Thursday, May 31, 2018

Home Skillet (Culinary Kings Book 1) by Cate Ashwood and Sandra Damien | Cat's Release day Review & #giveaway @cateashwood @TTCBooksandmore


Sometimes the only way to move forward… is to go back.
JAMES

 I don't know what's more shocking—the sudden end to my marriage, or the fact that I'd married a woman at all. But now I'm broke and homeless, kicked out of my Upper West Side apartment while my ex-wife walks away with everything we've ever worked for.

So what's an executive chef stripped of his dignity gonna do?
Go back to Jersey with his tail between his legs, that's what.

BEN

I can’t say that spending a decade pining after my best friend was the best use of my time. While I'd pretty much become an expert at the whole unrequited love thing, I'd resigned myself to the fact that Jimmy and I were never gonna happen. But when Jimmy turned up on my doorstep in his hour of need, I jumped at the chance to offer him my bed—er, couch. I mean, what are friends for, right?

Now that he's released from the shackles of matrimony, I can't wait to show him exactly what he's been missing out on all these years. 

What I didn't anticipate was him showing me that maybe I'd been missing out too.
Buy link: Amazon US | Amazon UK
Cat gives this one 4 Meows with a 3 Purr heat index...

Ben and Jimmy were college roommates and best friends. They fooled around whenever they got a chance once Ben had to quit school and come home. Jimmy has a big dream of being a famous chef and works hard to realize it putting everything and everyone last. When it all comes crashing down he turns to the one person he can rely on... Ben. 

Home skillet is a sweet romance. It goes back and forth from Jimmy to Ben’s views. Both men are so different but fit together well. The story is interesting. If you like friends to lovers, foodies, chefs,’ second chance, 90’s , coming out, and an allover sweet sexy romance, this is for you. 



Cate Ashwood... discovered her love for books of all kinds early on, but romance is where her heart truly lies. She is addicted to the happily ever afters and the journey the characters take to get there. Currently residing in White Rock, B.C, Cate loves living just a stone's throw from the ocean. When she's not writing, she can be found consuming coffee at an alarming rate while wrangling her children, her husband, and their two cats. 


Cate loves to hear from readers. You can contact her at cateashwood@gmail.com or on her website http://www.cateashwood.com.


Sandra Damien... There’s two sides to Sandra Damien: some days she’s utterly hilarious (at least in her head), and there are times her dark twin reigns. Her stories reflect both, but the one thing that unites them is, of course, love.


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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Once Upon a Wolf written By: Rhys Ford Narrated by: Derrick McClain | Tams Audiobook Review & #giveaway @Dreamspinners @rhys_ford

Once Upon a Wolf 

Gibson Keller’s days are fairly routine: wake up early, get some work done, drink lots of coffee, and take care of Ellis, his older brother, stuck in wolf form after coming home from the war. It’s a simple life made up of long runs on two legs - or four - and quiet evenings...until Ellis chases a handsome man off a cliff and into the frozen waters beside their cabin, changing Gibson’s life forever.

For Zach Thomas, buying an old B&B is a new start. Leaving behind his city life, he longs to find peace and quiet, and hiking the trails behind his property seems safe enough - right up to the moment an enormous black wolf chases him into a lake, nearly drowning him. Discovering werewolves are real astounds him, but not as much as the man who rescues him from the icy water, then walks into Zach’s heart as if he owns it.

Loving a werewolf - loving Gibson with all his secrets - has its challenges, but Zach believes their love is worth fighting for, especially since his heart knows the big, bad wolf is really a prince in disguise.
©2018 Rhys Ford (P)2018 Dreamspinner Press
Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon Audio | Audible 

Tams gives this one 3.5 Stars...

Good start to a new series 

Really liked the story, the concept based on Ellis being stuck as a wolf because his human half was haunted and broken after time spent in the military in a war zone. Gibson has put his own life on hold to care for his brother so when Zach pops into his carefully constructed way of doing things, it's slow going. Zach has some dark spots in his life as well. His family is not supportive, not really a part of his life, and he's still healing from a bad accident. On top of everything else going on with these three, someone is hunting the wolves. 

I liked that Gibson and Zach take things slow, really getting to know one another before doing anything aside from some very, very heavy petting. Of course the story is intricate and intense, it's Rhys Ford. I'm anxious to see if Ellis's book is next. 

I did not care for the narration. McClain voiced the story with a tone that was intense and urgent throughout and I never got used to it. It came across like a very serious situation at all times, even during down time, and at times some words were enunciated very dramatically. I was exhausted by the end of the book.

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and was a 2016 LAMBDA finalist with her novel, Murder and Mayhem. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and DSP Publications.


She’s also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? She shares the house with Yoshi, a grumpy tuxedo cat and Tam, a diabetic black pygmy panther, as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

Website: http://rhysford.com/


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Deadly Secrets (Detective Erika Foster book 6) written by Robert Bryndza narrated by Jan Cramer | Tams Audiobook Review & #giveaway @robertbryndza @bookouture @JanCramervoice ‏



To commit the perfect murder, you need the perfect cover.

On a cold icy morning, a mother wakes to find her daughter’s blood-soaked body frozen to the road. Who would carry out such a horrific killing on the victim’s doorstep?

Straight off her last harrowing case, Detective Erika Foster is feeling fragile but determined to lead the investigation. As she sets to work, she finds reports of assaults in the same quiet South London suburb where the woman was killed. One chilling detail links them to the murder victim - they were all attacked by a figure in black wearing a gas mask.

Erika is on the hunt for a killer with a terrifying calling card. The case gets more complicated when she uncovers a tangled web of secrets surrounding the death of the beautiful young woman.

Yet just as Erika begins to piece the clues together, she is forced to confront painful memories of her past. Erika must dig deep, stay focused and find the killer. Only this time, one of her own is in terrible danger....

From the global million-copy best-selling author comes a totally heart-racing, hold-your-breath listen that will keep you hooked until the very last minute.
©2018 Robert Bryndza (P)2018 Bookouture
Buy links: Amazon Audio | Audible 
Tams gives this one 5 Stars...

 I can't get enough of DCI Erika Foster! 

Murderers don't take Christmas off, apparently. Erika is trying to catch a serial killer but her attention is split when her father in law falls ill. Peterson has a secret and Moss finally gets a chance to prove just how skilled she is. 

 I can't praise this series enough, it is so well written and I love that with each new installment Bryndza manages to bring something new to the table. The mystery is so intense and intriguing and a few times I thought, hey I've got this figure out, but I really didn't. Hats off to Bryndza for keeping me guessing, on the edge of my seat and literally screaming at a certain character at one point. "HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" 

 Narration was phenomenal once again, really enjoy Cramer's lilt and tone and how she manages to give each character a different voice, even if it's just a subtle change in the accent. 

 If you like murder, mayhem and very strong female characters this is a must listen, promise.



Robert Bryndza is the author of the international #1 bestseller The Girl in the Ice, which is the first in his Detective Erika Foster series. It has sold over one million copies. 

 The Night Stalker, Dark Water, Last Breath and Cold Blood are the second, third, fourth and fifth books in the series. The sixth book, Deadly Secrets has just been published. 

 Robert's books have sold over 2.5 million copies and have been translated into 27 languages. 

 In addition to writing crime fiction, Robert has published a bestselling series of romantic comedy novels. He is British and lives in Slovakia.

You can find out more about the author at www.robertbryndza.com and on Twitter and Instagram @RobertBryndza

Sign up to Robert Bryndza‘s New Release Mailing List here: http://eepurl.com/UITxz

(Simply cut-and-paste that address into your browser. Your email will never be shared and you will only be contacted when a new book is out.)

Website: https://robertbryndza.com/


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Volley Balls (Balls to the Wall book 1) written by Tara Lain narrated by Nick J Russo | Tams Audiobook Review & #giveaway @Dreamspinners @TaraLain @nickjrussovoice @TTCBooksandmore


Volley Balls

A "pumped up" version of the Volley Balls story, twice as long as the original.  

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?

©2017 Tara Lain (P)2018 Dreamspinner Press
Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon Audio | Audible | iTunes

Tams gives this one 3 Stars...

The threesome didn't work for me in this one 

I really wanted to like this story, but the threesome didn't work for me. I felt like it was forced when, given more page time and content, it could have been amazing. That was another issue for me from start to finish, the story felt rushed and compact when it could have been better had the characters and menage been fleshed out. 

 Narration was amazing. Loved what Russo did with the characters and making sure each had their own voice.
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT romances that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her best-selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Erotic Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and more. Readers often call her books “sweet,” even with all that hawt sex, because Tara believes in love and her books deliver on happily-ever-after. In addition to writing dozens and dozens of romance novels, Tara also owns an advertising and public relations firm. Her love of creating book titles comes from years of manifesting ad headlines for everything from analytical instruments to semiconductors. She does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. Together with her soulmate husband and her soulmate Dog, she recently realized a vision to live where there were a lot more trees and a lot fewer cars by moving to Ashland, Oregon. She hasn’t stopped smiling since.


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Hell and Back written by Dirk Greyson narrated by Dorian Bane | Cat's Audiobook Review & #giveaway @Dreamspinners @DirkGreyson @DorianBane1 @TTCBooksandmore


Hell and Back

Seventeen years ago, Forge Reynolds fell in love - and had his heart broken. When Staff Sergeant Gage Livingston was brought into Forge’s Army field hospital, temporarily paralyzed, Forge sat with him, read his letters, answered his mail, and formed a connection he thought would last. But Gage was sent home, Forge transferred to a new post, and his letters to Gage went unanswered. 

Now in the middle of a bitter divorce, Forge is sick and tired of his husband’s manipulation. He's almost ready to make any sacrifice to get closure - then he finds Granger murdered execution-style in their home. Forge had no idea about Granger’s illicit activities, but the killers don’t believe that. They think Forge has something they want, and they’re coming after him. 

When Forge’s lawyer arranges for professional protection, the last face Forge expects to see is Gage’s. Can he even contemplate a second chance for them after almost two decades, or will hoping only lead to more heartache? Before they can explore the possibilities, they must figure out what information Granger had - that others are willing to kill for - or that possible heartache could become a certainty.
©2017 Dirk Greyson (P)2018 Dreamspinner Press
Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon Audio | Audible | iTunes

 Cat gives this one 5 Meows...

 Gage was once military now has his own security business. he is called to protect the one man he thought he would never see and the one that broke his heart. 

Forge is in the middle of a nasty divorce when he finds his husband dead and his husband's office ransacked. His Lawyer and friend call on Gage's agency to protect him. Forge is shocked to see Gage and wonders why he never answered his letters. 

I loved both men. the characters are well developed and the storyline is good. The suspense keeps you on your toes and there are a few twists. 

Dorian Bane is a great narrator and I love how he brings his characters to life and keeps the story moving. I listened to this in one afternoon!
Action, Adventure, Lust and Love. Dirk is very much an outside kind of man. He loves travel and seeing new things. Dirk worked in corporate America for way too long and now spends his days writing, gardening, and taking care of the home he shares with his partner of more than two decades. He has a Masters Degree and all the other accessories that go with a corporate job. But he is most proud of the stories he tells and the life he's built. Dirk lives in Pennsylvania in a century old home and is blessed with an amazing circle of friends. You can contact him at: dirkgreyson@comcast.net


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Shades by Jaime Reese Release Boost & #giveaway @EJBookPromos @Jaime_Reese

Title: Shades
Author: Jaime Reese
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
Release Date: May 23, 2018 Cover Designer: Reese Dante

Life made him dangerous. Love made him lethal.
Killian Marks is a third-generation hitman. After hunting monsters for over twenty years, he lives under no illusions of happily ever afters and fairy tales. Until he meets a man who threatens to disarm him, by giving him hope for a future and showing him there’s more to life than just death.
For Nick, living in shadows is second nature. He’s all too familiar with the dark side of humanity and knows how delicate life can be. Each new day is a gift, even though it means doing it alone. But he’ll risk his survival for the one man who awakens something deep within and leaves him yearning for more.
Nick wants to solve the mystery behind the dark, brooding man, while Killian craves the life and light emanating from Nick. They soon discover they have more in common than either could have anticipated. With both their lives and hearts at stake, they must confront the ghost from Nick’s past intent on tying up a loose end. Only then will they truly find peace, and discover the shades of life in between.

Love Bytes - “I haven’t had great luck with book choices lately, and I was starting to think that maybe it was just me and nothing was going to satisfy. But you can always, always rely on Jaime Reese to deliver a book that grips your heart so freakin’ tightly you think you might die of happiness. Even in this book, with the hitmen, the mobsters, the violence and the many deaths, the intensity of the love between the main characters is so unbelievably powerful it infuses every single scene with heartrending emotion.”

BookUnFunk - “Shades is dangerous, dramatic, and downright romantic.”

PageTurner - “Lock yourself in the bedroom and read this book...Now!”
Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.
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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Day and Knight written by Dirk Greyson narrated by Andrew McFerrin | Cat's Audiobook Review & #giveaway @Dreamspinners @dirkgreyson


Day and Knight

As former NSA, Dayton "Day" Ingram has national security chops and now works as a technical analyst for Scorpion. He longs for fieldwork and scuttling an attack gives him his chance. He’s smart, multilingual, and a technological wizard. But his opportunity comes with a hitch. His partner, Knighton, "Knight", is a real mystery. Despite countless hours of research, Day can find nothing on the agent including his first name.

A former Marine, Knight crawled into a bottle after losing his family. After drying out, he’s offered one last chance: along with Day, to stop a terrorist threat from the Yucatan. To get there without drawing suspicion, Day and Knight board a gay cruise, where the deeply closeted Day and equally closeted Knight must pose as a couple. Tensions run high as Knight communicates very little, and Day bristles at Knight’s heavy-handed need for control.

But after drinking too much, Day and Knight wake up in bed together. As they near their destination, they must infiltrate the terrorist camp and neutralize a plot aimed at America's technological infrastructure. If they hope to have a life after the mission, one that might include each other, they must learn to trust and rely on each other.
©2015 Dirk Greyson (P)2018 Dreamspinner Press
Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon Audio | Audible | iTunes

 Cat gives this one 4 Meows...

 Day and Knight is a good mystery suspense story. 

Knight has secrets in his past and doesn't do field work and linger but his boss forces him back into the field with a new partner and new agent. Day finally gets to go into the field but is saddled with a difficult partner and they have to go undercover on a gay cruise.

The characters are well developed, and the premise of the gay cruise was interesting. The job is also interesting though I would have liked just a little more action.The narration is good. I like the voices for each character and pacing and the sex is pretty hot once they get to it. I really liked this story.
Action, Adventure, Lust and Love. Dirk is very much an outside kind of man. He loves travel and seeing new things. Dirk worked in corporate America for way too long and now spends his days writing, gardening, and taking care of the home he shares with his partner of more than two decades. He has a Masters Degree and all the other accessories that go with a corporate job. But he is most proud of the stories he tells and the life he's built. Dirk lives in Pennsylvania in a century old home and is blessed with an amazing circle of friends. You can contact him at: dirkgreyson@comcast.net



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