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…
Best New Artist by B.A Tortuga
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Best New Artist
AUTHOR: BA Tortuga
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 204 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2017
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Kasey “Tuff” Tuffman just told Nashville to kiss his you know what. After winning Best New Artist at an award show, he knows it’s time to head back home to Texas. So after a very public meltdown, Tuff makes his way to Austin, where the Red Dirt music lives large. Jonah Littlejohn once loved KT more than anything in the world. When KT loses it on national TV, Jonah knows he has to reach out and offer his home studio as a place to heal and make music. A bad relationship has left Jonah broken and wary of romance, but he wants to help his old lover out. Seeing Jonah again proves to Tuff that he’s made the right decision. Now all he has to do is convince Jonah that they’re the most perfect duet there’s ever been….Read More »
Honor and Pride (Guarding the Gods) by Ann Lister
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Honor and Pride
SERIES: Guarding the Gods (book #2)
AUTHOR: Ann Lister
PUBLISHER: Rock Gods, Inc.
LENGTH: 442 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2017
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* * * Since the topic of college hazing could be a trigger for some, please consider this a warning as this may not be a book you’d be comfortable reading. * * * Fizzbo is used to taking care of people. He’s the one in charge of the personal and professional security needs for both world-famous rock bands, Ivory Tower and Black Ice. Having their backs is what he does best, and he takes pride in that, both on and off the job. When he’s called into action to save the man he loves, all of his skills are put to the test. Suddenly, he isn’t so sure his training will be enough, but saving Kensey is personal, and he’s willing do anything to keep him safe. Kensey Pride is the man who rocked Fizzbo’s world when they met during the European tour with Ivory Tower and Black Ice. Kensey’s passion for his job, making people look and feel beautiful in their own skin, is something he lacks in his own life until the magnetism of a certain security guard comes along and breaks down the walls he’s built around his heart to keep him safe. For the first time in his life, Kensey discovers he likes who he sees looking back at him in the mirror. Without the safety of those walls and his heart left unprotected, Kensey becomes an easy target for those who can’t let go of the past. Will Fizzbo’s strength and love be enough to bring Kensey home, or will old truths be too much for the guard to handle?…Read More »
Olive Juice by TJ Klune
![Olive Juice by [Klune, TJ]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51m3Dix7noL.jpg)
Reviewed by Minxhalo
TITLE: Olive Juice
AUTHOR: TJ Klune
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 121 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 26, 2017
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It begins with a message that David cannot ignore:
I want to see you.
He agrees, and on a cold winter’s night, David and Phillip will come together to sift through the wreckage of the memory of a life no longer lived.
David is burdened, carrying with him the heavy guilt of the past six years upon his shoulders.
Phillip offers redemption….Read More »
Point and Shoot (Death and Destruction) by Patricia Logan
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Point and Shoot
SERIES: Death and Destruction (book #5)
AUTHOR: Patricia Logan
PUBLISHER: Westburg Publishing
LENGTH: 2448kb
RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2017
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Thayne Wolfe and Jarrett Evans have been working together for nearly a year. Now, living together as well, their relationship has taken on a whole new meaning for both men. It seems that danger has always been a part of their lives in the ATF but when SAC Stanger sends them to a relatively routine crime scene, things quickly get complicated. Someone has been arming Los Angeles street gangs with automatic weapons missing their serial numbers. Lincoln Snow from the FBI’s LA field office, has a new partner, McBride M. McCallahan, a massive former Green Beret. The men are chasing a kidnapper, trying to rescue a child from an online sex ring. When their case intersects with the ATF’s through stolen weapons, Lincoln and Mac team up with Jarrett and Thayne to solve their case as well. From a desert hunting lodge for the insanely wealthy, to the gang-infested streets of Los Angeles, the men follow the guns to solve both their cases. In a race for time to save a little boy and keep themselves above ground long enough to find out who’s pulling the strings, all they want to do is put this case to bed….Read More »
Darkest Hour Before Dawn (THIRDS, BOOK 9) By Charlie Cochet
Reviewed by Roberta
TITLE: Darkest Hour Before Dawn
SERIES: THIRDS #9
AUTHOR: Charlie Cochet
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 224 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2017
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Sequel to Thick & Thin
THIRDS: Book Nine
THIRDS Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs and Chief Medical Examiner Hudson Colbourn are as much in love now as they were nearly seven years ago when a tragic event on the job destroyed their relationship. The two drift together only to be pulled apart time and time again. When Hudson draws the interest of dangerous enemies, both within and outside the organization, Seb wants nothing more than to protect the man who still means everything to him.
As life-and-death events, an uncertain future, and startling truths draw Hudson and Seb to each other yet again, they must make a choice: trust their love and take strength from what they share, or lose what matters most… for good this time…Read More »
Tied to You by Riley Hart
Reviewed by Caroline and Cinnamon
TITLE: Tied to You
SERIES: Wild Side book 2
AUTHOR: Riley Hart
PUBLISHER: self published
LENGTH: 239 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2017
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Miles Sorenson prides himself on his brutal honesty. Facts and logic are a hell of a lot easier to deal with than emotions. He’s got his career and a small, close-knit group of friends, and he doesn’t need nor want anything else. The total opposite of Quinn Barker, who doesn’t take life too seriously and thinks a good laugh can cure anything.
When Quinn takes Miles home, it’s supposed to be a one-time deal. Except they really click in the sack and end up spending the weekend together, enjoying each others’ bodies as much as their company…to Miles’ dismay. Matters get even more muddled when, months later, they run into each other at the popular West Hollywood bar, Wild Side, and pick up right where they left off.
On the surface, Quinn and Miles are like oil and water, but the draw between them is undeniable. As their lives further entwine, they realize there’s more to their connection than the way they singe the sheets together.
But demons from the past have a way of catching up, and no matter how strong the link is tying Miles and Quinn together, the pressure may be enough to make it snap….Read More »
See My Words by Melanie Hansen
REVIEWED by Amber and Caroline
TITLE: See My Words
SERIES: Spectrum Nights
AUTHOR: Melanie Hansen
PUBLISHER: Ninestar Press
LENGTH: 272
RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2017
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Successful underwear model Scott Ashworth is lucky—his attack at the hands of an unknown assailant will leave no visible scars. His professional goals are still within reach, and best of all, his stepbrother Rylan Mahoney is back in his life, their teenage infatuation at last getting the chance to deepen into something more.
Thrown together by the circumstances of Scott’s injury, Rylan’s long-dormant feelings for him are quickly rekindled, though he’s haunted by the memory of Scott’s disappearance on the night of his eighteenth birthday and the six missing years that followed. Rylan pushes Scott for the truth, a firm believer in the maxim that secrets lose their power once they’re shared—but resurrecting old demons almost always comes with a price.
Before Scott knows it, his life is spiraling out of control, his toxic insecurities welling up to threaten the fragile relationship he’s building with Rylan. Learning to let go of the past and believe in himself will be Scott’s greatest challenge, or else he risks losing Rylan forever this time….Read More »
Preacher, Prophet, Beast (Tyack & Frayne #7) by Harper Fox
Reviewed by Vicki (Tori)
TITLE: Preacher, Prophet, Beast
SERIES: Tyack and Frayne #7
AUTHOR: Harper Fox
PUBLISHER: Foxtales
LENGTH: 160 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 20th, 2017
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This is the seventh book in the Tyack & Frayne Mystery series.
Lee would gladly trade all his psychic gifts for a chance at ordinary life with his husband and his little girl. Three years into their marriage, they’re settled in their new home – but the House of Joy can’t shield them from an oncoming threat with the power to uproot their whole world.
Lee can’t define it further, and even his beloved Gideon can’t unmask a monster with no face at all. Gideon is mired in problems and secrets of his own as he struggles to adjust to his new rank and the complexities of plainclothes police work with CID, and for once the devoted Tyack-Frayne partnership is failing to communicate.
Turbulent times in the world at large reach deep into the Bodmin heartland, and the village of Dark is without its guardian constable. More than Lee and Gideon can possibly know has been depending upon their rapport, and as the summer rises towards the longest day, a new and unfathomable kind of Beast is afoot on the moors……Read More »
A Gathering Storm (Porthkennack #2) by Joanna Chambers
Reviewed by Chris
TITLE: A Gathering Storm
SERIES: Porthkennack #2
AUTHOR: Joanna Chambers
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 274 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2017
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When grief-stricken scientist Sir Edward Fitzwilliam provokes public scorn by defending a sham spiritualist, he’s forced to retreat to Porthkennack to lick his wounds. Ward’s reputation is in tatters, but he’s determined to continue the work he began after the death of his beloved brother.
In Porthkennack, Ward meets Nicholas Hearn, land steward to the Roscarrock family. Ward becomes convinced that Nick, whose Romany mother was reportedly clairvoyant, is the perfect man to assist with his work. But Nick — who has reason to distrust the whims of wealthy men — is loath to agree. Until Fate steps in to lend a hand.
Despite Nick’s misgivings, he discovers that Ward is not the high-handed aristocrat he first thought. And when passion ignites between them, Nick learns there’s much more to love than the rushed, clandestine encounters he’s used to. Nevertheless, Nick’s sure that wealthy, educated Ward will never see him as an equal.
A storm is gathering, but with Nick’s self-doubts and Ward’s growing obsession, the fragile bond between the two men may not be strong enough to withstand it….Read More »
Dyed and Gone to Heaven (Curl Up and Dye Mysteries #3) by Aimee Nicole Walker
Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Dyed and Gone to Heaven
SERIES: Curl up and Dye #3
AUTHOR: Aimee Nicole Walker
PUBLISHER: Self- Published
LENGTH: 264 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2017
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Gabe and Josh’s romantic dinner date to celebrate love and life takes a shocking twist when a man who’s presumed dead enters the restaurant. What Gabe learns that night and the days that follow sends the homicide investigation down a road full of sharp twists and dangerous turns.
Josh is finally living the life he’s always wanted. He has a man who loves him just the way he is and an exciting new career opportunity. All of that feels threatened when a mysterious neighbor moves into the neighborhood. Josh is convinced his presence is more than a coincidence and questions what fate has in store for the happy couple.
Can Gabe find the balance between work and love or will his focus on justice put their harmony in jeopardy? Can Josh continue to overcome his insecurities or will they overshadow the beautiful life he’s building with the man he loves?
Dyed and Gone to Heaven is the third book in the Curl Up and Dye Mysteries series. These books were written to be read in order. They contain sexually explicit material and are intended for adults 18 and older….Read More »
Vodka and Handcuffs by Brandon Witt
Reviewed by Cinnamon
TITLE: Vodka and Handcuffs
SERIES: Mary’s Boys Book 2
AUTHOR: Brandon Witt
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 112 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 26, 2017
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Vahin Arora, Hamburger Mary’s sexy bartender, plays the flirtatious role so well even his closest friends—his chosen family at Mary’s—don’t realize Vahin hasn’t had a hookup in months. Then Tall, Dark, and Handsome steps through the door, and Vahin’s libido races back to life.
Being a black cop on the Denver police force is no easy job—Marlon Barton can’t imagine adding being gay to the equation. And while Marlon loves his work as an officer, his life has taken a turn for the hellish because of his new partner, the nephew of a senator.
Fleeing his partner’s company one night, Marlon stumbles into Mary’s for the first time… and wakes up with a hangover in the bartender’s bed. The one-night stand heats up into a budding romance, but not without stress as Marlon’s partner’s actions threaten Vahin’s livelihood and Marlon’s future on the force. Can Vahin and Marlon face the challenges and hold on to the love, friendship, and family they’ve found?…Read More »
Frostbite by Alexandria Bellefleur
Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Frostbite
AUTHOR: Alexandria Bellefleur
PUBLISHER: Less Than Three Press
LENGTH: 18,000 words
RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2017
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After his sister touches a lethal Frost Flower and succumbs to Frozen Sickness, Rainor seeks out the mysterious Dragon, who purportedly holds the only cure for the fatal disease. In gratitude for saving his sister’s life, Rainor agrees to bring him fresh bread twice a week—despite the man’s insistence he wants for nothing.
As Rainor makes his deliveries, the two slowly become friends, and Rainor finds in the Dragon all the things he never found in his little village. But on his way to make his latest delivery, the unthinkable happens, and Rainor fears that if he asks for the cure he needs to live, he’ll lose the man he’s coming to love…Read More »
Pandora by Marguerite Labbe
Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Pandora
AUTHOR: Marguerite Labbe
PUBLISHER: DSP Publications
LENGTH: 219 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2017
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Haunted by the screams of the men he murdered, ex-Marine medic Riff Khora is serving a life sentence on board a prison ship. Seeking more punishment for his crime, he strikes a deal with the corrupt Captain Vidal—an exchange of pleasure and pain—and forges a new life leading the team that surveys space wreckage for salvage.
Ship engineer Zed Jakobsen’s psychometric abilities make prison a sentence worse than death, and the barrage of emotional stimuli is an unending torment. His only regret is that he didn’t kill the monster who sent him to prison, and only a glimmer of hope to escape a judgment he doesn’t deserve keeps him clinging to a brutal existence.
When they board derelict ship Pandora and discover a lone survivor, the hell of prison life plunges into abject horror. An epidemic of violence and insanity consumes their ship, driving the crew to murder and destruction. Mutual need draws Riff and Zed together, and their bond gives them the strength to fight a reality they cannot trust. But Vidal possesses the only means of escape from the nightmare, and he’s not letting anyone leave alive….Read More »
Cherished by Two (Soul Match, #2) by Morticia Knight
Reviewed by Tammy
TITLE: Cherished by Two
SERIES: Soul Match, #2
AUTHOR: Morticia Knight
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 201 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2017
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Destiny rewards those who embrace it.
Chris and his alien soul matches, Lasar and Nary, are ready to deepen their new bond as mates. It’s also time for Chris to begin his training as a Nasha, or sub, and for Nary to embrace his new role as Ahna, or Dom, to Chris. As three in the soul match, they are unique. Not only have Alasharians never matched with a human, they’ve never matched as three.
What makes them special also puts them in danger. The Supreme Soul Healer warned Chris that many changes were ahead, ones even more startling than the original invasion. They must keep their bond a secret until they know who they can trust.
As Ahna to both Nary and Chris, Lasar carries the responsibility of protecting his mates. A proud Alasharian warrior and commander, he’ll stop at nothing to keep them safe and to help Chris find his missing mother and sisters. To make sure that Chris’ cousin Morgan isn’t sent back to the slave cages, he’s also arranged for a fellow commander to take Morgan into his care when he returns from battle.
Lasar and Nary are invited to a pleasure party by the Alasharian’s leader, the Nall, and are forced to bring Chris and Morgan. But a terrifying turn of events sets in motion what might be the beginning of the end for them all, unless they can resist the void.
Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of dubious consent, non-consent and violence.…Read More »
Gasping For Air by T.S. McKinney
![Gasping For Air (Gameday Book 2) by [McKinney, T.S.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41Iumu2YKuL.jpg)
Reviewed by Cinnamon
TITLE: Gasping For Air
SERIES: Gameday Book 2
AUTHOR: T.S. McKinney
PUBLISHER: Painted Hearts Publishing
LENGTH: 456 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 22, 2017
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How far will Trystan go to win the heart of the man he loves? All the way.
Trystan Matherly is conceited, arrogant, and rich. He has plenty of money, athletic ability, and gorgeous looks to keep the men forming a long line just to be with him. Choosing his next lover has been as simple as down-selecting to the hottest candidate.
Until Dakota.
With his sad eyes, full lips, and perfectly sculpted swimmer’s body, Dakota is just the kind of lover Trystan wants. After only one look, he knows he has to have him. Too bad Dakota seems to be totally oblivious to all his charms.
Dakota Jacobson is lonely, tired, and depressed. He’s at Alabama Temple to complete his degree, not to put up with idiots. He works diligently to be as invisible as possible. He doesn’t need friends and he sure doesn’t need lovers…especially not football titans that think they rule the world. Nope; been there, done that.
Until Trystan.
With his sexy eyes, arrogant smirk, and muscled physique, Trystan is just the kind of lover Dakota never intends to have…again. Too bad Trystan refuses to allow him to be invisible…Read More »
My Alpha’s Secret (Second Chance Mates #1) by Rosa Swann
Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: My Alpha’s Secret
SERIES: Second Chance Mates #1
AUTHOR: Rosa Swann
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 65 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 3rd, 2016
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Wilder
Ten years ago, Logan left me. He told me that two Alphas cannot be together, he told me that our mating wasn’t real.
Yesterday, my sister called me and told me that Logan passed away, leaving behind an Omega and a child.
Today, I’m at Logan’s funeral. Why am I offering to look after his little family?
Sterling
Logan and I had everything we wanted: a house, a beautiful daughter and lots of big dreams. Then he was ripped away from us in a car crash.
His family is too busy to help me out after the funeral, so one of Logan’s old friends steps in.
Only, in all the commotion, I didn’t keep an eye on the calendar, and my heat starts at the most inconvenient of times.
And why is Logan’s friend reacting to my heat? Only true mates are supposed to react to a mated Omega…
This is the first episode of Second Chance Mates, which takes place in a non-shifter Omegaverse world and contains mpreg (male-pregnancy)…Read More »
Gabriel (Order of the Black Knights, #5) by RK Staunton
Reviewed by Tammy
TITLE: Gabriel
SERIES: Order of the Black Knights, #5
AUTHOR: RK Staunton
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 219 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2017
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Gabriel Ingram is running from his past. It’s common knowledge at the college where he teaches that he’s a former CIA technical analyst, but no one knows the things he really did—or about the rage and bloodlust that are his constant companions. He’s holding on to his normal life with both hands, but he knows someday he’ll lose his grip.
Lucas Craig is a social worker studying to become a family therapist. For reasons Lucas can’t understand, the normally reclusive Professor Ingram takes an interest in him, and Lucas secretly hopes their friendship might become more.
Then Eric, Lucas’s roommate, disappears. Lucas is frantic. The police are no help. With nowhere else to turn, Lucas begs Gabriel for his expertise.
What starts as a simple errand to help a friend becomes a journey into a violent world of gangs and human trafficking—one that will bring Gabriel face-to-face with the forces intent on stealing his soul. But Lucas might be the one who can save him—if Gabriel can get them out alive….Read More »