Review: Murder Takes the High Road by Josh Lanyon

From award-winning male/male author Josh Lanyon: a librarian finds himself in a plot right out of one of his favorite mystery novels.

Librarian Carter Matheson is determined to enjoy himself on a Scottish bus tour for fans of mystery author Dame Vanessa Rayburn. Sure, his ex, Trevor, will also be on the trip with his new boyfriend, leaving Carter to share a room with a stranger, but he can’t pass up a chance to meet his favorite author.

Carter’s roommate turns out to be John Knight, a figure as mysterious as any character from Vanessa’s books. His strange affect and nighttime wanderings make Carter suspicious. When a fellow traveler’s death sparks rumors of foul play, Carter is left wondering if there’s anyone on the tour he can trust.

Drawn into the intrigue, Carter searches for answers, trying to fend off his growing attraction toward John. As the unexplained tragedies continue, the whole tour must face the fact that there may be a murderer in their midst—but who?


When Carter Matheson begins a mystery fans Scottish bus tour, he thinks the only potential problem will be sharing the bus with his ex and his new boyfriend. But the arrival of John Knight, Carter’s mysterious but alluring roommate, makes things interesting.

However, the tour quickly goes from fun to alarming once a passenger dies under suspicious circumstances. Carter takes it upon himself to find out which of his fellow tourists could be a potential murderer.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the word ‘Scottish’ in the blurb. Scotland’s on my bucket list, so I was hoping this book would deliver some picturesque scenes.

And I wasn’t disappointed! We’ve got ancient streets, mountains, seaside roads, and creepy old castles. The vivid descriptions of gloomy Scottish weather gave the book a sombre and foreboding feel.

description

When we’re first introduced to Carter, he’s a bit of a pitiful character. It’s obvious that his decision to go on the tour is as much to spite his ex as it is out of personal interest in mystery author Vanessa Rayburn.

But it didn’t take me long to warm up to him. He’s a librarian and crazy about reading - I could see the appeal! Plus, his ex, Trevor, and Trevor’s new boyfriend Vance are so immediately unlikeable, that I couldn’t help but root for Carter.

The love interest, John, is a bit of enigma. We don’t get his POV, and at first all readers see of him are his odd night-prowling habits. But that’s enough to pique Carter’s interest.

This isn’t a particularly romantic read. Carter and John might be in close quarters, and it only takes them a couple of days to fall into bed together, but the relationship plays second fiddle to the mystery aspect.

That being said, the two still make for a sweet couple. Both men are cautious about love, but it can’t be denied that there’s an obvious connection between them. By the end of the book, I was sure that they were well on their way to a happy ending.

The murder mystery was entertaining, and kept me guessing. I was never entirely sure what was happening, and how all the moving pieces connected together.

However, at some point I did start getting bored. The mystery’s just too tame for what I’d normally expect from Josh Lanyon. I was expecting something more thrilling that would keep me on the edge of my seat.

Overall, this was a good read, with enough romance and mystery to keep me entertained. Fans of Josh Lanyon should know that this is a lot more low-key than her usual fare. I wouldn’t mind a short sequel or epilogue to see where Carter and John end up!



Release Blitz + Giveaway: Flowers For The Gardener by Sharon Maria Bidwell


Flowers For The Gardener by Sharon Maria Bidwell is officially out from JMS Books! Celebrate with the author and Signal Boost Promotions today! Enter in the giveaway at the author's website! (link below)





Length: 70,000 words approx.

Cover Design:

Publisher: JMS Books

Blurb

A warm-hearted rich man's son, Richard Gardener needs to overcome three obstacles: find a way the family business can run without him, help his mother cope with grief, and stop butting heads -- and other parts of his anatomy -- with the gardener.


Ethan Fields has worked for the Gardener family for many years. He’s struggling with debt and the desire to leave, and has loved Richard far longer than the man would believe. Ethan can cope with most things, but his anger with Richard’s mother won’t fade. Until that and his feelings for Richard are resolved, he feels trapped and, alas, the idea that sex will get Richard out of his system isn’t working.


To make the situation worse, both men assume too much and don’t say the right words, and Ethan’s offer of ‘just sex’ grows more complicated by the day. Can Richard and Ethan stop getting their wires crossed before their paths diverge?




Excerpt

Sounds of splashing made Ethan glance over his shoulder, witness to Richard's ineffectual efforts to clean his hands. While the teakettle worked away making a noise in the corner, Ethan tore off a few sheets from a roll of blue paper, tougher than the type intended for kitchen use, and handed over the wad.


"Wipe yourself with this first and pull back those sleeves. I'll change this."


He took the dish of now dirty liquid and tossed it out. By the time he walked back, the pot -- always so-called by his father -- started the little familiar jig before clicking off. Time they got a new one but no point asking for these things. No one up at the house would pay for them while those who worked on the estate could 'make do'. Ethan must wait until the appliance blew up or died. He made busy pouring out cold and hot water before handing over a small screwdriver.


"You might wanna dig out some soil if the brush don't get rid of it all." Not to say a little dirt on Richard Gardener wouldn't be an improvement.


Much improved by the view of things. Those grey-green eyes were brighter than Ethan recalled. The boy now a man and broader in the shoulders, and ... a quick glance to make certain and, yes, Richard filled out his trousers well. A number of people might find it strange Ethan noted Richard's eyes before giving his body and crotch a once-over-many people believed a person's eyes a female preference -- but a bright gaze always attracted Ethan.


He set to making tea, including one for Richard, though he didn't bother asking if his boss wanted any. The man needed brains more than tea. Damn fool to come out without a jacket in this weather, which ... fine, so had Ethan, but he worked, built up a sweat, and he didn't react to winter's bite like the rich boy, more used to it. The reason Ethan gave Richard warm water was owing to how red his fingers were; so, too, his cheeks. Digging into the soil with bare hands ... the idiot was a walking invitation for frostbite.


"Sugar? Or are you sweet enough?"


Well, damn. Richard flushed. Ethan tried to hide his amusement, unable to tell whether he succeeded. "You can sweeten it as you like, or not." He put the mug near the other man who eyed it, gaze narrowed, lips pursed under a lowered brow. No doubt he suspected to find it laced with weed killer. Didn't take it, but he was preoccupied, still cleaning his nails. Be no surprise, though, if the tea went untouched. All because Richard didn't trust him. Might be worth his while to do something about the dislike.


"Remember last time you stood here?"


Richard became a statue, revealing he recalled, all right. So many emotions flittered over his face. Back then, the little Lord of the Manor washed more than his hands. The memory flashed vibrant, the clear sky on a chill afternoon transformed into the blistering heat of high summer by his father's fury. Regardless of age, Ethan's dad had dragged both of them in, one to clean up and one to wait until the other left, intending to give Ethan a hiding, or so Ethan had believed. Turned out his old man didn't have it in him to hit his son, though the margin was narrow. Understandable, with his father afraid of losing his job and livelihood.


The promise -- never to touch Richard again -- Ethan kept, for the most part because of a lack of opportunity.


Last time when Richard stood in this hut, the boy wiped blood and mud off his face before running back to the house. This time, Ethan planned not to let Richard escape.


Author Bio



A writer from the UK, Sharon doesn’t get out much these days. She’s too busy creating vibrant worlds and characters to share with others. She writes fiction both light and dark in various genres. She has been approached on occasion to write articles such as reports and publicity material, though her focus will always be story-telling. She loves writing, reading, movies, the theatre, her garden, and seeing other parts of the world, but not the hassle of travelling. Wherever she happens to hang her hat, she lives primarily in a world of her own.



Head over to Sharon's website for a fabulous giveaway here



Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions



Release Blitz + Giveaway: Ice On Fire (Treble and the Lost Boys #1) by G.R. Lyons


Celebrate the new release Ice On Fire (Treble and the Lost Boys #1) with author G.R. Lyons and Signal Boost Promotions! Learn more about the rock star romance today! Enter in the giveaway and you could win an eBook of Ice on Fire!





Cover Design: Designs By Dana

Blurb

Zac Cinder is on the verge of making his dream come true. His punk rock band, Inferno, might have a shot at an audition for a record deal. Fame and fortune would mean he could finally help his parents. They'd raised eight kids in a loving household while barely scraping by, so Zac is determined to give back in any way he can.


Keeping Inferno together, though, means keeping his biggest secret. His bigoted bandmates would drop him in an instant if they found out Zac was gay.


Then he meets Adrian Frost, and Zac can't resist the shy man. Adrian gives up everything to be with Zac, but Zac can't bring himself to do the same. He doesn't want to lose Adrian, but he can't give up Inferno, either. Not when he's so close to realizing his dream.


When one cruel decision rips Adrian from his life, Zac will have to decide if ambition is worth the price of the greatest happiness he's ever known.


(Note: This story takes place in a fictional world, the same as in the Shifting Isles Series. There are multiple gods, different names for the days of the week, etc. A glossary is included.)


WARNING: Contains scenes of self-harm that may be disturbing for some readers.


Author Bio


While daylighting as office manager for the family auto repair business, G.R. Lyons can often be found working on one of multiple manuscripts or desperately trying to keep up with the TBR pile.


Anarcho-capitalist, quietly ‘out’ trans guy, former belly dancer, coffee guzzler, highly-sensitive introvert, CrossFit enthusiast, and lover of m/m romantic fiction.


Email: grlyons@grlyonsauthor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/grlyonsauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/grlyonsauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/grlyonsauthor

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/doumteksonata/

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/author/grlyons


Review: The California Dashwoods by Lisa Henry

Make a new future. Choose your true family. Know your own heart.

When Elliott Dashwood’s father dies, leaving his family virtually penniless, it’s up to Elliott to do what he’s always done: be the responsible one. Now isn’t the right time for any added complications. So what the hell is he doing hooking up with Ned Ferrars? It’s just a fling, right?

Elliott tries to put it behind him when the family makes a fresh start in California, and if he secretly hopes to hear from Ned again, nobody else needs to know. While his mom is slowly coming to terms with her grief, teenage Greta is more vulnerable than she’s letting on, and Marianne—romantic, reckless Marianne—seems determined to throw herself headfirst into a risky love affair. And when Elliott discovers the secret Ned’s been keeping, he realizes that Marianne isn’t the only one pinning her hopes on a fantasy.

All the Dashwoods can tell you that feelings are messy and heartbreak hurts. But Elliott has to figure out if he can stop being the sensible one for once, and if he’s willing to risk his heart on his own romance.

A modern retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.


This was everything I could have hoped for when I heard that Lisa Henry would be writing a retell of my favorite Austen novel, Sense and Sensibility. I know most love their Pride and Prejudice but I’ve loved the Dashwoods for years both in the written form and in moving pictures. This was such a beautiful homage to the original work while taking it and making it its own modern blend of Austen-esque romance with a strong family bond and a fresh queer take on the story.
“Know your own happiness.” – Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
It wasn’t hard for me to get lost in this story and I read it in two ways; one as a brand new story about a young man who carries the weight of his late father’s legacy and the responsibility of taking care of the women in his family all while trying to find himself and fall in love. And the other was seeing all the witty ways Henry twisted each character and place to make them become the players of her own author stage as she gives us the tale of Elliott Dashwood and his family.

Let me just take a fangirl moment and say how much I loved the name play in this book as well as the names that weren’t changed – like Marianne – because there was no need. Each time a character appeared on the page I let out a small squee at my desk because it tickled me in the best way. From Lucy becoming Lucien, Elinor becoming Elliot, Edward being Ned and when we meet Colonel Brandon, I was ridiculously happy seeing everyone show up and blend into a new beloved story.

“Dashwood? […] As in the Massachusetts Dashwoods?”
“That’s us, Well, that’s them. I guess we’re the California Dashwoods now […]”
The California Dashwoods.
It didn’t sound so bad.
Told entirely from the POV of Elliott Dashwood, we meet the 20 yr old as he is losing his father to cancer and having everything he’s ever known torn from him. Elliott and his sisters; Marianne and Greta are the children of his father’s second marriage, the second scandalous marriage where Henry Dashwood married his eldest son’s much younger au pair, Abby. The haughty side of the Dashwoods are known as the Family – with the capital F – and Elliott and his family are the more laid back side who found it normal to have an artist for a father who proudly displayed a nude painting of his wife, with her vulva front and center. Elliott and his sisters have spent their formative years living in Norland Park and routinely interrupting the business of the day to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the sunshine on the lush grounds of the estate. But family and Family don’t mix and when Elliott’s older brother John does what his wife wants and not what his father asked on his death bed, the lower case family is tossed out of the only home they’ve ever know without a penny to their Dashwood name.

I adored this book from the beginning. I loved each character with Greta and her stabbiness, Abby defending her babies and the memory of her late husband, Marianne being a hopeless romantic with a sharp wit and Ned Ferrars and his gentle ways of stirring up a stubborn and stoic Elliott. It was pure calamity as Elliott tries every way he can to basically beg John not to throw them out of their home and then it falls on Elliott and Ned to drive the final nail into the lid of nothing that has now become Elliott’s life. That sounds dour doesn’t it? Well, this is based on Austen and if you’ve read her work, you know all must fall to be uplifted once again.

This is truly a romance and goodness but I crushed on Ned and Elliott hard. It was difficult to read the story knowing what happens between the characters initially and I read this with so much angst that it made the story even better. Ned is so sweet and awkward when he lends an ear to a grieving Elliott that it’s impossible not to fall in love with him. The chemistry between the two was off the charts and each intimate encounter between them made me swoon hard. Elliott and his sisters have been raised with the epic love story of their parents and Marianne is a complete product of that, while Elliott wonders if it would ever exist for him. When the family moves to Barton Lake, California to stay with their mother’s cousin John, Elliott leaves all hope for what he feels and what he hoped Ned felt for him behind while Marianne and an unfortunate accident welcomes the insta-love of someone who will break her heart and find the one she never knew she’d want or need.
And that was love, wasn’t it? Maybe it wasn’t chemistry, or fate, or the adventure of a lifetime. Maybe love was, at its simplest, optimism. Maybe love was choosing to believe that it would all work out in the end.
I can go on forever with this review and just tell you what I loved because I loved this story almost as much as the original. For me, having read Sense and Sensibility so many times it is hard to separate the two timelines but I honestly love how Henry brought this into modern times and made everything work. This just proves that Austen is timeless and Lisa Henry is talented.

I will say though it may seem that Elliott and Ned are not together on page much, don’t let that deter you from thinking this isn’t a romance. This is more than a boy meets boy and falls in love story. This is a story about finding who you are through love, both the good and the bad, while coming out ahead of where you started. It’s a story about family, about acceptance, about seemingly sensible actions that can cost you what you desire most and the pure sense to do something about it.

Wow.

This. Was. So. Good.

But I’ll stop rambling now.

I lied.

I have to add one last thing. The bit with Ned and Elliott made me feel exactly the way it did with Elinor and Edward and I may have made that extraordinary noise Emma Thompson did in the film when I read it. If you haven’t seen that bit, I recommend watching it and then watch the clip from The Vicar of Dibley as Dawn French makes fun of the scene and then has her very own Elinor moment with dreamy Richard Armitage.
“I come here with no expectations, only to profess, now that I am at liberty to do so, that my heart is and always will be...yours.” – Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen




Don't miss The California Dashwoods Blog Tour stop HERE!

Audiobook Release Blitz + Giveaway: Leaning into Touch (Leaning Into Stories #4) by Lane Hayes


Nick J. Russo narrated audiobook, Leaning into Touch (Leaning Into Stories #4) by Lane Hayes is out now! Celebrate with IndiGo Marketing, the author and narrator today! You can listen to sample in today's blitz and enter in the giveaway for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card! Good luck!


Title:  Leaning Into Touch
Series: Leaning Into Stories, #4
Author: Lane Hayes
Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Publisher:  Lane Hayes
Original Publication Date: October 5, 2017
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 80k words
Genre: Romance, Bisexual, Humor, Second Chance, Friends to Lovers, San Francisco, Office

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Josh Sheehan is unlucky in love and now… newly unemployed. He’s not sure what to do next, but he’s sure he should give up on romance. Especially after last time. His friends warned him that falling for the hunky Irishman was a bad idea. Josh can’t help feeling torn even though he knows it’s best to move on. But when an unexpected dose of family drama blindsides him, Josh finds himself leaning on the one man he’s supposed to forget.

Finn Gallagher is driven by success. He makes no secret that building a name for his tech company is his number one goal. Finn left home a decade ago with a ton of regret, a heavy heart, and a vow to never repeat the same mistake twice. However, there is something undeniably appealing about the self-deprecating man with the silly sense of humor that makes it difficult for Finn to remember why falling for Josh is a bad idea. It soon becomes clear they’re both in deeper than they intended. There is no way to remain untouched. And there is so much to gain, if they’re brave enough to lean in.

Listen to an audio excerpt & purchase at Audible

Meet the Author

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a newly empty nest.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Meet the Narrator

 
Nick is an award winning narrator with a fan following for his work in fiction, specifically in the romance genre. His performances in two of Amy Lane’s books, Beneath the Stain and Christmas Kitsch, made him the recipient of Sinfully M/M Book Review’s Narrator of the Year – 2015. When he’s not in the booth, Nick enjoys spending time with his wife, Jessica, and kids, (aka their beagle Frank and cat Stella), drumming in his cover band, exploring rural back roads with his wife on his motorcycle, or being enthralled in a tabletop role playing game with his friends.  

Facebook | Twitter

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Blog Tour: The Eager Boy (Iron Eagle Gym #6) by Sean Michael


Sean Michael is here today promoting The Eager Boy (Iron Eagle Gym, #6) & has brought a recipe even! Check it out & be sure to let Sean know what you thought of it!




Thank you to Boy Meets Boy for hosting me today!

There is a dessert in The Eager Boy that’s ooey gooey and good. It’s a made up dessert that I think would be yummy. I go through spurts in the kitchen where I cook and bake and make bread. For me, unless it’s for a holiday meal with lots of people, cooking is relaxing. It’s a break from the screen and writing. Someone else calls the shots – all I have to do is follow the directions.

I’ll often see links from other people to various foods – be they main meal or dessert – and I’ll click on them and give them a try if they sound good and aren’t too complicated. Yep, I don’t like things with eight zillion ingredients or that are over finicky to make. I am not a finicky person and my food tends to not look delicate, but it is usually good.

I thought I’d share one of my favorite desserts that I loved as a kid and still enjoy today. The recipe originated with my paternal grandmother – and for all I know she got it from her mother (but I’m thinking not any earlier than that because I believe rhubarb is a North American plant and my grandmother’s mother was born in Germany and immigrated to Canada with her family). My mother learned how to do it from my dad’s mom and I learned from my mom.

Rhubarb Crisp

You will need:

Rhubarb, diced
White sugar (optional)
Flour
Brown sugar
Oatmeal
Butter
Cinnamon

How to make it:

Fill the bottom of your pan with two inches of diced rhubarb (the actual amount will depend on how big your pan is - I usually use rectangle casserole dish – and how much rhubarb I have on hand – if I picked it out of my garden, bought it at the store, or had a bunch delivered by my father from his way bigger than mine rhubarb patch)

Throw a tablespoon or so of flour on the rhubarb and mix. If you’re going to throw in the white sugar, add about a tablespoon of it now and mix. I like the sour of the rhubarb and skip this step.

In a medium bowl mix together a cup of flour, a packed cup of brown sugar, a cup of oatmeal and a stick of butter. Mix together until it forms small crumbs. You may add extra butter if needed.

Spread the crumb topping over the rhubarb and sprinkle with cinnamon (I usually give it a light dusting but if you’re a huge cinnamon fan, you can put a teaspoon of it in with the flour while you’re making the crumb topping.

Dot the top of the crisp with small pats of butter (optional)

Cook in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until fruit is soft and bubbling. I test it by pushing a knife into it – the rhubarb should not offer any resistance.

Let me know how you liked it if you give it a try!

Sean Michael
smut fixes everything


Blurb:

Eight months ago Robin Secoya left his lover and master, Stack Lobond, because he didn’t believe Stack really cared about him. He was sure that for Stack, any warm body would do, and Robin wasn’t willing to be just a warm body anymore.

A chance meeting at the Iron Eagle Gym brings them back together, and old feelings aren’t far from the surface. They decide they can’t pass up a second chance at romance. But this time, it isn’t just Stack’s demanding career as a big-cat vet putting strain on their relationship. Robin also has a new job that takes up a lot of his time.

Will their kinky love affair crash and burn a second time, or can they find the balance that will allow the passion between them to flourish?

Buy links:

Dreamspinner Press
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo


Bio:

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

WEBSITE
BLOG
FACEBOOK
TWITTER: @seanmichael09
INSTAGRAM

Audiobook Review: High Test by Elizabeth Noble

The coffee is rich. Hayden isn't. But Neal doesn't need to know that—yet.

Hayden Owens is just your typical graduate student working his way through school as a barista for the Owens Coffee Company—no relation. But he keeps the “no relation” part to himself when he meets dashing architect, Neal Kirchner, a successful older man from an old-money family. Hayden doesn’t exactly lie, but he figures it can’t hurt for Neal to believe he’s a rich kid. After all, Hayden doesn’t want Neal thinking he’s a gold digger.

The closer they become, the harder it gets for Hayden to come clean. Something always seems to get in the way. When a company bankruptcy and a jilted, vindictive woman threaten to expose his charade, Hayden thinks it’s all gone down the drain. Luckily Neal is ready with some innocent trickery of his own.

Listening Length: 5 hours and 12 minutes
Narrator: Colin Darcy


4 Dreamspun Desires Hearts!


Overall, in the grand scheme of things this was a very strong 3.5 Stars, but within this particular formulaic DSP series as a whole, it was a 4 star win!

As per the blurb, Neal assumes Hayden is part of a wealthy family instead of the struggling grad student he is while at a fundraiser Hayden’s college is putting on to ask for donations from various affluent patrons and alumni. In turn, though he’s utterly charmed by the dashing Neal, Hayden doesn’t really think anything will come of their meet cute, mainly because they’re so different in both age and social status. However, a few days later Neal shows up unexpectedly at the coffee shop Hayden works at, and these two continue to hit it off while Hayden fails to set the man straight about who he really is. Bolstered by his friends’ urging to keep the charade alive until he and Neal can get to know each other better, Hayden soon finds himself a tad in too deep as it becomes almost farcical at how many times he’s thwarted by chance to come clean with the truth. It’s not really lying if it’s just omissions of the facts, right????

Tomato to-mah-to. Potato po-tah-to.

Where this story excels at are the MC’s. Hayden’s got a shy endearing thing going on behind some nerdy glasses and a kind heart. Neal is unpretentious, caring, and only wants to take the time to really get to know Hayden to make sure they’re compatible. I liked the dynamic between these two, and I appreciated the slow burn. This wasn’t hurt at all by the excellent narration by Colin Darcy. I’m only disappointed that this is the only work he’s done so far, as Darcy’s performance was smooth smooth smooth bringing these two to life by playing up their interactions that were sweet, heart warming, and very nicely sexy.

Obviously for me, this was definitely one the more enjoyable Dreamspun Desires books that I’ve come across so far. Granted, I had to remind myself that this was supposed to be a bit over the top, and I was reassured by the guaranteed minimal angst despite a dash of melodrama thrown in for good measure. I recalibrated my expectations, and this went down oh so easily!


Thank you to the author/publisher for the audio in exchange for an honest review.



Release Blitz + Giveaway: The Perfect Whore (Storm & Lightning #1) by Josephine Myles


Celebrate the release of The Perfect Whore (Storm & Lightning #1) with author Josephine Myles and Signal Boost Promotions! Learn more about the new sci-fi romance today and enter in the giveaway for your choice of Josephine Myles back list eBook!





Cover Design: Lou Harper

Length: 58,000 words approx.

Blurb

Being the object of everyone’s sexual fantasies ain’t all it’s cracked up to be…

On a mining colony planet a long way from Earth, bandit Jedd Lightning dreams of making enough money to get his ship spaceworthy again. During a robbery at a high-class brothel, he meets gorgeous alien rentboy Storm and is instantly smitten—but the heist goes south and Jedd has to high-tail it out of there with only half the loot.

Enslaved by a fierce Madam, Storm’s shapeshifting talents make him the most sought after whore on Talmak. He literally can’t stop himself becoming his client’s fantasy lover. Sick of enforced transformations, he wants to escape, but he’s closely guarded and has no experience of the unfamiliar city outside the brothel.

Storm is willing—and eager—to do anything to persuade Jedd to break him out of his gilded prison. Lucky for him the arrogant outlaw needs Storm’s help to free his crewmate, held as hostage by a vicious mob boss who wants Jedd to complete the theft he was hired for. Storm keeps blowing away Jedd’s expectations—but with both the law and the mob against them, they could end up with nowhere left to run.



Excerpt

“Stick ’em up, people. This is a raid. I want all your valuables, right now...” The last words trailed away as Jedd took a really good look at the naked, sweaty couple on the bed. His target, the Right Honorable Senator Artaxico Thrublet, was on his knees behind one of the most gorgeous bodies Jedd had ever clapped eyes on. A body on hands and knees. A most decidedly human and male body…

Shit, had he gotten the wrong room? Jedd squinted at the client, trying to work out if it really was the senator. ’He was definitely Talmaki, with his lizard-like body, orange, hairless skin and bulging eyes . But no, he’d studied footage of Artaxico and recognized his large nose and the ridiculous looking rows of diamond studs up both his pointed ears.

“Hold on, just let me finish. Uh!” Artaxico shuddered to a stop, his belly wobbling as he panted obscenely. Jedd winced at the sight. He knew interspecies mating went on—everyone had heard the tales—but intellectual knowledge wasn’t the same thing as having it thrust in your face. Talmaki just weren’t his idea of sexy. Okay, there had been that one time he’d got drunk enough for a fumble in an alleyway, but the alien’s cock had been kind of scary, and things hadn’t got very far. But maybe the gorgeous young whore was used to those luminous, scaly shafts of meat. Maybe he even enjoyed them. Was he enjoying Talmaki cock right now? He was certainly hard enough.

Right now Jedd couldn’t see the expression on the whore’s face as it was buried in the mattress, but maybe that was for the best. There was no way he could be handsome enough to do that incredible body justice. No wonder the senator had decided to try him as a change from the celebrated Divine. The rentboy moaned through his own orgasm, just moments after the senator, and drenched the sheets below him in spunk.

Artaxico withdrew, revealing an intimidating length of glowing scarlet cock, then collapsed back onto the bed. He reached out to pat a perfectly formed buttock. “Run along now, sthweetie. I wouldn’t want you to get caught up in any of this nasty business.” The lad scooted down to the end of the bed facing Jedd, exposing an equally impressive prick which was filling up again in what must be a record-breaking time.

And as for his face... Suns above! Those were lips Jedd would give anything to see stretched around his dick. But no, he had a job to do, and he wasn’t about to get sidetracked by some hyper-sexed rentboy, no matter how astoundingly gorgeous he was.

“The boy stays,” Jedd ordered. Artaxico gave him a puzzled look, but Jedd pressed on. “I want your datapod and passcode, now!”

“Not a chance in hell. That passcode is top level sthecurity,” Artaxico lisped. “I really don’t imagine there’s anything an ignorant monkey like you could do that could force me to sthpeak.”

Okay, just as he’d feared, but Jedd had his back-up plan. “Oh yeah?” Jedd strode over to the bed and grabbed the lithe young man under the arm. There was a brief moment where he was distracted by the sensation of naked skin against his own, but he couldn’t afford to lose any time so he pulled the whore upright, holding the charge gun to his temple. “Your strumpet gets it if you don’t talk. And don’t think this is a bluff. I never bluff.” He pulled the lad tighter to him for emphasis, but this had the unfortunate effect of bringing more of his own body in contact with those taut muscles, and his face even closer to the thatch of chestnut curls. His nose was on a level with the top of the whore’s head, and he pulled in a lungful of the most divine, arousing musk. Feeling a familiar tightening in his pants where he brushed up against those pert buttocks, Jedd cursed his over-active libido. “I’m warning you! The code, now!”

Artaxico just laughed, a mocking bray that wound Jedd up worse than finding a firebug had crawled into his beer. “Utter nonsense! I’ve stheen killers before – by the sthuns, I employ enough of them, and you really don’t have that look in your eyes. You’re just an overgrown wassat, aren’t you?” The senator twitched his nose in a near perfect imitation of one of the pesky rodents.

Jedd fumed. First a monkey, now a wassat. He turned the gun on the senator. “Okay then, if you don’t give me that passcode this instant, you get it. I mean it!”

“Like you’ll ever be able to get it off me if I’m dead. Does that antique piece of crap even have the power to kill? Looks more like something my wife would carry to stun any overconfident admirers.”

Goddammit, how could the man tell? Jedd waved the gun as threateningly as he could. “You willing to take that risk?”

Artaxico laughed again, getting up to his feet. “What risk? There’s security everywhere in this place, you know? I’m just going to stroll out of here and call the guards, and you’re not going to do a thing to stop me.”

Oh, wasn’t he? Jedd aimed at Artaxico’s head and pulled the trigger. “Ha! Not so clever now, are you?”

“Is he going to be all right? That was just a stun, wasn’t it? “ The godlike young man had a voice to match his physique—a rich and sultry baritone that rumbled against Jedd’s breastbone.

The senator snored before Jedd had a chance to answer, and the lad melted back against him, sighing with what sounded like relief. Their close contact made a certain part of Jedd’s body grow stiffer while the rest seemed to want to melt into a puddle.

Would the rentboy mind sneaking in a quickie? Jedd would even pay if he had to, the lad was that gorgeous. Or would the stun charge have set off the internal alarm system? Probably best not to risk dawdling too long.

Still, seemed a shame to waste a moment like this now that Artaxico was unable to interfere. Jedd loosened his hold and let the young man turn in his arms. Holy fuck, Jedd could feel the whore’s massive erection prodding his thigh.

He took a deep breath, forced it out. Focus. Not here. Not now. Just gather information. “Captain Jedd Lightning, at your service. And who might you be, gorgeous creature?”

The man chuckled, stepping away from him and turning to fix him with a pair of intensely soulful deep green eyes. “My working name’s Divine, but you can call me Storm.”

“Divine? But… You’re meant to be a girl!” Jedd spluttered.

The young man gave a maddening, secretive smile. “Divine can be whoever you want, Captain. Divine is simply the title of your ideal lover.”

“So they swap you around depending on what the johns want? There are other Divines?”

“Something like that. But please, call me Storm.” A plaintive note sounded in his voice and his lower lip jutted in an almost-pout. “No one ever does these days.”

Storm. It suited him, as there was a wildness in those eyes that Jedd thought he recognized, something he glimpsed in his own reflection every morning. Focusing on Storm’s eyes proved a challenge, though, when there was all that naked flesh to feast his gaze on. Smooth, bronzed skin, with just enough hair between those dark nipples to make him want to run his fingers through it. Jedd’s gaze followed the trail down all the way to the most majestic cock he’d ever seen. It reached up invitingly, as if seeking Jedd’s hand.

“You have quite an imagination, don’t you?” Storm said, staring down at himself as if in fascination.





English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.

Jo’s novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs, an incessantly curious pre-schooler, and a bun in the oven!




Website and blog: josephinemyles.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/josephine.myles.author
Twitter: @JosephineMyles
Newsletter: eepurl.com/hrQ4s


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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride by Eli Easton



Celebrate the release of Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride with author Eli Easton and Signal Boost Promotions! Learn more about the historical romance today! Enter in the giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!





Cover Design: Dar Albert @ Wicked Smart Design

Length: 65,000 words approx.

Blurb

Being a fugitive in the old west shouldn’t be this much fun.


The year is 1860. Robby Riverton is a rising star on the New York stage. But he witnesses a murder by a famous crime boss and is forced to go on the run--all the way to Santa Fe. When he still hasn't ditched his pursuers, he disguises himself as a mail order bride he meets on the wagon train. Caught between gangsters that want to kill him, and the crazy, uncouth family of his "intended", Robby's only ally is a lazy sheriff who sees exactly who Robby is -- and can't resist him.


Trace Crabtree took the job as sheriff of Flat Bottom because there was never a thing going on. And then Robby Riverton showed up. Disguised as a woman. And betrothed to Trace’s brother. If that wasn’t complication enough, Trace had to find the man as appealing as blueberry pie. He urges Robby to stay undercover until the danger has passed. But a few weeks of having Robby-Rowena at the ranch, and the Crabtree family will never be the same again.



About Eli


Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, and organic farmer, Eli has been a m/m romance author since 2013. She has over 30 books published.


Eli has loved romance since her teens and she particular admires writers who can combine literary merit, genuine humor, melting hotness, and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, bulldogs, cows, a cat, and lots of groundhogs.


In romance, Eli is best known for her Christmas stories because she’s a total Christmas sap. These include “Blame it on the Mistletoe”, “Unwrapping Hank” and “Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles”. Her “Howl at the Moon” series of paranormal romances featuring the town of Mad Creek and its dog shifters has been popular with readers. And her series of Amish-themed romances, Men of Lancaster County, has won genre awards.


In 2018 Eli hopes to do more of the same, assuming they reschedule the apocalypse.


Her website is www.elieaston.com

You can email her at eli@elieaston.com




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Review: New Reality by Jessica Payseur

It’s lonely running a small transport ship across the galaxy when you’re as old and as single as Connell Smyth. So when the dreams start up, Connell assumes they’re his mind’s way of working through what his life has become—until he discovers the man in his dreams might be much more than a figment of his neglected imagination. Connell can’t quite believe it could be real, but he can’t help becoming obsessed with this new lover on an unknown luscious planet.

Seventeen years ago, Wystan Kreeger’s survey mission crash-landed on a hard-to-reach planet. Sole survivor Wystan turns desperate after his computer, the only companion he’s had since, gives out. Even in the improbable event that the man in his dreams is real, he’ll face the same risk from the planet’s storm-charged atmosphere if he tries to track Wystan down, and he could end up just like Wystan’s former crew. But finding each other across so many light-years can’t be a mere coincidence. Now they must find a way to realize the happiness they’ve found in sleep during the light of the day.


This was a really easy read. I enjoyed the world building and character building of Connell. Connell is in his fifties, and is floundering after the sudden death of his partner, Jason. He is still doing courier work but he is terrible at it, as he was always behind the scenes as support, where Jason was the one who made the deals.

While trying to find work, his dreams of Jason start to turn into dreams of another man. They feel so real he is convinced this person exists, and his new mission is research and finding where Wystan is.

While short, this story had plenty of depth. I got to know Connell well, and felt his struggle with apathy. He just wanted to retire somewhere quiet with someone who loved him, and now he is lonely and grieving.

Wystan’s time on page is short, and I didn’t get to know him as well as Connell but I enjoyed his cut to the chase attitude. He has spent so much time isolated and alone that he doesn’t want to waste anymore time on miscommunication. He is very clear about his direction and what his ultimate goal is. I appreciated his direct approach. No mess or fuss.

For a short Sci-fi romance this was great. I feel refreshed after reading it. This author has a really nice writing style, and I could definitely go for something longer and more complex.

I recommend this to readers who want something lighter in between more intense reads. Something quick with an easy flow.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion.



Giveaway + Release Blitz: Exploration (Kinky in the City, #1) by Quinn Ward


Welcome Quinn Ward who's here to promote the release of Exploration & they've brought a giveaway too! Be sure to enter for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card. Good luck!





Length: 65,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Marisa @ Cover Me Darling

Blurb

The reluctant manager of his family’s restaurant, Frankie attempts to live up to the legacy of his father and grandfather. Running a business that isn't his passion and trying to do it without asking for help leaves him turning to less-than-legal means when he wants to surrender control.


Newly divorced, Calvin no longer lives in the closet, leaving him searching for what he most desires- control. So when he finds Frankie on his knees in the back room of a local bar, Calvin sees the sub he’s only ever fantasized about having.

Can Calvin find the confidence to explore his dominant side while showing his younger roommate that submission isn't only about whips and pain?








Quinn writes LGBTQ romance with a kick. Their stories center around the relationship building between the characters, but also shows how compatible they are in the bedroom (or wherever else the urge strikes).

Goodreads Page
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Email Quinn at: quinn(at)quinnwardwrites(dot)com
Website




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