Hot Seat (The Hot Cannolis #1) by Eli Easton & Tara Lain

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Wait. Can a Canali be gay?

Hero firefighter, youngest of six macho Italian brothers and—in love with Shane Bower, who never met a unicorn T-shirt he didn’t love? How does that even work?

When Mike Canali meets Shane Bower, his attraction to the guy is off the charts. But then his huge family and intense job full of rules and expectations intrude and he never calls.

Until they both get a medal—
and his mom falls in love with Shane at the ceremony—
and all of a sudden Shane’s all over his life, whether Mike likes it or not.

The butch Canali family face-to-face with sparkly Shane Bower? This is a wildfire of its own.

Shane worked damned hard to be who he is—fantastic, femme and in-your-face. He won’t compromise that, even to have the super-hot man of his dreams. But can he really ask Mike to give up his family and future just to have his fabulous self? Especially when he’s falling in love with the Canali family too?

HOT SEAT is a hot firefighter, big crazy family, coming out, opposites attract, forced proximity, romantic comedy—with all the feels. 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Hot damn! Hot Seat is a fabulous romance by Eli Easton and Tara Lain. The first book in The Hot Cannolis series, this writing duo had me riveted throughout.

Shane and Mike's story is heartbreaking, yet beautiful. 

Shane's and out and proud man that one can't help but to fall in love with. He's femme and owns every moment of it. Mike, meanwhile, is a hot and sexy firefighter, who's sadly closeted. 

The emotions are front and center throughout, with the reader feeling every moment of Mike's worries, doubts, and fears. And omg, does Mike ever have a lot of these. 

Their story is hot, with amazing chemistry, while also being cute and funny at times. Of course, the angsty moments will leave your heart hurting and grabbing for a tissue.

A lot of this story revolves around family and family expectations. But ultimately, isn't it better to risk losing one's family to be happy in love?

The writing is fantastic, as I've come to expect from these authors. The characters fully come to life, are totally lovable, and their storyline will keep you invested throughout. 

Hot Seat is a great read. I love everything about this Eli Easton and Tara Lain gem. I am loving this series and can't wait to see what comes next. 

Canning the Center (Long Pass Chronicles #2) by Tara Lain

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link - old link

Is there a closet big enough to hold a football pro and a drag queen?

Jamal -- Posing as straight. Feigning affection for his teammate’s sister. Acting like he doesn’t despise his team’s owner.

Trevor -- Hiding his drag persona. Disguising his IQ. Pretending to be someone he’s not.

Jamal Jones, pro football center, and Trevor Landry, college student and drag queen, both fake their lives to keep from losing what they want. They even go so far as to let Trevor pretend to be a woman to convince Jamal’s team that he has a girlfriend.

If they drop their acts, Jamal can lose the promising football career he’s always wanted and Trevor could lose his scholarship.

But is having their dreams worth living a phony life? Or will they finally admit, what the really want is each other?

CANNING THE CENTER is a hiding the truth, secret enemies, forbidden love, toppy femme, MM romance.

Note: CANNING THE CENTER is a republication of an earlier work. Only the cover has changed.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Canning the Center is the second book in the Long Pass Chronicles series. I love everything about this Tara Lain sports romance and am thrilled it's being re-released. 

I love Jamal and Trevor. These men have a great story, with plenty of forbidden feelings and emotions throughout. 

Jamal's an NFL player who's bisexual and stuck playing for a homophobic coach. He's definitely stuck in a situation he doesn't want, unable to come out and having to deal with a coach he doesn't like.

And when he meets Trixie/Trevor, his world gets that much more complicated. 

Oh Trixie! Oh Trevor! I love these characters, both in and out of drag. And most of all, I absolutely find myself swooning over the fact that Trixie/Trevor is everything Jamal wants. Seriously, a bisexual man finding himself in love with a drag queen, and getting what he wants from both a female relationship and a male relationship. Omg. Love it!

Obviously, there's a lot going on in this story. It's bad enough that Jamal is closeted, but falling for Trixie/Trevor starts to make things more problematic. 

Canning the Center is a fabulous read. I have nothing but love for this Tara Lain gem. This tale is full of complex situations and is an emotional rollercoaster. It's a long road for these two to get to their happy ending, but don't worry, they do get there. 

 

Outing the Quarterback (Long Pass Chronicles #1) by Tara Lain

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU 
Goodreads Link - No new link available 

A Novel in the Long Pass Chronicles

Will Ashford lives in two closets. He meets his wealthy father's goals as both the quarterback for the famous SCU football team and a business major, but secretly he attends art school and longs to live as a painter. And he's gay. But if he can win the coveted Milton Scholarship for art, he'll be able to break from his father at the end of his senior year.

In a painting master class, Will meets his divergent opposite, Noah Zajack. A scarred orphan who's slept on park benches and eaten from trash cans, Noah carefully plans his life and multiple jobs so he has money and time to go to art school. Will's problems seem like nothing compared to Noah's. Noah wants the scholarship too and may have a way to get it since the teacher of his class has designs on him, a plan Will isn't happy about.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Outing the Quarterback is a fantastic college sports romance. I absolutely loved this first book in Tara Lain's Long Pass Chronicles the first time I read it. It's now being re-released and it's just as wonderful as I remembered.

Will and Noah are great characters, both well developed and complex. 

Will's a closeted football player who can't help but to fall for the beautiful Noah, 

Will's life is just what you'd imagine for a closeted football player. He's dating the head cheerleader, has a rich, controlling father, and he is firmly set upon staying in the closet while playing football. What makes him unique though is that he has a passion for art and wants to pursue that in his future. For now, he's just waiting for college to end. 

And then he meets Noah. Noah's an artist who's beautiful, yet is unique in that he has a scar on his face. For some, that scar is all they see. But for Will, that scar just makes Noah more attractive and more intriguing. 

Outing the Quarterback is a great read. Everything about this Tara Lain story left me mesmerized throughout. I enjoy the complex characters and their far from typical journey. Definitely check this one out if you enjoy sports romances. You won't regret it. 

Betting on His BF (Nerds vs Jocks #4) by Eli Easton & Tara Lain

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

Big Bet. Big Trouble. Big Love.

When Felix the Quiz Bowl Champion reveals other oversized assets besides his brain, it takes PJ, the super-wheeler-dealer, to wangle maximum profits from it—in bets, wet jock strap contests, and Wang of the Week.

But winning money turns out to be second to falling in lust, and sexual escapades replace time at the poker tables as the number-one activity of their wicked week in Vegas.

Still, accepting the hospitality of PJ’s father’s client, the mobster Joey Oretano, proves a nearly fatal money-saving scheme, and brings Felix and PJ face-to-face with the serious side of life.
Very. Serious.

Will someone take the chance to be a hero?
Or will someone wind up dead?

BETTING ON HIS BF is a friends-to-lovers, bisexual awakening, what-happens-in-Vegas-can-win-you-money, dash-of-suspense, MM romance—with large assets. 

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Betting on His BF is the fourth book in the Nerds vs Jocks series. This Eli Easton and Tara Lain book is easily read as a standalone, but is best enjoyed if read in order. 

I have to start by stating that I mostly love this book. There are definitely plenty of Vegas moments that I am not a fan of. It's all entertaining, and adds some suspense, but it just isn't for me. 

But the relationship is awesome. I love these two together. I love the sexual awakening. And I love the banter and humor throughout. 

This is a story with Vegas antics, a man who loves to make a sure bet, and a man with a large package. 

The writing is great, which is no surprise. The characters are great, but part of their storyline was just okay to me. 

Betting on His BF is an easy, humorous romance. If you want to laugh, you will enjoy it. 

Head to Head (Nerds vs Jocks #3) by Eli Easton & Tara Lain

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

If these two don't kill each other, they might fall in love.

Rand hates Jax because he’s the laid-back, vegan-eating, tree-hugging, total-Zen-until-I-get-a-chance-to-screw-you president of Sigma Mu Tau, the nerdy fraternity that’s the sworn enemy of Rand’s house, Alpha Lambda Alpha. What a phony!

Jax hates Rand for being the privileged, rich-heir-to-an-oil-empire, environment-destroying, soul-sucking president of the ALA jocks—but mostly because Rand hated him first. Rand has sent nothing but hateful vibes his way since the day they met. What a douche!

The enemies have never had a single conversation that didn’t involve shouting—until Jax’s old Buick breaks down on a road trip and Rand plays reluctant rescuer. Jax is forced to sit on Rand’s dead cow seats. Rand learns chickens can enter the living room and that Jax’s beliefs are more than skin-deep. The bitter rivals embark on a quest to save a family member and discover that sometimes animosity is a mask for crazy-hot attraction. With this much face time, head-to-head might become heart-to-heart.


HEAD TO HEAD is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract, searching for his sister, clashing cultures, MM romance—with a whole lot of fracking.

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

Head to Head is the third book in the Nerds vs Jocks series. This Eli Easton and Tara Lain series is absolutely fabulous. 

Jax and Rand make for a fun read overall. They're enemies at the start, but that doesn't last too long. They're complete opposites, not only in their personalities, but also in their upbringings. 

There's more to the storyline that I expected. Enemies. Missing sister. Family issues. Homophobia. And more. 

This one is different from the other books, as most of the story takes place immediately after graduation. They meet and fall in love during the end of college, but the gist of the tale takes place as they are facing life after college and real life choices. 

Rand is looking for his sister, leaving him set out on a search for the truth. His father is just awful, and leads to some major tension. This part of the story definitely has some ups and downs, as well as some unexpected revelations. 

Rand's father is a controlling ass, who is all about making money. Jax's family, meanwhile, is perfectly sweet and supportive, while also caring about important causes. I really love them. 

I love this quote. "I think...We each have multiple possible versions of ourselves." Such a true concept. I really appreciate this. 

One thing is super strange to me though. The fact that Jax looks so much like Jason, and Rand never realized it is just weird. That just doesn't seem possible. I know it's written with explanations, but I find it weird. 

Written in alternating first person pov, I love everything about the author's writing styles. It's easy and fun to read. The ending is absolutely fantastic, with the former characters making appearances. Oh, I love this group of jocks and nerds. 

Head to Head is the perfect ending for this original group of Jocks and Nerds. With the ending as it is, I am hoping the authors plan more with a new group of rivalry frats. This whole universe is delightful to it's core. I love it all. 

Love You So Madly (Love You So Stories #2) by Tara Lain

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

What does it mean when you have it all ... and you’d like to give some of it back?

Ben Shane’s a hard-working guy, deeply committed to an important job.
Dusty Kincaid is a hard-working guy who happens to be Ben’s handyman.

Ben’s chafing against his engagement to a super-wealthy man who makes him feel like a trophy wife – but is he really going to give up a partner who drives a Ferrari for one who takes the bus?

Dusty has challenges Ben can’t begin to imagine, and the world thinks they’re crazy. But face it. From the beginning, this love has been a little bit mad.

LOVE YOU SO MADLY is an improbable love, challenged hero, no-sugar-diet, MM romance. 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Love You So Madly is a fabulous book. The second book in Tara Lain's Love You So Stories, I love it!

The tone immediately grabbed my attention and I found myself riveted throughout.  Ben's intrigued by a worker in his office, Dusty. Meanwhile, Ben's rich fiance is an inconsiderate ass. I enjoy the way Ben and Dusty get to know one another, and the way their whole storyline unfolds.  This is a story of finding someone who appreciates you, your interests, and your passions. It's about finding someone who makes you smile. Their story includes conflict, attraction, and a sweet romance, as well as seizures. The seizures part is well written with knowledge and compassion. I am impressed with how this is all added to the storyline.  Love You So Madly is one of those books that surprised me. This Tara Lain read is way more than I was expecting.

Love You So Hard (Love You So Stories #1) by Tara Lain

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

After you’ve hit rock bottom, it’s time to learn to top.

Slimy creeps insult him, users take credit for his work, and spending all his money on his sick mom leaves Craig in a dull gray apartment and a dull gray life.

Enter teacher, Jesse Randall, in a T-shirt that proclaims, “I Would Bottom You So Hard”.

Craig asks the tutor to teach him to top and the lessons succeed beyond his wildest dreams.

Just one problem. Craig loves his teacher so much, he never wants the lessons to end. How can he reach the top, without losing his sassy bottom?

LOVE YOU SO HARD is an opposites-attract, kissing the teacher, loser learning to win MM romance – with an unforgettable T-shirt.

My Rating - 3.5 Stars!

Love You So Hard is a cute romance by Tara Lain. 

Craig and Jesse's story combines a little tutoring with opposites attract. 

The tutoring? Well, Craig asks Jesse to teach him how to be a good top. 

The relationship that develops is a mix of sweet and cute. I enjoy that Jesse teaches Craig to have confidence in himself, both in and out of the bedroom. 

Craig's life is well explored, with his issue and tough decisions involved. 

Everything happens extremely fast, thus isn't overly developed. It's good for a short story, but a full length version, with a lot more explored, would be much better. 

Love You So Hard is a short, quick read. I appreciate the life lessons that Tara Lain infused throughout.

RELEASE TOUR, EXCERPT, GIVEAWAY & REVIEW - Coaching the Nerd (Nerds Vs Jocks # 2) by Eli Easton & Tara Lain

 

Release Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Coaching the Nerd
By Eli Easton & Tara Lain

Nerds Vs Jocks, Book 2

Super-bod meets super-brain

What happens when marshmallow-bodied supernerd Sean volunteers to be on the jocks’ flag-football team? It screws Bubba’s fraternity’s chances at the coveted flag football title, that’s what.

Bubba is drafted to be Sean’s personal trainer. He has to whip Sean into shape and make sure he doesn’t F up their team.

Sean may be a supernerd, but to Bubba he’s funny, and wise, and kinda cute. He’s also the one person on campus who doesn’t see Bubba as a big, stupid jock.

One BIG problem. Sean’s motivation for getting into shape is to lose his virginity -- and Bubba isn’t happy when guys start sniffing around.

But Bubba’s straight. Isn’t he?

Can a big, dumb jock from Nowhere, Wisconsin change his whole life for a genius who just wants to get laid?

COACHING THE NERD is a total makeover, opposites attract, My Fair Lady trope, bi awakening, campus romance – that grabs your flag.

Universal Link

Goodreads | BookBub

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My Rating - 5 Stars!

Coaching the Nerd is a fabulous college sports romance by Eli Easton and Tara Lain. The second book in the Nerds Vs Jocks series, it's easily read as a standalone. 

Sports romances are my absolute favorites, and this one is great. You get jock vs nerd, complete opposites, forced proximity, GFY, and controlling parents. And more. 

Bubba and Sean are complete opposites. They would never be friends, but they meet as part of the forced proximity this series brings about. Sean's a nerd who joins the flag football team, having no athletic ability, and no idea what he's doing. Bubba's the athlete who ends up helping him, as well as helping him to get into better shape. 

I love the way these men get to be friends, naturally falling into a close relationship. Everything about them just melts my heart.

With Sean looking to get laid before graduating college, he thinks he needs to get fit in order to accomplish this. Cue the little makeover, which I actually would have preferred not happening,  as it would be nice if he found love without any makeover. But, yes, he needs a little confidence more than the makeover itself. 

They're super sweet together, and I adore the way they start to catch feelings for each other.

Bubba's always been straight, but suddenly he finds himself interested in Sean. Yay, a GFY romance! Love this! Sexual awakening is always a fun read.

The two don't have a lot in common on paper, but end up having plenty to talk about, and complement one another well. Best of all though is the way they help one another. They both need to stop letting others define what they can and can't do. Sean wants to get fit to prove he can be fit and smart. And Bubba wants to be more than a mechanic. This aspect is beautiful. I don't want to spoil anything, but I absolutely love everything about this element. 

Their tale includes some fun first times for both men, as Bubba has never been with a guy before, and Sean's a virgin. Oh, so much fun. Love these scenes, as they're hot and also sweet and funny, which is appropriate for these two.  

I love the group of friends in this story. But, damn, some of the family issues leave you hating both men's families. 

The writing is wonderful, with charming characters, an entertaining storyline, and a flawless flow. I love the journey throughout this story. Unlike many of the sports romances you will find out there, there is no real struggle with coming out or homophobia. There is some angst though, but all due to some outside factors. 

Overall, Coaching the Nerd is a beautiful story. This Eli Easton and Tara Lain romance is a must read if you enjoy college romances. I love everything about it. If you enjoy some good character growth, you'll love this story. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series. 

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Special Release Tour Excerpt:

I managed to get upstairs at the Sigma Mu Tau house without encountering anyone or having to explain why I was covered in mud. I took a shower, using soap to clean a scraped area on my knee and palm, applied antibiotic from my first aid kit, and put on some comfy PJs.

Then I sat on my bed. My roommate, Dobbs, was out. I should study, but I didn’t.

It had started to rain again, and I stared out the window, unable to get certain words out of my head.

“Well, I sure as hell hope not. Because if you were stupid on top of that, you sure would have been dealt a raw deal in life.”

That being my body, which was woefully pale, weak, and pathetic, like the guy who gets sand kicked in his face in those famous old Jack LaLane ads. That was the objective truth, so why should Bubba’s words hurt me? He hadn’t even been mean. He’d been nice to me, in fact.

Did that make it worse? Possibly.

Well, of course I was out of shape! Why did he think I volunteered to play ridiculous flag football in the first place? Yes, I wanted to help my fraternity meet Dean Robberts requirements so our house didn’t get closed. The dean told my frat, the Sigma Mu Taus, that we had to have two of our guys on the Alpha Lambda Alpha flag-football team to prove we could all work together or he’d shut us down. Of course, I wasn’t going to let that happen. But mostly, I volunteered because it gave me a chance to get in shape. I mean, those ALAs were buff. They were gorgeous, and I figured some of that could rub off on me.

I was a senior. It was February. I only had a few months left of my undergrad years. And I was still a virgin. I’d spent my high school years taking advanced classes and having no social life. My social life now consisted of role-playing games, video games, and watching TV with my SMT housemates.

I knew where I was going in life. My parents were both geneticists. They worked for the same company—that was how they met. Genome sequencing. They were bright and dedicated. They worked long hours at their research. That would be my life too. But before that, until then, I wanted to… to….

To live a little. I wanted to step outside the box, do something un-Sean McKinney-like. I wanted to party, to ride in fast cars, to have wild-and-crazy sex.

Or any sex!

And to achieve that goal, I needed to be more attractive. Hell, I wouldn’t want to have sex with the limp noddle physique I saw in the bathroom mirror. I desperately wanted to increase my hotness factor. That’s why I’d made it my one and only New Year’s resolution to get fit.

My palm stung. I pulled back the dressing to peek at it, and my stubborn streak kicked in.

Screw you, Alpha Lambda Alpha, you A-hoes. If you think a little scrape is going to discourage me, you’ve got another thing coming. I will play flag football. And I’ll get in shape, too, because I am going to get laid!

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Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of Schooling the Jock, Eli & Tara are giving away a $20 Amazon Voucher.

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57139/?

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About Eli:

Coming from a background in computer game design, Eli has written over 35 books in m/m romance since 2013. The Mating of Michael (2014) and A Second Harvest (2016) both won The William Neale Award for Best Gay Contemporary Romance, and Eli’s books have won many awards from the Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s Reader’s Choice Awards. She is best known for her Christmas romances, the Howl at the Moon series of rom coms featuring dog shifters, and her Sex in Seattle series, which revolves around a sex clinic in Seattle.

Connect with Eli:
www.elieaston.com
Facebook: Eli Easton
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/164054884188096
Twitter: @elieaston

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About the Author:

Tara Lain believes in happy ever afters - and magic. Same thing. In fact, she says, she doesn't believe, she knows. Tara shares this passion in her stories that star her unique, charismatic heroes and adventurous heroines. Quarterbacks and cops, werewolves and witches, blue collar or billionaires, Tara's characters, readers say, love deeply, resolve seemingly insurmountable differences, and ultimately live their lives authentically. After many years living in southern California, Tara, her soulmate honey and her soulmate dog decided they wanted less cars and more trees, prompting a move to Ashland, Oregon where Tara's creating new stories and loving living in a small town with big culture. Tara loves animals of all kinds (even snakes), diversity, open minds, coconut crunch ice cream from Zoeys, and her readers.

She has around 57 books published or scheduled for publication.

Connect with Tara:
Website: https://taralain.com/
Facebook Reader's Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/255111391312743
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taralain/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/taralain
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taralainauthor/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/tara-lain

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