Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Flowers of Flesh and Blood

SERIES: The Yakuza Path #5

AUTHOR: Amy Tasukada

PUBLISHER: Macarons & Tea Publishing

LENGTH: 366 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2020

BLURB:

A killer. A traitor. A deadly war that could take their love and their lives…

Ruling the Kyoto yakuza makes Nao Murata a perpetual target, especially with the Koreans encroaching into their territory. An attempt on his life at his mafia headquarters crosses a line. Setting up his beloved ally Aki as the would-be assassin crosses another. Nao knows the only way to save his friend’s life is to sever their growing bond and force Aki to fake his own death…

But Aki Hisona refuses to stay dead. Determined to expose Nao’s would-be killer and save the man he loves, Aki goes deep undercover in the Korean underworld. But when he’s asked to prove his loyalty, he risks becoming caught in a web of his own lies…

With Aki gone and the Kyoto mafia in grave danger, Nao fears his trust in others could be fatal.

Will Nao and Aki find the assassin in time, or will Nao’s rule end in bloody chaos?

The Yakuza Path: Flowers of Flesh and Blood is the powerful fifth installment of The Yakuza Paththriller series. If you like gritty Japanese crime, richly-nuanced characters, and slow-burning gay romance, then you’ll love Amy Tasukada’s high-octane novel.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Pieces of Me

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

SERIES: Missing Pieces #2

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 196 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2020

BLURB:

Justin’s recovery is slow, but any step forward is a win in Dallas’ eyes. Having always been a source of strength for Justin, even before the accident, Dallas is trying to find his feet again as he struggles to get some normalcy back in their lives.

But now, with added financial pressures and Justin’s ongoing medical needs, Dallas isn’t sure how much longer he can be the strong one.

As missing pieces of Justin’s memory return, Justin realizes the physical side of their relationship is another piece of the puzzle he desperately wants to put back together. And as he gets to know Dallas all over again, he realizes what his mind can’t remember, his heart can’t forget.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: When I First Saw Red

SERIES: Soldiers and Mercenaries #2

AUTHOR: Kasia Bacon

PUBLISHER: The Order Universe

LENGTH: 212 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 5, 2020

BLURB:

RED:

Lázhien’s human. A common Imperial soldier. And my soulmate.

How could fate get it so wrong?

The demon in me craves this bond with every shred of his being. He pushes me to accept it. This time I won’t yield to his demands.

LÁZHIEN:

Red’s a lust demon, a whore and a stuck-up snob.

The most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. Pain in the arse. And he hates my guts.

I’d be an idiot to pursue him. Yet something about him compels me to make him mine.

When I First Saw Red is a complete and standalone short novel with an HEA ending, featuring a couple of reluctant fated soulmates—a demon and a human—trying and failing to defy destiny.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Bradley

SERIES: Gates of Heaven #5

AUTHOR: M. Tasia

PUBLISHER: Boroughs Publishing Group

LENGTH: 157 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 3, 2020

BLURB:

STRADDLING THE LAW

In the not what he expected column, Brad Williams is shocked when LAPD Captain Eric Meyers shows an interest. Tempting…but, no. While Brad might be working at The Gates, and seems all law-abiding, in his former life he was a cat-burglar, and Eric knows it. There’s no point in starting something that won’t go anywhere, especially since Brad’s sure all the captain’s feeling is residual gratitude that Brad took a bullet for him. Yet, what they learn about each other becomes deeper and more meaningful than either of them expects.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Winter’s End

SERIES: Angel Hills Pack #3

AUTHOR: Rebecca James

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 190 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 29, 2020

BLURB:

Dangerous and debilitating illnesses among the omegas of Angel Hills Pack cause concern for pack alpha Grey and his long-time beta mate, Ian. Grey must decide if he’s willing to let their omega mate, Gabriel, take the antidote offered by the human doctors in Cascade City or risk never allowing the omega to reproduce again. Meanwhile, Duncan’s relationship with Canaan confuses him; Roanan struggles with a new mate and three teens, one of them an omega; and two new omegas arrive from the city.

Contains A/B/O wolf shifter dynamics and m-preg.

The third and final book of the Angel Hills series, Winter’s End follows characters introduced in the first two books. This series must be read in order for complete understanding and enjoyment. However, reading the River Wolf Pack or Cascade Cities series is not required. 

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  The Redemption of River 

SERIES:  Sex in Seattle #4

AUTHOR:  Eli Easton

PUBLISHER:  Pinkerton Road LLC

RELEASE DATE:  June 12, 2020

LENGTH:  260 pages

BLURB:

River Larsen is a world traveler, truth-seeker, and tantric healer. He’s a master of loving all—and no one. Both his past and his spiritual path warn him against attachment. When he falls for his surrogacy client and coffee magnate, Brent McKay, River tells himself it’s a temporary idyll, a beautiful encounter they’ll both enjoy and move on from like two ships passing in the stream of life. Except his heart misses that memo.

Brent McKay hasn’t been interested in sex since his wife died two years ago. When he goes to Expanded Horizons sex clinic in Seattle for help, he meets River Larsen, a sex surrogate specializing in reiki massage and tantric sex therapy. Brent never expected to be interested in a man, but River’s light-filled spirit, inner peace, and electric touch bring him back to life. Brent’s loyal heart is ready to commit again. But how can he convince River that love can last forever—if you just have faith?

The Redemption of River features a widower who surprises the hell out of himself, a gorgeous hippy who thinks he’s a dandelion puff, an age gap, midlife discovery of bisexuality, foodie Seattle, a houseboat, dogs, a trip to Mumbai, and tantric secrets. (You know, the ones that let you have sex for hours. Those secrets.)

The Redemption of River takes place in part at the Expanded Horizons sex clinic and is thus book #4 of the Sex in Seattle series. It features a brand new couple and can be read as a stand-alone.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Finding Joy

AUTHOR: Adriana Herrera

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 224 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 22, 2020

BLURB:

As his twenty-sixth birthday approaches, Desta Joy Walker finds himself in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the one place he’s been actively avoiding most of his life. For Desta, the East African capital encompasses some of the happiest and saddest parts of his life–his first home and the place where his father died. When an unavoidable work obligation lands him there for twelve weeks, he may finally have a chance for the closure he so desperately needs. What Desta never expected was to catch a glimpse of his future as he reconnects with the beautiful country and his family’s past.

Elias Fikru has never met an opportunity he hasn’t seized. Except, of course, for the life-changing one he’s stubbornly ignored for the past nine months. He’d be a fool not to accept the chance to pursue his doctoral studies in the U.S., but saying yes means leaving his homeland, and Elias isn’t ready to make that commitment.

Meeting Desta, the Dominican-American emergency relief worker with the easy smile and sad eyes, makes Elias want things he’s never envisioned for himself. Rediscovering his country through Desta’s eyes emboldens Elias to reach for a future where he can be open about every part of himself. But when something threatens the future that’s within their grasp, Elias and Desta must put it all on the line for love.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Becoming Us

SERIES: True-Blue #3

AUTHOR: Becca Seymour

PUBLISHER: Rainbow Tree Publishing

LENGTH: 90 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 23, 2019

BLURB:

Catch up with Kirkby residents Scott and Davis as they navigate through the ups and downs of fatherhood, relationships, and juggling… balls.

In two years, it’s clear love can last, just as it can grow.

Davis’s business remains successful, Scott’s clinic is going strong, and Libby is happy and content.

But that doesn’t mean real life is always perfect, nor does it mean fatherhood isn’t as exhausting as it is wonderful.

Needing a break from their daily routines, Davis and Scott head away for a weekend of uninhibited fun. With lots of laughter and dancing, Davis has never seen Scott so relaxed and comfortable in public.

And he’s not quite sure how to handle that.

Worried that life in Kirkby is holding Scott back, Davis nearly makes the biggest mistake of his life.

But Scott has other ideas. He doesn’t need saving. What he needs is his man to step up and fight for their family and their future.

And he has just the plan to do it.

A True-Blue novella. I’ve Got You MUST be read prior to reading this story. Book three in Becca Seymour’s low-angst, feel-good LGBTQ series, True-blue. In the small town of Kirkby, there are busybodies, dogs who cause chaos, families who have the “best” of timing, and opportunities for good men to find their perfect match.

Reviewed by Danielle 

TITLE: Classified

SERIES: The Elite #3

AUTHORS: Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 191 Pages

RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2020

BLURB:

Classified is the final book of the Elite Series and should only be read after book one, Danger Zone, and book two, Need for Speed.

They train to serve their country.
They strive to be the best.
But only a select few can be…
The Elite

* * *

MATEO MORGAN
CALL SIGN: SOLO

Reckless, arrogant, and bold, Solo is as known in the U.S. Navy for his bad-boy reputation as he is for his skills as a fighter pilot. It’s a surprise to his peers, then, when he’s chosen to train and compete at the most prestigious naval aviation academy in the world.

MISSION RULES:
1.Kick everyone’s ass.
2.Do whatever it takes to win.
3.Do your best to distract the competition.
4.Especially when that competition is a gorgeous blue-eyed perfectionist who makes your blood run hot.

* * *

GRANT HUGHES
CALL SIGN: PANTHER</b

Disciplined, smart, and confident, Panther can’t afford not to play by the rules. As the son of a top Navy commander, all eyes are on him, and being anything less than number one is unacceptable.

MISSION RULES:
1.Keep it safe in the air.
2.Prove you’re more than Commander Hughes’s son.
3.No distractions. Stay focused.
4.Don’t fall for your competition—especially not the rebellious heartbreaker with lips made for sinning.

In the heat of the hot California sun, tempers flare and desires ignite as Solo and Panther try to resist their attraction while fighting to be number one.
With passion this intense, the question remains:
Who’s gonna come out on top?

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE: Looking for Trouble

AUTHOR:  Riley Hart

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  March 8, 2019

LENGTH: 215 pages

BLURB:

Dylan Sutton doesn’t go looking for trouble, but it always seems to find him. After the devastating loss of his father, he travels across the country to deliver a letter to his dad’s estranged best friend. But surely, he deserves a night of relaxation when he first gets to town, right? He sets his sights on the attractive older guy at the bar—except his almost-one-night-stand turns out to be the very man he’s in town to see. Oops.

Clayton Turner has a nasty habit of either losing or hurting the people he cares about. After his partner died, he’d decided keeping to himself was the smartest life choice. He doesn’t count on trouble stumbling into his life in the form of a sexy guy twenty years his junior… and for that guy to be linked to one of the most painful losses of Clay’s past.

Fate steps in and Dylan gets stranded in Bailey Springs. He gets a job, and Clay can’t stop himself from trying to help Dylan get on his feet. And Dylan? Well, Dylan can’t seem to stop flirting with Clay. He tries, he really does…just about as much as Clay attempts not to like it. They couldn’t be more different…or are they? Soon, Trouble and Sad Eyes realize they have a lot more in common than they thought, and once they land in bed together, there’s no going back. Moving forward isn’t any easier, though. Clay’s always walked the straight and narrow, always followed all the rules. But what does he do when the only right path involves looking for trouble?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Cold Justice

SERIES: The Asylum Fight Club #4

AUTHOR: Tibby Armstrong & Bianca Sommerland

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 3230 kb

RELEASE DATE: March 24, 2020

BLURB:

Breaking a few rules didn’t seem like a huge deal.

With his name on several government assasination lists, Wren Gibson’s prison sentence might’ve been the shortest in hacker history, until an unlikely rescue lands him behind the sturdy brick walls of The Asylum Fight Club. Where everyone can game the rules, yet he’s forbidden from even placing his piece on the board.

But one Dom tempts him to gamble everything.

The Asylum’s resident, on-call medic, Jared “Doc” McCleod is familiar with the histories of every man who crosses the club’s threshold. Their pain, their fear… Of them all, only Wren has held on to his secrets, a fascinating contrast with how completely he gives up control. As the general on the front lines of The Asylum’s internal and external battles, it’s Jared’s duty to make certain the quiet sub with soulful brown eyes doesn’t fly under his radar for long.

Showing his hand could cost them both.

When Jared takes on the task of helping Wren recover from an unexpected injury, Wren begins to wonder. While the Dom is tending to everyone else, who is there for him? To show Jared he can be the sub he needs, he would willingly light himself on fire. For an ex-con with a target on his back, risking that kind of notice is a dangerous strategy, but…

Sometimes, getting what you want requires going all in.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: A Madness Most Discreet

AUTHOR: Laura Lascarso

SERIES: A Midsummer Story

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 285 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 20, 2020

BLURB:

Michael D’Agostino is a bestselling mystery author suffering from writer’s block when he meets Arden Evans, a beguiling escort and catalog model attempting to write a memoir of his own.

Michael is captivated by the young man, whom he finds refreshingly honest and authentic. When Arden asks that they “keep it simple,” Michael readily obliges. Their arrangement becomes increasingly complicated, however, as Michael begins to want more from his enchanting lover.

And then there is the matter of Arden’s finances, something so fiercely personal that Arden refuses to discuss it. This same debt is what obligates Arden to his wealthy benefactor, much to Michael’s vexation.

Michael wants their love affair to last, but how do you hold onto a man whose gaze is forever fixed on the horizon?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Chasing the Dream

SERIES: Everyone’s Mechanic #1

AUTHOR: Anne Marie James

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

LENGTH: 168 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 22, 2019

BLURB:

Book one in the Everyone’s Mechanic series

When Lee meets his fantasy man, his shy nature makes him want to run. But what will he do when his dream guy won’t let him?

Saul Valencia. Tall? Check. Muscles? Check. Everything Lee Clark ever dreamed of in a man? Check. Bad case of nerves and feeling like an idiot whenever he’s around? Sigh. Check.

Being kicked out of the family home for being gay would have been bad enough, but Lee Clark also worked in his dad’s garage. Losing his family, his home and his job all in the same day left him floundering. He can’t believe his luck might be changing when he finds a job at Everyone’s Mechanic, another garage, where he’s accepted for who he is.

Then Saul, a former linebacker for the NFL Raleigh Raptors and a friend of Lee’s boss, walks into his life. The man is the embodiment of all his teenage fantasies, but Lee doesn’t dare hope Saul will ever actually notice him.

Intrigued from the start by the shy man now working for his business partner’s boyfriend, Saul struggles through bad advice and misunderstandings to convince Lee that he’s serious about wanting a chance with him. Getting Lee to give him a shot at romance was difficult enough, but when drama and blackmail from outside sources are added in, the relationship becomes almost impossible.

It will take the combined efforts of Lee’s garage family and Saul’s real one to set things right.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Redemption

SERIES: Darkest Skies #1

AUTHOR: Garrett Leigh

PUBLISHER: Fox Love Press

LENGTH: 248 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2020

BLURB:

Reformed gangster Luis falls hard for his boss. When friendship turns to love, it’s up to Paolo to convince him second chances are worth the pain.

Luis Pope is back on the street after a six year stretch in prison, but life on the outside seems just out of reach, especially when the whole neighbourhood knows his face for all the wrong reasons.

Paolo’s temper makes it hard to keep staff, and he knows Luis’s rep all too well. But his nonno believes in redemption, and Luis isn’t the tough guy Paolo remembers. Prison has left its mark, inside and out, and all the kindness in the world can’t fix the three inch scar on Luis’s skull.

And it can’t keep ghosts locked up. Luis’s the best worker Paolo’s ever had, and Luis’s happier than he’s ever been. But his old life doesn’t want to stay in the past. Trouble comes to call, and when it makes him an offer he can’t refuse, keeping Paolo safe hurts the most.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Finding Armando

SERIES: Found At Last #2

AUTHOR: Joe Cosentino

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 114 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2020

BLURB:

An investigative adventure in search of an elderly man’s first love brought Theo and Jamison together. Now they’re called to put their sleuthing skills to use once again and reunite Pocono resort manager Asher with his lost love, Armando. But the hunt through rural Pennsylvania won’t be easy with Jamison’s younger brother locking horns with the resort’s assistant manager and a shocking offer from the sous chef, Grace.

REVIEWED by Jen B.

TITLE: Deserted

SERIES: Auctioned #3

AUTHOR: Cara Dee

PUBLISHER: Cara Dee

LENGTH: 381 Pages

RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2020

BLURB:

Gray Nolan had survived a kidnapping where he was supposed to have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. He had also survived being stranded on an island, under siege from a different set of foes, and throughout the hell they’d all endured, their motto had been “Leave no man behind.”

Recovery was different. Gray wanted to be left alone to fight his demons—and to get over the attachment he’d formed for the man who’d saved him more than once. But in a time when darkness threatened to consume him, salvation arrived as he set out to uphold the promise he’d made to a friend. Eight-year-old Jayden stormed into his life, fresh off the streets of Philadelphia, and lit up Gray’s bleak existence.

Darius Quinn had known that Gray was going to close himself in and run away after everything they’d been through. But he was determined to follow and watch over the young man who should have been just a paycheck. Something about Gray prevented Darius from staying in his preferred role of passive observer, and he couldn’t let Gray carry out his last commitment alone.

What started out as a cross-country road trip to guide them home to Washington was quickly turning into a journey with a destination that scared the life out of Darius. He’d never wanted that kind of future before, and now he was gearing up to fight for it.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Purr-suasion

AUTHOR: Pelaam

PUBLISHER: MLR Press

RELEASE DATE: February 13, 2020

BLURB:

Jamie is a self-confessed geek and likes nothing better than to be stretched on the beach, reading his books—unless it’s watching Trent, a handsome shifter and surfer, and the unrequited love of Jamie’s life.

When anonymous gifts are left on Jamie’s doorstep, he wishes they were from Trent, but there’s no clue to his mystery admirer.

Following a terrifying run-in with some of Trent’s gang, Jamie’s heartbroken and convinced his crush set him up. But when danger strikes, Jamie needs to be a hero, using his own shifter ability.

With a little purr-suasion, Jamie can find all his dreams come true.

Reviewed by Jess

TITLE: Never Knew Until You

AUTHOR: L.E. Royal

PUBLISHER: NineStar Press

LENGTH: 246 pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 7, 2019

BLURB:

After the dissolution of her fourteen-year marriage to her cheating ex-wife, forty-year-old college professor Parker Freeman finds herself adrift. Suddenly middle-aged with so much time wasted, she seeks solstice online where she stumbles upon The Pandora Agency—an organization claiming to help individuals find themselves through submission. Encouraged to be a little wild by her best friend, Parker speaks to the agency and sets up a meeting with a female dominant, Miss Diaz.

Greeted at the door of an impressive Miami townhouse by a young woman, Parker questions her decision as she waits for the girl’s mother. Stunned by the reveal that twenty-four-year old Kristina is in fact the Miss Diaz she has come to meet, she is dragged head first into a new world.

Despite Kristina’s commitment issues and Parker’s shattered confidence, the two enter into a tenuous agreement that sparks Parker’s rediscovery of herself. Both are surprised by their compatibility until they stumble across the line from arrangement into relationship, and Kristina calls their time together to an end. When an unexpected catastrophe throws them back together, old demons are finally brought into the light, and both women must decide if letting go of the past is worth the future they could have together.