Snowed (Boston Rebels #3) by R.J. Scott & V.L. Locey

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

A second chance at love is all Kyle wants for Christmas, but a dark menace from his past wants him dead, and love is second to staying alive.

Kyle Lourenco has carved out a comfortable life and career for himself in Boston. With the holidays quickly approaching, he’s heading home for the first time in several years. Home to his loving parents and the small Canadian town where he was raised. And home to Christian, his best friend and the first man to steal his heart.

Just as a winter storm begins to blow in, it forces Kyle off the road only miles from home and a dark and sinister force from his past creeps ever closer. His only hope is getting to Christian’s cabin before the evil that has haunted him for years finally catches up to him.

Best friends since they were three, Christian Gauthier grew up next door to Kyle, in a remote mountain town with one stoplight and a forty-mile round trip to the nearest school. When Kyle left town for a shot at a professional hockey career, he took Christian’s heart with him. Even though he knew Kyle was always destined for bigger things, it hadn’t stopped Christian from falling for him as soon as he knew what love was.

With Christmas coming soon and a major snowstorm heading their way, Christian shuts the doors to the family store and heads to his cabin, where he will be on standby as an official volunteer for Search and Rescue. He has never regretted staying in Eagle Ridge, but a near miss on a simple rescue leads him to reevaluate everything, and when Kyle ends up at his door, he knows that guarding his heart might not be the best solution after all.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Snowed in the third book in the Boston Rebels series. This RJ Scott and VL Locey story is a great addition to this hockey world. 

This one has me surprised at the start with a complete change of pace from their usual stories. Kyle is a hockey player but that's about all you'll find about sports in this one. 

This is a tale with forced proximity, second chances, danger, and a murder mystery. I definitely wasn't expecting that. 

I love and adore the relationship between Kyle and Christian. Each are well rounded, with plenty of hurt and fears. I'm in awe of how much these two have gone through and yet how much they still love each other. 

Kyle's past that has led to his ongoing terrors is tough to read. One can't help but to want to help this man find closure. Best of all though is the way it's all written. You can feel his pain and anxiety throughout. His pain becomes your pain. 

Snowed is a riveting second chance romance by RJ Scott and VL Locey. These characters will win you over quickly, delight you with their feelings for one another, and keep you on your toes when the danger strikes. This book is perfect the next time you are in the mood for angst and danger entwined with a beautiful love story. 

RELEASE BLITZ, EXCERPT & REVIEW - MF - Doubletalk (Busy Bean #6) by Teralyn Mitchell

 

DOUBLETALK BY TERALYN MITCHELL

Release Date: September 13, 2021

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://geni.us/DoubletalkAmazon

Apple: https://geni.us/DoubletalkApple

Kobo: https://geni.us/DoubletalkKobo

Nook: https://geni.us/DoubletalkNook

Google: https://geni.us/DoubletalkGoogle

All the links in one spot: https://shor.by/busy-bean

Add to Goodreads here: http://bit.ly/2MFT3pU

Series page: https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/busy-bean/

Cover Design: Elle Maxwell Designs

Basketball has always been his one love, until now . . .

Zeke Armstrong never imagined he’d be back in Vermont, but here he is, living in Colebury and trying to rehab an injury that could mean an early retirement from pro basketball. Running into his former classmate, Mallory Barrett, shouldn’t be a distraction. It shouldn’t mean anything, so why is he accidentally on purpose showing up at the coffee shop where the beautiful writer spends her time?

Mallory Barrett has met a guy. Well, she hasn’t met him yet, except for on the dating app she almost refused to download. “Coby” sparks her interest and gets her jokes--and gives the romance-novel heroes she loves so much a full-court run for their money. When their first date doesn’t work out, she decides to give him another shot . . . just as a man she despises reenters her life. While her interest in the mystery man on the app grows, she clashes constantly with Zeke in real life. She can’t forgive him for humiliating her in high school, yet she can’t deny she’s drawn to him now.

She’s somehow gone from confirmed bachelorette to the tie-breaker between two men.  Meanwhile Zeke has a secret--one that will cost him the game if Mallory finds out . .

My Rating - 3.5 Stars!

Doubletalk is Teralyn Mitchell's contribution to the Busy Bean series. Each book in this multi-author series is a standalone. 

Zeke is an NBA player who's back in Vermont while healing from an injury. His future is up in the air as he doesn't know if he can make it back into the game. 

While home he gets to see his former best friend, Mallory, for the first time in years. There's plenty of emotion between them, as things got between them and they carry pain and hurt. 

Both characters are at a roadblock with their careers. As Zeke struggles with his injury, Mallory's struggling with her writer's block. 

This is a story with a lot of explanations and forgiveness. I enjoyed the characters and their journey, but I struggled to always stay connected to them. It's a story with an online dating app and a long carried secret that looms overheard for way too long. The storyline is promising, but I just don't love the way it's all executed.

Doubletalk is a nice addition to this small town world. But this Teralyn Mitchell book isn't my favorite in the series. 

She didn’t wait for me to say anything else, spinning on her heels and heading for the nearest store or restaurant where she could sit down. I chuckled and turned to head in the other direction. A hard wall of muscle made me stumble. Two strong hands gripped my upper arms. I looked up to see who had saved me from falling and who I needed to thank. The need to be polite shriveled and died when I saw that it was Zeke holding onto my arms.

“Are you okay?”

The combination of his deep voice and his hands on me caused me to shiver. I shook him off. What the hell? Why was I always reacting to him? I didn’t like him or his stupid good looks. I crossed my arms over my stomach.

“Why are you always where I am?” I snapped.

“Small town?”

“We’re in Burlington.”

“Still small, Ror. You also don’t have a monopoly on all things Vermont.”

I rolled my eyes. He had me there. “So, you’re telling me you normally wander the Marketplace on a cold Sunday?”

“When I have something to do, I wander around,” he said. “And maybe Stacey texted me and told me the two of you would be here.”

I clenched my teeth. Of course, she told him we’d be here. She went out of her way to make my life hell. So even though today had been about me getting her back, somehow, she’d figured out how to stick it to me too. I mean, not really. It’d probably been innocent, but I was going to blame her anyway.

It was frustrating to continuously run into Zeke. He had a point about it being a small town. This was what I dreaded when I realized he was back in Vermont and living in the town I now called home.

“You and Stacey talk often?”

The smirk on his full lips made me narrow my eyes at him. I hugged myself tighter as my stomach clenched. A tingle down below, that I was not acknowledging, had me pursing my lips. Why did he have to be so goddamn handsome? I was sure women fell all over themselves when he smiled at them like he was smiling at me right now. Especially when that dimple in his left cheek popped, but I wasn’t going to. Delight danced in his hooded light brown eyes. His sharp jawline was sprinkled with hair that looked good on him; it wasn’t a full beard but cut close to his skin. Not that I was looking, or rather, staring.

“Jealous?”

I groaned. “Not even a little, but I do want to have the facts right when I confront her about divulging my location to the enemy.”

He let out a deep laugh. “You’ve always been a bit of a drama queen,” he teased. “Stace and I exchanged numbers the last time we happened to be at the Busy Bean. We’ve only talked a few times.”

“Whatever.” I was done with this conversation and being around him.

I started walking, only for him to fall into step beside me. I let him walk beside me for a few minutes before I couldn’t resist saying something.

“Can I help you?”

“I don’t think so, unless you work at Burlington Records.”

“That’s where you’re going?” I asked.

“Yep.”

RELEASE BLITZ, EXCERPT & REVIEW - Stronghold (Vino & Veritas #14) by Ana Ashley

 

STRONGHOLD BY ANA ASHLEY

Purchase here → https://geni.us/AmazonStronghold

Add to Goodreads → https://bit.ly/3bW1VlY

Series Page → https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/vino-and-veritas/

 

The last place Judson wants to be is back home in Burlington, living with his mother. Not so long ago he was a world-class chef with the lifestyle to prove it. Now he’s serving drinks and flying under the radar until he can get the hell out again. But when his childhood best friend reenters his life, looking finer than any entree at a Michelin five-star restaurant, he wonders if it’s time to update his menu of life choices. 

Working through past wounds with Skyler won’t be easy, though--especially with a reality-show television camera following (not quite) their every move. When their loyalty is tested, will their newly built stronghold be sturdy enough to withstand the storm? 

Stronghold is a sweet and sexy romance for childhood friends to lovers, with some creative use of maple syrup and a TV crew determined to keep appearing out of nowhere.

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Stronghold is the fourteenth book in the Vino & Veritas series. This is Ana Ashley's contribution to the multi author series, and it's easily read as a standalone. 

This one started a little slow for me. But, Judson and Sky's story is a delightful one. They get a second chance at love when Judson returns home. 

It takes a little while to fully understand what went wrong in their past, but I enjoy that it's a natural mistake that sent them going separate ways.

These two are hot together, with a great connection in and out of bed. 

The small town setting is great, easily fitting into the rest of the series. The secondary characters are nice and the mothers are wonderful. 

Stronghold is great addition to this small town world. This Ana Ashley second chance romance will leave you charmed and happy. 

"If you've got your flirting game on, the new bartender is H.O.T.," Wyatt says.

I look at Carter, who nods. "He has this sexy kind of European vibe going on."

And now I know how their earlier conversation got started.

I scan the bar but don't see anyone I don't already know. Then again, it's pretty busy out there.

Someone steps away from the bar area with a tray of drinks, and I immediately take their place. All the bartenders are busy, so I look around to inspect this evening's crowd.

A glass breaks somewhere behind the bar, taking my attention from the crowd waiting to be served to the clumsy bartender on the far end from where I'm standing.

He must be the new guy because I know I'd recognize that ass if I'd seen it before. Scrap that. I'd have tapped it. My eyes scan the rest of him, taking the time to appreciate his slim body from behind.

His dark jeans hug his ass perfectly, and his thighs…damn, those thighs look strong and…fuck. My dick responds to the way he moves as he's crouching to pick up the glass from the floor.

The dark button-down shirt is loose on him, and I wonder if it's a standard V&V-issued shirt because a guy that wears those jeans wouldn’t possibly choose to wear anything but a fitted shirt.

He washes his hands after disposing of the glass and then runs them through his dark-blond hair. I wonder if, in the light of day, his hair is actually a lighter shade.

Turn around, baby. Let me see your face.

And as if the god of horny gay single men is listening to my prayers, the guy turns around. He looks flustered and annoyed.

There's something about him I can't put my finger on, but it doesn't take me long to figure out what it is. Why he looks so familiar.

When he looks up, and his eyes meet mine, my body locks up in shock. I close my eyes and open them again because this isn't happening. I must be dreaming while awake.

I smile, wanting to jump over the counter to touch him. It’s the only way to be sure, but he looks as though he's seen a ghost.

One of the other bartenders bumps against him, making him jolt and take a side step.

I smile at him, and that's when I see the very slight shake of his head as I call to him before he runs to the staff area behind the bar.

"Jud!"

RELEASE BLITZ, EXCERPT, GIVEAWAY & REVIEW - Fire In the Ice by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood

 

Title: Fire in the Ice

Author: Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood

Publisher: Wainscott Press

Release Date: May 14, 2021

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 81,000 words

Genre: Romance, Gay Romance, MM Romance, Gay Hockey Romance, Gay Sports Romance, New Adult Gay Romance

Add to Goodreads

What if love threatened to destroy everything you’d worked for?

Hockey right winger Tyler Jensen isn’t thrilled to get the news he’s been traded to the Bethesda Barracudas. The team may be red-hot in the rankings, but there’s someone there he’d rather not have to see every day.

Defenseman Kevin Moore is one of the top-rated rookies in the country. He’s living the dream playing for the Barracudas—until he hears that his old high-school crush Tyler is joining the team. Ty was once everything Kev wanted, but their age difference got in the way. Tyler decided a three-year gap was too much and left Kevin behind.

In Bethesda, Tyler doesn’t take long to notice that Kevin has grown up into precisely the kind of man he can’t resist—brawny, brainy, and beautiful. Kev feels the pull too, and as the men become closer, they work hard to keep their budding relationship secret. Professional hockey may be welcoming gay players now, but Ty and Kev aren’t sure management would like the idea of two Barracudas taking teamwork to an entirely new level.

As the playoffs loom, news of their romance gets out. Ty and Kev, caught in a storm of controversy that threatens to destroy them, need a power play to save their careers. How will they find one before it’s too late?

Fire in the Ice delivers on the promise that second chances can work and dreams can come true. If you like exciting hockey, plenty of humor, a beautiful HEA, new adults, young athletes, and enough heat to burn down the house, this book is for you.

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My Rating - 5 Stars!

Fire in the Ice is a fantastic hockey romance by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood. 

From the first page, I was hooked. Yes, I am biased because I adore sports romances. But this one is easy to fall into completely. 

Tyler and Kevin are new teammates with a messy and complicated past. With things keeping them at a distance, they reunite with awkward and tension filled moments. Dear lord, the emotions that eventually come out about their past, them losing touch, and them admitting everything, jump off the pages. It's both heartbreaking and beautiful. I love every single moment of this.

God, I really, really love this book. I love them overcoming their pasts, and yet then having to face new issues. 

The men make for a wonderful couple. They are truly meant to be together. And I love the ending!

Fire in the Ice is a must read when you're in the mood for two teammates falling in love and all that involves. I love this book. I love this couple. And I love this series. I can't wait to see what Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood come up with next. 

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Fire in the Ice
A Novel by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Copyright © 2021 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood. All Rights Reserved.

The fire alarm went off! I sat bolt upright, my heart pounding like a bass drum and the soaring panic making it hard to breathe. Just as I threw a leg over the side of the bed, I realized I didn’t know where the door was. Hell, I couldn’t even remember what city we were in. Sweat ran into my eyes, and I called for Thompson, my roommate. He didn’t answer. Had he run for safety and left me sleeping?

I finally came around enough to realize the noise wasn’t the fire alarm—it was the alarm on my phone. Thompson wasn’t there because we weren’t on a road trip. In fact, he and I weren’t even on the same team anymore. The Seattle Cohos had traded me, and I was a Bethesda-fuckin-Barracuda now. Woo-hoo! The fact that I had a terrible crush on one of my new teammates, who definitely did not return the feelings, made my new life a thrilling prospect. I wondered if there was any chance Kevin might change his mind and give me a chance. Doubtful, after what happened last fall.

It was way too early to get up, and I stretched my way through a big yawn. I’d flown to DC with Birky Ferrell, my teammate who had also been traded, and we didn’t get into town until about eleven the night before. That had only been eight p.m. Seattle time, so I didn’t fall asleep for hours. According to my phone, it was currently seven a.m. in Washington, and I was due in Bethesda by eight thirty. Time to get my ass out of bed and into the shower.

Lucky me, I had a whole new team to get to know. Too bad they’d played in Seattle only ten days earlier, and I’d gotten into it with one of their defensemen, Pierre Gagné. The rest of the game hadn’t exactly been friendly between the Barracudas and me, and I didn’t know what kind of reception to expect at Cuda Arena. I hoped they’d be in the mood to let bygones be bygones.

An hour later, Birky and I were in an Uber creeping its way through rush-hour traffic toward Bethesda. Bob Shuford, the head coach, wanted to see us before our first practice with the team. I studied Birky’s profile while he looked out the window. His craggy face was handsome, and he wore his brown hair in a crew cut. Birky was an enforcer, so he got into his share of brawls, and a few scars gave his face character.

He turned his attention away from the street. “You nervous?”

“No more than you.”

“We’ll be fine. They’re lucky to have us. You heard they made Johnson captain?”

“Yeah, I saw that last night.”

Birky shifted in his seat, so he could see me. “You know him, right? I’ve seen you two talking when the teams played each other.”

“We went to prep school together at St. Mark’s.” I took a deep breath and leaned back in the seat. Nick and I had so much more than gone to prep school together, but that was a lifetime ago. For five of the last seven years, we’d only been friends from a distance.

“Seems like a good guy.”

I smiled. “Nick is one of the nicest men you’ll ever meet. Best thing they could have done, making him captain. He was team captain in high school, and he’s a born leader.”

“Sounds like what they needed. Keefer’s an ass.”

“You’re almost right.”

He cocked his head.

“Nick as captain is what we need, Birky. We’re Barracudas now.”

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Purchase

Amazon US | Universal | Bookbub

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Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and share their home with a big, cuddly German shepherd. Ryan and Josh enjoy travel, friends, and advocating for causes dear to their hearts. Ryan also loves to swim, and Josh likes to putter in the garden whenever he can. The romance they were so lucky to find with each other inspires their stories about love between out and proud men.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail | Instagram | Bookbub

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A Pinch of Mystery (Greywood's Second Chances #1) by Lula Duval

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

An enemies-to-lovers, former best friends, second chance love story.

CODEY:
I still have it bad for Fallon Brown, even though he probably hired a hitman the minute he heard I was back in town.

My life is a mess. My brother ran away and left me in charge of our sick dad. My best friend Fallon, a.k.a. the love of my life I betrayed years ago, hates my guts. To top it all off, I’m broke. The only way for me to give my father the medical help he needs is to sell Harold Cronunberg’s house: the biggest, fanciest house on the market. Unfortunately, to do that, I’d have to double-cross Fallon once again. And this time, I could lose him forever.

FALLON:
Codey F*cking Fellini is back in Greywood, and he wants to steal my house? Hell no.

Apparently, it wasn’t enough for the barbarian to shatter my heart into pieces twelve years ago. No, he needed to show up unannounced to ruin my life again. Well, I, Fallon Benjamin Williams Brown, will make sure this doesn’t happen. I am Greywood’s official realtor. This snack of a man is going to stay as far away as possible from me, my heart, and what’s in my pants… and the house, too.

A Pinch of Mystery is the first installment in the new series: Greywood’s Second Chances. The series will follow Fallon and Codey as they give their love, their lives, and themselves a second chance.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

A Pinch of Mystery is the first book in the Greywood's Second Chances series. It's the cutest, sweetest, funniest, small town cozy mystery series. 

Codey and Fallen get a second chance at romance when Codey returns home. The two dated in the past but left things on a bad note. Now they're reunited and are both realtors who are competing for a listing. Love the enemies to lovers and rivals aspect.

What follows is a feel good small town cozy murder mystery, as the two men also fall in love. 

I am not a big fan of cozy mysteries, but this one is absolutely delightful. The men and their story take second place to me, with the town and the craziness of everything being the highlight. 

That said, the romance is cute, with a great ending. 

The writing style is easy to read and completely humorous. You have to love when an author can make a murder mystery delightful. But the towns' people, as well as the couple, provide constant humor. 

Everything about A Pinch of Mystery is fabulous. I love Lula Duval's light-hearted tone and the constant humor, as well as the banter and sass. This two story collection is an absolute delight, which I highly recommend.

Web of Lies (The Goode Life #2) by Isla Olsen

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

Jesse

My little brother is getting married and I couldn’t be happier…

Well, maybe I could if I hadn’t just been dumped by the boyfriend I thought was about to propose, kicked out of my New York apartment, and, worst of all, lost one of the pediatric patients under my care at the hospital where I work as a nurse.

With the current sh*tstorm that is my life, who could blame me for going a little overboard on the cocktails at the bachelor weekend in Vegas?

Me. I could blame me. Especially when I wake up with the hangover from hell and the memory of marrying my arch-nemesis, Webster Goode, in a ceremony caught on camera by the reality show Real Vegas Weddings.

There’s only one clear path forward: get through my brother’s wedding, get an annulment, and get back to New York and my normal life. All without anyone finding out what Web and I did in Vegas.

But it turns out correcting that big mistake won’t be as easy as I’d first thought, and keeping our secret from the Finchley gossip machine could be damn near impossible…

The truth is, the more time I spend with Web, the more I start to realize there might be a very thin line between love and hate…

Come visit Finchley, CA, where the sun’s always shining, the locals are always gossiping, and you won’t walk two steps without bumping into a member of the Goode family. If you’re lucky, you might find gold; or, even better…true love. 

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

Web of Lies is the second book in Isla Olsen's The Goode Life series. And wow, what a fabulous series it is so far!

Jesse and his former friend Webster have an ugly history. Current enemies, they still have had to deal with their families being friends. But, oh how I adore the way everything develops between the two, even if it's all a little ridiculous. Hell, I'm not even sure what to say about what happens in Vegas. But I certainly don't hate it.

The big "aha!" moment seemed a little strange in it's timing, but I don't care. It's all cute and sweet. 

The men are certainly great together, full of attitude and strangely never fighting it out. They banter and argue but never yell about their pasts. Instead, we get their stubborn sides that puts them in some crazy situations. 

As for the sex, oh boy, it's hot! They certainly have chemistry in spades. 

Jesse. Sweet Jesse. I love the nurse side of Jesse. As a pediatric nurse, I love how he cares for his patients. 

And oh dear lord. The facebook posts, the texts, and chats are hysterical. This family is fabulous. I love it all. The Goode family keeps me delighted throughout. Everything about them make me smile.

Overall, Web of Lies is an amazing addition to this series. Isla Olsen once again leaves me smiling and laughing throughout. I can't wait to see what happens next.