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…

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Reviewed by Anabela

TITLE: Whatever It Takes

AUTHOR: Barbara Elsborg

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 336 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 2, 2019

BLURB:

War in Syria has devastated Zain’s country, destroyed his family and broken his heart. When there is nothing left to stay for, he journeys to England, determined to follow in his father’s footsteps and train as a doctor in London. He might be a refugee with no money, no friends and no qualifications but he still has his dreams and he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure his future turns out to be the one he wants.

Roman is a world away from the naïve Russian boy who lost everything, one devastating day. Now he’s a fixer for a wealthy Russian, keeping the guy’s business dealings away from the attention of the British authorities. Roman is balanced on a moral tightrope which grows more unsteady by the day. The last thing he needs is to become emotionally involved with a young Syrian, especially when he can’t afford to trust anyone.

A chance discovery in Roman’s car by Zain sets off a violent chain reaction and Zain is thrown into a world that threatens not just his dreams but his life. Roman has difficult decisions to make. He’s determined to do whatever it takes to keep Zain safe. But lingering shadows from their pasts as well as prominent figures from Roman’s present need to be eliminated if they’re to have a chance together.

As lies and danger escalate, are they doomed before they’ve even begun?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Final Play

SERIES: Fake Boyfriend #6

AUTHOR: Eden Finley

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 200 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 23, 2019

BLURB:

It’s a vacation none of them will forget.

Before their futures become the present, Noah convinces his friends they need a group vacation—a final play before they’re all tied down by responsibility and unyielding schedules.

Everything is changing.

Marriage.

Kids.

Careers.

A trip to Fiji is the last hurrah to end all hurrahs. And from disastrous marriage proposals to grand gestures to life-changing confessions, two weeks on a private island becomes the beginning of the rest of their lives.

**Final Play is a 50,000 word novel told in the point of views of all ten Fake Boyfriend main characters. It contains the boys’ final HEAs. It is not intended to be read as a stand-alone.**

Reviewed by Danielle

TITLE: LUST HATE LOVE

SERIES: Fallen Angel #4

AUTHOR: Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE: December 30, 2019

LENGTH: 222 Pages

BLURB:

USA TODAY bestselling authors Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank continue the story of sexy Fallen Angel rockers Killian and Levi in LUST. HATE. LOVE.

As the sexy, charismatic bassist for world-famous rock band Fallen Angel, whatever Killian Michaels wants, Killian Michaels gets.
Or at least that was the case until the band’s gorgeous new manager, Levi Walker, shot him down after a blistering first kiss.

For Levi, managing these five guys is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he’s not about to let a case of sexual desire get in his way. He’s efficient, professional, and plays by the book. But tension simmers beneath Levi’s cool exterior every time Killian’s near, and soon enough the passion boils over, consuming them both.

As the Corruption tour takes them from country to country, a heated game of cat and mouse ensues. Levi tries to deny the irresistible pull of Killian’s seductive nature, but with an attraction as strong as theirs, it’s only a matter of time before the lust-filled hate turns to love.

LUST. HATE. LOVE. is the fourth book of the Fallen Angel Series and follows a new couple in the band. It can be read as a standalone or following ANGEL.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Wren and Oak

SERIES: The Rowan Harbor Cycle #9

AUTHOR: Sam Burns

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 145 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 26, 2019

BLURB:

Rowan Harbor has been peaceful for a now unprecedented two months, but everyone knows it’s the calm before the storm. The Summer king is coming for the thorn—a weapon destined to bring his end—and Fletcher has never felt so helpless.

When the disturbing dreams start and his mentor, Oak, is hesitant to discuss them, Fletcher doesn’t know where to turn. He and his boyfriend Conner are in the process of moving in together, and he doesn’t want to add anything else to Conner’s list of concerns.

With a vengeful fae waiting for his chance to raze Rowan Harbor to the ground, Fletcher has to find a way to protect everything he loves and survive the coming storm.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Boyfriend 101

SERIES: Fever Falls #6

AUTHOR: Riley Hart

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 236 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 11, 2019

BLURB:

Camden

I’m a fun-loving guy who doesn’t take life too seriously. If there’s something I want, I go for it. Why not? Life’s too short to slide into the grave with regrets. But what I don’t do is go for men who aren’t out and proud. Been there, done that. The only real way to get to me is to hurt my brother, but now that Sawyer’s happy, he doesn’t need me anymore. I’m stoked for him, I am! But seeing my friends and brother paired off is a constant reminder of the one thing I don’t have but desperately want: Jude. There’s something about this beautiful man who insists he’s not into men. Even with my rules about guys who aren’t out, I’ve craved him since the moment he stepped foot in Fever Falls. Now that he’s one of my best friends, that desire has raged into an inferno I’m powerless to tame.

Jude

I’ve always considered myself straight. I wrote off the whole fascination with my longtime best friend Rush as something weird that happened. I’ve been over him for a while now, and the person who helped me was Camden Burke, the flirty man who calls me beautiful. I used to hate getting compliments about my looks, but when Cam does it… Well, let’s say the way he makes me feel is my first clue that the thing with Rush wasn’t a one-time deal. I’m bisexual. And Cam makes me laugh and always listens. Since I’ve been in Fever Falls, I’ve become closer to him than I’ve ever been with anyone, Rush included. So when I decide to explore my newfound sexuality, who better than Cam to show me all the pleasures of being with a man? Only, we get caught, and now it’s not just Cam showing me what it’s like to be with a guy–he’s become my professor in what he calls Boyfriend 101, and apparently, I’m a very good student.

But unfortunately, I have some issues to work out and a few exam scores start slipping. Cam has already graded on a curve by breaking some of his rules to be with me. If I can’t get my act together, I’ll flunk out of Boyfriend 101, and I can’t imagine retaking the course with anyone but him.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: A Year of Awakening

SERIES: Love in a Changing Climate #1

AUTHOR: Chris Creek

PUBLISHER: 2FM Limited

LENGTH: 244 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 27, 2018

BLURB:

Why should it matter to me that there was going to be a good-looking, charming gay boy around the office? I was forty-two, for God’s sake and had nothing to offer a young man like that, even if I was prepared to do anything about my sexuality. Which I was not. Because we all knew what the outcome of that would be. So there. End of subject.

Prickly, irascible and totally dedicated to his environmental consultancy business, Steve Frazer has no time for hook-ups or relationships; they belong to the past, to another life that he left behind two decades ago. Consequently, his powerful attraction to a new recruit, bright, funny, out-and-proud Josh Ashcroft, is an unwelcome emotion.

Initially the two men clash badly. Steve’s attempts to rein in his feelings make him seem cruel and intolerant. Josh, battling the pressures of his first major job, struggles to cope with his boss’s harshness. Yet despite this, the two men are drawn to each other…

Their burgeoning relationship awakens painful memories for both men. If they are to have a future together, they need to shed the baggage of the past and reclaim their lives. Is that possible? And how will Steve cope with a family bereavement that draws him back home to the village he has not seen for twenty years, since the events that drove him to a solitary, loveless existence?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: His First Kiss

SERIES: His First #3

AUTHOR: Victoria Sue

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 159 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 22, 2019

BLURB:

Rejected and alone.

Shay Nicholls has lost everything, including three babies before they were even born. Abandoned by his alpha as a failure and believing he has no hope of a future, he can’t even take the final step he needs to end his miserable existence.

Nick Carmichael has been trapped in a life he hates for far too long. When he finds the broken and desperate omega, he feels life has finally handed him the chance to become the mate he wants and eagerly steps up to care for the terrified young man.

Shay doesn’t trust alphas, even ones with gentle hands and a kind smile, but when tragedy strikes and Nick gets hurt, Shay realizes he’s been very wrong. Unfortunately, it might just be too late.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Under His Family

SERIES: Hybrid Heat #7

AUTHOR: Kiki Burrelli

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 154 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 8, 2019

BLURB:

Alpha. Billionaire. Dom.

Sibelius has it all, except the freedom to claim his human mate, Griffith.

Claiming Griffith would put the human in danger.

But that doesn’t mean he’s strong enough to send Griffith away.

For years, Griffith has been the personal assistant to the man he loves.

He’s hidden that love for almost as long. Sibelius is a shifter. He should be able to sense what Griffith is to him. If he hasn’t accepted Griffith yet, he never will. Which means Griffith must move on.

But when the Protectors of the Pure, an anti-shifter organization, begins attacking shifters across the country, Sibelius and Griffith must join forces to help put a stop to the hate group once and for all.

The shifters have a plan. Too bad that plan puts Bel and Griff in close quarters, in an underground bunker, away from their daily schedules. Forced together, they can’t avoid the connection between them for very long.

As things heat up between alpha and mate their enemy gears up for battle. The Protectors won’t stop until every shifter is dead. Which means Sibelius and Griffith aren’t just fighting for their love, they’re fighting for their future.

Under His Everything is the seventh and final book in the Hybrid Heat series. It is also the last in a series of spin-offs. It features an Mpreg romance with piles of action and humor as well. Under His Everything can be read as a standalone. There is a definite HEA and no cheating.

Other Series included in this world:

Wolf’s Mate

The Den

Bear Brothers

The Jeweled King’s Curse

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Make Me Let Go

SERIES: Omega Celibacy Club #2

AUTHOR: Angel Knots

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 261 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2019

BLURB:

Taking Professor Grayson’s Mythology of Mating Rituals class wasn’t part of Nolan Baker’s plan, and since he hates surprises and always follows his plans, Nolan really has no explanation for why he enrolled. At least, none that he wants to admit to.

Gray has been helping his students interpret human motivation through the metaphor of fated mates for more than a decade, but up until a certain dark eyed, too pretty, too serious omega enrolls in one of his classes, he never once considered the possibility that the ancient myths might have actually been true.

MAKE ME LET GO is the second book in the Omega Celibacy Club series, a contemporary omegaverse world where the only thing stronger than an alpha’s will is his desire to keep his omega happy, and where even omegas who don’t believe in fated mates sometimes still find them.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Secret Men

SERIES:  Hunt&Cam4Ever

PUBLISHER:  Red Deer

LENGTH: 348 pages

RELEASE DATE:  December 28, 2018

BLURB:

Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead … Powerful men determined to keep their secrets. Detective Lieutenant Hunter Dane, determined to know it all.
“The farmhouse has been sealed up since the last murder. Almost twenty years. Doors and windows intact. No sign of entry, forced or otherwise,” Hunter said.

“But we’re searching it, anyway?” Merisi peered across the dying orchard at the two-story, clapboard structure.

“You ain’t gonna find it.”

Merisi whirled around. In the railroad ditch, a boy on a bicycle eyed him boldly. His Black Ops 4 cap came down to his ears. He looked about ten years old.

“You don’t think so?” Merisi jumped down beside the boy and held out his hand. “Detective Mike Merisi.”

The boy took his hand. “I’m Bernard.”

“Why won’t we find him?”

“They live in mirrors. We can’t get in, but they get out.”

“They?” Merisi asked.

“Demons.”
Book 6 of the Hunt&Cam4Ever series. Cam’s moved up the hall to his new office and new career. Hunt and his team struggle with two cases at once, chasing one suspect cloaked in wealth, and another in superstition.

But Hunter is never without support:

Hunt walked straight into his office where he slumped back on the edge of his desk.

Cam followed. He shut the door before he kicked Hunt’s feet apart and moved in between his legs. Strong arms went around Hunt’s shoulders.

“We’re at work,” Hunter said, but he didn’t pull away.

“You’re at work. I’m visiting.” Cam rubbed his cheek against Hunter’s ear.

Hunt’s arms went around Cam’s waist. “I’m still at work.”

“You’re on a break.” Cam’s arms tightened and Hunter’s head dropped to his shoulder with a deep sigh.

After a minute, Hunt stood, hugged Cam tightly and pushed him firmly away. “You suck at being a good influence.”

Cam grinned. “You’re welcome.”

The HUNT&CAM4EVER series follows Hunter Dane through his murder investigations and his continuing relationship with Camden Snow. A frank exploration of the D/s dynamic between two powerful men. Consensual. Adult. Intense.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Stick to the Script

SERIES: Ace’s Wild #13

AUTHOR: Lane Hayes

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 100 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 17, 2019

BLURB:

Jamie is a wedding photographer in need of a break, and a sexy freelance assignment on the East Coast sounds like an intriguing getaway. He makes his flight to Vintage Ridge just before an epic storm wreaks havoc on holiday travel. But when his friend is delayed, Jamie finds himself alone at the bed-and-breakfast for the night with the owners’ son…a hunky contractor with a wicked smile and a commanding presence. Not a problem. Jamie can handle light conversation with a ruggedly handsome man for a few hours. Maybe. If all else fails, he can read the script.

Wyatt loves remodeling old homes like his parents’ B and B. Spending an evening entertaining their guest while he finishes up his project doesn’t seem like a big deal, but Wyatt can tell there’s something special about the nervous younger man. He suggests reading the racy script that accompanies Jamie’s assignment to get his mind off the weather, but neither is prepared for what happens next. Their explosive attraction encourages them to bend the rules and stick to their own script…together.

* * *
PLEASE NOTE: For the first 90 days of this title’s publication, all sales and page reads will be donated to PFLAG.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Psychic Men

SERIES:  Hunt&Cam4Ever

PUBLISHER:  Red Deer

LENGTH: 311 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 15, 2018

BLURB:

Hunter Dane and Camden Snow have settled into a satisfying routine of solving murders and hanging at the club, when they aren’t expressing their affection for one another. Vigorously. A great life in an idyllic location. Until a skinny kid who barely came up to Cam’s chin sought out Detective Lieutenant Dane…

“I saw my father last night,” Asher Gamble told him. “He said Jason Furney’s going to die and people will say I did it.”

Hunt frowned. The boy’s name seemed familiar. “Tell me the rest of it.”

Asher locked his gaze on Hunt’s as intractably as Cam ever had.

“My father killed my mother and my brother when I was two years old. He died in prison four years ago.”
So much for routine.

Reviewed by Donna

TITLE: Brandon’s Very Merry Haunted Christmas

SERIES: Snow Globe Christmas #11

AUTHOR: AJ Sherwood

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 112 Pages

RELEASE DATE: December 7, 2019

BLURB:

When Brandon Havili gets recruited by the FBI, he’s immediately assigned to shadow his brother and the psychic Donovan’s anchored to. Brandon doesn’t mind this in the slightest. He loves his brother, Jon seems cool, and it’s a great way to learn how to be an anchor, which is what the FBI wants him for. It’s supposedly three weeks of just following people around and observing.
But there’s a hitch in the plans. Brandon accidentally picks up a hitchhiker of the ghostly variety. Donovan is NOT pleased. Jon is amused to no end.
Dealing with the ghost means going back to the place Brandon accidentally got it from, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. They expect to meet up with an FBI medium, exorcise said ghost, and go home again.
FBI Medium Mackenzie Lafayette is not at all what Brandon expects. And for once, he’s quite happy to ditch the plan. Returning to Nashville can wait. He’s got a sexy medium to figure out first.

REVIEWED by Jen B.

TITLE: Devil’s Hour

SERIES: Zero Hour

AUTHOR: Aimee Nicole Walker

PUBLISHER: Chasing Rainbows Press

LENGTH: 261 Pages

RELEASE DATE: December 16, 2019

BLURB: Devil’s hour, noun: the hour when the demon or devil who leads hell is at its strongest.

Born on the wrong side of the tracks, Royce Locke is no stranger to scrapping and fighting for the things he wants. What he desires most is Sawyer Key—his partner on the force and the man he’s falling in love with. After asking Sawyer to take a chance on him, Royce will need to back up his pretty words with fearless action instead of being his own worst enemy.

Someone is harassing the mayor of Savannah, and Locke and Key are tasked with finding out who. The investigation quickly takes a twisted turn, leading them to an enemy who thinks purification by fire is the only way to save the city. Scarier than The Purists’ elusiveness is their ability to turn public opinion in their favor, creating unrest and threatening anarchy by fanning flames and fear. When you play with fire, someone is bound to get burned.

When menace becomes murder, the two detectives will race the clock against the devil to save their beloved city from becoming a raging inferno. Royce will need to draw on his grit now more than ever if he hopes to realize the dreams that are finally within reach. The rag is lit, the Molotov cocktail is tossed, and the zero hour is upon them. Challenge received and accepted.

Devil’s Hour is the second book in the Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship. This is a series that must be read in order. Devil’s Hour has a happy-for-now ending with no cliffhanger. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older.

Trigger warning: Part of the storyline involves coming to terms with a friend’s suicide, which may be difficult for some people to read.

Reviewed by Roberta

TITLE: The Great Aerodynamicist

SERIES: 2019 Advent Calendar Collection Homemade for the Holidays

AUTHOR: A. Nybo

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 28 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  December 1, 2019

BLURB:

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2019 Advent Calendar collection Homemade for the Holidays.

Thinking he’s up to the task, droll Irishman Donnell, who is new to Australia, has almost completed assembling a model steampunk flying machine for his nephew’s Christmas present. Then an accident involving a parachute, some superglue, and his mouth lands Donnell in the emergency room with two of his fantasy men… only one of whom is real

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Lights, Camera, Christmas!

SERIES:  A Snow Globe Christmas #10

AUTHOR:  J.D. Light

PUBLISHER:  B4 Dawn Publishing

RELEASE DATE:  December 9, 2019

LENGTH:  85 pages

BLURB:

What happens in those Christmas movies doesn’t happen in real life… right?

When Blake Sunday, an actor well known for his super fluffy roles in made-for-television movies, comes to the small but bustling town of Hidden Springs, Missouri to film a Christmas movie, he knows immediately that it’s where he wants to put down roots. His restless, energetic nature gets him sent on a coffee run where he steps inside Knick-Knack Patty-Cakes and meets its adorable owner.

Declan Alexander is chubby, clumsy, has wild curly black hair that can only be tamed with a stocking cap and has an unnatural obsession with made-for-TV Christmas movies.… And Blake Sunday. So, when the gorgeous actor comes waltzing into his bakery, naturally Declan becomes a force of destruction on feet.

Blake is completely smitten by the shy man, and does everything he can to get the guy’s attention, but Declan has one excuse or another anytime Blake asks him out, and though Blake understands how busy the man is, he’s starting to think it might be Declan’s way of turning him down nicely.

A snow globe with an interesting scene laid out inside, a few too many peppermint margaritas and Declan’s secrets spilling nephew real Blake back in when he thinks about giving up and give him the courage to go for it again even after he promised himself he wouldn’t.

Although this book is part of A Snow Globe Christmas series, it is a complete standalone, and it isn’t a requirement that you read the previous books to follow along. We wish everyone a happy holiday season.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Hat Trick

SERIES: Fake Boyfriend #5

AUTHOR: Eden Finley

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 335 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 5, 2019

BLURB:

Soren:

You know what’s not fun? Going on a Fiji vacation with four other couples. Especially when recently single.

What’s even worse is when a past hook-up arrives unannounced.

Not only do we have a history, but he’s ten years younger and a famous rock star. Most importantly, he’s my friend’s little brother.

Being trapped on an island with Jet Jackson is going to be sweet torture because all I want is another chance.

I just don’t think he’s going to give it to me.

Jet:

You know what’s not fun? Escaping one guy who broke my heart only to run into another.

Being on the road for three years has left me exhausted. The last thing I want is for Caleb ‘Soren’ Sorensen to try for round two.

I can’t fight my draw to him. I’ve never been able to.

I’m suddenly back to being the naïve kid who stupidly lusted after a hockey player. All I can think is if I let Soren get close, I’ll walk away from this vacation with a double broken heart.

*Hat Trick is a full-length M/M romance with a guaranteed HEA. This is the final book in the Fake Boyfriend series and as such is not recommended to be read as a standalone. All main characters of the series feature heavily.*