Posts Tagged With: Coming-of-Age

Book Review: Strong Side by Alison Hendricks

Reviewed by JustJen

28668239Title: Strong Side
Author: Alison Hendricks
Series: Eastshore Tigers #1
Heroes: Jason Hawkins/Derek Griffin
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 264 Pages
Publisher: Alison Hendricks
Release Date: January 20, 2016
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Their chemistry on the field is undeniable. But can they ever be more than friends?

Jason Hawkins is about to throw the biggest Hail Mary pass of his career.

If he can’t turn NFL recruiters’ heads this year, he’ll lose his shot at the one thing he’s ever been good at. But every quarterback needs a man he can count on down-field. For Jason, that man just might be the Tigers’ new receiver, Derek Griffin.

Four years ago, Derek nearly lost everything after being outed by his teammates.

Now he finally has a chance to get it all back as a walk-on for Eastshore College… if he can resist his immediate attraction to the gorgeous and very straight star quarterback.

An instant connection during practice leads to an easy friendship that only grows stronger off the field. Derek is convinced friendship is all it’ll ever be, but a very confusing moment of impulse leaves both of them fumbling for answers about their relationship.

As curiosity gives way to passion and passion gives way to something deeper, Jason and Derek will have to tackle their own personal demons to bring home the win and earn their happy ending.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Painful Lessons by S.C. Wynne

Reviewed by Morgan 

28096522Title: Painful Lessons
Author: S.C. Wynne
Heroes: Brett Bridgeworth/Sam Hawthorne
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 200 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 1, 2016
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  As a freshman both in love and in college, sometimes there are painful lessons to be learned.

Excited to begin his first year of college, Brett Bridgeworth has just one problem: he sucks at math. Luckily there’s the sensual and mysterious math tutor, Jeremy Price, to help him out. It isn’t long before Jeremy is tutoring Brett in more than just pie charts, but it isn’t until they split up that Brett discovers Jeremy’s twisted, obsessive side.

Sam Hawthorne is two years ahead of Brett, and they share a strong mutual attraction. When Brett breaks it off with Jeremy and gets involved with Sam, disturbing things start happening. It soon becomes obvious that Jeremy isn’t willing to let Brett go without a fight.
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Book Review: Christmas Kitsch by Amy Lane

Reviewed by Morgan 

28155477Title: Christmas Kitsch
Author: Amy Lane
Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Heroes: Rusty Baker/Oliver Campbell
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 6 Hours, 17 Minutes
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: December 9, 2015
Available at:  Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Sometimes the best thing you can get for Christmas is knowing what you really want.

Rusty Baker is a blond, rich, entitled football player in a high school full of them—just the type of oblivious jock all the bullied kids hate. And he might have stayed that way, except he develops a friendship with out-and-proud Oliver Campbell from the wrong side of the tracks. Rusty thinks the friendship is just pity—Oliver is very bright, and Rusty is very not—but then Oliver kisses him goodbye when Rusty leaves for college, and Rusty is forced to rethink everything he knows about himself.

But even Rusty’s newfound awareness can’t help him survive a semester at Berkeley. He returns home for Thanksgiving break clinging to the one thing he knows to be true: Oliver Campbell is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

Rusty’s parents disagree, and Rusty finds himself homeless for the holidays. Oliver may not have much money, but he’s got something Rusty has never known: true family. With their help and Oliver’s love, Rusty comes to realize that he may have failed college, but he’ll pass real life with flying rainbow colors.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Quillon’s Covert by Joseph Lance Tonlet and Louis Stevens

Reviewed by JustJen

27400631Title: Quillon’s Covert
Authors: Joseph Lance Tonlet and Louis Stevens
Heroes: Martin/Marty
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 186 Pages
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: December 18, 2015
Available at: PayHip, All Romance Ebooks, Smashwords
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Martin is a guy’s guy, one who enjoys the simple things in life: baseball games with his son, family days, barbecues, and date nights with his lovely wife.

Once a year for two weeks, Martin takes his son, Marty, to Quillon’s Covert, a rustic family cabin secluded in the beautiful California mountains. Since before those long days of learning to play ball, Marty has loved his dad, but as Marty matures, Martin starts to see something else settle in his son’s uncertain gaze. What’s there lingers a little more than it should, and it seems far more appraising than it once was.

As Marty shows every sign of taking the lead, Martin is faced with the tough choices most parents never see: lose his son by being a father, or try to balance what’s best for their relationship by being something… more.

But with another trip to Quillon’s Covert on the horizon, has the point of no return already begun?
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: First by K.C. Wells

Guest Reviewed by Morgan 

26173830Title: First
Author: K.C. Wells
Heroes: Tommy Newsome/Mike Scott
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 296 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  It’s taken Tommy Newsome a while to get his head around being gay.

Growing up in a small town in Georgia, hasn’t prepared him for the more liberal life of a student at the university in Athens. Add to that the teachings of his parents and his church, and you have one shy young man who feels out of his depth. Working on his daddy’s farm hasn’t given him any chance of a social life, certainly not one like the clubs of Atlanta have on offer. Not that Tommy feels comfortable when he gets to sample it—Momma’s lectures still ring loudly inside his head.

All that changes when he goes to his first gay bar and sets eyes on Mike Scott.

When Mike’s not behind the bar at Woofs, he’s busy with his life as adult entertainer Scott Masters. Twenty years in the industry and the times, they are a-changing. Mike’s not had much luck in the relationship department, but as his mom is fond of telling him, you keep fishing in the same pond, you’re gonna reel in the same kind of fish. Maybe it’s time for a change.

And then a beautiful young man asks Mike to be his first….
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: In Too Deep by Kate Sherwood

Reviewed by Morgan 

InTooDeepAUDMEDTitle: In Too Deep
Author: Kate Sherwood
Narrator: K.C. Kelly
Series: In Too Deep #1
Heroes: Aiden/Cade
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 8 hours, 29 minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: August 12, 2015
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

 

Blurb: At first glance, Cade and Aiden hardly seem like a match made in heaven. Their worlds couldn’t be further apart. Cade is quiet, serious, and determined to succeed; Aiden’s a party-loving frat boy. Cade comes from a rough home and worked hard to get the scholarships that make it possible for him to attend college; Aiden’s had it all thrown in his lap by supportive, kind, and wealthy parents. Cade wants nothing to do with Aiden, but from the moment they meet, Aiden is determined to find a way to bring their different worlds together.

Aiden manages to persuade Cade he’s a decent guy, and a tentative friendship becomes much more. But a trip to Aiden’s family cottage puts Cade in the path of a ghost from his past, and a dark secret he never expected to face again. Cade did what he had to do to escape his dead-end life, but now he sees he didn’t leave it as far behind him as he thought.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

College Week Review: His Roommate’s Pleasure by Lana McGregor

Reviewed by JustJen

26173830Title: His Roommate’s Pleasure
Author: Lana McGregor
Heroes: Adam/Josh
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 84 Pages
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: July 1, 2013
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  It started with an accidental click…but where will it end?

Desperate to turn in a paper, Adam borrows his roommate’s computer and mistakenly opens a folder that contains Josh’s collection of porn. Adam had no idea that his jock roommate was gay—and into leashes, paddles and domination. And Adam, an inexperienced virgin who’s only ever kissed one guy, is surprised to find himself curious about submitting…

Josh can’t believe that his roommate discovered his spank bank—and he can’t believe that Adam is so turned on by the thought of giving up control to someone. Taking a chance, he offers to look through the photos with Adam…and maybe try acting some of them out.

Night after night, the boys delve into their darkest fantasies of domination and submission. And as lust and experimentation grow into the promise of something deeper, Adam must decide if he’s brave enough to tell Josh how he feels.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2013, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Devotion by Grace R. Duncan

Guest Reviewed by Morgan 

26076978Title: Devotion
Author: Grace R. Duncan
Series: Forbes Mates #1
Heroes: Tanner Pearce/Finley Cooper
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 220 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: September 11, 2015
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Will Tanner realize he’s wrong and claim his mate before Finley’s devotion is gone?

Finley Cooper is tired of waiting for his destined mate to be ready to claim him. In deference to human laws, he’s already agreed to wait until he’s eighteen. But now his birthday has come and gone—and his mate has a new set of excuses. Finley doesn’t understand it any more than his wolf does, and he’s beginning to wonder if fate made a mistake.

Tanner Pearce wants nothing more than to claim his mate, but he worries that Finley is too young. Tanner will never forget what happened when his best friend mated at Finley’s age, only to have that mate end up feeling trapped and breaking their bond. While rare, it can happen, and the fallout Tanner witnessed as his best friend tried to deal with the break has haunted him for years.

When Finley finally has enough, he threatens to find someone who will claim him if Tanner doesn’t, and Tanner realizes he needs to come to terms with his fears or risk losing his mate forever.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

College Week Review: Brandon Mills Versus the V-Card by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock

Guest Reviewed by Morgan 

22788164Title: Brandon Mills Versus the V-Card
Authors: Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock
Series: Prescott College #2
Heroes: Brandon Mills/Alex Kekoa
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 180 Pages
Publisher: Loose Id
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Smart, shy Prescott sophomore Brandon Mills is working hard to overcome his troubled past and be normal. With the help of his friends Mark and Deacon, and his brothers at Phi Sigma Kappa, he’s slowly coming out of his shell. But when he accidentally drenches a freshman in orange soda, he faces something he’s not ready for: a boy crushing on him.

Alex Kekoa pledges Phi Sig because it has everything he wants: a house full of nerds who won’t tease him for being smart, a dog, and Brandon Mills. Brandon is just the type of guy Alex needs to help fulfill his college ambition: losing his virginity. Except Alex doesn’t know that Brandon can’t stand to touch or be touched.

When Alex and Brandon are drafted onto the Phi Sig Academic Challenge team, their mutual attraction grows. If there’s anyone who can help Brandon discover it feels good to touch and kiss, maybe it’s klutzy Alex with his cute glasses and his dinosaur obsession. But as the competition–and their relationship–heats up, Alex’s determination not to die a virgin clashes with Brandon’s vow of lifelong celibacy, forcing them to examine what’s truly important to each of them about love.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: My Hero by Max Vos

Reviewed by Susan65

26205649Title: My Hero
Author: Max Vos
Narrator: Jared Bradford
Heroes: Rich Miller/Johnny Milloway
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 6 hours, 3 minutes
Publisher: Max Vos
Release Date: August 13, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When he was sixteen years old, Rich Miller saved a young man from drowning at his local pool. Little did he know that years later, as a senior in college and Olympic diving hopeful, Rich would meet up once again with Johnny Milloway, now a big football player – and when Rich says big, he really means ‘bear’. The shy jock remembers his saviour, and the two men become friends.

Johnny isn’t put off by the fact that Rich is gay. In fact, the more time he spends with Rich, the more curious he becomes. Johnny wants to know all kinds of things – what it’s like to kiss a guy, for instance. Only it doesn’t stop there…

Rich finds it difficult to believe that this relationship can go anywhere. Johnny is straight, and Rich isn’t prepared to deal with the heartache he knows will come his way in the future. He has enough on his plate as it is – the Worlds are just around the corner, his father would rather watch a football game than spend time watching his son dive…. What he doesn’t count on is Johnny, who can be very determined. And having Johnny in his life proves to be a catalyst for some pretty earth-shattering changes.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Published in 2015, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments