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…
Night of the Blood Red Moon (Prosper Woods Wolves #1) by Patricia Logan
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Night of the Blood Red Moon
SERIES: Prosper Woods Wolves (Book 1)
AUTHOR: Patricia Logan
PUBLISHER: Westburg Publishing
LENGTH: 232 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 21, 2022
BLURB:
An old-fashioned britches ripper with a tooth and claw twist.
Being the prince of all werewolves sucks.
Almost ten years ago, I did my duty and married a female even though I was desperately in love with an older man. When she died giving birth to a child who could never take the throne, I ran. I left home, shirking my responsibilities, knowing eventually they’d catch up to me. Well, they have. My father now insists I marry a female half my age so I can father a proper heir and secure our rule over the First House for several more generations.
Being chosen to serve the king is a dream come true.
Even though I grew up poor, I worked hard to support my mother. When my mentor chose me to travel to America with the king, I was unbelievably honored to meet his son, the future ruler of all werewolves. I didn’t know how to react when I first laid eyes on Prince Caster, but he cast a spell over me with a single glance, and my life changed forever. I was not only looking at my future king, but the man made just for me. The moment his lips met mine, I knew this story would end horribly…in either heartache or death.
Denying destiny is a terrible idea.
As desperately as I want to ignore my attraction to the common brown wolf, I cannot. The moment I saw the warm glow of his amber eyes, the need to take him into my arms and drag him off to my bed was overwhelming. Alas, I have a duty to perform, and it doesn’t involve the man Mother Nature made only for me.
This story won’t end well…I just know it.
(Night of the Blood Red Moon is a paranormal gay romance with an HEA ending)
Fire & Brimstone Scrolls: The Complete Series Box Set by Nikole Knight
Reviewed by True
TITLE: Fire & Brimstone Scrolls: The Complete Series Box Set
SERIES: Fire & Brimstone Scrolls
AUTHOR: Nikole Knight
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 2026 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 24, 2021
BLURB:
Family. Freedom. Truth. Love. Some things are always worth fighting for.
All Riley Shepard ever wanted was a normal life, but Fate is cruel, reality is subjective, and love has never been so hard. When Riley is thrust into a supernatural world he never knew existed, he discovers truths that even Angels have tried to hide, and he must balance the line between light and dark, good and evil, Heaven and Hell. Because he was born a hybrid of both. He is neither Angel nor Fallen, human or Nephilim. He is as much a monster as he is a miracle. And he must be strong enough to weather both.
For the fate of the realms and the redeeming love of his guardian angels, Riley will fight to his last breath. There is no love without sacrifice. Let the Battle of Heaven begin.
This is the complete Fire & Brimstone series, Scrolls 1-6, with an additional 25k words of bonus content. Fire & Brimstone is a slow-burn MM+ paranormal romance, featuring sexy but imperfect guardian angels, an unlikely hero who doesn’t know his own worth, and one epic love that redeems them all.
TRIGGERING MATERIAL: CHILD ABUSE, HOMOPHOBIC/BIGOTED DIALOGUE AND BEHAVIOR, VIOLENCE, GORE, TORTURE, NON-GRAPHIC (MOSTLY OFF-SCREEN) SEXUAL ASSAULT, LIGHT SUBSTANCE ABUSE, SELF-HARM/SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR, DEATH.
Fluke and the Frontier Farce (The Fantastic Fluke Book 4) by Sam Burns
Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Fluke and the Frontier Farce
SERIES: The Fantastic Fluke Book 4
AUTHOR: Sam Burns
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 245 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2022
BLURB:
It’s been a long year for Sage and his friends, and all of Junction, California, and it’s not over yet.
Freddy’s school of magic is still a mystery, and figuring it out would be enough work, but the investigation leads them to the mysterious coded notes of Junction’s long-dead first magical artist, and then to the last place any of them ever expected to end up: the nineteenth century. Worse yet, when they get there Fluke is missing, and Sage isn’t sure he can get back home without his best friend.
Now—or is it then?—they just need to find Fluke, decode the notes, avoid changing the past, dodge evil Uncle Jonathon and the shady French nobleman at his side, and maybe most importantly, find their way home.
But there’s more in the past than trouble, and Gideon might want to stay there with his wife. If Sage has to leave him behind, is it worth returning to his own time at all?
Finding Finn (Forever Love #2) by Charlie Novak
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Finding Finn
SERIES: Forever Love (Book 2)
AUTHOR: Charlie Novak
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 78,000 words
RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2022
BLURB:
What happens when a quiet boy with a secret falls for his best friend?
Finn has always kept people at arm’s length. Being quiet and shy doesn’t get you many friends outside your family, and it’s even harder when you’re running a spicy, secret side project.
But Gem might be the exception to the rule. The game designer is clever, self-deprecating, and appreciates Finn’s affection for all things nerdy. He’s the one man who can find the real Finn… if Finn lets him in.
When Gem asks for Finn’s help opening a new board game store, it brings the two of them closer than ever before. Soon things become complicated as lines of friendship blur between them, and Finn begins to worry Gem will find out his secret.
But maybe that wouldn’t be as bad as it seems. Maybe Gem already knows the secret Finn’s keeping. All he has to do is convince Finn to share…
Finding Finn is a 78,000-word contemporary MM romance featuring late-night shop shenanigans, far too many nosy siblings with no boundaries, two best friends, and some steamy audio fantasies. It contains no love-triangle, no cheating, and no angst.
Luke (Learning to Love #3) by Con Riley
Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Luke
SERIES: Learning to Love #3
AUTHOR: Con Riley
PUBLISHER: Figment Ink
LENGTH: 330 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2022
BLURB:
Can Luke learn to love the man who left him?
Headmaster Luke Lawson is committed to saving his boarding school before a cash crisis sinks it. He’ll do anything to keep it afloat, even if that means accepting help from the man who broke his heart at uni.
Nathan’s offer to teach for free could be a blessing as long as Luke can harden his bruised heart. That’s tough when they’ll need to share living quarters and have a history of hook-ups. But Luke knows being compatible in bed isn’t enough to build trust. It can’t be when Nathan has always left him before morning.
This time around, it feels different. Nathan’s work overseas has changed him. Touched him. Opened a locked chamber in his heart that Luke is beginning to think must have been bruised in the past too.
As pressure mounts, can Luke trust that Nathan’s committed this time—not only to his school but to a shared future with him long term?
♥ Featuring a second chance at first love in close proximity, Luke is the third standalone novel in the Learning to Love series. Set in England’s glorious county of Cornwall, each book has a fulfilling happily ever after. ♥
CW: Non-explicit mentions of childhood anxieties.
Hot Seat (The Hot Cannolis #1) by Eli Easton & Tara Lain
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Hot Seat
SERIES: The Hot Cannolis (Book 1)
AUTHOR: Eli Easton & Tara Lain
PUBLISHER: Easton Lain Publishing
LENGTH: 72K
RELEASE DATE: February 22, 2022
BLURB:
Wait. Can a Canali be gay?
Hero firefighter, youngest of six macho Italian brothers and—in love with Shane Bower, who never met a unicorn T-shirt he didn’t love? How does that even work?
When Mike Canali meets Shane Bower, his attraction to the guy is off the charts. But then his huge family and intense job full of rules and expectations intrude and he never calls.
Until they both get a medal—
and his mom falls in love with Shane at the ceremony—
and all of a sudden Shane’s all over his life, whether Mike likes it or not.
The butch Canali family face-to-face with sparkly Shane Bower? This is a wildfire of its own.
Shane worked damned hard to be who he is—fantastic, femme and in-your-face. He won’t compromise that, even to have the super-hot man of his dreams. But can he really ask Mike to give up his family and future just to have his fabulous self? Especially when he’s falling in love with the Canali family too?
HOT SEAT is a hot firefighter, big crazy family, coming out, opposites attract, forced proximity, romantic comedy—with all the feels.
Extradition (Mobsters + Billionaires, Book 1) by Kelly Fox
Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Extradition
SERIES: Mobsters + Billionaires Book 1
AUTHOR: Kelly Fox
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 308 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 23, 2022
BLURB:
Fun fact: You can take the man out of the Mafia, give him an MBA, and put him in a Manhattan high-rise, but some part of him will always be a mobster. Which probably explains why I told off my billionaire CEO in front of the entire company.
After a video of our exchange goes viral, I can either let my father’s men toss Rand Wolfe’s disrespectful ass into the Hudson or help him escape. Long story short, I’m hiding out in the billionaire’s penthouse with my father’s extradition order hanging over my head.
Only…Wolfe’s nothing like I thought he’d be. This wealthy, powerful man is surprisingly human, and his alpha-hole façade falls apart completely when we’re alone.
God, he comes alive under my hands.
With other families getting involved and my father’s threats looming in the background, am I mob enough to save the man I’m falling for?
Extradition is a Manhattan romance that features an ex-mobster with a heart of gold, a billionaire who’ll take control in the boardroom but likes to give it up in the bedroom, and a snarky cast of criminals, reprobates, and other corporate types.
This is the first book in the Mobsters + Billionaires series. #dangerswoon
The Magnolia Murders (Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem #1) by Aimee Nicole Walker
Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Magnolia Murders
SERIES: Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem #1
AUTHOR: Aimee Nicole Walker
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 329 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2022
BLURB:
Everything old is new again in love and murder.
Work together, live together, and play together is the name of the game for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. But one of those things changes when Chief Mendoza taps Sawyer to lead the newly formed cold case unit. His first task: solve the Magnolia Murders that spanned three decades and suddenly stopped in 2000.
Chaos ensues when a fourth Magnolia Queen contender is murdered during a preliminary round. With the pageant’s one hundredth anniversary looming, the pressure is on to produce results. Royce and Sawyer, along with their new partners, have to team up to solve the Magnolia Murders—old and new.
As the investigation continues, a surprise visitor and an unexpected phone call force the men to face painful things from their pasts. The future Royce and Sawyer dream of is within their grasp, but first, they’ll need to uproot the seeds of discontent they’ve buried deep.
The Magnolia Murders is the first book in the Matrimony and Mayhem trilogy, the second story arc for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. ** New readers should start with the Zero Hour trilogy before reading Matrimony and Mayhem. ** The Magnolia Murders is a continuation of Royce and Sawyer’s happily ever after as they move into the next phase of their lives—professionally and personally. Though some storylines span the trilogy, this book does not end in a cliffhanger. Heat, humor, heart, and homicide abound. You have been warned. 18+
The Cook and the Gangster (Farthingdale Ranch Book 5) by Jackie North
Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: The Cook and the Gangster
SERIES: Farthingdale Ranch Book 5
AUTHOR: Jackie North
PUBLISHER: Blue Rain Press
LENGTH: 308 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 22, 2022
BLURB:
“Time cannot erase the love I feel for you, my friend.”
Levi has worked very hard to find a private corner of the world where his past can’t catch up to him. His life, with its fourteen-hour days working in the ranch’s kitchen, is a little humdrum, but he likes it that way. And it’s safe, because he lets no one get close.
While cutting onions one day, Cassidy sees a clip of a documentary on TV, and lo, he sees his old friend Levi, who he’s been looking for for years. The next day, he’s traveling west to Wyoming, taking a job as a chef at a guest ranch.
When Cassidy shows up in his kitchen, Levi’s world is turned upside-down.
A gay m/m cowboy romance with opposites attract, emotional scars, grumpy/sunshine, friends from childhood, and desire that simply won’t go away. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.
Lion Rising (The Prophecy of the Valda-Cree #1) by Diana DeRicci
Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Lion Rising
SERIES: The Prophecy of the Valda-Cree #1
AUTHOR: Diana DeRicci
PUBLISHER: Purple Sword
LENGTH: 355 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 12, 2022
BLURB:
Jayce Morrow is like any other college student: part academic, part nerd, part dreamer. Adopted by the only family he’s ever known he has no idea of his true identity. Or what his unknown history means.
Saving the world wasn’t part of his college application, after all.
When a gorgeous mage appears out of thin air in his apartment, he’s positive he’s dreaming, convinced one of his friends has jumped the shark looking for players by hiring LARPers for their D&D dungeon.
Except there is no dungeon to strategize through. Mages and magic are real. And he’s about to learn his role in saving their world.
Note from the Author: This story is a slow burn MM romance with some really stubborn characters, a few comments about an elf’s amazing hair, and challenges that can mold the man regardless of plans.
The Glass House by Suki Fleet
Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: The Glass House
AUTHOR: Suki Fleet
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 219 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 11, 2018
BLURB:
At 17 Sasha is a little lost and a lot lonely. He craves friendship but his self-destructive tendencies cause problems and he pushes people away.
Every day he collects glass for the sculptures he makes and every day he dies a little more inside. Until he meets Thomas.
Thomas is shy but sure of himself in a way Sasha doesn’t understand. He makes it his mission to prove to Sasha that everyone deserves to be loved, and doesn’t give up even when Sasha hurts him.
Their friendship becomes more than Sasha ever thought possible. And when Sasha is forced to confront his past he realizes that accepting he is worthy of the love Thomas gives him is the only way to obliterate the darkness.
Making History at Crofton Hall (Modern Crofton #2) by Rebecca Cohen
Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Making History at Crofton Hall
SERIES: Modern Crofton #2
AUTHOR: Rebecca Cohen
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 322 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2022
BLURB:
Crofton Hall is buzzing with anticipation for the filming of the Secret Histories TV special about a scandalous affair that has been hidden for over four hundred years.
The hall’s new historian, Dara Callaghan, is drawn not just by the hall’s rich history but to TV producer, Nathan Lorimer. Nathan is finally ready to start dating again, several years after the death of his husband. There’s something about Dara, a quietly spoken Irishman, and the romance that surrounds Crofton Hall, that makes him want to take a chance.
Meanwhile, Ben Redbourn, 16th Earl of Crofton, is trying to persuade his boyfriend Ashley Niven that he’d like to don doublet and hose and play Sebastian to his Anthony. But Ashley’s not having any of it… until someone else agrees to the take the part of the 1st Earl of Crofton’s lover.
This is the second Modern Crofton novel, featuring Benjamin Redbourn, the 16th Earl of Crofton and descendant of Anthony Redbourn, 1st Earl of Crofton from my historical series, The Crofton Chronicles. While designed to be read as a standalone, events that lead to this novel follow chronologically from Saving Crofton Hall.
Trigger warnings: discussion of grief and dealing with bereavement
Code Blue (Atrous #2) by N.R. Walker
Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Code Blue
SERIES: Atrous #2
AUTHOR: N.R. Walker
PUBLISHER: BlueHeart Press
LENGTH:
RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2022
BLURB:
Steve Frost had dreams of wearing the national championship belt in mixed martial arts, maybe even going pro, but instead, finds himself working as a security guard for the rich and famous in LA.
Quickly earning a reputation for his blunt and precise people management skills, he lands a position on the security team for an up-and-coming boyband, Atrous. Years later, he’s head of security. He knows these boys, and with countless tours, flights, car trips, public events, concerts, he’s closer to one band member in particular.
Jeremy’s been a pillar for Atrous since day one, but even more so these last few months. Now the face of the band more than ever, he’s also got himself the attention of a delusional stalker-fan.
When the fame and stress become too much, when Jeremy’s health takes a hit, Steve becomes Jeremy’s lifeline. But as Jeremy knows already, and as Steve is about to learn, not even the brightest star can shine forever.
The Last Time We Met by Maggie Brown & Leni Hanson
Guestreview by Marcella
TITLE The Last Time We Met
AUTHOR: Maggie Brown & Leni Hanson
PUBLISHER: Bella Books
LENGTH: 242 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 18, 2021
BLURB:
What if you’re a nerdy med student and a womanizing rock star wants you as her next conquest—then leaves you totally humiliated.
Now fast-forward eleven years.
Sexy and magnetic, Australian rock star Austen Farleigh is at the height of her spectacular career. Her penchant for one-night stands is as famous as her many songs.
American Dr. Merritt Harrington now works for Doctors Without Borders and is at a crossroads in her life. Her last assignment in the Andes Mountains was harrowing, and her love life at a dead end. No one has been able to ignite even a tiny spark since Austen—damn her.
When they meet again in Australia, Merritt is desperate to keep Austen at arm’s length. But temptation whispers in her ear.
From the US to Peru to Australia and the highlands of Papua New Guinea, their desire for one another is on an uncontrollable collision course—with a force they may no longer be able to ignore.
Wicked Heat (Chicago Heat #1) by Ella Frank
Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Wicked Heat
SERIES: Chicago Heat #1
AUTHOR: Ella Frank
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 268 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 22, 2022
BLURB:
Ryan
Kind, caring, and protective. Those are the three qualities I’m looking for when it comes to my dream man. In a city as big as Chicago, you wouldn’t think he would be that hard to find, right?
Wrong.
Sure, my boss found a super-sexy detective and my best friend fell madly in love with the most eligible bachelor around. But the only person I’ve met recently is a broody bad boy who saved me at a sketchy pub.
He’s grumpy, rude, and honestly, not that likeable at all. Hardly my “dream” guy.
So why can’t I stop thinking about him?
Jameson
I don’t do friendships. I don’t do relationships either. The very last thing I’m looking for in life is to fall in love and live happily ever after.
So saving some rich guy from losing his wallet is the last thing I want to do on a Friday night. Especially when he looks like someone who just stepped off the cover of GQ.
Fate seems to have other ideas, though, and every time I turn around, he’s there.
A wicked heat simmers between us, threatening to ignite, and though I’ve been trained to put out the flames, I can’t help but think: What’s the worst that could happen if I let this desire burn out of control?
Red Hot Fate (Darlington Pack Series #1) by Dylan Reece
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Red Hot Fate
SERIES: Darlington Pack Series (Book 1)
AUTHOR: Dylan Reece
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 245 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2022
BLURB:
Claiming my mate will destroy my pack.
Red: A steamy hook-up with Shayne is meant to be a once-off… Until I discover the tempting, human omega is my fated mate. Now I’m imagining whisking him away from his big city life, revealing the secret of wolf shifters, and raising pups with him in our small mountain town.
One huge problem — I’m the pack Alpha. I have boundaries to enforce, treaties to secure, and secrets to keep. And if I claim a mate, I’m bound by oath to pass the title to my deadbeat brother who is not ready for the responsibility.
I can’t put the Darlington pack at risk… But I’d do anything to keep Shayne.
Shayne: The town sign sums it up: “Darlington – Population ???” This place is off the map, literally. I’m here to see my suddenly-pregnant bestie, and then zoom back to my downtown corner office by Monday.
Fooling around with bold, woodsy alpha, Red, is a casual treat. Until I discover how unique, sincere, and kind he is… and start wanting to have his babies.
The commanding alpha clearly has me in his sights. Will his hunger for me blow up both of our lives?
Red Hot Fate is the first book in the Darlington Pack Series, featuring mpreg, a close-knit pack, family drama, and small town coziness to delve into. With a confident human omega and a daring wolf shifter alpha, this fated mate mm romance will have you rallying behind Shayne and Red until they get their guaranteed HEA!
Franklin in Paradise by John Patrick
Reviewed by Stephen K
TITLE: Franklin in Paradise
AUTHOR: John Patrick
PUBLISHER: NineStar Press
LENGTH: 302 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 31st , 2021
BLURB:
Life is good for eighteen-year-old Franklin. He lives on the spectrum, structuring and organizing his days, avoiding messy situations and ambiguity. But what he really wants is a boyfriend.
Twenty-one-year-old Patrick has a past he can’t seem to shake, and a sexual identity that’s hard to describe—or maybe it’s just evolving.
When a man-made virus sweeps the globe, killing nearly everyone, the two young men find themselves thrust together, dependent on each other for survival. As they begin to rebuild their world, their feelings for each other deepen. But Franklin needs definition and clarity, and Patrick’s identity as asexual—or demisexual, or grey ace?—isn’t helping.
These two men will need to look beyond their labels if they are going to find love at the end of the world.
Honey-Dripping Heartthrob (Bake Sale Bachelors Season Three (Book 6) by Ava Beringer
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Honey-Dripping Heartthrob
SERIES: Bake Sale Bachelors Season Three (Book 6)
AUTHOR: Ava Beringer
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 202 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2022
BLURB:
I don’t believe in Valentine’s Day, only having fun. Will a honey-sweet, never-been-kissed alpha change everything for me?
Omega Chris Chalmers is a pediatric surgeon who travels the nation saving young lives. His job is his passion. He has fun with alphas when he wants to, but it’s just that; fun. He’s never made time for love. When a friend drags him to a charity auction, he can’t resist a unique treat that comes with a unique date. It turns out the unique alpha is as sweet as honey. Chris wasn’t planning to open up to anyone. He wasn’t planning on starting a family either. Oops? What happens when he decides to give a different kind of alpha a chance?
Alpha Teddy Behrens is a pediatric nurse who loves his job, but something’s missing in his life; someone for him to love. The problem? He’s never been in a relationship, never been in love, never done anything, you know, behind closed doors. Who wants an alpha who’s gone his whole life without even being kissed? When he stands in for a coworker at a bachelor auction he hopes against hope that something will come of it, especially since he keeps hearing about the amazing Dr. Chalmers. A sweet four-year-old patient demands a baby from them both. What are the chances Dr. Chalmers even show up?Everything, and everyone, seems to conspire to bring them together. When their worlds collide, can a Valentine’s Day miracle happen?
Can Chris open himself to love? Can Teddy believe that he deserves love, even though he’s shy and inexperienced? Will the young patient get her baby?
This is the sixth book in the Bake Sale Bachelors series, Season Three, but it can be read as a standalone. This book has a HEA and contains occasional strong language, MPREG, and hot, spicy grownup stuff. The omegas are heating up and the alphas are very knotty boys. Get a FREE short story when you join the newsletter family!
To Claim A Ghost (Ghost Protectors #2) by Annabella Stone
Reviewed by Anna Lynn
TITLE: To Claim a Ghost
SERIES: Ghost Protectors #2
AUTHOR: Annabella Stone
PUBLISHER: Embers Romance
RELEASE DATE: January 29, 2022
LENGTH: 266 Pages
BLURB:
A dead man tells no tales—or so they say—but can he find a happy ever after?
After being declared dead by his country and recruited to an elite team of Black Ops Operators, former Italian Special Forces Consubin Angelo Selvaggio has never fully embraced the life offered to him by The Ghost Protectors. His heart has always yearned for the one he walked away from. Now the only remaining member of his blood family is missing in one of the worst hell holes on earth, to save him, Angelo needs help from the same man he swore he’d stay away from. The man who’s heart he destroyed when he walked away to save both their lives. Is Angelo willing to risk it all to find his brother? Is he willing to cross every line and break every rule for the one he loves? Hell yes, there is no price too high for one last shot at love with the man who owns his heart.
After the loss of his husband in a roadside bomb on the sand strewn streets of Kandahar, Vittorio *Toro* Gambino took refuge in the Tribal Lands of Afghanistan. Using his intelligence skills to be Italy’s eyes and ears on the ground in the Middle East. A phone call from a dead man sends his world spiraling out of control. Everything he believed in —destroyed. Everything he knew as truth—gone. Everything he’d dreamed of is once again at his fingertips if he can get past the hurt and betrayal which burns in his soul. He’s about to find out if he has what it takes to Claim a Ghost?
oceans that swim (Kings of Airlie Book 1) by Casey Cox
Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: oceans that swim
SERIES: Kings of Airlie Book 1
AUTHOR: Casey Cox
PUBLISHER: self-published
RELEASE DATE: February 21, 2022
LENGTH: 317 pages
BLURB:
This season, I’ve got a lot to prove…
Terry King may have been born into kitesurfing royalty, but he’s been overlooked and overshadowed his entire life. Unlike his fame-starved father, Trenton ‘King of the Air’ King, or his two attention-grabbing older brothers, Terry doesn’t compete for fame, money, or power. He’s got much more ambitious goals than that.
Terry has his sights set on reuniting his dysfunctional family and finally landing his forever crush: Richie Brown. A six-foot-four, anxiety-riddled, ginger teddy bear who writes heart-melting poetry. Also, the one and only person who’s ever truly seen Terry.
Richie grew up next door to the King brothers in the sleepy coastal town of Airlie Beach, Australia. His childhood was marred by a tragedy that continues to invade every corner of his life twenty years later. Richie gave up on love a long time ago…until something unexpected happened the night of Terry’s victory last season.
Richie knows better than anyone why Terry King is strictly off-limits. They grew up together. They’re practically family. Richie’s seven years older. Terry is his best mate’s younger brother…
But then there’s the biggest reason of all. A closely guarded secret Richie’s never revealed to a single soul.
Terry is determined to defend his world title and turn his dreams into reality. But when life throws a spanner into his season, and with the King family remaining as stubbornly dysfunctional as ever––will Terry be able to get Richie to see him as more than just the kid he grew up with?
Kings of Airlie is an exhilarating, action-packed MM sports romance trilogy about love, brotherhood, and resilience––with a powerful message that dreams don’t die, they just sometimes change.
Each book in the series features a new couple and a happily ever after. With continuing family and competition plots, the books do need to be read in order.