Reviewed by Stephen K.

TITLE: Take My Body

SERIES: Cursebound #2

AUTHOR: K. A. Merikan

PUBLISHER: Acerbi & Villani Ltd

LENGTH: 405 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 7^th 2021

BLURB:

“I don’t want to have him. I want to be him.”

Caspian. Gunner.
Big. Small.
Rich. Poor.
Top. Bottom.
Bully. Victim.
Dominant. Submissive.
College graduate. High school dropout.
Organized and diligent. Complete walking disaster.

Which one is which when they swap bodies?
…And do they even want to switch back?

Dirty, dark, and delicious, “Take My Body” is a gritty M/M dark romance novel with magical elements and a happy ending. Prepare for violence, intense arguments, and scorching hot, emotional, explicit scenes.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: First Blood

SERIES: Mismatched Mates #4

AUTHOR: Eliot Grayson

PUBLISHER: Smoking Teacup Books

LENGTH: 101 pages

RELEASE DATE: January 12, 2021

BLURB:

Blood is a necessity, but love is a luxury they can’t afford…

Vampire enforcer Victor Schmidt doesn’t have time for distraction. His enhanced senses can track human blood in or out of a body, but it doesn’t usually smell like oranges, honey, and temptation. And it’s not usually coursing through the veins of a beautiful back-alley rentboy. That should make it easier, right? Pay, bite and be on his way.

While prostitution isn’t Laurie’s dream job, someone has to take care of his sister and her kids. But being a blood donor to a tall, dark and brooding vamp isn’t part of his career plan. Until he agrees…and it’s far more pleasurable than he could have imagined.

Nurturing isn’t in Victor’s wheelhouse, yet he finds himself tucking the all-too-tempting boy into bed. And feeling things he shouldn’t be. When Laurie’s attacked, it’s almost a relief: breaking necks is way more Victor’s style and he’s all-too-happy to kill. But Laurie being kidnapped wasn’t part of anyone’s plan.

Now Victor’s determined to save Laurie at any cost. Can he bring them both out alive, or will they die before they’ve even shared their first kiss?

This book is set in the world of the Mismatched Mates series, but it stands alone. However, look for cameos of your favorite characters from the other books in the series.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Off Key

SERIES:  Whispering Key #3

AUTHOR:  May Archer

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  318 pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 14, 2021

BLURB:

I’m about to sing you the saddest song in the universe, and it’s called “The Man of My Dreams Married My Sister.”

It’s kinda my theme song. And trust me when I tell you, it’s heavy on the violins.

Because the man in question? He’s not just any guy, he’s Rafe freakin’ Goodman.

My former best friend.

The boy who made my summers on Whispering Key magical. The guy who inspired every love song that led to the chart-topping music career I have today. The man I always sort of figured would wait for me, while I pursued my dreams and finally found a way to tell the world I was gay…

But instead of waiting, he married Aimee.

Rafe and Aimee’s marriage has been over for a while now, but it doesn’t really matter. He doesn’t love me even though I feel like I’ll love him until the day I die. Trying to be “just friends” would tear me apart.

We’re a broken chord. A blue note. Hopelessly out of tune.

Or so I thought.

But when circumstances throw us back together on a crazy cross-country road trip, suddenly all kinds of secrets come to light that make it seem like maybe our show’s not over yet.

If I want a life with the man of my dreams, though, I’ll have to be honest–with Rafe and the rest of the world, too–and find the courage to write us a new song.

One that’s exactly like us: perfectly imperfect… and a little off key.

Reviewed by True

TITLE: First and Always

AUTHOR: Jamie Craig

PUBLISHER: JMS Books

LENGTH: 42 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 27, 2021

BLURB:

Sequel to Miami’s Perfect Weekend

What would you do if all your dreams came true on Christmas morning?

Michael Pappas has been dating football superstar Tre Griffin on the sly for nearly a year. Unfortunately, the demands of Tre’s career often keep them separated and alone.

But Tre has a plan to change all that, and showing up unannounced in Miami on Christmas Day is just the beginning of his surprises …

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Coddiwomple

AUTHOR:  S.E. Harmon

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 299 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2021

BLURB:

As a wildlife photographer, Journey “JJ” Sutton never stays in one place too long. The world is his classroom, and he’s living his dream. His only regret is that he had to sacrifice the love of his life to do it. But as the saying goes, you can never go home again. That’s until there’s a family emergency, and he has to…well, go home again. His easy breezy lifestyle gets complicated fast. It certainly doesn’t help that his ex-fiancé has bought the house next door.

After an unstable childhood, Cameron Foster loves small-town life. He has everything he needs in his vet practice, his friends, and his animals. Despite what numerous exes seem to think, he’s not still in love with Journey. And so what if they add “benefits” to their friendship? As long as he keeps his heart out of the equation, everything should be fine.

Too bad Journey’s not onboard with that plan. With summer ending, he has to convince Cameron that this is more than just a fling. This time around, he knows what he wants. He wants a second chance. He wants forever. Most of all, he wants Cameron’s heart.

Journey may have put away his passport, but things are just getting interesting.

Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Insatiable

SERIES: Vino & Veritas Book #11

AUTHOR: Rhys Everly

PUBLISHER: Heart Eyes Press

RELEASE DATE: May 10, 2021

LENGTH: 187 pages

BLURB:

It was just a bet . . . until feelings got involved.

This job sucks but someone’s got to do it. My readers expect me to chronicle my very real, very steamy encounters in my novels. I’d never want to disappoint my fans, but the creative well has run a bit dry. Burlington, Vermont, seems like a good place to fill it up. This town offers a tempting array of artists, craftsmen, farmers, lumbersexuals . . . and so many beards.

But no one prepared me for Brody. He’s young. He’s hot. He’s definitely a grump. And he’s getting under my skin. Where I want him is under my bed sheets.

When my friend bets I’ll never be able to get Brody there, I make winning my mission. Turns out being with Brody is more than a plot device. He’s so very wrong for my life . . .  but is he right for my heart?

Insatiable is a standalone book in the Vino & Veritas series by Heart Eyes Press and contains a big/small, grumpy/sunshine pairing, a bed-hopping author, a jilted sugarmaker and a reluctant fake relationship.

Reviewed by Racheal Y

TITLE: Drive Me Crazy: A Falling for the Boss Gay Romance 1

SERIES: Food Truck Warriors Book 1

AUTHOR: Beth Bolden

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 360 pages

RELEASE DATE:  August 26, 2020

BLURB:  

Lucas loves his job. Too bad he’s not allowed to take a bite out of the boss.

Considering all the crap Lucas Barnes has done to achieve self-employed independence, taking a job making fish tacos for a local food truck should be a no-brainer. In the off hours, he can even work on his dream business: health-conscious energy bars.

But it turns out the hardest part isn’t the long hours, the stifling heat inside the truck during a Los Angeles summer, or even the non-vegan menu, it’s his new boss.

Tony Blake is over-confident and an enthusiastic carnivore—and also one of the hottest, funniest, most charming guys Lucas has ever met. Even when Tony is driving him crazy, he’s completely irresistible.

Lucas knows hooking up with the boss is off-limits, but Tony is a tough guy to resist. And with the two of them spending the steamy summer evenings tucked in each other’s pockets . . . it turns out it’s not a question of if, but a question of when.

REVIEWED by Jay V.

TITLE: Nixing the End of the World

AUTHOR: Alice Winters

SERIES: Phoenix’s Quest #1

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 347 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 29, 2021

BLURB:

Nix

“You are the savior of mankind” are the last words I ever expected to hear while nibbling on fries. The thing is, I’m not mankind saving material. I don’t even have magic (and just found out it exists). I’m the most boring, normal(ish) human ever.

Suddenly, I’m being tossed right into the middle of a fight that started years before I was even born, and then I get partnered up with Alastair, a quirky magical Guardian. He is rather attractive and sweet when he’s not into the whole “woe is me, I can’t let myself fall in love with you” nonsense. I mean, the moment he took my annoyingly judgmental grandma hostage, it was all over for me. I was hooked.

Now the only problem is… what exactly are we saving the world from?

Alastair

The moment I laid eyes on Nix, the naïve yet easygoing human captivated my attention, and now I’m determined to protect him. But despite my amazing and majestic abilities, we might not make it out of this mess. Still, there must be a reason Nix was chosen. No, he doesn’t have pizazz and maybe he really doesn’t have magic, but he’s also one of the strongest and kindest men I’ve ever met.

Now if I can just get him to stop throwing blankets at enemies, we might have a shot at this.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Brave Boy 

SERIES:  Perfect Boys #2

AUTHOR:  K.M. Neuhold

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  171 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 14, 2021

BLURB:

As long as LonelyDaddy is on the other side of the computer screen, there’s a chance he could be the man Emerson has been dreaming of.

I’ve gotten used to being alone, to disappearing inside the fictional worlds between the pages of a book and letting my lonely life fade away.

Books have never judged me for the stutter I can’t control. Books have never abandoned me. Books have never let me down. Then again, books have never hugged me or told me they love me either, so my plan is far from perfect.

The first time I lay eyes on the tall, red haired Kiernan with a beard for days and shoulders made for scratch marks, I wanted to crawl into his lap and call him Daddy. The only problem is, I can never seem to string two words together around him… heck, I’d be happy to manage to get even one word out, like maybe “yes”, preferably over and over again.

I thought making an online dating profile would be the hardest part, but it turns out getting up the courage to meet the man I’ve been messaging is even more difficult. Could LonelyDaddy be Kiernan? And if he is, is there any chance he’ll want to keep me? Can I be his brave boy?

***Brave Boy is the online love-sweet, ginger Daddy- totally swoony- second book in the Perfect Boys series and can be read as a stand-alone.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  This is Not a Horror Movie

AUTHOR:  Sara Dobie Bauer

PUBLISHER:  self-published

LENGTH:  231 pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 13, 2021

BLURB:

Emory Jones loves two things: horror movies and Connor Nichols.

For the past four years, Emory, Connor, and their families have vacationed side by side on Longboat Key, Florida. Eighteen-year-old Emory has pined for his neighbor from behind the covers of Stephen King books, but college boy Connor has never noticed him. Probably because Emory looks like Jack Skellington with good hair.

Emory anticipates another predictable summer of sunburn and disappointment. Instead, he ends up with a mystery on his hands when a beloved beach bum goes missing, and Connor volunteers to help with the search. Turns out it’s not just scary movie cops who are worthless, so the boys start an investigation of their own—leading them straight to an abandoned beach resort.

Despite the danger, Emory and Connor grow closer, but as Emory’s gay dreams start coming true, so do the horror movie tropes he so loves. Even though he knows that sex equals death in slasher flicks, Emory can’t keep his hands off the guy of his teenage dreams.

This is Not a Horror Movie is a 78,000-word new adult gay rom-com… with a monster.

Reviewed by True

TITLE: Bears in the Woods

AUTHOR: K.C. Wells

PUBLISHER: Self-Publishing

LENGTH: 160 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2021

BLURB:

The secluded rental cabin offers Jim Traynor exactly what he needs: peace and quiet to finish his latest book, and maybe a little inspiration for a new series. There’s even a little dog named Buster to provide an adorable distraction. Buster’s owners, however, bring distraction of a very different kind. Jim’s determination to focus on his work doesn’t stop his delicious fantasies, but each new encounter with Julian and Michael makes him forcefully aware of the aching desire building within him.

Julian and Michael have built a wonderful life together. Then Jim’s arrival rocks it to its foundations. Julian is drawn to the quiet writer, aware of an intensifying connection between them. Michael feels that same magnetic pull, but remains haunted by the past: they’ve been down this road before. Reaching the end of it broke Julian’s heart, something Michael will not let happen again. He strives to be the strong one, but with every passing night, he’s falling for Jim just as hard as Julian is.

Both men know Jim can only hurt them if they let him in. The trouble is, Jim might already be through that door. If he is, the day will come when he’ll walk right back out of it.
Only this time, how many hearts will be broken?