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Never Hollowed By The Stare
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  • Home
  • REVIEWS+RECS
    • MANGA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • SOUNDTRACK
    • QUOTE
    • TRAILER
    • DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS
    • BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
    • Reviews A-Z
    • MINI MOVIE REVIEWS
  • MEMES+TAGS
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    • LAST YEAR I WAS READING
    • FLICKer FADE SUNDAY
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    • MISC POSTS
    • PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
    • FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56
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  • Uncategorized

    RELEASE BLITZ: Never Have I Ever: Wanted My Brother’s Rival by Willow Dixon (Giveaway)

    May 18, 2023 / No Comments
    Read More
    neverhollowed

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    BLOG TOUR: Lookin’ For Mr. Right: A Contemporary MM Anthology (Excerpt)

    January 27, 2021

    RELEASE BLITZ: Loose Ends by Morgan Brice (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    January 23, 2020

    COVER REVEAL: Playing Offside by Jax Calder (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    August 10, 2021
  • Uncategorized

    COVER & EXCERPT REVEAL: Never Have I Ever: Wanted My Brother’s Rival by Willow Dixon (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    April 20, 2023 / No Comments
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    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Pulse of My Heart by Jessi Noelle (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    November 12, 2019

    COVER REVEAL: Of Fire & Bone by Natalina Reis

    January 11, 2021

    BLOG TOUR: Darkness Master by Mary Rundle (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    March 8, 2023
  • Uncategorized

    SERIES TOUR AND NEW RELEASE: Serial Investigations by Rhiannon D’Averc (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    April 4, 2023 / No Comments
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    RELEASE BLITZ: Servitude by Rebecca Cohen (Giveaway)

    September 2, 2021

    COVER REVEAL: It’s Not You by Becca Seymour (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    October 15, 2020

    MUSIC MONDAY: 2020 Halloween Playlist

    October 26, 2020
  • Uncategorized

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Second Chance Omegas by Will Okati (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    March 28, 2023 / No Comments
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    FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56: I Woke Up With A Vampire Licking My Face. Ask Me How.

    March 19, 2020

    BOOK BLITZ: Suddenly, Last Summer by Michael Roberts (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    February 18, 2023

    MUSIC MONDAY: Paper Moons by Josef Salvat

    June 8, 2020
  • Uncategorized

    One Line Reviews Of Some Books I Read This Year (September – December 2022)

    December 28, 2022 / No Comments

    This is a round up of the books I read on the 4rd quarter of this year that I’m too lazy to do a full review.

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    RELEASE BLITZ: Edge Lines by Ava Marie Salinger (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    February 19, 2022

    FLICKer: Crashdown

    May 4, 2023

    RELEASE BLITZ: Disowned Royal by Elouise East (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    June 4, 2022
  • Uncategorized

    RELEASE BLITZ: Studious by Leslie McAdam (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    October 11, 2022 / No Comments
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    RELEASE BLITZ: Relevant Law by Janice Jarrell (Excerpt)

    September 25, 2021

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Witch Wolf by Alexa Piper (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    June 12, 2022

    RELEASE BLITZ: Crystal’s House Of Queers by Brooke Skipstone (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    May 24, 2021
  • Uncategorized

    RELEASE BLITZ: The Dating Disaster by Saxon James (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 1, 2022 / No Comments
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    BLOG TOUR: Fawned by Winter Prior (Excerpt & Giveaway + Playlist)

    November 24, 2020

    RELEASE BLITZ: Crossing the Line by A.G. Meiers (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    August 28, 2022

    LAST YEAR I WAS READING…(May 11, 2022)

    May 11, 2022
  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: The Doctor’s Date by Heidi Cullinan

    August 26, 2022 / 2 Comments

    Copper Point Medical: The Doctor’s Date – Heidi Cullinan

    Sequel to The Doctor’s Secret
    Copper Point Medical: Book Two

    The hospital’s least eligible bachelor and its aloof administrator hate each other… so why are they pretending to date?

    Dr. Owen Gagnon and HR director Erin Andreas are infamous for their hospital hallway shouting matches. So imagine the town’s surprise when Erin bids an obscene amount of money to win Owen in the hospital bachelor auction—and Owen ups the ante by insisting Erin move in with him. 

    Copper Point may not know what’s going on, but neither do Erin and Owen. Erin intends his gesture to let Owen know he’s interested. Owen, on the other hand, suspects ulterior motives—that Erin wants a fake relationship as a refuge from his overbearing father.

    With Erin suddenly heading a messy internal investigation, Owen wants to step up and be the hero Erin’s never had. Too bad Erin would rather spend his energy trying to rescue Owen from the shadows of a past he doesn’t talk about.

    This relationship may be fake, but the feelings aren’t. Still, what Erin and Owen have won’t last unless they put their respective demons to rest. To do that, they’ll have to do more than work together—they’ll have to trust they can heal each other’s hearts.


    The Doctor’s Date has the kind of intriguing premise that immediately grabs attention. It was almost lost in TBR limbo after my bad experience with Antisocial, my first Heidi Cullinan book. Reading it now, The Doctor’s Date is a mix-bag of feels but definitely, much better than the other book.

    The part that got me hooked is Erin Andreas, HR head and wallflower, spending $25,000 on Dr. Owen Gagnon, anesthesiologist, the world’s grouchiest grump, and his infamous nemesis, in the hospital bachelor auction fundraiser. Then Owen asked Erin to move in with him that very night.

    This has the makings of a very squee-tastic rom-com. But unlike a rom-com where the prose and events are laced with humor, the writing leans towards misery. Many events go from bad to worse for Erin and Owen, then whiplashes to uber romantic comfort scenes designed to soothe the hurts. I don’t mind some angst and drama, but there were too many miserable moments to wade through just to get to the happier parts.

    It’s why I struggled in the opening chapters. Erin’s father, head of the hospital board, was really horrible. He’s a bully who neglects him in private and belittles him in public. The guy is the kind of villain I hate the most, the lawful evil type. He made me drop the book. Owen’s dad was just as horrid, causing serious trauma to his son,. Once a musical prodigy, now Owen couldn’t bear looking at his violin.

    But I kept thinking about the premise and was compelled to pick up where I left off, hoping it would get better.

    It did!

    The bachelor auction has some of the swooniest scenes!!! I hated Owen at first. He was drunk and high and a complete asshole. But the way he swooped in to rescue Erin from his dad! And the way he spectacularly misunderstood Erin’s motive for bidding on him, causing the dork to hatch ridiculous but hella sweet plans to protect the gob-smacked but secretly swooning Erin, it was rom-com gold!

    The running metaphor here is the fairy tale about the poor prince(ss) in the tower, the ogre and the evil king. It’s fitting but a little too on the nose and repeated too often. I love the childhood connection angle in the prologue. I sensed some BL manga influences, and unlike Antisocial, it was deployed better here.

    Owen and Erin as boyfriends is everything!!! It’s their magic that kept me reading because by the third arc, the story slumped. There were the not-so-exciting slice-of-life scenes that took too long reaching key events dealing with the suspected embezzlement of hospital funds, and Owen’s and Erin’s family issues. I got impatient and tuned out.

    By the time it got to the climax, I barely cared about the goings-on. I wished the embezzlement issue was played up more, giving the plot a stronger mystery angle. But it was fun to see Owen, Erin and their friends forming their own Scooby Gang and taking down the bad guys. And the epilogue was too cute!!!

    The Doctor’s Date holds true to its promise to sweep me off my feet with a charming fairy tale. I rooted hard for the poor little prince and squee-ed with delight to discover the ogre’s golden heart. There were monsters to slay and an evil king to vanquish. Sometimes the villains were too much, but the prince and the ogre stayed strong and true. With the help of their friends, they saved the world and lived happily ever after.

    Rating:
    3.5 Stars – that place between like and love

    Soundtrack: Prince
    Artist: Versailles
    Album: PRINCE & PRINCESS

    P.S.

    The Doctor’s Date is the second book of Copper Point Medical. It can be read as standalone. I haven’t read Book 1 yet.


    If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of The Doctor’s Date. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.

    The Doctor’s Date: US | UK

    You can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.

    THE DOCTOR’S DATE

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    MINI MOVIE REVIEWS: Secret Affairs I Rooted For, Comedies I Did Not Laugh At

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    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Late Night Poetry by Nell Iris (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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    2020 MID-YEAR WRAP UP

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  • Uncategorized

    RELEASE BLITZ: Got Me Going by Casey Cox (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    August 15, 2022 / No Comments
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    FLICKer: Stalls (Award Winning Gay Short Film)

    January 27, 2022

    BLOG TOUR: Peacemaker by E.M. Hamill (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    April 10, 2020

    LAST YEAR I WAS READING…(November 23, 2022)

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  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: King’s Virtuous Son by Ki Brightly & M.D. Gregory

    July 22, 2022 / 3 Comments

    The Kings of Men MC: King’s Virtuous Son – Ki Brightly & M.D. Gregory

    The “Innocent” Twin
    Hunter Tanner is a prospect for the Kings of Men MC. The club president, King, shocked Hunter with the news that he is Hunter’s biological father. King was the only man who had ever kept Hunter safe, and he’d taken King’s attention the wrong way—only to be devastated to learn they were related. Now he’s pissed off. Hunter’s identical twin, Forrest, offers him a chance to get away from New Gothenburg, so Hunter takes a vacation to stay at the Exotic Virtue in New York City.

    The Irish Mobster
    Jamie Shannon is a simple Irishman. He enjoys working, and sometimes killing, for the Killough Company, and he believes in going after anything—or anyone—he wants. Jamie has long had his eye on a particular blond man who works at the Exotic Virtue, and an opportunity presents itself when he sees him looking down in the dumps next to the pool. Jamie doesn’t hesitate to swoop in and try to kiss him better.

    Two Blood-Spattered Worlds, One Heart
    An explosive night with Jamie leads to a fight that sends Hunter racing back to New Gothenburg. Jamie doesn’t hesitate to follow his man. To get Hunter back, he’ll have to navigate not only King’s temper when he shows up unannounced to talk to his upset son, but both Hunter and Jamie still have dangerous obligations. Is there any way they can truly be together, or were they doomed to only one hot night from the start?


    I picked up Kings of Men MC because I was curious about MC romance. I’m not a fan of motorcycle clubs because I don’t find the typical biker image appealing. In Kings Of Men, most characters are cardboard cut-outs of large bearded tough guys who drink and fuck too much and probably have questionable hygiene. So, not my thing.

    The only reason I chose this series is that it belongs in the same world as The Killough Company, a series I enjoyed. So far, most of my experience with the KOMMC books was meh, with some DNFs, except Book 1, King’s Killer.

    King’s Virtuous Son is a standout and the best book in the series. It’s the 7th book and best read after Book 6, King’s Undercover Fed, and The Killough Company Book 2, The Professional. The rest of the KOMMC can be read in any order.

    First, the main characters, Jamie Shannon and Hunter Tanner had fully fleshed-out personalities that I immediately liked. I also gave a big hoorah when it became apparent that their relationship was that of equals. For the majority of KOMMC, the power dynamics are mostly skewed towards the biker, the love interest relegated to the bitch seat so to speak. Jamie and Hunter switch! Always a bonus.

    Hunter is the virgin twin of Forest Broussard, the MC in The Professional. Hunter has daddy issues because not only did King abandon them years ago, he didn’t even bother to tell him he was his father. And that he has a twin. King is an idiot!

    Hunter’s a bit naïve and shy but brash enough to make some daring, if sometimes dumb decisions, and knows his way around guns. He’s always determined to earn his place, whether in an MC or the mob. No shortcuts, no sleeping his way to the top. Hunter was a quiet side character majority of the series, but when it’s his time to shine, he’s spectacular! Our boy’s pretty badass when he wants to.

    Jamie’s quite the charmer! He is in charge of negotiations for the Killough Company. I felt like he was some sort of a gallant knight sweeping the virgin biker prince off his feet. If this were anime, he would be surrounded by sparkles. I adore him and his exquisitely soft touch and infinite patience in handling Hunter’s inexperience.

    Theirs is my favorite first-time-sex scene because it perfectly captured the swirl of emotions, and that the virgin doesn’t always have to be the bottom. Compared to the other books where the connections don’t go far beyond the physical, Jamie and Hunter connections felt deeper and more convincing as they develop trust and partnership.

    The family drama, crime fiction, and action suspense mesh fabulously well with the romance. They don’t feel like afterthoughts, like in other installments, but solid storylines that continue the overarching thread of the series in a way that kept me interested in the New Gothenburg/Killough Company world. I’m picking up the next book, that’s for sure!

    King’s Virtuous Son is about a young man coming to terms with his family, his virginity, his life as a biker, his past mistakes, and his future at a crossroads. Part coming-of-age, part fairy tale, 100% biker badass, 100% Irish charm.

    Rating:
    4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

    Soundtrack: Ride
    Artist: Clans
    Album: Chapter Three


    If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of King’s Virtuous Son. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.

    King’s Virtuous Son: US | UK

    You can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.

    KING’S VIRTUOUS SON

    If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!

    Read More
    neverhollowed

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Book images and promotional materials are from Goodreads or media kits provided for blog tours, cover reveals and release blitzes. Manga covers and other images are sourced through Google image search. The two dorks in the header image is from a manga by TogaQ & Kikuchi Neko. The cat logo is my own design. Reviews and other writings found in the blog are mine unless otherwise stated. All Buy Links to Amazon and Bookshop in my posts contain affiliate links.

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