Bear Best Friend: A Sweet Christmas Gay Romance by Liam Livings

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Blurb

Dan proves too camp for his boyfriend Tom and is single once more. Burly bear Brian is relieved Dan’s finally rid of Tom-the-bully.

Snowed into a cottage over Christmas, emotions reach boiling point. With the help of no-nonsense best friends, time apart, lots of gin and sadness, and two huge leaps of faith, they begin a bumpy journey from friends to lovers.

Bear Best Friend is a sweet opposites attract, friends to lovers stand-alone gay romance novella about learning to love yourself and finding the special someone who appreciates you for being you.

Review 

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

Liam Living's Bear Best Friend is a fantastic Christmas romance. I love and adore best friends falling in love and this one totally satisfies that craving.

Dan's a broken man, struggling to figure out who he is. Having been in an abusive relationship, he's not able to just step into another one. I love his doubts and his desire to figure out who he is. This part is so darn realistic and appropriate, as well as emotional to read. 

This is a tender story of healing and love; a tale of not seeing what's right in front of you. If you're a fan a friends to lovers romances, you'll definitely enjoy this one. 

I love Dan's femme side and having him fall for his bear of a best friend Brian is downright delicious. Brian's acceptance of Dan for who he is makes for a wonderful story. Hell, he likes to help him pick out heels. Oh hell yes!

I love Bear Best Friend. Not only is it a beautiful friends to lovers tale, it also has a whole lot of Christmas charm. Add in some angst and it makes for a fabulous holiday read.

Battered and Bruised, but Not Broken by T.L. Travis & Piper Kay

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Blurb

Battered & bruised, but not broken is an erotic, male/male, gay romance novel. It’s the culmination of two lost souls finding what they didn’t know they were looking for.

Hunter is an ex-con, always in the wrong place at the worst times which is how he landed in prison. He’s looking to start anew when in walks Elliott.

Timid and sheltered Elliott has his life in order. Or so he thinks, that is until Hunter introduces him to a whole new world.

Both are battling past demons, but what happens when their worlds collide?

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Battered and Bruised, but Not Broken is an exquisite tale. TL Travis and Piper Kay have completely wowed me. 

Hunter, and ex con who's on parole, is struck dumb when he first sees Elliott. The attraction is immediate and strong. After a hot hook-up, they meet again when Hunter applies for a job.

Their story is full of extreme heartache, as well as many heartfelt moments. They experience considerable pain and hurt and each has scars that bear the weight of their past. 

Hunter is an amazing character. As he's falling for Elliott, he's terrified to reveal his past. He's afraid of rejection, as no one ever stays. Elliott is stunning and marvelous character. At 23, he's still a virgin. He's also suffered tremendous amount of pain in his past. 

The couple fall hard and fast. Each has a lot of secrets to unveil, and a lot of scars to explain. First though, Elliott needs to break through Hunter's walls.  

I love that Hunter and Elliott learn to trust one another. In fact, at the beginning, they place an enormous amount of trust in each other physically. It takes longer for the trust to be placed in other ways. 

Battered and Bruised, but Not Broken hits on the importance and power of finding someone who loves who unconditionally. It's a tender story of pain, love, and acceptance. I highly recommend it.

Duet (Upstaged #3) by S.L. Danielson & Cheryl Headford

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Blurb

Vince and Billy are getting married. All their friends will be there, so it’s bound to be exciting. Add in some family members who may, or may not, be associated with the Mafia, Connor’s new boyfriend—who is a complete ass—and Vince’s cousin, Angel, heir to the family business but far more suited to life in a small village in rural Italy, and you have an explosive mix that will challenge all the friends to the mix.

Review 

My Rating - 5  Stars!

Duet is the third book in the Upstaged series by SL Danielson and Cheryl Headford. And it's just as wonderful as the previous books.

We get the same fantastic group of guys, who are just so damn fun.

In this novel, we follow along as everyone attends Vince and Billy's wedding. They all have to deal with Connor's new boyfriend who they don't like. Angel's in pain as he's fighting his past, and Connor's the one who makes Angel feel safe. All this leads to a great story.


This story is long, but quick. Don't blink or you will miss something. This is the same writing style as the previous books. They go fast and contain an awful lot!

Overall, Duet is a riveting story of the power of friendship. I am thrilled that SL Danielson and Cheryl Headford have added to this series.



Be sure to check out my reviews of the first two books in the Upstaged series.


Book 1 - Opening Act
Book 2 - Waiting In The Wings

Rend (Riven #2) by Roan Parrish

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Blurb

After a whirlwind romance, a man with a painful past learns to trust the musician who makes him believe in happy endings.

Matt Argento knows what it feels like to be alone. After a childhood of abandonment, he never imagined someone might love him—much less someone like Rhys Nyland, who has the voice of an angel, the looks of a god, and the worship of his fans.

Matt and Rhys come from different worlds, but when they meet, their chemistry is incendiary. Their romance is unexpected, intense, and forever—at least, that’s what their vows promise. Suddenly, Matt finds himself living a life he never thought possible: safe and secure in the arms of a man who feels like home. But when Rhys leaves to go on tour for his new album, Matt finds himself haunted by the ghosts of his past.

When Rhys returns, he finds Matt twisted by doubt. But Rhys loves Matt fiercely, and he’ll go to hell and back to triumph over Matt’s fears. After secrets are revealed and desires are confessed, Rhys and Matt must learn to trust each other if they’re going to make it. That means they have to fall in love all over again—and this time, it really will be forever.

Roan Parrish’s pitch-perfect Riven novels can be read together or separately:
RIVEN | REND

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Wow! Rend, by Roan Parrish, is an absolute page turner. This story is romantic, powerful and absolutely amazing, as well as extremely complex.

What Matt expects to be just a hook-up with Rhys, ends up being a magical night of really getting to know one another. 

Matt and Rhys fall in love quickly, leading to what is essentially an all encompassing love story between a married couple, as they navigate Rhys' success, traveling, and family issues.

From the start, Rhys is one of the most wonderful book boyfriends ever. He's loving, deep, gentle and extremely caring. He's simply calm and confident. He is everything Matt needs.

Matt, meanwhile, is full of self-doubts and can't understand what Rhys even sees in him. Having been abandoned by his mother, Matt assumes he's unworthy of love. He expects everyone to leave him. 

After a whirlwind marriage, the two are now struggling with Matt's abandonment issues. Their connection is strong and absolutely beautiful, but Matt is still left drowning in his insecurities and loneliness while Rhys is on the road. There are many emotional moments that will leave you sobbing.

I found one of the most intense moments to be when Matt uses Rhys's weight on top of him to ground him. The fact that Matt needs Rhys' physical weight to remind him that Rhys is there, shows just how wounded Matt is.

Overall, Rend is a story full of true love and yet so full of despair. It's a tremendous tale of a broken man who feels unworthy of love trying to survive. As with Riven, the writing style is strong and captivating, and I can't recommend these books enough!

MF - In Harmony by Emma Scott

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Blurb

The root of all madness is an unbearable truth…At seventeen, Willow Holloway’s life was torn apart. The happy, driven girl is gone, and she is left wracked by post-traumatic stress her body remembers even if she does not. When her father suddenly uproots the family from their posh penthouse in New York City to the tiny town of Harmony, Indiana, Willow becomes more untethered and lost under the weight of her secret. On a whim, she auditions for a part in the community theater’s production of Hamlet and unexpectedly wins the role of Ophelia—the girl who is undone by madness, and her love of Hamlet…

Isaac Pearce is from the ‘wrong side of the tracks.’ The town bad boy. Girls pine for his attention and guys are in awe of him. That he’s an acting prodigy only adds to his charisma. Isaac utterly disappears into his characters; the stage is the only place he feels safe from his own traumatic home life. He wants nothing more than to escape to Broadway or Hollywood and leave Harmony behind for good.

No one can play Hamlet but Isaac, and when the director pairs him with Willow in acting class, they clash again and again—neither willing to open their hearts to anyone. But clashing leads to breaking, breaking leads to the spilling of terrible secrets, and soon Isaac and Willow find Shakespeare’s words mirroring their lives. When they are cruelly torn apart, neither know how this play will end—with madness and heartache? Or healing, love, and the discovery of who they are truly meant to be.

In Harmony is a standalone YOUNG ADULT/NEW ADULT love story, and is intended for readers 18 and up. PLEASE NOTE, this book contains sensitive material such as physical abuse, and the aftermath of sexual assault (off the page). Reader discretion is advised.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

In Harmony is a complex and interesting read by Emma Scott.

Willow is stuck moving to Harmony during her senior year of high school. Her parents have been worried about her, as she has totally changed recently, withdrawing from all her friends, and they don't know why.

Ends up that Willow was raped. She hasn't told anyone and the pain and suffering are slowly killing her. As Willow would say, she's lost in the darkness.

This part is written in an exceptional manner, told spectacularly and in a completely riveting manner. The way that the darkness is used as a description for her depression is accomplished. 

In Harmony, Willow meets Isaac, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks who has a bad reputation. Isaac is a wonderfully complex character who's been extremely hardened by his experiences. His backstory is well developed, and the symbolism of his silence is perfectly executed. 

As for their relationship, somehow they both help each other to slowly open up again. Isaac starts talking to her, and befriends her, which is something he never does. Willow starts to heal, with the help of Isaac and her friends. They all start to slowly pull Willow out of her darkness, as they help her change her thinking and values.

The author does an outstanding job of having Willow and Isaac paralleling their characters in their Shakespeare play. It's impressive, thought-provoking and down-right wonderful.

Overall, their story is one of the power and privilege that's afforded to the wealthy versus the prejudice and lack of control of the poor.

Willow and Isaac have a strong love that manages to heal two extremely broken hearts, helping them to find strength within themselves and the meaning in their lives. 

In Harmony is absolutely superb. These two characters are so well told, and their story is absolutely amazing. Emma Scott does an exquisite job with this story. It has excellent character and story development, complicated characters who are so damn lovable, and a whole lot of heart. I love this book!

Inside Darkness by Hudson Lin

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Blurb

He’s come in from the field, but the darkness has followed him home.

After a decade as an aid worker, Cameron Donnelly returns home jaded, tired, and with more than just a minor case of PTSD. Plagued by recurring nightmares but refusing to admit he has a problem, Cam quickly spirals into an alcohol-infused depression, and everyone around him is at a loss for how to help.

Journalist Tyler Ang met Cam on a reporting assignment in Kenya, and their first encounters were rife with hostility and sexual tension. Back in New York, their paths continually cross, and each time, Cam’s brokenness reminds Ty more and more of his own difficult childhood. Letting Cam in goes against Ty’s instinct to live life autonomously, but the damaged aid worker manages to sneak past his guard.

Their relationship is all sharp corners and rough edges, and just as they’re figuring out how to fit together, a life-threatening accident puts it all in jeopardy. If they want a future together, both will have to set aside their egos and learn to carry each other’s burdens.

Review 

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Inside Darkness is just that, a look into the darkness that surrounds Cameron, as he's lost in his memories.

Cameron's been working in a refugee camp and it's slowly killing him. Not only is it tough to see all that he does, it's also getting more and more difficult for him to stay closeted. 

We get a good glimpse into the horror of being gay in a place where homosexuality is not allowed. It's gut wrenching to know how cruel the world really is.

Cameron meets Tyler right before it's time for him to return home. After ten years as an aid worker, Cameron struggles to re-integrate into the real world. Without Tyler's help, Cameron won't survive. It's absolutely beautiful and emotional the way that Tyler's touch grounds Cameron and eases his nightmares. I love this part.

Cameron's story is one of healing, of strength. Cameron is an extremely complex character, who will only heal, and survive, with the help of the man he loves. 

Overall, Inside Darkness is a story of a man who is completely broken and lost, after losing his innocence in the field. Hudson Lin has excelled in creating this fragile character. He's well developed and his story is an emotional rollercoaster. I am thrilled to have found this book.