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…
Hard Time (Responsible Adult #2) by C.F. White
Reviewed by Becca
SERIES: Responsible Adult #2
AUTHOR: C.F. White
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 264 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 5, 2017
BLURB:
Love isn’t always responsible.
After Micky O’Neill is remanded in custody for breaching his court order, his already tempestuous relationship with Dan Peters is tested to the limits.
Having to battle their way through a court case that could end with Micky in jail, social workers breaking up the family home, and the return of Micky’s deadbeat father, it seems everything is set to destroy their relationship before it even had the chance to start.
With such high stakes involved, not just for Micky but for once-burned, twice-shy Dan, they both have to learn that falling in love isn’t always responsible.
Heart (Ballsy Boys #3) by K.M. Neuhold and Nora Phoenix
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Heart
SERIES: Ballsy Boys #3
AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold and Nora Phoenix
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 340 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2018
BLURB:
Heart
Some people might look down on being a porn star, but to me, this job has been a salvation. It’s the only one that didn’t turn me away after learning about my criminal record. After being screwed over by my ex, I vowed to never let another man close, but when my sweet, nerdy friend Mason asks for my help improving his skills in the bedroom, I can’t resist. And then there’s my gorgeous yet grumpy parole officer who has made it his mission to save me. They both seem determined to test my resolve, and it’s getting harder and harder to remind myself why it’s so dangerous to trust.
Mason
When it comes to me, awkward nerd is an understatement. I’d rather spend my nights and weekends gaming and coding than socializing. When I somehow stumble into not only a friends with benefits situation with a freaking porn star, but also land a date with a drool-worthy parole officer, I’m certain I’m in over my head. Can I manage to keep from getting my heart shattered if these two figure out they’re better off together than with a klutzy dork like me in the middle?
Lucky
I’ve always had a weakness for nerds, so when I score a date with uber-cute Mason, I’m over the moon. The only problem is that I can’t seem to get a certain bad boy porn star out of my head…and he’s a freaking client. Dating him is against all the rules, but when I find out Mason and Heart know each other, I find myself in an unexpected threesome. My predictable life turns to chaos, but in the end, it may just be worth it.
King Mai (The Lost and Founds #2) by Edmond Manning
Reviewed by Becca
SERIES: The Lost and Founds #2
AUTHOR: Edmond Manning
PUBLISHER: Pickwick Ink Publishing
LENGTH: 322 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 15, 2013
BLURB:
Adopted from Thailand and never one to fit in with the local bubbas, life has been rough around the edges for Mai Kearns, even before he came out of the closet. Now, almost ten years past the torture of high school, Mai still can’t catch a break: he and his parents stand to lose their beloved farm. How will a “King Weekend” help change Mai’s fate? What has narrator Vin Vanbly been up to for the four weeks he’s been sneaking around Mai’s hometown? At the urging of a ransom note from ‘The Lost Kings,’ Mai embarks on an impossible treasure hunt chasing mystic poetry, Fibonacci Hopscotch, ancient prophecy, the letter ‘x,’ and a confounding, penguin-marching army. The stakes are high: if Mai fails, the Lost Kings will permanently claim him as their own. Finding the treasure may unlock the secret to saving his family farm. But can this angry farmer risk opening his broken heart before the weekend is over? Mai Kearns has 40 hours to get very, very curious in this second installment of The Lost and Founds.
A Dangerous Dance (Haven Hart Universe #3) by Davidson King
TITLE: A Dangerous Dance
SERIES: Haven Hart Universe #3)
AUTHOR: Davidson King
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 200 Pages
RELEASE DATE: July 17, 2018
BLURB:
Finally working for a man he can trust has given Bill a new purpose. His boss, Christopher Manos, commands respect and absolute loyalty, and Bill has proven himself worthy of a seat at Christopher’s table. Becoming best friends with Christopher’s husband, Snow, has further proven his allegiance and cements a place for him in the Manos family. When Snow’s life is in danger, Christopher places his full trust in Bill to destroy anything and anyone that poses a threat to his husband. But hunting and wiping out the enemy for the safety of everyone Bill cares about means partnering with the one person he has vowed to never see again.
Mace wears a mask of vain cockiness and uses his model good looks to his full advantage. Known to many as Without a Trace Mace, he’s a deadly assassin well known for wiping out whole families and getting away without a trace. With a dangerous past and an unknown future, Mace uses his veil of conceit to keep others at a distance, rarely trusting anyone. When his boss, Black–the one man he trusts above all others—gives him his next assignment, he learns his newest partner is none other than Bill, the man he’d do anything to avoid.
With the safety of the Manos family on the line at the hands of a brilliant maniac, Bill and Mace begrudgingly put their differences aside to ensure Snow, and his loved ones, are protected from harm. With their lives in grave danger and the clock ticking towards zero hour, they navigate deathly perilous situations and uncertain outcomes, hoping they survive long enough to keep the Manos family safe.
Bill and Mace’s traitorous hearts draw them closer together no matter how hard they fight the inevitable. With the lives of their loved ones hanging in the balance, they find themselves in the middle of a dangerous dance. But when the music stops, will they both be left standing?
Risk Taker (Mixed Messages #3) by Lily Morton
Reviewed by Becca
SERIES: Mixed Messages #3
AUTHOR: Lily Morton
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 288 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 22, 2018
BLURB:
Being in love with your best friend is hard.
Henry’s the odd man out. All his friends are settling down, and his reputation as the Hook-Up King of London seems more like a curse than a blessing these days. Especially when it keeps photojournalist Ivo, his best friend and the brilliant man he’s loved since they were fifteen, at arm’s length. But that’s where Ivo wants him, right? Putting aside his feelings, Henry decides to give up casual sex and look for the real deal. After all, he has no chance with Ivo – or does he?
Henry is everything to Ivo. Best friend, soul mate, the one person who has never let him down. The one person he is loyal to above everything and everyone. But Henry’s in a box marked best friend and that’s where Ivo’s kept him for nearly twenty years, despite steadily falling in love with the gentle man. And besides, why would Henry want to date Ivo? Burned out and injured, he’s the walking embodiment of damaged.
Distance has helped Henry and Ivo keep a lid on their attraction, but when they find themselves in the same city for a change—Ivo hurt and needing assistance, and Henry more than willing to provide it—the two best friends grow closer than ever, forcing a realization, and a decision. Risk their friendship for their hearts? Or can they have both?
From the bestselling author of Rule Breaker and Deal Maker comes a tender love story about two best friends who are perfect for each other, and always have been – if only they knew it.
This is the third book in the Mixed Messages series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Imperial Stout, Trouble Brewing Book 1 By Layla Reyne
Reviewed by Roberta
TITLE: Imperial Stout
SERIES: Trouble Brewing, Book 1
AUTHOR: Layla Reyne
PUBLISHER: Carina Press
LENGTH: 62, 000 words
RELEASE DATE: July 23, 2018
BLURB:
Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout, the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series
It’s a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic’s star witness has just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father’s shady past is catching up with him and the hot new special agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink.
Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic’s witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.
Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew’s suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he’s willing to go—and how far into his own dark past he’s willing to dive—to get everyone out alive.
This book is approximately 62,000 words
Alpha Unit One, New York by Chris T. Kat
Reviewed by Donna
TITLE: Alpha Unit One, New York
AUTHOR: Chris T. Kat
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 181 Pages
RELEASE DATE: July 27, 2018
BLURB:
The cat’s out of the bag….
In a world that accepts shifters as normal and thinks nothing of human/shifter couples, baby shifters and small shifters are treated as subpar. They are not allowed into the more dangerous professions, and their mates have legal control over what they can and cannot do.
Nicholas Reed is about to challenge the established rules. At twenty-eight, Nick has just been accepted into New York’s Alpha Unit One—an elite law enforcement team, composed equally of humans and shifters, that specializes in drug crimes. It is Nick’s dream job. But if they find out what he’s hiding, his career could be destroyed.
Enter a huge complication in the form of Sam Black, an older lion shifter who is the leader of the unit… and Nick’s mate. Nick wants Sam, and he wants to keep his job, but he can’t have them both. He also can’t choose between them.
Blyd and Pearce by Kim Fielding
Reviewed by Chris
TITLE: Blyd and Pearce
AUTHOR: Kim Fielding
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 226 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2018
BLURB:
Born into poverty and orphaned young, Daveth Blyd had one chance for success when his fighting prowess earned him a place in the Tangye city guard—a place he lost to false accusations of theft. Now he scrapes out a living searching for wayward spouses and missing children. When a nobleman offers him a small fortune to find an entertainer who’s stolen a ring, Daveth takes the case.
While Jory Pearce may or may not be a thief, he certainly can’t be trusted. But, enchanted by Jory’s beauty and haunting voice, Daveth soon finds himself caught in the middle of a conspiracy. As he searches desperately for answers, he realizes that he’s also falling for Jory. The two men face river wraiths, assassins, a necromancer, and a talking head that could be Daveth’s salvation on their quest for the truth. But with everyone’s integrity in question and Death eager to dance, Daveth will need more than sorcery to survive.
Reasons Hidden by Leaves by Aaron Jordan Gabaldon
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Reasons Hidden by Leaves
AUTHOR: Aaron Jordan Gabaldon
PUBLISHER: Lulu.com
LENGTH: 133 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 2, 2018
BLURB:
A romantic book of prose, poetry, and other writings that explore gay culture, spirituality. love, sex, identity, and self-empowerment.