Guest Post: The Devils Brew by Rhys Ford

~WooHoo the legit Rhys Ford is stopping by the blog today. Which reminds me that I need to do some serious Rhys Ford reading.~


Tamm, a darling dear friend of mine and one of the Five, is a writer. Actually she’s got a doctorate in writing and really far outstrips me in writing on all fronts. Funny thing is, people find out what she writes and their response is usually; But you seem so nice.

It’s kind of that way with me too. Except flipped. Most people read me first then when they meet you they say things like; But you seem so normal.

Well, until they get to know me better then for some reason it’s assumed I’m a mass murderer just waiting for people’s back to be turned.

Really. That’s not true.

I mean, really. Why wait?

Sadly, no one dies in The Devil’s Brew. Nope. Not a drop of blood is shed.

Which makes writing rather interesting because really, murder is always a good thing to amp up a storyline.

Revisiting the Sinners boys in this kind of novella was interesting. Keep in mind, I’m a book ahead of everyone so going back and filling in the blanks as it were takes a bit of balance…also it was about sexy times and paper hearts. Miki’s pretty decent at the first but not at the second.

But oh, learning how to express love is a challenge for so many people and I wanted to present Miki’s unique challenges in the pit-laden journey of his love life. And yes, he does have some assistance from Kane’s father because really if you can’t call Donal to come bail you out, who can you call?

I needed The Devil’s Brew to be a bit of a lead-in for Tequila because the shift in the series begins at Devil’s. Mainly, yes murder and mayhem but the following books are as equally romance based as they are suspense. It’s about relationships and trust building, something the Morgan boys are quite good at. Even if their lovers are a bit shaky on the whole idea.

It’s also damned hard to talk about a novella without giving a lot away. Suffice it to say, there’s a bit of loving, a lot of worry and a glittered dog.

A glittered dog makes the story. Really. Like icing on a cake. If you like that sort of thing. I’m not one for frosting or icing.

I really hope you enjoy the brief stop with Miki and Kane before we heading into the meat of Tequila Mockingbird. A wafer thin mint meant to refresh and soothe.

You know… before I start the killings again. *grins*

§ The Devil’s Brew

Miki St. John’s life has been turned upside down but it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

His best friend, Damien Mitchell, is back from the dead. He has a dog named Dude. And more importantly, he and his lover, SFPD Inspector Kane Morgan, now share Miki’s converted warehouse.

For the first time ever, Miki’s living a happy and normal-ish life but when Valentine’s Day rolls around, Miki realizes he knows next to nothing about being domestic or domesticated. Nothing about the traditional lover’s holiday makes sense to him but Miki wants to give Kane a Valentine’s Day the man will never forget.

Can he pull off a day of wine and roses? Or will his screwed up childhood come back and bite Miki in the ass?

Again.

Available at Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4991

And Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Devils-Brew-Sinners-Series-ebook/dp/B00KH4YEPG/

Rhys Ford was born and raised in Hawai'i then wandered off to see the world. After chewing through a pile of books, a lot of odd food, and a stray boyfriend or two, Rhys eventually landed in San Diego, which is a very nice place but seriously needs more rain.

Rhys admits to sharing the house with three cats of varying degrees of black fur and a ginger cairn terrorist. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird, a Toshiba laptop, and an overworked red coffee maker.

Review: Straight Shooter by Heidi Belleau

Straight Shooter (Rear Entrance Video #3) by Heidi Belleau
Riptide Publishing
Novel: 277pgs
4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
This macho jock has a crooked little secret.

College hockey player Austin Puett is in trouble. Unless he starts treating his flamboyantly gay roommate with respect, he’ll lose his room and his job at Rear Entrance Video. But Austin’s got a not-so-straight secret of his own: nothing turns him on more than insults implying he’s gay—even though he’s definitely not!—and all his old coping methods have stopped working.

Pure desperation drives him to rent a Mischievous Pictures porn flick about straight men tricked into servicing Puck, a male dominant. Instead of letting off steam, though, it just leaves him craving more, more, more, and suddenly, Austin finds himself at Mischievous Pictures Studios for an audition. After all, you can be Gay For Pay and still be straight . . . right?

But meeting Liam Williams, the real person behind Puck, confuses Austin even more. Liam really seems to like him as a person, and Austin likes him back. And while Gay For Pay’s okay, what does it make Austin if he still wants Liam when the cameras aren’t rolling?

Review
Heidi Belleau has done it again with Straight Shooter. I have yet to be disappointed in a story by this author, and in the REV series this book hands down is my favourite. Like my feels had feels and the importance of story when it comes to labels and dealing with sexuality is legit. I'm just in awe and Austin just took my heart a piece at a time (what a dude).

Austin Puett is losing his friends and roommates fast on the account of his being a homophobic asshole to Bobby (Wallflower). He can deal with Bobby just being a gay man but throw in the women’s clothing and he's at the end of wits. Also, he's surrounded by all the gays and he's worried that maybe it might rub off him and he's on the brink of his budding hockey career and as they say "aint nobody got time for that" time for being gay at least. But getting called "fag" and a heap of derogatory names really makes him hot under the collar, and throw in exhibit B, him working at a gay porn store and Austin is beginning worry.

When the roommates give him an ultimatum, to better shape cus not all the times is Bobby going dress like a man. Austin decides it time to become tolerable and while he's doing that maybe check out a few gay porn DVDs here and there. He's feeling confident that his boners in the locker room are for naught when he remains unaffected by them. That is until he pops in a Mischievous Pictures DVD and sees Puck for the first time and his world starts spinning.

Austin considers being gay for pay and his fascination with Puck gets the best of him. He's going into this for all the wrong reasons, and that’s to be dominated, humiliated, and most of all get this "gay" thing out of his system. He never expected Liam though, and Austin finds that his life was simpler when he was just merely questioning his sexuality. Now he's opened up a whole other can of worms and can he mange it (all fingers point to he's out of his league on this one).

Oh Austin you incredibly fantastic dude! I am just so in love with this guy and his asshole fantasticness. I'm also very in love with the story that surpasses the traditional romance novel, and the expected GFY while putting forward a non complicated idea of sexuality. I'm all for more books like this, and it’s no surprise that this one is by Heidi Belleau. Making shit legit since The Saturnalia Effect and writing complex diverse characters. The REV series is 100% great and these guys fill up a space dominated by the cookie cutter white guy with pretty faces.

The relationship that develops between Liam and Austin is golden, very sweet and sexy. I'm all for this, so for this, all down wit this. Straight Shooter is a fantastic addition to an already wonderful series. Legit!

4.5 Pants Off

Review: Book #1 Apple Polisher

Review: Book #2 Wallflower

Review: Mirage by Tia Fielding

Reviewed by Whuppsy
Mirage by Tia Fielding
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 200pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
When forty-six-year-old washed-up country musician Jasper “Red” Blue looks at the past, all he sees is a series of failures. His one treasured success is six years battling alcoholism without the help of AA. To secure his children’s future, Jasper desperately wants to produce a new album, but he can’t write alone. And he won’t work with just anyone. 

Jasper's record company manages to secure the writer one of the biggest country music songs in recent history to help write the album. Cade Wallace is a long-haired former soul surfer, devastatingly handsome, talented, and willing to take a chance on the rugged musician. Jasper, on the other hand, is deep in the closet. 

With Jasper's career hanging in the balance, he can't promise Cade anything, and Cade eventually heads back to his full-time job as a truck driver, taking Jasper’s hopes of a relationship with him. If Jasper’s dream of a life together is ever to come true, he will have to take some big risks, putting both his career and his children’s security on the line.

Review
This is such a sweet, heartwarming story. To really find love and acceptance at any age. Going against your fear and coming out stronger on the other side.

Jasper “Red” Blue is a country singer who has struggled with alcoholism in the past. He’s always known that he’s gay, but country music isn’t known for being the most tolerant towards things that are different. Jasper sees his past and sees lots of failures. He’s got an ex-wife and 2 kids, JJ and Janey. Jasper is this really sweet, shy guy who even though he has issues that he must overcome; he’s got this great heart. He’s so scared of telling his children and the public finding out that he’s gay, he hides a part of himself. He’s this really kind and generous guy who loves his small circle of family and friends.

Cade Wallace lives his life as a truck driver and part-time song writer. He’s part Hawaiian and Maori. He’s lived his life as carefree as possible. He’s got a small circle of friends that he’s really close with. Cade is a kind, loving and so very generous guy. He has this wonderful capacity for giving so much of himself and loving life. Cade is just such a wonderfully giving man. Cade is just looking for the person who he can call “his home”.

The secondary characters in this story were so very supportive and loving to our MC’s. They showed such support to them. Giving them love and such honest and heartfelt advice. They stayed true to themselves and the guys with whom they loved and cherished. Jasper’s ex, Jolene and their kids, JJ and Janey, loved Jasper and only wanted the best for him. The kids were ok with their dad being gay and just wanted him to stay on the wagon. They were wonderful kids and even though they didn’t have much page time, when they did, you felt the love and support for their dad. Jet, was one of Cade’s best friends and he really helped Cade to see that Jasper really loved him and was doing what he could show him.

This book was sweet. Even though you read a bit about some lady bits in this story, there was actually no sex on the pages. So, if you like a good, sweet, tender romance with no sex on the pages, this is the story for you. I liked how it wasn’t really insta-love. It was more that they were attracted to each other and slowly getting to know each other. They were intimate, but that only helped them fall more in love.

Their time apart was actually what they needed in order to see that what the other truly wanted was each other. Cade, to see that Jasper was really his home the one that he’d been searching for so long. That his heart was safe in Jasper’s care. Jasper had to find the strength to be open with not only himself, but with everyone. That he didn’t have to hide who he loved and wanted to be with. It was good the way that they came back together. It was something that really showed the bond of love that was between them.

If you want a sweet, tender love story to while away some time, this is the book for you. Just a bit of angst, and it really wasn’t heartrending to read. A wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

4 Pants Off

Review: Wood, Screws, and Nails by Piper Vaughn and Kade Boehme

Reviewed by Whuppsy
Wood, Screws, & Nails by Piper Vaughn and Kade Boehme
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 176pgs
4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Aaron Costa’s summer was all planned. Despite having to remodel the family lake house, it would be a vacation of sorts, and he had every intention of enjoying it—until the friend who was supposed to help him got injured and left him in a lurch. He decides to take the opportunity to bond with his son and hires Julian and his roommate, Malachi, to assist. 

As a broke college student, Malachi could use the money, and spending the summer with Aaron for eye candy sounds like a dream. "Look but don’t touch" becomes his motto. But when Julian starts flaking on his responsibilities and Malachi and Aaron are forced to spend long hours alone together, their mutual attraction is impossible to resist. 

Aaron can’t fight the temptation sexy Malachi presents. But more than their age difference stands in their way, not the least of which is Aaron’s semi-closeted status and the fact that he’s never openly discussed his sexuality with his son. He has no idea how Julian will react when he learns his father is not only gay, he’s also dating his best friend.

Review
Ok, now this was such a sweet little romance. I enjoyed taking the time to read about these characters and fall a bit in love with them.

Aaron Costa is a 37 year old gay man who is not exactly out or in the closet. He’s just who he is. At the tender age of 16 he gets his best friend pregnant and they have their son, Julian. They raise him together and let him know that he’s loved. Aaron hasn’t been in a real long term relationship with anyone and that makes it easier not telling Julian that he’s gay. He wants to find someone to share his life with, but in his work as a contractor and dealing with the manly mentality of the job makes it hard to find someone.

Malachi is 21 years old and is Julian’s best friend and roommate. He’s given the chance to work most of his summer with Julian and his father in restoring Aaron’s Parents lake front property. He’s always known that he was gay and he has a thing for older guys. So, his falling for Aaron isn’t really a big thing for him. Malachi wants to go to school to become a teacher. He’s doing it for such wonderful reasons and he has such a great heart. I liked how Mal was this great character. Warm, funny and just an all- around good guy.

The secondary characters in this story were pretty great. Julian’s mom and step-dad were such good friends to Aaron they were there for Aaron to talk to and give good advice. Mal’s parents were so sweet and loving. I loved the way that they supported him. Even Aaron’s Parent’s stepped up in the end. Now…Julian. Sigh. This boy was the brat of the story. I really didn’t like him much. He was this spoiled brat and such a slacker. I disliked him for much of the story. But he redeemed himself at the end.

I know that Piper Vaughn stated that she was worried about how people would react to the age difference and the fact that Aaron was Mal’s roommate’s dad, but I have to say that it didn’t bother me in the least. I felt that it wasn’t really a big deal for me. That it was truly a story about two people falling in love with each other. That the age difference and who they were to each other didn’t factor in to it for me. I just love a great story and Piper and Kade delivered one.

This story flowed so smoothly and you were on the journey with them. You felt each emotion that our characters went through. You felt for them. You watched them try to hide how they felt for each other and watched them finally give in. You watched Aaron struggle with Julian’s behavior and how to handle it. You watched them struggle to find what they meant to each other. It was really a sweet and yet so very sexy book to read.

I would recommend you give this sweet book a try. Aaron and Malachi are such sweet characters and it was fun to watch them fall in love. Don’t let the age difference bother you. Just read this sweet love story and fall in love with these two wonderful guys.

4.5 Pants Off

Book Blast & Giveaway: The Actor and the Earl by Rebecca Cohen

Book Name: The Actor and the Earl: The Crofton Chronicles: Book One

Author Name: Rebecca Cohen

Blurb: 
Elizabethan actor Sebastian Hewel takes his bow at the proscenium only to embark on the role of a lifetime. When his twin sister, Bronwyn, reneges on the arrangement to marry Anthony Redbourn, Earl of Crofton, Sebastian reluctantly takes her place. At nineteen, Sebastian knows his days as a leading lady are numbered, but with this last performance, he hopes to restore his family’s name and pay off his late father’s debts. Never mind the danger of losing his head should he be discovered.

He didn’t expect Anthony to be so charming and alluring—not to mention shrewd. While he applauds Sebastian’s plan, Anthony offers a mutually beneficial arrangement instead. Sebastian will need every drop of talent he has to survive with both his head and his heart intact, because this is the best part he’s ever had.


Author Bio: Rebecca Cohen is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she has left London behind and now lives with her husband and baby son in Basel, Switzerland. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and a cup of Darjeeling in the other.

Author Links: 
Blog: http://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710 

DSP author page: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_462 

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Cohen/e/B007UEFIXS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

---

Excerpt

“So what of your sister, Mr. Hewel? Or were you always meant to play my bride?”

“Hardly. She has run off with a man she thinks herself in love with.”

Crofton laughed. “Clever girl.”

“So it seems.”

Sebastian watched as Crofton examined him closely, taking in his appearance from head to toe. “What now? You know what we planned to do.”

“I think the plan has merits,” Crofton replied with a sly grin.

“Her Majesty has granted me permission to wed Bronwyn Hewel. How would it look if Bronwyn were to refuse? But I think that we can come to an arrangement that will prevent me from having to sully the once-great Hewel name.”

Sebastian didn’t like the sound of that—the words too close to blackmail for his comfort. “Meaning what, exactly?”

“If you are willing to keep up this pretense, continue to play Bronwyn, then I in turn would take up the mantle of devoted husband.”

“What?”

“Your greatest performance, Mr. Hewel. Fool the court and polite society in an extravagant wedding, then retire to my country house to be my beloved wife for perhaps a year or two, after which time my young, but sickly, wife will succumb to a fever, and you will return to your life as Sebastian Hewel.”

For a moment Sebastian was unable to reply, Crofton’s shocking proposal robbing him of words. “But why would you want this?”

Crofton’s smile was predatory. “I have my reasons.”

“But—”

“No buts, Mr. Hewel. Do you have your answer? A life of luxury and your honor, or your family’s disgrace?”

Sebastian’s heart raced, but as he stared into Crofton’s expectant face, he really had little choice. “I accept.”

Tour Stops: Fallen Angel Reviews, Prism Book Alliance, 3 Chicks After Dark, My Fiction Nook, Love Bytes, MM Good Books, Parker Williams, Elisa Rolle, Nephylim, Iyana Jenna, Lee Brazil, The Hat Party, Up All Night, Read All Day, Cate Ashwood, Dawn’s Reading Nook, It’s Raining Men, Pants Off Review, Amanda C. Stone

Sales Links: 

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Spotlight, Review, & Giveaway: Daylight Again by SE Jakes

Intro:

Thanks so much for hosting a spotlight of my new release— Daylight Again!  It’s book 3 in the Hell or High Water series, and it’s the return of Prophet and Tommy.  And Mal.  And Cillian.  And, as usual, some surprises.  Hang on for another wild (and hot) ride!

Daylight Again (Hell or High Water #3) by SE Jakes
Riptide Publishing
Novel: 265pgs
5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Before Prophet Drews can have a future, he must first put his past to rest.

Prophet Drews is a man on the edge, and he’s pulling Tom Boudreaux, his partner on the job and in real life, right over with him. When his old CO calls in a favor, Prophet asks Tom to join the off-the-grid rescue. But the mission raises all of Prophet’s old ghosts: CIA assassins, the terrorist Sadiq, and most importantly, John—traitor, former teammate, and Prophet’s first love.

To help bury those ghosts for good, Prophet and Tom gather the members of Prophet’s former SEAL team . . . and a spook named Cillian who’s been tailing Prophet for years. In the process, Prophet is forced to face his team’s shifting loyalties, ghosts who refuse to stay dead, and scariest of all, his own limitations.

With everyone’s lives in danger, Prophet and Tom must unravel a tangled knot of secrets, including their own. Prophet must decide how much to reveal to Tom, while Tom must decide how far he’s willing to go to help Prophet lay his ghosts to rest.

Review
So, I am a HUGE SE Jakes fan. I have loved Prophet and Tommy from the very first book. I’ve read the first two books multiple times and I couldn’t wait to read this book. So, with lots of fan girl glee….Let’s Go!!

We’re back with Prophet and Tommy about 4 months after the events in Long Time Gone (book 2 in the Hell or High Water series). Tommy has moved into Prophet’s place and they are still as sizzling as ever. Prophet gets a call to help his former CO rescue his brother that has been abducted. Prophet accepts and asks Tommy to come along. Of Course Tommy does and boy does this story really start popping off the pages.

We get such a deeper look into Prophet’s past and a lot of what he’s had to deal with. I had to stop reading a couple of times and just take a few moments to get my head back into the game. I felt so much more connected to Prophet than I was prior. You see so much more of Prophet’s vulnerabilities in this book.

Tommy is such a strong character in this book, and he really becomes a rock for Prophet. He goes along with Prophet on these missions and he’s so on his game. He is so strong for Prophet in this book. He’s got Prophet’s back and front as well. As Prophet starts to give Tommy more information on his life, Tommy is a rock! He stands tall and allows Prophet to lean on him.

You get to get see more of Cillian, Mal and the rest of Prophet’s team. It was really great to see them together as a whole. I loved that she put a part of Mal and Cillian’s story into this book. It showed such wonderful continuity that flowed well from each book. It really makes me want the next Mal and Cillian book BADLY!! It was great to see the team working in a field situation and kicking some Serious Booty!! Those guys are pretty damn AMAZING!!

Now, there were some baddies in this story as well. Sadiq that we met in Catch A Ghost (book 1 of the Hell or High Water series) is still his horrible self and Holy Hannah, I still Hate him!! Sadiq isn’t in the story much, but he always seems to give good page time with what he has. Lansing is another character that we saw but didn’t know who he was. Now, when the book starts out and you get to know who Lansing is….Man, I wanted to punch him in the throat. He’s a bad guy and it’s in a totally different way than Sadiq, but I Hated him more. Read the book and you’ll know why.

So, being the SE Jakes fan girl that I am, I have to say that you know that her sex scenes are hot and very passionate. That did not change in this book. In fact, I felt that the intimate moments between Proph and Tommy really bonded them together. It’s a way that they can truly show how they feel. It was beautiful to watch these two men fall deeper in love with one another. Never fear when it comes to smoking hot sex scenes from SE Jakes, it was hot enough to melt my Kindle.

I love the fact that as usual, SE gave you morsels of information that you’ll need later on. She’s really good at that. So even though you’re reading this book or hell any of her books that she’s already getting you excited about the next one and Boy….Did She!! I can’t wait for the next book. It’s not gonna come fast enough.

From the first words until the very last one…you were on a thrill ride and it never stopped. You will go through some serious emotional swings in this book and that’s just what a really captivating book does and SE does that in spades!!

So Sit Back and Enjoy the Ride That is….Daylight Again!!!

5 Pants Off

Excerpt

God, Prophet fucking loved a good bar fight—hadn’t had one in a while. He sent tables and chairs flying, was more cautious with actual people, but hell, anyone who came at him got a good, sharp right hook.

Ren had, of course, started the fight when Mal gave the signal that Cillian was heading toward the bar. Now, Prophet and Tom were the only ones from their group left inside the bar, and Tom ambled over to him while he waited by the dancers’ platform that was mostly unharmed. As were the dancers.

“You all right?” Tom asked.

Prophet nodded, noting that Tom looked entirely too pleased with himself. “That felt good.”

Tom shook his head.

“What? I needed to release some tension.” Prophet stretched his neck. “I definitely don’t get to do that often enough.”

“There are other ways to relieve tension, Proph.”

“I know that. And now I’m going to try one of them.”

He grabbed Tom and yanked him close, rubbing his rough-stubbled cheek against Tom’s, knowing full well Tom loved the scratch and burn. “You fought too, Cajun.”

“Self-defense, pure and simple,” he protested. “And I saw Mal and Cillian. We were clear before the fight.”

“And after. Saw Cillian leave with the majority of the crowds,” Prophet confirmed. “Where were they?”

“Closer to the back.” Tom waved a hand casually in that direction. “Shouldn’t we leave?”

“Not till we get the all clear.”

He pulled Tommy onto the dance floor, wrapping around him, burying his face in Tommy’s neck. Tom did the same as they swayed. Partly so they wouldn’t be spotted, but mainly because it was really nice to be able to hold Tom like this.

“Want to fuck you right here,” Prophet murmured. “Get on my knees, suck you. Then turn you around, hold you against the pillar and take you in front of everyone.”

Tom groaned against Prophet’s ear.

“Ah, you like that idea,” Prophet shifted his glance to another couple, made sure Tom noticed they were stroking each other.

“Fuck,” Tom muttered. “We need to go to clubs more often.”

“Right,” Prophet teased. “Because we don’t have enough sex.” But really, sex with Tommy was everything. It was where and how he’d gotten the best possible education on everything Tommy—and he was well aware that Tom had gotten the same information on him. Until you really knew what someone was like in bed, you didn’t really know them at all.

“Never enough,” Tom informed him seriously. “And maybe I’d push you onto your knees. Then down on the ground. Spread you and fuck you in front of everyone.”

Prophet hissed a breath, bared his throat slightly. “You’d make me perform?”

“You’d fucking love it, Proph.”

Fuck yeah, he would. “When this is all over . . . that.”

“Yeah, that,” Tom echoed.

About the Author:

SE Jakes writes m/m romance. She believes in happy endings and fighting for what you want in both fiction and real life. She lives in New York with her family and most days, she can be found happily writing (in bed). No really…

 You can contact her the following ways:

You can email her at authorsejakes@gmail.com

You can post to her Facebook page: Facebook.com/SEJakes

You can tweet her: Twitter.com/authorsejakes

You can post on her Goodreads Group:  Ask SE Jakes

You can follow her Tumblr page:  sejakes.tumblr.com

You can follow her on Instagram: instagram.com/authorsejakes

Truth be told, the best way to contact her is by email or in blog comments.  She spends most of her time writing but she loves to hear from readers!

Giveaway: 

SE Jakes will be giving away one $100 gift certificate to Riptide Publishing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern Time, on May 17^th, and winners will be announced on May 18^th.  Contest is valid worldwide.

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Review: Pick Up the Pieces by Tinnean

Reviewed by Whuppsy
Pick up the Pieces (The Light In Your Eye #1) by Tinnean
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 324pgs
4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Fifteen-year-old Theo Bascopolis longs for the man of his dreams. But his dreams are dashed when his conservative Greek father discovers Theo is gay and throws him out. Hopeless, he falls in with Fast Franky, a pimp who seduces Theo with the nickname “Sweetcheeks,” but abuses him and wants Theo to hustle. A bloody fight with Franky forces Sweetcheeks to run. Winding up in Washington, DC, he meets a group of rent boys who take care of each other. While he may not have the man of his dreams, Theo finally has a home and family of his own making. 

When the boys take in mysterious tenant Mark Vincent, he seems a solid protector, until one of Sweetcheeks’s boys suffers a savage beating in his name. Vincent visits the boy in the hospital and introduces his equally enigmatic trainee, William Matheson. The instant attraction blindsides Sweetcheeks. In spite of knowing love isn’t for rent boys, Sweetcheeks hopes Matheson sees beyond the body he’s offered to so many. But Matheson has secrets of his own, and both will have to tear down their walls to find enduring love.

Review
I have to say how excited I was to read this book!! I love the Spy vs. Spook series!! I loved Vincent and Quinn and how they interacted. I loved that the author added in the high priced rent boys as side characters. I loved seeing the boys find their own HEA’s. So, I was really excited to read about Sweetcheeks and Matheson’s relationship from their own views.

So, we start off at the very beginning. Sweetcheeks gets thrown out of his home at the tender age of 15 for being gay. Now, he’s from this small town in Florida and he’s so very lost. He meets up with this guy who promises to love and take care of him. He ends up being a rent boy for this guy who then sells him to a pimp who hooks the boys on drugs. He runs away and hits Washington, DC and ends up with these guys who are in the same business, but they look after each other. They become a family and help support each other.

You see how Sweetcheeks life gets better, even with being a rent boy, he’s got this family that he loves and supports each other. He doesn’t expect to find love being what he is, but he knows that it can happen. He and the boys start this really great enterprise and become more self-sufficient. Sweetcheeks is gets his education and uses it to help himself and his boys in the business. One night, one of the guys in the house gets hurt really badly and Sweetcheeks calls Vincent for help. Vincent shows up at the hospital with Matheson in tow. Sweetcheeks likes him on sight. Little does he know, that his future just walked in the door.

William Matheson works with Vincent and he’s very good at his job. The non-descript hair and clothes. He’s not sure that he’s gay. But he feels something for Sweets also. He’s more than what he lets on to Sweets. For if you’ve read the Spy v. Spook series you know that doing dangerous wet work for the government is what Vincent and Wills does. But he tells Sweets that he’s a computer trouble-shooter. He falls for Sweets knowing what he does/did for a living. It was sweet watching Wills fall for Sweets.

Now, I will say that it was so freaking adorable watching Sweets fall more in love with Wills. To see how even with his past, he’s not lost this sweet, loving guy who wants to be loved and love in return. Now, it’s hard to see how Sweets hard to reconcile his past and when he learns that his family would love to see him, it was heartbreaking to watching their reunion. I loved how Wills gets to him each and every time they got together. How inviting Sweets home to meet his family shows Sweets just how important he is to Wills.

There was a bit of sex in this story. Not what you’d think about a book regarding Rent Boys. It was just a bit and not explicit. I liked that about this story. It was so character driven that the sex was just a natural part of the story and it never overwhelmed.

I will say that I really enjoyed reading this book and it stated that the second part is coming out soon. I can’t wait. I want to see how Wills tells Sweets what he really does and how that affects their relationship. I enjoyed reading this book and truly can’t believe that I have to wait for the next part. It was at turns hard to read about such a young boy being hurt and brutalized and yet to see the man that he becomes, it was just amazing.

This is definitely a book worth reading and you’ll definitely reread this book. Sweet and loving and yet at times, it was truly heartbreaking. LOVED IT!!

4.5 Pants Off

Book Blast & Giveaway: Astrally Yours by Alex Carreras

Book Name: Astrally Yours

Author Name: Alex Carreras

Author Bio: Alex Carreras writes from Sarasota, Florida about sexy men in compromising positions while he dreams of living in a cold but still cozy village somewhere in the United Kingdom.

Author Links: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alex-Carreras-Author/239750179416579

Cover Artist: Lea Barrymire

Publisher: Self-published

Blurb: 
Caeli Aferrum found himself in the Midwest unsure what to expect from the human race.

He was searching Earth for a partner he could call his own along with some of his brethren. After a few beers and a name change to, Kyle he found the curious creatures full of questions. They appeared less scary and a whole lot sexier, especially the one named Hank.

When Hank Cutter entered Rascals Bar the last thing he expected in his small town of North Fork, Kansas was to meet a man. There was only one gay man in town and that happened to be him. He finds himself faced with a startling truth: Kyle is actually a Ferrumis in search of a mate he intends to have for life on the spacecraft Fronza, a stolen Thorean ship manned by seven other aliens who are roaming the galaxy with no particular destination in mind. He knew love came in many different shapes and sizes, but did his have to have a smooth metallic-colored tail and a set of razor sharp fangs?

Can their love span species lines and quench the growing lust in Caeli in time to save him from his Needing? Or will Hank deny his growing feelings to stay safe and sound on good ol’ planet Earth?

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Sales Links: 
Amazon 

Barnes and Noble

All Romance E-books

Amazon U.K

Giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the Winners Are...

Pardon my tardiness, POR had a few winners awhile back and I'll give them their shout out now.

Debby (Forever Fearless by Jeff Erno)

&

H.B (With Pride by Megan Derr)

~Thanks to all who entered and be sure to stop by for some more awesome giveaways~

What's Happening This Week!

Omo, its been so long! I know there has been a serious amount of slacking here on Pants Off Reviews but I promise to change and will pick up the pace for reviews. Call it a series of laziness on my part and the lack of blogging feels as of late. Things will be picking up, and I hope ya'll haven't forgotten about us.


Some amazing things coming this week as well for in the future. I have a new segment that will be going live Friday of next week called "This Weeks Recs and Shit" where I'll be talking about my fave things (not just books). Also the one thing I been meaning to do for like two years and I swear to all that is holy I'm getting this thing done (secrecy).

Alright, no more rambling on and check what's causing a pants losing this week.

Reviews:
Straight Shooter by Heidi Belleau (DarienMoya)
Pick up the Pieces by Tinnean (Whuppsy)
Wood, Screws, and Nails by Piper Vaughn (Whuppsy)
The Forester II: Lost and Found by Blaine D.Arden (DarienMoya)
The Spirit by John Inman (Whuppsy)
Mirage by Tia Fielding (Whuppsy)
Daylight Again by SE Jakes (Whuppsy)

Guest Posts & Giveaways:
Book Blast: Astrally Yours by Alex Carreras
Spotlight, Review, and Giveaway: Daylight Again by SE Jakes

~Have A Great Week~

Guest Post & Giveaway: The Comeback Kid by Kimber Vale

Are there any bands or actors you loved years ago that were quiet for a while, but eventually made their way back into the spotlight?

I love when that happens, personally. Heck, that could be the appeal with some of those reality TV shows like Dancing with the Stars. It’s fun to see how people look a decade or so later, to hear what they did with their lives after that childhood acting thing imploded and they checked into rehab. Did they let themselves go? If they’re in one of those weight loss competition shows, odds are that time and fast food haven’t been kind to them, but it’s still exciting when they pull off a transformation and fight their way back from the brink of obscurity.

Maybe it’s reassuring to see that we aren’t the only ones under Father Time’s thumb. Of course, seeing some of my favorite stars from my youth, and noting how they’ve aged can be somewhat depressing, too. Still, I’d much rather the Jake Ryan’s of the world were getting silver fox roles instead of hiding out in the woods and whittling furniture.

But how cool is it when that favorite band comes out with an album after years of time off and lands a top forty song? How awesome was it when Mickey Rourke got the lead in The Wrestler? Yeah, he’ll never be 9 ½ Weeks Mickey again, but I’m still pulling for him. I still loved that movie and was glad to see him working. And then I was glad to watch 9 ½ Weeks and touch myself like the good old days. ;-)

Anyway, it warms my heart when my old favorites are out there proving that middle-aged folk can still hang with the young’uns—and maybe even teach them a thing or two. That’s how I feel about my main character, Gio, from Double Takes. Gio didn’t want to believe his days headlining were over, and neither did I. I had a lot of fun letting my underdog get another shot at the gold. And after everything I put them through, Gio and Lance both deserved their happily ever after.

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Blurb:
 Ah, the life of a rock star. Everyone thinks it’s nothing but sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

Not for Giovanni Savale.

For the lead singer of Three Deaf Mice, a band that reached its pinnacle in the late nineties, it’s nothing but an ugly divorce with a custody battle, money trouble, and now the nightmare exposure of starring in a reality television show. When his producer decides to cash in on an infamous interview Gio did years ago, and give the self-confessed bisexual rocker an onscreen boyfriend, things really hit the fan. Gio is certain his sexual experimentation back in his drug-abusing days meant nothing — after all he’s been married for nine years, clean and sober for nearly as long, and he has a son. And Gio is not remotely attracted to Kyrie, the funny, flamboyant actor they choose for his love interest. Of course, Lance Garrett, the mysterious and sexy owner of the local antique shop, Double Takes, is a whole different story. The guy has Gio planning out a future he never imagined. With the threat of losing all custody of his ten-year-old son, ghosts from the past returning for revenge, and the cameras rolling, can Gio keep his head above water and his heart from getting broken?

Excerpt:

Lance’s hand on top of his stopped Gio from silencing the irritating voice.

Gio sat down heavily next to Lance, one hand still burdened by his dinner plate and the other sandwiched between Lance’s palm and the remote. He didn’t dare pull it away, and Lance apparently wanted to see the entire commercial because he kept Gio trapped there until it finished.

“What was that all about?” Lance’s warm fingers slid from Gio’s, leaving his hand cold.

“Ah, it’s dumb. The world’s most degrading way to make a paycheck.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Lance stared at something past Gio’s shoulder.

“The producers took some stupid poll and found out the viewers want to see me…” Gio paused in search of the right word. What the hell did people want to see? “They wanna see me squirm. They want to see a supposedly bisexual man drowning in the same-sex dating pool. It’s all bullshit—just for ratings.”

“So, you’re not really dating that guy?”

“No! Well, yeah, I have to for the show. But not really. It’s just a publicity stunt, you know?”

“So, you aren’t bi, then?” Lance cocked his head and skewered Gio with those intense hazel eyes.

“Yeah! No! I mean … it’s not like I…” What the fuck was he even trying to say? You’ve screwed around with guys before, ass munch.

The confused squint of the eyes staring back at him—moss-green with spikes of brown radiating from his pupils—told Gio his answer didn’t exactly make sense to Lance, either.

“I always wondered if those rumors were true before you got married.” Lance made it sound like a question.

“Well, you know how it is … when you’re young, and you party too much. Sometimes you do shit you wouldn’t normally do if you weren’t fucked up, right?” Gio gave a weak laugh.

Lance’s face was introspective and finally he shook his head. “When I was young and I partied too much, I never ended up in bed with a woman, so no … I don’t know.”

Hold the fucking phone. Something skipped inside Gio’s chest. It was nauseating and exhilarating all at once. Like a rollercoaster when it crests the top of a hill. He knew he was about to drop, he craved the intoxicating free fall, but was scared shitless at the same time.

Lance placed his dinner on the coffee table and turned to Gio.

What is going on? How do I even respond to that?

“So…?” Gio began, but then Lance’s right hand wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer to those amazing eyes, his mouth closer to Lance’s flawless one.

Lips, soft yet firm and unbelievably full, pressed to Gio’s and his eyelids dropped like they were weighted. Fingers carded the hair at the back of his head and lured him to kiss back. Or maybe it was the faint spicy smell Gio now associated with Lance that made his lips pucker and nibble against the other guy’s delicious mouth. Gio detected a hint of lemon poppy seed dressing as he sucked a voluptuous bottom lip between his own.

Lance’s tongue darted out to lick Gio’s closed mouth, and Gio opened to suck in a surprised breath. Gio’s tongue had a will of its own. It touched Lance’s wet tip and they swirled together, exploring each other’s taste, marking new territory in the other’s domain.

A low rumble came from somewhere; Gio wasn’t sure if it was he or Lance who groaned. He wanted to grab the man sitting next to him, wanted to slide his hand up the inseam of his jeans and stroke his dick into dripping hardness. Gio’s own cock was filling, twitching against the constraints of his pants with each meeting of their tongues.

Oh my God, what the hell am I doing? Nothing about this kiss—hot slippery tongues meshing and soft bristles tickling his cheeks—nothing about it was like his memories of other men. Those were hazy and unreal and this was vibrant—electric. His conscience had long ago associated those fleeting, drugged sexual acts with perversion. He had swept them under the carpets of history along with his ancient addictions. But this kiss didn’t make him think of sinfulness and mistakes. It felt right, like nothing before ever had. It flooded his senses and his prick and had him aching for more, everything Lance had.

Gio pulled away from his thoughts and from Lance’s lips. His breath came in shallow gasps that exposed him as much as the bulge in his pants did. Lance slid his warm hand off Gio’s neck and took a shaky inhalation. Gio swallowed hard as he swiped his hair back with trembling fingers. His plate was still in the other hand, tilting precariously but fortunately not dumped all over the floor. He set it down on the table just as a cheer went up on the television.

The Red Sox had scored a home run. I only got to first base, but man I was close to dropping to my knees and knocking this one out of the park. What the fuck?

Lance took a long pull off his water. Gio watched him out of the corner of his eye while he pretended to be enraptured by Big Papi jogging the bases. He had no clue what he should do or say. I’m not really into guys didn’t seem at all right anymore. Lance made it easy for him.

“Hey, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to freak you out. Just wanted to give you something to think about and you can get back to me on it.” He gave a half smile that was sexy as hell.

Bio:
Kimber Vale writes romance of all stripes, from hot hetero stories to mouthwatering men falling in love (under the name K. Vale). Keep up with Kimber’s news and follow all her tour stops on her blog: http://www.kimbervale.me and friend/follow her on Facebook and Twitter @KimberVale. Come for the sex. Stay for the story. http://www.authorkimbervale.com



Find Double Takes:
On Amazon

At Liquid Silver Books

All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-doubletakes-1484498-149.html

Watch the Double Takes book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBF5EZ2Qcrk


Giveaway
 Kimber has a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card (winner’s choice) up for grabs!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway