Blog Tour Review & #Giveaway ~ Snow Balls ~ Tara Lain (@taralain @VivianaIzzo @dreamspinners) #2017NewRelease

Snow Balls by Tara Lain
Balls to the Wall #6
Release Date: December 6, 2017
Genre: Adult, M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy as part of the blog tour. This did not affect my rating and my review is voluntarily provided.
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewRelease
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Synopsis
Is it always wrong to pretend to be Mr. Right?

JJ LaRousse looks like a quarterback but acts like a queen. He's trying to be proud of who he is - until a robbery at the famous Laguna Winter Fantasy brings JJ face-to-face with tough cop Ryan Star. JJ hears Ryan likes manly men, so he drops his voice an octave, colors his pink hair, and tries to pass as a football fan.

Ryan Star may be tough, but he keeps his sexuality to himself at work. He learned in New York that being a gay cop can be deadly. His attraction to JJ threatens his secret, but he's finding it hard to back away from a guy who's so totally his type. Then, during a ski trip and a confrontation with JJ's biggest nemesis, all the facades come crashing down. In the aftermath, can Ryan love JJ for who he really is? More importantly, can JJ?

Yet again, Lain delivers a fell good story about finding yourself and embracing all you discover!

We've all done it. Pretended to like or dislike something hoping to increase our odds of getting someone's approval or catch their eye. However, even if you earn that approval or catch that eye, eventually things fall apart because we can only pretend for so long, right? That's exactly what happened with JJ and Ryan.

JJ LaRousse is 6' 4" of lean muscle, sparkling wit, and fluttering hands. He's seriously a sweetheart and he's worked hard to accept who he is. But upon learning hunky Ryan Star prefers "manly" men, JJ sets about pretending to be just that.

Ryan Star is a recent transplant to Laguna via NYC. He works hard and is good at his job but he experienced a situation at work in New York that has him less that willing to live out in his new job. Meeting JJ, this tall, delicious guy who looks like he could be a football player makes him want a relationship. They'll just have to keep things on the down-low.

Lain deftly combines humor, character development, action, and a relevant social message and creates an engaging story. From page one, I could feel the tension in JJ's body when he got wound up and his hands started fluttering. I delighted in watching JJ and Ryan fall for one another. And even though JJ was projecting a false image of himself, he was still himself at the most elemental levels. I also though it ironic that Ryan balked at finding out JJ didn't like football and beer because he was living closeted and that in and of itself is a for of pretending to be something you're not, right?

At any rate, I was entertained by their story, rooting for them all the way, and cheering in the end.

a Rafflecopter giveaway;

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in gay romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 40. Her best­-selling novels have Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Paranormal Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, Best Romantic Suspense, and more. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog near the sea in California she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

Blog Tour Review & #Giveaway ~ High Balls ~ Tara Lain (@TaraLain @VivianaIzzo @dreamspinners) #2017NewRelease

High Balls by Tara Lain
Balls to the Wall #6
Release Date: October 4, 2017
Genre: Adult, M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy as part of the blog tour. This did not affect my rating and my review is voluntarily provided.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewRelease
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N 

Synopsis
Though only twenty-six, single father Theodore Walters lives with his head in the clouds and his feet firmly planted in reality. At the center of his life is Andy, his seven-year- old son, with whom he shares no DNA, though nobody—including his religious-fanatic in-laws—knows that, and Theodore will do anything to keep them from finding out. Theodore works hard to get his PhD and the tenure and salary that might follow to make a better life for Andy—but the head of his department thinks his dissertation on Jane Austen and romance novels is frivolous.

Theodore’s carefully planned life goes off the rails when he walks into a popular Laguna Beach bar and meets the bartender, “Snake” Erasmo, a pierced and tattooed biker who sends Theodore’s
imagination—and libido—soaring. Snake has even more secrets than Theodore and couldn’t be a less “appropriate” match, but he might be the only guy with the skills to show Theodore that happily-ever- after is for real.

I continue to enjoy this series and this group of guys but High Balls is the best of the bunch so far. Once again, Lain delivers an engaging story with characters who charmed their way into my heart as well as touching on relevant issues such as prejudice against the LGBT community.

In Theodore, I found a guy I could relate to. Not only is he a dad focused on giving his son all he can - a son by choice, not blood - but he's also finishing up a dissertation on how classic lit - Austen specifically - impacts the modern romance genre. Austen? Romance? How academia and society judge romance readers?!? I hope someone is actually working on a dissertation like this. But I digress. Theodore has been working so hard at being a dad and student that he's let his personal life slide.

Enter Snake. On the surface, Snake is nothing that Theodore thinks he should be interested in. The long-haired, tattooed, Harley-riding bartender won't fit in Theodore's staid, conservative world. But there's so much more than meets the eye with Snake that Theodore gives him a chance even if his in-laws, their church, and the head of his department would never approve.

As I'm writing this, I realize High Balls offers a little nod to Pride & Prejudice itself. No wonder I loved it!

High Balls gave me what I'd felt I'd been missing in the previous installments of this series and that is the strong connection with the MCs. Theodore and Snake fit well as a couple and it was enjoyable to watch them face and work together through some issues.

Theodore's son, Andy, was a doll! So mature for a 7 year old but seeing as he had to deal with people saying mean things and bullying him over his dad, it made sense. 

I also delighted in spending some time with the guys from the previous installments. I love that they're such a tight-knit group and always have each others' backs.

I'm not sure if this is it for the series or not but I look forward to reading any and everything from Lain!

Giveaway

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in gay romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 40. Her best­-selling novels have Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Paranormal Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, Best Romantic Suspense, and more. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog near the sea in California she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway ~ Fool of Main Beach ~ Tara Lain (@taralain @VivianaIzzo @dreamspinners) #2017NewRelease

Fool of Main Beach by Tara Lain
Love in Laguna #5
Release Date: August 21, 2017
Genre: Adult, M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy as part of the blog tour. This did not affect my rating and my review is voluntarily provided.
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewRelease, #COYER
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N 

Synopsis
The unlikeliest of lovers. The sweetest of loves.

Merle Justice wants to reach for the stars, but it's tough to get respect when playing a teenybopper vampire on TV. Then he meets a famous director anxious to give him all he thinks he wants - and maybe a bit more. Everything's looking up until a life-threatening encounter with some homophobes on Main Beach puts Merle face-to-face with a Sasquatch-sized hero in a pink puffer coat.

Tom Henry defies description. As unsophisticated and simple as an angel, he walks through life content with who he is and asking for very little except to care for his sister, Lily, and the dogs he loves. Then he meets Merle, the embodiment of dreams he barely knows he has. Merle knows the people who hold his future in their hands might love Tom - but they'll never understand Merle and Tom together. Tom knows it too. With lives far apart, who's really the fool of Main Beach?

Tara Lain's Love in Laguna series is a favorite of mine. Lain always delivers a meaty story along with a touching romance. And all the characters thus far are friends (or become friends) so I always get to check-in with them. Fool of Main Beach delivers on all counts and then some. Here are some highlights from all the goody-goodness:

• Merle
  He's an actor and a really good guy. He's handsome and charming but also down-to-earth, which means he isn't so fond of all the Hollywood hoopla. His family, while completely accepting of his sexuality, isn't so accepting of his career choice seeing as they're more of the intellectual type. This affects Merle's self-esteem as he wants to be taken seriously and he wants their respect. When he's given the chance at those things, he has to decide whether he wants others' respect or to be able to respect himself.
• Tom
  Oh my gosh did I adore this man! He's described once as guileless and that's a fair description. He's really smart but has some learning disabilities. He also is open and honest, not understanding social cues or following social etiquette when offering his opinions. Tom's hardworking and loyal to a fault, taking care of his family despite them kicking him out at 15 because of his sexuality. 
• Character Development
  Both Merle and Tom grow over the course of the story. Tom learns to stand up to his parents and speak up for himself. But Merle does the most growing, learning that he deserves happiness in life whether others approve or respect his choices or not.
• Social Commentary
  This is an element I love in Lain's stories - religion and sexuality, bigotry, homophobia...I admire that she weaves it into her stories (without brow-beating) because it's a reality.
• Tom (yes, again)
  I was a bit worried over how Tom would be handled. As I said, he's guileless, but considered "simple" by some of the characters and he's anything but simple. His character had to be handled "just right" in my opinion to make the story work and Lain handled him with aplomb.
• Dogs
  I would be remiss if I didn't mention the dogs. Tom volunteers at an animal shelter and is particularly fond of dogs. As a dog lover myself, I felt a strong affinity for Tom because of his love and care for these animals and Lain did a nice job giving the dogs their own personalities.

In the end, this might have moved into the top spot as my favorite in this series so far!

**Love in Laguna Series**

Knight of Ocean Avenue

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Knave of Broken Hearts

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Prince of the Playhouse

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in gay romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 40. Her best­-selling novels have Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Paranormal Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, Best Romantic Suspense, and more. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog near the sea in California she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway ~ Volley Balls ~ Tara Lain (@taralain, @VivianaIzzo, @dreamspinners)

Volley Balls by Tara Lain
Balls to the Wall #1
Release Date: January 11, 2017
Genre: Adult, M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy as part of the blog tour. I voluntarily reviewed it.
Rating: 3.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewRelease
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N 

Synopsis
A double dose of alpha male might be better than one.

Despite just getting out of an abusive relationship with an asshole alpha, David Underwood's wandering glance lands on two hot members of the Australian volleyball team on Laguna Beach and gets him harassed again. Still, when the delicious Gareth Marshall proves his interest by coming out to his team, David succumbs to his attraction. But Gareth's volleyball partner, Edge, who's equally hot, makes the lovers' lives miserable.

For Gareth, a lifetime of hiding his orientation--and his attraction--from his best friend, Edge, as well as everyone else around him, adds up to hurt and frustration. David's the first man to ever compete with Edge for Gareth's passion. But Edge has secrets of his own, and David's ex-lover will never be happy without David under his fist. With everything stacked against him, can a gay Laguna man find happiness with an alpha male--or two?

Although I had a few reservations, I quite enjoyed this first book in the Balls to the Wall series. Not only did I get to meet new characters to fall for, Lain also took on the topic prejudice.

When we first meet David, he's being yelled out, taunted with slurs, by one of two hot volleyball players. It shakes him up, of course. It turns out David is a successful guy, owning his own art gallery. But he's also recently out of an abusive relationship and has no real interest in a new one.

Then he meets Gareth - the other half of the volleyball duo he was ogling...the one not yelling slurs. Gareth's been raised in a country and in an environment that ridicules gays. Which is problematic since he is gay.

Edge, Gareth's volleyball partner, is one of the worst offenders in the bigotry department. He and Gareth have been best mates since they were young. And his attitude and behavior are really upsetting since Gareth wants to come out and is attracted to Edge.

All the characters were engaging and I liked the story. I liked watching David help Gareth deal with the fallout over revealing his sexual orientation. I enjoyed seeing how attentive and serious Gareth was over David. Edge had to grow on me but I could see what he was hiding from everyone, including himself. However, I didn't feel like there was enough time spent with the characters, seeing all the dynamics, the relationship(s) grow, so that kept me from forming the deep connection with them that I would have liked. Also, the chain reaction of events that happened once David and Gareth became a couple occurred really fast. Not that I didn't feel the connection between them - it was just lightning quick. I had to wonder at the reality of it all - whether or not Gareth would have come out so quickly or whether David would enter into any sort of relationship with someone who'd harassed him after what he'd suffered with his ex.

Overall though, I enjoyed the story and am eager to continue the series. Lain's writing makes for easy reading and I always like her take on topics such as prejudice. I hope to not only get to know side characters better but continue getting to know David, Gareth, and Edge as well.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”

Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads