Reviewed by Kimberley

TITLE: Boystown Season Eight

SERIES: Boystown # 8

AUTHOR: Jake Biondi

PUBLISHER: Self Publishing

LENGTH:  522 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2018

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Bright sunshine sparkled on the fresh layer of snow that coated the ground of the cemetery. Dressed in black overcoats, friends and family members of the deceased, many of whom had attended the burial of another loved one just days earlier, stood in rows like soldiers as they watched the flower-covered casket slowly being lowered into the ground. Those closest to the grave gently tossed additional roses onto the casket as it made its descent. A priest, dressed in white, stood solemnly at the head of the grave offering a final blessing for the Mancini brother being laid to rest. Saying goodbye can be one of the most difficult events in a person’s life.” –BOYSTOWN Season Seven The shocking deaths of two beloved Boystown residents bring heartache and uncertainty to the lives of all who knew them. As family and friends grieve, the search begins for Joyelle Mancini and her daughter, who find themselves in the captivity of a madman. In the meantime, Aiden Carmichael continues his plan to destroy the Ciancio and Mancini families. During the height of the holiday season, two strangers descend upon Boystown. The dashing Victor DelVecchio and the sexy Brad Ward arrive in Chicago just as several couples come to crossroads in their relationships. While some vow to move forward together and others choose to move in different directions individually, Victor and Brad have plans of their own which will permanently impact the Boystown landscape. As Christmas approaches, a startling murder leaves a killer on the loose. With the arrival of the worst blizzard in Chicago history, someone struggles to keep his true identity from his friends, an evil plan tears apart one of Boystown’s most prominent couples, and several unforeseen events result in life-threatening situations for members of the Ciancio and Mancini families. There’s no place like BOYSTOWN! 

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Worth His Salt

SERIES: Tattooed Corpses #2

AUTHOR: Ofelia Gränd

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 47 pages

RELEASE DATE: January 1, 2018

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Eldred Henstare is a not so powerful witch who’s been left in charge of helping the city’s lingering spirits to move on. He usually handles it pretty well, but something’s wrong with the spirit leading him to the abandoned lighthouse.
Mo Vin likes his quiet life in the cottage next to the lighthouse, at least it’s quiet until one night when Eldred Henstare—young, beautiful and crazy—arrives. After that night things aren’t the same. A man is found dead on the beach outside Mo’s cottage, and he’s almost sure he’s the one who killed him, except it doesn’t make sense. Why would he kill anyone?
Eldred needs to get rid of the ghost haunting Mo. If he doesn’t Mo’s life is in danger, but to do it he needs both Mo and his brother Lachtin to help out.

Reviewed by Kimberley

TITLE: Fallen Into You

SERIES: Intoxication #4

AUTHOR: Remmy Duchene

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

LENGTH: 109 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 26, 2017

BLURB:

Lust is just the beginning…

Growing up, Mathias Jago’s life was not a walk in the park. All he knows comes from the streets, so it was no surprise he wound up taking his clothes off for a living. Mathias settles into his life of regret and twenty dollar bills sliding into his underthings.

When Abhay Chetan walks into The Thornless Rose he instantly takes Mathias’ breath away. But that is just a momentary lapse in judgment…right?

Abhay Chetan, tech guru, is all work and no play. Besides, the last time he’d gotten involved with anything to do with his sexuality, he’d been disowned. Love is not on his radar. Then his friends talk him into a night out at a gentleman’s club and he goes more to shut them up than anything else. As the night wears on, Abhay is bored out of his mind until ‘The Gentleman’ is announced and Abhay cannot keep his eyes off the stallion in the dark suit. When two days later he’s still thinking about ‘The Gentleman,’ Abhay figures he can either do something about it, or let it drive him crazy.

Reviewed by Kimberley

TITLE: Body and Soul

SERIES: Twist of Fate, #3

AUTHOR: Lucy Lennox, Sloane Kennedy

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 335 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 2, 2018

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Oz: Escaping the international modeling scene to design my own fashion collection is the first step to shucking my bobble-headed supermodel reputation and proving to the world I’m more than just a pretty face. But the minute I have to accept roadside help from the sexy man next door, I feel like the airhead people think I am. And what’s worse, the man clearly doesn’t think I’m worth the time of day.

But despite trying to ignore my attraction to the mysterious doctor, I can’t help but be drawn to him. With every moment spent together, I begin to realize he’s hiding more than just some details of his past. He has one foot out the door.

As soon as I start to feel like everything might be coming together for me, I realize the man I’m falling in love with isn’t who I thought he was.

Jake: After three years on the run for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I’ve finally found a seemingly safe place to settle in Haven, Colorado. With friends, a job, and a cabin in the woods, I have everything I need to live a simple life without drawing attention to myself. Everything’s fine. Fine.

Until I meet my new neighbor. The gorgeous man is anything but subtle and brings color to my life that I didn’t know was missing. But I learned years ago that falling in love with someone wasn’t an option anymore when simply being seen with me could have dire consequences. It’s time for me to run again, but I wonder if it’s safe to stick around just long enough for a taste…

Just when I begin to realize Oz is the missing piece to bring me back to life after years of hiding, my past catches up to me and throws everyone around me into danger. I know I should run, but what if it’s time to finally stop running and make a stand, once and for all?

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Reviewed by Tammy

 

 

TITLE: Losing It

SERIES: A Ringside Romance, #4

AUTHOR: Christine d’Abo

PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing

LENGTH: 229 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 19, 2018

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Finn Miller doesn’t do social. He works his IT job from home as often as he can to avoid people. If it weren’t for his weekly training sessions at Ringside Gym, he might never leave his apartment. And he only does that because of Leo, the gym member he’s in love with. When Finn gets talked into attending a speed dating fund-raiser at the gym, his greatest wish is to have the courage to try to say something, anything, to Leo.

Justin McCormick has spent most of his adult life being used, whether playing a corporate heavy, or acting as guard dog for his ward. So, when he leaves Vancouver for a fresh start in Toronto, he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself.

The moment Justin sees Finn at a speed dating event, he knows there’s no way he’ll make it without a little help, so he offers to coach Finn on the art of conversation. What he doesn’t count on is his unexpected attraction to this shy boxer, or his fear that if Finn gets his way, Justin might lose out on his best chance at love.

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Release Day Review: Teaching Ben by Shae Connor

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REVIEWED by Cindy

 

TITLE: Teaching Ben

SERIES: Dreamspun Desires

AUTHOR: Shae Connor

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 170 Pages

RELEASE DATE: February 20, 2018

BLURB:

Learning to love means a study in patience.

Fresh out of the military, Ben Cooper is ready for a new start. He’s away from his domineering father, making his own choices… and out of the closet. On his first day of college, he meets David Powell, who’s just the kind of gorgeous man Ben’s dreamed of. Too bad he’s the teaching assistant—which makes him off-limits in Ben’s eyes.

David is Ben’s age, but his life has taken a different path. He’s close with his family, who helped him deal with personal struggles after he came out. And while he’s staying away from any hint of scandal, Ben’s a kind of temptation he hasn’t faced in years. If only they’d met on more equal footing.

As the semester progresses and their lives become more entwined, keeping their relationship platonic becomes more difficult. They just have to hold out until the end of the semester….

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Book Review: Not All Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks by Rebecca Cohen

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Reviewed by Becca

 

TITLE: Not All Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks

SERIES: World of Love

AUTHOR: Rebecca Cohen

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 132 pages

RELEASE DATE: January 12, 2018

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Neither of them wants to fall in love, but getting exactly what they don’t want might be the best thing to ever happen to them.
Mark hopes his boredom with his current job will be alleviated by a short stint in Basel, Switzerland. When he meets Steffen, who struck out on his own from an old-money family to establish an IT firm, Mark expects some fun, great sex, and a clean break when his job is done. The arrangement is perfect for Steffen, who has been content with casual after a betrayal—and has a taste for British men after attending university in the UK. But as they explore the city’s rich history and traditions, Mark begins to see Steffen as much more than a tour guide with benefits. If he isn’t careful, the trip meant to break the lull in his career might end up breaking his heart instead….

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Recent Release Review: Blind Passion by Penny Brandon

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Reviewed by Becca

 

 

TITLE: Blind Passion

AUTHOR: Penny Brandon

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 221 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2018

BLURB:

Attraction for Adam was not a handsome face, a striking smile, or beautiful eyes, but a scent that would drive him to distraction or a voice that could make his heart beat faster. When the combination of the two walked into his life in Luke, Adam couldn’t help but want him. But how was he supposed to know if Luke felt the same attraction? He had no prior experience, no past encounters, nothing to help him. Not even his sight.
One look at Adam and Luke wanted him. Sensual, gorgeous, kind, with a strength that Luke was drawn to, Adam was everything Luke desired. Being in Adam’s arms, showing him the pleasure of a man’s body, being touched, held, and desired in return, had Luke wanting more, had him wanting what he knew he couldn’t have.
It didn’t matter to him that Adam was blind, but Adam deserved more than someone like him. Luke was a man with a broken past and falling in love with Adam was a foolish thing to do, especially because Adam would never love him back if he found out what Luke was hiding.

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Book Review: Making It (A Ringside Romance, #3) by Christine d’Abo

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Reviewed by Tammy

 

TITLE: Making It

SERIES: A Ringside Romance, #3

AUTHOR: Christine d’Abo

PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing

LENGTH: 239 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 7, 2017

BLURB:

Devan knows exactly what he wants from life: a good career, a husband who loves him, and a child to call his own. He’s working at the perfect job, and has found the man of his dreams in Eli. That only leaves one box left to tick. When his friend offers to be a surrogate mother for Devan and Eli, he’s convinced all his dreams have come true.

Eli has been fighting his entire life. Fighting to keep his sick mother safe, fighting his frustration, and fighting daily as an up-and-coming MMA star. The one thing he can’t fight is the feeling that he’s made a terrible mistake agreeing to be a father with Devan. On the worst night of their lives, Eli knows Devan is better off without him, and leaves.

When Eli returns three years later, he comes face-to-face with Devan and a son who might be his. Devan has moved on with his life, but seeing Eli once again reignites forgotten passion. Yet if Eli wants to make it work with Devan, he must decide if he’s ready for the biggest fight of his life.

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