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…
Of Sunlight and Stardust by Riley Hart and Christina Lee
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Of Sunlight and Stardust
AUTHOR: Riley Hart and Christina Lee
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 269 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 18, 2018
BLURB:
After the death of his wife, Tanner Rowe takes a step toward making her dying wish come true and buys the house with the dilapidated barn she’d been inexplicably drawn to in the picturesque Upper Peninsula. But after a year, he still can’t get past his grief long enough to make the repairs he’d promised.
Recently out of prison, Cole Lachlan has little to his name. Homeless, broke, and without many options as a felon, Cole heads to Red Bluff with hopes of a second chance. There he meets Tanner, whose loneliness mirrors his own, and soon Cole is trading room and board for rebuilding the burned-out barn on Tanner’s property that hasn’t been touched in seventy years.
Turns out, the barn holds more secrets than either of them could have imagined. After unearthing a hidden journal from 1948, Cole and Tanner spend their evenings poring over the pages, reading about a young man pining after his best friend. The deeper they delve into this forbidden affair from the past, the more Cole and Tanner’s own relationship shifts—from acquaintances to friends…to undeniable attraction.
But as they begin to deal with the newness of falling in love in the wake of Tanner’s loss and Cole’s past, they also become more determined to unravel the mystery of the young lovers who’ve captured their hearts, the rumors about the fire, and what really happened that fateful night.
James – Uncontrollable (Man Up #5) by Felice Stevens
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: James – Uncontrollable
SERIES: Man Up #5
AUTHOR: Felice Stevens
PUBLISHER: self-published
RELEASE DATE: September 30, 2018
BLURB:
It’s time to travel with James and Malcolm through their twenty year history as they battle each other and struggle to hold on to a lifetime of secrets.
James
Never good enough.
Not the real son.
I will prove him wrong—prove everyone wrong.
I am someone.
I will succeed.
I don’t need my brother to help me.
I don’t need anyone.
My enemy holds my secret.
He teases me.
Taunts me.
Follows me with his eyes.
Our hot, angry kisses keep me up at night.
I don’t want him.
I hate him.
But I can’t stop thinking about him.
That there’s more to him
I want to discover him.
The truth is unexpected.
My enemy might not only be my friend but the love I never thought to have.
Malcolm
Live, love, laugh.
Life is too short to worry when you don’t know how long you’ve got.
I want every day to be my best.
Like it’s my last.
My friends see what I let them.
Not the real me.
Only one man has ever crawled beneath my skin.
He drives me crazy.
Makes me wild.
Makes me care.
A night of bad decisions changes the course of my life.
Everything I’ve known no longer makes sense.
My enemy now stands by my side.
I’m no longer running.
I want to stay.
I want a future.
Hate has changed to something new and wonderful.
Something terrifying.
Uncontrollable.
Love.
The Librarian’s Ghost (The Supers #2) by Sean Michael
Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Librarian’s Ghost 
SERIES: The Supers #2
AUTHOR: Sean Michael
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 210 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 2, 2018
BLURB:
Can love survive the perils of MacGregor House?
The Supernatural Explorers are back and looking for their next big paranormal case. They might’ve found it in a plea from Payne, a mild-mannered librarian who has inherited the family mansion—MacGregor House. Since moving in a few months ago, Payne’s exhausted the list of ghost hunters and experts in his quest for help. The Supers are his last chance.
So why does normally good-natured cameraman Will take an instant dislike to Payne? For that matter, why has he felt irritable and angry since they arrived at the site? It soon becomes clear that the answers they seek will be found in the basement—where nobody has gone since Payne was a little boy. As the haunting grows deadlier, things get sweeter between Will and Payne, but all hell’s about to break loose when they breach the basement door.
Will they be ready?
Center Of Gravity by Neve Wilder
Reviewed by Chris
TITLE: Center Of Gravity 
AUTHOR: Neve Wilder
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 346 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 4, 2018
BLURB:
When life comes apart at the seams, love is the only thread that can repair it…
Accountant Rob Macomb has a stable job that he’s good at and… that’s about it. A year of nothing but heartache leaves him seeking refuge from loneliness and grief behind spreadsheets, punishing daily runs, and the occasional anonymous tryst. He wants only to bury the past and focus on his career, but he has one last task to complete: pack up his parent’s quaint beachside house and put it on the market.
Alex Andrews is a budding artist with a penchant for Converse, Cracker Jack, and piercings. Family turmoil sidelines his dreams of finishing art school and building a career in three-dimensional design, and now he’s doing whatever he can to keep everyone afloat.
When Alex shows up as a part of the moving crew hired to help Rob clean out the house, what should be a simple move becomes far more complex. Because it’s not the first time they’ve met, and their last encounter was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
The attraction between them is undeniable and intense, but Rob’s hell-bent on pushing everyone away, and Alex is on the verge of spinning out of control. Can a grumpy accountant and a bootstrapping artist find their center of gravity together, or are they on a collision course to heartbreak?
Before There Were Three: Ethan & Rhett (The Distance Between Us #0.5) by L.A. Witt
Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Before There Were Three: Ethan & Rhett
SERIES: The Distance Between Us #0.5
AUTHOR: L.A. Witt
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 148 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 6, 2016
BLURB:
Before Kieran…
Seattle, 2000 – Ethan Mallory is counting down the days until he moves back to Toronto. He loves Seattle, but it’s time to go home.
So it’s just his luck that, with a month to go, he meets Rhett Solomon. Their chemistry is off the charts, and in bed, Rhett is everything Ethan’s been craving. He’s witty and charming outside the bedroom too.
Ethan’s not about to change his plans for a man he’s just met, but… what could this become if they had a little more time? Is this just a sizzling hot last hurrah before he returns to Canada? Or is leaving Rhett behind a huge mistake?
Before There Were Three is a series of prequels to ménage stories written by L.A. Witt or Lauren Gallagher. Ethan & Rhett is the prequel to The Distance Between Us.
Striking Sparks (Walker Boys #1, Dreamspun Desires #24) by Ari McKay
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Striking Sparks
SERIES: Walker Boys #1, Dreamspun Desires #24
AUTHOR: Ari McKay
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 214 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 15, 2016
BLURB:
The stakes are high and the heat is on.
Beau Walker, owner of the Barbecue Shack, needs the help of Jake Parnell, his one-time rival and secret crush, in a televised barbecue competition. Beau is a proud man, but the stakes are high, and smart, sexy Jake is his only hope, even if being around Jake reawakens the attraction he’s fought for years.
Jake left his hometown, determined to build a life somewhere his sexuality wouldn’t hurt his family’s restaurant business—and far away from hunky, obstinate Beau Walker. Then his twin, Josh, is killed, and Jake returns to support his brother’s wife and children. Despite his reservations, he agrees to go head-to-head against Beau on national television. Between stress and grief, as well as pride and determination, only one thing is certain—the heat between Beau and Jake extends well beyond the kitchen.
Rainbow Briefs Volume Two by Kira Harp
Reviewed by Cheryl
TITLE: Rainbow Briefs 
SERIES: Volume II
AUTHOR: Kira Harp
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 305 Pages
RELEASE DATE: August 31, 2018
BLURB:
Dragons don’t care what gender you are.
A small town may be a refuge, or a trap.
Some younger brothers really do save the planet.
Three people can be the strongest shape.
There’s nothing quite like a gorgeous girl on a shape-shifting motorcycle.
This second Kira Harp collection brings together LGBTQ teens in 21 stories of adventure, discovery, and romance, in fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, and SciFi settings. Ranging from a few short pages to 12,000 words, each story was inspired by a prompt picture from the YA LGBTQ Books Group on Goodreads.
(Content warnings for abduction, bullying, self harm, substance abuse, suicidal ideation.)
His Best Man (Accidental Roots #7) by Elle Keaton
Reviewed by Tori (Vicki)
TITLE: His Best Man 
SERIES: Accidental Roots #7
AUTHOR: Elle Keaton
PUBLISHER: Dirty Dog Press
LENGTH: 220 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 28th, 2018
BLURB:
Rod Beton and Travis Walker have known each other a long time; since the second grade when Rod was the new kid in town and Travis befriended him with Pokémon trading cards and a fruit snack. Apparently Rod’s easy. Since that day they’ve had each other’s back’s, bread and butter, biscuit and gravy…and so on.
Along the way, Rod fell in love with Travis. He’s been hoping for some kind of signal from Travis that he returns Rod’s feelings. When Travis announces his surprise engagement over Thanksgiving dinner Rod decides he’s done waiting for the impossible. He packs his belongings and heads for Skagit and a new life. Even if Travis suddenly decided Rod was the man for him would Rod be able to put aside his insecurities?
Travis always knew he was destined to take over the family business. As the only boy he’s expected to take the helm of the Walker farming operation, and he’s good at it. An engagement to a local girl he’s pals with seems like the perfect solution gets him mom off his back and ensures the family line — eventually. When his best friend abruptly leaves town Travis’s eyes are finally opened to the difference between what is expected of him and what he could expect for himself.
His Best Man is a standalone in the Accidental Roots series, a friends to lovers mm romance with an HEA. Bisexual/gay.