Honorary Blogger Jet Mykles: Rock Stars. Who Knew? + Giveaway!

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Rock Stars. Who Knew?

by Jet Mykles

When I started this writing gig back in 2005, I wouldn’t have thought I’d be writing rock stars. No, I was — still am — a fantasy/paranormal girl. That’s what I like to read and my first series at Loose Id is high fantasy (Dark Elves). That’s what’s always intrigued me.

So, why rock stars? Well, have you seen Johnnie and Luc? Yeah, I was a goner. Many of my younger years were dedicated to a serious Duran Duran obsession and I think the love of a fan comes through in that series, although my band bears only a little resemblance to the fantasies of my youth. I mean, really. I’ve heard of bands that get along but my guys are just too good to each other. And to have them all turn gay when they didn’t start off that way? So actually I was still writing fantasy.

Seriously though, I had just started writing m/m and only had one that was published at the time (the original Snagged). I’d had enough discussions with one of my mentors and she convinced me that I could do this gay thing. So I had two ideas for my next story, one was about a technical support guy and another was about a hotel manager and a rock star. Loose Id chose the rock star. Johnnie Heaven was born. And isn’t he larger than life? The hair was the first thing that solidified, then the eyes. There was no doubt he was the lead singer. He kind of had to be. But Tyler cinched it for me. Coming up with my clueless hotel manager was a pleasure. He jumped off the page, seemingly unassuming, but he stole my heart as quickly as he stole Johnnie’s.

The story, as I remember it, was a pleasure to write. Perhaps I’m forgetting some pain, but it was years ago so I can be forgiven. I know there are at least two scenes in the book that were originally written for other stories. I will admit to being hugely into yaoi at the time so that was a heavy influence. It was a hit with my critique partners and with my beta readers.

Then came Luc. He started taking over while I was still writing Heaven, to be honest. Which is probably why he serves as Johnnie’s competition for a while. Luc is everything that made my younger heart race, down to the instrument he plays. Johnnie was the lure but Luc was it for me. I so wanted to be Reese!

That’s not to say that I don’t love Brent, Hell and Darien. I do (although, Brent and Hell gave me fits writing that book so I wasn’t so happy with them at the time). I also love the guys in the Indigo Knights. But I have to admit that Heaven Sent is all about Johnnie and Luc for me, even now.

So, to all you Heaven Sent fans out there, thanks so much for following me and the boys through their journey. And, by the way, the technical support guy story? I did write it. It’s called Tech Support.

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About Indigo Knights 4: Noble

Donny “Foxy” Foxley is hot. Noble knows it. All those screaming teen girls know it. And so does the production company with their millions staked on the teen idol’s dreamy good looks.

So when the supposedly straight movie star comes onto him, Noble is floored. Never one to ignore the allure of a pretty young man, Noble can’t resist and doesn’t even try. Why should he? Even if it has to be a secret, he’d be crazy to pass up a night of sexytimes with the one man everyone wants.

But one night turns into two, then blossoms into a friendship with the potential for so much more. If that’s what Noble was after, which he’s not. But Foxy gets under Noble’s skin until he cares way too much. Because there can never be anything but sex between them. To the world, Foxy is straight and Noble is anything but.

Available at: Loose Id and Amazon

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About Jet Mykles

As far back as junior high, Jet used to write sex stories for friends involving their favorite pop icons of the time. To this day, she hasn’t stopped writing sex, although her knowledge on the subject has vastly improved.

An ardent fan of fantasy and science fiction sagas, Jet prefers to live in a world of imagination where dragons are real, elves are commonplace, vampires are just people with special diets and lycanthropes live next door.

You can find out more about Jet on her Website or Twitter.

Blogger_Giveaway

As part of this author week, Jet has graciously offered up $10 Loose Id gift certificate to one lucky winner!! The giveaway starts now and ends November 1st, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out this week’s reviews from Jet Mykles!

Good luck!

Categories: Author Week, Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT | Tags: , , , , | 21 Comments

Early Review: Flight of Magpies by K.J. Charles

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title: Flight of Magpies
Author: K.J. Charles
Series: A Charm of Magpies #3
Heroes: Stephen Day/Lord Lucien Crane
Genre: M/M Historical Romance
Length: 212 Pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Available at: Samhain Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Danger in the air. Lovers on the brink.

With the justiciary understaffed, a series of horrifying occult murders to be investigated, and a young student who is flying—literally—off the rails, magical law enforcer Stephen Day is under increasing stress. And his relationship with his aristocratic lover, Lord Crane, is beginning to feel the strain.

Crane chafes at the restrictions of England’s laws, and there’s a worrying development in the blood-and-sex bond he shares with Stephen. A development that makes a sensible man question if they should be together at all.

When a thief strikes at the heart of Crane’s home, a devastating loss brings his closest relationships into bitter conflict—especially his relationship with Stephen. And as old enemies, new enemies, and unexpected enemies paint the lovers into a corner, the pressure threatens to tear them apart.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jet Mykles Week Review: Just for You

Guest Reviewed by Morgan

1Title: Just for You
Author: Jet Mykles
Heroes: Justin/Kevin
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 152 Pages
Publisher: Loose ID
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Justin falls for Kevin the instant they pass each other on a sidewalk. Only, Kevin’s not gay. The higher ups at Kevin’s company are gay, however, and Kevin’s accidental meeting with Justin gives him an idea how to get around his controlling female supervisor. If he can gain access to the top men at an exclusive gay club, he might be able to finally share his ideas.

Justin instantly agrees to be his date, despite the obvious heartbreak that’s headed his way for going out with a straight man. At the club, Kevin gets a chance to meet the company owner, Victor Chen, and the man seems interested… both in his ideas and his date.

Kevin can’t deny his attraction to Justin, but he’s not gay. Right? He should step aside and let Justin have a chance to date Victor, who’s gorgeous, rich, and shares Justin’s interest in fashion. Despite his internal struggles, he really wants to explore their growing bond. Justin is certainly game, but a part of him knows they can’t have a future together. Is there more to their instant attraction than either suspect?
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Author Week, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published Before 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Seasons Pass by Joanna Chambers

Reviewed by Heather C

23444274Title: Seasons Pass
Author: Joanna Chambers
Series: Enlightenment #1.5
Hero: Lord Murdo Balfour
Genre: MM Historical Romance
Length: 5,910 words
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: October 24, 2014
Available FREE at: Smashwords
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: It’s April 1822 and two years have passed since Lord Murdo Balfour was last in Edinburgh; two years since he met low-born lawyer, David Lauriston. Back then, Lauriston’s naïve idealism and self-loathing provoked Murdo’s scorn, yet Murdo has not been able to forget him.

When Murdo is asked by his father to return to Edinburgh for the King’s forthcoming Scottish visit, his memories of his last time in the city are stirred up again. Frustrated by his inability to forget Lauriston, he decides to seek refuge in an anonymous encounter at Kit Redford’s discreet establishment. But will Murdo find the oblivion he seeks at Kit’s, or something else entirely?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Honorary Blogger Nico Jaye: Movies & The Magical Mystery of Historical Settings + Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Movies & The Magical Mystery of Historical Settings

by Nico Jaye

Thank you so much to The Blogger Girls for inviting me to visit today to chat a little about A Time for Loving! I had so much fun writing this historical short story.

Historicals. Ahh. There’s just something about them, right? The manners and civility. The style of dress. The house parties. The carriage and cobblestone streets. The rolling, untouched hills.

When I decided to write A Time for Loving, I knew immediately that I wanted to set it at a country estate. As a lifelong Regency romance reader, I’ve always loved the country estate as a place for intrigue and romance; there’s just something very special about finding love away from the hustle and bustle of London.

Just as I’m a sucker for historical romances, I also love historical-set movies, where it’s so interesting to see how these settings have been recreated. There are fun hybrid movies like “Austenland,” which presents the really cool premise of what a theme park would look like today if it immersed you in Jane Austen’s England. And there’s of course the classic BBC miniseries “Pride and Prejudice” with a dreamy Colin Firth as the embodiment of Mr. Darcy.

My absolute favorite BBC miniseries, though, is actually “North and South,” which is based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. Gah. That series is fantabulous. It’s set in northern England in the time of the industrial revolution, and Richard Armitage plays the stoic-yet-swoon-worthy mill owner Mr. Thornton. If you haven’t had a chance to see this series, I highly recommend it for both the romance and the very interesting social dynamics around which the story revolves. Although “North and South” is definitely grittier than “Pride and Prejudice,” the story is so well-presented and thought out that it is the series I turn to repeatedly for a complete, quality romance that can transport me into another world.

In A Time for Loving, I had a lot of fun recreating the historical setting at both the fictional Swathmore Manor and…elsewhere (to say more would be to spoil the story!). =) If you decide to check out the book, I hope you’ll taste the historical flavor and feel transported into Regency England.

Nico ♥

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About A Time for Loving

1Jack and Christopher have made it through years of campaigning and the horrors of Waterloo together–side by side by day and, by night, in each other’s arms. After the war is over, however, will the love shared between this batman and his officer survive when Christopher returns to the life of a gentleman?

Available at: Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble

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An Excerpt from A Time for Loving

When Christopher returned to the bedchamber at the time the clock ticked its way past midnight, Jack was waiting for him. As was their routine, they locked the doors to bar any unwanted nightly visitors, such a practice explained to the household as a way to deter Christopher’s childhood habit of sleepwalking.

Little did they know he’d outgrown such an inclination years ago.

“A pleasant evening,” Christopher said mildly over his shoulder as Jack assisted him out of his well-fitted navy evening jacket.

“Was it?” Jack murmured in response. Setting aside the garment onto the clothes valet, he turned to face Christopher’s back and skimmed his hands over his shoulders. His palms, forever callused from years of campaigning, nevertheless picked up the texture of the silver-embroidered brocade waistcoat. Those shoulders were broad, carrying with them the weight of responsibility—for their regiment, for their secret, for their future—well beyond Christopher’s twenty-three years.

Lost in his thoughts, Jack startled when Christopher turned around to grasp his wrist gently. He looked up into Christopher’s familiar gaze and sighed, his heart settling into place even as his pulse began to race at the sight of the heat in those blue depths.

“It would have been much more pleasant with your company, Jack,” Christopher said, his voice warm and low.

With a hard swallow, Jack smiled up into that precious face. Tilting his head, he listened for a moment and heard the sounds of the house going to sleep around them.

This was their time—the time between days when they could be lost in their world.

“You know ’tis impossible, Christopher,” Jack whispered regretfully, searching his gaze. Jack moved to clasp his hand, drawing Christopher’s palm to his neck and curling it against the skin there. Leaning into the touch, Jack closed his eyes briefly before glancing up again. “But our time is now, and my company is yours. Yours always.”

When Christopher’s gaze dropped to his lips, Jack moved forward, touching their mouths to each other lightly…

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About Nico Jaye

Nico Jaye is a fan of all things HEA and has dragged her romance collection along for her moves from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Chicago to New York and back. She thinks reading is awesome and loves that she can hang out night after night with crinoline-wearing debutantes, brawny firemen in suspenders, and werewolf shifters with Scottish brogues. An overall feline enthusiast, Nico secretly (or not so secretly?) adores Hello Kitty, cat GIFs, spontaneous traveling, pretending to be crafty, emoticons, hot menfolk, and parenthetical statements (not necessarily in that order). After starting as the pitcher for Team Awesome (literally) and visiting places like South Africa, Oman, and Fiji, Nico discovered that letting the boys in her head tell her where they want to go could actually be the most exciting journey of all.

Find out more about Nico on her Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Blog_Tour_Giveaway

As part of this blog tour, Nico is giving away TWO prizes to three lucky winners!! These prizes are: (1) an ebook copy of A Time for Loving and (2) a pretty ring with the word “love” inscribed on it. There are no shipping restrictions, and this giveaway is open worldwide where permitted by law. The giveaway will run from October 23rd to November 6th. To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.

Don’t forget to check out Heather C’s review of A Time for Loving to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post | Tags: , , | 6 Comments

Book Review: A Time for Loving by Nico Jaye

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title: A Time for Loving
Author: Nico Jaye
Heroes: Jack/Christopher
Genre: M/M Historical Romance
Length: 6,565 words
Publisher: Nico Jaye
Release Date: October 23, 2014
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Jack and Christopher have made it through years of campaigning and the horrors of Waterloo together–side by side by day and, by night, in each other’s arms. After the war is over, however, will the love shared between this batman and his officer survive when Christopher returns to the life of a gentleman?
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Loving Sarah by Julie Shelton

Guest Reviewed by Kristy

1Title: Loving Sarah
Author: Julie Shelton
Heroine/Heroes: Sarah Marshall/Jesse Colter/Adam Sinclair
Genre: M/F/M Contemporary
Length: 291 Pages
Publisher: Siren Bookstrand
Release Date: November 28, 2012
Available at: Siren Bookstrand, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Eight years ago Jesse Colter fled his small town, leaving behind eighteen-year-old Sarah Marshall. Now a retired Navy SEAL, he’s back and he wants only one thing—Sarah Marshall—bound, naked, and kneeling before him.

Sarah has never forgotten Jesse, the object of all her sexual fantasies since she was fifteen, as well as the star of nightly dreams that have become increasingly erotic over the years. So when he suddenly reappears in her life, she warily agrees to let him introduce her to his world—the world of BDSM. When he also introduces her to his best friend, Adam Sinclair, Sarah faces the challenge of submitting to two powerful, Dominant men.

But Sarah has an even bigger challenge. A stalker. Someone from her past, determined to destroy any chance she has at happiness. Can Adam and Jesse love and protect her? Or will her world explode in betrayal and violence that will destroy them all?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, M/F, Published in 2012 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Who Knows the Storm by Tere Michaels

Guest Reviewed by Gyn

1Title: Who Knows the Storm
Author: Tere Michaels
Series: The Vigilante #1
Heroes: Nox boyet/Cade Creel
Genre: MM Sci-Fi
Length: 240 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 17, 2014
Available at:  Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  In a dystopian near future, New York City has become the epicenter of decadence—gambling, the flesh trade, a playground for the wealthy. And underneath? Crime, fueled by “Dead Bolt,” a destructive designer drug. This New City is where Nox Boyet leads a double life. At night, he is the Vigilante, struggling to keep the streets safe for citizens abandoned by the corrupt government and police. During the day, he works in construction and does his best to raise his adopted teenaged son, Sam.

A mysterious letter addressed to Sam brings Nox in direct contact with “model” Cade Creel, a high-end prostitute working at the Iron Butterfly Casino. Suspicion gives way to an intense attraction as dark figures from Nox’s past and the mysterious peddlers of Dead Bolt begin to descend—and put all their lives in danger. When things spin out of control, Cade is the only person Nox can trust to help him save Sam.(

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Blogger Garrett Leigh: Mental Health—Let Us Not Be Silent – Excerpt + Giveaway!

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Mental Health—Let Us Not Be Silent

by Garrett Leigh

A few months ago, I got an email regarding Slide that broke my heart, not because it was negative,(it wasn’t, in the grand scheme of things), or because the reader didn’t like the book (they didn’t seem to give a f*** either way), but because of two sentences that blew me away with their ignorance.

Ash’s psycho issues bored me. I wished he’d just take some Valium and get medicated already.

What the actual fuck? Are you bloody kidding me? Do we really live in a world where people, young and old, suffering with crippling mental health disorders are expected to take their tranquilizers and keep quiet?

Sadly, I think we do.

But that’s not what ‘inspired’ me to write Ash the way I did. That’s just something that winds me up and I felt like shouting about…

Ha. No. For me, Ash’s character came from personal experience, both my own and those close to me, mixed with a healthy dash of my dark imagination. At several points during the production of Slide, it was suggested to me (not by my lovely publisher) that perhaps the story—the romance—would be better served by the dulling down of what turned out to be a full scale, no holds barred, psychotic break for Ash, but I ignored them, because, for me, and many others who’ve read Slide since, the depth of Ash’s convoluted mental health issues was what made them realize just what poor Pete was dealing with every time he made a bad decision, or handled Ash badly.

Drug addiction, abuse, trauma, PTSD. You’ll find them all in Slide, and its sequel, Rare, and I’m bloody proud of both books, for that, if nothing else…

So, yeah, I hope that answers your question, or at least gives you some insight into how Slide came to be.

Thanks for having me!

Garrett ❤

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About Slide

Slide (Roads, #1)Don’t look back. Don’t you ever look back…

Shy tattoo artist Ash has a troubled past. Years of neglect, drug abuse, and life on the streets have taken their toll, and sometimes it seems the deep, unspoken bond with his lover is the only balm for wounds he doesn’t quite understand.

Chicago paramedic Pete is warmth, love, and strength—things Ash never knew he could have, and never even knew he wanted until Pete showed him. But fate is a cruel, cruel mistress, and when nightmares collide with the present, their tentatively built world comes crashing down.

Traumatic events in Pete’s work life distance him from home, and he doesn’t realize until it’s too late that Ash has slipped away. Betrayal, secrets, and lies unfold, and when a devastating coincidence takes hold, Pete must fight with all he has to save the love of his life.

Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon

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An Excerpt from Slide

Ash was Texan by birth, but his southern roots only laced his speech when he was too tired to repress them… too tired to block out all the horrible shit that kept an invisible barrier between us.

He was just seventeen when his friend Ellie found him drawing on the streets of Philadelphia. He was homeless and drew comic book characters on the sidewalk for money. The way she told it, he was one of the best street artists in the city, but he said he just did it to survive. Ellie was in college at the time, and she spent the next three years trying to get him to go to a shelter. Eventually, she got her way, and when she moved back to Chicago a few months later, she asked him to come with her. It took him a year of procrastination and pulling his shit together, but after finishing his tattoo apprenticeship in Philly, he did just that.

Living together was a huge adjustment for both of us. Some days I thought we’d cracked it, but others….

I draped the comforter over us and tucked it around his shoulders. He settled against me with his arm stretched out across my torso. I ran my hand absently along his bicep and enjoyed the rare moment. Though he could be tactile when his mood was right, he rarely cuddled up to me so freely. Most times, he preferred our positions reversed—him on his back with his arms around me.

Curious, I pressed a kiss to the top of his sweat-dampened head. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I just missed you.”

I smiled into the darkness. “I missed you too.”

A light hum was his only answer, so I held him a bit tighter and made the most of having him curled against me. After a while, I felt him shift. I opened my eyes and quirked an eyebrow, too mellow to speak. He just stared at me, but his blazing eyes told me what I knew he found so hard to articulate.

I put my hand to his head and nudged it back down with a sad smile.

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About Garrett Leigh

Garrett Leigh is a British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id and Black Jazz Press. Her protagonists will always always be tortured, crippled, broken, and deeply flawed. Throw in a tale of enduring true love, some stubbly facial hair, and a bunch of tattoos, and you’ve got yourself a Garrett special.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible. That, and dreaming up new ways to torture her characters. Garrett believes in happy endings; she just likes to make her boys work for it.

Garrett also works as a freelance cover artist for various publishing houses and independent authors under the pseudonym G.D. Leigh. For cover art info, please visit blackjazzpress.com.

Find out more about Garrett on her Website, Twitter, or Facebook.

Blog_Tour_Giveaway

In this blog tour, Garrett is giving away an eBook copy of Slide to one lucky winner! To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2013 | Tags: , , , , | 9 Comments

Book Review: A Bittersweet Haunting by T.A. Chase and Jackie Nacht

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: A Bittersweet Haunting
Authors: T.A. Chase and Jackie Nacht
Series: The Mark of the Jersey Devil #1
Heroes: Mack & Braden
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 110 Pages
Publisher: MLR Press
Release Date: October 17, 2014
Available at: MLR Press and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: In a moment of youthful curiosity, these six men were marked forevermore.

Jersey Paranormal Investigation was created when Braden and his five friends were marked by the Jersey Devil during their childhood. Now, they all have special gifts when it comes to the supernatural. Years later, Braden finds himself on his next job only to come face to face with the beautiful victim, Mack. Not all is it seems and Braden and his team will have to figure out why Mack is being targeted and to keep from falling for the man in the process.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment