Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Loosen Up

SERIES: Ace’s Wild #5

AUTHOR: Max Walker

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 92 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 22, 2019

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Jordan Hampton:

I was stressed beyond belief. My life felt like it was hitting dead-end after dead-end, and my job was making me want to pull my hair out strand by single strand.

So, when my boyfriend suggests a spontaneous trip to Miami Beach, I jump at the chance.

I had no idea what was really in store for us when we boarded the plane.

Actually, let me correct that: when we boarded the wrong plane. Instead of flying to Miami Beach, we were headed toward Vintage Ridge, North Carolina.

Remember what I was saying about stress? Yeah, multiply that by two lost Canadians and one exceptionally friendly flight attendant and you’d feel what I felt.

This was going to be an interesting vacation.

Brody Winters:

I loved my boyfriend with my entire heart and soul. So when he hurts, I hurt. That’s why I decided to plan an entire vacation focused on rest and relaxation, because I could see my Jordan getting more wound up by the day.

Who could have guessed that our perfect Miami vacation would have started with Jordan accidentally eating an entire edible as we sat on the wrong flight toward some city neither of us could even point to on a map.

All while I had a very special, blue velvet box tucked deep inside my bookbag.

This was not how I wanted to start the trip, but maybe this was exactly what we both needed after all?

Reviewed by Dan

TITLE: More Than This

SERIES: California Obscura Series #5

AUTHOR: Alexa Land

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 212 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 24, 2019

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So, apparently I’m a warlock.

That’s what I’ve been told by a mysterious stranger who broke into my home and claims to be a vampire. He also says my powers are going to activate in two weeks, on my twenty-fifth birthday. Oh, and by the way, that just might set me off like a nuclear bomb. Since something inside me is starting to build to almost unbearable levels, he might be right about that. He also says he’s willing to help me, as long as I do a favor for him in return.

But can I trust him?

And why does this have to be happening now, right after I met the man of my dreams? Ari Bloom is everything I’ve ever wanted, and there’s no way I can tell him about any of this while we’re just getting to know each other. What would I even say? Oh hey, turns out magic is real, I might be the most powerful warlock on the planet, and there’s a chance I could go supernova in a few days.

Yeah, I don’t think so.

My name is Griffin Vale, and this is what I have to do: survive my birthday, help a vampire in need, and keep pretending everything is perfectly normal for Ari’s sake, even as my world starts spiraling wildly out of control around us.

Piece of cake, right?

This light-hearted, M/M paranormal romance is part of Alexa Land’s California Obscura Series. It features an inept warlock, a sweet cinnamon roll of a barista, an annoyed bulldog, and an assortment of vampires. While characters throughout the series make cameo appearances, each book is written as a stand-alone.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Mending the Rift

SERIES: Druid’s Curse #8

AUTHOR: Shea Balik

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 8450 kb

RELEASE DATE: October 28, 2019

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THE END IS NEAR!

The end would be upon Brandr and his friends soon. The only question, would Brandr be able to find his fated one in time? He feared he was too late when he arrived to find the field empty. Then the Veil opens again and hell rains down upon him as the Unseelie pets attack. But when Brandr was too injured to move, the Druid he was destined to claim as his own flees in terror. Talk about demoralizing.

That did not happen. Not even in some weird fantasy could Logan have imagined that a dead man could come back to life. And he had definitely been dead, since Logan had to put his head back on his body. But when he was faced with the truth, that the man was immortal, Logan has to admit to being…intrigued.

But as Samhain draws closer, the danger around them increases as the Fae converge. The Fae must be defeated if Brandr and Logan hope to find their happily ever after. Only by working together will have any chance of Mending the Rift and saving humanity.

PLEASE NOTE: This is the FINAL book in an ongoing story arc. It is HIGHLY recommended that you read this series in order! Thank you!!

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: The Dragon CEO’s Assistant

SERIES: Golden Kingdom #2, Dreamspun Beyond #39

AUTHOR: Jenn Burke

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 167 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 29, 2019

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A Golden Kingdom Novel

The heart remembers.

When Aidan Bishop staggers out of the woods, naked and suffering from amnesia, he needs to relearn who he is and where he fits in the world.

His boss, nearly five-hundred-year-old dragon Nassim, head of a successful tech company, hurries to claim his wayward assistant and guide him back into the life he disappeared from. As they get to know each other again, Aidan wonders if their relationship went deeper than employer and employee. But Nassim isn’t telling, and Aidan has a secret of his own… even if he doesn’t know it yet.

DUO REVIEW by Anabela & Cindy

TITLE: Slow Dating the Detective

SERIES: Cowboys and Angels

AUTHOR: Sue Brown

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 189 Pages

RELEASE DATE: October 29, 2019

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A gentle bartender might have what it takes to mend a relationship-phobic detective’s broken heart… but first they have to admit they’re dating.

Keenan Day could kick himself for letting the hot, dark-haired stranger he met outside a strip club get away. Instead of a phone number, he gets a punch in the face—from the boyfriend of his prospective employer at the Cowboys and Angels bar. When two cops come to check up on him, one is the sexy stranger, Detective Nate Gordon.

The initial attraction hasn’t cooled, and though Nate is leery of commitment, one hookup turns into another until they’re seeing each other in everything but name. After a recent nasty breakup, Nate balks at being part of a couple, and Keenan agrees, even though that’s all he’s ever wanted.

Just as they reach a standstill, a crisis shows them what their friends have known all along—they’ve already moved way past hookups. Now they just have to decide how to move forward.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Joker

SERIES: Executioners #2

AUTHOR: J.M. Dabney

PUBLISHER: Hostile Whispers Press

LENGTH: 175 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 23, 2018 2nd edition

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Joker, what a misnomer, but Jackson Webb’s friends were idiots. He’d joined Executioners almost three years earlier after the lead singer King caught him playing his guitar behind his garage. It broke up the monotony of his life, but once he got bored, he’d move on to another distraction. He wasn’t nice. He sure as hell wasn’t friendly. He was what he was, his friends handled his attitude and standoffish nature just fine. At thirty-eight he was pretty sure he was too stuck in his ways to change shit now.

Demetri “Dem” Urban was settling into a new life in the middle of nowhere. Okay, he was hiding from everyone in a kitchen as far removed from his five-star kitchen back in New York as he could get. Gideon invited him to stay with him and his wife for a while just until he could get everything back on track. He didn’t see it happening, but he had to admit the scenery wasn’t bad even if the man had the personality of a rabid, man-eating bear. Dem did like a challenge and that fit Joker Webb perfectly.

Author’s Note: This story contains scenes of a violent nature, mentions of rape and torture (All off page from characters pasts) and severe abuse. If you, as a reader, find this objectionable or triggering in any way, you can skip this story without losing the transition to the next book.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Ghost

SERIES: Executioners #1

AUTHOR: J.M. Dabney

PUBLISHER: Hostile Whispers Press

LENGTH: 184 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 23, 2018 2nd edition

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Gideon Jane earned the name Ghost for his reclusive nature when he joined a group of guys in Powers, Georgia in a band called Executioners. It had been his way of settling into small town life after living in New York for the past twenty years. He loved the band and his small organic farm. What he didn’t love was being single, but it appeared it was his new reality. He didn’t want his ex back, although he did want something. What that was eluded him until the evening he walked into Nightingale’s Books.

Small town girl Harper Sage knew pain, and she’d lived with it—she had the scars both mental and physical to prove it. It would’ve been easier to hop in her car to find safety and anonymity, but Harper stayed to prove she was stronger than hurled fists and bruising prejudice. She found herself within the safety of a close-knit group of rough bikers and bar bouncers. That didn’t mean it was all perfect.

What’s a girl to do when she craves normalcy and acceptance: she just smiles. Choices are made, some with dire consequences and others that bring her closer to her dream. Will she make the right decision or finally discover escape is her best option?

Author Note: This book contains scenes of violence and descriptions of self-harm.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Legendary Loves

SERIES: Volume 2

AUTHOR: Nell Iris, Kassandra Lee, Addison Albright

PUBLISHER: JMS Books LLC

LENGTH: 3484 kb

RELEASE DATE: October 19, 2019

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JMS Books’ Trios are themed collections of three gay romance stories by a trio of authors. Each story is available separately, but readers can get all three for a discounted bundle price.

Legendary Loves Volume 2 contains three paranormal shifter M/M romances just in time for Halloween! Contains the stories:

In My Arms Again by Nell Iris: Oxen is lonely, feeling like he’s waiting for something, and can’t focus. But when a very ill stranger collapses on his doorstep, everything changes. The stranger, Vinge, is a Pegasus unable to transform. Both men feel an instant connection that swiftly grows deeper. The questions surrounding Vinge are many. Why is he so familiar? What will it take for the depth of their connection be revealed?

The Murky Depths by Kassandra Lea: Tired of the daily grind of his job, Keston heads out for a weekend at his family’s cabin in Kona Woods. Turns out he isn’t alone, though, as there are others lurking in the shadows. When a near-death experience brings Ness waltzing into his life, everything Keston thought he knew is turned upside down. Will facing what scares him bring to Keston’s life what it’s missing most?

Weekend at Bigfoot’s by Addison Albright: There’s nothing about perky — twinky? — Oliver Hughes that would make Sensational News’ (Never Fake! We Swear!) reporter Wilson Banks think Bigfoot actually exists. But while pursuing soundbites for a tabloid story about Bigfoot, Wilson witnesses something he wasn’t meant to see. In Wilson’s new reality, is there room for love with someone whose dreams are as big as his … er … feet?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: King of Liars

SERIES: Ace’s Wild #4

AUTHOR: Devon McCormack

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 181 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 15, 2019

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*A DARK ROMANCE*

BOSS

I keep telling myself I won’t fall into King’s trap, but he’s determined to make me one of his knights–a group of tops at his beck and call.

He’s not my king, but he wants to be–something he’s made clear from day one. Sounds like some kind of twisted fairy tale, but it’s just my life as a transfer student at a new university. Figured I’d be spending my time finding my way around this new school, but I spend most of it navigating King’s mind games.

He calls me Boss.

That must mean I’m special, right? Or is it just another trick he’s using to lure me in?

I keep telling myself I shouldn’t…I can’t…I won’t…

But the more he pushes, the more I let my guard down. And soon, I find myself on one knee, bowing to my king…pulled into his messed-up Wonderland.

The only rules we play by are the ones King has created.

If it was all in good fun, that would be one thing. But what we share isn’t healthy–it’s toxic…dangerous. And for some reason, it’s just what I need right now.

These games bring forth something within me–a darkness I’ve tried to suppress. But now that darkness is pushing to the surface, and if I’m not careful, it might just tear me apart.

KING OF LIARS is a 47K-word dark romance that features sharing partners (no equality–or attempt at equality–in the featured dynamic), depictions of a toxic relationship, flashbacks/mentions of past sexual/physical abuse against minors, offensive language, manipulation, humiliation, and self-harm.

REVIEWED by Jay V.

TITLE: Rushing In

AUTHOR: Alice Winters

SERIES: Ace’s Wild #3

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 128 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 8, 2019

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I finally have a chance to team up with Bradley, the hot fellow police officer that I’ve been longing to get closer to. Somehow, I haven’t scared him off, even with my awkward flirting and my father telling him that I mimed giving birth to a cat as a child. When we get a call about a missing college student, I’m eager for the chance to work a case with Bradley, especially when we realize that there might be something more going on. But Bradley and I are determined to figure it out together, even if it means that I have to walk through an adult shop with him by my side. It’s not my fault that the store owners think he’s a stripper with his tight uniform. Okay, maybe that’s just what I was hoping for. A man can dream, right?

Spending time with Bradley is better than I ever imagined. He’s sweet, funny, and goes along with just about anything I say or do. It doesn’t help that I have a problem of rushing into situations without thinking them through, like the death ride on his motorcycle. But when we go to Ace’s Wild to see if we can find out more about the missing person, I learn something new about Bradley that could help me get closer to him. And the book I buy might give me some insight if I would actually read it instead of just looking at the pictures. When he asks me out, I realize that maybe I’m not the only one who wants more. Here’s hoping I don’t scare him off with the location of our second date!

PLEASE NOTE: For the first 90 days of this title’s publication, all sales and page reads will be donated to Kaleidoscope Youth Center, an LGBTQ+ center.

Reviewed by Cheryl

TITLE: Mason’s Run

SERIES: Twin Peeks Bookstore

AUTHOR: Mellanie Rourke

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 434 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2019

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Mason
I’ve escaped a past that would have destroyed most men. I was used, abused and sold for sex from a young age by those who should have protected me. An unexpected moment of compassion from a stranger gave me a chance at a new life. Though I’ve started over, my scars run deep. I’m an LGBTQ graphic novel writer and artist with a huge following, but I’m terrified of the world, and of my tormentors finding me. When I discover that the stranger who has saved me from a life of abuse is the same man who has finally awakened my body to desire, I realize the truth: Can I ever really be free if I’m still afraid of my past and the people who have shattered me?

Lee

Serving as a medic in the Middle East, I felt the life of my fiancé slip away under my hands and was powerless to stop it. Discharged with physical and emotional wounds I can’t heal, I go home to my crazy, geeky family and try to learn to live with the damage. Pain and grief lead me to some acts I’m not proud of, including paying strangers for sex. I’m determined to keep it strictly business with no emotions involved, but when I discover that Mason Malone isn’t a high-end escort, but a battered young man who has been forced into a life of pain and degradation, I’m frozen in indecision. Then the man with the raven curls and blue-gold eyes whispers, “Please…” and the barriers I’ve built around my heart shatter. Years later, fate brings us back together. He has a new name and career, but I’ve never been able to forget those eyes. Mason, unfortunately, doesn’t recognize me. Every day I find myself more and more drawn to him, but I’m terrified of what will happen when my secrets are discovered. As both our pasts threaten our future, can we find a path to redemption? Or will the discovery of the truth create a chasm too wide to bridge? Can love and forgiveness overcome soul- shattering pain?

Reviewed by Jess

TITLE: The Lion and the Crow

AUTHOR: Eli Easton

PUBLISHER: Pinkerton Road (Self-published)

LENGTH: 153 pages

RELEASE DATE:  August 26, 2019

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In medieval England, duty is everything, personal honor is more valued than life itself, and homosexuality is not tolerated by the church or society.

Sir Christian Brandon was raised in a household where he was hated for his unusual beauty and for his parentage. Being smaller than his six brutish half-brothers, he learned to survive by using his wits and his gift for strategy, earning him the nickname the Crow.

Sir William Corbett, a large and fierce warrior known as the Lion, has pushed his unnatural desires down all his life. He’s determined to live up to his own ideal of a gallant knight. When he takes up a quest to rescue his sister from her abusive lord of a husband, he’s forced to enlist the help of Sir Christian. It’s a partnership that will test every strand of his moral fiber, and, eventually, his understanding of the meaning of duty, honor, and love.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: The Wolf and the Pear

AUTHOR: Alex Jane

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 95 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 23, 2019

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Once upon a time, there was a boy named Lev.

He didn’t have skin as white as snow or hair that fell in golden ropes. But he was quick witted and braver than he knew. And he would need to be.

When Lev goes to live with his uncle in the little village nestled against the deep dark forest at the foot of the mountains, the place seems pleasant enough. But Lev soon starts to wonder about things that don’t quite make sense—dark looks on people’s faces, cries in the night that go unanswered and secrets whispered. But it isn’t until the first full moon that he truly understands why his parents left their families and never wanted to return. Or why they never spoke of Grandmother who lives in the forest. Or the Big Bad Wolf who lives with her.

Until one day Lev is sent into the forest to Grandmother’s house.

Then all he wonders is whether he’ll ever make it out of the forest again.

“Lev. Be a good boy, dear. Don’t run. It’s so much worse if you run.”

This is a dark fairytale told in the traditional style, with talking animals, violence and sexual content.

Definitely not for children.

Reviewed by Dan

TITLE: The King’s Dragon

SERIES: Fire and Valor Book 1

AUTHOR: W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 295 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  September 26, 2019

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Lord Tristram Radcliffe has a secret—he is the only dragon at the king’s court in Llangard. It’s a secret he’s kept from the knights he’s fought beside, from the ladies who bat their lashes at him, and from his closest companion, Prince Reynold. If it were to get out, he’d be banished to the Mawrcraig Mountains along with the rest of his kind, but the kingdom of men is the only one he’s ever known, and his heart lives in the stone halls of those who’d count him an enemy.

When the old king dies and Prince Reynold takes the throne, two visitors from the north throw Tristram into the middle of the ancient conflict between dragons and men. They put him on a collision course with the king’s shadow, Bet Kyston, a dangerous assassin who may want him dead or may want more of Tristram that he’d ever thought to give.

With the eyes of dragons upon him and a threat from the north creeping toward the home he loves, Tristram must weigh his allegiances before his dual legacies tear him apart.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Without Reservations

SERIES: With or Without #1

AUTHOR: J.L. Langley

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press 2nd edition

LENGTH: 215 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 27, 2019

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Sometimes love catches you by the tail.

Native American veterinarian—and werewolf—Chayton Wilson dreams of a fair-haired mate. However, he’s shocked to find his mate is a man. He’s not quite sure what to do with a male mate, but he’s more than willing to find out.

Keaton Reynolds wakes up in wolf form and finds himself with a mate. He’s instantly attracted, but not thrilled to find out the man is supposedly straight. A past relationship where his partner denied being gay left a bad taste in his mouth. Keaton wants to make a break for it and pretend he never set eyes on Chay—but Chay is not ready to let him go.

Together they work to battle prejudice and solidify their shaky relationship. When a power struggle in Keaton’s pack threatens Keaton’s life, the two men must quickly learn whether they can depend on each other.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: A Miracle in the Library

SERIES: Mitch & Cian #1

AUTHOR: Helena Stone

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 65 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 27, 2018

BLURB:

Seventeen-year-old Mitch McCann has been trying to dodge his bullies for eighteen months. He isn’t out, but that hasn’t stopped the popular gang at school from tormenting him for being gay. Three weeks before Christmas, in a desperate attempt to shake his pursuers, Mitch flees into the abandoned community hall, only to discover the building is far from empty; inside he finds a fully stocked library as well as Mr. Nichols, the very welcoming librarian.

The library turns into Mitch’s refuge of choice, where he can read books that answer his endless questions, without fear of encountering abuse. His peace of mind is shattered when nineteen-year-old Cian Leavy enters his sanctuary. Cian is the boy who made Mitch realize he’s gay, and he’s more attractive now than he was eighteen months ago, when Mitch literally ran into him.

Will Cian unwittingly disrupt Mitch’s life again? Or has the scene been set for a miracle in the library?