Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: The Real Baxter

SERIES:  The Baxter Chronicles # 1

AUTHOR: Lane Hayes

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 370 pages

RELEASE DATE:  March 4, 2022

BLURB: 

The silver-fox and the faux bodyguard…

Sebastian

Who’s the true hero behind the Hollywood heartthrob, crime-fighting, adventure-seeking international man of mystery? Me. I’m the real Baxter.

Well, I wear the suit and let the action play out onscreen. You want to know the secret of my success? Sell the story you want to tell. Even if you have to bend the truth a little.

Okay…a lot.

Trust me, no one will notice. Except Trent, who seems to notice everything. And for some reason, I like that. I like him. I’m just not sure what to do about it.

Trent

Look, I’m not exactly killing it. I’m a typical struggling actor-slash-waiter, hoping for a break. And boom…in walks Sebastian Rourke. He’s a cutthroat, wickedly charming silver fox, a Hollywood legend in the making. No joke. You’ve got to sell a piece of your soul to get in this man’s orbit. Or fake a British accent, then take a job playing bodyguard to fool the press. As one does.

I know I should take advantage of the very strange situation I find myself in, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for it. However, I’m willing to take a chance, ’cause I want the real Seb.

Even though it might cost me everything.

The Real Baxter is a MM age-gap, bisexual romance featuring the man who has everything and the actor who’s willing to show him what’s real.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Thick as Thieves

SERIES:  Aster Valley #4

AUTHOR:  Lucy Lennox

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  278 pages

RELEASE DATE:  March 1, 2022

BLURB:

Julian:
I’ve been in love with my best friend since forever. Okay, fine. Like, kindergarten. It started out platonic, obviously, but then became… nope. Still platonic. The problem is that Parker Ellis has been straight since forever. And that makes it difficult to convince him the two of us are meant to be together.

And now there’s no point. All is lost. He’s gone and gotten engaged to his high-school sweetheart which means I have to grin and bear it while pretending to be the happy, supportive best man while he prepares to commit his life to a woman I can’t even fault. She’s great. We’ve all been friends forever. I know he’ll be happy with Erin, just not… just not as happy as he could be with me.

Parker:

I’ll admit. Sometimes I press the easy button. Like when Julian Thick had offered me half his sandwich back in grade school after noticing I didn’t have any food. Or when I’d needed a date to homecoming in tenth grade and Erin told me she was it. Or when I’d used the one thing that came easy to me, skiing, to get my college tuition paid for. Or when Erin had showed back up in my life six months ago and told it was time to marry and start a family…

But for the first time in my life I’m facing something that’s not at all easy. It’s my wedding weekend and I’ve just been left at the altar. Not only that, but when my best friend whisks me away to drown my sorrows in a snowy cabin in Aster Valley, I accidentally discover Julian’s been keeping secrets. Big secrets.

The kind of secrets that lead to hot experimental kisses in front of a blazing fire, tenative physical exploration in a way I’d never imagined before, and the kind of intimate, true confessions I’d never even dreamed of between me and the one person who’s always been my true home.

But after twenty-plus years of thinking of Jules as my friend without benefits, is it truly possible to change who we are to each other? There’s no easy button this time, but I’m willing to do the work. I only wonder if Julian is ready to trust I really mean it.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Finding Him

SERIES: The Retreat #3

AUTHOR: L.M. Somerton

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

LENGTH: 227 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2022

BLURB:

Book three in The Retreat series

Sometimes, using a safe word gets you exactly what you want.

Canadian Zac Denman is young, rich and submissive. He’s also a kidnap risk who’s grown up in the shadow of bodyguards and security precautions. All he wants is to work out what kind of submissive he is in a safe environment and thanks to his very understanding father, he’s getting the chance to do exactly that. The Retreat in England is safe, discreet and willing to provide a selection of Doms for Zac to play with—a great way of discovering what he is, and isn’t, into.

Dale Gastrell is a friend of The Retreat’s owner, a member of The Underground BDSM club and a soldier turned landscape gardener thanks to an inconvenient bullet. Two weeks providing covert protection to a wealthy client who won’t even know he’s there seems like a perfect break from city life.

But life is never simple, and when Dale and Zac are thrown together, Dale has to fight his attraction. Zac is from a whole different world of wealth and privilege. He’s not for the likes of Dale who has to watch as Doms arrive at The Retreat to give Zac a taste of submission.

Reviewed by True

TITLE: Brushed with Love

SERIES: Surfing the Waves #1

AUTHOR: Fearne Hill

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 269 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 28, 2022

BLURB:

Clement Constantine Church is a hot mess. With deadlines to meet.
Whereas the striking Viking redecorating his seaside cottage is simply hot.

As a precocious teen, Clem wrote a best seller. Now he writes for other people. Too busy contemplating his bleak career and panicking about pretty much everything, he doesn’t notice that the gorgeous surfer slapping paint across his bedroom walls has a top-notch flirting game. Nor that the body hidden underneath his white overalls should come with its own government health warning.

Anyhow, apparently the Viking is straight.

After one too many unwise hookups, Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten needs to lay low and avoid romantic entanglements. Which means there is zero chance he’d ever fall for a lonely writer. Not even if they pretended to be fake boyfriends during a weekend trip to London. Not even if there was only one bed. And especially not if he’s planning on leaving England at the end of summer to fulfil his dream of setting up a surf school.

Can surfer Vikings fall unexpectedly in love? And are failed writers allowed to write their own happily ever afters?

Brushed With Love is a warm and funny romance set in the UK. Trigger warnings include cosmic lizards, feisty octogenarians, and a spoiled shiatsu.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Atlas’s Accident

SERIES: Darlington Pack Series (Book 2)

AUTHOR: Dylan Reece

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 297 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2022

BLURB:

David Freeman is an honorable ex-soldier who hasn’t had a heat in years… So why does he wake up pregnant after one date with a bad boy alpha in the middle of a shifter war?

Sensible and stoic, David can’t believe his impossible dream of fatherhood is coming true. Turning into a wolf shifter to keep the unexpected baby is an easy decision… even if it means bonding with the pup’s father, Atlas Doran, the newly crowned pack Alpha and David’s fated mate.

But raising a pup with the smoking hot wolf shifter? Nuh-uh. David can spot a restless playboy ten klicks away, and Atlas’s dimple-popping smirk and cocky attitude scream “unreliable”. Fated or not, David is ready for a single parent lifestyle far, far away from small town Darlington… until Atlas’s pack needs the omega more than he ever expected.

A battle is threatening to destroy Darlington. The pack desperately needs a military strategist. And when it matters most, Atlas is proving himself to be loyal, courageous and… precisely the type of man David wants to raise kids with.

Will David rule beside his fated mate and save the Darlington pack? Or will Atlas’s recklessness cost them everything?

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Flare

SERIES: Carousal Lounge (Book 4)

AUTHOR: Sammi Cee

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 164 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2022

BLURB:

A vampire on the most important mission of his life.

Caesar prides himself on his control. It has enabled him to create a business, and now a town, that keeps the omegas in his care protected. As a vampire who has been around a long, long time, his power is absolute and his authority goes unquestioned.

Garland tries to maintain a distance from his roommates at the boarding house. He dances at the Carousal Lounge when he’s supposed to, but otherwise, he closes himself in his room and studies day and night. It’s a lonely existence, but he’s determined to get his degree and fight for equality for him and his fellow omegas.

When a truth is revealed in the heat of anger and Garland considers fleeing, he discovers that he’s found a family whether he meant to or not and that Caesar will do whatever it takes to claim his mate.

In this final story in Sammi Cee’s Carousal Lounge, you can expect a repentant vampire and his infuriated mate, drool-worthy dancing for jealousy’s sake, unexpected magic, a father so besotted with his babies that the alpha shifters get nervous, and the chosen family who comes together to make everything right.

Reviewed by True

TITLE: Elijah

SERIES: Twisted Web #2

AUTHOR:  H.L. Day writing as H.L. Night

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 264 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2022

BLURB:

Some people are players. Others are simply caught up in the game.

Elijah Page has undergone a metamorphosis. It may not have been of his own doing, but he’s happy with the end result. Therefore, when he’s abducted by a shadowy organization, he’s not about to take anything at face value. Who are they? What do they really want from him? And how much of what they’re telling him is the truth, particularly when it comes to Shai? They say they want to help him, to bring the old Elijah back, but that man’s long dead. Isn’t he?

Shai isn’t a man used to being outwitted. Nobody takes what belongs to him and gets away with it. But as the trail grows ever colder, and his fury grows, is he still making the right decisions? Or has Elijah’s presence in his life left him with a weakness that those who oppose him are only too willing to exploit?

Ex-military man Dale Miller is no stranger to unusual jobs, but this one seems more complicated than most. He doesn’t look at Elijah and see a killer. He sees an attractive man who’s been through hell and deserves protection. And he just might be the man for the job. Shai or no Shai.

Everyone’s got secrets. But who’s lying and who’s telling the truth? And how far are they prepared to go to get what they want?

There can be only one winner.

A dark mm romantic suspense featuring a psychopathic main character, a relationship that may not be the healthiest, and even more twists and turns.

This book follows on from Shai, which was part of the Malicious God’s series. It is strongly recommended that you read that one first. Please check trigger warnings before reading.

Reviewed by Cheryl K

TITLE: Chosen: A Dark Paranormal Romance Book 1

SERIES: Demon Gate Series

AUTHOR: Nicholas Bella

PUBLISHER: Dark Desires Publishing

LENGTH: 232 pages

RELEASE DATE: January 18, 2020

BLURB:

Officer, Brian Cordero, didn’t expect his life to be flipped upside down the day Raphael Ledeo sped past his patrol car in an Aston Martin. It was supposed to be a routine patrol stop, but the moment their fingers touched, his fate was sealed. He’d been chosen as Raphael’s mate unbeknownst to him. Now human no longer after he and Raphael bond, Brian has to figure out how to navigate life as a powerful demon. And that’s just the beginning of his troubles. He discovers that there are eight gates to hell, and one of them–the worst one–is open, and a secret demon-hunting organization needs his help to close it. If that wasn’t enough on his plate, his attraction to Raphael grows more intense the longer he tries to deny it. Brian considers himself straight, after all, and Raphael has been the only man he’s been with. But can he deny his desires any longer or will he have to finally admit his feelings for Raphael?

Reader Advisory: This book is filled with sarcastic demons, devilish charm, enough steam to fog up all of the windows in your home or car. And a plot that will keep you engaged until you finish the last page. 18 and older. Content may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.

Reviewed by Stephen K.

TITLE: Pierre & Bill: A Love Story

AUTHOR: Patrick Doyle

PUBLISHER: Independently Published

LENGTH: 317 Pages

RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2021

BLURB:

Pierre and Bill have been together for nearly thirty years, ever since Bill was five. Thrown together by tragedy, they stayed together despite the many attempts to tear them apart. Some thought it wrong that a stranger should raise a child, especially when that stranger was gay. Especially, too, when the child also turns out to be gay. But Pierre and Bill would win that fight and go on to develop a unique and special bond.

Now many years later, they’re facing a different kind of crisis. The specter of illness and financial insecurity threaten their future. When Danny shows up their lives get even more complicated, but it’s Liam’s arrival that turns their world upside down. Liam comes with Ruthie, and he has a problem of his own.

Love takes center stage. Whether as parents, children, lovers, rivals or friends, everyone wants love, fears losing it, and struggles to make room for more.

But a villain lurks in the background and, if he gets his way, he’ll destroy them.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Dirty Work

SERIES:  Dirty Deeds #1

AUTHOR:  T.A. Moore

PUBLISHER:  Rogue Firebird Press

LENGTH:  182 pages

RELEASE DATE:  March 4, 2022

BLURB:

Crime Scene Cleaner [kraɪm siːnˈkliːnə] – Cleans up crime scenes…before the cops know there is one.

People always say ‘you can’t go home again’. It turns out that doesn’t count as a guarantee…especially not during a global pandemic.

After the jobs in LA started to dry up, crime scene cleaner Grade Pulaski was forced to pack up and move home. He loves his family, but the last thing he ever wanted was to face the ghosts he’d left back in Sweeny, Kentucky.

Also, the place just sucks.

He certainly isn’t going to stay any longer than necessary. The plan is to save up enough money to move back to LA and give his business a kick-start. The problem is that, as previously mentioned, Sweeny’s a hole and the locals are anything but professional.

Now a body has gone missing, Grade’s reputation is being held hostage, and people keep asking whether his Dad really did run off with 100 grand of meth in the back of Dodge. Plus, even though you shouldn’t sleep with your employers, crime lord Clay Traynor is exactly the sort of bad idea that Grade can’t resist. Tattooed, bad news, and dangerous.

…oh, yeah. Grade’s job is to clean up the crime scene before the cops know someone’s dead. That’s why he needs to sort this out before he gets a bad review on dark net Yelp.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Style of Love

SERIES:  Gay 4 Renovations #1

AUTHOR:  AJ Sherwood

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  291 pages

RELEASE DATE:  March 4, 2022

BLURB:

Asher’s dream job: Interior design – check.

His dream boyfriend: Park Bo Gum – not check. Sadly.

Straight as a board, childhood bff Zar: check

Zar becoming his boyfriend: che–wait, what?!

Oh look a contemporary romance, GFY, Best friends to lovers, Dumbasses to lovers, not so much slowburn as two idiots standing around on fire, emotional baggage check, HGTV meets BL, family of choice, Asher needs a better family, Zar’s will adopt him, healthy choice making (and some impulsive ones), no angst here only cuddles, best friends giving The Talk, yes that one, Gage hates -coughlovescough- them, tropey tropes a lot, yaoi fangirls as co-workers leads to interesting situations, and sexy photoshoots, best supporting character goes to the dog, small town, Asher and Zar are so obvious there is a bet riding on them, Zar uses handcuffs for not sexy reasons, at least the first time, only one sledgehammer was sacrificed in the making of this book

Trigger warning:

Toxic family members

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Straight Battle

SERIES:  Heroes at Home #1

AUTHOR:  Willow Dixon

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  272 pages

RELEASE DATE:  February 24, 2022

BLURB:  

“I’ve always been interested in women, so why can’t I stop thinking about Tyler?” – Gage

Buying a house was supposed to be a good investment. Too bad I bit off more than I can chew. Between my job at the bank and my utter lack of home improvement skills, I’m in way over my head. Then a friend suggests I hire a handyman. Enter Tyler.

Tyler is down on his luck after a recent divorce, and we strike a deal that he fixes my house while I give him room and board as part of his pay. He’s the perfect roommate, amazing at his job, and he quickly becomes one of my closest friends. But there’s something there, something I’ve never felt for another man before.

Tyler and I both thought we were straight, but that doesn’t stop the attraction that grows between us. Is it possible I found the person who could finally show me what love is?

***Straight Battle is double bi-awakening, opposites attract, hurt/comfort story featuring a former soldier with trust issues, a divorced handyman looking for a connection, a found family, and accidental feels. It is Book 1 in the Heroes at Home series, but can be read as a standalone.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  How to Bed a Rock Star

SERIES:  Light Hearts Trilogy #2

AUTHOR:  Dieter Moitzi

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  226 pages

RELEASE DATE:  January 31, 2022

BLURB:

A nice guy meets a tortured rock star—what are the odds they end up together? Close to nil, right? But sometimes an open heart and mind can work miracles.

Karim successfully helped Trevor and Chao get their love story on the right tracks. He even moved to Paris on their suggestion. Now he’s jobless and all alone in the big city because Trevor and Chao are off on an important quest and Dirk has joined his aunt Karin in Sweden.

Karim’s only spark of hope is an unexpected mission: play chauffeur for a famous rock star. That is, “famous” … Karim only likes 80s tunes, so he doesn’t have a clue who this guy really is. And honestly? You couldn’t say they hit it off immediately. The man who calls himself Angel Dust is surly, withdrawn, haughty, outright hostile. He also turns out to be… stunningly handsome. Karim’s dream guy.

Ugh. Nothing can come out of this encounter. A chauffeur and his illustrious client, both from different worlds, with clashing characters… And yet, to get into a rock star’s bed might not be the most difficult thing on earth (you can ask any groupie out there). To get into his head and heart? Did someone say impossible?

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Howl Down the Moon

SERIES: Comet Lake Chronicles #2

AUTHOR: Layla Dorine

PUBLISHER: NineStar Press

LENGTH: 354 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2022

BLURB:

Luka knows he screwed up the night he tried to help Raine. He always gets things wrong—one of many reasons he steers clear of the rest of the pack. Besides, he doesn’t deserve the fellowship of other wolves, not with how badly he failed when it mattered most.

Rand has seen a great deal during his time as pack physician, both good and bad. Helping others is his life’s calling, so when a wolf shows up with bitemarks from an altercation with another wolf, he’s quick to treat, but when he learns the name of the wolf bleeding on his clinic floor, he’s quick to judge, too. Too bad he fails to take the time to learn the whole story.

Speaking of stories, there’s one Slade has refused to listen to for years—so much so, he’s relegated himself to the borderlands to avoid having anything to do with those who caused the tragedy that cost him his twin and the vengeance he knows will damn him for life if he carries it out.

A series of decisions, good and bad, brings the lives of these three wolves crashing together. In Comet Lake, that’s called fate. The spark of a chance. Now it’s up to them to put stubbornness aside, stop answering questions with questions, and pause in their self-loathing long enough to listen to one another, put their pasts behind them, and learn how to love.