ARC REVIEW: Everything I Left Unsaid by M. O'Keefe #Romance

Genre: First in a Series, Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Release Date: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Random House LLC

Description: Fans of Jodi Ellen Malpas, K. Bromberg, and Joanna Wylde will be unable to resist this sexy, deeply intimate tale of a woman running from her past, and the darkly mysterious man who sets her free.

I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me.

And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.

His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.

Amazon US (Kindle): http://amzn.to/20xTUX1
Amazon US (paperback): http://amzn.to/1l9LYuH
Amazon UK (Kindle): http://amzn.to/1Q7pQO6
Amazon UK (paperback): http://amzn.to/1Q7pRS9


OUR REVIEW

What starts out as a phone call between strangers turns into so much more. Something that will change both Annie and Dylan’s lives forever.

On the surface, Annie and Dylan couldn’t be more different. But inside, they are the same. Broken. Running from their pasts. Ashamed. Can they save each other or will their sexy, twisted relationship only make things worse?

Everything I Left Unsaid is an excellent story. Very gripping and surprisingly sexy, with an oh-so enticing slow burn. The writing is fantastically smooth and very realistically plunges the reader into the heads of the hero and heroine, making us feel like we're right there, along with Annie and Dylan.

Note: Ends on a cliffhanger, but the second book will be available on Nov. 24.
Possible trigger warning: contains references to and depictions of abuse.

OUR RATING: 5 stars!

(11/05/2015)

ARC REVIEW: Make Me Whole by R.C. Matthews #menage #disability #romhero

ARC REVIEW: Make Me Whole by R.C. Matthews #menage #mfm #romanticsuspense #disability

Standalone

Publisher: Loose ID

Release: June 1, 2015

For Jake Hanson, it was the perfect solution to a deep darkness. The accident took more than the use of his legs; it took everything that made him feel like a man. He needs their ménage. It puts him on the path to healing. With Jessie and Chad, he can conquer anything...he thinks.

Jessica Hanson did it all for her husband, to make him feel whole again. She didn’t want a threesome. At least, that’s what she believed in the beginning. But when she realizes that she can’t imagine life without both her husband and his best friend by her side, she’ll question everything she thought completed her.

FBI agent Chad Wilson, couldn’t believe he agreed to his best friend’s proposal. There were too many things beyond his control that could go wrong. But when things go right, he is forced to admit to the best months of his life. Yet on the heels of his greatest joy comes his greatest fear. He’s endangered them all, and the clock is ticking.

They’ll push the boundaries and blur the lines, coming face to face with one of life’s hardest truths: Sometimes to become whole, you have to break.

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1USVEqO

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1K2Yofj

OUR REVIEW 

Ménage romance with a twist! I’m not typically a huge fan of M/F/M, because I find it hard to believe that men who enjoy ménage, don’t ever touch the other man or get turned on by him. This book, however, changed my mind.

Jake is wheelchair bound. He misses the days of wild sex with his wife. Doing it standing up, against a wall, bent over a desk. He’s bored with their sex and with his life in general. This exchange with the therapist is poignant and, for me, helped me to truly understand why Jake is so unhappy.

“Don’t you get it? This isn’t just about me. Jessica’s life was forever changed too. Our sex life isn’t the same. It will never be passionate and wild again. It’s eating me up inside, knowing that it’s all my fault.”

When his therapist misunderstands something Jake says and suggests a ménage, the wheels in Jake’s brain start spinning. At this point, Jake is looking for a surrogate lover for his wife. Someone who will be his legs. Who will give her the spontaneous, passionate love-making she deserves. And who better to do it than the man he trusts most in the world? Chad, his longtime best friend, is, of course, first horrified by the idea, but after careful consideration and seeing how much the idea is brightening his friend up, he agrees to a three-month trial, provided that Jessica is fully onboard.

What follows is a loving journey of growth for all three of these fascinating characters. Having Chad in the mix sparks a new enjoyment in sex for both Jessica and Jake. Jessica and Chad have promised to keep the ménage all about sex. But can they keep their promise?

Over the months that follow, not only does Jake’s confidence in the bedroom increase, but also his confidence in other aspects of his life. As the title says, the ménage brings him to feel whole again, and if for that reason alone, this book is inspiring.

The suspense thread in the story is also thrilling. It adds a touch of urgency and danger to an otherwise fun contemporary erotic romance that takes it over the top to garner full marks from us. When all hell breaks loose, the love and loyalty these characters have for each other shines clear and bright. We hope that this is only the first book in a series, because we’d love to hear more about this awesome trio of characters!

OUR RATING: 5 stars!

(07/13/2015)

ARC REVIEW: Secret by Kindle Alexander #MM #Romance

Genre: Stand-alone M/M Contemporary Romance 
Release Date: June 9, 2015

DESCRIPTION: Tristan Wilder, self-made millionaire and devastatingly handsome CEO of Wilder-Nation is on the verge of a very lucrative buyout. With tough negotiations ahead, he's armed with his acquisition pitch, ready to launch the deal of a lifetime. There’s just one glitch. The last thing he expects is to fall for the hot business owner he's trying to sway.

Dylan Reeves, computer science engineer and founder of the very successful social media site, Secret, is faced with a life-altering decision. A devoted family man with three kids and a wife, Dylan has been living a secret for years. Fiercely loyal to his convictions, his boundaries blur after meeting the striking owner of the corporation interested in acquiring his company. For the first time in his life, reckless desire consumes him when the gorgeous computer mogul makes an offer he can't refuse.

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1eCh4YZ
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1I8ApMw

OUR REVIEW: Kindle Alexander has hit it out of the park with Secret! 

I’ve read several Kindle Alexander books and liked them well enough, but Secret is on a whole other level. I loved it from the first page to the last.

Tristan Wilder, the CEO of the company that wants to buy Dylan Reeves’ breakthrough social media site, Secret, is everything you’d imagine a head-in-the-clouds inventor to be, and Dylan is the ideal businessman and father with his perfect wife and family. But all is not as it seems, which Tristan discovers when Dylan and his team go to visit Wilder Inc. headquarters in California. Neither is a twenty-something billionaire—refreshing, I know!

Secret is in no way about cheating, or ménage, or anything even remotely like that. It’s about people who are committed to each other’s happiness and how new partners fit into this complicated and unusual situation. Nothing that happens is without the other’s consent.

Teri, Dylan’s wife, is a thoroughly developed secondary character. Her kindness and understanding of Dylan’s predicament endeared her to me immediately. I’ve seen some reviews that doubt a wife like her could exist. I don’t doubt it at all, especially in a world and time where many gay men still choose to hide who they are for family and business reasons. Teri and Dylan take their marriage seriously and are doing the best they can for their children, despite the anguish their sacrifice is causing both of them.

Never in his thirty-seven years of life had anyone said those words to him. he played the stereotypical hetero husband so well that every person he knew would have sworn the Reeves family stepped out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

[...]

Tristan's smooth voice caught his attention as he ducked his head through the open door. "I promise it's discreet. Your secret's safe in here." 

I loved seeing the apparently straight Dylan emerge from his self-imposed celibacy under Tristan’s creative tutelage. Likewise, Dylan’s involvement with Wilder helps Tristan to see where he’s gone wrong, and ways to correct his mistakes, both professionally and personally. At first, it’s all fun and games—Tristan sees Dylan as a challenge. Someone he can have, enjoy, then leave once the companies are merged. But life has other plans, and these plans blow both these men, and the readers along with them, way off their chosen course.

But what about the sex, you ask?

This book is chock-full of all the good stuff—smoldering romance, burn-up-the-sheets sex, and plenty of panty-melting moments! 

"Baby, are you asleep?"

"Close," Dylan murmured. His voice gravelly and thick, proving he'd been sleeping.

"I need to tell you something. I haven't ever said anything like this before, but you need to know so I can sleep." Tristan lifted his head a little, talking quietly into Dylan's ear, trying to keep his heart from racing out of his chest. 

"Okay." A solid yawn formed on the word. 

"I'll wait for you, however long it takes. I don't care. I'll wait. I'm in love with you."

If you love books about family, love, and acceptance, then this is the book for you.

OUR RATING: ❇❇❇❇❇ stars!

REVIEW: Finding Your Hero by A.J. Kelton #MM #Romance

Real estate mogul Roman Janiko believes weakness is something to be exploited. He made his millions doing just that, but now he's beginning to wonder if there is any good left in him. 

Chris Williams is on the run from an abusive boyfriend who will do whatever it takes to get back what he believes is his. Looking for a place to hide, Chris stumbles straight into Roman’s arms. 

Something about his sassy attitude stirs feelings in Roman that he had thought lost, but it's going to take more than words to show Chris that he has found his hero... 

OUR REVIEW: Roman is a rich real estate mogul with suspected mafia ties. He does what—or who—he wants, when he wants. Until he happens upon a poor, beaten man on the beach. Chris has just escaped from a very long and abusive relationship. 

In a move, very much out of character, Roman takes Tony into his home, nurses him back to health, and gives him a new lease on life. But there is trouble in paradise…

The setup was interesting, and there were aspects of this story that I thought were very well done. Chris is a character you will feel for, whom you will root for. He has been through so much, and you will desperately want him to find his happily ever after.  The abuse scenes are particularly poignant and might be a trigger for some people. 

“Please stop,” Chris pleased. He pulled at the ropes that held his wrists once again.

He had jerked on them enough that his wrists were rubbed raw. “Mitch, please don’t let them do this.”

Mitch glanced at John but said nothing.

“Don’t want to play, pretty boy?” John ran his finger down the center of Chris’ chest. 

When Roman is with Chris, he’s the perfect mix of protective and loving. 

Chris looked at his salad a slight blush touching his cheeks. “Maybe I’ll check it out to see if it is anything worth looking at.”

“Oh believe me,” Roman said and waggled his eyebrows “not only is it worth looking at, it is worthy of all the attention it receives. Not to say I have bragging rights, but, you know, I think I’m worth writing home about.”

But when they are apart, Roman is ruthless. He does things behind Chris’s back, things Chris never finds out about, at least in this story. 

As a reader, I was left perplexed. Despite the fact that there is no sex in the story, there is a definite loving relationship between these two men. One I can’t help but feel is flawed, since Chris doesn’t know who his knight in shining armor really is. 

Perhaps this is the first in a series? It’s the only way I can understand why this story would end without sex and with so many open threads. 


Amazon US:  http://amzn.to/1e4tf09

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KXIPow

OUR RATING: ❇❇❇ ½ stars

ARC REVIEW: Suit Yourself (Men of London #3) by Susan Mac Nicol #MM #Romance

Genre: Series M/M Contemporary Romance (can be read as a standalone)

Release Date: May 21, 2015

Scarred both physically and emotionally after a motorcycle accident, twenty-five year old ex fashion model and porn star Oliver Brown is about to be stripped bare by flamboyant twink Leslie Scott—and they’ll rebuild love from the bottom up. 

BARING THE BEAST 

Twenty-five year old Oliver Brown is addicted. Two years ago, he was at the height of his career as “Nicky Starr,” fashion model, porn actor, partier without peer. Then came the accident. Hiding his scars, both emotional and physical, he’s gone into hiding. But fine clothing is some solace. A new suit by Debussy? Better even than a ride on his motorcycle Hulk or all the things he used to give and take on camera. 


Enter Leslie Scott, the flamboyant, dark-haired, heel-and-tiny-short-wearing twink sent to deliver Oliver’s newest fix. A firecracker, Leslie is dapper, generous, in touch with his feminine side but all man, and as gorgeous as any garment ever made. He makes Oliver dream of ending his reclusion, of recapturing a future forever denied him. But for that to happen, Leslie would have to strip him to the bone. Only then will they rebuild life from the bottom up.

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1c8nGMv
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KnQ7VF

OUR REVIEW: What do you get when a fabric buyer for a high-end suit design house meets up with a damaged ex-porn star with a suit obsession? You get SUIT YOURSELF! 

Leslie Scott is exactly as advertised: witty, flamboyant, and forthright. He’s ready for a real relationship and his eyes are open for a contender. Life in the porn industry has left Oliver Brown damaged, both physically and emotionally. Living like a hermit in his luxury hide away, he’s lonely, and after two years, maybe it’s time to give life a try.

When the two meet, it’s a clash of opposites. But, Leslie is just the man to bring about Oliver’s metamorphosis and drag the man, screaming and kicking, back into the world.

I enjoyed many aspects of this book: the characters are strong and well developed; the writing is well above average; the fashion aspects detailed and clearly researched. However, the book lacked intensity. I was not dragged along by the story to rapidly turn the pages to find out what happened next. 

It's warm. It's comfortable. It's a great read for a lazy Sunday, whether on the beach or in front of a fire. 


OUR RATING: 3.5 stars

ARC REVIEW: Henry's End by Julie A Richman #MM #Romance

Genre: Standalone M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 11, 2015

Dreams. 
I used to have them—before the nightmares started. 
I dreamed of nice guys, love…normalcy. 
Things like reading the Sunday paper in bed with my lover.
But who needs dreams when your reality is filled with a string of faceless dominating men in uniform? Men that pack a thick bulge and are only too happy to satisfy my deviant sexual cravings.
Me. That's who.

And then HE walked through the door and shared with me, a total stranger, his intimate dream of love. Damn him for verbalizing every single detail of the dream I buried long ago.
And now I don’t know how I'm going to live without that dream. 
Or him.

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1IxIE4a

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KYDbTG

Henry’s End Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/p95fRusmaVo

OUR REVIEW: Henry's End is a fascinating journey through one man's adult life. In this saga, spanning several decades, we meet the men who enter Henry's life and leave him changed, sometimes for the worst, sometimes for the better. In the end, he becomes the man he needs to be to find true happiness with the man who shares his dreams.

In Henry's End, the author touches upon, realistically and convincingly, some very current issues affecting the gay community: abuse, violence, discrimination, HIV/Aids, but also the true and lasting friendships that develop both inside and outside the community. For me, Henry's relationship with with his straight male friend Schooner is one of the high points of the book.

The writing in many of the scenes was very powerful. One scene in particular nearly killed me. You'll know which one when you read it. 

Although Henry's End is listed as gay romance, and it definitely contains romance, it does not follow the typical path of one. We do not meet the man who will ultimately share Henry's future until the final quarter of the book. This did not take away from my enjoyment of the story, but those who like a gay romance that concentrates on only the two heroes, should take caution.

OUR RATING: We give this book 4 stars!