When Fate Falls Short by Brooke Edwards

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Blurb

Childhood sweethearts Nathan Maxwell and Sean Adams took ten years to realize they belonged together, followed by ten years of bliss. When it is snatched away, Sean is left alone with the aftermath. Lost and grieving in a world that doesn’t make sense without Nathan by his side, he struggles to keep himself afloat… until he meets Jesse Lawrence.

The shadow of a congenital heart defect has hung over Jesse like a dark cloud all his life. Nathan’s death saves Jesse’s life by providing the heart Jesse needs to survive, and a chance encounter between their best friends plants Jesse in Sean’s orbit. But how well can a love triangle between a dead man, his grieving lover, and the one with his heart beating in his chest possibly turn out? Real feelings and pure intentions might not be enough.

A Bittersweet Dreams title: It's an unfortunate truth: love doesn't always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Wow! Just wow! With When Fate Falls Short, Brooke Edwards will take you on an emotional ride like none you've experienced before. 

I fell in love with Nathan and Sean immediately. They way they meet and become friends is absolutely adorable. Their budding friendship, and then romance is filled with fun and tender moments. I love them. Completely, utterly love them.

They're just two young men who fall in love after years as best friends. They are each other's world. And then they aren't, as one moment in time changes everything. And Sean is left to pick up the pieces. If he can.

Enter Jesse, who received Nathan's heart. Sweet, sweet Jesse. You can't hate him, just because Nathan had to die in order for him to live. Jesse's own life story is heart-breaking. Literally. You will cry for Jesse too. 

I love the writing style, as it hooked me immediately. And I have to admit that I am thrilled the story is the length that it is. If Brooke Edwards had developed this story in a more comprehensive way, I would never have survived. As it is, I am still left broken and gutted by just 64 pages. 

When Fate Falls Short is not a happy, uplifting book. Hell, it's main theme centers around what happens when your soulmate dies. You aren't expecting laughs. But, when you're looking for something that will give you all the feels, please do yourself a favor and read this book! It is amazing!

RELEASE BLITZ - Loving A Warrior by Melanie Hansen

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 77,300 words approx.

Publisher: Carina Press

Blurb

BUD/S: six months of the most intense training there is. It’s survival of the toughest, and Matt Knytych is determined to come out the other side a navy SEAL.

Distraction is life or death. And just the sight of former marine Shane Hovland is enough to shake Matt’s concentration.

Shane came to BUD/S training ready to prove himself—again. Semper Fi is forever, but he needs a new start. Not this dangerous heat with a man he barely knows.

Everything they’ve ever wanted is riding on a thin, punishing line. And they’ll have to fight for more than just each other if they want to make it through intact.

After all, the only easy day was yesterday.

Melanie Hansen doesn’t get nearly enough sleep. She loves all things coffee-related, including collecting mugs from every place she’s visited. After spending eighteen years as a military spouse, Melanie definitely considers herself a moving expert. She has lived and worked all over the country, and hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to the love stories she gets up in the wee hours to write. On her off-time, you can find Melanie watching baseball, reading or spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.

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Promise to Shield (Personal Protectors Book 2) by Brittany Cournoyer

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Blurb

Brice ~
Life hasn’t always been easy for Brice. With his own mother abandoning him when he was a teenager, and his father having a dangerous job, life has been lonely. That is, until his father decides he needs a bodyguard he doesn’t want. So why does he find himself noticing how attractive the broody bodyguard is? And why does he want him to stay, after all?

Carter ~
Staying out of sight is Carter’s specialty. It’s something he learned while in the military and something he put into play while being on the run. Staying in one spot for too long isn’t something that sets well with the surly man. Initially, keeping an eye on the young man isn’t exactly what Carter wants to do, but now something isn’t letting him leave.

Personalities clash and tempers rise with these two men, making every day they’re together more challenging than the last. As the days pass, more secrets are revealed as their feelings for each other grow stronger. But when one man’s past comes back to haunt him, each man will stop at nothing to protect the other.

*Promise to Shield is Book 2 of the Personal Protectors series. It is intended for a mature audience with adult situations and language. Promise to Shield also mentions cutting and past abuse.*

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

I've been waiting for a while to read Promise To Shield, the second book in Brittany Cournoyer's Personal Protectors series.

Brice's father, Larry, is an absentee dad, always working and emotionally distant. Thus, Brice is pretty much alone in the world. But then Larry hires Carter to protect Brice, setting off a series of events that include some danger, some steamy moments, and falling in love. 

I love the evolution of these complex characters in this story. Initially, Carter sees Brice as a young pain in the ass, since this is how Brice treats him. Over time, they are able to understand the other, and start caring more than they ever expected. 

I have come to love Brittany Cournoyer's writing style. She manages to tell a wonderfully emotionally story, with a lot of character growth, all while including some suspense and danger.

Carter and Brice are a lot of fun, in addition to their sizzling chemistry together.

In addition, we also get the pleasure of past characters. Catching up with them is a whole lot of fun, as well as intriguing.

Promise To Shield is everything I was hoping it would be, thrilling, gripping and romantic. Now I can't wait for book three!

Not As Easy As It Looks by Jaime Samms

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Blurb

Don Jenkins will do anything for a happy, thriving family and home. When he discovers that Griff McAllister, his life partner and love since high school, seems to be losing faith in him, he’s at a loss for how to mend the relationship. Then Howard Campbell is added to the mix, a man Don and Griff both love beyond words, and jealousy and mistrust threaten not just their bond, but even Don’s ability to keep his farm viable.

Nearly losing Howard in an accident serves as a wakeup call. They begin to pull their relationship out of the muck and work to remember why they came together in the first place. If they can figure out how to help one another and make sure each man gets what he needs, the trio might build the loving future they’ve dared to hope for. They have to be brave enough to commit every resource they can muster—especially trust, understanding, and acceptance—and realize true love is never as easy as it looks.

Cover Artist - Paul Richmond

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Jaime Samms' Not As Easy As It Looks is one of those books that I just couldn't help but to fall in love with immediately.

Their love story is very complicated, with many feelings involved. They deal with fear and doubt, in addition to so much love. 

It's a tender story of three men, trying to fill in the holes in their relationship. They struggle with finding balance with each other and their efforts. These are three broken man, all with broken hearts. It is beautiful, tender, and has all the feels, as they try to figure out a way to all love one another equally. They strive to find a place where they are complete together.

Not As Easy As It Looks is fantastic. If you enjoy menage, do not miss out on this one by Jaime Samms.

RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW - Old Acquaintance by Annabelle Jacobs

Buy Links:  Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 50,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

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Blurb

There are two sides to every story, even those buried in the past.

When Sam spots the hot guy moving in next door, he’s all for going round to introduce himself. That soon changes when it turns out his new neighbour is in fact an old school acquaintance, Charles Whitmore. Sam didn’t like him back then, and fifteen years haven’t altered that.

Splitting up from his long-term boyfriend means a move across the city for Charlie. As luck would have it, his immediate neighbour is a guy he went to school with, Sam Gellar. While Sam is less than welcoming, his best mate is more than happy to invite Charlie into their social circle. Whatever problem Sam has with Charlie, Charlie resolves to get to the bottom of it, because, frosty
beginnings aside, Charlie likes him.

With Christmas just around the corner, fate thrusts them together, and they get on so much better than they ever did at school. Despite his efforts not to, Sam develops feelings for Charlie, and they appear to be reciprocated. If Sam wants to take things further he needs to either confront Charlie about their past--a past Charlie seems to have forgotten entirely--or let it go and move on. Sam knows deep down that he can’t let it go, but it never seems the right time to bring it up. Until it is.

Review 

My Rating - 4  Stars!

Old Acquaintances is a fun neighbor romance by Annabelle Jacobs. 

Charlie's moving into a new apartment building after breaking up with his boyfriend. His neighbor is Sam, who hated him back in school. Only problem is, Charlie doesn't know why Sam hates him.

The chemistry between the men is hot, and the misunderstandings are well handled. They have to deal with their pasts, both what happened back in school and Charlie's ex. 

Overall, Old Acquaintances is a beautiful, tender story of two sort-of enemies to lovers. 

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two
cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They're usually either fantasy or
paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her
characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction

Website – www.annabellejacobs.com

Email – ajacobsfiction@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction

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RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW - The Evolution Of Jeremy Warsh by Jess Moore

Title: The Evolution of Jeremy Warsh

Author: Jess Moore

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: November 26, 2018

Heat Level: 1 - No Sex

Pairing: No Romance, Male/Male

Length: 86100

Genre: Contemporary YA, contemporary, YA, high school, coming-of-age, family issues, graphic artist/comics, pop-punk music

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Synopsis

Jeremy Warsh has been in off-mode ever since his grandpa’s death a couple years ago. He set aside their shared passion, comic art, and hasn’t looked back. As an introvert from the other side of town, he fully expects to spend his boring life bagging groceries until, maybe one day, he’s promoted to store manager.

Yet, his two best friends, Kasey and Stuart, are different. They’re not afraid to demand more out of everyone. When Kasey comes out, Jeremy’s inspired. He picks up his colored pencils and starts
drawing comics again, creating a no-nonsense, truth-talking character named Penny Kind. Who speaks to him. Literally.

The friend-group sets in motion Stuart’s plans for a huge Homecoming prank, and if they can get Penny’s comic trending, they might be able to pull it off. Could this be a stepping-stone to a future
Jeremy’s only dreamed of? And after he kisses a boy at a college party, will Jeremy finally face what he’s been hiding from?

Review 

My Rating -  4 Stars!

The Evolution of Jeremy Warsh is an excellent coming of age story by Jess Moore. 

Jeremy is bullied, poor, and his life is weighed down with problems. On top of this, he's also discovering his sexuality. The one fantastic thing he has going for him is his relationship with his mother. Totally tear-jerking. 

This tale captures many of the usual high school issues. It encompasses friendships, family, coming out, and discovering yourself. It's well written, and developed well.

From the beginning, I became engrossed in Jeremy's story. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult stories.  

Excerpt

The Evolution of Jeremy Warsh

Jess Moore © 2018

All Rights Reserved

Chapter One

Chilly in the underground basement, one of my best friends and I spent the final hours of summer’s freedom on opposite sides of the couch. Kasey’s head poked out from under an orange-and-black
chevron afghan. Her arm snaked out from under the blanket as she reached for the bowl of potato chips between us. In fact, we had moved only for snack and/or bathroom breaks since setting up camp earlier in the day. The last of August’s to-do list was to listen to Nirvana’s entire library.

“Did you catch this live when it came out on MTV?” I asked, as the first few notes of “Lake of Fire” sounded. Cobain’s scratchy prophet-like lilt emanated from a set of waist-high speakers
next to the fireplace.

“In middle school? I don’t know. They re-air it every now and then though.” She licked the BBQ-flavored spices from a potato chip.

“It wasn’t long after that he was gone, and we were all down here drinking our first beers in his honor.” I gave my can of Mountain Dew a little shake, empty.

“I remember.” Kasey leaned her head back against the pillow. “This is too depressing for words.” She popped the rest of the chip in her mouth and jumped up from the couch to switch off the stereo.

“Hey! I love that one!”

“Come on, Jeremy. You need to practice.”
She grabbed my hand and tried to pull me from the couch.

“Seriously?”

“Yes! School starts tomorrow.” She gave up and walked toward her bedroom. Kasey’s basement was hardly that. Basically .it was its own two-bedroom apartment with a TV room, kitchen, and dining space. The lower level of her house cut into the hill and opened to a brick patio overlooking a pool and woods beyond. She’d lived down there with her older brother until he left for college. Now, it was just Kasey; her parents lived upstairs.

“Fine!” I called after her. Our senior year was less than twenty-four hours away; she was probably right. My distorted reflection peered back at me from the TV’s black glass as I forced myself out
of the sunken cushions.

Kasey’s bedroom walls were sponge-painted with textured splats in varying shades of flamingo pink. It was dizzying and the opposite of subtle, but the same went for her.

“Jeez, you’ve grown, like, a foot in the last month. You could’ve played football this year.” She reached for my shoulders and positioned me in front of her closet mirrors.

“That would mean more time around Russ. Plus, Mom would never let me.”

Kasey stepped back, assessing my reflection. “Now, say it.”

“Suck it, Russ.” The words rolled clumsily off my tongue. I rushed through the line because I hated every minute of it.

Russ Landry had been making my life miserable forever. Kasey was convinced if I stood up to him, he’d leave me alone. I figured it would likely get me punched. But ignoring the bastard, which I’d been trying to do for years, proved an unsuccessful strategy.

She shoved me forward and flopped onto her bed. “You’ll get nowhere if you say it like that. This needs flair, Jeremy. Again.”

I repeated the line with some sass that I would never replicate in real life.

“Grasshopper, you must deliver a blow of such magnitude that thine enemy is left stunned.” Kasey flipped through the latest issue of a teen fashion magazine. She hadn’t even seen my sashay.

“Is that why you tell people to suck your dick?” I cleared my throat, a little embarrassed.

“I only tell misogynists that, and yyyyep.” Kasey unwrapped a sucker and stuck it in her mouth. “Wah-wa?” she asked, her speech hindered by the candy.

“I’m good.” I sat next to her. The magazine contained musky perfume samples. Kasey found one and rubbed the paper on both her wrists and neck.

“Yuck, that smells awful,” I said.

“You’re crazy. Everyone loves CK One.” She flipped through the special back-to-school edition. “Wanna read your horoscope? Cancer, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So obvious.”

She read my crab-shelled future.

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Meet the Author

Jess Moore geeks out over books and homemade pizza. Her past lives include careers in both teaching and social work. Currently, she resides in historic gold-mining California and writes YA novels in the very early morning while her family sometimes sleeps.

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