Reviewed by Dan

TITLE: Deosil

SERIES: Whyborne & Griffin – Book 11

AUTHOR: Jordan L. Hawk

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  October 11, 2019

BLURB:

Whyborne, Griffin, and their friends have faced down cultists, monsters, and sorcerers. But their greatest challenge is now upon them.

On the return voyage from Balefire Manor, Whyborne receives the worst news possible: Widdershins has fallen before the onslaught of the Fideles and their servants. There’s still time to stop the return of the Masters, but that window grows shorter by the hour.

Together with Christine and Iskander, Whyborne and Griffin must reach Widdershins to face the ultimate test—and decide the fate of the world, once and for all.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Psycho

SERIES: Brawlers #2

AUTHOR: J.M. Dabney

PUBLISHER: Hostile Whispers Press

LENGTH: 176 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 11, 2018 2nd edition

BLURB:

Welcome to Brawlers Bar…

Life wasn’t easy when you were certifiable, Gerald “Psycho” Clemons lived on the fringes of society. Five years he hadn’t thought twice about riding with a group who saw most laws as flexible. When the leader of the group turned crazier than Psycho, he stepped in and made the man pay. He’d never been rewarded for his temper before, yet that’s what happened when he earned a permanent place and a job as a bouncer. Everyone walked a wide circle around him, and he liked it that way. One look from his cold black eyes and he had people backing up. Then he met a man who had to be crazier than him.

Decadence Bakery was Ben Morin’s dream come true, and he loved it, but he grew tired of his lonely existence. Six months earlier he’d turned on the open sign and hopefully changed his life for the better. Ben loved his small cottage in the middle of nowhere even with the 3 a.m. rumbling of motorcycles and loud music at the farm next door. Although one thing he didn’t love, was his new hobby of watching one of the terrifying men next door. What could a little harmless peek now and then hurt?

Sweet and older wasn’t his type, but Psycho couldn’t deny the need to possess the beautiful baker. It was stronger than even the insanity he barely kept at bay, could he have a man who looked passed it or would Ben run like all the rest?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Unbreak Me

AUTHOR: Maria Vickers

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 167 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2019

BLURB:

They were supposed to be together forever. That was the plan, but through a cruel twist of fate the night before their three-year anniversary, Tex Davis lost the one man he would ever love, Memphis King. A year has passed and he still hasn’t been able to move on. Everyone tells him it’s time, but what do they know? Memphis was his partner in love and life. Losing him, broke Tex.

Tex has been given an opportunity to move from New York to Seattle. His friends and family are encouraging him to take it, but he has already decided to decline the offer because that would mean leaving Memphis behind.

Then something happened.

Whether it be fate or something else, Memphis came back to him. Tex’s first love is supposed to help him move on, but not even Memphis can bring himself to force Tex to let him go.

Is it so wrong to want to spend forever with the person you loved most? Both hearts are begging to be unbroken.

Tagline:

Two broken hearts, one wandering soul.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Blue Jay

SERIES: London Stories #3

AUTHOR: A. Zukowski

PUBLISHER: Beaten Track Publishing

LENGTH: 93,600 words

RELEASE DATE: October 3, 2019

BLURB:

Boxing was all Alex had ever known, his entire being now shattered beyond repair. One night and four years in jail changed everything. These days, Alex prefers the shadows and dreams of nightmares. Will he find rainbows and glitters in the run-down flat he’s moving into?

Chris has been selling their looks and body for too long. It may be time for a life change, but one thing is clear. The fairest of them all will make a lousy lover until they stop acting the smart-mouthed and blasé cynic. Their story begins with an elegant tango up the narrow stairwell…

A match made in London.

Featuring Chris from Liam for Hire, Blue Jay is a hopeful and romantic story with genderqueer and bisexual characters.

REVIEWED by Anna Lynn

TITLE: Love Always

AUTHOR: Riley Hart

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 218 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 5, 2019

BLURB:

Nathaniel Montgomery can’t escape the pressure to be perfect, to be smart, to be successful. To live the life chosen for him–one that doesn’t include being gay.

Wren Cunningham lives on the streets and does what it takes to survive. No one has ever given a damn about him, so he works with the cards he’s been dealt and pushes his dreams aside.

Fate steps in when Nate and Wren meet at eighteen years old. They have one week to live how they want, to pretend everything they hope for is within reach. What they don’t expect is to find exactly what they need in each other…or to fall in love.

But sometimes love isn’t enough, and goodbyes are inevitable.

No matter how much time passes, Nate and Wren never forget. They always find their way back to each other, and that helps them make it through. It’s never been a question of if they want each other. Their love is constant and never fades. Love Always.

They’ve spent their whole lives dreaming about their future together. To have a fighting chance, they’ll need to find a different kind of strength–learning to love themselves first.

If not, their next goodbye will be their last.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Crave

SERIES: Brawlers #1

AUTHOR: J.M. Dabney

PUBLISHER: Hostile Whispers Press

LENGTH: 197 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 11, 2018 2nd edition

BLURB:

Welcome to Brawlers Bar…

A quick pit stop for a comfortable bed to sleep turned into an eight-year stay. Vincent “Crave” Butler hit the road the day after college graduation and hadn’t looked behind him since. He’d swore to never stop moving, but the night he drove into Powers, Georgia changed the course of his life. He’d hit a bar called Brawlers with its rundown exterior and pride flag beside the door, the next day he had a job. Second in command to the Head of Brawler security, Crave found the place he didn’t have to run from. No one would call Crave sane. He lived to make people as uncomfortable as possible just for his own twisted amusement. That all changed when a certain cute as fuck bartender walked in for an interview.

No one wanted Twitch Harrison around. He was small, femme and annoying on his best days, downright abhorrent on his bad ones. When college turned out to be a no-go, and the parents canceled his credit cards he’d needed a job. Walking into Brawlers, the roughest gay bar in his hometown, was like a game of pick the thing that didn’t belong—him. The two owners, Scary and Tank, hired him on and four years later he was still that thing that didn’t belong. No one made it more apparent than bouncer Crave Butler who didn’t hide the fact he barely tolerated Twitch’s presence.

Crave threatened every man who thought they’d get the pretty Twitch but would Twitch rather be in their beds than his? Only one way to find out and he hoped Twitch was ready for forever because that’s what Crave was determined to have.

Reviewed by Danielle

TITLE: Diary of a Gay Porn Star

SERIES: Book 1

AUTHOR: Seth King

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE: September 29, 2019

LENGTH: 134 Pages

BLURB:

I guess you could say I was just like any other straight guy in his twenties: booze, bars, pumping iron, chasing girls – you know the deal.
Until I became a gay porn star.
This is how I got here.

The Instagram message came out of nowhere: “Hey, I’m Mike from Broke Straight Bros. We’re a gay porn site, but we specialize in finding unknown straight guys like you. We came across your profile and really like your look. We’d love to explore your interest in doing a shoot with us! PS: the $$$ would be substantial.”

Of course I laughed it off and moved on. I mean, I’m straight – why would I ever do that? But fate had other plans. When my mom’s health issues took a turn, her doctors said she needed life-saving surgery – and her insurance wouldn’t entirely cover it. So since I was already broker than broke, I swallowed my pride, crawled back to Mike, and made an offer: one solo video. No sex. No other guys. Just me, my hand, and some lube, all in the name of helping my mom.

My first shoot went surprisingly well – so well, in fact, that it went viral. So Mike came back with an even more shocking offer: $10,000 for a shoot with a guy. And with my mom’s bills mounting, I pushed the anxiety out of my mind, watched some gay porn for research, and then had dinner with my potential costar, Justin Kane, just to feel things out. But that created the biggest problem of all: Justin turned out to be funny, kind, charismatic, and has a bubble butt sent from the gods…

And against all odds, I think I might like him. According to Mike, though, the #1 rule in porn is never to fall for your costar. Ever. If I catch feelings and make things weird, I could get fired on the spot and lose my only shot at saving my mom. But the clock is ticking, the shoot is tomorrow, it’s too late to back out now…

And Justin’s gooey brown eyes are getting no less mesmerizing.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: A Love Like Fire (Previously known as ‘the Sorcerer’s Betrayal)

SERIES: Juxtan #1

AUTHOR: Tricia Owens

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 254 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2019

BLURB:

When the mercenary Caledon meets a young man named Hadrian, he falls instantly, hopelessly in love with him. Black-haired and silver-eyed, Hadrian is unlike any man Caledon has seen before. His uncertain responses to Caledon’s advances only make the mercenary more determined to pursue and win him.

But Hadrian is a mystery, and harbors untold secrets. He hails from an island inhabited by sorcerers and has come to Caledon’s city to recruit the mercenaries for a well-paying job offered by Hadrian’s father. Except the job is a lie. Hadrian is far more dangerous than his disposition suggests, and what he wants with Caledon and the mercenaries of Rhiad will forever change the land and set in motion a prophecy that will bind two men together in love, lust and hatred…until death.

This is a re-written, re-edited version of the title, The Sorcerer’s Betrayal.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Escaping Camp Roosevelt

AUTHOR: Bryan T. Clark

PUBLISHER: Cornbread Publishing Inc

LENGTH: 252 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

BLURB:

“He’s a bad boy—cocky and damaged. So, why can’t I stop thinking about him?”

Broken Dreams

Sociable and unselfish, eighteen-year-old Tucker Graves loves two things—his darling little sister and the thrill of playing baseball. He never dreamed that he’d be homeless, but after a series of misfortunes, his life is nothing like he could have possibly imagined. Shocked and shattered, Tucker, his mother, and his baby sister now must brave the dangers of a dilapidated homeless encampment called Camp Roosevelt.

A Wounded Heart

Homeless since the age of fourteen, Dancer has mastered the tricks of living on the streets as a sex worker. The quiet, reclusive, and calculating ways of this twenty-year-old, green-eyed Adonis help him to survive. He hides his emotional scars from the world by interacting only with his clients, whose occasional bizarre requests he reluctantly fulfills. Dancer’s past has taught him to trust no one.

A Second Chance

When Tucker and Dancer come face to face on a stormy night, having been thrown together under the same roof, Tucker brings out a feeling in Dancer that he didn’t know still existed in him—desire. Neither man can deny the attraction he feels for the other. But some scars run deep, causing both Tucker and Dancer to question whether falling in love is even possible, especially when survival is on the line.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Thrall

SERIES:  Legend of the Fallen Empire #1

AUTHOR: Ravon Silvus

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Publications

LENGTH: 235 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2019

BLURB:

Legend of the Fallen Empire The old Empire has fallen, and humanity is losing the war against powerful vampires. Kaiden, once the pathetic town drunk, is now a thrall, a mindless servant driven only by bloodlust and his master’s orders. But when his master orders Kaiden to kill a vampire hunter, Kaiden disobeys. Hunter Johann has spent years studying old lore and killing thralls, but he’s never seen one like Kaiden, intelligent and capable of free will. If he can convince Kaiden to help him, he might reclaim something thought lost forever: a chance for humankind. But he isn’t sure if Kaiden can be trusted, much less become a tool to kill the vampire who created him.  Kaiden doesn’t know who he is or what he truly wants beyond blood. Most of his memories are shadows, and nothing will bring back the life he lost. Not a vampire, not a mindless thrall, capable of using the old magics, Kaiden is something completely different. And being different means being alone.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Clip

SERIES: Akar Chronicles #3

AUTHOR: Kiki Burrelli

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 142 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 16, 2019

BLURB:

Billy and the Beast…a spirited gay man meets the beast just as gorgeous and insane as he is.

Billy has devoted every moment in the last two months searching for his best friends, Tannish and Phoenix. Gone, without a trace, he tracks down every loose end, coming up empty-handed until he bumps into Vrak, a gorgeously grumpy man who says he knows where Billy’s friends are. Except, they aren’t hurt, they are together and don’t need rescuing. Sad he was left behind, Billy seeks comfort, spending a night he won’t forget in Vrak’s arms. But when morning comes, Billy discovers the world is not how he thought.

Vrak is an alien, his friends were in space and now, despite it being impossible, Billy is pregnant.

Vrak suffered through watching his crewmates find their perfect pairs, vowing he would never suffer the same fate. But, when the undeniably sexy, firecracker of a young man, Billy, waltzes into his life, he can’t think straight. Normally, Vrak is the wild one of the group, but he’s nothing compared to Billy. He leaps first, without question, every time.

Together, the crew uncovers a large conspiracy. The people of Vrak’s homeworld are sterile, due to their government’s—the AkarFed’s—meddling. While the AkarFed scrambles for a solution they look to Earth, kidnapping and testing young men in the process. And as Billy’s pregnancy progresses faster than it should, Vrak and the crew begin to worry that there is more going on than even they know.

Quickly, Vrak realized Billy is the gift he never thought he’d get, but if he doesn’t figure out what the AkarFed is up to, and fast, Billy might not be his gift for long.

CLIP is the third book in the Akar Chronicles and may be read as a standalone.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  After Ben  (2nd Edition)

SERIES:  Seattle Stories

AUTHOR:  Con Riley

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  300 pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 5, 2019

BLURB: 

A year after the sudden death of his longtime partner, Ben, Theo Anderson is still grieving. The last thing he’s looking for is a new lover. But as Theo soon discovers, sometimes life has other plans.

While Theo experiences a powerful physical attraction to fellow gym member Peter, it’s his new online friend, Morgan, who provides the intellectual challenge to make him come alive. Morgan is witty, brave, and irreverent, and Theo is ready to take the plunge… until he discovers Morgan might be half his age.

Theo’s late partner was significantly older—enough to strain Theo’s relationship with his family—and the potential of another relationship being cut short leaves him gunshy. Theo needs to lay Ben’s memory to rest, reconcile with his family, and rekindle neglected friendships if he’s to start afresh with a new lover. But Theo isn’t the only one with a past.

His biggest challenge, in living after Ben, might not be his to face.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Wicked Deeds

SERIES: Sun’s Playground #2

AUTHOR: Shea Balik

PUBLISHER: Siren-Bookstrand Inc

LENGTH: 125 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2018

BLURB:

Heartbroken after another sub had cheated on him, Kent “Wicked” Fields had decided to give up on finding that one sub to build a future with. He should have known fate would screw with him the first time he hooked up with a sub and not let him ignore the sweet heat that could be found in the cute little waiter.

Adam “Butsy” Butts found himself once more tossed away like yesterday’s garbage by the new bouncer. What he didn’t understand was why. Maybe his ex was right, and Butsy was bad in bed. If only he could forget what it felt like to be held by the man of his dreams. It would be difficult, but Butsy feared it was time to face facts. He was meant to be alone.

But happily ever after would be around the corner if Syn has anything to say about it.

Warning: Wicked Deeds abounds when Syn becomes involved.