The List (Second Chances #1) by Felice Stevens

Title: The List

Series: Second Chances #1

Author: Felice Stevens

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: June 16, 2021

Cover Design: Reese Dante

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Oops. He did it again.

Elliot Hansen has a terrible habit of falling in love with every man he dates.

His friends have had enough and make a list of Elliot’s perfect man.

That V…

Those abs....

Shouldn’t a boyfriend be more than the sum of his parts?

But when sexy detective Winston Rogers bursts into his bedroom to arrest a burglar, Elliot knows he wouldn’t mind checking one or two things off that list with him.

What if you had it all?

Five years after the death of his husband, Winston Rogers is single and determined to stay that way.

He throws himself into his job—the more dangerous the assignment, the better.

He can’t face another risk to his heart.

But then a routine arrest in his neighbor’s bedroom leaves Win searching for more than evidence as the man’s sweet smile and vulnerable eyes strike a chord inside him Win had thought gone forever.

Why not enjoy each other with no strings attached? Win and Elliot decide to make their own list.

Rule #1: Strictly friends with benefits.

Rule #2: No doing anything stupid like falling in love.

Rule #3....

See Elliot and Win ignore Rules #1 and #2.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

The List is a beautiful standalone romance by Felice Stevens. The start of the Second Chances series, I am all in for reading about these four best friends. If you love series with a strong friend element, you will adore this.

Elliot is one of four best friends. As he's always falling for the wrong guy, his friends help him make a list of what he wants in a man. 

Elliot is adorable and easy to love. For the reader. But he doesn't find it easy in his own life. The poor man just wants to find someone. 

Enter Winston. Oh dear god. The feelings for this man are intense. I just love him with all of my heart. He's lovable and a sympathetic character, who's still grieving the loss of his husband.

These are two men who aren't looking for the same things in life. One wants love, the other wants no strings. Their journey is fabulous. I love the way they meet. I adore the way things progress as they get to know each other. And I appreciate everything they go through as they are falling for each other. 

Basically, this is classic Felice Stevens and I love it all. The characters are charming, their storyline is emotional, and the ending is perfect. The combination of seriousness and humor is well done. Nothing is over the top angsty, and overall it's a feel-good and charming read.

The List is a wonderful second chance at love romance. Everything about this Felice Stevens tale is riveting. Definitely check this one out the nest time you're in the mood for a good hurt/comfort read. 

Crazy Bookish World - “Once again, I found Felice’s writing to be completely engaging, her characters so easy to fall in love with.”

Goodreads Review - “Shut the front door!!

Omg I can not express how much I LOVE The List by Felice Stevens. THIS IS PURE ROMANCE with just a splash of angst.”

Goodreads Review - “I loved The List! It was so good, I want to read it again and again. The writing brings the characters to life and you feel the emotions. I laughed and I definitely cried.”

Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending just around the corner. Her characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy, and that includes love.

She lives in New York City and has way too much black in her wardrobe yet can't stop buying "just one more pair" of black pants. Felice is a happily addicted Bravo and Say Yes to the Dress addict and proud of it.

 And let's not get started on House Hunters. Her dream day starts out with iced coffee and ends with Prosecco, because...why shouldn't it? You can find her procrastinating on FB in her reader group, Felice's Breakfast Club.

You can find all my books, grouped by series in proper reading order on my website located here:   Website

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Brother-in-Law Material by Crystal Lacy

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

Can his sister’s fake boyfriend become his real one?

When Kendall O'Hara catches his boyfriend cheating, he runs to his sister--the only person he can rely on in the city. But she's on a business trip, so Kendall finds himself temporary roomies with her super hot and equally kind live-in boyfriend.
Luke Hale's family has made him so jaded regarding relationships that he’s had no problem pretending to be his best friend’s boyfriend. It’s never been a problem, until her sweet, adorable brother arrives.

Kendall’s passion for his food channel is contagious and his openness and vulnerability are intoxicating. They both know the other should be off-limits, but spending time together--cooking, talking, laughing--is so easy and wonderful. Their attraction is undeniable and once Kendall learns that Luke is actually available, all bets are off.

Sizzling chemistry quickly gives way to real feelings. But Kendall’s stay is temporary. Can their friends with benefits arrangement blossom into a forever love or will they both wind up alone again?

Brother-in-Law Material is a 55,000-word M/M romance including the following tropes: fake boyfriend, temporary roommates, friends with benefits, best friend's brother.

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

Brother-In-Law Material is a fabulous romance by Crystal Lacy. As best friend's brother is my favorite trope, this one is a no brainer!

Luke's always been hardened against love. But being roommates with Kendall for a short time changes everything. 

This is a story with fear, hesitation, and plenty of "omg, just go for it already!"  

I enjoy the men together, including all the clumsiness. I enjoy the connection between them, as well as the natural way things develop between them. 

Ultimately, I enjoy the way things go for these two. It's fun, sweet, and charming. 

I'll admit though, for part of it, I was thinking it was a little too quirky or convenient, but overall, it's fun downright fun. I got past that weird feeling rather quickly and just love the rest.

Written in alternating first person pov, I fell into this one easily. Both men fully come to life, the flow is smooth, and the storyline is riveting. 

Brother-In-Law Material is an adorable best friend's romance. Crystal Lacy delights in this adorable read. With a combo of temporary roommates, some fake relationship circumstances, and plenty of chemistry, you can't go wrong with this tale.

On a Roll (Food Truck Warriors #3) by Beth Bolden

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU 
Goodreads Link

If they could stop arguing for a hot second . . . they just might fall in love.

Gabriel Moretti and Sean Cooper should be friends. They’re both passionate about serving delicious food to their customers. They both love to kick back with the other food truck owners at the collective they’ve joined. But maybe it’s possible to have too much in common . . .

Especially when they’ve chosen the exact same name for their food trucks.

Gabriel and Sean know that one of them will have to change the name. The only question is, who’s willing to give in first?

It’s inevitable that with such a difficult decision, their tempers flare. But to their shock, their deeply-buried chemistry ignites too. Could it be that for them fighting is actually flirting, and what they really crave is each other?

My Rating - 5 Stars!

On a Roll, the third book in Beth Bolden's Food Truck Warriors series, is a fabulous addition to this world of food truck owners. 

Gabriel and Sean get off to a bad start, as they have the same name for their food trucks. They're two stubborn men who refuse to change their name, but are eventually forced to solve the problem.  

What follows is a fun and adorable romance, full of tension, chemistry, and plenty of heat.

The men have some major obstacles in their way, but I enjoy how everything unfolds. The rivals aspect is enjoyable, as they're competitors who slowly become friends, move to friends with benefits, and then more.

I enjoy everything about these men, especially how they are together. Seeing them butting heads and being stubborn is entertaining. Seeing them slowly start to break down their walls is fabulous. And seeing them fall in love is heartwarming. 

As for the sex, damn, these men know how to bring the heat. 

Sean's past is heartbreaking, with his grief ever present. His confessions and his reasoning is all sad and really makes one fall for Sean. Add in his coming to terms with falling in love again, and how it's okay to do so, and I just love him more. 

Written in alternating pov, we get both to know both men well. Add in the men from this Food Truck World, and Beth's other books, and everything is just wonderful. I love this created world and enjoy each story tremendously. The men are great and their stories ever better.

On a Roll is a riveting enemies to lovers tale. Beth Bolden brings plenty of emotion and heart to this charming story. I highly recommend it.

RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW - Bossy by N.R. Walker

 

Bossy | NR Walker

Genre: Gay Romance

Release date: March 4, 2021

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Goodreads Link

No names, no details, no complications.

Michael Pietersen isn’t up for complications. He’s one of Sydney’s fastest-moving career-focused corporate realtors, and the only thing he has time for is one-night stands with zero fuss.

Bryson Schroeder’s back home from two years overseas with plans to leave his family’s hotel empire and begin his own business ventures. Out with his friends to celebrate his return, he sees a gorgeous blond man across the bar, and with barely a smile and a raised eyebrow, they leave together for a night of incredible chemistry.

But the rules are clear: no names, no details, no complications.

But one night becomes one more night, and eventually the arrangement suits them both for weeks . . . until their professional and personal worlds collide. With their hearts already on the line, Michael and Bry need to decide just how complicated they want to get.

______________________________________________________________________

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Bossy is a wonderful standalone romance by NR Walker. 

Ohhh...two hot men, weekly hookups, and totally anonymous. Hell yes. Until things get more personal, as the fuck buddies get to know one another better.

I love Michael and Bryson and their story. They start off with the agreement to work once a week. I absolutely love the names they call one another in their phones. "Bossy as fuck" and "Sexy and Fuck." Just pure entertainment around this, as it's on par with their typical banter. 

And then they end up meeting over a business deal. Enter the craziness of being involved with someone casually and then being thrown into the shock of their world.

So we have casual to boyfriends. Nameless hookups to business associates. So much fun as they fall in love with their no strings attached hook up.

I adore these men together, especially the way they support one another, helping each other to be the best person they can be. It's perfect.

There's plenty of obstacles for these men though, including family issues and family pressure. Dear lord, I hate Michael's father.

As usual, I love the author's writing style. Written in alternating pov, the characters are intriguing, the storyline entertaining, and the pace is seamless. The secondary characters are charming and add a lot to the story as well. 

And, ohhh how I love the way the author brings Sydney to life. As I miss that city so much, it's beautiful to read about the charm of Darling Harbour, and of Circular Quay, York Street, the QVB, and more. I love that city and the author fully brings me back to walking those wonderful streets. I am beyond grateful. 

Overall, Bossy is a delightful romance. I love everything about this NR Walker gem. Once again she's impressed me with this sweet and fun hookup to lovers romance. 

________________________________________________________________________

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since…

For more about N.R. Walker you can find her at:

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nrwalker@nrwalker.net

Date in a Pinch by Brigham Vaughn

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

A sweet geek and an experienced Dom: someone’s about to learn their lesson …

When chemistry teacher Neil Greene gets an unexpected delivery at Pendleton High, he's mortified when his fellow teacher and crush sees the contents that hint at the adventurous love life he’s dying to explore. Curious but inexperienced, Neil has no idea how to live out his fantasies until the hot lit teacher offers a helping hand.

Alexander Ford likes to be in charge in the bedroom and he’s happy to tutor Neil in all things naughty. But when Neil asks him to pretend to be his date for the Sweetheart’s Game at Pendleton Bay’s Love Fest, Neil may be the one teaching Alexander about love. 

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

Date in a Pinch is a sweet fake boyfriend romance by Brigham Vaughn. Everything about this book works for me. 

This is a story of sexual exploration, as one man teaches the other about BDSM.

I'm surprised and happy that it's much more about their emotions and developing relationship than about their sex scenes. At first, I expected a lot of the scenes to be written out fully. Instead, the author does a great job adding most of their scenes into the tale as off page events. Rather than getting all the details, we get one of the characters thinking about the scene after the fact. I am pleased with how well this was written and definitely enjoyed this aspect.

And the emotions. Omg, the emotions. These are two men who ooze emotions. Neither was looking for a relationship. But, scene by scene, moment by moment, time spent together slowly draws these men towards loving one another. It's just beautiful. If you enjoy an emotional slow burn, this is it. 

Both men have a past that keeps them holding back emotionally. One feels guilt for having let down his former sub, thinking he can't go through something like that again. And the other has a history full of pain and baggage, that has caused him personal issues as well as family issues. 

I truly adore this story. The emotions are everything for this developing relationship.

This is a must read when you're in the mood for two men starting a BDSM relationship and slowly falling in love. It's tender and sweet, in addition to all the heat and pain. 

The BDSM scenes are great, with amazingly sweet aftercare moments. They don't seem like the typical aftercare moments to me, but I enjoy them none the less. There's a whole lot of tenderness involved which just makes me smile.

Overall, Date in a Pitch is a great read. I love how Brigham Vaughn brings so much emotion to this story. She combines sexiness and sweetness in this kinky romance and it's absolutely delightful.

Blowing Smoke: A Small-town Firefighter Gay Romance (The Wilds Book 2) by Ashton Cade

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Sometimes even the strongest men need saving.

Hunter:

As an Alaskan smokejumper, I'm used to palling around with tough guys. My best friend Jared just became Chief of Police here in Gateway, and the whole town relies on him to keep them safe. I've realized I want to serve and protect him in an entirely different way. When he's forced to vacate his sick apartment building and takes the apartment on my property, we get close. When he's out taking care of Gateway's people in a snowstorm and his patrol car gets snowed under and he is struck with pneumonia, we get closer. I'm the one to come to his rescue.

Sure, he's the one who is unconscious, but Jared has become my fever-dream.

Can reality compare to the fantasy I have of us together, forever? 

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Blowing Smoke is a riveting friends to lovers romance. The second book in The Wilds series, this Ashton Cade book is easily read as a standalone. 

I love friends to lovers romance, and this one is spectacular, as Jared and Hunter take tentative steps towards facing their new found feelings. 

The two have been friends with benefits for years. I enjoy the storyline that brings them closer. I definitely got annoyed with Jared's stubbornness and wanted to give him a quick kick in the ass though. 

Their tale includes a health issue, job issues, and family obligations. The men have a strong connection and I have no doubt they belong together. 

I definitely enjoy their budding relationship, but then, damn, when the action/danger hits, I was pulled into the scene with Jared. I felt every single thought. I felt every second of the cold. And the heat. I saw every thing he saw. Basically, the writing is all consuming at that point, completely impressing me.

Blowing Smoke is a nice romance that sucked me in from the start. I enjoyed this Ashton Cade read and am glad to have discovered it. 

Collaring Chaz (Dante's Infernal #2) by Joel Abernathy

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Chaz

Rafael is the best friend-with-benefits a guy could ask for, but I had to go and screw it all up by falling in love.

Everyone gets sick of me eventually. My birth parents, the endless conveyor belt of foster homes, even the band that became my family.

Why should Raf be any different?

When he wants to take our friendship to the next level by welcoming me into his world of collars and pet names that make me feel wanted and cherished, I know it can’t be permanent.

No matter what he says, there’s no way someone like him could actually want me forever. But I’m going to enjoy pretending for as long as it lasts.

Rafael

I spent so long pining after my best friend, I didn’t even realize the perfect guy was right under my nose.

Chaz is an adorkable goofball who’s kept a band full of hotheads from melting down on numerous occasions, and he and I are perfectly in sync in and out of the bedroom.

Turns out, he’s also a natural submissive who just might be the pup I’ve always wanted, if I can convince him this thing between us is meant to last forever, and not just be a one-hit wonder.

Collaring Chaz is a surprisingly sweet M/M rock star romance loaded with angst, band drama, contractual pup play, a cinnamon roll MC struggling with mental health and addiction, and a dominant rock god who saves him.

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

I was elated to get a chance to review Joel Abernathy's Collaring Chaz. I am thrilled to once again get to spend time with the messed up men of Dante's Infernal. The second book in the series, I would highly suggest reading Taming Dante first.

Chaz and Rafe have one hell of a complicated and messy relationship. Best friends since they were young, Chaz is hopelessly in love with Raf, and they've been friends with benefits for a while. So complicated indeed. And in all the band drama, Chaz's meltdowns, managerial hell, and things just get messier.

This book will have your emotions running all over the place, smiling one moment, and wanting to scream the next. Chaz is way too easygoing, always trying to please everyone. It's frustrating and hard to read. Chaz is so damn easy to love but he's also a god damn mess. Hell, I wanted to protect him and love him myself. Luckily he had Raf to fufill that role in the end. But good god, it's much harder to love Raf. He's just aggressive and forceful, with needs that Chaz can't meet, yet in the end he's protective and loving. 

If you enjoy Puppy play, this is a must read. The author not only adds in puppy play, but takes Chaz through the exploration and education of what puppy play is and how it can help him. It's wonderfully written and emotional as can be. 

Of course, there's also some great banter and humor. There's one particular sex scene that left me chuckling. Omg, I am still laughing thinking about the phone call. 

There is one thing I didn't like though. I was surprised at the end with Chaz's discovery. It was suddenly thrown out there, making me question if I had missed something. I would have definitely preferred more discussion on his condition. 

Collaring Chaz is a fantastic addition to the Dante's Infernal series. Joel Abernathy has created a fabulously messy world and these extremely chaotic characters who continue to keep me intrigued and riveted. These men are absolutely addicting and I can't wait to get more of this band. If you're in the mood for messy and angsty, this is your read.

Take Me Home by A.D. Ellis

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Can a city boy survive exile to a small town? Will falling for a hot, older country boy make the situation better or worse?

Marc Kingsley is the best in his big-city family business. When a medical issue gets Marc temporarily banished to a tiny country town, he’s certain the experience will be a nightmare.

Jordan Moore is living the dream on his farm. When his best friend’s grandson begrudgingly comes to town, Jordan’s simple life gets turned upside down.

Can Marc and Jordan find a brief, shared happiness even when they’ve accepted they’ll eventually have to walk away? Or will both men end up nursing broken hearts?

Take Me Home is a male/male age-gap, opposites-attract romance with plenty of steam and a scene that will make you appreciate camouflage and work boots. 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Wow, just wow! AD Ellis' Take Me Home is an amazing, heartfelt, feel good read! This is one of those special books that I will be reading over and over again. Yes, it's totally a comfort read for me and I cannot praise it enough.

Everything about this book is soothing and sweet. Like Forever Better Together, this book is a perfect read for me and is one of my favorites of the year. 

It's an easy and mesmerizing country boy meets city boy read. Jordan's a closeted farmer, as he's the only gay in his small town. Until Marc shows up. They have an undeniable, intense connection. Everything starts with an anonymous hookup followed by forced proximity. And every moment is beautiful. 

They perfectly mesh and their connection is never in doubt. Unfortunately,  Marc's stay is temporary, which sets the scene for the obvious conflict. They can't resist though, and start a three month sexual relationship with a known end date. Oh, how delightful it is when the feelings develop and leave them wanting more. Adding to the fun, their sexual relationship is hot and intense. 

The writing had me hooked immediately, and kept me riveted throughout. The men are simply marvelous and their storyline is beautiful. The writing style is just wonderful, with a calming and comforting tone. Even their initial hookup is written in a completely sweet manner, which is rare. But, seriously, it has all the feels. Add in some fantastic side characters and you simply can't go wrong with this tale. Good god, I adore Marc's grandmother. 

As for the atmosphere and scenery, the author excels in bringing everything to life. One can easily feel that they are there in person, which adds immensely to the beauty of this book. 

Take Me Home is easily a new favorite comfort read for me. AD Ellis continues to impress me with her riveting and all consuming books. Definitely pick this one up the next time you in the mood for a sugary sweet romance. You won't regret it.