Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Hell Breaks Loose

SERIES: Hellbound Champions #4

AUTHOR: Macy Blake

PUBLISHER: self pub

LENGTH: 299 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2021

BLURB:

Safe to say Achim’s life wasn’t going as planned.

First, his mission for the fire goddess ended up with him—a hellhound who’d never actually been to hell—being sent precisely there. Worse, he found himself stuck in the strange hellscape with Ozias, a guy who’s a) hotter than the fire of both suns in the hell-realm, b) really, really likable, despite his arrogance, and c) oh yeah, the actual prince of hell.

Their connection comes in handy, though, when a demon escapes into the human realm and Ozias is sent to track it down. With magic fluctuating wildly around them, the hellhound pack is run ragged trying to keep the supernatural world a secret from the humans… especially since Achim is just a wee bit distracted keeping his mind and hands off the gorgeous-but-cocky prince.

But when the strange forces wreaking havoc on the human realm attempt to drive Achim and Ozias apart… well, that’s when things get really messed up. Because if they think they’re gonna keep a hellhound from the guy who might just be his mate…

They’re gonna watch all hell break loose.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Moon Flower

AUTHOR:  Christina Lee

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  196 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 30, 2021

BLURB:

When Galen flees his home and travels to Lunar’s Reach, he does what he needs to survive. But trading his body for food in his belly is always a risky undertaking. After he’s found injured in an alleyway, his new friends take him to Moon Flower apothecary, where the madam in charge offers him the proposition of a lifetime.

Little does he know that the Moon Flower flourishes at night—in more ways than one. Gentlemen gather in secret, yearning for an evening with Galen and the others, where they offer pleasure willingly while exploring their desires.

But Galen’s eye is continually drawn to the most unassuming man in the room—Azriel, the resident healer, who has the most unusual aura Galen has ever seen. There’s an understated melancholy in him that Galen longs to soothe, and the more time they spend together, the more he craves to know Azriel’s touch.

But security is only a threadbare veneer for those like him, and soon danger is upon their doorstep. Galen has only ever needed to protect himself, but now he belongs to an ensemble of unlikely characters who’ve become the family he never had. So he’ll put himself on the line, along with his heart, if it means keeping them safe—especially Azriel, the man who quiets his restless soul.

Please note: Moon Flower is set in an imaginary world reminiscent of our nineteenth century, with some fantastical elements and without explicit rules. Some liberties were taken for the sake of fiction—and, of course, romance.

Trigger warning: Discussions and depictions of assault which are physical and sexual in nature, as well as a background characterization that some might find taboo or unconventional.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Rebel Heart

SERIES: I don’t know but I’m hoping so 

AUTHOR: Ann Lister

PUBLISHER: Rock Gods, Inc.

LENGTH: 196 pages

RE-RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2021

BLURB:

Brett “Rebel” Hart has never been one to abide by social norms, whether it’s professionally with his band, Rebel Heart, or in his private life. He’s had an ongoing relationship with his music collaborator for many years but never fully committed to him nor said those three all-important words. Now Rebel’s longtime love is gone, and he’s left picking up the pieces of his life while settling his friend’s estate.

Jacob McKinney owns the local cafe. He knows who Rebel is the moment he walks into his restaurant and also knows why the famous musician is in town. They were formally introduced years ago, but he doubts Rebel remembers him, which is fine. Although Rebel and Jacob live in two very different worlds, there was one person who’s tied them together.

John Kirby was a talented award-winning lyricist who worked with many musicians throughout his long career. Born with a heart defect, he made the most of his time, but in the end, left behind two very different men to process their loss. Kirby’s one wish was to bring Rebel, the only man who owned his damaged heart, and Jacob together somehow—first, as a way to help each other mourn, but then as a new opportunity at love.

Can two grieving men find lasting love together and uncover the connection Kirby already knew existed between them? Dead men can’t talk, but their dreams can still come true—even from the beyond.

Rebel Heart is a stand-alone rockstar romance with a slow burn, high emotions, grief/comfort, and an HEA.

Author Note: 

This story has been re-released with a new title. No new content has been added with the exception of very minor changes made to the title and the name of the main character.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Forgiven: Con

SERIES:  The Four #3

AUTHOR:  Sloane Kennedy

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  243 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 24, 2021

BLURB:

Con

I have everything I’ve ever wanted… so why do I still feel like the kid who came from nothing?

Please help him …
Three little words that have haunted me for years.
Three little words that I know I’ll take to my grave.

It was supposed to be just another fight. Another few minutes of using my fists and my so-called natural “gift” for fighting to raise the cash I needed to save my little brother’s life.

But it wasn’t just another fight.

Yes, I had walked away with the prize money and yes, I had saved my brother, but I’d also destroyed not one, but two lives. I’d left my opponent broken on the ground with his eight-year-old brother begging the onlookers around him for help.

Begging me for help.

But I’d walked away…

Fifteen years later and that little boy is now a bitter, broken young man standing over his brother’s grave; the grave I might as well have put him in. I want nothing more than to help Micah Fox escape the hell his life has become, the life I condemned him to, but he wants nothing to do with me.

But I can’t walk away this time.

I won’t.

Micah

I’m so close to escaping my ugly little world that I can practically taste it. No way in hell am I letting the man who put me there try to play hero now.

That night was supposed to change my life.
It did.
Just not in any way I could have ever conceived of.

Fifteen years ago, the man known only as Zeus to his fans left my brother a broken man who wanted nothing to do with the world around him. I couldn’t save my brother, but I sure as hell can make sure my niece and nephew have a future… the one their father should have had.

Zeus or Con or whatever the hell his name is wants to help me now? Not happening. He might know how to turn on the charm and play to his legions of adoring fans, but he and I both know what kind of monster lurks inside him.

Okay, so what if strange things happen in my belly when he touches me? What if I feel a little stronger when he wraps his arms around me and promises me that everything will be okay?

It’s not real.

It can’t be.

Because hate is all I have right now. If I let Con take that from me…

Like I said… it can’t be real.

I won’t let it be.

Reviewed by Valerie and Larissa

TITLE:  Beautifully Unexpected

AUTHOR:  Lily Morton

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  200 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 27, 2021

BLURB:

Sometimes love comes when you least expect or want it.

Magnus Carlsen is determined to grow old disgracefully. At fifty-two, he doesn’t believe in keeping anything. Men, sofas, books—everything gets jettisoned, eventually. He’s divided his life into happy compartments. A successful trial lawyer, he spends his days lecturing jurors, exasperating judges, and striding arrogantly around courtrooms. He fills his nights with a parade of handsome young men who want to make him happy. Why date someone his own age to discuss back pain, retirement-planning, and corns, when he can date men who don’t care to discuss anything at all?

However, when one of these sunny young men shows an inclination for dramatic scenes, Magnus meets his new neighbour. And his whole world implodes.

Laurie Gentry is nearly the same age as Magnus, but that’s where the similarity ends. He’s messy and creative and nosy and mysterious. He’s everything that Magnus has spent a lifetime avoiding. So, why can’t he get Laurie out of his head?

Luckily, Laurie is only in London for the summer. Magnus can uncover Laurie’s mysteries and indulge their annoyingly hot attraction, and Laurie will be gone before complications arise. A few months isn’t long enough to lose his heart. Is it?

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a romantic comedy about two footloose older men and how one summer in London brings something quite beautifully unexpected into their lives.

Reviewed by True

TITLE: Master’s schiavo

AUTHOR: Laura Lascarso

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 320 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 27, 2021

BLURB:

Patience, humility, subservience, gratitude… these are the virtues of a schiavo, qualities that Giovanni not only demonstrates in serving his Master but has internalized since his training began three years ago. Master makes the rules, Master enforces them, and Giovanni thrives on the structure and discipline his Master provides.

But Master, a New York City crime lord, must tie up loose ends with the family business, and it’s not safe for Giovanni to accompany him back to the city, so Giovanni must stay with Master’s younger brother, Signore. Signore is not at all like Master. He’s brash, boisterous, impulsive, arrogant. This schiavo will not submit to such a mercurial man, but Master is not here, and Signore offers Giovanni the freedom to explore and express himself in different ways.

Torn by his loyalties to two very different men, Giovanni strives to exemplify his virtues in every way, but his training never covered how he might serve two Masters.

MASTER’S SCHIAVO is an introspective romantic story featuring a submissive shared by two different Dominants. This work contains several references to past sexual abuse and trauma. Trigger warnings for addiction, suicidal ideation, and mental health troubles. This book is meant for entertainment purposes only, not as a guide to safe, sane, and consensual BDSM practices.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Flowers Under My Pillow

AUTHOR:  Nell Iris

PUBLISHER:  JMS Books

LENGTH:  17477 words

RELEASE DATE:  June 26, 2021

BLURB:

Smiling brown eyes. A dark beard. Dandelions. Sunny, happy dandelions.

For thirty years, Frode’s had the same dream. Every Midsummer’s Eve since he was a kid accompanying his sister to pick flowers to put under his pillow, he’s dreamed of the same man. A dream he never shares with anyone, that makes him wish for impossible things…like true love.

“It’s you.”

Then one Midsummer’s Eve, the man of Frode’s dreams stands before him in the flesh. Both men recognize each other despite never having met in real life. Both men are instantly drawn to each other and want to know more.

“Who are you, Viljar? Are you even real?”

Their questions are many but do the whys and the hows matter? Or should they allow the Midsummer magic that brought them together to lead the way into each other’s arms? Into each other’s hearts?

Traditional Swedish folklore tells you that if you pick seven kinds of flowers in silence and put them under your pillow on Midsummer’s Eve, you’ll dream of the man you’ll marry.

Reviewed by Stephen K

TITLE: Been Here All Along

AUTHOR: Sandy Hall

PUBLISHER: Swoon Reads

LENGTH: 242 Pages

RELEASE DATE: August 30^th , 2016

BLURB:

Gideon always has a plan. His plans include running for class president, becoming head of the yearbook committee and having his choice of colleges. They do not include falling head over heels for his best friend and next-door neighbor, Kyle. It’s a distraction. It’s pointless, as Kyle is already dating the gorgeous and popular head cheerleader, Ruby. And Gideon doesn’t know what to do . . .

Kyle finally feels like he has a handle on life. He has a wonderful girlfriend, a best friend willing to debate the finer points of Lord of the Rings, and social acceptance as captain of the basketball team. Then, both Ruby and Gideon start acting really weird, just as his spot on the team is threatened, and Kyle can’t quite figure out what he did wrong . .

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Family According to Liam

SERIES:  According to Liam #5

AUTHOR:  V.L. Locey

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:   139 pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 1, 2021

BLURB: 

The bonds of family aren’t regulated by blood. They’re defined by love and an open heart.

Bryn and Michael Mettler have lived a life that many can only dream about. The two men had a whirlwind romance and ended up happily married. Bryn played hockey for the Pittsburgh Ravens, and Michael worked at a job he loved in web design and writing a successful humor blog. They also doted on Mike’s nephew Liam as all good uncles should.

They’ve welcomed a new member into their small but loving clan. Made strides to heal a fractured past hurt. Traveled the world and settled into their new home and lives with great joy. The only thing missing was a child of their own. That absent piece is now here, and their lives are about to change in a million charming, unexpected ways.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Star Spangled Showdown

SERIES: A Williamsville Inn Story

AUTHOR:  Hank Edwards

PUBLISHER:  Startled Monkey Media

LENGTH:  244 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 25, 2021

BLURB:

A fireworks salesman intent on making his mark in his family’s business. A twice divorced father in desperate need of a sale and a new love life. A week-long town celebration that sparks their competitive natures.

Owen Gillespie is no stranger to competition. But his plan to spend Independence Day week at the Williamsville Inn before pitching his fireworks proposal is derailed when he meets a handsome and snarky man in the elevator.

Dom Mitchell has two marriages behind him and three kids he’s supporting. His bisexual awakening has opened him up to dating men for the first time, but he isn’t looking for a serious relationship; he’s in town to sell a fireworks package.

When both men realize they’re vying for the same business, they decide to turn it into a competition. But things slip out of their control when the mayor learns of their agreement and proposes some challenges of her own. These two corporate rivals will need to work together even as they’re competing against each other to woo the mayor and other city officials, all while keeping their mutual attraction a secret and their hearts in check.

At the end of the week, only one of them will be leaving town with a signed contract, but the sparks between them are undeniable, and their love life might just be the most dazzling display of all.

This funny, snarky, and steamy story about corporate rivals turned lovers with a slight age gap and a spanking fetish is set in the Williamsville Inn world but can be read as a standalone story.

REVIEWED by Jay V.

TITLE: The Oak Wood Throne

AUTHOR: Kai Butler

SERIES: San Amaro Investigations #2

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 333 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2021

BLURB:

A new case won’t solve Parker’s old problems…

Parker Ferro needs a vacation. His boyfriend is MIA on a high profile murder investigation, the fae courts have him on call at all hours, and he’s still cleaning up the mess from his last big case. Of course that’s nothing compared to the demands of the debt he owes the spirit of San Amaro.

So when a wealthy new client contacts him to locate a stolen a fae artifact, Parker’s hoping for a simple job. That the artifact in question looks eerily similar to the one that got him involved with a notorious criminal and almost ruined his life last year has no bearing on the decision, right? Not to mention the thief’s ability to enter high security areas without a trace and a few very suspicious deaths.

As his life continues to spiral out of control, Parker has to juggle what’s most important to him: his relationship, his need for revenge or his life. Then again, no one said becoming the new Windrose would be easy.

Reviewed by Cheryl K

TITLE: Love on the Horizon

AUTHOR: R.J. Peterson

PUBLISHER: Wanderlust Publishing

LENGTH: 164 Pages

RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021

BLURB:

Two years after losing his husband, the last thing widower Rob Asher wants to do is go on a cruise-for-two by himself. But after some practical advice from his best friend, Rob realizes that his husband wouldn’t have wanted him to hide away from the world with only his grief for company. So despite some lingering doubts, Rob packs his bags for his cruise adventure and flies to Barcelona to board the Ocean Wanderer.

Actor Ben Rockingham has just finished a whirlwind promotional tour around Europe and is looking forward to a week long cruise so he can relax and unwind. He’s felt alone for far too long and doesn’t foresee that changing anytime soon. But a chance encounter in a hotel bar has Ben feeling things he hasn’t contemplated for a very long time.

He and Rob hit it off right away and Ben is both intrigued by and attracted to this conflicted man. Is it possible that Rob is the one who’s been missing from Ben’s life all these years, and can Ben help Rob move past his grief so they have a chance at a future together? They have one week aboard the Ocean Wanderer to find out and the stakes are high on the high seas.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Playing With Fire

SERIES: Bridgewater Bay (Book 1)

AUTHOR: James Thorne

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 276 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 29, 2021

BLURB:

As a teenager, omega Riley Morris fell in love with the sexiest Alpha in school and ended up pregnant and alone. But he learned his lesson well. Playing With Fire is a good way to get burned. Now Riley is a twenty-year-old single dad, struggling to raise his three-year-old son and his teenage sister. Working as a maid by day and stripper by night, Riley is too busy to become romantically involved with Alphas. Alphas only want omegas for one thing anyways.
Logan Donovan is an Alpha firefighter, with no mate, no children, and no prospects. And he’s convinced himself he’s happier that way. But when he pulls omega Riley Morris from the roaring flames of an apartment fire, sparks fly. And when Riley is released from the hospital into Logan’s temporary protective custody, things between Logan and Riley heat up faster than either of them planned.
Will Logan and Riley find a way to let their guards down long enough to fulfill each other’s fantasies, or will they get burned?
Find out in Playing With Fire!

Reviewed by True

TITLE: A is for Aftercare

SERIES: The Alphabet of Desire #1

AUTHOR: Colette Davison

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 237 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 29, 2021

BLURB:

A famous author, a new job, and a party with a difference. Are these the makings of a perfect romance?

Archie
Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to end up working for my #1 favourite author. Nor did I expect him to love being called ‘Sir’. An invite to an adult party changes everything. Will Hamish order me to my knees or throw me out?

Hamish
The moment I first set eyes on Archie Morris, he becomes my secret muse.  Words I’ve been struggling to write pour out of me. He’s my PA and twenty-three years my junior, none of that matters when he shows up at my private party, ready to play. One night leads to so much more. Will Archie see beyond our differences to what I’m offering him—my heart?

A is for Aftercare is the story of two men falling in love, while they explore their desires together, which include blindfolds, sensory play, and lots of cuddles. It’s the first of three steamy, low angst novels, which follow each of the ABC triplets as they find love. You can read Blake and Corey’s stories in B is for Beg and C is for Comfort.