Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Turn the World Upside Down

AUTHOR:  Nyrae Dawn

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  200 pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 15, 2019

BLURB:

They’d have to turn the whole world upside down to understand us…

Hunter Donovan’s temper never used to be a problem. He lived the perfect life with the perfect family before the dark truth came spilling out. Now his dad’s in prison, and after Hunter explodes at school, accidentally hitting a teacher, his mom has him sent to an inpatient program.

Hunter doesn’t belong at Better Days. He needs to be stronger, not sent to a well-dressed loony bin. If he’d been better, less selfish, he would have realized something was going on under his own roof. No amount of psychoanalyzing and group therapy can change the past.

But among the bullies, fights, and bad cafeteria food, Hunter meets a group of friends: anxiety-ridden Casey, wild and exciting Rosie, Bethany fighting her demons that don’t want her to eat, and Stray, a self-harmer who doesn’t think he belongs anywhere. Around this group of misfits, Hunter doesn’t feel so alone and angry anymore.

Still, as he’s making friends and falling in love with Stray, the guilt is always there. If Hunter can’t open up and find a way to deal with what happened, he might fall victim to his mental illness—and he won’t be the only casualty.

Trigger warning: This book deals with mental illness in many capacities: eating disorders, anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide and more. There are also mentions of past sexual abuse of a side character. Read with caution and please read the Dear Reader letter before continuing.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: To Be Alive

SERIES: What He Needs #1

AUTHOR: B. Rourke

PUBLISHER: Ninestar Press

LENGTH: 285 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 3, 2020

BLURB:

At twenty-two years old, Rhett Hawkins lives a life full of secrets and lies. Nobody knows the truth about his childhood growing up in an abusive home, the eating disorder that threatens to take his life, the obsessive thoughts about death that play like a movie in the back of his mind, and the sexuality he hides.

Nobody until he meets Colt, that is.

Police Constable Colt Williams is the only person ever took the time to look past the lies and see Rhett for who he really is: a damaged, beautiful young man desperate for love and acceptance. When Colt steps in and tries to get him help, Rhett makes a choice that takes him further away from life than he’s ever been before.

With his world turned upside down and his secrets laid bare for all to see, Rhett realizes it’s only by facing death that he can learn what it truly means to be alive.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Love in the Balance

SERIES: Peachtree #2

AUTHOR:  Brigham Vaughn

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  August 24, 2020

LENGTH:  259 pages

BLURB:

Russ Bishop and Stephen Parker are in love. They’ve settled into their relationship and are both happy. But Russ wants more than what they have now, he wants forever.

To him that means marriage, but for Stephen that has never been an option. Marriage equality still isn’t recognized in Georgia so why want what he can’t have?

When Stephen’s ex re-appears, they’ll have to decide once and for all if they’re ready to commit to a lifetime together.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Omega’s Truth

SERIES: Irresistible Omegas #10

AUTHOR: Nora Phoenix

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 321 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2020

BLURB:

An MMM Mpreg Romance

The truth will set Sando free…

Sando feels caught between a rock and a hard stone. He wants to be with Maz and Lucan more than anything, but what about his father? How can he dishonor the man he owes his life?

But when the truth comes out about his identity, everything he believed turns out to be a lie, and he turns to the two men who have never let him down. Is he too late or do they still want him?

Meanwhile, the pack has split in two, but both packs face the same threat: General Armitage. What does he want with them? Can they exist in peace or will they always have to fear for their lives? The answer lies in an old prophecy…

This friends to lover MMM romance is the tenth and final book in the Irresistible Omegas series, a bestselling mpreg romance series which needs to be read in order to enjoy the plot lines fully. Both this romance and the series end with a happy ever after, though some side characters may get their story in a spin off series with the second pack.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Screwed

SERIES:  Four Bears Construction #4

AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  September 2, 2020

LENGTH:  205 pages

BLURB:

I’ve had my fair share of less than proud relationship moments, but waking up married to my brother-in-law’s best friend is a new low.

A drunken wedding to a man who already rejected me once? Check. A hefty bet about how long it will last? Check. My feisty new husband, determined to make our friends pay up? Double check.

I’ve never managed to make a real relationship last nearly a year, there’s no way Daniel will stick around long enough to win this bet. The only problem is the longer he stays, the more the lines blur between what’s real and what’s for show. Does he feel it too or am I totally screwed?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Too Close to the Flame

AUTHOR: Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood

PUBLISHER: Wainscott Press

LENGTH: 299 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2020

BLURB:

Can he ever learn to trust again?

Brandon Weber’s old boyfriend almost beat him to death. Brandon survived, but still bears the emotional scars. Eighteen months later, he has withdrawn into himself, convinced he’ll never be able to trust another man.

Devin Macadam, fresh out of law school, has an exciting new job. He is also on the lookout for just the right guy, someone to take care of and love.

When Devin shows up for the first day of work at his new office, he meets Brandon, a legal assistant there. Sparks fly, but Brandon is paralyzed by fear and isn’t about to give another man the power to hurt him again. Devin, never one to give up easily, doesn’t want to take no for an answer. Both men feel the magic, but can their relationship ever get past the friend zone?

Too Close to the Flame is a dark-to-light, sweet romance featuring out and proud gay men, lots of feels, steamy love scenes, and a wonderful happy ending. The book is approximately 86,000 words and has X-Ray enabled for your reading pleasure.

Trigger Warning: Too Close to the Flame contains specific memories of physical abuse.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Bashed

AUTHOR: Rick R. Reed

PUBLISHER: Ninestar Press

LENGTH: 231 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 3, 2020

BLURB:

Three haters. Two lovers. And a collision course with tragedy.

It should have been a perfect night out. Instead, Mark and Donald collide with tragedy when they leave their favorite night spot. That dark October night, three gay-bashers emerge from the gloom, armed with slurs, fists, and an aluminum baseball bat.

The hate crime leaves Donald lost and alone, clinging to the memory of the only man he ever loved. He is haunted, both literally and figuratively, by Mark and what might have been. Trapped in a limbo offering no closure, Donald can’t immediately accept the salvation his new neighbor, Walter, offers. Walter’s kindness and patience are qualities his sixteen-year-old nephew, Justin, understands well. Walter provides the only sense of family the boy’s ever known. But Justin holds a dark secret that threatens to tear Donald and Walter apart before their love even has a chance to blossom.

REVIEWED by Jay V.

TITLE: The Hitman’s Guide to Tying the Knot Without Getting Shot

AUTHOR: Alice Winters

SERIES: The Hitman’s Guide #3

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 346 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2020

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Leland

Is a nice little wedding with Blow-up Randy and Jackson My Love too much to ask for? Clearly, because someone’s trying to kill one of us… again. Generally, this would be my thing and I would jump right in singing my murder song, but they want Jackson dead and I will do anything (and I mean anything) to keep him alive—including and not limited to: ten Dobermans, bulletproof glass, and dragging Cassel in with the promise of more Jerebear. These people have no idea what they’ve done targeting the man I love because I’m coming after them. But when it feels like everything might be lost, I start to understand that I have a family now who will stand by my side and do everything they can to make sure we end this on our terms.

Jackson

When someone attacks me, it’s clear they want something from me. The issue is that I have no idea who they are or what they’re after. And if I don’t figure it out soon, I’m afraid Leland is going to smother me with his overprotectiveness (or put me in a bubble at the top of a tower). The issue is that time is ticking and with the price tag on my head, there’s no telling who is coming for me or when. Together, Leland and I have to decipher who is telling the truth in this game of life or death because I have plans to marry the man of my dreams and no one is going to stop me—especially with Leland by my side.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Kamari’s: A Best Friend’s Brother Romance

SERIES: Takoda Outreach Center #4

AUTHOR: Sammi Cee

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 107 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 28, 2020

BLURB:

Sharing an apartment with your brother’s best friend wasn’t supposed to be complicated—or involve feelings.

In a triumphant stand, Lachlan tells his father he’s gay immediately following his high school graduation. He’s done letting the man who destroyed their family control him.

When Lachlan’s spontaneous declaration tilts his world on its axis, Kamari, his brother’s best friend, comes to the rescue and offers him the perfect solution. Roommates.

Fresh out of college, Karmari’s back in Takoda and ready to live his life to the fullest. He’s happy to help out Lachlan by giving him a place to stay, but he doesn’t expect how quickly they bond.

Lachlan’s eager for new experiences, and Kamari‘s more than happy to go along for the ride. But living in such close quarters, the lines between friendship and love start to blur. Can Kamari trust that Lachlan is old enough to know what he wants or will he let the man who’s already ruined Lachlan’s childhood convince him to let him go?

Takoda Outreach Center: When you’re holding hope in the palm of your hand… Low-angst. sweet stories of finding your happily ever after where you least expected it.

Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: Spooky Business

SERIES: Spectral Files #3

AUTHOR: S.E. Harmon

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

RELEASE DATE: September 14, 2020

LENGTH: 285 pages

BLURB:

Being insatiably curious is a good way to end up dead.

Rain Christiansen, cold case detective and reluctant medium, is very aware of that fact. But when infamous serial killer Thomas Kane wants to meet, there’s no way Rain can say no. He also can’t refuse Kane’s offer—find his missing wife, Delilah, and he’ll reveal the location of his victim’s bodies.

Rain has never turned down a good quid pro quo, and he doesn’t intend to start.

The hunt for Kane’s wife leads to yet another cold case, three copycat murders, and an investigation where nothing is as it seems. Soon, Rain is dealing with a ghost unlike any he’s ever dealt with before…a ghost capable of doing things he shouldn’t be able to do. How can Rain control something he doesn’t even understand? And what will he do when the unknown threatens the safety of the most important person in his life?

Rain is starting to realize that he can only battle the supernatural with the supernatural, and that is spooky business indeed.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Capture

SERIES: Torsere #1

AUTHOR: Annabelle Jacobs

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 216 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 17, 2020

BLURB:

Thrown together, forced to fake a relationship both their lives depend on…

To be a dragon rider is all Nykin ever wanted. Destined from birth, and forged by magic at the age of twenty-one, he earns his place in the king’s army. But it’s not the only thing he dreams of. Lusting after the king maybe be foolish, but that doesn’t stop Nykin’s pulse from racing whenever he’s near.

Ryneq always knew he’d rule Torsere one day, but never expected it to happen quite so soon. The death of his parents forced him into a role he wasn’t prepared for and a romantic attachment is low on his list of priorities. Yet still Nykin manages to catch his interested and hold it.

With his land under threat from the lowland armies, an alliance with the elves seems Ryneq’s only option to protect the kingdom. But seeing it to fruition is fraught with danger and even the best laid plans can be thwarted. With hope all but lost, Nykin embarks on a deadly mission, willing risk everything for his duty and his king.

Featuring forced proximity, fake relationships, all wrapped up in a romantic fantasy full of suspense and intrigue. Capture is the first book in the Torsere trilogy.