sitting alone at the bar caught my attention immediately. Or maybe it was the way he was sniffing his own shirt.

After a night of the best sex of my life, I knew I had to push him away. I wasn’t doing relationships anymore, and this gorgeous, funny man had the power to break me.

But when I find out my unforgettable hookup is part of my new friend group, Dr. Callum Kennedy wants nothing to do with me until he has no choice but to let me help.

Illegal Motion is an MM sports romance and the fourth book in The Package Deal Series about the hot single dads of the Portland Pirates football team.

Universal Link

Add to Goodreads

Review

I have been waiting for Declan and Callum’s story and am so pleased they got their HEA.

I liked Callum a lot, Declan took me a bit longer to warm to as he acted like a bit of a tool at times but knowing the connection these two had I could only go in hoping they could sort out all their issues and miscommunications and make a go at starting a real relationship.

I loved how Declan was with his daughter and it was nice to see how he was willing to fight for custody of her, especially when he found out how neglected she was by her mother, a very selfish person who definitely didn’t deserve her daughter.

I enjoyed catching up with the guys from the previous books and seeing them all still happy and in love. Next up is Cooper and Greg’s story and I’m sure they will get their HEA.

Excerpt

Before fully processing Jackson’s words, I heard that voice that sent shivers down my spine. Was I hallucinating? I looked at the beer in my hand and read the label. Nope, no hard liquor.

“Who’s from Kentucky?” The southern drawl drew me in like flies to honey and caused my spine to stiffen. There was no fucking way he could be here.

Jackson glanced at him. “I was talking about you, asshole. Come and meet my friend. He’s the vet I told you about with the horses.”

The scent of apples and vanilla hit me before I looked up into those deep brown eyes. My pulse sped up as I tried to calm my frazzled nerves. I just might fucking pass out.

Or punch the smug fucker.

Jackson was oblivious to my near stroke. I only had a split second to figure out how to play this moment, and I was sure it was probably the wrong way.

But the look on his face was priceless. His eyes widened as he took me in. I’d never been happier that I’d started working out at the gym. Maybe he was going to be the one to pass out.

“Declan, this is Dr. Callum Kennedy. Callum, this is our new running back, Declan Miller.”

I know Jackson was expecting the standard greeting among strangers. And I wasn’t going to give this asshole the satisfaction of knowing he’d affected me so deeply with his brush-off.

So I steeled my spine, stood straight up, and met his eyes. I held out my hand to shake his. I tried to be my regular cordial self, but I failed quickly.

I sighed. “So, you’re the new running back.”

Declan looked at my hand and brought his to mine to shake. I would have sworn there was an electrical storm from the electricity arcing through my body.

“And you’re the vet I’ve heard so much about.”

Our eyes stayed locked on each other as I withdrew my hand from his. I watched his face as he sifted through the memories of that night. His eyes dilated, and the sexy bastard gave me the same grin he had that night at Alejandro’s. I would have been fine to play it as if we’d never met before. I could ignore him.

But I frowned as the fucker let his eyes roam all over my body before he sucked in his bottom lip as he smiled at me. I would bet my truck that if I looked down, his cock would be hard as steel.

Enter the Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Illegal Motion, Rheland & Emerson are giving away an e-book of the winner’s choice from the series!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

About the Authors

Rheland Richmond:

For as long as she can remember, Rheland’s had her nose stuck in a book, getting lost in the world of someone else’s creation (She still does). Her love for writing came from her love for reading. She could never have one without the other.

Writing has always been a hobby and a cathartic experience for her. There are many stories lost to the never to be completed or published pile but needed to be written at the time.

She’s just a girl that loved stories so much she decided to write hers.

Rheland would love to hear from her readers and learn more about y’all. So if you get a chance… Get in touch.

Connect with Rheland:

Emerson Beckett:

Emerson Beckett is new to the publishing world. As an avid sports fan and lover of well-written M/M romance books, Emerson loves her new career as an author of gay romance. It’s even more fulfilling for her when she can combine the two.

The journey to becoming an author started with an idea while reading on the sofa. That idea became an email that ultimately resulted in Emerson using those teacher skills to edit novels for three phenomenal MM romance authors. The third referral led to an opportunity to co-write a book series with one of the most genuine and kindest people she’s ever had the pleasure of knowing- Rheland Richmond.

Emerson is the co-author of The Package Deal Series, which includes The Quarterback Keeper, Pass Interference, Unnecessary Roughness, Two-Point Conversion, and three more upcoming books in the series. She will release her first solo novel in late spring 2023.

Besides being a retired teacher and author, Emerson lives in North Carolina and has been married to the same man for 32 years. She is the mother of three beautiful adults, one of whom is proudly part of the LGBTQ Community and completely responsible for her addiction to MM Romance. Even though the kids no longer live at home, they filled the empty nest with an Australian Shepherd, three cats, and a cute bunny rabbit.

Emerson would love to hear from her readers. So if you get a chance… Get in touch.

Connect with Emerson:

Cover Reveal: Death (Diamond MC #3) by Lila Rose

BLURB

New neighbours are the bane of my existence, but nothing prepares me for the new woman next door.

A long time ago, I swore off blondes.
Until her.
Until Raya crawls under my skin and stays.
Sure, she always seems pissed at me, but I’ll soon make her realize I’m not always a dick.

But then there’s a new threat that has me seeing red and needing to hunt for blood.

The name Death isn’t just for show. And anyone who steps in my way or threatens those under my protection are going to get up close and personal with the man behind the namesake.

Running is pointless… when Death knocks on your door.

Genre: MC Romance
Cover Design: Covers by Christian
Release Date: April 18, 2023

GOODREADS LINK

PRE-ORDER LINKS

US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / Kobo / Apple Books

AVAILABLE NOW

#1 Country – $1.99 for a limited time!

US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / Kobo / Apple Books / Google Play

#2 State

US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / Kobo / Apple Books / Google Play

AUTHOR BIO

Lila was born in Brisbane Australia, her step-dad was in the Army which caused them to move around a lot. They finally settled in country Victoria, Australia. Being the youngest of four children she admits she was spoilt a bit. Even drove her mum crazy when she refused to eat meat at a young age.

Now, Lila lives with her husband and two children.

She started writing in 2013 and self-published the first of the Hawks MC: Ballarat Charter series- Holding Out. Since then, she has published eleven other titles, which range from erotica, humorous romance, YA and paranormal.

AUTHOR LINKS

Email
Website
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok

Release Blitz & Review: Prince of Lies by Lucy Lennox

BLURB

Rowe Prince is a lying liar who windmills into my life in full colour, claiming to be Sterling Chase, a quirky, eccentric billionaire… and founder of the company I created.

Two can play at the lying game, though, and I’m not about to let some burrito-delivering, floppy-haired virgin from Indiana best me at a game I was born to play.

So I do him one better and pretend to be Sterling Chase’s new assistant. I’ll teach him a lesson that will hopefully wind us both up in bed… with nothing but the truth between us.

But it turns out his shameless lies are enchanting… unintentionally hilarious… and make it all too easy to forget the truth…

Until I learn that this cutie’s intent is to defraud the company I’ve spent years building. I have to choose: risk the company or say goodbye to the man I’m falling for. A guy who just might be…

The Prince of Lies

Genre: MM Romance

Tropes: Billionaire/Mistaken Identity

Review

This was a sweet and amusing read.

Full of heart and humour what starts out as a ruse to get into a charity event so Rowe can talk to someone about his idea turns into a twisty, sweet, crazy, fun journey into love and having his dreams come true.

I really liked the two MC’s Rowe and Bash, you couldn’t get two people from such different backgrounds who essentially want the same thing; to make a difference to people’s lives.

I loved how Rowe dug himself deeper and deeper into his outrageous lies every time he opened his mouth and I loved Bash’s reaction to those outrageous comments, I swear I couldn’t stop grinning at times.

The guys behind Stirling Chase, a start-up company, have managed to remain anonymous since it’s inception, but when Rowe (fake Stirling Chase) brings his idea to the attention of the group, it opens a can of worms no one was expecting and none of what is uncovered is good and could be detrimental to the company and their anonymity. I liked how the guys handled things and how they did the right and moral thing despite any fallout that could have occurred.

Bash and his friends were right characters and I really hope we get to know them better in future books because they would make for some fun and interesting times if the interaction they have in Prince of Lies is any indication.

GOODREADS LINK

BOOKBUB LINK

AMAZON PURCHASE LINKS

US
UK
CA
AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

AUTHOR BIO

Lucy Lennox is a USA Today bestselling author and winner of the A.C. Katt Gay Debut Novel Award.

After enjoying creative writing as a child, Lucy didn’t write her first novel until she was over 40 years old. Her debut novel, Borrowing Blue, was published in the autumn of 2016. Lucy has an English Literature degree from Vanderbilt University, but that doesn’t hold a candle to the years and years of staying up all night reading tantalizing novels on her own. She has three children, plays tennis, and hates folding laundry. While her husband is no shmoopy romance hero, he is very good at math, cooks a mean lasagne, has gorgeous eyes, looks hot in his business clothes, and makes her laugh every single day. She writes gay romance with heart, humour, and heat!

AUTHOR LINKS

Website / Facebook / Facebook Group / Instagram / Pinterest

Twitter / Amazon / Goodreads / BookBub