Posts Tagged With: Friends to Lovers

Josh Lanyon Week Review: Dangerous Ground

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Dangerous Ground
Author: Josh Lanyon
Series: Dangerous Ground #1
Heroes: Taylor MacAllister/Will Brandt
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 90 Pages
Publisher: Josh Lanyon
Release Date: April 12, 2012
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Special Agents for the Department of Diplomatic Security, Taylor MacAllister and Will Brandt have been partners and best friends for three years, but everything changed the night Taylor admitted the truth about his feelings for Will. And when Taylor was shot a few hours later, Will felt his reluctance to get involved was vindicated. For Will, the team and the friendship have to come first–despite the fact that he hasn’t failed to notice just how…hot Taylor is.

Taylor has been in love with his partner and best friend since they were first partnered. There isn’t much he wouldn’t do for Will–but he doesn’t know how much longer they can stay teamed feeling the way he does. Still, he agreed to a camping trip in the High Sierras–despite the fact that he hates camping–because Will wanted a chance to save their partnership.

But the trip is a disaster from the first, and things rapidly go from bad to worse when they find a crashed plane and a couple of million dollars in stolen money. With a trio of murderous robbers trailing them, Will and Taylor are on dangerous ground, fighting for their partnership, their passion…and their lives.

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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Author Week, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Cupids and Wardrobe Malfunctions by Jackie Nacht

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Cupids and Wardrobe Malfunctions
Author: Jackie Nacht
Series: Holiday Jobs That Don’t Suck #4
Heroes: Cooper/Derek
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 52 Pages
Publisher: Extasy Books
Release Date: February 2013
Available at: Extasy Books, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Cooper from Bewitched at the Pumpkin Patch is back and is now having his own holiday hell.

Cooper is one of the happiest guys around, except for the last month. He’s been crushing on the assistant in the training room, Derek Kent, but when he goes to ask him out, Derek instead pledges the fraternity. Cooper doesn’t want him to become a target, so he tries to wait his attraction out.

Now it’s time for Cooper to be in charge of the fraternity’s annual Valentine’s date party. He knows he’s going to have to make sure the kegs are filled, the music works, no fights break out, and keep the fourteen pledges in line. However, it’s hard for him to keep his mind on his job when he sees Derek coming into the party wearing nothing but Cupid’s wings and boxer briefs. Cooper knows as an active member he shouldn’t touch the pledge, however, every man has his breaking point. Will this be his?

Authors Note: This book may be read as a stand-alone story but for better reading enjoyment, you may want to read secondary characters, Hayden and Lawson’s story in Bewitched at the Pumpkin Patch.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: For Rent or For Real by Terry O’Reilly

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: For Rent or For Real
Author: Terry O’Reilly
Heroes: Ted Davis
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 100 Pages
Publisher: JMS Books
Release Date: November 23, 2014
Available at: JMS Books and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  College student Ted Davis is desperate for money. Without a source of income he’ll be forced to quit school and return home to his homophobic stepfather who cut him off when he was caught fooling around with his best friend.

While working as a waiter, Ted meets suave, handsome Trace Morrison, who offers Ted a job as an escort. Ted is reluctant at first, as he doesn’t believe himself to be gay. However, when Trace seduces him, Ted realizes his stepfather’s assessment of him was correct.

Ted quickly discovers that working as an escort is not as glamorous or satisfying as it appears on the surface. He becomes disillusioned with his life as a rent boy and seeks to find a way out of his situation — to escape the world of shallow, impersonal sex to find a relationship that has real depth and meaning.

Will Ted be trapped in this life of sex for hire until he’s too old to attract the attention of the parade of rich and needy clients that rent his body to fulfill their fantasies? Or will his own fantasies of a real, loving and monogamous relationship be realized when someone from Ted’s past re-enters the picture?
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Out of CTRL by S.A. Welsh

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Out of CTRL
Author: S.A. Welsh
Heroes: Andrew/Teddy
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 160 Pages
Publisher: Totally Bound
Release Date: November 14, 2014
Available at: Totally Bound, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Andrew had no intention of ever going back home. But circumstances force him to face his painful past and the friend who betrayed him.

Andrew Finley has no intention of going back to his hometown—ever. After he gets caught hacking the CIA, he builds himself a new life as a computer guy for the very government agency he tried to hack. But over the past few months something has been bothering him, and his boss is acting more paranoid than usual. Every time an operation failed, Andrew collected information that could prove someone was selling secrets and now he’s pretty sure his boss is trying to kill him, so he has no choice but to go back home to buy some time. Going home may be more dangerous than facing his boss, though, considering his former best friend and first crush Teddy had betrayed him and let his evil sister and her minions send him running nine years ago.

But he’s back now and not everything is as clear-cut as he thought. Teddy may not be a Judas but can Andrew catch his fireman without getting burned, or is coming home going to kill him?

One corrupt boss, one evil sister, enough family drama to fill a dozen daytime chat shows and an ex-best friend who he’s been in love with for half his life makes for one hell an interesting trip home.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: When Ryan Came Back by Devon McCormack

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: When Ryan Came Back
Author: Devon McCormack
Heroes: Steven/Ryan
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 230 Pages
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Release Date: October 16, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Steven’s life changes forever the day he discovers his childhood friend and lifelong crush, Ryan Walters, standing in his bedroom. The problem? Ryan Walters committed suicide just days earlier.

Ryan tells Steven that he didn’t kill himself. He believes he was murdered and that his death is linked to an article he was working on for the school paper. Steven sets out to solve the mystery, but as the story unfolds, so does Ryan’s secret life of sex with guys and depression. Steven realizes suicide is more plausible than Ryan’s conspiracy theory, but he struggles to convince Ryan of the real cause of his death. And despite revelations of his friend’s closeted life, he must face the truth that Ryan doesn’t—and never will—love him.

*This review may contain spoilers. Proceed with caution.*
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Violence Begets… by P.T. Denys

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Violence Begets…
Author: P.T. Denys
Heroes: Kevin/Rick
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 284 Pages
Publisher: P.T. Denys
Release Date: December 22, 2013
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  After a tragic accident devastates his family, 16-year-old Rick St. James starts his junior year of high school alone in a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah. When he meets Kevin Vincent, he’s too distracted by the promise of new friends to see that Kevin has secrets of his own.

Having created an environment where he’s feared and admired by his classmates, Kevin finds pleasure in using his good looks and violence to control and manipulate those around him. Secretly, he cruises the gay club scene, turning tricks to earn money so he can party and get high.

As Rick’s dad becomes increasingly violent and abusive at home, the two form a surprising and volatile trust. In this battle of wills, their precarious friendship will either keep their lives from blowing up around them or possibly light the fuse that will cause the explosion.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Audio Review: A Prairie Dog’s Love Song by Eli Easton

Reviewed by Morgan

1Title: A Prairie Dog’s Love Song
Author: Eli Easton
Narrator: Michael Stellman
Series: Heartwarming
Heroes: Joshua Braintree and Ben Rivers
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: Book – 95 Pages / Audio – 2 Hours, 5 Minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: Book – December 1, 2013 / Audio – october 29, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Ben Rivers always was a showman. He won awards in 4-H and rodeo competitions from the time he could walk, and he’s happiest in the spotlight. So when he got the chance to be a star—in porn—he took it. He still loves Montana and everything about being a cowboy, but when news of his alternate identity leaks out, he figures he’s lost the town’s goodwill forever. Clyde’s Corner would never accept an openly gay cowboy, even a hometown boy born and bred.

Joshua Braintree always had the notion that he and his best friend’s kid brother, Ben, would end up together. Ben’s always been a diehard cowboy, just like him: they need the land and its freedom as much as they need air. So when Joshua learns Ben moved away from their small Montana town to be a porn star in Vegas, he can hardly believe it. He’s determined to finally declare himself and bring Ben home.

Despite his longtime crush on Joshua, Ben won’t be as easy to tame as Joshua’s “lost cause” horses. It will take a lot of heart and holiday spirit for Joshua to convince Ben that even old prairie dogs can learn new tricks in the name of love.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Your Wish, My Demand by J.D. Walker

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Your Wish, My Demand
Author: J.D. Walker
Heroes: Clint Beck/Kyle Rivers
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 9,102 Words
Publisher: JMS Books
Release Date: November 16, 2014
Available at: JMS Books and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Clint Beck has been best friends with Kyle Rivers for over ten years. They went to college together, and now they share a successful boutique landscaping business. Clint usually takes the lead, and Kyle tends to follow.

Kyle is naturally submissive and has suffered a lot of abuse from overly aggressive ex-boyfriends. Clint has always loved Kyle, and he longs for the day when he can move their friendship to something deeper. He knows he can be the caring Dom Kyle yearns for in order to become whole again.

One afternoon, Clint suggests they go to Ties That Bind, his favorite BDSM club. Kyle is usually reticent, but he agrees. Clint knows this is the chance he’s been waiting for. Once at the club, Clint uses all his skill to show Kyle how it can be with a Dom who can meet his partner’s every need in a safe, loving environment. Is Kyle ready to choose the one man who can give him exactly what he needs in every way?
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: There’s Something About Ari by L.B. Gregg

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: There’s Something About Ari
Author: L.B. Gregg
Series: Bluewater Bay #2
Heroes: Buck Ellis/Ari Valentine
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 95 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: November 10, 2014
Available at: Riptide Publishing
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Buck Ellis’s future seems pretty damn bright. With a full college scholarship in hand, he’s going to ditch Bluewater Bay and pave the way for his kid brother Charlie to do the same. The only fly in Buck’s ointment is his ten-year addiction to his best friend since second grade, his true love, and his Achilles heel: Ari Valentine, Mr. Least Likely to Succeed.

But then Buck’s mother dies, changing everything, and five years later, his future is still on hold. It’s a struggle to keep food on the table, a roof over their heads, and Charlie on the straight and narrow. Buck can’t afford any temptation, especially in the form of the newly returned, super hot, super confident, super successful television star Ari Valentine.

ADHD poster-child Ari Valentine left for Hollywood and lost everything, including his bad reputation. Then the breakthrough role of his skyrocketing career lands him back in Bluewater Bay, to the stunned disbelief of, well, everyone. But there’s only one person Ari longs to impress—the only person who ever really mattered to him, the person he left behind: Buck Ellis.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Semper Fi by Keira Andrews

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  Semper Fi
Author: Keira Andrews
Heroes: Cal/Jim
Genre: MM Historical Romance
Length: 320 Pages
Publisher: KA Books
Release Date: November 11, 2014
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The war is over. The battle for love has just begun.

As Marines, Cal and Jim depended on each other to survive bloodshed and despair in the Pacific. Relieved to put the horrors of war behind him, Jim went home to his apple orchard and a quiet life with his wife and children. Knowing Jim could never return his forbidden feelings, Cal hoped time and an ocean between them would dull the yearning for his best friend.

But when Jim’s wife dies, Cal returns to help. He doesn’t know a thing about apple farming—or children—but he’s determined to be there for Jim, even as the painful torch he carries blazes back to life. Jim is grateful for his friend’s support as he struggles with buried emotions and dark wartime memories. Then Jim begins to see Cal in a new light, and their relationship deepens in ways neither expected. Can they build a life together as a family and find happiness in a world that would condemn them?

Note: Contains scenes of violence and post-traumatic stress.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment