Book Release Blitz for Beautifully Devoted by Michele Lenard…

 Friends become something much more in this contemporary m/m romance full of emotions and humor.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Beautifully Devoted by Michele Lenard, the second installment in the Front Range University series, then add this sweet and sensual sports-fueled tale to your bookshelf!

Forgetting to Knock Changed Everything.

Cam
When I was ten, I made a promise. One that I’m still honoring a decade later, even though it means hiding a part of myself from the most important person in my life.
My best friend, Jagger.
And truthfully, burying that part of me is a small price to pay if it means nothing comes between us. I’m Jagger’s rock, the one stable thing in his life, and I’ve held that role for so long it’s now central to who I am. Which is why, after he sees something he shouldn’t and gets an idea that he wants my help with, I’m faced with the biggest decision of my life.
Saying yes could break me, but saying no could break us. I guess there isn’t really a choice, is there?
Jagger
There I was, innocently letting myself into my teammate’s room to search for some protein powder, when I came across a different type of protein altogether.
I learned two things that day. Knock first, and straight guys might be missing out.
As usual when I have an epiphany, I turn to my best friend Cam for help, and learn another two things. Neither of us is as straight as I thought, and I’m not the only one who needs protecting. Hopefully I can be as strong for him as he’s been for me.

BUY here.

***START THE FRONT RANGE UNIVERSITY SERIES here***

AUTHOR INFO:

Hi! I'm Michele-or at least that's the name I write under-because my parents and my kids are not allowed to read my books. Ever. Though sports romance is my guilty pleasure, I like to dabble in all tropes, genres and genders. My books are set in my home state of Colorado, because to me the mountains are the only thing that can compete with a good book. My favorite food is Mexican, my favorite shoes are flip-flops, and my drink of choice is whiskey, the same as virtually every character I've ever written.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM  |  TIKTOK

Book Blitz for The Science of Attraction by Jay Hogan…..

 

Fans of M/M romances will be drawn to this tale of a man who loves his small community, but discovers he can't keep his heart's desire hidden when a bold man comes to town.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of The Science of Attraction by Jay Hogan, then add this third installment in A Mackenzie Country Story series to your bookshelf!

I am Mackenzie Country born and bred. Farming the high country runs in my blood, like my father, and his father, and my great grandfather before him. My future has been mapped out for me since the day I was born. Or at least it was, until Liam Skelton walks onto Lane Station, lights a fire in my heart, and turns my whole world upside down.

Bossy, tatted, and out and proud, Liam is everything my father abhors.
And I want him.
Badly.
But having a chance with Liam means risking everything. My family. My future. And my life in these mountains that I love.
Still, the heart wants what it wants, and mine wants Liam.
With so many things against us, maybe we don’t have a chance.
Maybe we’ll crash and burn.
Or maybe we’ll find a way to have it all.

EXCERPT:

When we arrived back at the cottage, Jules looked pretty much like I figured I did—grilled to within an inch of his life. I’d barely stepped in the door when he grabbed my hand and pulled me back out onto the veranda and proceeded to kiss me like he hadn’t seen me for months. I loved it, along with far too much of the man actually doing it considering I’d only known him a month.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologised, brushing my hair out of my eyes. “How bad were they?”

“It was fine,” I reassured him. “I just have to be nice to you if I don’t want my balls fed to Holden’s stud Angus bull while they’re still attached. A terrifying thought if I let myself dwell on it too much.”

“Oh god,” he moaned. “I’m gonna kill him.”

I laughed and grabbed his arm before he could follow through. “Forget it. Besides—” I lifted up on my toes and pressed our lips together. “—I have zero intention of being anything other than very, very nice to you.” I palmed his dick through his jeans and squeezed. “So, I figure I’m safe.”

His eyes rolled back in his head and he thrust into my hand, adding in a strangled voice, “The kennel shed out back should be friend-free if we hurry.”

“No time for that.” Zach waggled his brows at us through the window. “Fuck me,” Jules groaned under his breath.

“I heard that.” Zach smirked. “But Gil needs a hand on the barbecue and your name was volunteered.”

“Go on.” I gave Jules a shove toward the front door and then slapped his butt on the way. “We have all night.”

He grumbled over his shoulder, “If there’s anything left of my nerves after the Gordon Ramsey of the Mackenzie is done using me as his bitch.”

I laughed and gave him another shove.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY AT AMAZON here.

AUTHOR INFO:

Heart, humour and keeping it real.

Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year.

She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She's travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor. Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel.

Book Tour for King of the Mountain by Aiden Ainslie (GIVEAWAY)……

A man whose entire livelihood depends on keeping the truth about his sexuality a secret finds an attraction to a young artist putting his entire future in jeopardy in this contemporary m/m romance.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of King of the Mountain by Aiden Ainslie, along with the author's thoughts on the reasons behind this genre's growing popularity, then learn even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  In honor of this first installment in the Love At Lake Clyde series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC too!

TSP: Why do you think that the m/m genre is gaining in popularity?

AA:  There are at least four key reasons: eBooks, the internet, evolving norms around sexual orientation and gender equality.

Some readers might be old enough to remember the days when school books had to be carefully covered in brown paper to protect them so they could be passed on from one cohort to another. If anyone wanted to read a “naughty” bodice ripper, they also gave it a brown paper cover. That way friends or family would be dissuaded from asking, “What on earth are you reading?”

With the advent of eBooks, it is so much easier to read what you want and do so privately. Only when you are squashed into economy class on a plane do you have to worry that your seat neighbor might peer over and look at what you are reading on your Kindle or other electronic devices. For the most part, eBooks have given us the freedom and privacy to read what we want without fear of judgment. That’s huge. It has allowed us to delve into topics that we might previously have felt a little embarrassed about.

The internet and social media have allowed us to find and engage people who share our interests. Any hobby or activity is more fun if you can share experiences and recommendations with others. But can you picture sitting with your aunt Muriel over a cup of tea and crumpets and discussing how much you are enjoying the explicit sex scenes in the MM Romance you are reading? I don’t think so. Yet you can have that discussion with virtual friends in cyberspace where you can choose exactly how much of yourself you want to share. Hence, social media have given authors of many genres a huge boost – everything from books on growing orchids or military history to shape-shifting MPREGs and conventional MM Romance.

Did I just say conventional MM Romance? Wow, who would have thought a few short decades ago that MM anything is conventional? There is obviously still a disheartening amount of discrimination against gays and other members of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States and abroad. But attitudes have changed significantly and hence, gay romance is coming out of the shadows and clawing its way into the mainstream. Recent movies like “Bros” and the Amazon Prime release, “Red White and Royal Blue” help to further normalize gay romance.

Finally, when I first started getting into MM Romance, I was surprised that the majority of readers of this genre were female. That puzzled me till I read the book, “Man, Oh Man! Writing Quality MM Fiction” by John Lanyon. The author explains that women like the gender equality of MM Romance. For centuries, love stories like Pride and Prejudice (which I think is a wonderful book) had set roles for men and women. Invariably, women were portrayed as “the weaker sex”. All they could do was use their wit and wiles to coax a man into showing them affection. And of course, ultimately, it was always the man who dominated in the bedroom.

With MM Romance that automatic gender inequality is eradicated. There can still be huge differences between the MCs. Differences in status, in wealth, in education, age, social background, etc. Those differences are essential for building tension and a good story. But, in terms of gender, the protagonists start out on an equal footing and more often than not end up in a partnership of equals. This equality resonates with modern readers and is far better aligned with our current worldview than the stereotypical bodice ripper set in the 18th century.

The genre will keep evolving, and I am grateful to live in a time and place where MM Romance is coming into its own. I hope you enjoy reading about my main characters as much as I enjoyed writing about them.

CLIFFORD

After years of hard work and training, I finally have the chance of fulfilling my lifelong dream of winning the Tour de France. Nothing can be allowed to distract me from this mission, especially not Gabe O’Reilly, the adorable art student from San Francisco.
But he looks so vulnerable – all alone in France.
I would be failing in my patriotic duty to a fellow American if I didn’t take care of him, wouldn’t I? And what possible harm could come from spending twenty-four hours with him on the shores of the Mediterranean? I deserve that little break, don’t I?
GABE
I have never seen a human specimen as perfect as Clifford Du Frey. During our fleeting encounter in Paris, I saw a man who was funny, caring, and tender – so very different from the way the media portray him. He is everything I could ever dream of in a boyfriend.
But in what universe will an international sports superstar pay any serious attention to me?
Do not get involved, my brain yells; you can only get hurt again. But my heart is thrumming to a different tune.

EXCERPT:

GABE
Cliff stood in the shallows. His pale skin gave him the quality of a Michelangelo marble statue. His body had magnificent, classical proportions. Every muscle was clearly defined as though chiseled in stone and smoothed to perfection under the loving hand of a master sculptor. I wondered if he realized just how beautiful he was. And I still found it hard to believe that he was giving me the gift of his time.
He watched me as I strode toward him and, when I shook the water out of my hair, he warned, “Don’t you dare splash me. I like to get in slowly.”
“I won’t splash you,” I said as I stopped in front of him. His eyes were unbelievable. The aquamarine of the water reflected off his blue eyes. I had the sensation of looking into a kaleidoscope of colors yet to be invented. I placed my hands on his shoulders and kissed him on both cheeks.
He was startled but did not back away. “What was that for?” he asked.
“We’ve not had a chance to greet each other yet – the French way. The way you taught me. And,” I continued, “to say I’m sorry.”
I gave him my sweetest smile. “Sorry for wha....”
He didn’t get to finish the sentence because I folded one leg behind him and, in the most basic of wrestling moves, tipped him backward into the water.
The look on his face was priceless, and I burst out laughing when his head emerged, spluttering and cursing.
He reached out a hand and said, “You can at least help me up.”
I took hold of his hand and found myself yanked off my feet with Cliff dunking my head underwater. I shook myself free and rose from the waves to see Cliff making a run for the beach. I lurched after him, tackled him, and dragged him back into the water. He laughed and spluttered till he gained his footing and rounded on me, grabbing my waist, the most ticklish part of my body. He held me tight with one arm curved around my chest while his free hand tickled my hip bone without mercy. I giggled and squirmed helplessly in his arms.
We horsed around in the water like a couple of drunken teenagers. Drunk on sunshine, drunk on life, drunk on L... I didn’t dare to complete the thought. Who was I to think a man like Clifford du Frey would fall in love with me?

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BOOKBUB

AUTHOR INFO:

Aiden Ainslie lives in the Diablo foothills, east of San Francisco. He grew up in various small towns and loves to draw on that small-town feel for his romances: the sense of community but also the petty grievances, intrigue and rivalries. “An author has to draw on personal experience to create authentic stories.”
According to Aiden, setting and mood are critical parts of a romantic story, hence he is always taking pictures of romantic settings to be used in future novels. Check them out on his website HERE.
When Aiden is not writing or listening to audiobooks, he likes to cycle and hike. During those solitary pursuits, he dreams up the characters and plots for his MM Romance novels. He also enjoys zipping around town on his motor scooter, drinking coffee at the local coffee shops, and watching people to get inspiration for his writing.

FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

**********GIVEAWAY**********

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour for Level Up by Sadie Rose (REVIEW)………

 When life is suddenly thrown into chaos, a man moves to a small town where he can start over, but he soon finds unexpected romance.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Level Up by Sadie Rose, along with getting my impressions of this sweet and sentimental m/m romance, then add it to your bookshelf!

Jackson

They say nothing in life is promised, I know that now. When everything I've ever known imploded I made the impulsive decision to leave it all behind by moving to this small town where nobody knows my name.

They also say to expect the unexpected, and I just might like that more.

Alex

They say you can't have it all and I'm starting to think they're right. I have a thriving business and great friends- so why is it I've yet to find The One?

Something else they say? Good things come to those who wait - and I've been one hell of a patient man.

This is a standalone novella.

BUY AT AMAZON here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Readers looking for a little afternoon delight will get just that with this sweet tale of self-discovery and starting over in a small town.  When two men find themselves suddenly single after the end of their relationships, sparks soon start flying in the basement of a hardware store in an endearing meet-cute that put an immediate smile on my face. Amidst talk of nuts and bolts, both men discover mutual attraction that leaves both of them questioning their future in a straightforward talk that I truly appreciated.

Though this is a novella, making it a quick read, I still found their burgeoning romance satisfying.  Alex and Jackson are a very likable pair with interactions that were crackling and teeming with sexual tension.  Their scenes warmed my heart and were utterly charming as they navigated their new feelings.  On a whole I enjoyed their journey, but with a quickly rushed conclusion I'm left hoping that we see more of them in the future. The only other issue about this book revolved around the lack of editing.  For me it's not a big issue, but it did have me rereading some sentences to clear up confusing moments.  Despite that small quibble I definitely fell for Alex and Jackson, fell for their sweet small town personalities, and was rooting for them from start to finish...and by the turn of the final page you'll be rooting for them too!

My rating for this is a B-

*I got this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Sadie Rose is an American author who pens fantasy novellas and romance novels. When she isn't writing she enjoys spending her free time reading, watching television and traveling.

She lives on the west coast with her husband and son.

NEWSLETTER  |  WEBSITE

Book Cover Reveal for Level Up by Sadie Rose………

 When life is suddenly thrown into chaos, a man moves to a small town where he can start over, but he soon finds unexpected romance.  Keep reading to get a tempting glimpse of Level Up by Sadie Rose, then start counting down the days until this sweet m/m book hits shelves on June 22nd.

They say nothing in life is promised, I know that now. When everything I've ever known imploded I made the impulsive decision to leave it all behind by moving to this small town where nobody knows my name.

They also say to expect the unexpected, and I just might like that more.

This is a standalone novella.

PRE-ORDER AT AMAZON here.

AUTHOR INFO:

Sadie Rose is an American author who pens fantasy novellas and romance novels. When she isn't writing she enjoys spending her free time reading, watching television and traveling.

She lives on the west coast with her husband and son.

NEWSLETTER  |  WEBSITE

Book Release Blast for Storm Clouds & Devastation by Ashley James (REVIEW)…….

 Readers who enjoy age-gap romances will want to add this emotionally intense contemporary m/m romance to their bookshelf, caught up in the powerful web of a male escort and a childhood friend's father that it promises to weave.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Storm Clouds & Devastation by Ashley James, along with getting my impressions of this second installment in the Hidden Affairs series, then add this new release to your bookshelf!

Jules van der Meer…

He’s somebody I shouldn’t want. Someone I can’t have. 
The forbidden fruit. The desire not to be divulged in.
He’s wealthy, successful, important…everything I’m not. 
I’m half his age. 
Immature and desperate. 
It’s what they all say—the men in the night with the fancy clothes and the shiny cars, with enough money to make me do whatever they please. 
But him…well, he looks at me like I’m the answer to his prayers. A diamond in the rough. 
He doesn’t realize how wrong he is, though.
I’m poison—putrid and vile. I’ll seep into his pores, wrap around his bones, and destroy whatever light he has left until he’s just like me…
Nothing but storm clouds and devastation.

BUY here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

The Hidden Affairs series continues to rip out my heart with this second installment, this time involving an older man who hires his son's ex-best friend as an escort...with this one night just the beginning of an unforgettable connection.  Steamy, gut wrenching at times, this ended up being a powerful story that didn't pull any punches as it depicted the issues of mental health.

Bodhi held my heart in his hands from the very first page to the last.  Seeing his journey through life, the pain he experienced courtesy of a creepy and cruel older brother, had me hurting right alongside him.  He was his own worst enemy at times, hating himself and thinking himself unworthy of happiness.  Constantly pushing others away, those who actually might care for him, has left Bodhi alone...leaving him with too much time to think, but plenty of time to tear himself down in scenes depicting the reality of what it means to deal with mental health issues.  Ms. James pulls no punches in depicting Bodhi's pain, showing his choices and the fallout from those choices in painful detail.  Seeing his pain broke my heart and had me wanting to hug his pain away, show him that he's worthy of love in an epic journey that left me battered and bruised...but oh so satisfied.

Jules is just starting his life anew and is immediately drawn to Bodhi the moment he sees him.  He's a strong and commanding man, a strong support to Bodhi...when Bodhi in fact lets him in.  He's just learning to navigate his life and I became quickly invested in his personal journey and how it affects Bodhi.  There’s a lot of push/pull between them as Bodhi led Jules down a rocky road leading to his heart and soul.  From the first page to the last I liked seeing these two together, found their connection an epic bond that kept me glued to the pages of their heartfelt and sensual journey to HEA.

My rating for this is an A-

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Ashley James is a romance author who enjoys writing (and reading) LGBTQIA+ books. She is from Washington State—and no, not Seattle—and currently resides in South Carolina with her two kids and hairless kitties, Goose, Maverick, and Houston. Ashley is introverted and slightly (okay, majorly) awkward. She refuses to make this section sound like a tacky dating app profile, so she won't be telling you how much she enjoys music, how she thoroughly enjoys dancing and singing in her kitchen, despite not being able to carry a tune, and she won't be telling you about her love of toxic and broken fictional men.

Book Teaser for Storm Clouds & Devastation by Ashley James…….

 Readers who enjoy age-gap romances will want to add this emotionally intense contemporary m/m romance to their bookshelf, caught up in the powerful web of a male escort and a childhood friend's father that it promises to weave.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Storm Clouds & Devastation by Ashley James, then start counting down the days until this second installment in the Hidden Affairs series hits bookshelves on April 14th!

Jules van der Meer…

He’s somebody I shouldn’t want. Someone I can’t have.

The forbidden fruit. The desire not to be divulged in.

He’s wealthy, successful, important…everything I’m not.

I’m half his age.

Immature and desperate.

It’s what they all say—the men in the night with the fancy clothes and the shiny cars, with enough money to make me do whatever they please.

But him…well, he looks at me like I’m the answer to his prayers. A diamond in the rough.

He doesn’t realize how wrong he is, though.

I’m poison—putrid and vile. I’ll seep into his pores, wrap around his bones, and destroy whatever light he has left until he’s just like me…

Nothing but storm clouds and devastation.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

PRE-ORDER here.

Book Release Blast for Bad Dogs by Riley Nash (REVIEW)…..

 From the first page to the last readers will find this an intense story of two struggling souls finding love and acceptance in each other's arms in this dark read that weaves an epic web of empowerment.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Bad Dogs by Riley Nash, along with my impressions of it, then add this first installment in the Dirty Strays series to your bookshelf too!

I see you, Roman. You want to fight me, and then you want to be so good for me.

Kink is a rich man’s game—high-end clubs, dungeons full of toys. I’m a dirt-poor trailer park boy who makes all his own gear. But I have a plan. If I can film viral BDSM videos, I can rake in enough cash to get my friends and I out of here before we become another gang violence statistic.
First, I need a sub, someone beautiful and obedient. Anyone but the new boy that just moved into town.
He’s huge and feral and angry, he never speaks, and he’s living in the same house as a cop. He couldn’t be a worse choice. But when I look into his eyes, the flash of submission I see there has me obsessed.
I want him. And I, Scout Moreno, always get what I want.
A gritty, emotional story featuring BDSM, a smaller dom/bigger sub, praise kink, a secret relationship, and found family.

BUY here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Wow!  I'm left emotionally drained after reading this unforgettable story, left feeling bruised but hopeful by the connection formed between Roman and Scout.  It's a dark read, an unvarnished look at harsh truths between two people who've experienced the worst that life has to offer, and managed to emerge from the wreckage to find their HEA.

Roman's a larger than life character from the moment he comes on the scene, but he's also a broken man beaten down by his police officer brother in scenes that repeatedly broke my heart.  Adding to Roman's struggles is the fact that he's mute, a condition made worse in stressful situations or around certain people...which his brother also uses to his advantage.  Whereas Roman used to have his grandparents for support, and as a safe haven, their deaths have left him emotionally adrift and he now harms himself when his anger gets to be too much.  His grandparents raised him and their loss is vividly depicted, leaving a profound impact on him that brought tears to my eyes. Throughout this epic tale I was drawn to Roman, wanting to hug the (truly) gentle giant's pain away, while desperately wanting SOMEONE (anyone) to just LISTEN to him. Roman's mutism was a compelling foundation between him and Scout as their togetherness became a new safe haven for him, a place for acceptance as Scout (and his friends Becks and Dallas) learned sign language in order to communicate easier with him.  This new-found family put a smile on my face, showing that even in darkness there are moments of brightness courtesy of Scout and his friends.

Scout too got put through the wringer, coming from a childhood of poverty and surrounded by drug addicts, getting left on his own at a young age.  He didn't give up without a fight though, determined to make a better life for himself and those he calls family.  He's a protector at his core, determined to do whatever necessary to give comfort, and he becomes laser-focused on Roman the moment he sets eyes on him. Theirs was a relationship that was truly touching, one nicely balanced between sweet words/deeds along with the eroticism of a beginning dom/sub connection.  Scout gave Roman the chance to just BE, gave him an outlet to ease his mind and body, and it was from there that they moved into their more erotic connection.  Their encounters for the internet luckily weren't the focus which allowed lots of encounters to be depicted that were full of heart and soul, moments that warmed my heart and were like a warm blanket giving comfort to them both.

From the first page to the last, with each turn of the page, this became an epic and unforgettable read.  It was a tale that takes you from the lowest of lows to rewarding highs, bringing together two broken and bruised men in a healing balm of love and acceptance.  Scout and Roman are beautifully brought to the pages, a perfectly imperfect pairing that just feels right, and I hope to see more of them in future installments.  Those installments I hope will bring readers greater insight into Becks and Dallas as the end of this book sets things up very temptingly for these sweet and supportive secondary characters...along with giving me a new author for my auto-buy list!

My rating for this is an A.

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Riley Nash, based in the rainy PNW, writes M/M romances about boys who fall hard, face the darkness, and never give up on each other.

Fueled by cute dogs, those weird Coke with Coffee drinks, and projecting my personal issues onto handsome men and making them fall in love.

Book Teaser for Storm Clouds & Devastation by Ashley James…….

 Readers who enjoy age-gap romances will want to add this emotionally intense contemporary m/m romance to their bookshelf, caught up in the powerful web of a male escort and a childhood friend's father that it promises to weave.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Storm Clouds & Devastation by Ashley James, then start counting down the days until this second installment in the Hidden Affairs series hits bookshelves on April 14th!

Jules van der Meer…

He’s somebody I shouldn’t want. Someone I can’t have.

The forbidden fruit. The desire not to be divulged in.

He’s wealthy, successful, important…everything I’m not.

I’m half his age.

Immature and desperate.

It’s what they all say—the men in the night with the fancy clothes and the shiny cars, with enough money to make me do whatever they please.

But him…well, he looks at me like I’m the answer to his prayers. A diamond in the rough.

He doesn’t realize how wrong he is, though.

I’m poison—putrid and vile. I’ll seep into his pores, wrap around his bones, and destroy whatever light he has left until he’s just like me…

Nothing but storm clouds and devastation.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

PRE-ORDER here.

Book Release Blast for Boomer by Marie James (REVIEW)……

 Two men hiding from their personal truths find a connection worth fighting for in this contemporary m/m romance.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Boomer by Marie James, along with my impressions of it, then add this 25th installment in the Cerberus MC series to your bookshelf!

Secrets are poison.

They eat away at you from the inside.

I doubt there’s a single person in the club that would have a problem with who I am.

Keeping my mouth shut is all about my own shame.

Who I am isn’t acceptable.

That’s what my Fundamentalist family raised me to believe, but even after leaving home, I couldn’t be myself. Fighting against it never really became a struggle until the flirty bartender set his eyes on me.

He made me wish for things I couldn’t have.

Resisting him was easy until that first kiss.

Now there’s a very real chance my shame will ruin us both.

BUY here.

*AUDIO NARRATED BY AARON SHEDLOCK & ALEXANDER CENDESE here.*

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

After 24 books Ms. James continues to give readers unforgettable stories with larger than life characters...and this 25th installment in the Cerberus MC books is no exception! Painful pasts, angst, and tons of inner conflict fuel this m/m romance and kept me glued to the pages as each heartache made my own heart ache.

Alexander “Boomer” Smith grew up in a religious cult where his feelings for men were seen as a sin.  For 18 years he tried to conform to the cult's beliefs, tried to be the way others were, but in a single moment everything came crashing down through an act of betrayal that left him forever bruised.  A stint in the Marines didn't change his views of himself either.  He eventually found himself becoming a member of the Cerberus MC, finding a sense of acceptance from others though not acceptance from himself.  Years of judgements, years of condemnation, have made him closed-off and untrusting of others. The depiction of his upbringing broke my heart as it forever changed the man he could've been, left him a stoic and serious-minded shell.  When readers first meet Boomer they see a man broken down by a life full of judgments but with each turn of the page, and a life-altering connection to bartender Drake, Boomer undertakes a slow but steady journey of inner growth that warms my heart.

Drake Hill seems the exact opposite to Boomer, a young man full of joy and living life to the fullest.  He had his own childhood issues though, ones he was able to work through and who will become a beacon of acceptance and support for Boomer as their journey progresses.  Drake's interacted with the Cerberus brothers for years, flirtatiously interacted with them, but he's always had eyes for only Boomer.  Getting Boomer's attention though won't be easy as Boomer's racked with self-doubt and teeming with trust issues that the immensely appealing Drake will have to work through.  Drake's a delicious hero, one with a bubbly attitude that is just who and what Boomer needs in a crackling connection that captivated me.

Boomer's an immensely satisfying read with a main couple who were supportive of each other while burning up the pages in a contemporary tale of overcoming the past and becoming who you're meant to be.  Boomer and Drake seemed like opposites early on but with slightly similar childhoods they formed a bond of both the heart and soul that had me cheering them on every step of the way.  The action flowed nicely while matters of the heart pulled at my emotional strings to keep me fully invested in this story.  With its unforgettable main couple, and equally supportive cast of secondary characters, this story was an epic one!  And with an ending that left my heart pounding, setting up Ugly's story flawlessly, I'm now counting down the days until the next installment in this series hits bookshelves!

My rating for this is an A-

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Let's see...where to begin...

I'm inching up on the BIG 4-0. The gray hairs are doubling what seems like daily, and the wrinkles and laugh lines are more pronounced than ever.

I have an amazing husband (Married just over 15 years.)

We have two boys we're doing our best to raise as respectful gentlemen.

I have a master's degree in criminal justice which I used to work as a juvenile probation office until deciding to write full- time in June of 2019. So that means there's usually always some criminal/law element to my novels.

If I'm not writing; I'm reading.

My favorite genres recently are bully/reverse harem and enemies to lovers. Maybe I'm reliving my traumatic teen years through the girls who actually end up with the boys. (Not that I would change my history since it's gotten me exactly where I need to be!)

I love coffee. I miss carbs. Music is LIFE. I try not to be too serious.

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