Book of the Week Poll
Welcome to the Love Bytes Book of the Week Poll!
Here are the books which achieved a 4.5 or 5.0 review last week from our reviewers.
As a reminder, the top two books from each week’s poll will roll into our Book of the Month poll at month’s end. Happy Voting!
Please scroll to the very bottom for the voting section.
POLL SCHEDULE:
This poll will remain open until at least 6PM, Amsterdam time next Friday. The actual closing time will vary depending on blog staff schedules…
Unexpected Christmas by Nell Iris
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Unexpected Christmas
AUTHOR: Nell Iris
PUBLISHER: JMS Books LLC
LENGTH: 50 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 16, 2017
BLURB:
Daniel Erickson stormed out of his family celebration after choking on his turkey served with a side of bigotry. Utterly miserable, he reluctantly lets himself be charmed by the hulk of a man and gets into his car…hoping he won’t be ax murdered.
Axel Wilson—Ax for short, unfortunately—is a sweetheart. Really. He may be badass-looking but his heart melts into goo at the mere mention of his four-year-old niece. Surely, he’s not dangerous?
Thrown together by family drama, they spend the evening getting to know each other. Axel is nothing like Daniel expected. But it doesn’t matter that he loves poetry, is gentle and patient—and hot!—Daniel is absolutely not falling in love at first sight. There’s no such thing.
Right…?
Waiting for Walker by Robin Reardon
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Waiting for Walker
AUTHOR: Robin Reardon
PUBLISHER: Smashwords
LENGTH: 308 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2017
BLURB:
Micah Jeager’s life is a mess. His folks have split, and now he lives with his mother in the manager’s unit of a motel. His mother is seeing a medium to communicate with Micah’s older brother, killed in Afghanistan. He had to change schools for his junior year, which made him retreat further into himself, hiding behind his camera—and hiding that he’s gay.
One sunny day in June, as he’s shooting a dead seagull on the shore of Long Island Sound, a mysterious guy appears in a beautiful sailboat. At first, the guy’s boat shoes are the image that stays with Micah. But soon it’s the person himself, Walker Donnell, who haunts Micah’s dreams.
Walker’s life looks perfect to Micah. His wealthy parents adore him; he has everything he could want; he’s gorgeous and generous; and he falls hard for Micah. But he has a secret: Walker is intersex.
The closer Walker and Micah grow, the more Walker feels a need to be sure of himself in ways he hasn’t fully faced before, and now it’s his turn to retreat. Micah knows Walker is worth waiting for, so he waits. And waits.
Apocalypse Alley (Blue Unicorn #2) by Don Allmon
Reviewed by Sarina
TITLE: Apocalypse Alley
SERIES: Blue Unicorn #2
AUTHOR: Don Allmon
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 201 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 26, 2018
BLURB:
Home from a six-month assignment to war-torn East Asia, genetically engineered supersoldier Noah “Comet” Wu just wants to kick back, share a beer, and talk shit with his best friend, JT. But JT’s home has been shot up like a war zone, and his friend has gone missing.
Comet’s only lead is a smart-mouthed criminal he finds amid the mess. His name’s Buzz Howdy. He’s a con man and a hacker and deserves to be in jail. Or in handcuffs, at least. The only thing the two have in common is JT. Unless you count the steamy glances they’re sneaking at one another. They have those in common too. But that just makes Comet all the more wary.
Despite their mutual distrust, they’ll have to work together to rescue JT before a cyborg assassin gets to him first. Racing down a miserable stretch of road called Apocalypse Alley, they must dodge radioactive spiders, a lonely cannibal, and a killer Buick. They also try to dodge each other. That last bit doesn’t work out so well.
Where Death Meets the Devil by L.J. Hayward
REVIEWED by Jen B.
TITLE: Where Death Meets the Devil
AUTHOR: L.J. Hayward
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 395 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 26, 2018
BLURB:
Jack Reardon, former SAS soldier and current Australian Meta-State asset, has seen some messy battles. But “messy” takes on a whole new meaning when he finds himself tied to a chair in a torture shack, his cover blown wide open, all thanks to notorious killer-for-hire Ethan Blade.
Blade is everything Jack doesn’t believe in: remorseless, detached, lawless. Yet, Jack’s only chance to survive is to strike a bargain with the devil and join forces with Blade. As they trek across a hostile desert, Jack learns that Blade is much more than a dead-eyed killer—and harder to resist than he should be.
A year later, Jack is home and finally getting his life on track. Then Ethan Blade reappears and throws it all into chaos once more. It’s impossible to trust the assassin, especially when his presence casts doubts on Jack’s loyalty to his country, but Jack cannot ignore what Blade’s return means: the mess that brought them together is far from over, and Ethan might just bring back the piece of Jack’s soul he thought he’d lost forever.
Here Without You (Cooper’s Ridge #2) by JJ Harper
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Here Without You
SERIES: Cooper’s Ridge #2
AUTHOR: JJ Harper
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 348 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 27, 2018
BLURB:
Archer Hawkins and Mallory Halston literally run into each other and a true love story is born. Archer pursues Mallory with absolute determination making him fall hook, line, and sinker.
“I really would like to get to know you, Mallory.” His voice husky in my ear.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea, I’m sorry.” I’m already kicking myself for turning him down. “That’s okay, I’ll ask again tomorrow, and the day after, I’ll get you to say yes in the end.”
But just when they’re about to get everything they ever hoped tragedy strikes leaving Mal alone and adrift. Putting his past behind him Mal stumbles upon Cooper’s Ridge. Changing his name to Carter, he takes a chance, becoming a bartender at The Last Drop Inn, and embarking on a new life.
Local attorney, Dan Mortimer, has finally found and captured the heart of Cooper’s Ridge’s newest resident, Carter.
“I was coming in to see you, and maybe get you to agree to dinner with me. C’mon Carter it’s only dinner, I’m a nice guy I promise.”
But when Dan’s college friend comes to town to recuperate after a horrible car accident, it seems the most important men in his life may have something to answer for. And just how far will an evil, conniving, homophobic mother with a vendetta go to bring them all down?
This book can be read as a standalone
Here Without You is a gay ménage story with plenty of hot sex and strong language and is therefore suitable for readers aged 18 and over.
Switching Places (Kiss of Leather # 8) Morticia Knight
Reviewed by Kimberley
TITLE: Switching Places
SERIES: Kiss of Leather # 8
AUTHOR: Morticia Knight
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 215 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 27, 2018
BLURB:
Tai wishes Master Lucas wasn’t such an adamant Top, but he’s also crushing on the sweetly submissive Elliot. Could he have it both ways?
Tai has hit a wall in life. From all outward appearances, he’s the guy who has everything—looks, personality and money. But the modeling gigs are drying up and he still hasn’t found that special someone to call his own. The part-time work at Kiss of Leather is quickly becoming full-time to prevent the drain on his dream-business savings.
Elliot fell for the stunning Tai from almost the moment he met him. If he wasn’t so self-conscious about the weight he’s recently put on, maybe he could work up the nerve to make a move. However, not only is he a virgin who’s never done a scene before working in a BDSM club, but he’s also sure that Tai has a thing for Master Lucas. There’s no way he could ever compete with the handsome silver fox.
When Master Lucas confesses to Tai that he doesn’t only see him as a hookup and offers him a contract, there are a ton of considerations. They both realize that serious compromises would have to be made for them to have a relationship. But what if they found a third, a sub who could bottom for Tai and also do TPE with Master Lucas? Once the idea takes hold, Tai knows just the perfect boy for them both. Even better? He’s right there at Kiss of Leather, and Tai can’t wait for Elliot to turn them all into a throuple.
Reader Advisory: This book contains a scene of assault, and attempted sexual assault.
Semblance by Chris E. Saros
Reviewed by Donna
TITLE: Semblance
AUTHOR: Chris E. Saros
PUBLISHER: DSP Publications
LENGTH: 236 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 27, 2018
BLURB:
Drake isn’t looking for justice. He’s not interested in doing what’s right. He’s after one thing and one thing only: revenge. That means taking down the Boredega drug cartel—and the shadowy, seemingly invincible man who heads it—even if he goes down with them.
Drake plans to destroy the cartel from within, and he uses his nightclub, Semblance, as a front for money laundering and drug trafficking. He’s sacrificed almost everything to complete his mission, and just as he’s getting close, he’s derailed by flirtatious bartender Scotty, who offers Drake a glimpse of the happiness he’s missed by pursuing a personal vendetta. Scotty might be irresistible, but Drake has come too far to turn back now. He’ll have to find a way to keep Scotty safe, fend off persistent prostitute Natasha, feed tips to the authorities, and edge his way closer to the upper echelon of the cartel, where he can finally strike. He’ll need to do it all while keeping his intentions covert—and he’s not the only one at Semblance with secrets.
Family Ties (Bartlett Boys #1) by Poppy Dennison
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Family Ties
SERIES: Bartlett Boys #1
AUTHOR: Poppy Dennison
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 202 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 30, 2018
BLURB:
Blake Bartlett needs a do-over, so he’s going back home to Havendale, Florida, with his three-year-old daughter in tow. The perfect life he built is in ruins and he’s determined to create a new one. The Bartletts are fixtures in the small town of Havendale, and Blake’s extended family welcome him back with open arms. He’s settling in and getting back in his family’s good graces, when he meets Lincoln Coleman. Suddenly, he’s starting to want things he shouldn’t, and their relationship is beginning to heat up.
Linc may have the reputation for being a one-night stand kind of guy, but the rumors aren’t quite right. When he meets Blake and his daughter, he imagines family life and settling down for the first time. There’s only one problem: Blake has taken on a leadership role in the Bartlett Construction business and now Linc works for the man he’s falling in love with.
Blake’s well-intentioned family may have them tied up in knots, but only they can untangle their heart strings…
Secret Seth by Ki Brightly
Reviewed by Louisa
TITLE: Secret Seth 
AUTHOR: Ki Brightly
PUBLISHER: Brightly Books
LENGTH: 275 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 19, 2018
BLURB:
Tyler Faulkner lived for his work, constructing Hollywood sets. His designs were perfect, and he expected equal perfection from his crew and himself. But, talented as he was, he felt trapped. A creative clash with a producer left him out of more than just a job, and Tyler decided that maybe a new beginning was exactly what he needed.
Seth Goodwin was reliable. So rock-steady that his father made him a partner in the family construction business over his older brothers. Seth’s job was simple—he took a highly skilled crew out on the road to build ridiculously expensive projects for rich clients. Their success prompted Seth and his dad to hire a new designer.
Seth wasn’t so steady around Tyler. Tyler didn’t simply draw art; he forced it into reality, elbowing his way into Seth’s work crew and life, whether he wanted him there or not. But Seth had a secret he’s been keeping for a long while, and Tyler, flamboyant and verbose, wasn’t someone who fit in a closet, unless he was looking for the perfect shoes to go with his outfit. Would Seth and Tyler be able to make it work? Or would everyone’s secrets catch up with them?
Omega’s Rockstar (Baby Makes Three #4) by Bella Bennet
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Omega’s Rockstar
SERIES: Baby Makes Three #4
AUTHOR: Bella Bennet
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 245 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 13, 2018
BLURB:
M/M Non-Shifter Alpha/Omega MPREG
A rock star doesn’t need a babysitter.
It’s just the stupid record label forcing them together. They think a reckless alpha like Seth needs a nice omega from Nebraska to keep him in line. Whatever.
A self-made alpha doesn’t need another lover to bring him down.
After what his ex boyfriend did to him, Seth would rather stay single. Mister Rockstar in his pants can find his own action, without any stupid commitments. And Seth especially won’t get involved with that beautiful “sobriety companion” the record label sent over.
Mike doesn’t need Seth. But he does need this job.
“Sobriety companion” for a rock star? What in the world… six feet five inches of beautiful muscle with eyes that just won’t stop. His desert mansion isn’t bad either. And his eyes are definitely wandering over Mike when he thinks Mike isn’t looking.
But Mike is always looking. There wasn’t anybody like this desert-dwelling rockstar stud back in Nebraska.
Mike is saving Seth’s life, but he keeps it professional. He doesn’t want to lose this job, and he definitely doesn’t want to become this badboy’s next load of morning-after trash.
Maybe he can keep his mind off of Seth’s eyes and body and voice. Maybe he can keep things at a very mild simmer. But when Seth rescues Mike from a certain desert mishap, their cool professional distance explodes in the Arizona heat.
Mike’s pregnancy on a hundred-city tour is the last thing any relationship needs, especially when the record company hates to see them giving each other those cutesy looks and rubbing noses together. Can Mike and Seth’s commitment to each other overcome their demons?
Sanctuary Found (Pelican Bay #2) by Sloane Kennedy
REVIEWED by Jen B.
TITLE: Sanctuary Found
SERIES: Pelican Bay #2
AUTHOR: Sloane Kennedy
PUBLISHER: Sloane Kennedy
LENGTH: 307 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 25, 2018
BLURB: Coming home should be the easiest thing in the world, but I’ve never felt more lost…
When his stellar military career comes to an abrupt and terrible end, thirty-two-year-old Maddox Kent returns to the town he never planned to step foot into again, hoping to mend the rift he himself caused with the brother he left behind. But coming home means facing some hard truths about himself and his actions. When he has the chance to start making amends by helping his brother with the wildlife sanctuary he runs, Maddox is thrown another curveball when a stranger appears…
As long as we keep moving, everything will be okay. That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway…
For twenty-one-year-old Isaac, Pelican Bay is only supposed to be a stopping point on the trek from San Francisco to New York. With his little brother, Newt, in tow, Isaac is just looking to make things right by returning something of value to a person he wronged. But “getting lost” in the next big city proves to be a problem when the brutal Minnesota winter claims Isaac’s car and strands him and Newt at the animal sanctuary. When the owners of the place offer him a job, a desperate Isaac agrees, despite the presence of a man Isaac instinctively knows could be his downfall…
It should be so easy to let him go, but I can’t. And not just because I want to protect him…
Nothing about Isaac makes sense to Maddox. Not his piercings or makeup or flashy clothes. And most certainly not the snarky mouth that doesn’t match the vulnerability Maddox sees in the younger man’s eyes. But one thing does make sense to the hardened former soldier. Isaac is running from something, and Maddox’s gut is telling him not to let Isaac and little Newt go until he can ferret out the truth.
But having Isaac around means trying to make sense of something else Maddox isn’t expecting… his own body’s response to the beautiful younger man. Aside from their explosive chemistry, nothing about the straitlaced soldier and the secretive misfit works.
But maybe that’s exactly why it does…
Hurricane Reese by R. L. Merrill
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Hurricane Reese
AUTHOR: R.L. Merrill
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 205 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 30, 2018
BLURB:
The life of Tony-winning musician Reese Matheson resembles a natural disaster, and caregiver Jude De La Torre is caught in the eye of the storm. But can the love of two opposites survive caring for an ornery octogenarian with wayward balls and a meddling family insistent upon tradition?
Fresh off the successful London run of his musical, the last thing Reese expects when he comes home is a house surrounded by paparazzi and his girlfriend throwing his stuff into the pool. All he wants to do is spend time with his beloved grandfather and musical mentor who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Reese knows he doesn’t have much time left before the elder Matheson forgets who he is. In classic “Hurricane Reese” form, he moves into the cottage by the sea and displaces Jude, the intriguing caregiver he hired two years before. When Grandpa proves too much for Reese to handle on his own, Jude comes to his rescue, taming Grandpa… and the Hurricane as well. Soon all Reese can think about is how to get Jude out of his scrubs and into his bed—permanently. Will Hurricane Reese destroy everything in his path, or will this odd couple learn to harmonize together?
The Time of My Life by Nora Phoenix
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: The Time of My Life
AUTHOR: Nora Phoenix
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 354 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 8, 2018
BLURB:
Denver is determined to realize his lifelong dream of becoming a singer. That’s why entering in The Right Note TV contest is the biggest opportunity he’ll ever get. After everything he’s been through with the boyfriend (now ex) from hell, he will not risk losing himself ever again, especially over a guy.
Judah has almost hit rock bottom. His dream to make it as a singer and musician is all but dead. Added to that, he’s broke and he’s about to outwear his welcome with his friends. Taking part in The Right Note is his last chance, but he cannot afford to show who he really is at the risk of permanently alienating his conservative family.
Denver doesn’t want to be drawn to Judah, ’cause the guy spells trouble in every way. But the heart wants what it wants, and Denver seems unable to say no, even when Judah keeps switching from hot to cold on him.
When Judah meets Denver, he knows he’s in deep, deep trouble. He fights the attraction with everything he’s got, but Denver draws him in like the sun. Being with him comes at a price, however, and it’s not just jeopardizing winning the contest. When Denver’s ex stirs up trouble, Judah has to make a decision. Is Denver worth putting everything on the line for?
The Time of My Life is a steamy stand-alone MM romance with a sweet HEA. Please note trigger warnings for domestic abuse and rape.
There are so many good choices in this week’s pulled that it’s very difficult to select my top two or even three.
Thank you so much for supporting Hurricane Reese!