One Line Reviews Of Some Books I Read This Year (January – June 2024)

This is a round up of the books I read on the 1st half of this year that I’m too lazy to do a full review.

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Rekindled Flame: Cleansing Flame – Andrew Grey

Life has been grinding Dayne Mills down almost for as long as he can remember. First he lost the love of his life in an accident that also left him with a permanent injury, and then his mother passed away a year later. When his house burns to the ground, it’s the last straw. He can’t take any more, and if it wasn’t for kind and handsome firefighter Lawson Martin offering him a hand up and a place to stay, he doesn’t know what he’d do. Dayne would love for his relationship with Lawson to evolve into something beyond charity, but he knows going after a man so far out of his league will only lead to yet more heartache. It’s best to just keep his mind on his research.

It’s that research that leads Dayne to an old student journal that not only provides clues to the Native American heritage Lawson has been searching for, but chronicles a century-old love story. The tale that unfolds might be just what Dayne and Lawson need to remind them that no matter how dark life becomes, love can find a way to shine through.

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Rekindled Flame: Smoldering Flame – Andrew Grey

Sometimes the strongest flames take the longest to ignite.

Firefighter Dean’s life revolves around his very ill son, Sammy. Caring for Sammy and working to make ends meet leave Dean time for little else, and romance isn’t something he can even consider—no matter how much he longs for someone special to join their family. Because money is tight, Dean couldn’t be more grateful to the photographer who does Sammy’s session free of charge.

After growing up in the foster care system, Marco knows how to rely on himself, and his hard work is about to pay off—he’s poised on the cusp of fame and success he could only have imagined as a lonely child. When Dean brings Sammy into Marco’s studio, Marco can see they’re struggling, and both the boy and his father stir Marco’s heart. The slow burn between the two men isn’t something either expected, but neither wants to lose the possibility of a loving future. With Dean’s dangerous and possibly life-threatening career and Marco’s demanding one, can romance and forever find a place to fit?

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Hell’s Ankhor: Blade – Aiden bates & Ali Lyda

An MC President and his enemy’s son make for an explosive combination …

Blade has a motorcycle club to run and he doesn’t need a turf war on his hands. When a beautiful young man with haunted eyes walks into his bar, Blade’s protective instincts roar to the surface. The kid clearly isn’t made for MC life, but once Blade has had a taste, he can’t let go.

All MCs can burn in hell, as far as Logan is concerned. He’s seen the way his father runs his club, and he wants nothing to do with the life. But infiltrating Hell’s Ankhor is his one chance at escape, and now he’s in the crosshairs of the sexy as sin, President Blade. How can Logan resist the strong, protective man when he’s everything he’s ever wanted in a partner?

But Blade is still a big rough biker who will do anything to protect his club. What will he do when he finds out who Logan truly is? And how much destruction will Logan’s father cause when he finds his son in bed with the enemy?

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Hell’s Ankhor: Gunnar – Aiden Bates & Ali

I’ve wanted Gunnar forever … and it’s time for him to see that I’m not a kid anymore. I grew up in Hell’s Ankhor and even though I’m twenty-five they all still see me as Ankh and Priest’s kid. Especially Gunnar. The Sargent has known me for years and watched me grow up. I would give anything to have him see me as the man I’ve become instead of the scrawny boy I used to be, but it’s never going to happen. I need to face the fact that Gunnar will never be mine, but when a devastating revelation sweeps through the club and cuts me to the core, he’s the one I turn to. And just when it seems like things might change between us a threat from a rival MC puts me in the crosshairs…

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Hell’s Ankhor: Rebel – Aiden Bates & Ali Lyda

I can’t stand him … and I can’t keep my hands to myself …
If my father finds out I’m an undercover cop I’m a dead man … and if he finds out I’m gay it won’t be much better. But I’m determined to take him and his corrupt MC down, even if it means working with Coop to do it. He can’t stand me—or any cop—and the feeling should be mutual. Instead he makes me wish for things I can’t have.

I’ve been undercover for so long that I’m beginning to forget who the real me is. It doesn’t matter if being around Coop helps me remember. He might hate cops, but he’s the only one who can see past the mask I wear to survive.

I can’t afford to have a heart, and it doesn’t matter if I lose my soul. I need to take down my father’s club and end his evil for good. Coop can’t be mine when I have nothing to give, and if anyone finds out about us we’re both dead.

So why can’t I let him go?

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Hell’s Ankhor: Maverick – Aiden Bates & Ali Lyda

Can the big bad biker really protect me and my daughter?

On the run with my baby daughter, I never expected to end up surrounded by massive bikers. I’ve seen the violence that gangs can do, and I’m not sure a motorcycle club is any different. But Maverick might be able to change my mind about Hell’s Ankhor. When I show up on his doorstep with a busted car and a baby in my arms, he doesn’t hesitate to take us in. And from the moment I see him, I know I want more.

It’s crazy to even think it. My violent ex is coming for me, and I can’t put anyone else in danger. But even more important is protecting baby Grace. And Maverick and his club are just the men to help. I think I’ve finally found my match in this gigantic biker’s arms. Can I trust that this time the story will end in a happily ever after? Or will my past crash into our lives and ruin the family we could have together?

Maverick is book four in the Hell’s Ankhor m/m MC series. Read for a slow burn that will ignite the flame within Maverick showing just how far he will go to keep Jonah and his daughter safe.

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Hell’s Ankhor: Tex – Aiden Bates & Ali Lyda

Jazz: I’m in love with my straight best friend …

Prison changed me, mostly for the better, but it could never erase my love for Tex. Growing up together in foster care he was my one constant, and I hate all the ways I’ve let him down. Now that I’m free my biggest wish is to settle back into our friendship and life in our MC. I know I’ll never have anything more. But the glances Tex keeps shooting me are enough to make me question … is my brother looking at me differently?

Tex: I can’t be checking Jazz out …

Just because my friends are gay, it doesn’t mean I am, no matter how good Jazz looks. Right? I love the guy, but I can’t love him. Except now that I’m thinking about him that way, I can’t stop. He just got out of prison and I can’t risk losing him again because I’m confused. He’s supposed to be my brother.

But when an old enemy shows up I may end up losing him anyway. Can I trust that Jazz really learned his lesson in prison? Or will old habits get him taken away for good?

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Hell’s Ankhor: Dante – Aiden Bates & Ali Lyda

I may look tough, but my heart lies in my bakery, and I’m old enough to know better than to get hung up on a twenty-year-old twink, but he’s just my type. Problem is, he’s scared of bigger guys. He needs guidance and protection, the kind I crave to give my subs. I’d never hurt him, and he needs to know that.

Heath is as prickly as they come, and for some reason he can’t believe that I’d want him in my bed. When I find out he’s a virgin it makes me hotter than I’ve ever been. I want to teach him everything. I want him to be mine.

He follows every instruction like he was a born submissive, and while most of me wants to watch him flourish under my instruction, I can’t help but remember how poorly relationship ended with my last sub. I know I won’t find Heath in another Dom’s bed. But am I ready to risk my heart again and trust that he’s in this just as deep as me?

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Valor and Doyle: Defying Logic by Nicky James

Two months ago, a catastrophic incident on the job forever changed Aslan’s life. It left him shaken and scarred, unsure if and when he would be able to return to work. Fighting to stay sober and battling his mental health, Aslan finds other crutches to help him cope.

Work and a challenging new partner have kept Quaid busy, but he spends every free minute nurturing Aslan’s wounded soul, ensuring his live-in boyfriend knows he is loved and cherished and not alone.

When Quaid gets entangled in a strange missing persons case, Aslan finds himself craving the job he’s abandoned. He wants to be part of the action.

To do so, Aslan needs to overcome significant personal barriers, and Quaid is willing to help in any way he can.

Their bond has grown exponentially, but what does the future have in store?

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Valor and Doyle: Disrupted Engagement – Nicky James

The ring has been bought, and all Aslan has to do is create the perfect setup for a proposal. No problem. Nothing to it. Quaid deserves the best, and he plans to deliver.

After choreographing a romantic evening to officially pop the question, Aslan is ready.

But things don’t go as planned, and the evening is ruined. Quaid’s insecurities rear their ugly head, making him suspicious. He knows Aslan is hiding something, but pessimism insists it isn’t a good thing.

When Aslan gets called out of town to hunt down a long-acting serial killer, there is no time to soothe his over-anxious boyfriend’s worries or make a new attempt to propose.

Torn between a complicated case and figuring out the perfect way to ask Quaid to marry him, Aslan is left scrambling. Every idea falls flat. Every scrambling attempt fails. The more pressure he puts on himself, the more unsuccessful his efforts, and Quaid’s fears grow.

Aslan needs to solve this serial killer case and get home to straighten the mess he’s made.

Disrupted Engagement is the sixth book in the Valor and Doyle mystery series. It is a same-couple series and should be read in order. Although each book has a self-contained mystery with no cliff-hangers, the romance is overarching.

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Valor and Doyle: Matrimonial Merriment – Nicky James

Who would have thought Quaid and Aslan would come so far?
Join the couple as they scramble to arrange Quaid’s dream wedding in under three months. Then take a seat because you are cordially invited to attend the ceremony.

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Angels of Wrath: Six – Paulina Ian-Kane

Oliver “Ollie” Truman

My purpose in life has always been one: protect my little brother. And the only way to do that is doing what my dirtbag of a father says—easier said than done—save enough money to grab our bag packs and leave those miserable days behind us. There’s no harm in having a little fun in the meantime though, is there? And the growling beast who flattens his opponents with a single punch looks like a perfectly hot diversion to me.

The crowd calls him Hulk. Dark intense eyes, large hands, scarred back, huge rocky pecks, thick porn arms and tree trunk thighs. And If the bulge in his pants is not a mirage a very proportionat-ed…appendage.

He growls, I snort. He rejects me, I stalk him. He threatens me, I kiss him. He orders me around, I…that depends, are we in or out of bed?

His broody, rough behavior dares me to get closer, and his crude, hard words turn me on like nothing ever before. My sassy mouth has got me in trouble more times that I can count but he seems to have found a very delicious way to shut me up.

What to do when I discover his protective side? His possessiveness? The secrets? The rage and destruc-tion?

Can two broken souls find their missing pieces among the dark, bloody, jagged ones?

WARNING-This is not a sci-fi angel story, unless you see eager vigilantes with a dark side as angels.

This is an action packed romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features an over the top posses-sive mountain of a man, and a bratty, determined twunk with a sassy mouth. There’s violence, blood, torture (only of very bad people), dark humor, amazing side characters and very rough, spicy scenes. Morality’s grey area is quite stretched in this story. Please check the triggers at the beginning of the book.

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A primal and rage-y Beauty and the Beast story with found family chaos and billionaire vigilantes that took a page out of Necessary Evils
(3 stars)

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Corvin’s Crows: [Never] Feed the Crows – Jennifer Cody

Amos
University is a strange experience, but I’ve managed to make it as weird as possible by accidentally befriending a flock of crows that like to hang out on campus. Anyone would have started feeding them if they knew how vengeful crows can be. I was worried about getting pooped on! I wasn’t going to find myself an enemy of the birds, but now I’m more like a friend. Ok, it might be more serious than that, but they’re the only creatures I can talk to about the professor on campus that I might have a teeny, tiny, itty bitty crush on, and they’re only a little judgmental about it.

(Never) Feed the Crows is an 18k word MM paranormal romance featuring the grumpy king of crows and his fated mate, a clumsy, sweet, shy college student who’s made friends with his murder. This was previously published as The Crow King’s Mate in Fated Mates: an MM Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology.

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Joker’s Sin: Taste of Fear – Davidson King

Ciro Navarro has never had it easy, but he learned to survive. Nightmares of a past he cannot erase plague him but thankfully, much of his horrible life is in the rearview mirror. He lives in the present, focusing on his found family, lifelong friends, and the job that fulfills him. Ciro’s circle is small but tight; if you’re in it, you are his world. And somehow he’s become a rescuer—at the slightest hint someone he cares about is in trouble, he comes running.

After years of hard work and patience, Xander has fulfilled his goal and made a name for himself as a world-renowned chef. He lives his dream every day: cooking up and serving recipes that bring people joy. Though he has restaurants in several locations, it’s Haven Hart Xander calls home, and he can’t imagine settling anywhere else. Life is good. In fact, everything in Xander’s life is perfect…until people from his past start turning up dead.

When word of a serial killer hell-bent on ending Xander comes to light, Ciro’s instincts kick in and he vows to keep Xander, the sweet and humble man he finds himself gravitating toward, alive. The seriousness of what is happening rattles Xander, and he allows Ciro into his home to protect him. Close proximity heats things up and shows Ciro and Xander how much they’ve come to mean to each other, but the precautions they’ve taken may not be enough to keep them safe.

When the unthinkable happens, they are put to the test. Can Xander and Ciro survive the crazed serial killer who stands in the way of their forever?

CW: This book contains violence and some scenes of mild torture.

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Drake Security: Hot Head – Mika Nix

Protecting him is my job. Finding out he’s my fated mate wasn’t part of the assignment.

Lake Forrester III entered my life like a wrecking ball. Drake Security, my firm with my brothers, was hired to protect him from a stalker ex, but what Lake doesn’t know is that he’s not dealing with your average unhinged human. The unhinged wolf shifter he unknowingly dated will stop at nothing to get Lake in his clutches.

Just another day in the life of a dragon body guard.

The one thing I never expected was for Lake to be my fated mate. To say my protective instincts are on overdrive is an understatement. I’ll move mountains to keep him safe and delight in tearing the wolf apart with my bare hands if he gets too close to my mate. If it unleashes all out war with the wolf packs, so be it. I never claimed to be the level headed one.

In the meantime, my only focus is Lake and his safety. If anyone hurts him, it’ll be the last thing they do. My dragon will make sure of it.

Hot Head is book one in the exciting new series, Drake Security. It features a dragon bodyguard with anger issues, a fabulous human with more money than friends, an ex on the loose, and fated mate goodness. Dive into Hot Head and feel the burn.

**Drake Security features dragon shifters with NO MPREG**

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Drake Security: Smolder – Mika Nix

I was hired to protect him, but will our smoldering attraction ignite into love?

When my hot headed brother found his fated mate, a deep, aching desire opened up inside of me for my own. Everyone knows dragons are covetous, jealous… possessive. I am all of these things, but never more so than when I set my eyes on Dempsey for the first time.

Beautiful. Awkward. Sweet. Shy. Perfect. My dragon wants to wrap himself around him the moment he bumps into me outside of his antique shop. Dempsey, however, is not as keen on that idea as my inner beast is.

He hired Drake Security for protection, and he needs it even more than he realized. Unfortunately, we specialize in brute strength and burning sh*t to the ground, and the problem Dempsey has is way out of our league.

Is he my fated mate or am I just so desperate for one that I’m falling for him too fast? Either way, I’ll move heaven and hell to protect him, even if the forces that are after him are unlike anything I’ve dealt with before.

I’ve spent thousands of years hoarding books and storing their words close to my heart. Will the love stories that live inside my soul be enough to woo him? Is it too much to hope that fate has chosen him for me?

**** Smolder is book 2 in the Drake Security series and has a reluctant fated mate, dragon shifters, book swooning, ancient mysteries, and magic. Each book can be read on its own, but is so much better if read in order. The series is all dragons, NO MPREG.

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The Court: Drama Queen – Charlie Novak

Note to self: dumping cocktails into a man’s lap does not count as a meet cute.

Accidentally throwing a jug of Sex on the Beach onto the hottest guy at drag brunch was not how I wanted to start my performance, and forgetting to ask for his name was the cherry on top.

But when he finds me online and invites me out for drinks, it seems like my chaotic shenanigans might have worked out for once. Falling into bed with West is easy, but balancing a gorgeous, rugby player boyfriend with a day job and drag is harder than dancing in eight inch heels.

And when my participation in a local drag story hour draws the ire of certain locals, it feels like everything might fall apart. West doesn’t understand why I won’t step down, but I’ve never been afraid of being myself.

Now I just need West to stand beside me. Because he’s the only man who’s ever loved me as Rory and Bubblegum Galaxy, and I won’t let that slip away.

You can call me a drama queen, but you’ll never dull my sparkle.

Content Warning: This novel contains an attempted homophobic attack, the use of slurs and violent language.

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Four Kings Security: In The Cards – Charlie Cochet

Love is in the air, and what says ‘romance’ more than a Valentine’s Day wedding? Anston “Ace” Sharpe is down in South Florida for his cousin’s wedding, and with his boyfriend Colton accompanying him, Ace has some Valentine’s Day plans of his own.

Surrounded by his huge Cuban family, his brothers-in-arms from Four Kings Security, and a groom with a penchant for chaos, what could possibly go wrong?

This Four Kings Security short should be read after Diamond in the Rough, Four Kings Security Book 4.

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Welcome Boulevard: Breathe My Name – Davidson King

Life is pretty good for Clove; he’s miles away from where he was a year ago. He has a roof over his head, food in his stomach, safety, security—even a job. And nothing means more to him than pleasing his boss…nothing. He wants Marcel, though the man is way out of his league. If Clove can’t have Marcel’s heart, he wants to earn his respect, and when he receives his first solo task, he is ready. At least until the mission results in a dead body.

The moment Marcel lays eyes on Clove, he’s consumed by the need to be with him in every way. So he brings him into the fold, offering him employment, in the hopes that it will be enough. But when a simple errand yields murder, missing money, and criminal powerhouses out for destruction, Marcel realizes he will do anything to keep Clove alive…despite the fact that he clearly has a death wish.

Clove and Marcel are thrown together on a quest for answers. As dangerous as they think it’ll be, it’s far worse. With bullets flying, lives in the balance, and a future unknown, Marcel and Clove must face their feelings for one another. Tumbling into love isn’t easy, especially in their line of work, but they finally have what they want, and nothing in this world will stop them from keeping it.

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Breathe My Name is book two in the Welcome Boulevard series. It does not follow a story arc and can be read as a standalone. Characters from book one, They Call Him Levity, are incorporated into this story, if that is important to you check out the first book in the series…I mean, Levity is pretty fabulous.

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The Milverton Mysteries: Murder on Milverton Square – G.B. Ralph

Addison Harper is abruptly summoned to Milverton at the behest of an abrasive lawyer. He plans to be in and out, back to the city lickety-split. Instead, he finds himself charmed by the small town with its delightful and eccentric residents, not to mention the rather easy-on-the-eye Sergeant Jake Murphy.

Despite the rocky start, Addison admits he’s had a pleasant day out. That is, until returning to find the prickly old lawyer on the floor, and very much dead. Worse, it looks like murder, and Addison’s fingerprints are all over the crime scene.

Murder on Milverton Square is the first in a wonderful new cosy mystery series set in an enchanting small town nestled amongst stunning New Zealand scenery. The Milverton Mysteries features a chaotic cast of local busybodies, delicious baked treats, a demanding and disdainful ginger cat, a very slow-burn romance with a rather appealing policeman, and of course, murder…

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The Milverton Mysteries: Poison at Penshaw Hall – G.B. Ralph

Addison Harper is back, and with another dead body at his feet. Only this time, the entire town saw it happen.

Milverton is in the running for the Terrific Town Award, so a dramatic death at the opening ceremony is far from ideal. Addison had only been lending a hand, but now finds himself much more involved than he’d ever hoped. To think his biggest worry before had been his upcoming date with Sergeant Jake Murphy.

As for the sergeant, he can hardly ignore a hall full of witnesses even if he wanted to. And they’re all pointing the finger at his date, Milverton’s newest arrival, Addison Harper.

Poison at Penshaw Hall is the latest in a wonderful cosy mystery series set in an enchanting small town nestled amongst stunning New Zealand scenery. Investigate The Milverton Mysteries for a chaotic cast of local busybodies, delicious baked treats, a demanding and disdainful ginger cat, a very slow-burn romance with a rather appealing policeman, and of course… murder!

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The Kozlov Brothers: Tied To You – Syn Blackrose

Seb

I have nothing. I feel nothing. Nobody cares about me and I crave to feel something. To be wanted.

When life can’t get any worse, it suddenly drops a hot Russian bad boy in front of me whose orbit I have been thrust into.

He won’t let me go. He annoys me. He thrills me. I hate him. And I can’t wait for him to catch me.

Dima

I’m obsessed as soon as my eyes land on Seb. He is the hottest thing I’ve seen. I must stake my claim on him.

He thinks he has a choice. He doesn’t. He thinks he can run from me. He can’t. I will catch him and take whats mine.

I will devour him. I will claim him. He will be mine.

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Cursed Hearts: Killer Heart – Rhys Lawless

Raised to hate them. Trained to kill them.

Witches are evil. They’re everything that’s wrong with this world. My unit is tasked with finding and killing each and every one of them.

Until he comes along. Caleb Carlyle.

My next target.

Silver hair, small with a big-boy attitude, and an offer I can’t refuse. Trade my cursed, frozen heart for his broken one.

When we join forces, witches and hunters turn against us. Now we have to rely on each other for survival and I know this won’t end well.

Rule number one of witch-hunting? Never trust a witch.

Even when he comes in such a gorgeous package.

Yet his honesty surprises me every step of the way.

Is it all a lie? Or are there darker forces at play here? And if witches aren’t evil, who is?

Killer Heart is the first book in a gay urban fantasy romance series.
It’s filled to the brim with magic, heart-pumping action, and steamy times.
Book 1 contains enemies-to-lovers and bi-awakening and ends on a HFN minor cliffhanger.

Read now and immerse yourself in the curse of a lifetime.

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Peach State Stepbros: The Step bet – Riley Hart & Devon McCormack

TROY

Sometimes I want to punch that smirk off Atlas McCallister’s pretty face.

He’s cocky. A troublemaker. A pain.

And, unfortunately, my stepbrother.

We’ve been fire and kerosene since our parents got together, and to keep from exploding into fistfights, we’ve used challenges, dares, and bets to battle out our differences.

Our past bets have been a little inappropriate—scandalous, even—but Atlas’s latest bet has gone too far.

Do I really believe if he loses, my straight stepbrother is gonna mess around with a guy? And not just any guy: me, his rival and nemesis.

Not a chance.

But if he’s so confident he’s gonna win…well, my big stepbro must not know me as well as he thinks…

ATLAS

I love getting under Troy’s skin.

Mr. Former Prom King. Mr. Heartthrob. Mr. Infuriatingly Perfect. Messing with him is too easy. Too fun. Maybe that’s why I’m a little obsessed with him.

Our latest bet is the perfect way for me to test the bisexual waters, and once I dive headfirst into the deep end, I don’t want to stop.

With Troy. My stepbro.

It was supposed to be just a little fun, yet with each touch, I like him more than I should. It wasn’t supposed to go this far. Now I want Troy to be all mine.

But what we’re doing has bigger consequences than our little step bet, and when the stakes are this high, is it worth gambling our hearts when we know this is a game we both could lose?

This is the first book in the Peach State Stepbros Series. It can be read as a standalone.

Trigger Warning: The Step Bet is a steamy romance, but one of the secondary characters struggles with addiction. This may act as a trigger for some readers.

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The Bastard and the Heir – Eden Finley & Saxon James

DARCY

The death of my father not only rips out my heart but tears open my entire life.

His funeral brings the appearance of his bastard son, the byproduct of my father’s apparent misadventures. Wren Porter is a prickly, untrusting beef cake in an ill-fitting suit, and he looks so much more the part of a Ritcherson than I do.

Now it’s on me to teach him the family business while ignoring my attraction to the man the world thinks is my brother.

All it would take is one misstep for him to find out the secret my father literally took to his grave.

He’s not the bastard son.

I am.

Wren’s the true heir to the Ritcherson fortune, but I’ve fought my whole life for my place at the table. If anyone discovers the truth, I’ll lose everything.

I used to think the worst thing that could happen would be losing the company, but the closer I get to Wren, I realize the biggest thing on the line is my heart.

The Bastard and the Heir is a medium angst romance between two men who are absolutely, positively not related. The world just thinks they are.

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Sleeping Foxes: Where Foxes Say Goodnight – Sam Burns

It should have been the start of something wonderful . . .

Max is living the screenwriter dream. He’s not even thirty, he’s just won an Oscar, and he’s dating the gorgeous star of his movie. But after that one magical night, everything crumbles. The movie star dumps him, and his latest screenplay is a blank document that stubbornly refuses to write itself.

So Max decides to disappear into the middle of nowhere, and maybe obscurity. He’s just getting settled into his new life when suddenly someone is trying to kill him.

Gorgeous Gentry Fox seems like he wants to help, but the way he keeps showing up at just the right times is suspicious. Is he the aw-shucks good ol’ boy he seems, or part of the plot to kill Max? Just as importantly, is he single?

Where Foxes Say Goodnight is a paranormal romance featuring one heartbroken screenwriter, one down-on-his-luck hunk, some missing jewels, and a grandmother’s meddling ghost. It’s a standalone novel with a guaranteed HEA.

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Hitman vs Hitman: Cop vs Capo – Cari Z & L.A. Witt

Wherever August Morrison and Ricardo Torralba go, chaos is sure to follow. The authors certainly know this, since their “standalone book” has now turned into a series with no end in sight, because…UGH. These two. We give up.

Anyway.

Detective David Chandler had no clue what he was getting into when he and his partner decided they were going to nail August for murder. They didn’t realize it was one of the few murders August didn’t commit, or that their homicide investigation would lead them into the middle of a mob war.

Cavalcante underboss Pedro Silva knew asking August and Ricardo for help was a terrible idea. Just mentioning their names is bad for Pedro’s blood pressure. Owing them a favor? Oh Lord. He still asked, though, because he was out of options, but he can’t say he didn’t know he’d regret it.

Neither man expected things to blow up this badly.

Now they’re both on the run from the mafia, the cops, and everyone in between… except for August and Ricardo. On one hand, that means they have two expert assassins in their corner. On the other, it means they have the biggest troll on the planet heckling them at every turn. And sticking them in a safehouse together. With only one bed.

And if August or Ricardo make one more comment about how Dave and Pedro should just hook up already…

Cop vs. Capo is 67,500 words long, and is book 4 of the Hitman vs. Hitman series.

combat PTSD, alcoholism, on-page violence, discussion of abuse of a sex worker

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The Doomsday Books: A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel – K.J. Charles

Major Rufus d’Aumesty has unexpectedly become the Earl of Oxney, master of a remote Norman manor on the edge of the infamous Romney Marsh. There he’s beset on all sides, his position contested both by his greedy uncle and by Luke Doomsday, son of a notorious smuggling clan.

The earl and the smuggler should be natural enemies, but cocksure, enragingly competent Luke is a trained secretary and expert schemer—exactly the sort of man Rufus needs by his side. Before long, Luke becomes an unexpected ally…and the lover Rufus had never hoped to find.

But Luke came to Stone Manor with an ulterior motive, one he’s desperate to keep hidden even from the lord he can’t resist. As the lies accumulate and family secrets threaten to destroy everything they hold dear, master and man find themselves forced to decide whose side they’re really on…and what they’re willing to do for love.

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Criminal Intentions: The Cardigans – Cole McCade

When a string of young queer men turn up dead in grisly murders, all signs point to the ex-boyfriend–but what should be an open-and-shut case is fraught with tension when BPD homicide detective Malcolm Khalaji joins up with a partner he never wanted. Rigid, ice-cold, and a stickler for the rules, Seong-Jae Yoon is a watchful presence whose obstinacy and unpredictability constantly remind Malcolm why he prefers to work alone. Seong-Jae may be stunningly attractive, a man who moves like a graceful, lethal bird of prey . . . but he’s as impossible to decipher as this case. And if Malcolm doesn’t find the key to unravel both in time, another vulnerable young victim may end up dead. Contains mature themes.

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Criminal Intentions: Junk Shop Blues – Cole McCade

A murdered night club mogul unlocks a web of infidelity and deceit. The most likely suspect? The daughter of the richest family in Baltimore, if only Detectives Malcolm Khalaji and Seong-Jae Yoon can piece the evidence together. The clues just aren’t lining up–but Malcolm can’t tell if he’s missing a piece of the puzzle or completely missing the mark. The McAllister case still haunts him. So many dead. So many he couldn’t save. It’s throwing him off his game. And the only one who really understands is his strange, coldly aloof partner. A partner he can never see the same way, after a moment of intimacy that haunts him as much as the voices of the dead. Seong-Jae Yoon is struggling in his own way. He can’t solve the case when he can’t trust Malcolm, and he can’t trust Malcolm when the grizzled old wolf is growing increasingly erratic, increasingly dangerous. What disturbs Seong-Jae is how much he needs to trust Malcolm. He doesn’t get that close. He doesn’t get that involved. But he may have no choice, if they want to stop a powerful killer from slipping away. Contains mature themes.

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Criminal Intentions: The Man With The Glass Eye – Cole McCade

Multiple execution-style murders hint at a mob hit, but when Malcolm and Seong-Jae follow the clues the last thing they expect is a host of very familiar–and very dead–faces. They say dead men tell no tales, but if Malcolm and Seong-Jae can’t even trust the words of the living, they’ll never catch a hit man dead set on burying every trace of an underworld secret…along with a few more bodies.

But it’s not just the cold bodies on their minds, when a little undercover work sends them to a nightclub once owned by none other than Marion Garvey. Forced to play at being lovers, neither man can ignore the distraction of the very warm body in his arms. To Malcolm, Seong-Jae remains as aloof as ever…but what’s really smoldering under that icy mask?

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Meh, this two detectives should fuck already.
(3 stars)

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Criminal Intentions: Changing Faces

With Malcolm on forced bed rest and off duty, Detective Seong-Jae Yoon faces his first solo case since joining the BPD–and it’s one that will challenge his morals, his sense of duty, and his insistence on adhering to the letter of the law, especially when his actions in the Bishop case leave him questioning his own integrity. When the supposedly accidental death of a husband and father points to foul play in the victim’s family, how close will Seong-Jae look to determine if the ends justify the means…and will he be able to live with the choices he makes?

Especially when his mind is as far from the case as possible, and lingering on Malcolm Khalaji, Malcolm’s ex-wife, and Seong-Jae’s own conflicted feelings?

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Vampire’s Mate: Roman – Grae Bryan

Danny Kingman is used to fending for himself. Working nonstop as an ER nurse to pay for his mother’s care, he’s been putting his own life on hold since he can remember. But when an unbelievably hot, strangely intense man saves him from a mugging, Danny has a feeling everything is about to change. Especially when that man suddenly pops out a pair of fangs.

Roman Mourier has been wandering aimlessly for decades, waiting for the inevitable day when the last of his humanity leaves him, and the demon inside him takes permanent control. He doesn’t believe in fated mates, or the myth that there’s a soul out there that could tether his humanity to him. Until he feels a strange pull to the lovely young man at the hospital, and hope stirs in him for the first time.

But Roman has demons other than just the one inside him. Is he strong enough to keep Danny safe from the past that haunts him? He knows one thing for sure: now that he’s found his mate, he will do anything to keep him.

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Vampire’s Mate: Soren – Grae Bryan

Gabe Kingman has never been great with his emotions. His disastrous personal life is evidence enough of that. Returning to be a doctor in his small Colorado hometown was supposed to bring him closer to his family, not push them even further away. He’s been slowly working to repair the mistakes he’s made, but his efforts aren’t made any easier by the new existence of vampires in his world. Especially one pesky, annoyingly beautiful vampire in particular.

Soren Iversen never meant to stay in Hyde Park this long. He hasn’t kept himself alive for centuries by letting himself be a sitting duck. But instead of moving on months ago, he’s been kicking his heels in the most boring town in the world, hoping for one stubborn, annoyingly compelling human to pay him even a bit of attention.

When circumstances force the two of them together, Soren’s obsession and Gabe’s unwilling attraction are brought to a head. But Soren has been running for a reason, and the skeletons in his closet threaten to tear the couple apart before they can even begin.

SOREN IS A HEATED, FATED-MATES MM PARANORMAL ROMANCE WITH A HEA AND NO CLIFFHANGER. IT CONTAINS A STUBBORN, EMOTIONALLY-REPRESSED ICU DOCTOR, AND A BRATTY, SLIGHTLY UNHINGED VAMPIRE NOT AFRAID TO STALK A MAN TO GET WHAT HE WANTS. IT ALSO CONTAINS STEAMY SCENES BETWEEN TWO MEN, AND THE MODERATE VIOLENCE (AND MENTIONS OF BLOOD) THAT ONE MIGHT EXPECT FROM A VAMPIRE ROMANCE. THIS BOOK CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE, BUT THE SERIES IS BEST ENJOYED IN ORDER.

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Vampire’s Mate: Lucien – Grae Bryan

Jamie Hernandez loves his life. He has his family, his friends, and a successful freelance career at just twenty-three. The only thing missing? His monster. The one Jamie has seen in his dreams for the past five years. Jamie doesn’t know much about the enigmatic man from his visions, but he doesn’t need to. He knows enough. He knows they belong together.

Lucien Volaire has been losing his mind for almost half a century, the monster within him steadily taking greater control over his thoughts and actions. He’s destroyed everything he’s touched, including the people he’s cared for. The one thing that could stop his final descent into madness? A mate. So when Luc meets a young man in the desert, one who smells like heaven and doesn’t run in fear, Luc knows he’s met his last chance at redemption.

But the more Lucien is enchanted by Jamie, the more reluctant he is to taint him with his own vampire curse. Can Lucien find a balance between love and obsession? Or will those that want Luc out of their territory step in before he has a chance?

Lucien is a heated, fated-mates MM paranormal romance with an HEA and no cliffhanger. It contains a morally grey, obsessive vampire with anger management issues and the bright, playful human who might just match him in possessive romantic tendencies. It also contains steamy scenes between two men, and the moderate violence (and mentions of blood) that one might expect from a vampire romance. This book can be read as a standalone, but the series is best enjoyed in order (it is especially recommended to read book one first).

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Vampire’s Mate: Johann – Grae Bryan

Alexei is lost. On the run from his criminal family, hiding out in Hyde Park, he has no idea what the point or purpose of his life is anymore. Until he’s served coffee by a strange young man, one whom Alexei can’t get out of this head. And when Alexei realizes his favorite barista isn’t quite human after all, his obsession only deepens. Can he use this new knowledge to get even closer to the sweet, strange vampire of his dreams? Jay is lonely. He has his friends (so nice!) and his job at the coffee shop (so fun!) but he knows he doesn’t really belong in Hyde Park, not for keeps. And yet, he can’t help wanting to pretend, especially with his new favorite regular, a handsome human who smells divine and watches Jay like he really matters. Alexei might just be the nicest thing to happen to Jay since he can remember, even more so when the human generously offers himself up for dinner. But Jay’s past is complicated, and certain promises have been made. Can he and Alexei weather the storm that tracks him down, or will Jay’s new life be taken away from him before it can really begin?

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Vampire’s Mate: Wolfgang – Grae Bryan

Wolfgang Volker is many things: vampire, psychopath, connoisseur of fine living. But impulsive? Never that. Until the day he sets foot in Hyde Park and catches a certain enticing scent on the wind. His mate is here, gorgeous and oblivious and undeniably human. And it doesn’t take long for Wolfe to make the most impulsive move of his whole undead existence.

Dr. Eric Monroe has plenty going for him: he’s good-looking, he’s a doctor, he’s… well, that’s kind of it. And true, the citizens of Hyde Park think he’s a sleaze and a dud and make sure to let him know it. And no, he doesn’t have any real friends or family members who don’t drive him up the wall. But that’s fine, right? Until the day his standing massage appointment ends not with a tip, but with a bite.

Now Eric has to navigate a new world, a new existence, a new, very particular diet. All while coming to terms with the strange, obsessive, all-too-alluring vampire who claims they’re destined mates. But what does it mean to be mated to someone who’s never truly cared for another person before? And can Wolfe convince Eric to stick around long enough to find out?

Wolfgang is a heated, fated-mates MM paranormal romance with a HEA and no cliffhanger. It contains a possessive, psychopathic vampire soft only for his mate, and the insecure, needy human who can’t quite come to terms with being wanted just as he is. It also contains steamy scenes between two men, and the moderate violence (and mentions of blood) that one might expect from a vampire romance. While each book focuses on a different couple, the series is best enjoyed in order.

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Vampire’s Mate: Colin – Grae Bryan

Colin has spent his whole life waiting for something. He doesn’t know exactly what it is, or how to find it—all he knows is that he wants more. When the existence of vampires gives him hope for exactly that, he’s determined to find one for himself. And when he finds out Tucson holds two vampires without mates of their own, he’s willing to do whatever he can to get close.

Fox has spent his whole life looking out for his brother. So when his twin shows signs of bone-deep boredom and ambivalence, who can blame him for wanting to grab on to anything that could bring him back to himself? And if that something happens to be the pushy, prickly blue-haired human on their doorstep—asking to stay, demanding to be fed on—then so be it.

Dane has spent his whole life feeling different. Even as a vampire, he doesn’t quite fit the mold—too attached to his brother, for one, with a platonic, fated bond that can’t be broken. So when a strange human comes into their lives and seems to accept them exactly as they are, who can blame him for starting to hope, just a little, for something… more?

Colin is a heated, fated-mates MMM paranormal romance with a HEA and no cliffhanger. It contains a grumpy, vampire-addicted human and the twin vampire brothers who are hungry for anything and everything he has to offer. It also contains steamy scenes and the moderate violence (and mentions of blood) one might expect from a vampire romance. While each book focuses on a different couple, the series is best enjoyed in order.

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Mystical Markings: The Things We Find – B.L. Maxwell

Some things are better left alone
Dane Jones works from home with only his three dogs for company. When he stumbles onto a social media page about urban exploring, he’s curious about different sites around Sacramento that look like they’d be interesting to investigate. He starts chatting with Griff Warren, and after a few conversations he’s even more excited to go.
Griff Warren has been to a few deserted places with a friend from work and his small group of urban explorers. But he’s never gone alone, and the guy he’s been chatting with is so enthusiastic to go, it’s contagious. They plan to go to a warehouse and while there, experience something they can’t explain.
Dane and Griff were looking for an adventure, but they find more than they bargained for at a deserted farmhouse on the river. When Dane finds an old toy discarded in one of the rooms, both of them are thrown into a world neither understands. Full of cursed objects, strange markings, and powers, neither knows how to handle. Lucky for them, Griff’s Friend knows exactly who can help. #MMParanormal, #UrbanFantasy #Friendstolovers

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