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…
Unseen (Rath & Rune #2) by Jordan L. Hawk
Reviewed by Cheryl
TITLE: Unseen
SERIES: Rath & Rune #2
AUTHOR: Jordan Hawk
PUBLISHER: Self published
LENGTH: 234 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 12, 2021
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Librarian Sebastian Rath and his lover Vesper Rune are tasked with seeking and containing the evil Books of the Bound. But one of the Books has been freed from its prison—and is in the hands of a killer.
As more bodies turn up, Sebastian finds himself tempted to use forbidden magic to locate the Book and stop the murderer. And when an unexpected connection to the necromancers who created the Books is revealed, Sebastian must choose just how far he’ll go to right the wrongs of the past—even if it means endangering his own future.
Breath of Life (Godstone Saga #2) by Jocelynn Drake
Reviewed by Anna Lynn
TITLE: Breath of Life
SERIES: Godstone Saga #2
AUTHOR: Jocelynn Drake
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 362 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 12, 2021
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Caelan wants his throne back.
The bargain has been struck, and it’s time to return home.
But the situation is worse in Erya than he previously suspected. Betrayal runs deep in the streets of Stormbreak, and finding people he can trust will be treacherous.
He has no choice, though. He’s fighting for his birthright, and maybe even a little revenge if he can get it.
Will the gods come between him and the crown?
Or worse, him and Drayce?
Salesman Mateo (The Lonely Heroes #6) by Sam E. Kraemer
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Salesman Mateo
SERIES: The Lonely Heroes (Book 6)
AUTHOR: Sam E. Kraemer
PUBLISHER: Kaye Klub Publishing
LENGTH: 389 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 23, 2021
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A strong sense of loyalty courses through the lifeblood of the Torrente family, and as a member, Mateo is duty-bound to move to America to assist his favorite cousin, Gabriele, when threats are made against the family. Mateo possesses a skillset that is required to protect Gabriele’s children and to assist in identifying a traitor in their midst.
The job seems easy… until Mateo meets the one man who reminds him that, in his profession, it’s wise to remain without encumbrances—emotional or otherwise. No one with a conscience will accept Mateo’s profession, so he fights his own desires for the kind of happiness he sees around him in New York, resigned to be forever without love… though a little fling never hurt anyone.
Shay Barr is a talented hair stylist and barber. His reputation is golden, and his prestigious client list is a who’s who of New York society. His future is bright as long as his secrets stay buried in the past. When Shay receives unsettling news from home, he’s reminded why he ran at eighteen, and now, it seems history is set to repeat itself. The pack of religious zealots Shay barely escaped as a teen have found another lamb—to convert or to slaughter—and Shay is determined to save him, but how?
When Mateo Torrente walks into DyeV Barr with a teary-eyed little girl Shay thinks of as part of his found family, the chemistry is explosive. Unbeknownst to either man, the other is exactly who he needs. With one “Torrente” smile, Shay is enraptured by Mateo, but there is danger lurking in the shadows.
Will the Salesman and the Barber be able to escape the perils at their heels or will they become love’s martyrs to save each other?
Secret & Lies by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank
Reviewed by Danielle
TITLE: Secrets & Lies
AUTHOR: Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 277 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 29 , 2021
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I wasn’t supposed to want him. The bronzed god lying by my pool in tight shorts that left little to the imagination. But I was only human, and with the temptation constantly within reach, it was only a matter of time before I could no longer resist.
It was wrong. I knew that.
He was my son’s age.
Hell, he was my son’s friend.
But even worse…I was his teacher.
Secrets & Lies is a standalone teacher-student MM romance from USA Today bestselling authors Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank.
Lost at the Crossing (Rail Riders #2) by Nicky James
Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Lost at the Crossing
SERIES: Rail Riders #2
AUTHOR: Nicky James
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 349 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 29, 2021
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Two lost boys. Two long years. One path back to each other.
Elian has lost two major anchors in his life, and he can’t figure out how to get back on track, so he takes to the rails, trying to outrun his struggles. The farther he runs, the deeper he sinks, losing himself more and more until a random phone call reminds him, he isn’t as alone as he thought. There is someone out there who still cares—Tyler.
Two years ago, Tyler lost more than his best friend. He lost the other half of his heart. He knows Elian’s struggles, and he now knows Elian is alive. When his rider friends offer to help, he’s hesitant. They don’t know as much about Elian as they should, and it’s Tyler’s fault for shutting them out. Too many people might scare Elian off.
Besides, how can he explain to his friends his desperation to find Elian when his feelings are so new and unexplored?
Tyler is convinced he only needs one person to mend his wounded heart—Elian.
** Lost at the Crossing is a new adult gay romance story of first love between two inexperienced boys. It’s a story of found family and lifelong friendships. It explores tropes including hurt/comfort, friends-to-lovers, two virgins, second chance romance, and demisexual awakening. It has angst. Let’s be honest, it’s me. It’s inevitable. Lost at the Crossing is the second book in the Rail Riders series. It can be read as a standalone but may be better enjoyed after reading End of the Line. **
Tangled in Tinsel by Ellen Mint
Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Tangled in Tinsel
AUTHOR: Ellen Mint
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 331 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 30, 2021
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Dear Santa, please leave a red-headed lumberjack under the tree. I’ve been a very good boy.
Dean Hancock does not have time for the gorgeous, red-haired, cowboy lumberjack that nearly shattered his windshield with a Christmas tree. He’s on the hunt for a long-lost cradle carved by the artistic genius Gustav Gilt. After being lost for a hundred years, the antique appears five days before Christmas in the tiny town of Tinsel.
God has a wicked sense of humor.
On the verge of an academic and financial breakthrough, he doesn’t have time to ‘get friendly’ with the local cowboy Levi Bruce. If he hasn’t authenticated the manger in the middle of the town square before Christmas Eve, he’ll lose his antique shop and any dreams he had to find a real Gilt. But it won’t stop Dean fantasizing about his lumberjack riding in on a white horse and lassoing him just right.
Levi Bruce spends his days waking before dawn, tending his tree farm, going to bed after dark, and starting the cycle all over again. It’s a long, lonely life, but with his dog Harry at his side, he thought it was enough. Then that handsome, charming man from the city had to stroll in and upend everything. The wolves are at the door, a big company threatening to take his family farm out from under him. The last thing Levi needs is distracting dreams of kissing the delectable man under the mistletoe.
Will these two fools open their hearts by the fire of the farmhouse’s hearth? Or will the promise of millions, a family secret, and an eccentric artist’s masterpiece rip them apart forever?
Tangled in Tinsel was created in part thanks to my wonderful readers who voted on what they wanted to see in a Christmas romance. This gay, Hallmark-influenced romance is a heart-warming, hilarious, steamy mug of Christmas cocoa.
A Handful of Joy by Pat Henshaw
Reviewed by True
TITLE: A Handful of Joy
AUTHOR: Pat Henshaw
PUBLISHER: JMS Books
LENGTH: 72 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2021
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When does never turn into happily ever after in the search for love?
Top accountant of Manzanita Imports in Sacramento, Ted Abbott stopped participating in the love game after he turned thirty quite a few years ago. He’s not tempted by the cute young new hires or the product reps his loyal staff suggest he ask out on a date.
Chicago contractor Matt Patterson is on the verge of giving up too. He’s worked his way up from apprentice carpenter to co-owner of a thriving business. At forty-something, he’s considered a lucky catch for anybody looking for a sugar daddy, which he knows only too well.
The chance of them meeting is nil until Matt’s uncle who lived in Sacramento dies and leaves his estate to his nephew. After they meet in a dilapidated bar called The Roost, could their paths actually merge and become one?
Tackling The Tight End (Long Pass Chronicles #3) by Tara Lain
Reviewed by Stephen K.
TITLE: Tackling the Tight End
SERIES: Long Pass Chronicles #3
AUTHOR: Tara Lain
PUBLISHER: Tara Lain Books
LENGTH: 216 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 11th, 2019
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Everyone wants the best for SCU student and tight end Raven Nez―and they know exactly what that is. Enter the NFL draft, become a big football hero, promote his tribe’s casino, and make a lot of money to help people on the reservation.
Just one problem. Raven’s gay and he really wants to work with gay kids. Plus he figures a gay Native tight end will get flattened in the NFL. Then the casino board hires a talented student filmmaker to create ads for the tribal business and asks Raven to work with him. But the filmmaker is Dennis Hascomb, a guy with so much to hide and a life so ugly it’s beyond Raven’s understanding. Still, he’s drawn to Dennis’s pain and incredible ability to survive. Captivated by Raven’s stories of the two-spirited and by the amazing joy of finally having a friend, Dennis knows he has to break free from everything he’s ever been taught was good―but that’s a struggle that could kill him and Raven too.
Is there a chance for “the great red hope” and the “whitest guy on earth”? A future for the serpent and the raven?
The Christmas I Know by Nicky James
Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: The Christmas I Know
AUTHOR: Nicky James
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 139 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 27, 2018
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Andrew Walker has memories of what Christmas is supposed to be like. Having lived so many years without a family to share the holidays with, he’s determined to rebuild traditions with his fiancé, Val. However, Val’s ideal Christmas doesn’t align with Andrew’s.
Not only do the men come from two different worlds, but they live thousands of miles apart.
During a disastrous trip to Toronto to visit Val for the holidays, Andrew meets Xavier, a caring and thoughtful man who only wants to help Andrew out of a bad situation and get him where he’s supposed to be for Christmas.
Xavier grew up in a loving home filled with a holiday spirit that reminds Andrew of his childhood. Reflecting on life and love, Andrew realizes how mismatched he and Val truly are and wonders if this is the life he’s destined to live.
Perhaps being alone is better than settling for someone who doesn’t make him happy.
Except, no one should be alone at Christmas, so when Xavier finds out Andrew’s plan to travel home alone after ending his relationship with Val, he has a different agenda.
Maybe it’s time Andrew gets a taste of the Christmas he knows in his heart.
Crowe’s Creed (Grimm Tales of Smoky Vale #5) by Gianni Holmes
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Crowe’s Creed
SERIES: Grimm Tales of Smoky Vale (Book 5)
AUTHOR: Gianni Holmes
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 387 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 30, 2021
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For the first time, Max has it all…and he intends to keep everything, even if it means encouraging his stalker.
Max has never had much in life, but his luck changes when he inherits a fortune from an ex-lover, a lucrative strip club, a ghost that knows his deadly secret, and a stalker fixated on Max. Focused on running the strip club, Max doesn’t have time for romance. He sure as hell isn’t counting on out-of-town biker President Crowe to turn his world upside down.
Crowe’s arrival in Smoky Vale is all business…Get Grimm to join the alliance of bikers and help maintain the order of the Smoky Vale chapter. When he runs into Max, he feels desire—for the first time in years,. Unwilling to let that go, Crowe returns to a dangerous habit…stalking his prey. He’ll do anything to protect Max, but Max must never know the creep who watches him from the shadows and kills for him is the same man who warms his bed and heart.
When the secret Max and Crowe hide from each other is revealed, will it destroy them or bring them closer together?
Crowe’s Creed is a 100k+ outlaw biker romance with mild Daddy kink, a wealthy ex-stripper too jaded for love and a demisexual biker willing to go to extremes to keep the boy who makes him feel.
Trigger warning for mild mentions of torture, violence, drug use, human trafficking, child neglect, and endangerment.
Shameless (Wrecked #3) by Kelly Fox
Guestreview by Marcella
TITLE; Shameless
SERIES: Wrecked #3
AUTHOR: Kelly Fox
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 242 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 26, 2020
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Roly Martinez checklist: EpiPens, burn ointment, and condoms. You gotta come prepared for hate sex.
Heath Treadway has every reason to hate me, and that only serves to fuel our explosive chemistry. Now that we live in the same city again, all I wanna do is show this sexy bear of a man that I’m not the jerk he once knew. My career as a US Navy SEAL, and one op in particular, changed the course of my life, and I’m desperate for him to see the new me.
Unfortunately, my reconciliation efforts so far have ended in hospitalization, second-degree burns, and a broken towel rack.
Not my finest work.
Of course, if he finds out the details of the military operation that forever changed me, it might be game over.
I mean… can he forgive me if I can’t even forgive myself?
Shameless is post-military enemies-to-lovers MM romance set in a gym for combat vets. It features muscled twinks, beautifully-bellied bears, and a four-year-old with a lisp.
Note: This book depicts military violence, but the HEA is guaranteed.
This is the third book in the Wrecked Series. Several characters, including Roly, first appear in Scout and the Lavender Girl, written under my K.C. Littleton pen name.
The Holiday List (Script Club #4) by Lane Hayes
Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: The Holiday List
SERIES: Script Club #4
AUTHOR: Lane Hayes
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 158 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 3, 2021
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The Mars maestro, the single dad, and a wish list…
Chet-
Boy, am I lucky! Finding a living situation with a houseful of passionate scientists just before the holidays is ideal in every possible way. As the newest member of the Script Club, I feel it’s important to step up and tackle the to-do list my friends would prefer to avoid. Item one, address the tutoring request from the neighborhood-hottie-slash-single-dad on the next block. I’ve got this!
Or do I? Handsome, older, sporty gentlemen intimidate me. And Mr. McSwoony doesn’t like the holidays. This may be a daunting task.
Sam-
What do you do when a new neighbor shows up on your doorstep with cookies and a wacky plan to spread holiday cheer? I don’t need cheer, but I could use help with some of the experiments my son wants to try. I know football, not science. Hopefully, I can talk Chet into a mutually beneficial trade. The only snag is that I’m seriously attracted to my local Mars expert. He’s unintentionally charming…in the very best way.
Don’t quote me, but maybe this holiday elf with thick glasses and a mile-long list might be exactly what I need.
The Holiday List is an MM bisexual, geek/jock romance with a holiday twist featuring a lovable scientist and a single dad who’s probably on the naughty list!
Restitution (Reagalos #4) by Rebecca Cohen
Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Restitution
SERIES: Reagalos #4
AUTHOR: Rebecca Cohen
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 329 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 2, 2021
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Lornyc is good at keeping secrets, because secrets can get you killed.
Will someone rid him of this troublesome Mage? Seemingly not, and Lornyc’s going to have do it himself. There’s a good reason no one had invoked the Reckoning to become the Supreme Mage of Beher for over a quarter of a century, but Lornyc couldn’t keep his big mouth shut.
Five tasks, five chances to fail, and that’s just the warm up for the magical head-to-head. Pity his Reagalos powers don’t work like Mage magic, so he’ll need to think fast, and run even faster.