Posts Tagged With: Avril Ashton

Book Review: Scars and Secrets by Avril Ashton

Reviewed by JustJen

29383384Title: Scars and Secrets
Author: Avril Ashton
Series: Loose Ends #1
Heroes: Donovan/Levi
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 218 Pages
Publisher: Sinner’s Haven Publishing
Release Date: April 29, 2016
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  After an undercover assignment that changed his life forever, FBI agent Donovan Cintron is barely hanging on to sanity. His new mission is to forget, by any means necessary, so he tries his hardest. Pills. Booze. The warm bodies that never quite measure up to what he’d had. What he’d lost. It’s almost a relief when he learns his identity might be compromised—except he’s not the only one exposed. So is the husband he hasn’t stopped needing all these years later. He’d been aching to die, but for Levi Nieto, Donovan will live. To protect. To regret. To remember.

The realization that everything he loved was a farce sent Levi Nieto spinning out of control, and running away from the memories. Now Donovan is back in his life, still fully entrenched in darkness. Their physical connection is one thing, but the truth of who they are to each other remains trapped among the anger, violence and lies suffocating them. Fixing what’s broken will take more than each man exposing his scars. Secrets—and blood—must be spilled.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Keep Me Wanting by Avril Ashton

Reviewed by Susan65

27249653Title: Keep Me Wanting
Author: Avril Ashton
Heroes: Damian Archer/Fin Thornton
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 107 Pages
Publisher: Sinner’s Haven Publishing
Release Date: October 20, 2015
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The last thing on Damian Archer’s mind is a relationship. He’s focused on running the family business and keeping up appearances. He’s fine with the way things are, until the tattooed help at a friend’s party takes one look at him and calls him on his bull.

Fired from a brand new job, Fin Thornton is homeless and penniless. He knows men like Damian. He abhors men like Damian. Despite the wealthy man coming to his aid when he desperately needs it, Fin is hesitant to lower his guard. Yet Damian insists on being in Fin’s face, demanding things and offering help.
In spite of their differences, something keeps them wanting each other. The same connection that has Damian desperate to stake a claim on the skittish Fin. But it will take a ghost from Fin’s tragic past to show both men that what they have is worth more than money.

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2015, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: (Watch Me) Break You by Avril Ashton

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title:  (Watch Me) Break You
Author:  Avril Ashton
Series:  Run This Town #1
Heroes: Dima Zhirkov/Xavier “X” Storm
Genre:  MM Contemporary
Length: 212 Pages
Publisher:  Avril Ashton
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Here comes trouble…

Men. Women. Drugs. Dima Zhirkov’s favorite things. Add in the element of danger and he should be right as rain. But not today. It’s not working, hasn’t for a long time. He’s grasping at the flimsiest of straws to prove he’s indeed strong enough to run his streets. Until he sets eyes on him. In the midst of a room full of strangers, Dima is drawn to a man as cold and dangerous as he’s beautiful. Captivated, Dima embarks on a ruthless campaign to get his new toy into bed.

Here comes the danger…

Xavier “X” Storm is content to pull the strings while someone else handles the day to day dealings of his gang, The Rude Boys. He’s after what Dima holds closest—the Coney Island streets. He contracts out the job of killing the Russian, except Dima isn’t that easy to kill. When he suddenly shows up in X’s path, tempting him to indulge in the dirtiest play, he finds Dima isn’t all that easy to shake, either. His cocky attitude and rough submission tempts X to go where he’d vowed to never return, and they plunge head first into an affair fueled by possessive obsession.

Run for cover

Sex and pain Dima can handle, and X delivers the most depraved kind. Their connection is explosive, their games addictive, but Dima can end it whenever he wishes. He doesn’t see that X is breaking him down, giving Dima everything he wants and even more than he ever thought to need. By the time he realizes who X is and what he wants, Dima is raw and bullet riddled. It’s run or fight. And Dima doesn’t back down. Neither does X.

Warning: Includes strong BDSM elements.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Author Week & Giveaway Winners!

Woohoo! It’s that time of the month again!

What’s that?? Time to announce our next Author Week victim guest, of course!

Who is it, you’re asking? We’ll give you a little hint… this author has written just about every genre… still have no clue?

Oh, fine, we’ll tell you!

September’s Author Week is focused on….. JL Merrow!

Yay! We’re super excited to have her on the blog and reviewing some of her books. We’ve even got the guest reviewers participating in this Author Week!

Stick around because we’ll be reviewing old and new books from JL… plus, she’s got a little surprise for y’all coming in a bit!

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Now, with that out of the way, it’s time to pick more giveaway winners!

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So, the three winners of the paperback copies of Boystown 6: From the Ashes by Marshall Thornton are… Continue reading

Categories: Author Week, Giveaways | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Honorary Blogger Avril Ashton: My Coney Island Obsession – Excerpt + Giveaway!

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My Coney Island Obsession

by Avril Ashton

I’ve always been a fan of Coney Island. That Coney Island in New York. Brooklyn, to be exact. You see, I live in Brooklyn…I should say lived, since I just picked up the family and moved to Georgia on a whim a couple months ago. But I still feel like I live in Brooklyn.

So I’m fascinated by Coney Island. The Famous Coney Island with all its weird and terrifying attractions. All the bright sparkly things that keep pulling visitors in from all around the world year after year. My family and I used to just drive there almost every weekend—it’s about fifteen minutes away from where we lived. We’d go in the down season, during the winter months and sit on the boardwalk, look at the ocean, our toes freezing in the sand. Mostly for me, because I can’t stand to be away from it.

I don’t really know what about it that pulls at me. Maybe because it’s this huge playground where you feel like a kid again, no matter your age.

Coney Island makes an appearance in nearly all my books. If it’s set in Brooklyn, there’s a good chance one of my characters will make a stop in Coney Island for funnel cakes and a chance to ride the Wonder Wheel.

In (Watch Me) Break You, Coney Island does indeed make an appearance. But this one’s not quite like we’re used to seeing the amusement park. You see, Coney Island is in a tug-o-war. Two gang factions are fighting for the right to do their dirty deeds on its storied streets. Not many people get to see that side, the dark underbelly of what goes on behind the scenes of the pretty, happy place that smells of sea, cotton candy and hot dogs, and reverberates with laughter and squeals of frightful delight. Much of what you’ll read in (Watch Me) Break You is the real deal.

Names are only changed to protect the guilty.

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About (Watch Me) Break You

(Watch Me) Break You (Run This Town, #1)They’re in a war for control of the streets, but love will be the ultimate prize.

Here comes trouble…

Men. Women. Drugs. Dima Zhirkov’s favorite things. Add in the element of danger and he should be right as rain. But not today. It’s not working, hasn’t for a long time. He’s grasping at the flimsiest of straws to prove he’s indeed strong enough to run his streets. Until he sets eyes on him. In the midst of a room full of strangers, Dima is drawn to a man as cold and dangerous as he’s beautiful. Captivated, Dima embarks on a ruthless campaign to get his new toy into bed.

Here comes the danger…

Xavier “X” Storm is content to pull the strings while someone else handles the day to day dealings of his gang, The Rude Boys. He’s after what Dima holds closest—the Coney Island streets. He contracts out the job of killing the Russian, except Dima isn’t that easy to kill. When he suddenly shows up in X’s path, tempting him to indulge in the dirtiest play, he finds Dima isn’t all that easy to shake, either. His cocky attitude and rough submission tempts X to go where he’d vowed to never return, and they plunge head first into an affair fueled by possessive obsession.

Run for cover

Sex and pain Dima can handle, and X delivers the most depraved kind. Their connection is explosive, their games addictive, but Dima can end it whenever he wishes. He doesn’t see that X is breaking him down, giving Dima everything he wants and even more than he ever thought to need. By the time he realizes who X is and what he wants, Dima is raw and bullet-riddled. It’s run or fight. And Dima doesn’t back down. Neither does X.

Warning: Includes strong BDSM elements, and reference to rape and sexual abuse.

Available at: Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble

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An Excerpt from (Watch Me) Break You

The Dom didn’t stay in the room upstairs long. He came out a short time later and quickly descended the stairs like a man on a mission. Dima followed him into a bathroom and stood by the door as his new toy rolled up his shirt sleeves and washed his hands in a nearby sink. When he turned away to wipe his hands via the paper towel machine mounted to the wall, Dima stepped out from behind his hiding place.

His new toy didn’t seem surprised to see him. He gazed at Dima through the mirror. Cool. Unruffled. In control. It made Dima’s blood race. Made his palms sweat.

“What’s your name?” he asked. The man didn’t blink and Dima realized he’d asked his question in Russian. He repeated himself in English.

The man didn’t answer. He remained facing the mirror, head cocked at an angle, watching Dima watch him. Their appearances couldn’t be any different. The Dom with his coffee with milk skin, impeccably dressed in a blue shirt and black pants, and Dima with his wrinkled shirt missing buttons, the ragged holes in his faded jeans, black motorcycle boots and the taste of weed, alcohol and Sylvie’s pussy on his tongue.

“I watched you,” Dima said. He sounded…rough, words halting with need. “Downstairs. I want it.”

“No.”

Just one word, but it fired Dima like nothing ever had. He stepped up close, pressing his front to the other man’s back. He was hard, the other man. Brick. But so was Dima. Achingly hard.

“I want you.” Fuck. He’d switched to Russian again. “Give me what you gave her.” It was a demand, but Dima heard hollow need all over those words.

The man spun around, lightning fast, and grabbed Dima by the throat. Mother of God. His balls tightened, threatening to explode. By that. Just that. The man’s expression hadn’t changed Dima found when he peered up at him through his eyelids. Dima kept his hands fisted at his sides.

Waiting.

Body pulsing.

“Give it to me,” he whispered in Russian.

“Touch me again and I’ll break your fucking neck.” He slammed Dima into a stall door. The pain made pre-cum pour, wetting Dima’s boxers. He groaned. The man released him and was gone before Dima could gulp in air.

His heart pounded as he clutched the edge of the sink, breathing fast. He met his own wild gaze in the mirror, shivering at the hungry grin on his face.

A chase. He could do that.

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About Avril Ashton

A Caribbean transplant, Avril now lives in Stone Mountain, GA., with a tolerant spousal equivalent. Together they raise an eccentric daughter who loves reading and school (not so much school anymore). Avril’s earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing the plot points of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother.

Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing in August of ’09 and never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril’s stories, but there’ll always be a happy ending; Av remains a believer of love in all its forms.

Addicted to cake, the ID Channel and the UFC, Avril writes Erotic and GLBT Romance for Ellora’s CaveEvernight PublishingeXtasy BooksSecret Cravings Publishing and Total-e-Bound.

Connect with Avril on her Website, Facebook or Twitter.

Blogger_Giveaway

Avril has graciously offered up an eBook copy of (Watch Me) Break You to one lucky winner!! The giveaway starts now and ends September 17, 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.

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , | 11 Comments

Mobster Week Audio Review: Sinner, Savior by Avril Ashton

Guest Reviewed by Morgan

eTitle: Sinner, Savior
Author: Avril Ashton
Narrated By: Renard Pasquale
Series: Brooklyn Sinners #2
Heroes: Pablo Castillo/Shane Andrew Ruskin (aka Devon McGhee)
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 8 hours and 47 minutes, unabridged
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Release Date: February 18, 2014
Available at: Audible and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Gun runner Pablo Castillo has cemented his reputation in the gun trade as callous and cold-hearted. Personal feelings no longer matter, not with everyone out to make him a sacrifice on their way to the top. He remains untouchable, until a meeting with a rival gang leader and a new deal brings him face-to-face with temptation.

Dev is the right hand to a sadistic bastard out for blood and glory. He hides his true feelings of distaste for his boss, not the least of his many secrets. He could’ve sworn those secrets were safe, but after meeting Pablo he’s not so sure. The two men come together in a heated affair neither can deny, battling themselves, each other and a deadly enemy bent on spilling blood. Pablo and Dev will have to stick together or walk away from a love neither man expected to find. The choice should be simple. It never is.

Reader Advisory: Contains brief scenes of gang-related violence.

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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: So Far Gone by Avril Ashton

Guest Reviewed by Morgan

1Title: So Far Gone
Author: Avril Ashton
Heroes: Jacob Donnelly/Cash Warner
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 130 Pages
Publisher: Sinner’s Haven Publishing
Release Date: August 1, 2014
Available at:  Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance Ebooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  One night? Feels like three years…

Jacob Donnelly wants something new. Something different. Which is why he’s got a one-way ticket to New York and his bags packed. One last night out to the bar finds him in a sexy stranger’s bed, giving in to an explosive chemistry Jacob had been searching for, but never found. Until now. It’s too bad he’s leaving town, although once he finds out his one night stand’s true identity, Jacob can’t get away fast enough.

Cash Warner made a mistake. It doesn’t matter that he’d never felt anything like the fire generated between him and Jacob. He doesn’t plan to ever see his one-night hookup ever again. Except he does. When the reality of what they’d done fully sets in, Jacob flees, leaving Cash struggling with how to deal with the bitter taste of betrayal he can’t escape. Because even with Jacob gone for years, Cash can’t stop wanting more of that one night. Fate conspires against them once again, bringing Jacob home after tragedy strikes, and they’ll find it near impossible to keep their distance despite being committed to other people.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gay For You Week Review: Love the Sinner by Avril Ashton

Reviewed by JustJen

Love the SinnerTitle: Love the Sinner
Author: Avril Ashton
Series: Brooklyn Sinners #1
Heroes: Gabriel Ashby/Angelo Pagan
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 229 Pages
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Release Date: May 9, 2012
Available at: Ellora’s Cave, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Detective Gabriel Ashby has never looked twice at another man, yet the criminal across from him, the man he’s interrogating, isn’t like any other. Gabe can’t deal with the sudden, intense need he has for one of NYPD’s Most Wanted. Everyone close to Angelo Pagan ends up dead, with the smug gang leader standing amid the rubble. Gabe would love nothing more than to bust Angelo’s ass and lock him up. So why is he seeing the bastard in his dreams at night?

Angelo Pagan knows attraction to Gabe is suicide. He’s resolute to ignore the chemistry…until a police raid goes wrong. He critically injures Gabe, changing the trajectory of both their lives. Now the two can’t get close enough. They settle into a forbidden affair threatened by lies and betrayal, living on different sides of the law with no way of breaching the gap between them. With the authorities looking to make an example of Angelo, Gabe has to decide if it’s really worth it to hate the sin but love the sinner.

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2012, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment