Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Fancy Free

SERIES:  Friendship and Desire Book 3

AUTHOR: Mia Monroe

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 243 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 17, 2021

BLURB: 

The last thing I need is a curious straight guy sniffing around me. So why is he so hard to resist?

My life is everything I ever wanted—by design. Being one of the nation’s most sought-after wedding planners has led to a life of traveling to glamorous locations, bumping elbows with the rich and famous, and sampling every handsome hunk the world has to offer. I gave up the idea of happily ever after long ago, embracing my single status.

I was completely fulfilled until Luke barreled his way into my life. He’s jaw-dropping, can’t-take-your-eyes-off-him gorgeous, but alas, he’s as straight as they come. According to Luke, he was never into men before he met me. Flattering, but I’m not going there again. Been there, done that, have the scars to show for it.

I insist on an arm’s length friendship. It’s the right thing to do. As tempting as it is to help him explore, I simply don’t have the time or patience. That is until he kisses me. It isn’t long before I’m wondering if I’m ready to give up my Fancy Free life and take a chance on an unlikely forever. But if I do, will I get my heart crushed once again?

Fancy Free is a friends-to-lovers, bisexual awakening, steamy romp featuring a fabulous but reluctant wedding planner and his curious but inexperienced suitor. It’s book three in the Friendship and Desire series featuring men discovering that maybe they were always more than friends.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: With a Pinch of Love

AUTHOR: Hayden Hall

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 231 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2021

BLURB:

There’s no one recipe for love.

DALTON

I have it all figured out. I’m going to marry the woman I love and I’m going to put in the work for that promotion. Life can only get better from here on.

Or so I thought. My blushing bride elopes minutes before the ceremony and turns my life upside down. I’m now heading to Vermont with Marshmallow to seal the deal on his soon to be Bed and Breakfast.

After a series of unfortunate coincidences, Marshal and I are fake-dating, but my long repressed desire starts lurking from deep within.

Impossible. I’m not bi, right? I can’t discover that at twenty-nine, can I? It must be the breakup trauma; nothing more. It’s got nothing to do with my homophobic upbringing, surely.

But my broken heart flutters more every time I see him.

MARSHAL

My best friend stole my first kiss and I’ve loved him ever since.

Dalton doesn’t know it, though. Nobody knows. It’s only written in dozens of unsent letters I can’t bring myself to destroy and finally move on.

I can’t stand pretending to be his boyfriend when pining after him is all I’ve ever known. And I can’t let us fool around even when he kisses me again. He’s heartbroken and lonely – that’s a far cry from being in love.

I will not be his rebound.

The charming small town of Rocky Springs quickly gets under our skin and it doesn’t take much to make me fantasize about our future here. Except it’s all fake. Dalton has a career to go back to once his heart is healed and I am building my future here.

We’re a lost cause.

With a Pinch of Love is a slow-burn, fake boyfriends, best friends to lovers, bisexual awakening, close proximity, standalone romance. It’s a heart-wrenching story with a healthy dose of angst and a grand, hard-earned happily ever after. Lose yourself in the sleepy town of Rocky Springs as Marshal and Dalton fall in love against all odds.

Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: The Depths of Time

AUTHOR: Lori Fayre

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

LENGTH: 172 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 7, 2021

BLURB:

An obsession with the past becomes his love story.

Obsessed with RMS Titanic from a young age, Lucas Thompson has spent his life studying the shipwreck and turning his passion into a career in marine archeology. But, on the one-hundred-year anniversary of the voyage, he’s drawn to the ship’s resting place by a strange sonar ripple that hurtles him back in time. Luke wakes in the year 1912 as a passenger on the grandest ship in the world.

It’s there that he meets Quinton Hawthorne, the man who sacrificed himself to save passengers during the sinking, including Luke’s great-grandmother. He also comes face-to-face with Lucinda Hughes, the very woman who raised him on her stories of the ship. With his inside knowledge of the impending disaster, Luke feels a responsibility to change history and develops a plan to save the doomed ship and its passengers.

Things quickly fall apart as Luke begins to fall for Quinton, knowing that it can only end in heartbreak. Though he’s determined to save Quinton, he’s also faced with a dilemma. Should he save the ship or allow destiny to play out?

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  To Catch a Fallen Leaf

SERIES:  Rossingley #2

AUTHOR:  Fearne Hill

PUBLISHER:  NineStar Press

LENGTH:  78,100 words

RELEASE DATE:  September 13, 2021

BLURB:  

Take one shy French gardener, mix in a naughty aristocrat, add a splash of water, a dash of sunshine, and wait for love to grow.

If only it were that easy.

Reuben Costaud counts his blessings daily. His run-in with crime is firmly behind him. He has a wonderful job gardening on the Rossingley estate, a tiny cottage all to himself, an orphaned cat named Obélix, and a friendly bunch of workmates. The last thing he needs is a tall, blond aristocrat strolling across the manicured lawns towards him.

Falling in love is not part of his plan.

Viscount Aloysius Frederick Lloyd Duchamps-Avery, Freddie to his friends, is in big trouble with everyone, from his father and his modelling agency, to his controlling older boyfriend. Seeking solace and refuge, he escapes to Rossingley and his adored cousin Lucien, the sixteenth earl. To take his mind off his woes, Lucien finds him a job with the estate gardening team.

Mutual attraction blossoms amongst the gardening tools, and Freddie charms his way through Reuben’s defences. But as spring turns to summer and Freddie’s London life collides with their Rossingley idyll, Reuben’s trust in him is ruptured. Will their love flourish or is it destined for the compost bin?

To Catch a Fallen Leaf is a full-length MM contemporary romance, the second in the Rossingley trilogy.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Dissent

SERIES:  Iron Heretics #4

AUTHOR:  Michelle Frost

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  136 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  August 26, 2021

BLURB:

I wasn’t the president of the Devil’s Rage MC when I fell in love with Calix Durante.

Hell, I was barely a prospect. Him being the Iron Heretics President should have kept us apart, but it didn’t. We kept our affair a secret for years before he called it off. Only, while I was falling in love with him, he never let me get closer than arm’s length.

Now, we’re still bikers, both presidents, and he’s keeping me a lot further away than arm’s length these days. A truce between our clubs has fixed me in his orbit, but I’d have never guessed it would take another man to bridge the divide between us.

Neven is beautiful, shy, and possesses an unknown allure that has Calix wrapped around his finger. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous. Of course, I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t wrapped right around his finger too.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Sparrow

SERIES:  Rebel Sky Ranch #2

AUTHOR:  Kelly Fox

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  2xx pages

RELEASE DATE:  September 15, 2021

BLURB: 

I like horses better than most people. After years of supporting our local equine rescue, it’s safe to say that I have a certified hate-on for the rodeo. So why is Luke McCall, injured rodeo diva, in my training paddock?

I feel bad that he was outed by the media, and I get the need to regroup out of the spotlight. I might even be willing to admit that he’s a little more vulnerable than his Rodeo King persona would suggest.

But, seriously—why does he have to recover in my bunkhouse?

I thought volunteering at a queer-friendly horse ranch was a stroke of brilliance—I’d get to hang out with horses while rebuilding strength and mobility after my injury. Win-win, right? Wrong.

Rebel Sky’s gorgeous foreman hates my guts on sight, even if he is willing to protect me from the bigots who just want a shot at the fallen cowboy.

What would it take to get him to see that I’m a good man with a soft heart and a helpful little rope kink?

Enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, hurt-comfort, rope play.

Reviewed by True

TITLE: Playing Offside

SERIES: Sporting Secrets #1

AUTHOR: Jax Calder

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 294 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 26, 2021

BLURB:

Falling for the guy whose starting spot you’re after? Never a good idea.

Aiden Jones, aka the Ice King, is one of the best rugby players in the world. He got there by working hard and sacrificing a lot, including denying a large part of himself. But there’s plenty of time to be the poster boy for gay rugby players after he retires. At the moment, he’s focused on passing a long-standing points record to cement his legacy, and he’s not about to surrender his starting spot to the cocky loudmouth who just joined the training squad, no matter how talented the kid might be.

Tyler can’t believe he’s made it into the New Zealand rugby training squad after only his first professional rugby season. Now management has decided that it’s a good idea for him to room with Aiden Jones, who Tyler’s had a long-range crush on for years. And although Aiden is icy to him both on and off the field, Tyler figures with a little charm, he can melt the Ice King. But even he’s not prepared for how heated things become between them. Now Tyler’s falling for the same guy whose starting spot he’s gunning for. But all is fair in both love and sport, right?

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  All I’ll Ever See 

AUTHOR:  Nell Iris

PUBLISHER:  JMS Books

LENGTH:  54 pages

RELEASE DATE:  September 11, 2021

BLURB:

The night Kieran bangs on Theo’s door and kisses him changes both their lives forever. Theo has never been in the closet, but Kieran isn’t out and risks losing everything — his inheritance, his relationship with his family — should his parents find out.

But their feelings for each other can’t be denied, and Theo agrees to keeping their budding relationship a secret. But can their love grow and flourish when hidden away in the dark? Or will it wilt and die before they have a chance to live happily ever after?

All I’ll Ever See is an extended version of my previously published short All I See; close to 10k words have been added.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Pines and Violets

SERIES:  Colors of Love #7

AUTHOR:  V.L. Locey

PUBLISHER:  Self Published

LENGTH: 792 Kb

RELEASE DATE:  September 14, 2021

BLURB:

Greg Mattar always had a clear path in life. The son of wealthy professionals, he and his sister wanted for nothing growing up in Montreal. His skills playing hockey led him to be picked first in the draft and a successful career as one of the premier defensemen in the league. He married his college sweetheart and within a year, they’d been blessed with twin girls. Then the unthinkable happened, and Greg’s life was turned inside out.

After losing his wife to cancer, he’s left alone to raise his daughters and at the same time balance his career. After a rough year of mourning coupled with a dismal season, Greg and his girls travel to a small vacation community deep in the Catskills. There he meets Aiden Burke, a local artisan with a past who enchants not only Greg’s daughters but Greg as well. During a vacation filled with laughter, acceptance, and morning goose parades, the two men fall for each other, which begins a journey down a winding road of revelations and romance.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Betting on his BF

SERIES: Nerds vs Jocks #4

AUTHORS: Eli Easton & Tara Lain

PUBLISHER: Easton Lain Publishing

LENGTH: 288 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 14, 2021

BLURB:

Big Bet. Big Trouble. Big Love.

When Felix the Quiz Bowl Champion reveals other oversized assets besides his brain, it takes PJ, the super-wheeler-dealer, to wangle maximum profits from it—in bets, wet jock strap contests, and Wang of the Week.

But winning money turns out to be second to falling in lust, and sexual escapades replace time at the poker tables as the number-one activity of their wicked week in Vegas.

Still, accepting the hospitality of PJ’s father’s client, the mobster Joey Oretano, proves a nearly fatal money-saving scheme, and brings Felix and PJ face-to-face with the serious side of life.
Very. Serious.

Will someone take the chance to be a hero?
Or will someone wind up dead?

BETTING ON HIS BF is a friends-to-lovers, bisexual awakening, what-happens-in-Vegas-can-win-you-money, dash-of-suspense, MM romance—with large assets.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Finley Embraces Heart and Home

SERIES:  Love, Austen #4

AUTHOR:  Anyta Sunday

PUBLISHER:  Self Published

LENGTH:  275 pages

RELEASE DATE:  September 13, 2021

BLURB:

MUM is the love of his life. Until he meets his STEP-BROTHER.

For years it’s been just Finley and Mum. Now she’s getting married, and they’re moving into a flash mansion and his step-dad is lording it over him. He’s clearly a homophobe, and doesn’t want him rubbing off (so to speak) on his son.

Like that would ever happen. No way he’d ever go for someone who shares his DNA.

Even if Ethan and his dad don’t look anything alike. Even if Ethan and his dad don’t act anything alike.

Even if . . .

This can’t happen. They’re whānau now, family, there are boundaries.

Secret. Forbidden. Irresistible. A reimagining of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park.

Reviewed by Stephen K.

TITLE: Rings of Lust

SERIES: (Rings Trilogy #1)

AUTHOR: Finn Dixon

PUBLISHER: Independently Published

LENGTH: 160 Pages

RELEASE DATE: September 16^th , 2021

BLURB:

Lucas
My parents had warned me a relationship would be a disaster for my gymnastics career, threatening to pull their financial support. So, I floated from one guy to the next for years. And now, at the biggest event of my life, I found myself lonely and wanting more. And the one guy I wanted it with was Camden. He went to the same college. He was on the same team. Just not my team. Ugh…I had a crush on a straight guy.

Camden
”Maybe you just need to get laid?” my teammate had suggested. Here I was, my first Olympics and all I could think about was sex. My first and only time was terrible to say the least and I was hesitant to try again. Hell, I wasn’t even out of the closet either. But the Olympic Village was pretty much a buffet of abs and glutes, and it was athletes only. Coach did tell us to loosen up. Maybe it was time to do just that…but like, naked and with another guy. I can totally do this casual anonymous thing, right?

Rings of Lust is a full-length MM novel, the first in a trilogy, that has a cliffhanger ending and an eventual HEA, just not in this book. Be prepared for third wheel sarcasm, platypus babies, rippling Olympian muscle, and teenage sexual escapades just behind the scenes at the world’s biggest athletic event.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Open Wounds: The Boxed Set

SERIES:  Open Wounds #1-4

AUTHOR:  Michelle Frost

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  573 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 23, 2020

BLURB:

Family. Loyalty. Love.

Carry and Drag – Dagen wasn’t looking for a roommate, but when circumstances have Oliver moving into his second bedroom, Dagen can’t help but feel drawn to him. Living together is an adjustment, but when the attraction between them morphs into something more, will old insecurities drag them apart? Or will they find a way to carry the weight of their burdens…together?

Take Down – Harbor and Theo have been crashing together since the moment they met—in the back room of a club, at Harbor’s gym, and finally inside the fight cage. With a career making championship title on the line, will either of them be willing to take down the one who’s won their heart?

Matched Intensity – Reconnecting with Magnus is the only thing Rory wants in this world. They’ve loved each other since they were kids, even through the years spent apart. With Magnus returned home, can they find their way back together before secrets—and a threat—drive them apart for good?

Vidar – All his life, Vidar Rourke has stood tall against every challenge he’s faced—from his father’s fists to the demanding world inside an MMA cage. When he’s finally settled down with the two men he loves, an old mistake issues a challenge, threatening the harmony they’ve built. Stepping into the cage again was never part of the plan, but as the door shuts behind him on the most important fight of his life—he’ll make every punch count.

Reviewed by Stephen K

TITLE: Cattle Stop

AUTHOR: Kit Oliver

PUBLISHER: Parrot Cat Publishing

LENGTH: 230 Pages

RELEASE DATE: August 10^th 2021

BLURB:

The only thing Cooper dreads more than working with Whit? Sharing a room.

Cooper has one chance to save Two Pines Farm. But Whit, the newly appointed farm manager, is as stubborn and pigheaded as—well—the pigs and refuses to admit change is desperately needed. Convincing him otherwise means working together, living together—and trying to forget that night they kissed.

But a summer as roommates and coworkers is the only path Cooper can see to keep the farm from bankruptcy. As they spend long days in the fields and evenings stuck in the same room, can Cooper survive so much time in Whit’s company without walking away from the farm—or worse, kissing him again?

Cattle Stop is a steamy, m/m romance novel. If you love enemies to lovers, unlikely roommates, and years long pining hidden beneath bickering, then you’ll love this story as Cooper finds a home, a family, and love where he least expects it.

Pick up your copy of Cattle Stop today to watch Cooper and Whit come together to save the farm—and any chance they have at a life together.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Goodnight

SERIES:  Rebel Sky Ranch #1

AUTHOR:  Kelly Fox

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  233 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 30, 2021

BLURB: 

Trip:
I was born and raised on Rebel Sky Ranch. In the long, terrible year since my mother’s death, meeting Sam is the one bright spot. He reminds me of the horses we rescue. Scarred, skittish, and…strong. Beautiful.

He’s a bit of a hat-stealer, and, truth be told, I’m a little leery of his chosen profession. The things he does in front of a camera… Well, it makes me blush just thinkin’ about it. But if that scar on his face is any indication, he could use somebody at his back. I aim to be that person.

And yeah, some of my parts get confused by the fact that he’s all delicate and sparkly, but that’s not important. Even if the good hand lotion has somehow made it into the tack room.

I just hope he knows that he’ll always be safe with me.

Sam:
I’m a cam boy who officially identifies as Wrangler-sexual. It’s entirely the fault of Trip Goodnight, the strapping cowboy at the ranch next door. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s going to be the father of my two-point-five children.

We’re an unlikely pairing, what with him being straight and me being a gay sex worker, but those, darling, are mere details. When he saves me from a literal nest of rattlesnakes, it’s nothing if not true love. I’m aiming for a spring wedding.

While it’s true that I haven’t been able to let a man touch me since I was attacked last year, and there’s no telling what my father might do if he manages to find me, I’m not letting any of that stop me.

In fact, I’ve stolen Trip’s cowboy hat and used it in one of my videos, so I’m already well on my way to making him mine. Besides, he’s the first man outside of my found family who’s made me feel safe. Protected.

That’s gotta count for something…right?

Bisexual awakening, hurt-comfort, size difference, friends to lovers