Reviewed by Roberta

TITLE: Tied up in Steele

SERIES: Delta Force-Team Panther Book 2

AUTHOR: Annabella Stone

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 288 pgs

RELEASE DATE: May 31 , 2018

BLURB:

Steele Givens doesn’t do relationships and he knows better than to fall for a man he rescued during a CIA Operation; but then he’s never been a ‘follow the rules’ kinda man. He always swore he’d never drag someone he cared about into a world of danger. But what do you do, when danger stalks him anyway?

Kalon Roberts wanted to move on. He’s done with danger and Black Ops Operators. But when someone is determined to use him to gain his father’s cooperation, the man who comes to save him, is the one who broke his heart.

They should have never met. They should never have been in each other’s orbits. But now that they are, Steele will take out everything and everyone in his way to make sure that Kalon makes it out alive.

Tied Up In Steele is part of the Delta Force – Team Panther Series. While it can be read as a standalone… to ensure maximum enjoyment, it is best read after Jonah’s Compass.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Found

SERIES: Hamilton’s Heroes #1 

AUTHOR: Annabella Michaels

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 192 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 23, 2018

BLURB:

As a former USAF pararescueman, Jeremy O’Brien is used to following orders, no questions asked. So, when Micah, his boss at Hamilton Security, asks him to take on a special case, he readily accepts. Micah’s instructions are simple, find the man in the picture and bring him back to Chicago.

Seven years ago, Zane Wilkinson left the hospital against doctor’s orders, only to suffer a final, devastating blow that left him with no choice but to leave the only place he’d called home. Feeling heartbroken and empty, Zane moved from town to town just trying to survive, while never letting anyone get too close.

In a chance encounter, Jeremy finds himself crossing paths with a man who fits Zane’s description. His instincts tell him that he’s on to something, but Micah warns him that he needs to be absolutely sure. Jeremy sets a plan in motion that will allow him to get closer to the man he believes to be Zane. However, the closer he gets, the more he likes the man and begins to question why he was sent to find him.

Will Jeremy be able to follow through with his orders without becoming too attached? Or will he realize that in his search for Zane, he’s found so much more than he bargained for?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Mr. Frosty Pants

SERIES: Home for the Holidays #1

AUTHOR: Leta Blake

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 281 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 7, 2018

BLURB:

Frosty former friends get a steamy second chance in this Christmas gay romance!
Can true love warm his frozen heart?
When Casey Stevens went away to college four years ago, he ghosted on his straight best friend, Joel Vreeland. He hoped time and distance would lessen the unrequited affection he felt, but all it did was make him miss Joel more. Home for the holidays, Casey hopes they might find a way to be friends again. But Joel’s frosty reception reminds Casey of just how hard he had to fight to be Joel’s friend in the first place. It’s going to take a Christmas miracle to get past that cool façade again.
Joel isn’t as straight as Casey believes, and his years of pining for Casey have left him hurting and alone, caring for his abusive father and struggling to get by. Unable to trust anyone except his rescue dog—and with no reason to believe Casey is interested in him for more than a holiday fling—Joel’s icy heart might shatter before it can thaw.
Can Casey and Joel’s love overcome mistrust, parental rejection, class differences, and four long years apart?
Mr. Frosty Pants is a stand-alone, Christmas gay romance by Leta Blake featuring a virgin hero, childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance romance, and romantically steamy scenes.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Ever-Greene: A Souls Christmas Novella

SERIES: Souls of Chicago #7

AUTHOR: Annabella Michaels

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 101 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2017

BLURB:

Join the Greene family and the rest of the Souls of Chicago as they come together to celebrate the holidays. There will be an abundance of laughter, fun, heartwarming moments, and, of course, the shenanigans that only occur when the Greene family comes together. Reminisce with all your favorite Souls of Chicago couples and triad as they celebrate this joyous time of year.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Blood for the Spilling

SERIES: Warlocks in Training #3

AUTHOR: TJ Nichols

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Publications

LENGTH: 280 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 27, 2018

BLURB:

Sheets of ice are spreading across the human world, ushering in an ice age as the magic drained from Demonside turns that world into a desert. Angus and reluctant warlock Terrance have defected from Vinland to the Mayan Empire—a land of dark and potent magic. But the Mayans aren’t offering sanctuary for free.
Nor is the world willing to stand back as Vinland attacks, and the backlash will affect all magic users.
Mage Saka has no tribe. He is now just another refugee fleeing the dying Demonside. He knows the conflict brewing now will be worse than the first demon war. Countries are banding together—not just against Vinland, but against all magic. Where will the powerful Mayan Empire stand?

Angus might have the power to fight Vinland and the Warlock College, but the cost will be terrible. Saka is torn between helping Angus and stopping him. And Terrance would do anything for Angus, but he’s terrified of the man Angus is becoming, even as Saka is warming to the idea of a relationship between the three of them.
No matter what choice they make, victory will be bittersweet, and when the ash settles and the snow melts, nothing will be the same.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Drawn to You

SERIES: Beyond the Cove #1

AUTHOR: Jaclyn Quinn

PUBLISHER: self-published

RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2018

BLURB:

Leaving his enormous family behind, native New Yorker, Elijah, decides to move to Brighton Pier for a fresh start. Being part of a large LGBTQ community and landing his dream job at Inkubus, a local tattoo shop, is too big of a draw for him to turn down. But just when he thinks his new life is going perfectly, he finds out his burgeoning relationship is nothing more than a friends-with-benefits arrangement to the man he was swiftly falling for. Suddenly, everything that felt so right to him feels all wrong, and he wonders if New York, with his family, is where he is meant to be after all.
Jake has worked hard for the life he’s made for himself in Brighton Pier. His life as a bachelor is pretty set in stone. Running his own business and spending time with his family and friends is enough for him, or so he’s convinced himself. Though he’s met a man he cares for, he’s adamant about keeping his single life as is. He has his reasons for not wanting to commit to the beautiful man he’s irrevocably drawn to. He just hopes their friends-with-benefits arrangement will be enough to keep Eli in his life.
When tragedy strikes, and Jake’s world is turned upside down, his instincts lead him to lean on the one person who’s become someone special, despite his best efforts to try and push him away. Eli—unable to turn Jake away when a loss so great takes the strong man to his knees—steps selflessly into the void in Jake’s life, regardless of the toll it takes on him. As both men struggle to deal with their own emotional turmoil, their lives veering off course, they grow inevitably closer as the days pass. But even so, they are still left wondering—can two people, drawn together by tragedy, turn a devastating situation into a fresh start? Or is it too late for a new beginning?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Cargo

SERIES: Akar Chronicles #1

AUTHOR: Kiki Burrelli

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 187 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 15, 2018

BLURB:

Lust at first sight
Phoenix spots the tall, dark and dangerously sexy man in line behind him at the club immediately. He thinks he’s found a dance partner for the night, but the stranger has other plans.
Jax has worked his entire life to become the best sourcer on Akar, maybe even in all of Zila Galaxy. He specializes in finding things, and if the money is right, he and his loyal crew are there. Except, this mission has sent them farther than they’ve gone before, to Earth.
Grows into an unbreakable bond
It’s not personal, Phoenix just happened to be what Jax’s client requested. He’s not a person, he’s cargo. Except, the moment Jax gets Phoenix on his ship, he can’t help but care for and protect the Earthling. It wouldn’t be so bad if the client who requested Phoenix—as well as the other specimens with his unique genetic mutation—didn’t happen to be the Akarian Federation. The AkarFed rules its people with an iron fist and they couldn’t care less about Jax’s burgeoning feelings.
Phoenix may be in space, with no hope of returning to his home, but he is nobody’s victim. All he needs to do is ignore the alien captain long enough to figure out a way home. But, with each passing moment—and mile—that gets harder to do.
As their connection grows, Jax discovers they are more than just cargo and captain, they are fated mates, now he just needs to figure out how to keep them together.

Reviewed by Cheryl

TITLE: Defensive Play

SERIES: Boys on the Brink #2

AUTHOR: Jamie Deacon

PUBLISHER: Beaten Track Publishing

LENGTH: 72 Pages

RELEASE DATE: November 30, 2018

BLURB:

One glance is all it takes to bring his defences crashing down…

Seventeen-year-old Davey has never made friends easily. Shy, geeky, crippled with social anxiety, he feels isolated from his peers, and only his position as defender for the school football team fills the void of loneliness. On the pitch, his deft footwork has earned him the respect and acceptance of his squad, though at a price. Desperate to hold onto this camaraderie, Davey conceals the truth from everyone, even his own family.

Then, during the annual Brookshire football tournament, his eyes meet those of a rival player across the field and a spark flares between them, one neither boy can deny. Adam is everything Davey longs to be—confident, popular, comfortable with his sexuality. Davey aches to explore their connection, to discover where it might lead, but how can he follow his heart and risk rejection by his teammates, the closest thing to friends he has ever known?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Ignite

SERIES: Ignite #1

AUTHOR: Nora Phoenix

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 211 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 29, 2018

BLURB:

The United States has split into three countries, and in the Conservative United States, being gay will get you sent to a reintegration camp. Tan has survived three years in camp, but he’s at the limit of what he can endure, even with the help of his best friend, Austin.
When a massive meteor shower creates complete chaos at the camp, Austin and Tan see a chance to escape and they take it. On a whim, they decide to bring Mack with them, a newbie at camp who seems to know more about survival than anyone.
But when the meteor shower turns out to be much more and they discover aliens have landed on Earth with war on their agenda, their escape becomes a hell of a lot more dangerous. All of a sudden, they’re not only hiding from their own government, but from alien forces as well. Their only chance is to reach the border to find freedom. But without power and food, and with every man for himself, how will they survive?
While the world around them burns, all they have are each other.

Ignite is the first book in the Ignite series, which mixes dystopian elements with sci-fi and a slow burn MMM romance. The first book will end in a cliffhanger, so no HEA or HFN, but we’ll get there eventually. Rest assured: none of the main characters will die in this series. Please mind the trigger warnings in the front of the book.

Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: All I Want Is You

AUTHOR: DJ Jamison

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 161 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 29, 2018

BLURB:

One kiss under the mistletoe destroyed a friendship. Will another Christmas kiss remake it into something better?

Eli hasn’t been home since he left at eighteen with a heart aching from his best friend’s rejection and his father’s intolerance. But when his father reaches out, Eli figures it’s time to make peace with his family. He doesn’t expect to come face-to-face with Turner too — or to learn that the straight friend he’d foolishly loved is actually bisexual — but once the shock wears off, he knows exactly what he wants for Christmas.

Turner’s life isn’t everything he’d once planned, but he’s happy to be the shoulder his loved ones lean on. They keep him busy, which is just as well since none of his dates have really clicked. He hasn’t been able to connect with anyone the way he did with his former best friend. When Eli shows up for the holidays after years away, Turner doesn’t know what hit him. But he knows one thing: This time, he wants to give Eli a reason to stay.

All I Want Is You is a holiday romance with friends to lovers and second-chance themes with an HEA.

Reviewed by Chris

TITLE:  Sweet Clematis

SERIES:  Being(s) in Love #9

AUTHOR:  R. Cooper

PUBLISHER:  Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH:  306 pages

RELEASE DATE:  November 27, 2018

BLURB:  

Can a curse be a blessing?

Clematis works hard to embody every fairy stereotype. He can be a sulky prince or a submissive flirt, slutty and arrogant or silly and soft. He makes himself into whatever causes someone to want him. Combine that with beauty that’s incredible even for a fairy, and everyone wants him sooner or later… just not for long.

Well, everyone except the fairy Clematis secretly adores. But then, he’s never expected happily ever after, not when he’s spent years burying his emotions and making himself unlovable to push people away and protect his heart.

But his curse changes all that, and Clematis can no longer prevent his feelings from rising to the surface. He’s terrified that when his few friends see him for who he really is, they’ll abandon him, just like his parents did.

It’s hard to imagine friends who see past his act to the sweet person within, but maybe happiness has been in front of him the entire time, waiting for the real Clematis to break free and blossom.

Reviewed by Donna

TITLE: A Kiss Before Christmas

AUTHOR: A E Ryecart

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 103 Pages

RELEASE DATE: November 15, 2018

BLURB:

Christmas is looming and Jack De Lacy needs a solution to one hell of a fix.

Dumped by his boyfriend in favour of his best friend, Jack’s been busy bragging about a hot new man in his life.

A hot new man who doesn’t exist.

With an important function to attend where he’ll come face-to-face with his ex, Jack knows he’ll be a laughing stock when his boasts are exposed as nothing more than wishful thinking. He’s desperate but time, like his options, is running out.

Rory Kincaid is scared he won’t last another night sleeping rough on London’s frozen, snowbound streets. With all the homeless shelters full, Rory seeks refuge in the first empty doorway he stumbles across.

Finding Rory shivering in the sub-zero temperatures, Jack can no more send him away than kick a puppy out into the cold. A shower, shave and hot drink later, the grubby street kid is transformed into a beautiful young man.

As the attraction between them grows, so does a plan that will get Jack out of the mess he’s in and give Rory a warm, safe home for Christmas. Sweet and adorable, Rory will make a great fake boyfriend for the festive season – the problem is, neither Jack nor Rory is sure where make-believe ends and truth begins.