REVIEW Tour - Kiss Me Again by Garrett Leigh

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link - Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow With Kindle Unlimited

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

Length: 227 pages

Goodreads Link

Blurb

Tree surgeon Aidan Drummond is content with his own company. He works alone, and lives alone, and it doesn’t occur to him to want anything else until a life-changing accident lands him in hospital. Then a glimpse of the beautiful boy in the opposite bed changes everything.

Ludo Giordano is trapped on the ward with a bunch of old men. His mind plays tricks on him, keeping him awake. Then late one night, a new face brings a welcome distraction. Their unlikely friendship is addictive. And, like most things in Ludo’s life, temporary.

Back in the real world, Aidan’s monochrome existence is no longer enough. He craves the colour Ludo brought him, and when a chance meeting brings them back together, before long, they’re inseparable again.

But bliss comes with complications. Aidan is on the road to recovery, but Ludo has been unwell his entire life, and that’s not going to change. Aidan can kiss him as much as he likes, but if he can’t help Ludo when he needs him most, they don’t stand a chance.

"Kiss Me Again is a deliciously tender and prickly romance about the intimacy that comes with acceptance. Ludo and Aidan accept and love each other for exactly who they are—complications, injuries, mental health issues, moods—and I loved them for it." -- Roan Parish

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Garrett Leigh's Kiss Me Again is a heart-warming, yet pensive novel.

After a fall leaves Aidan injured, scarred, and left immobile in the hospital, he meets Ludo. The two men have a quick and sudden connection. What follows is a powerful love story.

It's a tender tale of mental illness, as Ludo is bipolar. This look into living with bipolar disease, as well as living with a bipolar person, is written with knowledge and care. It's a strong theme and will definitely bring out all the emotions. 

Their story is messy, complicated, and full of ups and downs. Riveting and compelling, Aidan and Ludo will affect you and leave a lasting impression.

My favorite quote is  "And there's the problem I've always had with living things . . . people, animals, whichever. With love comes fear of living without. Of breaking it. Hurting it."

In typical Garrett Leigh fashion, Kiss Me Again is a gusty tale full of touching issues. This romance is real, raw, and definitely not for the faint of heart. If you're looking for a story with meaning, do not miss this accomplished tale.

Ollie On The Out (Till There Was You Book 2) by Gianni Holmes

Amazon Link

Goodreads Link

Blurb

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I hate being touched
But not by you Drew
I had a normal childhood until my father caught me fooling around in bed with one of my male friends. Since then, I've been nothing but a disappointment for them. Leaving town always seemed like the answer, but even accomplishing that did not prevent the feeling of disconnect I have with the rest of the world. Until I meet Oliver Mattis.
Ollie has haphephobia, an irrational fear and aversion to being touched. If I hadn’t witnessed his body, broken and bruised, I would not have understood his meltdown when his father tries to comfort him. Almost two years later, Ollie’s still struggling to maintain relationships with even his family. His number one rule is that no one should ever touch him. I intend to follow that rule no matter how much I want to comfort him. Until one night his need outweighs the risks.

Ollie
For reasons unknown to me, Drew has appointed himself my protector. But all I see when I look at him is temptation, one I cannot indulge in. Not because he’s my father’s best friend but because I am terrified of his touch…of everybody’s touch. In therapy, I’ve learned a new trick that turns me into someone else. It’s mental. It’s deliberate, but for a couple of hours, I can be almost normal. Maybe, just maybe wearing this disguise, I can afford for Drew to hold me the way I haven’t been held in two years. My father forbids our relationship, but the intimacy Drew exposes me to is bittersweet. Will he understand my limits or push me away, especially as I make the tentative step of enrolling in Stonewell University?

Ollie on the Out is approximately 90k words. It includes tropes such as May/December and smalltown romance. Warning: This book follows the recovery of a sexually assaulted male character which may be triggering for some.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Ollie On The Out by Gianni Holmes is the follow up to Easy Does It Twice, in which I fell in love with Ollie.

When we catch up with Ollie, he remains that broken and lost young man who's afraid to be touched. And Drew, oh sweet and lovable Drew, longs to protect Ollie.

Their story is everything I was expecting, and more. There are gut-wrenching moments, moments that are so romantic and tender that you'll find yourself swooning, and inspirational moments of recovery and healing.

I am still completely enamored by Ollie, with his gender fluid outfits and moments. It is marvelous seeing the way Drew accepts this true side of Ollie and encourages it.  

Ollie's a survivor in every sense of the word. But, it's with Drew's love and care that he's able to start accepting touch into his life again. It's exquisite the way he knows that a touch from Drew is one of love and tenderness instead of abuse.

And what a touch it turns out to be. Ollie and Drew have some scorching moments together!

In addition, there are just so many moments of beauty between these two men. How can you not love that Drew helps Ollie's world to make sense? And with Drew's help, Ollie can start opening up to others. It's loving and powerful.

The moments between Gordon and Ollie and so realistic, and so sad.  

I love this book! Love it! Ollie On The Out is written so well, developed so well, and completely worth the read. Gianni Holmes has created an irresistible and memorable series with her Till There Was You series. I can't recommend it enough.

RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW - Us Again by Nell Iris

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | JMS Books

Length: 9,200 words approx.

Publisher: JMS Books

Goodreads Link

Blurb

When Alex gets a call in the middle of the night telling him his ex-boyfriend is in the hospital, he only hesitates for a second before rushing to Sammy’s side. But the Sammy in the hospital bed is fragile and not the same man who told Alex to leave seven months ago.


Alex wants to help Sammy get better and is desperate to find out what went wrong between them. Maybe he’ll even get a second chance with the man he hasn’t been able to get over.


But will Sammy let Alex back into his life?

REVIEW

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Us Again, by Nell Iris is a sweet, second chance romance.

Sammy kicked Alex out of his life seven months ago. But when Alex gets a call that Sammy's in the hospital, Alex comes running. What Alex finds shakes me to the core, as Sammy is sick after not having taken care of himself.

The author does a great job of dealing with eating issues, without putting too much emphasis on the issue. This part of the story is not an easy read.

As for the main theme in this story, it's a classic, but it's well done. You can't love someone else unless you love yourself. Sammy's youth was sad and tragic, with him never experiences love. If he's going to let Alex back into his life, he needs to realize that he is worthy of love. 

Overall, Us Again is a good second chance love story. Nell Iris keeps it short, sweet and with the right amount of angst.

Excerpt

Except for the dim light of a wall-mounted lamp next to the only occupied bed, the room is dark. Sammy is a shapeless silhouette from here and I take a step closer. Another. And another until I’m right by his side.

My knees buckle when I finally see him. His golden hair is plastered to his face, his cheeks hollow, his full lips dry and cracked. Long lashes fan out over black shadows under the eyes. His hand rests on his pillow and is so thin and bony, tears well up in my eyes.

A steadily beeping monitor surveils his vital signs. An IV bag hangs on a metal pole, and the line snakes its way down into his hand.

My hand flies to my mouth and my shoulders shake. To avoid ending up in a sobbing pile on the floor, I sink down in the chair next to his bed.

Sammy was always slender. Like a willow with long limbs, narrow hips, and a concave stomach. But now ... he looks emaciated. Hardly there. Easily breakable and so fucking small I wouldn’t be surprised if a stiff breeze could snap him in two.

I reach out but hesitate to touch him. Instead, I lay my hand next to his on the pillow. My olive complexion seems dirty next to his pallor.

“Oh, Sammy.” I don’t even try to wipe the moisture from my face; I just let the tears flow. I want to crawl into bed with him, scoop him up in my arms, and use my big body to shield him from the world. But all I do is move my hand closer, until my fingertips ghost against his pinkie. A jolt of electricity races through my body and a sigh slips out.

“Now will you tell me what happened?” I hiss to David who’s sat down on a chair on the other side of Sammy’s bed sometime during the last minute.

“His boss called me this evening. Apparently, he fainted.”

I gasp and can’t keep my hands off him any longer. Carefully, I lay my palm on top of his hand and something snaps into place in my chest when I finally touch him. He’s cold. I’d give him all my warmth if he would just open his eyes and smile at me and call me Care Bear again.

“Doesn’t he fucking eat?” I grind out between clenched teeth.

“He said he does. He said he was fine.”

“Clearly, he lied.”

“Clearly.”

“What’s all this?” I sweep my hand at the IV pole.

“He was severely dehydrated so they’re giving him fluids.” He rattles on about vital signs and nutrition and how Sammy will need to see a therapist and a dietitian to straighten out his eating and I only listen with one ear. Even though I asked, I can’t absorb all that information.

“Don’t you fucking check on your own brother?” I interrupt. I’ve always had a foul mouth, and frazzled nerves make it worse, but I don’t give a shit if David is offended.

“I should have. I knew he was ... sad. I talked to him on the phone almost every day and he said he was fine.” David’s voice trembles, saturated with guilt and remorse, but it just makes me angrier.

“Are you telling me you haven’t taken the time to visit him for seven fucking months?”

“No! That’s not true!”

“It seems that way to me.”

“Who are you to talk? You left him!”

His words sting. He might as well have thrown acid on my face. I tighten my muscles, so I won’t jerk under his accusations. “He told me to leave. He said he never wanted to see me again. I did not leave willingly.” I shoot him an angry glare but quickly look away. I want to take out my fear and worry on him. Plant my fist in his face and roar out the pain that took up residence in my chest when I laid eyes on Sammy a few minutes ago.

Dear, sweet Sammy.

“I don’t even know what happened. I thought he loved me,” I whisper. My head is heavy, and I let it sink down until it rests on his bed.

Nell Iris is a romantic at heart who believes everyone deserves a happy ending. She’s a bona fide bookworm (learned to read long before she started school), wouldn’t dream of going anywhere without something to read (not even the ladies’ room), loves music (and singing along but, let’s face it, she’s no Celine Dion), and is a real Star Trek nerd (“Make it so”). She loves words, poetry, wine, and Sudoku, and absolutely adores elephants!


Nell believes passionately in equality for all regardless of race, gender, or sexuality, and wants to make the world a better, less hateful, place.


Nell is a forty-something bisexual Swedish woman, married to the love of her life, and a proud mama of a grown daughter. She left the Scandinavian cold and darkness for warmer and sunnier Malaysia a few years ago, and now spends her days writing, surfing the Internet, enjoying the heat, and eating good food. One day she decided to chase her lifelong dream of being a writer, sat down in front of her laptop, and wrote a story about two men falling in love.


Nell Iris writes gay romance, prefers sweet over angst, and wants to write diverse and different characters.

Email contact@nelliris.com

Web www.nelliris.com

Twitter @nellirisauthor

Facebook page www.facebook.com/nellirisauthor

Facebook profile www.facebook.com/nell.iris.12

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/nelliris

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nell_iris/

QueeRomance Ink https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/nell-iris/

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GRL 2018 SPOTLIGHT - Eli Easton - Before I Wake

In my attempt to cover some of the attending authors for this year's GRL,
I am reviewing 

Before I Wake by Eli Easton!

Amazon Link
Goodreads Link


BLURB

Nurse's aide Jonesy is drawn to Michael, the comatose victim of a hate crime whose homophobic parents have rejected him. Jonesey sits with Michael, reads to him, and encourages Michael to wake up. Jonesy may not be the smartest guy in the world, but he knows Michael needs him. And if he also thinks Michael is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, well, Jonesy knows better than to hope for things that can never happen.

Michael is lost in a dungeon, a dark and terrifying place. His only comfort is the sound of a man's voice. Can Michael come back? Does he want to? Maybe Jonesy can convince him that some things are worth living for.

THIS IS A SECOND EDITION, published by the author. It has a new epilogue, new formatting, and a new edit.




REVIEW
My Rating - 5 Stars!

Eli Easton's Before I Wake is a sweet and special book about strength and courage.

When Jonesy, a nurse's aide, meets Michael who's a victim of a hate crime, he takes a strong interest in him.

Michael's family has given up hope of Michael recovering, and takes him off of life support. But Jonesy keeps fighting, finding a way to communicate with Michael, helping to protect him, and caring for him when no one else will.

We get to know Michael's thoughts as he's in his coma, and his feelings towards Jonesy are remarkable and powerful.

When you're in the mood for a short and inspirational story, please check out Eli Easton's Before I Wake. You will not be disappointed.

ELI EASTON

Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a game designer, an organic farmer, an avid hiker, and a profound sleeper, Eli is happily embarking on yet another incarnation as a m/m romance author.

As an addicted reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.

Her website in www.elieaston.com

You can email her at eli@elieaston.com

Dying Soldier (Shadow Unit #4) by Jamie Lynn Miller

Payhip Link


BLURB

Serving with the elite anti-terrorism task force known as Shadow Unit, Sergeants Connor Finley and Shawn Weller have faced arms dealers, drug lords, terrorists, rogue CIA agents and biological weapons. But with the unconditional support of their team, and more importantly, their love for one another, they possess the strength to survive any challenge.

But how do you fight an enemy you can't see? When a mission in Sierra Leone takes an unexpected turn, Connor and Shawn find themselves under quarantine and in isolation, their lives hanging in the balance between life and death. This time, their team is on the outside, looking in. Have Connor and Shawn finally found themselves in a battle they cannot win?

Includes a BONUS holiday short story - How To Love Christmas Again

M/M Romantic Suspense

45,000 words

REVIEW
My Rating - 5 Stars!

Dying Soldier, the fourth book in the Shadow Unit series by Jamie Lynn Miller, manages to continue to be as wonderful as the previous books.

Once again, we get to follow Shawn and Connor through some battles, and they watch them battle for their lives.  

Their struggle is written with great care and detail, and is splendid in it's details. 

Shawn and Connor continue to be such a fabulous couple. They are usually busy on missions, or in bed, but this time they have to take some time off to just talk. It's fun, despite the severity of why, that this isn't something that comes natural to them. 

I am elated to have discovered this series.  Jamie Lynn Miller manages to write captivating tales of these men who constantly risk their lives to help others. Thus creating such vulnerable characters who have a passionate love for one another.

Be sure to check out this series in it's entirety!