Published in 2017

Audio Review: Deep of the Sound by Amy Lane

Reviewed by Morgan

Title: Deep of the Sound
Author: Amy Lane
Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Series: Bluewater Bey #8
Heroes: Cal McCorkle/Avery Kennedy
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 8 Hours, 12 Minutes
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 3, 2017
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Cal McCorkle has lived in Bluewater Bay his whole life. He works two jobs to support a brother with a laundry list of psychiatric diagnoses and a great uncle with Alzheimer’s, and his personal life amounts to impersonal hookups with his boss. He’s got no time, no ambition, and no hope. All he has is family, and they’re killing him one responsibility at a time.

Avery Kennedy left Los Angeles, his family, and his sleazy boyfriend to attend a Wolf’s Landing convention, and he has no plans to return. But when he finds himself broke and car-less in Bluewater Bay, he’s worried he’ll have to slink home with his tail between his legs. Then Cal McCorkle rides to his rescue, and his urge to run away dies a quick death.

Avery may seem helpless at first, but he can charm Cal’s fractious brother, so Cal can pretty much forgive him anything. Even being adorkable. And giving him hope. But Cal can only promise Avery “until we can’t”—and the cost of changing that to “until forever” might be too high, however much they both want it.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Aftercare by Tanya Chris

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Aftercare
Author: Tanya Chris
Heroes: Garrett/Aayan
Genre: MM Contemporary BDSM
Length: 184 Pages
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 17, 2017
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Aayan Denir knows Garrett Hillier was once a high-powered defense attorney, and—thanks to a leaked photograph—he knows Garrett is sexually submissive, which makes him ideally qualified to defend Aayan’s brother from the charge of murdering his sub. Aayan would do anything to protect Syed, even if he doesn’t understand how Syed could hurt someone he loves. He could never hurt Garrett. He only wants to take care of him—love him, serve him, cherish him. And maybe torture him. Just a little.

Garrett probably shouldn’t be dating his client’s brother. Right? And what’s the use in a confirmed sub dating a guy who doesn’t want to be a Dom anyway? The important thing is to get Syed cleared of the discriminatory murder charge he’s facing. Aayan is a distraction. But for the first time in the three lonely years since Garrett’s husband died, he’s feeling hope, ambition, and desire. Can he give up the pain he craves to find the love he needs?

As Syed’s trial date looms, Aayan and Garrett explore what a BDSM relationship means for them, and what they mean to each other.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: The Play of His Life by Amy Aislin

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: The Play of His Life
Author: Amy Aislin
Heroes: Christian/Riley
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 149 Pages
Publisher: MLR Press
Release Date: April 28, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Former best friends turned lovers Christian and Riley haven’t seen or spoken to each other in six years…is there a better time than the holiday season to reconnect with your favorite person?

The last person Christian wants to run into on a visit home to spend time with his mom over the holidays is his former best friend-turned-lover-turned-ex. But there Riley is, in all his tall, chiseled, blondness. The same guy who walked out on him six years ago, breaking his heart in the process. Who knew he’s still in love with the jerk? (Oh yeah, he did. What? Who says denial isn’t healthy?)

Two years ago, Riley was injured out of the NHL, but he’s got his own bakery now and a quiet life selling quiches and cupcakes to his customers. Then Christian unexpectedly walks back into his life, forcing Riley to question his choices. Especially that one choice he made six years ago that walked him out of Christian’s life. Now if only he had the courage to tell a boy how he really feels about him…
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Lion’s Mate by Shannon West and T.S. McKinney

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Lion’s Mate
Authors: Shannon West and T.S. McKinney
Series: Hell’s Creek #1
Heroes: Julian/Leo
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 135 Pages
Publisher: Painted Hearts Publishing
Release Date: May 10, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  When Julian Montague rolls into a small mill town on the back side of nowhere, he isn’t looking for any trouble. He’s broke and fallen on hard times—but his idea to run from a license check on a main highway has backfired. He went off road on his motorcycle and now he’s hopelessly lost and almost out of gas. Stopping at the only station in town, he’s confronted by bullies with a gun who insist he’s on the “wrong side of the line” and then proceed to attack him. Fighting them off, he heads for the dubious safety of the “other side” when he’s attacked by a wild animal and crashes, almost killing himself. Waking up tied to a bed, he’s startled to find his injuries are being tended by a large, handsome man named Leo who bosses him around, showers him with affection and insists on calling him kitty. Something is going on in this strange town called Hell’s Creek, involving the large paper mill and the strange inhabitants who live in separate territories and answer only to the Company. Julian needs to find out what it is before he finds himself the “mate” of another man—and the main problem with that is that he’s beginning to like the idea way too much.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Rainbow Clause by Beth Bolden

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: The Rainbow Clause
Author: Beth Bolden
Heroes: Colin O’Connor/Nick Wheeler
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 324 Pages
Publisher: Beth Bolden
Release Date: April 23, 2017
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Heisman winner. Member of the National Championship team. NFL Rookie of the Year. Quarterback Colin O’Connor knows he’s become the ultimate romance novel cliché: all the success he’s ever dreamed of but nobody to share it with. Too bad it’s not as simple as asking out the next girl who intrigues him – because the next girl to intrigue him probably won’t be a girl at all.

Unexpectedly, the solution comes in one neat package: Nick Wheeler, lead journalist for a leading sports and pop culture blog. Hired by Colin’s team, Nick comes to Miami to shine a spotlight on the NFL’s most private quarterback.

The heat in Miami rises when Nick discovers that Colin is nothing like the hollow personality he pretends to be in interviews and he’s even hotter in person than on his Sports Illustrated cover. Nick knows this is the story of his career, and after spending his teenage years as a bullied, closeted teen, it hits very close to home. What he needs is to help Colin share his story while keeping their growing relationship from boiling over in the press, but what he wants is to tell the world.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: See My Words by Melanie Hansen

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: See My Words
Author: Melanie Hansen
Series: Spectrum Nights #2
Heroes: Scott Ashworth/Rylan Mahoney
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 278 Pages
Publisher: Ninestar Press
Release Date: April 24, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Successful underwear model Scott Ashworth is lucky—his attack at the hands of an unknown assailant will leave no visible scars. His professional goals are still within reach, and best of all, his stepbrother Rylan Mahoney is back in his life, their teenage infatuation at last getting the chance to deepen into something more.

Thrown together by the circumstances of Scott’s injury, Rylan’s long-dormant feelings for him are quickly rekindled, though he’s haunted by the memory of Scott’s disappearance on the night of his eighteenth birthday and the six missing years that followed. Rylan pushes Scott for the truth, a firm believer in the maxim that secrets lose their power once they’re shared—but resurrecting old demons almost always comes with a price.

Before Scott knows it, his life is spiraling out of control, his toxic insecurities welling up to threaten the fragile relationship he’s building with Rylan. Learning to let go of the past and believe in himself will be Scott’s greatest challenge, or else he risks losing Rylan forever this time.

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Faking It by Christine D’Abo

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Faking It
Author: Christine D’Abo
Series: Ringside Romance #2
Heroes: Max Tremblay/Grady Barnes
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 238 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 8, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Max Tremblay should be happy. His night club, Frantic, is one of the most popular gay clubs in Toronto, and his childhood refuge, Ringside Gym, is well on the way to reopening. But when he finds yet another drunk in the alley beside the bar, Max isn’t sure this is the life he truly wants.

Grady Barnes has it all. He’s rich, famous, and wants for nothing. Well, nothing but a good relationship with his father. When he discovers that his father is going to force him into an arranged marriage, Grady has had enough. He tracks down Max, the man who got him to safety after a night of overindulgence, and makes him a proposal: pretend to be his fiancé for two weeks and he’ll invest in Ringside Gym.

When the pair travel to Vancouver to attend a family wedding, the flames of their mutual attraction ignite, and they discover that the only difference between pretend and reality is how well they can fake it.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Risky Behavior by L.A. Witt and Cari Z.

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Risky Behavior
Authors: L.A. Witt and Cari Z.
Series: Bad Behavior #1
Heroes: Andreas Ruffner/Darren Corliss
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 309 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 1, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: It’s day one of Darren Corliss’s career as a detective, and not only has he been assigned a notoriously difficult partner, but the guy might also be a pill-popping dirty cop. Internal Affairs needs proof, and Darren gets to be their eyes and ears whether he wants to or not.

Detective Andreas Ruffner doesn’t play by the rules, and he doesn’t play well with others. With bodies piling up and a list of suspects who are way above his pay grade, the last thing he needs is a wet-behind-the-ears kid for a partner. Or babysitter. Not even if that partner is easy on the eyes.

As Darren gains Andreas’s hard-won trust, they both realize there’s more than just mutual suspicion simmering beneath the surface. But their investigation is heating up as quickly as their relationship, and Darren has no choice but to go along with Andreas’s unorthodox—and borderline unethical—methods. As IA puts the squeeze on Darren to give up the man he’s falling for, he has to wonder—is Andreas the only cop left in this town who isn’t dirty?
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Audio Review: Touch the Sky by Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Touch the Sky
Authors: Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn
Narrators: Thomas Fawley and Brandon Bujnowski
Series: Free Fall #1
Heroes: Lucas Barnett/Gabriel Stewart
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 7 hours, 16 minutes
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Lucas Barnett and Gabriel Stewart didn’t have it easy as kids. They were only trying to deal with bad situations at home when they became lifelines for each other. Their pipe dream was to someday meet in LA, where Lucas would design skyscrapers, and Gabriel would learn to fly. But then Gabriel disappeared without so much as a goodbye, and Lucas got himself in trouble with the law.

Five years later, both men are at a loss when they run into each other at a Hollywood bar. Lucas is still angry, but it’s not as if Gabriel could control how his mind and body had betrayed him. Being found on the ledge of that bridge had changed everything.

The attraction is immediate, but it’s more than their inability to keep their hands off each other. Neither man expects the fierce connection pulling them together. Unfortunately, ignoring their problems doesn’t make them disappear. Gabriel’s internal struggles are serious…dangerous. And no matter how much Lucas wants it to be true, saving Gabriel won’t make up for not being able to save his mom. If they don’t find the strength to face their own demons before the darkness takes hold, they risk more than just losing each other forever.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Any Given Sunday by Mercy Celeste

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Any Given Sunday
Author: Mercy Celeste
Series: Southern Scrimmage #6
Heroes: Bo/Dylan
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 251 Pages
Publisher: Mercy Celeste
Release Date: March 29, 2017
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Mind the gap.
Any Given Sunday is the story that takes place in the gaps of Six Ways from Sunday.

Six Ways from Sunday was NEVER supposed to be part of a series.
Six Ways from Sunday was written in five days and was supposed to be a standalone short story.
As the Scrimmage series evolved and the story grew I realized that I needed to know Bo and Dylan’s whole backstory.
Any Given Sunday started out as Sunday Schooled. It retells Bo and Dylan’s story from the day they met until the ending of Six Ways from Sunday. Including the flashback scenes from Sidelined and certain aspects of Bootleg Diva from Bo’s POV.
Any Given Sunday explores the time gaps in Six Ways from Sunday, in greater detail.
Any Given Sunday is a companion to the Scrimmage Series and can be read in any order.
Any Given Sunday is an original story, the scenes from Six Ways from Sunday are not repeated in this companion edition.
Certain details and characters from this expanded story will return in Blindsided.
Warning:
Readers sensitive to the perceived cheating in the original two books should avoid.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments