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

BLURB:

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.
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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.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Invisible Strings

AUTHOR:  Aimee Nicole Walker

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  317 pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 19, 2021

BLURB:

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.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Care

SERIES: White House Men #5

AUTHOR: Nora Phoenix

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 295 Pages

RELEASE DATE: June 08, 2021

BLURB:

Kenn wants Warrick to be his teacher, his boyfriend…and his Daddy

Being the president’s son was never something Kenn wanted, but it’s the reality nonetheless. Home from college with nothing to do, he’s elated when his father hires a tutor to prepare him for law school.

Professor Warrick Duvall is kind, smart, and he has time for Kenn when no one else does. When the unthinkable happens and Kenn’s world is rocked to his core, it’s Warrick who is there for him, and the friendship with him is the only thing that keeps Kenn going. Warrick takes care of him, helping him find his footing again, and they grow even closer.

When others start to notice and warn him, it’s time for Kenn to be honest with himself and with others about who he is and what he wants. But how will his father react when he learns Kenn doesn’t want Warrick to be merely his teacher and his boyfriend…but his Daddy?

Care is a slow burn MM gay romance with an age gap and daddy kink (no age play), featuring a Daddy who doesn’t know he’s a Daddy and a needy boy who soaks up all Daddy’s care. It’s the fifth book in the White House Men series, a continuing MM romantic suspense series set in the White House that needs to be read in order. Care ends with a happily ever after, but the suspense plot ends on a cliffhanger and will be continued in the rest of the series.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Messy Love

SERIES:  Stumbling into Love #3

AUTHOR:  Riley Hart

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  342 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 8, 2021

BLURB:

Danny
I’m not a guy who’s looking for a serious relationship. I love the chase, and the one time I thought I wanted more, the guy bailed. When my buddy Will mentions his recently out, older brother is looking for a place to stay, I offer the spare room in my apartment. It’s clear Jonathan’s past did a number on him, and he’s locked up tight. I make it my mission to show him how to have a little fun. What I don’t expect is to start to like him…or get jealous when he goes on a date…and hooking up with him is a terrible idea…right?

Jonathan
When Dad caught me kissing a boy as a teenager, he made it clear such behavior was unacceptable, and I’ve been messed up about it ever since. I’m over thirty, yet from Danny’s viewpoint, I’m a baby gay, which should be more annoying than it is. He’s got me playing on a queer baseball team, making friends, and wanting things I never thought I’d want, like pursuing my art—and him. I definitely want him.

Problem is, I can’t get rid of the unwanted voices in my head, my relationship with most of my family is a disaster, and every time Danny touches me, I come apart, finding myself wanting more. Danny doesn’t do relationships, he’s my brother’s friend, and I have a slew of hang-ups. All of this makes things…messy.

So then why can’t we keep our hands off each other? Why is he taking me on dates and looking at me like we could have more? To get there, we’ll need to put our pasts away for good, and have a lot of trust, not just in ourselves, but each other.

Reviewed by Cheryl K

TITLE: The Grave Between Us: M|M Romantic Suspense

SERIES: A Noah & Cole Thriller Book 2

AUTHOR: Tal Bauer

PUBLISHER: Self

LENGTH: 376 Pages

RELEASE DATE: June 06, 2021

BLURB:

It was just one moment.
It was just one mistake.

For years, men have been disappearing. A father in North Carolina. A boater in California. A hiker in Arkansas. And more, scattered across the United States. The FBI knows who’s responsible: a serial killer they caught, a man they sent young profiler Cole Kennedy to interrogate. But then the killer escaped, leaving the FBI in chaos and Cole’s psyche in tatters.

Eight years later, Cole’s life has changed. He’s found the man of his dreams, and he’s moved to Iowa to be with Special Agent Noah Downing, leaving the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and the murderers behind.

Or so he thought.

An attack on the backroads of Iowa shatters the FBI, and in the aftermath, they uncover the signature of the last man they expect: the killer who got away. Now he’s hunting Noah, and the BAU descends on Des Moines, sending Cole back on the psychological chase.

To catch the only man who has ever beaten him, Cole will have to delve inside the killer’s mind. It’s a place he barely survived before, and the deeper he goes, the more horrors await. And though Noah is ordered to back off the investigation, he won’t leave Cole to face this darkness alone.

If Cole has any hope of saving the man he loves, he must unravel the killer’s twisted profile and follow his trail of death… even when it leads him into the marrow of his worst nightmares.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Solstice Surprise

AUTHOR:  Gabbi Grey

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  175 pages

RELEASE DATE:  April 15, 2021

BLURB:

A blizzard, an urgent plea, a desperate journey, and the most important moment of their lives.

Action movie star Peter Erickson is spending the Christmas holidays ensconced with his in-laws and his new husband. In the wilds of Northern British Columbia, they are as far away from the bustle of the
city as they can get.

Thomas Walsh and his famous husband are deeply in love. Although he prefers the intimacy of their city house, he’s come home to face the reason he left ten years ago, and to finally tell his parents the truth.

A desperate phone call has the couple scrambling. Will they get back to Vancouver in the middle of a snowstorm in time for their solstice
surprise?

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Code Red

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 102,000 words

RELEASE DATE: June 24, 2021

BLURB:

Maddox Kershaw is the main vocalist of the world’s biggest boy band. He’s at the top of every music chart, every award show, every social media platform, and every sexiest-man-alive list. He’s the bad boy, the enigma, the man everyone on the planet wants a piece of.

He’s also burned out and exhausted, isolated and lonely. Not in a good headspace at the start of a tour.

Roscoe Hall is Maddox’s personal manager. His job is high-flying, high-demand, high-profile, and he loves it. Maddox has consumed his entire life for the past four years. Roscoe knows him. He sees the real Maddox no one else gets to see.

He’s also in love with him.

When the tour and stress become too much, when the world begins to close in, Roscoe becomes Maddox’s lifeline. But as Maddox knows already, and as Roscoe is about to learn, the brighter the spotlight, the darker the shadow.

Reviewed by Cheryl K

TITLE: Nothing Special VIII: SWAT Ed.: Fox & Bull

SERIES: Nothing Special #8

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings Books

LENGTH: 290 Pages

RELEASE DATE: March 24, 2021

BLURB:

A fox can set many traps to catch his target—but this one only needs one to catch his.

Dominic “Bull” Walker is used to the simpler things in life. Give him his own land to work, a strong horse, and twelve hours of daylight, and he is a contented man. But when someone threatens to take away the successful ranch that took him two years to rebuild, he’ll accept any help he can get to defend it.

Mandel “Fox” Tucker is a sixth-generation SWAT soldier. It’s embedded in his bones to protect and serve his community. So when he gets word of the vandalism occurring on the Walker Ranch, he quickly volunteers the free time he has, thanks to his recent suspension.

The brief visit Fox had with Bull four months ago had been a contentious—but powerful—encounter. Therefore, he’s not surprised when he shows up on his doorstep unannounced and has to pull out some of his best tricks to get past the six-foot-four, stubborn Texan.

Fox is only there to safeguard what’s most important to Bull. But being on the ranch brings an awareness to him that he embraces with both hands. Nature, peace… love—things he never found in the city.

This book contains the love story of two new characters. It is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone.

There are no multiple pairings or sharing. Ends in a very HEA.

Trigger Warning: Mild police violence. Scenes are not graphic.

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 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.