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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW TOUR: Love’s Glory by Janice Jarrell
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BLOG TOUR: Il Padrone by Leigh Kenzie (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q & A With Author)
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BLOG TOUR: The Experiment by Rebecca Raine (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q & A With Author)
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AUDIO REVIEW: Out On The Serve by Lane Hayes
Out in College: Out On The Serve – Lane Hayes
Roommates to friends to loversโฆ
Elliot-
I need a roommate fast. Even a temporary one. Beggars canโt be choosers. Going pro after graduation has been intense, and time is precious. Thankfully, Braden seems cool. Heโs a little quirkyโฆand very sexy. Of course, I would never get involved with a roommate. Thatโs a bad idea. Isnโt it?
Braden-
Moving to Long Beach seems like a no brainer. Itโll be a perfect chance to wind down before grad school and a nice respite from my folks. Plus, my new roommate is a great guy. A little messy, but sweet. Gotta admit, I like him more than I should. And weโre off to a strange start when a mutual friend hooks me up with his ex. Elliotโs the one I want, but going from friends to lovers is a risk. We could end up out on the serveโฆor we could win it all.
Out on the Serve is a low-angst MM, bisexual romance starring two roommates, one neat, one messy, beach volleyball, a lot of sand, and a little summer fun. This story is part of the Out in College series but can be read as a stand-alone.
Lane Hayes spun the well-loved roommates-to-lovers trope into a fun and sweet story with two MCs that were opposites but synced so well with each other.
New roommates Elliot and Braden get to know each other’s quirks as they deal with their mutual attraction, difficult teammates, theater dreams, meddling friends and last hurrahs before September comes and put an end to everything.
Elliot is the goofy, messy one who leaves sand all over their floor while Braden is a neat freak who alphabetizes their pasta. Both men were out as bi and while Elliot’s hippie mom was more than okay with that, Braden’s conservative Catholic mom was in denial.
The evolution from roommates to friends to lovers was fantastic! I really liked how the two men worked around their differences and just came together naturally even if at first, they had to fight their insane attraction to each other. For the sake of being roommates and friends. But even they couldn’t deny their sizzling chemistry!
Conflict came in the form of a misguided attempt to boost popularity, a fiasco brought about by Elliot’s volleyball partner, Gus and their annoying friend Sophie. Braden also had things to say to his mom.
Thankfully, the book avoided the usual pitfalls. There were no unnecessary dramas and the pacing was smooth and fast. It also it resolved things in a sensible manner, something many of us highly appreciated. It might not have the grandest grand gesture moment but it definitely hits you right in the kokoro!
From start to finish, the story had me rooting for Elliot and Braden. And though it began as a summer hook-up, there were no doubts that theirs was a forever thing.
This is my first book from the Out in College series. Many characters from the other books make appearances and my interest was piqued. I loved meeting Elliot’s friend, Colby and his boyfriend Sky, and Braden’s ex, Phoenix. Max, Phoenix’s boyfriend gets a mention. Many of the characters were likable except Sophie and Gus.
The audiobook was narrated by Michael Dean. I’ve always liked his narration. Although here, I felt his voices for younger 20-somethings were a bit too mature for their age. Dean makes great voices for the age range of 30s and older. Other than this niggle, I think he made the book even more enjoyable with his energetic reading style and well-acted dialogues.
Overall, Lane Hayes served up another win in this delightful story of sports, sand and summer romance. If the beach is your happy place, this book will definitely take you there.
P.S.
Thank you to IndiGo and Audible for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of Lane Hayes books here.
Rating:
4 Stars โ minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Wait For Me
Artist: Kings of Leon
Album: Mechanical Bull
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to get your copy of Out On The Serve. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
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MINI MOVIE REVIEWS: Queen and Country, Friends and Lovers
Reviewing this month’s batch of movies because this is turning out to be a monthly thing.
For More Mini Movie Reviews, check out:
MINI MOVIE REVIEWS: From Rom-Coms to Serial Killers
MINI MOVIE REVIEWS: A Bit of Drama and Some Hokey Vampires
MINI MOVIE REVIEWS: Shakespeare Gems to Icelandic Tragedies (With Some Crap Along The Way)
MINI MOVIE REVIEWS: Secret Affairs I Rooted For, Comedies I Did Not Laugh At
Jayson Bend: Queen and Country
Jayson Bend, R.I.M. Agent 009, teams up with a Swiss counterpart to try and stop the launch of a satellite that will turn Ray Perdood, the owner of the largest global hair salon chain, into one of the most powerful men in the world.
A super campy take on that famous franchise. So much fun!
Our favorite queer agent traipse across Europe into the arms of exotic young men who may or may not be out to kill him. Throw in a seductive villainess, an evil mastermind and you get international shenanigans, dastardly deeds and fabulous hair. All the good stuff.
Now if only young Q and Bond would get it on…
Der Kreis (The Circle)
Zurich: 1958. The bashful teacher Ernst Ostertag and the German cabaret artist Robi Rapp get to know one another in the Swiss underground organization called “Der Kreis.” (The Circle). As the two dissimilar men defend their love, they witness the heyday and decline of this Europe-wide pioneering organization for gay emancipation.
Real life couple Ernst and Robi prove there is forever in this riveting docudrama about underground organizations and gay liberation.
This beautiful film covers the time Ernst was introduced to The Circle up until the present time when gay marriage was legalized in Switerland. Ernst and Robi were the first gay couple to be married in the country. The two men were so used to living such a hush hush life that they were very surprise gay marriage was even possible. Their story got me teary eyed.
Like You Mean It
When Mark commits to falling back in love with Jonah, he is forced to look at himself with unprecedented courage and honesty.
Discontented aspiring actor falls out of love with his boyfriend (despite having the bestest boyfriend ever! Dude, seriously?!) and then tries to fall in back in love again. This is basically the gist of this movie.
This could very well be a rom-com but making this a dramatic story worked pretty well into making it more compelling and raw. I was also psyching myself up for hurts and heartbreaks. There’s plenty of hurts but the ending gave us hope, it was worth it.
Beira Mar (Sea Shore)
Martin and Tomaz travel to Brazil to sort out an inheritance. Once they are alone in a seaside cottage, feelings develop as they explore the border between friendship and love.
Slooow-burning friends-to-lovers movie with cute actors to ogle. Blue hair = LOVE!!!
This is also a coming-of-age of sorts and a story about connecting and overcoming fear. This is a quiet film with almost no background music. The silence, a palpable presence that served to highlight all the unsaid feelings between the characters. I love this quality in a film.
The big reveals here also came as naturally as it can be with the two friends talking as they normally do. I love how everything simply fell into place. A young man finally had the courage to face his fears. And all was right in the world.
What Women Want: Gay Romance
A look at why women are the overwhelming majority of writers, publishers, readers and fans of gay male romance novels.
When I was still a cosplayer, my dream was to go to Comiket in Tokyo. Nowadays, my dream is to attend the GRL.
This Charlie David documentary explains why women (and some men) love gay romance. It covers GRL and pays tribute to its late founder Ethan Day. I’m so happy to see my favorite authors explaining the ins and outs of MM romance. Also, narrator Kenneth Obi was there! I love his work in Unbreakable Bonds and other Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott books. There were also other authors there I have yet to discover. The whole event looked so much fun!
This is a must-see documentary for fans and even non-fans alike.
Hope you enjoyed today’s Mini Movie Reviews! Have a great weekend!
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BLOG TOUR: Red Heir by Lisa Henry & Sara Honey (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Run Free by Colette Davison (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: Together by Eloreen Moon (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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AUDIO REVIEW: Long Shadow by Elle Keaton
Hamarsson & Dempsey: Long Shadow – Elle Keaton
Niallโs known nothing but betrayal. All Mat wants is Niallโs heart; what will it take for him to coax Niall in from the cold?
Mat’s connection with Niall is tenuous. One step forward, two steps back. Since that night on the beach Niall’s been avoiding Mat like a bad case of the flu–which, ironically, most of his deputies have come down with. What will it take for Niall to believe Mat wants him for who he is?
Mat’s overworked, Niall’s unnerved, and then things really go sideways.
Will a killer destroy everything before Niall realizes they are stronger together than apart?
Long Shadow is a dual POV about a broody introvert and a somewhat patient Sheriff. Mat will have to prove to Niall he’s the man for him. The Hamarsson and Dempsey series follows the same couple as they find their way to their happily ever after.
I was very much looking forward to this sequel. The first book, Conspiracy Theory, left us with an open ending that badly needed a resolution and this second book certainly made up for it!
Long Shadow picked up from where we last saw Niall, living in a hotel when his cottage was burned to the ground. Another case of fire soon appeared and Mat suspected a serial arsonist.
I very much appreciated the fact that this is not another murder case. No one was burned. The only casualties were the building structures. Although Mat had a close call when somebody planted a bomb in his cruiser. I liked how this part allowed Niall to step up as the significant person in Mat’s life.
I also liked that Mat and Niall were not partners as is usually the case with police procedural. Mat is the sheriff and Niall is a retired cop wondering what to do with his life.
The Hamarsson & Dempsey stories have a cozy feel to them. This is probably due to the small town setting and the way the gruesome details of the crimes were toned down, in addition to warm, friendly secondary characters and as well as other ‘distinguished’ minor characters.
The author was able to build an interesting small town community and establish recurring characters that made me wish they had books of their own. One of them, Marshall Sopper (?), the doctor who loves taking in strays. The good doctor took in an army medic and his son and there’s a big story there waiting to be told.
Another character I’d love to read about is Shay Delacombe, a lawyer who had surprising connections to Niall. He had a take-charge personality and would probably annoy Niall just for the heck of it.
Admittedly, the first parts of the story meandered a bit the way Niall was meandering through town, suspecting unsuspecting RVs and taking his own sweet time deciding what to do with his relationship with Mat. ‘Glacial’ was how Mat described it.
Luckily, the sheriff had infinite patience. Shouldering on, the story picked up when things started exploding and from then on it went on a quicker pace. Niall finally pulled his head out of his ass and took action. Then the story hurtled to an HEA. It may have been fast, it was still done nicely and with a few laughs especially with Shay butting in their business.
Now I’m not sure if we will get another book. I hope we’ll get more. There’s something about this series that appeals to me. It does not go over the top with the action and suspense, the cases aren’t the type that would involved huge media coverage. Yet somehow, it’s very engaging.
The audiobook was narrated by Michael Dean. He’s one of the more enjoyable narrators out there. He delivered suspense with just the right amount of tension. He also created distinct voices for each characters, even the female ones. I especially liked how his Niall voice suited the character to a T.
The books are written in dual POVs and I liked Niall’s and Mat’s narrative voices.
Niall is the last of the Hamarssons. He tends to overthink and is afraid of trusting anybody due to a rather traumatic childhood where he was abandoned by his mother. He says little and loves his alone time very much. As tactiturn as he is with humans, he talks a lot to his dog, Fenrir. His arc wasn’t fully resolved but I guess that leaves it open for more books.
Meanwhile, Mat tends to be easy-going and open. He takes his numerous responsibilities seriously. He lives with his mother, sister and niece. I liked how he saw through Niall’s walls to the good person behind it. Then he proceeded to leap over those walls and love that person too.
These books are not standalones. There were many events from the past that were directly referred to with not much explanation. I highly recommend meeting Niall when he first landed in Piedras Island. He was so alone and grumpy.
Witness him as he slooowly open up to Mat and his endearing family. Niall had come a long way. He still has ways to go. At least now, he had friends, family and a loyal dog with him. That’s all he needs really.
P.S.
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews and Audible UK for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of book 1, Conspiracy Theory, here.
Rating:
4 Stars โ minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Headlights On Dark Roads
Artist: Snow Patrol
Album: Eyes Open
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to get your copy of Hamarrson & Dempsey. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
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SOUNDTRACK: Headlights On Dark Roads by Snow Patrol
Soundtrack to Hamarsson & Dempsey: Long Shadow by Elle Keaton