Reviewed by True

TITLE: Unashamedly Us

SERIES: Offbeat Shifters Book 4

AUTHOR: Colette Davison

PUBLISHER: Self-Publishing

LENGTH: 303 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 13, 2021

BLURB:

Charlie taught me I deserved to be loved. Will I be brave enough to claim him as mine?

Temporarily separated while he’s on tour, my love for him grows. He is my future—or he will be, once we’ve made our relationship public.

Charlie has been patient—probably too patient—while I’ve been struggling to get over my fear that history will repeat itself. An unforgiving media destroyed my career, I don’t want the same thing to happen to the man I love.

Telling the world is one of many obstacles we have to navigate. The only thing I’m sure of is that we’ll find our way together.

Unashamedly Us is the forth book in Offbeat Shifters, an m/m paranormal romance series with a continuing storyline. The series is best read in order, however Charlie and Austin’s story begins in book 3, Unapologetically Me. This book includes a monkey shifter who has to face his fears, an arctic fox shifter who will always stand up for himself, extended families, steadfast friends, lots of children, and a HEA ending for the main characters. There are pregnancy and birth scenes in this book.

Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Inevitable

AUTHOR: Briar Prescott

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 266 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 12, 2021

BLURB:

The three of us were never impossible. We were always inevitable.

When Drew meets Ezra, he doesn’t expect much. A one-night stand and a quick goodbye in the morning. That’s how these things usually go. Only there’s nothing usual about Ezra and the connection that forms between them.

When Ezra meets Drew, he doesn’t expect much. A distraction and parting as strangers after a night of meaningless fun. That’s how these things usually go. Only there’s nothing meaningless about Drew and the relentless spark between them that just refuses to disappear.

When Bas meets Ezra… things get complicated. As if being hopelessly in love with his best friend isn’t painful enough. Throw in an unexpected friendship that develops with the one-time hookup of said best friend, and the results are messy at best.

But sometimes beautiful things emerge from messy and complicated beginnings, and where two isn’t enough, three might be just perfect.

REVIEWED by Jay V.

TITLE: School of Fish

AUTHOR: Amy Lane

SERIES: Fish Out of Water #6

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH:  368 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 15, 2020

BLURB:

Jackson Rivers has been learning how to take care of himself so he can be there for Ellery Cramer, but after eight weeks of healing, body and soul, he’s itching to get back to work. Finally Ellery gives him a simple task: pick up a file on a kid who probably didn’t commit murder but who refuses to participate in his own defense.

Nothing is ever that easy.

A horrifying game of connect-the-dots leads one case to another, to the mob, to the local high school… and a bottomless list of potential suspects and victims. The case has a lot of moving parts, and Jackson and Ellery have to work fast to make sure the machinery of the mob doesn’t mow down everyone they care about—or rip them apart.

After a year of living together, Ellery is learning to accept that Jackson can’t let an injustice stand. Together they fight to keep kids out of jail while the streets of Sacramento threaten to explode. They’d better hope they’ve learned enough about each other to keep it together, because for this case, school is the most dangerous place to be.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Hold the Door

SERIES:  Open Doors #1

AUTHOR:  Vinni George

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  270 pages

RELEASE DATE:  April 15, 2021

BLURB:

One hidden crush.
One bunch of plastic mistletoe.
One alcohol-fueled kiss.
One set of taillights as Max Martino left town.

Sixteen years later…

Sam Addison hates change, and his company’s new merger is stretching him to his limit. When Sam finds out an older, hotter, and amazingly talented Max Martino is part of the acquisition, he knows the only way to keep his sanity is to avoid Max—and their history—at any cost.

Max never planned to settle down, but recently he’s been pining for roots. A new job, a new city, and a second chance with Sam makes the thought of staying in one place exciting for the first time ever.
But the harder Max pushes, the farther Sam runs, sometimes literally, and Max begins to wonder if Sam can ever let go of the biggest mistake Max ever made—leaving.

But maybe a second chance at forever is as simple as holding the door open for love.

Hold the Door is an 80,000-word contemporary romance that features friends to lovers and a second chance at love, a sassy work husband, and surfing lessons that often lead to more. Hold the Door is the first book in the Open Doors series and can be read as a standalone.

Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Extra Whip

SERIES: Bold Brew Book #8

AUTHOR: L.A. Witt

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 485 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 13, 2021

BLURB:

Will and Aaron Taylor have a perfectly imperfect marriage. For twenty years, even when their desires haven’t quite matched, they’ve always found ways to adapt…until now. When Aaron’s needs push past his Dom’s limits, their best hope for compromise is finding a unicorn—a third person who checks both men’s boxes.

After his estranged father wills him a house he doesn’t want in a town he doesn’t know, Kelly Griffith is itching to find his place in this unfamiliar new world. When he finds an ad from a couple looking for a sub like him, he jumps at the opportunity. A chance to be what someone needs and wants instead of being a perpetual disappointment? Yes, please.

The chemistry sizzles from the get-go. Will and Aaron insist they don’t want to be poly, and Kelly doesn’t want to be anyone’s third wheel, but playing together? Any time, any place. All they have to do is keep emotions from joining the party as the trust and intimacy deepen between them.

But by the time they realize they’re in over their heads, hitting the brakes is no longer as simple as using a safe word.

Extra Whip is a Venti-sized (140,000-word) stand-alone novel in the Bold Brew shared universe centered around an inclusive coffee shop set in a fictional small city. Each steaming hot coffee shop romance can be enjoyed alone, but collect all ten for the most fun! This menage romance contains a happily married couple in their 40s, a sassy 30-something submissive, lots of fluffy steam, and a guaranteed happy ending!

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: If Only For Today

SERIES: Deerbourne Inn

AUTHOR: Gabbi Grey

PUBLISHER: The Wild Rose Press

LENGTH: 141 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2021

BLURB:

Jared Langford is a happy man. The desk clerk at the Deerbourne Inn knows everyone in his cozy town in Vermont. He is accepted and loved by the community, but he’s missing someone special in his life.

Devastating news has brought journalist Xander Fortier to Willow Springs for some much-needed rest. He’s photographed every major conflict in the world for the last ten years, but being stateside has forced him to reassess the solitary life he’s been living.

Something in Xander’s gruff demeanor calls to Jared’s caring nature. Soon the men are spending time together, but Jared’s kisses might not be enough to keep Xander from leaving. Can the men find a happily ever after if they only have today?

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Out of Harm’s Way

SERIES:  Balls and Brawn Bodyguard #1

AUTHOR:  Rebecca James

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  206 pages

RELEASE DATE:  April 5, 2021

BLURB:

I’m coming after you, baby boy. You’re going to pay for what you did.

The terrifying text message from Mick Water’s abuser, recently escaped from prison, sends him spiraling into panic. His life is just getting back on track, and now he’s constantly looking over his shoulder and barely able to sleep at night. When his friends arrange for a bodyguard for him, Mick feels a confusing combination of relief at having protection, dismay at the sheer size of his new bodyguard, and arousal due to Mick’s attraction to big men. His ex was a big man, and Mick paid dearly for that attraction.
Oxford Bradley enjoys his job with Foster Security, which includes a mixed bag of high-stakes cases–some of them dangerous–and dull babysitting-type situations. When he isn’t working, he prefers a serene life devoid of drama and, let’s face it, a somewhat vanilla sex life. Assigned to protect a terrified man from his abusive ex, Ox is horrified at his body’s reaction to not only Mick himself, but also Mick’s admission to a Daddy kink–he’s never had an unprofessional relationship with a client and he isn’t starting now.
As Mick warms up to Ox and the two men get to know one another, the attraction between them grows. Ox refuses to break his professional code, but what about when the danger’s over? Living in different states, they can’t possibly have more than a one-off, and the temptation to explore with this intriguing man is undeniable.
Will one night send Ox running back to his comfortable vanilla lifestyle, or will Mick help him find a new favorite flavor? And what happens when an opportunity presents itself for Ox to see Mick again?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: It Takes an Artist

SERIES: Quint and Clay Art Crimes #2

AUTHOR: Edward Kendrick

PUBLISHER: JMS Books

LENGTH: 156 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 6, 2021

BLURB:

What do you do when someone attempts to frame you for the murder of your roommate? That’s the problem facing kinetic artist Trev Eldridge. Although Detective Quint Hawk determines Trev is innocent, it does nothing to assuage Trev’s fears.

While Quint sets out to discover who’s responsible for the murder, Trev is befriended by Dr Zack Kendall. As Zack helps Trev deal with what happened, the two men begin to bond. At the same time, artist Clay Richardson takes Trev under his wing, after learning Trev is a talented artist.

Evidence leads Quint to a theory about the murder and who is involved. With the help of Trev, Zack, Clay, and Officer Lou Hernandez, they come up with a plan to catch the villains.

With all that is happening, can the growing attraction between Trev and Zack survive before the criminals take them out of the picture…permanently?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Trey

SERIES: The Gates #8

AUTHOR: M. Tasia

PUBLISHER: Boroughs Publishing Group

LENGTH: 154 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 24, 2021

BLURB:

BONUS FEATURE

NORSE CODE

Talk about preconceived notions. NYPD Detective Anders Nilsen is sure Trey Stoneham is the scum of the earth: a tell-all journalist with a sketchy PI background. But truth is stranger than fiction, and it turns out Trey is a hero twice over.

When a serial killer Trey helped put away escapes prison, Anders has to stick to Trey like glue, which happens to be a job he’d gladly take on for a lifetime.

The road to falling in love is fraught with emotional and perilous landmines, and Trey is fine facing danger – he’s dodged a bullet before. Well, not really, but it didn’t kill him. Falling for a real-life Viking might do him in, and what a way to go.

Unless Trey’s able to face down the demon from his past and put him away for good, happily-ever-after will remain the stuff of novels.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Velvet Cuffs

SERIES:  Kink Awakenings #3

AUTHOR:  Charley Descoteaux

PUBLISHER:  CeeTwo Publishing

LENGTH:  162 pages

RELEASE DATE:  April 5, 2021

BLURB:

Josh Keller never thought he would host a wedding reception—his kink club is a place where he tends bar and chains willing men to the padded wall in his private room. He also never thought he’d see the love of his life again. When both happen on the same day his life will never be the same.

Pax Dupont never stopped loving Josh, not when they fought and broke up and not during the fifteen years they spent a thousand miles apart. Coming face-to-face with the man he left behind is a surprise, but learning Josh is part owner of the club intrigues Pax enough to share his own love of silk, lace, and domination.

Will Josh and Pax put past hurts behind them and admit their feelings still run hot, or will Pax’s desire to dominate Josh break them up for good?

Warnings: this book contains sexually explicit scenes, a brief scene of violence and a hero in peril, mentions of past abuse of a child, grief over the death of siblings, a man who loves the feel of silk and lace, and one who thought he understood his own kinky nature.

Reviewed by True

TITLE: Left in the Dark

AUTHOR: Zev de Valera

PUBLISHER: NineStar Press

RELEASE DATE: April 12, 2021

LENGTH: 210 pages

BLURB:

Cal Restrepo, victim of a road rage automobile accident, emerges from unconsciousness into a world he does not recognize.

Under the care of the doctors at Wending Hills and the help of his friends and neighbors, Cal gradually recovers his memory and the full use of his body. Yet, so many of the memories do not fit what he feels is the “real” Cal.

Are his memories still clouded and unreliable, or was the Cal Restrepo who existed before the accident someone entirely different than the man who survived?