Book of the Week Poll
Welcome to the Love Bytes Book of the Week Poll!
Here are the books which achieved a 4.25 and up 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…
Cowboy Shep (The Lonely Heroes #3) by Sam E. Kraemer
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Cowboy Shep
SERIES: The Lonely Heroes Series (book 3)
AUTHOR: Sam E. Kraemer
PUBLISHER: Kaye Klub Publishing
LENGTH: 267 pages
RELEASE DATE: Re-Release date June 4, 2021
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Shepard Smokey Colson
While at dinner with a friend, I saw a news report that a man I revered, Colonel Wesley Howzer, and his wife, Doreen, died in a freak accident in Greece, leaving behind a son. I felt the pull to attend the funeral and offer the young man, a chef, my assistance. His father wasn’t just the man who had been my training officer when I was in John Wayne School for Delta. He was Saber, a well-respected member of Alpha Unit One, the same Ranger Unit Gabriele ‘Gabby’ Torrente, the linguist, belonged to when he was still in the Army.
My history with the military was bleak, but I owed Saber a debt of thanks for being there for me when I was going through a wicked time in my life. If it weren’t for Saber, I’d have likely not lived to see the next day after I was dishonorably discharged.
Going to Georgia to support the man’s son and offer any assistance was a no-brainer. I had no idea what I was walking into, but when I met the son of the man I admired nearly as much as my own father? I couldn’t walk away, regardless of where the road would lead me.
I’d met Parker Howzer when he was seventeen, and I was being kicked out of the Army. My head wasn’t on straight at the time, and all I remembered about the kid was he wore braces and seemed to want to be anywhere but at the table with his parents and me at the time. The beautiful man I met in a small diner in Columbus, Georgia wasn’t anything I expected. What would it take to pay my debt to Saber? I’d learn it would be more than just a condolence visit. It might be the thing to change my life.
#
Parker Buckley Howzer
My parents were dead, or so I’d been told by a friend of theirs over the phone. That was the only thing that echoed in my head. My job didn’t matter. My personal life didn’t matter. The only two people in the whole world who ever loved me were gone, and how was I supposed to survive that? They’d been a blessing to me when they adopted me at twelve, and I thought I had life by the tail because of Wesley and Doreen.
Suddenly, with one phone call, I was an orphan again. An orphan with a lot of problems because someone was looking for something belonging to my parents and believed I had it, or so I would learn. I had no idea what or why, and no thoughts about how to figure it out.
Shepard Colson, or Smokey to his friends, came along like an avenging angel from heaven. He seemed to sense early on I was in danger, and he vowed to keep me safe, but at what cost to both of us? That worried me more than anything because Shepard held a power over me that would be life-altering. Whether I was ready or not, my life was about to change. I just didn’t know how much.
Please Note: This book contains material which may be offensive to some readers. It includes graphic language, violence, and/or adult situations and descriptions of sexual activity between two, consenting adult males. This fictional story is intended for adults over 18, is approximately 87,000 words in length. It is the third book in the series entitled, “The Lonely Heroes Series.” Each book can be read alone or as part of the series. I hope you enjoy them.
Rippling Waters by B.J. Irons
Reviewed by True
TITLE: Rippling Waters
AUTHOR: B.J. Irons
PUBLISHER: Self-Publishing
LENGTH: 165 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 22, 2021
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Beneath the surface, tension is building in Scott and Garrett Pedrick’s marriage. Once thrilling and passionate sex has become infrequent and stale. Long days at his private practice keeps Scott away from their new home, leaving Garrett resentful of the mounting list of household chores and new responsibilities on his shoulders, including hiring someone to take care of the pool.
Logan Rippling, the new pool boy, meets Scott and Garrett and immediately sees in them everything he wants: friends, money and domestic bliss. Week after week, he cleans their pool, growing envious of their lifestyle from afar, until the seemingly perfect couple invites him to their summer bash, and then into their bed.
Like water, obsession distorts reality, and no one is who they appear to be.
One of these men is manipulative.
One is hiding a naughty secret.
And one is downright deadly.
Warning: contains sexual situations, sexual sabotage, shenanigans in an Uber car and just downright dirty manipulation
Year of the Rat (Dom Reilly Mysteries #1) by Marshall Thornton
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Year of the Rat
SERIES: Dom Reilly Mysteries #1
AUTHOR: Marshall Thornton
PUBLISHER: Kenmore Books
LENGTH: 231 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2021
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Long Beach, California 1996. Despite having little obvious experience, bartender Dom Reilly is hired as an investigator for the Freedom Agenda, a not-for-profit justice project. His first case involves a twelve-year-old homicide, in which a teenage girl was viciously murdered. The boy in prison for her murder, Danny Osborne, the imprisoned young man convicted of her murder, is seemingly exonerated by DNA evidence but the authorities refuse to accept it as proof.
Dom and his boss, Lydia Gonzales, slowly put together an iron-clad case, one the district attorney can’t ignore. As they do so, each puts themselves at risk—threatening not only their personal reputations, but their lives.
Rattling Chains (Bound to the Spirits #1) by T. Strange
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Rattling Chains
SERIES: Bound to the Spirits #1
AUTHOR: T. Strange
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 294 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2021
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Book one in the Bound to the Spirits series
Ghosts are popping up where they shouldn’t. Harlan, a ghost janitor for the police, suspects there’s a serial killer on the loose—but no one believes him.
Harlan Brand is a medium who was abandoned at the Centre, a school for the psychically gifted, by his parents. He grew up lonely but safe from the ghosts that terrorized his childhood.
But now, at twenty-one, he’s out in the real world. He works as a ghost janitor for the Toronto Police Service, cleaning up after crimes and hauntings in the Greater Toronto Area. Adding to the anxiety of leaving the ghost-warded safety of his school, the cop assigned as his partner seems to hate him, he’s having confusing feelings for a BDSM club owner who brings out his deepest fantasies, and ghosts are popping up where they shouldn’t.
Using the ghosts as clues, Harlan begins to suspect there’s a serial killer loose, but no one believes him. Harlan will stop at nothing to discover who—or what—is preying on his city.
To Hold a Hidden Pearl (Rossingley #1) by Fearne Hill
Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: To Hold a Hidden Pearl
SERIES: Rossingley #1
AUTHOR: Fearne Hill
PUBLISHER: Ninestar Press
LENGTH: 246 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 24, 2021
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Dr Jay Sorrentino is getting married in ten days’ time to the girl of his dreams, so what the hell is he doing in a gay London club with a stupidly handsome stranger? As if calling off the wedding and alienating his friends and family isn’t enough, Jay also has to contend with starting a new job at a new hospital. So the last thing he needs is for the bloke from the club to be his prickly supervisor.
Dr Lucien Avery is a difficult colleague. He’s also the unexpected and reluctant heir to the vast Rossingley estate. Reclusive and miserable, he hates most of his colleagues, people who eat packed lunches, and supervising junior doctors. That is, until the delectable Dr Sorrentino turns up on his doorstep.
A light-hearted M/M contemporary romance, Rossingley takes place in Southern England and is centred around a fictional country house and estate by the same name. The first in the series, it can be read as a standalone.
The Alpha Experiment (Mismatched Mates #5) by Eliot Grayson
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: The Alpha Experiment
SERIES: Mismatched Mates #5
AUTHOR: Eliot Grayson
PUBLISHER: Smoking Teacup Books
LENGTH: 219 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 29, 2021
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Studying shifter genetics takes brains, patience…and sometimes simulating mating rituals with your alpha-werewolf bestie. You know, for science…
Brilliant geneticist Newton McEwen, the only human in a family of werewolves, has devoted his life to researching the scientific key to shifter magic. Now he’s being blackmailed and his life’s work is threatened if he can’t produce results.
Alpha werewolf Colin Kimball is a newly-minted pack leader with a mountain of responsibilities, but when his lifelong best friend tells him he needs help, Colin drops everything to run to his aid. But Newt’s not just looking for a brawny bodyguard to watch his back—he needs help with an experiment, one he can’t carry out alone.
Out of academically approved methods, and desperate to accelerate his research, Newt’s trying a last-ditch approach, with himself as the test subject. And the very alpha Colin as the catalyst.
Determined to succeed, Newt’s willing to get up close and personal with Colin as many times as it takes. Only feelings weren’t a variable logic-minded Newt took into account. Now not only is Newt’s career on the line, his most important relationship is at stake. Can they outwit Newt’s blackmailer and move on from their experimentation…or will they lose the friendship that means everything to them?
The Alpha Experiment features not-so-scientific mating rituals, magical handcuffs, some very inappropriate outdoor activities, knotting, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Even though it’s number five in the Mismatched Mates series, it can be read as a standalone. The series does not contain mpreg.
Invisible Strings by Aimee Nicole Walker
Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Invisible Strings
AUTHOR: Aimee Nicole Walker
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 317 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2021
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Magnetic as the Sun
Jimmy Alsop, a vivacious journalist, longs to trade his sheltered life for a summer of adventure but lacks the confidence to launch his stellar plan.
Lonely as the Moon
Nova Skye, an aloof scientist, wants to resuscitate his dead love life but hasn’t found the right man to kickstart his guarded heart.
Eclipse of the Heart
Sparks fly when a chance encounter drops Jimmy and Nova into the same orbit. Though their approach to life and love couldn’t be more different, they’re inexplicably drawn together as if connected by an invisible string. With nothing to lose but their inhibitions, Jimmy and Nova embark on an epic adventure of discovery. Passions soar with the sultry Savannah temperatures, and soon, their carefree summer becomes something more profound and beautiful than either man bargained for.
But are the ties that bind sturdy enough to withstand a lifetime, or will they fray after a season?
Invisible Strings is a standalone novel within the Sinister in Savannah universe. Jimmy was introduced in Mr. Perfect, but it is not necessary to read that book first. Invisible Strings is a contemporary romance, where the other Savannah books are romantic suspense. We have heat, humor, and heart, but there are no homicides in this book, y’all. Invisible Strings contains mature content and is intended for adults eighteen and older.
We Found Love by Kade Boehme and Allison Cassatta
Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: We Found Love
AUTHORS: Kade Boehme and Allison Cassatta
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 216 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2020
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It’s no surprise Riley Connors is dealing with issues. He was kidnapped as a young boy, and his parents abandoned him after his newsworthy return. He bounced from foster home to facility and back. Now an adult, ghosts from his past continue to haunt him. After a suicide attempt, he is locked away in Hartfield so that people can make him tune in to emotions he has tried to bury.
Hunter Morgan had the kind of love that spans ages. But the stress of college and adulthood became too much to handle, and the love of Hunter’s life turned to drugs. After he overdoses, Hunter finds himself soaring out of control on the same miserable path. His brother finds him and calls an ambulance, and the sister Hunter would rather not have calls it a suicide attempt, landing Hunter in Hartfield.
Finding love isn’t easy, but it can happen under the most dire circumstances. Together Hunter and Riley may be able to grow from their pain. But they will need to learn to live for themselves, letting love come second.
Crossing Lines (Hollywood Hopefuls #3) by Jeris Jean
Reviewed by True
TITLE: Crossing Lines
SERIES: Hollywood Hopefuls #3
AUTHOR: Jeris Jean
PUBLISHER: Self-Publishing
RELEASE DATE: March 30, 2021
LENGTH: 233 pages
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When Matt is propositioned by Jasper, a hot older guy, he’s more than down. That is until he realizes Jasper has a boyfriend, and Matt would be joining them both. He’s not into it, especially since the boyfriend is a jerk, so he ditches them both. What Matt doesn’t expect is the lingering disappointment that the handsome man who approached him wasn’t single and he didn’t get a chance to know him better.
Jasper is not used to rejection. He didn’t become one of the most successful and highest-paid executives in all of Hollywood by accepting defeat. So when Matt, the sexy young barista, turns him down flat not once but twice, he doesn’t quite know what to do. Jasper finds himself going out of his way to get to know what’s behind Matt’s reluctance when it’s clear there is a mutual attraction between them.
Crossing Lines is an age gap, opposites attract mm romance set in Hollywood. There’s some angst and plenty of heat, but you can count on a HEA. (CW: references to past sexual assault.) This is the third book in the Hollywood Hopefuls series, but it works as a standalone novel.
Finding His Home (Safe Harbor #2) by K.D. Ryan
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Finding His Home
SERIES: Safe Harbor (Book #2)
AUTHOR: K. D. Ryan
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 1,221 KB
RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2021
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Finally.
Grant finally found his boy, and Elliot finally had his Daddy—age gap be damned. They were together. They were happy. And their chemistry was explosive—it was more than enough for both of them.
Since meeting Grant, everything had been a whirlwind for Elliot. They were both juggling busy work schedules—Grant was wrapped up in finals at the University, and Elliot was consumed with ballet. But they were making it work, still making time for each other and exploring their new dynamic.
Everything seemed perfect.
Perfect—until Elliot’s ballet career takes an unexpected turn that reveals the fragility of their new relationship. Add in a startling revelation about Elliot’s dire financial situation, and everything Elliot thought he knew about himself and where he belongs is turned upside down.
Elliot is faced with some big decisions—decisions that could change the direction of his life forever.
Decisions that only he can make.
As far as Grant is concerned, everything comes down to what is best for his boy—but how much is Grant willing to sacrifice for Elliot’s happiness? He wants to give Elliot everything—but he knows that isn’t always the right answer. And is he starting to build a life with Elliot just to have everything ripped away once again?
Are they just playing house, or are they finding their home?
Finding His Home is the second book in a duet taking place in the Safe Harbor universe and should be read in order. This book is a 90+K word slow burn, steamy romance that features a Daddy/boy relationship between two consenting adult men. No age play. Dual POV. There are explicit descriptions of sexual acts, so this book is intended for a mature audience (18+).
TW: Mention of sexual assault, mention of drug use.
Hot As Heller (Aster Valley #3) by Lucy Lennox
Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Hot as Heller
SERIES: Aster Valley #3
AUTHOR: Lucy Lennox
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 266 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2021
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The man asked me to valet his damn car.
Look, I left LA for a reason. I’ve had my fill of big Hollywood stars and their even bigger egos. I want something genuine. Something real. And it doesn’t get any realer than being the new sheriff of Aster Valley, Colorado.
That is, until entitled Finn Heller appears on the scene, handing me the keys to his convertible like I’m his personal servant.
The former child star and wannabe action hero is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. He’s also a snarky party animal with legions of adoring fans and attitude for days.
Or so I thought.
The longer the film crew stays in town, the more I begin to wonder if Finn is hiding his true self, one that’s as beautiful inside as out. He’s a star alright, but the kind that shines bright enough to light up the night sky… the kind I want to make a wish on.
A wish Finn will find a way to make things work with me, even if it means his next role is my very own leading man.
The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con (Farthingdale Ranch Book 2) by Jackie North
Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con
SERIES: Farthingdale Ranch Book 2
AUTHOR: Jackie North
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 312 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2021
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“If anybody ever needed him, Ellis did. Ellis was broken. Jasper liked to fix things.”
Jasper has the perfect life. He’s a blacksmith at a small guest ranch in Wyoming. The last thing he needs is to have that perfect life interrupted by a shifty-eyed ex-con, but the ranch needs the tax benefits the ex-con program will bring.
Traumatized by his time in prison, Ellis can barely speak. He’s about to be offered parole. He knows he will hate working on the guest ranch, but what other option does he have?
It’s not love at first sight. It’s not hate at first sight, either, but something in between.
A gay m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, forced intimacy, emotional scars, trauma leading to mutism, grumpy/grumpy, and baths. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.
The Lock Keeper’s Heart by Neil S Plakcy
Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Lock Keeper’s Heart
AUTHOR: Neil S Plakcy
PUBLISHER: Samwise Books
LENGTH: 379 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2021
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A 19th Century American MM Historical Romance
In the aftermath of a failed love, Isaac Evans drops out of college and flees Philadelphia for a lock-keeper’s job on the Delaware Canal in rural Pennsylvania, where he pursues a life of Thoreau-driven solitude.
Prussian immigrant Lenert Tessmer trudges along the canal towpath in good and bad weather, hobbled by his dialect, which prevents him from connecting with others. Then Lenert breaks his leg, and Isaac’s Quaker beliefs force him to offer a place where Lenert can recover.
Slowly, these two broken men find solace and healing in each other. But with railroads replacing the canal and narrow-minded outsiders who threaten their country idyll, Isaac and Lenert will have to face their deepest fears to develop a love that will endure.
Fans of MM historical romance will appreciate a fascinating time period, filled with unique details and a vibrant location, and a focus on the lives of working-class men in the 19th century who dare to love other men.
Pretenders (A First and Forever Novel) by Alexa Land
Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Pretenders
SERIES: A First and Forever Novel
AUTHOR: Alexa Land
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 222 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 29, 2021
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Doctor Wesley Bennett is desperate to find a date for his ex-fiancé’s destination wedding. So desperate, in fact, that he’s decided to hire an escort to pose as his boyfriend.
That’s what he thinks, anyway.
My roommate’s the actual escort, not me. He wasn’t available, so I stepped in. This job was just way too sweet to pass up.
It should be easy. All we have to do is convince everyone Wesley and I are a couple without getting emotionally involved. He’s adorable though, in a nerdy and endearingly awkward kind of way, and the attraction between us is undeniable. I have a feeling things are about to get complicated. And what’s going to happen when the job is over? Can we stop pretending and build something real? Or are a straight-laced pediatrician and a lavender-haired DJ too different to make it work?
Pretenders is a stand-alone, opposites attract gay romance, set in the world of Alexa Land’s best-selling Firsts and Forever Series.
Risque Business by Brittany Cournoyer
Reviewed by Stephen K.
TITLE: Risqué Business
AUTHOR: Brittany Cournoyer
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 193 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 31st 2021
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He’s not Julia Roberts, and I’m not Richard Gere. We’re way better.
Warner isn’t looking to be rescued. He knows he can’t turn tricks forever, but he has plans. In the meantime, he gets paid well for his skills. Plus, sometimes he gets guys like a certain redheaded virgin who make Warner’s job worth it. Still, no one ever wants to take the time to see Warner for who he is outside of the bedroom.
Most days, Troy is too busy to think about all those years of being teased for being the fat gay kid. But others, it doesn’t matter how successful he is, he’s painfully aware that he is almost 30 and still a virgin. Sick of waiting for Mr. Right, he decides to hire Mr. Right Now.
What was supposed to be a one-and-done turns into a repeat performance when Troy hires Warner to play the part of his loving boyfriend for a weekend wedding. He could be in real danger of believing the fantasy, but Troy is nothing if not a realist. There’s no way someone so hot, so smart, so amazing could ever look at Troy and want him for who he is.
Right?
Double Shot (Bold Brew #10) by Gwen Martin
Reviewed by True
TITLE: Double Shot
SERIES: Bold Brew #10
AUTHOR: Gwen Martin
PUBLISHER: Self-Publishing
LENGTH: 186 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 22, 2021
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Coffee, with a double shot of desire….
West is still floundering three years after a failed relationship spun his life out of control, and forced him to move back to his hometown. When he meets Rhys at Bold Brew, his curiosity sparks, and he wonders if the alluring photographer could be his shot at embracing the inner Little he suppressed in the past. Rhys’s photos are a passionate exploration and call to West’s needs and desires.
Rhys loves to guide and nurture partners—then send them on their way. But something about West is different. The quiet man responds to Rhys’s Daddy dominance in beautiful ways. And the camera loves him, too.
When West agrees to a photoshoot, their chemistry ignites. Rhys and West are a perfect complement to one another’s cravings. But can this double shot at love last as long as one of Rhys’s photographs, or will they drink their fill and move on?
Double Shot is a stand-alone novel in the multi-author 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!
Potential Trigger Warning for a character discussing issues with alcoholism. There is no relapse on page.
Finding His Boy (Safe Harbor #1) by K.D. Ryan
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Finding His Boy
SERIES: Safe Harbor (book #1)
AUTHOR: K. D. Ryan
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 351 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2021
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Finding his way in life all on his own hadn’t been easy for eighteen-year-old Elliot Hedrick, but he’d managed to hold it all together so far.
Even though it was just by the skin of his teeth.
Between his warehouse job and pursuing a career as a professional ballet dancer, he’d been working sixteen-hour days and was still barely making ends meet.
He was fraying at the seams. And he was so damn lonely.
There was nobody for him to lean on, nobody to come to his rescue when things fell apart—it was all up to him to achieve his dreams.
Then suddenly Grant Weston charged into Elliot’s life, his knight in shining armor—literally and figuratively—and despite their twenty-year age gap, Grant couldn’t seem to leave the boy alone. Even though Grant knew he should.
There were too many obstacles between them—and not just their ages. Grant had secrets of his own, ghosts from his past that made him hold back from taking what he really wanted from Elliot.
And what Grant wanted was to make Elliot his boy.
To have a true partner.
But Grant was afraid to trust himself—afraid that history would repeat itself and leave him with a broken heart yet again.
Is age really just a number, or will the years between them end their relationship before it can even start?
Finding His Boy is the first book in a duet taking place in the Safe Harbor universe but can be read as a stand-alone and has an HFN ending. This book is a 90+K word slow burn, steamy romance that features a Daddy/boy relationship between two consenting adult men. No age play. Dual POV. There are explicit descriptions of sexual acts, so this book is intended for a mature audience (18+).
Trigger Warning: on-page physical assault (not between MCs), mention of sexual assault.
Omegas in Power (Omegas in Power #1) by Sai Fox
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Omegas in Power
SERIES: Omegas in Power #1
AUTHOR: Sai Fox
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 397 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 31, 2021
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Grayson Valins should have the world at his feet. Born to one of the wealthiest families in Seattle, Grayson was raised exactly as a Valins heir should be: sharp as a tack, witty, charming, and powerful.
He was the ideal son—until he presented as an Omega.
Now he’s barely holding on to the threads of his father’s empire, watching the vultures circling overhead. If he makes a mistake with the Felder and Sons merger and acquisition, it’s game over.
If he doesn’t get married, either… that’s just as bad.
Zack Felder’s in over his head. After the tragic death of his older brother, Zack has no choice but to put his music career on hold and head back home to handle the family’s affairs. The family business is drowning, and Zack isn’t sure what to do.
So, when the older and wildly attractive Grayson Valins offers him a deal—a fake marriage in exchange for saving his family’s legacy—how could Zack ever deny that?
But what happens when emotions get tangled and a good business deal turns into something much more potent?
Omegas in Power is a stand-alone HEA 72,000 word novel with a buff, snarky omega businessman and a sensitive, passionate alpha musician. Warnings for mentions of off-screen child abuse and grief.