Audio Review ~ The Lawrence Browne Affair ~ Cat Sebastian #AudioChallenge, #ShelfLove

The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian
The Turner Series #2
Narrated by: Gary Furlong
Release Date: June 20, 2017
Genre: Adult, Historical Romance, M/M Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from Tantor Audio. This did not affect my rating and my review is voluntarily provided. 
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #AudioChallenge, #ShelfLove
Goodreads

Synopsis
An earl hiding from his future...Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, is mad. At least, that's what he and most of the village believes. A brilliant scientist, he hides himself away in his family's crumbling estate, unwilling to venture into the outside world. When an annoyingly handsome man arrives at Penkellis, claiming to be Lawrence's new secretary, his carefully planned world is turned upside down. 
A swindler haunted by his past...Georgie Turner has made his life pretending to be anyone but himself. A swindler and con man, he can slip into an identity faster than he can change clothes. But when his long-dead conscience resurrects and a dangerous associate is out for blood, Georgie escapes to the wilds of Cornwall. Pretending to be a secretary should be easy, but he doesn't expect that the only madness he finds is the one he has for the gorgeous earl. 
Can they find forever in the wreckage of their lives? Challenging each other at every turn, the two men soon give into the desire that threatens to overwhelm them. But with one man convinced he is at the very brink of madness and the other hiding his real identity, only true love can make this an affair to remember.

I admit to having chosen The Lawrence Browne Affair because I was intrigued with an M/M historical romance. What a pleasant surprise this story was! 

Highlights:

• Characters/Character Development
  Man! CSebastian did an impressive job of developing both Lawrence and Georgie. Lawrence inherited an Earldom. His father and older brother were known to be mad and indluged in some wickedness (and not the good kind) as part of their madness.
  Laurence has always believed he is or would go mad himself because of his sexual preferences and due to things about his behavior that his father deemed odd. Honestly, I believe Lawrence was a genius or a savant as well as autistic or maybe agoraphobic. I adored how over the course of the story Georgie was able to figure out how to handle Lawrence's "quirks" and convince him he wasn't mad and was also worthy of people's company and care.
  Georgie is a crook. A crook with a heart though and that heart has him on the run from an associate. He comes to Penkellis to determine Lawrence's mental state for some who are questioning it. Georgie at first is thinking only of himself - saving his hide - so it was a delight to watch as he proved he was redeemable.
• Romance
  CSebastian created a compelling slow-burn romance between Lawrence and Georgie. Witnessing as they became close and came to care for one another was something I was loathe to stop listening to. As this was my first M/M historical romance, I must say I was impressed with how CSebastian crafted the story.
• Story
  Like I said, CSebastian wove a captivating story around Lawrence and Georgie - Lawrence being an inventor of sorts and Georgie generally stealing from whomever he can - until now. There was also how they learned to deal with each others' personalities, their insecurities, and the reasons behind how they were and how they lived. It was all fascinating!

Honestly, there was so much to like about this story. And the narrator, Gary Furlong, also did an excellent job. He kept the pace just right and managed the voices for each character very well - even the female ones. I will absolutely read more CSebastian and listen to more GFurlong!

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
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N 

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

Review ~ Tease ~ Ella Frank #2017NewRelease

Tease by Ella Frank
Temptation Series #4
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Genre: Adult, M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on kindle
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewRelease, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
Tease - verb: to tantalize especially by arousing desire or curiosity often without intending to satisfy it....unless your name is Tate Morrison.

It's been four years since Logan Mitchell walked into Tate's life and irrevocably changed it. Four years since the sexy as sin lawyer dared him to try, and four years since Tate won his love.

Now, as they approach the next chapter of their lives Logan is determined they won't end up like many of their friends. Settled. Domestic. Boring. However, that's easier said than done. With busy careers and working odd hours, finding time for one another is becoming increasingly difficult.

But that sh*t isn't going to fly with Logan or Tate.

The two of them are determined to compromise to get what it is they want, and what they want is each other.

Tease is the sexy, tantalizing continuation of the two men who stole your heart... and popped your cherry.

If y'all have followed me for a few  years, you might remember my gushing reviews about these two guys. Quite simply, they are my favorite M/M couple. SO you may be able to imagine my reaction to finding out Ella Frank was adding to the series...

More Tate and Logan? Yessssss!

Tease picks up in Tate and Logan's life 4 years later. Tate's bar, The Popped Cherry, is a success and Logan's law firm is doing well too. Sound staid? Here are a few reasons Tease is wroth the read:

• Logan - he's HOT, charismatic, sharp-witted, and he knows how to state his case. His banter - with anyone but especially Tate - is typically snarky and fun. But while he exudes confidence, I like that he has a vulnerable side that he willingly shares with Tate.
• Tate - he's so grounded. Oh, he's hot too but he definitely is the yang to Logan's yin. I've always appreciated that Tate takes the time to analyze, think things through before making decisions, and once he makes one, he's solid.
• More than romance - despite the fact we do get to see that the spark is still very much alive between Logan and Tate, I enjoyed seeing how they've progressed in their relationship and how they deal when things from their past and present force them to handle things like bigotry and prejudice.

While Tease maybe wasn't quite as dazzling as it's predecessors, it's a worthy continuation to Logan and Tate's story.

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

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N ~ Audible

Knave of Broken Hearts

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N ~ Audible

Prince of the Playhouse

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N ~ Audible

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 ~ FAST Balls ~ Tara Lain (@taralain @viviannaizzo @dreamspinners) #2017NewRelease #COYER

Fire Balls by Tara Lain
Balls to the Wall #5
Release Date: July 12, 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, #COYER
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N 

Synopsis
Can two men with skewed self-images see their true reflections in each other’s eyes?

Jerry Wallender—firefighter, surfer, and occasional nude model—knows he’s no rocket scientist. So why does he keep choosing intellectual guys who make him feel dumber? He worked his buns off to overcome his reading disability and pass the firefighter’s test, and he loves everything about the job.

Well, except for Mick Cassidy, the big, blond, hunky homophobe who harasses Jerry for being gay. But Jerry is smart enough to realize it’s not hate driving Mick, but the pain of a very unhappy upbringing.

Mick Cassidy, Firefighter Assist and Search Team, fights fires, but he can’t fight his attraction to the kindest, most generous—and sexiest—guy he’s ever met. Does that make him gay? If it does, he just might get himself killed by his gay-hating preacher father—and take Jerry down with him.

FAST Balls was a satisfying read as Lain not only gave me Jerry's story - a character I met at the beginning of this series and have come to love - but she also conveyed it in a way that dealt with societal prejudice, discrimination, and ignorance. That's something I'e come to expect from her and something she does well.

When I saw Jerry was getting his own story, I was excited. Jerry is such a good guy - a good friend, fun-loving, and kind. He's a surfer but he's deeper than that having dealt with the struggle of returning to school (he's dyslexic) and becoming a firefighter. He's a character I've come to adore and one who doesn't see all that he is.

Mick Cassidy is not the guy I would have chosen to for a love interest for Jerry. He's also a firefighter - at the same station as Jerry - but he's proven to be callous in his homophobia in the past. However, after learning of Mick's upbringing and how he's lived his life, not to mention his confusion over his own feelings about what he's been taught and lived...well, I softened toward him. Quite a bit actually, especially seeing how he views himself.

Jerry and Mick have gotten to know each other while working together and while that happened off-page, I still felt their feelings toward one another were genuine. They connect because of certain situations and I liked how they were there for one another. I also liked how they helped each other see themselves through each other's eyes.

Overall, FAST Balls was fulfilling for me in that Jerry got his story. I got to spend time with the other guys from the series - even if it was only a little - and the way Lain incorporated bigotry was handled well. I'm excited for the next installment!

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

My TBR List Review ~ May ~ Us ~ Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. 



Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
Him #2
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Genre: Adult, M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Goodreads
Challenges: #ShelfLove

Synopsis
Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He's living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves--Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There's just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It's not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn't help that his new job isn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they?

When Wes's nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.

Y'all, I can't get enough of Wes and Jamie! Why can't I have more?!?

Here are a few reasons why I love these guys!

• Wes and Jamie as a couple. These two guys are so in love and good together. They each bring their own positives and negatives to the relationship and that only further enhances them as characters. Their relationship "feels" real. And I just love them!
• The issues - the hurdles Wes and Jamie have to jump, the issues they fave - were also realistic and gave them even more depth. From family strife and personal pride to dealing with illness as well as the media and a bigoted public, they faced so much. And they both grew emotionally - both individually and as a couple.
• Family and friends - y'all know I'm fond of a dynamic supporting cast. That the Canning family was so loving and accepting - it warmed my heart. And that Wes' teammates, for the most part, proved accepting (Jamie's boss too)...well, it restored a little of my faith in humanity.
  I'm also chomping at the bit to dive into the spinoff series featuring some of these characters.

So I not only enjoyed a most excellent sequel - and final book in the duology - but I also get to cross off a series on my "catch up" list! Of course, I'll be adding another series once I start Good Boy (the spinoff series)! LOL

My TBR List ~ May ~ And the Winner is...

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. I think it's a fabulous idea because it gets y'all in the game and it helps me knock off some of the many, many books on my TBR list. You're more than welcome to join in the fun! I've included the basic rules below but you can click on the graphic above to hop over to Michelle's site where you can find all the details. 

Here's how it works:
On the first Saturday of each month, I will make a post with three books from my TBR List (these books can be already on your ereader or bookshelf OR books you might want to purchase) and add your link on the linky that will be provided on Michelle's post. Y'ALL will help me choose which book I will read next. The following Saturday, I will announce which book won. Then the last Saturday of the month, I'll post my review.

Fun, right?!?

***

Thanks to everyone who voted! I prepared and scheduled these posts during March's Blog Ahead so I've completely forgotten the choices for every month. When I started seeing the votes for this month, I got really excited.... ;)  I'm not gonna lie, I had a favorite going into this vote.



And the Winner Is:


Us
Him #2

Synopsis
Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He's living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves--Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There's just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It's not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn't help that his new job isn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they?

When Wes's nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.



Check back on May 27th for my review! (and by the way, this was the one I was pulling for)