Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: The Hate You Drink

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

PUBLISHER: Blueheart Press

RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2019

LENGTH: 300 pages

BLURB:

Erik Keston, son of the Keston Real Estate empire, knows what it takes to be successful. Despite his inherent wealth, he holds his own. He works hard, he’s grounded, he’s brilliant. He’s also secretly in love with his best friend.

Monroe Wellman lost his parents three years ago and never grieved, never recovered. Inheriting the family company and wealth means nothing, and his spiral of self-destruction is widespread and spectacular. Dubbed Sydney’s bad boy, he spends more days drunk than sober, and the only person who’s stuck by him through it all is his best mate.

But when Monroe hits rock bottom, Erik gives him an ultimatum, and his entire world comes to a grinding halt. It’s not until the haze lifts that Monroe can truly see what he’s been searching for was never in the bottom of a bottle. It’s been by his side all along.

An 80,000-word friends-to-lovers story about fighting the demons within and trusting in the love that takes its place.

“Because when all you drink is hate, that’s all there is inside you.”

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Innocence and Carnality

AUTHOR: J. Alan Veerkamp

PUBLISHER: DSP Publications

LENGTH: 350 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 23, 2019

BLURB:

Innocence is his only currency.
The gilded cage of propriety where Nathan grew up as a member of the Deilian aristocracy became a true prison when, at fifteen, his homosexuality came to light and created a terrible scandal. His parents see only one way to preserve their reputation amongst the other noble families: fit Nathan with a chastity belt to increase his value to a potential partner and marry him off as soon as possible.
The recipient of that prize is Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III. After a hasty wedding, Rother whisks Nathan away to the strange and seductive land of Marisol, where Nathan will begin a new life, free to explore the pleasures of the marriage bed, though his life is still not his own.
But Rother’s Delaga House is a place of secrets, dangers, and depravity Nathan can scarcely comprehend. Where friends are few and peril waits around every corner, Nathan must employ all the manipulation he learned from high society, along with his talent for clockwork. Most of all, Nathan must adapt, compromise to survive, and cast off the preconceptions of his homeland.
Because only he can orchestrate his freedom, and it’ll come at a cost.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Prescription for Love

SERIES: Road to Blissville #7

AUTHOR: Aimee Nicole Walker

PUBLISHER: Chasing Rainbows Press LLC

LENGTH: 223 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 18, 2019

BLURB:

What should’ve been an ordinary emergency call turned out to be something extraordinary.
Wanting to distance himself from his toxic parents, Trent Love moved to the quaint town of Blissville to begin a new life. What he finds is blazing chemistry with a hunky fireman who breathes new life into him.
Fearing they’re too different, Tucker attempts to extinguish the spark between them before it can ignite. How could a simple man like him compete with Trent’s life of wealth and privilege? Knowing you shouldn’t want something doesn’t make it go away, and Tucker’s desire for Trent continues to smolder.
Unwilling to accept their relationship is dead on arrival, Trent puts his resuscitation skills to good use. All he wants is a chance to prove he values Tucker’s wealth of character over meaningless material things. What do you get when you mix fire and oxygen: a five-alarm fire or a prescription for love?
Trent’s commitment to freeing himself from poisonous ties kindles a chain of events that have devastating consequences for both men. Is a relationship forged in fire strong enough to overcome these obstacles or is their love doomed to be just another bitter pill to swallow?

Prescription for love is a small-town, opposites-attract romance. It is the seventh book in the Road to Blissville series but reads like a standalone book. It contains sexually explicit material intended for adults 18 and older.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: By Way of Pain – Assassins

SERIES: Criminal Delights #12

AUTHOR: J.M Dabney

PUBLISHER: Hostile Whispers Press LLC

LENGTH: 166 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 20, 2019

BLURB:

Double lives were just the way it was for a man like me. By day I was a man with a reputation above reproach. Even assassins needed backup plans. For fifteen years, life was going without a hitch until I had to take out a witness. When it was time to kill him, beautiful eyes filled with fear urged me to do something else. Yet, in order to do that, I had to break him, and by way of pain, my captive would experience pleasure he’d never dreamed.

This book is part of CRIMINAL DELIGHTS. Each novel can be read as a standalone and contains a dark M/M romance.
Warning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurry. High heat, twisted and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Splintered – Obsession

SERIES: Criminal Delights #7

AUTHOR: Tal Bauer

PUBLISHER: self published

LENGTH: 202 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 6, 2019

BLURB:

Everything in Ben’s life was perfect. He had it all. The good career. The perfect partner, Evan. The happy home. They were even talking about turning the extra bedroom into a nursery.

But things start to splinter.

Evan begins missing time, not knowing where he was or how he got there. Terrors in the night rip them both from sleep, and Evan’s suddenly violent outbursts cost him his job and his reputation.

And voices in his head turn from whispers to screams, commanding him to act.

To turn on Ben.

How far will Ben go to save his partner’s life? How far is too far? Should he have just… run away?

This book is part of the CRIMINAL DELIGHTS series. Each novel can be read as a standalone and contains a dark M/M romance.

Warning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurred. High heat, twisted, and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted!

Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Gideon

SERIES: Finding Home #3

AUTHOR: Lily Morton

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2019

LENGTH: 280 pages

BLURB:

Gideon Ramsay is so far in the closet he should be a talking faun.

A talented, mercurial, and often selfish man, Gideon has everything he should want in life. Fame, money, acting awards – he has it all. Everything but honesty. At the advice of his agent, Gideon has concealed his sexuality for years. But it’s starting to get harder to hide, and his increasingly wild behaviour is threatening to destroy his career.

Then he’s laid low by a serious illness and into his life comes Eli Jones. Eli is everything that Gideon can’t understand. He’s sunny tempered, friendly, and optimistic. Even worse, he’s unaffected by grumpiness and sarcasm, which forms ninety percent of Gideon’s body weight. And now Gideon is trapped with him without any recourse to the drugs and alcohol that have previously eased his way through awkward situations.

However, as Gideon gets to know the other man, he finds himself wildly attracted to his lazy smiles and warm, scruffy charm that seem to fill a hole inside Gideon that’s been empty for a long time. Will he give in to this incomprehensible attraction when it could mean the end of everything that he’s worked for?

From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages series comes a story about a man who needs to realise that being true to yourself is really just a form of finding home.

This is the third book in the Finding Home series but it can be read as a standalone.

Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Escort (Three Tales of a Silver Fox)

AUTHOR: Harper Fox

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 150 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 22, 2019

BLURB:

On the eve of his fiftieth birthday, George’s world is pretty much a wreck. His husband of twenty years is divorcing him for a woman, a baby and a second try at life. He’s lost his job and his home, and he’s living in his brother Andrew’s spare room.
But if George has given up on himself, Drew is more optimistic. He’s hit on a daring idea for George’s fiftieth, a present he won’t soon forget.
When a handsome sex-worker called Silver knocks on the hotel-room door, George tries to send him away. But Sil is persuasive and kind, and George’s inhibitions melt away to a night of unimagined pleasures. Stranger still, when daylight comes, George’s one-night-stand man-for-hire shows every sign of wanting to stay.
But these two men are from different worlds, and George is sure it’s too late for second chances. Silver’s a mystery to him, dashing and dangerous, walking the wild side of life. A trap is closing around the silver-fox escort: will George learn to trust himself in time for Silver to be saved?

Reviewed by Dan

TITLE: Mercs and Strippers

SERIES: Ore 5 – Book Three

AUTHOR: Meraki P. Lyhne

PUBLISHER: eXtasy Books

LENGTH: 306 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 17, 2019

BLURB:

Ethan has been paired with his dad as the Corporation’s chosen lawyer, and that in itself causes both old ghosts and new challenges to be resolved.

In the meantime, Ryder tries to be the supportive boyfriend and the capable boss. But he’s in way over his head, and he knows it. When all else fails for Ryder, he at least has the dance…and a trump card on the payroll he had no idea of.

Hayden had danced himself to the honor of the last dance, yet the troubles he had in his wake were more than he and anyone else had anticipated. Once Ryder was made aware of it, Hayden found himself encapsulated in a protective shield of Brutus and his brothers.

But the mob isn’t giving up without a fight, and their methods are many and dirty.

Reviewed by Jess

TITLE: Out of Control

SERIES: A Gloria Morris Murder Mystery #1

AUTHOR: G.R. Browda

PUBLISHER: Wordwooze Publishing

LENGTH: 179 pages

RELEASE DATE:  March 1, 2019

BLURB:

Gloria Morris is a respected private detective with an explosive sense of honor who cherishes frisky ladies, reads Poe and Twain, believes in justice, and kicks a lot of ass. Her investigation into the disappearance of a popular and notorious seductress, whose pervasive presence affects the lives of two compelling women, takes her to San Francisco’s sexual underground and the discovery of treasonous political intrigue. She is assisted by the missing woman’s roommate and lover, Clarissa, and together they engage in a cat and mouse scenario with a powerful femme fatale, who is Gloria’s chief suspect. It turns out that searching for the missing beauty is only one of the problems they encounter. During the course of her investigation, Gloria meets an astonishing lady and begins a life-changing romance. But will this new relationship benefit her work … or deliver her to danger?

REVIEWED by JAY V.

TITLE: Redesigning Landry Bishop

SERIES: Dreamspun Desires, Stars From Peril #2

AUTHOR: Kim Fielding

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 177 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2019

BLURB:

Love never goes out of style.

Landry Bishop fled his tiny hometown and never looked back. Now his expertise in food, fashion, and décor has earned him all of Hollywood’s glittering perks. But with his husband deceased and his personal assistant retired, Landry has nobody to rely on—and no one to help him indulge his secret cravings.

Casual, plainspoken Jordan Stryker seems a dubious choice of a PA for someone as formal and self-controlled as Landry. Jordan’s questionable fashion sense and limited kitchen skills don’t exactly enhance his résumé. But as Landry soon realizes, Jordan has many attractive qualities too.

With a strong pull toward Jordan, new career opportunities on the horizon, and a persistent tug from family back home, Landry is in a quandary. He can advise others on how to make their lives special, but what should he do about his own?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Torn

AUTHOR: Rick R. Reed

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 202 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2019

BLURB:

Ever been torn between two lovers? That’s Ricky Comparetto’s problem.
It’s 1995, and Ricky is making his very first trip across the pond with his best friend. Ricky, hungry for love and looking for it in all the wrong places, finds it in the beach city of Brighton. His new love has the curious name of Walt Whitman and is also an American, which only serves to make him sexier and more intriguing. By the time Walt and Ricky part, promises are made for a reunion in Boston.
But the course of true love never runs smooth. In Chicago Ricky almost immediately falls in love again. Tom Green is a sexy blue-collar beast with the kindest heart Ricky has ever run across.
What’s he to do? With a visit to the East Coast on the horizon and a new love blossoming in Ricky’s home of Chicago, Ricky truly is torn.

Reviewed by Cindy

TITLE: Wicked Games

SERIES: Queen City Rogues Book 2

AUTHOR: Aimee Nicole Walker

PUBLISHER: Chasing Rainbows Press LLC

LENGTH: 243 Pages

RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2019

BLURB:

Ryder Jameson and Lucien Clarke have a complicated past: Ryder conserves art; Lucien steals it. Their love-hate relationship spans six years and two continents and has endured multiple heists. Hoping to restore his tarnished reputation, Ryder returns home to Cincinnati to accept a position at an acclaimed museum. When Lucien suddenly reappears in Ryder’s life, the treasure seeker hopes to nab a priceless Shang Dynasty artifact and recapture Ryder’s jilted heart.

Something more sinister than stolen art is stirring in the Queen City. Ryder and Lucien must join forces to untangle a web of secrets, lies, and treachery bigger than either of them expected. Trust won’t come easy, but they’ll need to rely on each other because pulling the wrong thread could have deadly consequences.

Is it fate that keeps bringing Ryder and Lucien together, or are they merely pawns in someone’s wicked games? Will they play for keeps this time or become collateral damage?

Wicked Games is a second-chance romance filled with passion, humor, and intrigue. It’s the second book in the Queen City Rogues series but can be read on its own. Wicked Games contains mature sexual content intended for readers 18 and older.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Pixie

SERIES: Ballsy Boys (book #5)

AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold & Nora Phoenix

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 264 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2019

BLURB:

Everybody loves Pixie.

Everybody wants Pixie.

But Pixie needs a Daddy, and his heart is set on me.

I’m determined to resist him, for more reasons than I can count.

He’s too young for me. He’s my employee. And he’s everything I’ve been avoiding for half my life.

He’s vibrant. He’s sweet. He’s absolutely perfect, no matter how much I don’t want him to be.

I want nothing more than to take care of him, to protect him and pamper him…but how can I start something with him when I know I’ll eventually break his heart? Can I really be the Daddy Pixie needs?

**Pixie is the fifth and last book in the Ballsy Boys Production series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it’s more fun reading the series in order.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Sweet

SERIES: Uncorked #5

AUTHOR: Shea Balik

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 140 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 4, 2019

BLURB:

Elden Richland didn’t want to waste money on an office. Instead, he worked from home, or, when he needed a change of scenery, from The Cure All, a local bar. Staring at Cabe Donovan, the bar owner, may not help Elden get any work done, but it was well worth it.
Cabe had been watching Elden come into The Cure All for months now. Elden might not be his normal type of date, but Cabe didn’t want typical, he wanted forever. He wanted Elden.
But what did a hot bar owner and a computer nerd, who didn’t like the taste of alcohol, have in common? Fireworks.

Warning: Alcohol consumption not only occurs in this book, it is encouraged, over-consumed and, ends with praying to the Porcelain God. Oh, and being naked. Don’t want to forget that. Although, maybe not in the way Cabe hoped.