Mini REVIEW: Helping Hand By Jay Northcote

Genre:

MM Contemporary Romance

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / AllRomance / SMASHWORDS

Connect With The Author:

Goodreads / Website / Twitter

Synopsis On Goodreads:

Wanking with a mate isn’t gay—as long as you keep your hands to yourself.

Jez Fielding and James MacKenzie—Big Mac to his mates—are in their second year at uni. After partying too hard last year, they make a pact to rein themselves in. While their housemates are out drinking every weekend, Jez and Mac stay in to save cash and focus on their studies.

When Jez suggests watching some porn together, he isn’t expecting Mac to agree to it. One thing leads to another, and soon their arrangement becomes hands-on rather than hands-off. But falling for your straight friend can only end badly, unless there’s a chance he might feel the same.

length: 33,000 words approx

PURPLE'S RATING: 4/5 stars

GLASS' RATING: 5/5 stars

*** REVIEW ***

Collage boys, roommates, friends-to-lovers romance, GFY romance, first timers...The Resistance. Was. Futile. And I'm really glad I couldn't resist this short novella (around 90 pages), because, let's be honest- it made my dirty mind really happy, lol. As my friend Danija said- I won't call it a guilty pleasure because I don't feel guilty at all.

Jez & James are roommates and best friends in their 2nd year at uni. They partied so hard last year that one of them is now stuck with financial problems and the other will fail his studies if he doesn't get back on track. What to do??? Well, why not make a pact to avoid parties and stay at home this time for a change and hey, during breaks we can watch porn together and whatever else happens behind closed bedroom doors stays there? *Purple approves*

Fun, fast-paced, emotional and steamy. The only "flaw", as usual when it comes to short novellas, was its shortness.  Other than that I liked it a lot. The mm reading world can never have enough of these "straight" collage boys stories. Don't you agree? ;)

xoxo,

Purple

Mini REVIEW: Bare-Knuckle Love (Rabid Mongrels MC, #1) by K.A. Merikan

Genre: 

MM Contemporary Romance/ Adult

Buy The Book: 

Free On MMRomanceGroup !!!

Connect With The Author:

Goodreads / Twitter / Website

Synopsis On Goodreads:

--- Fight to the death. Love to the bone. ---

Jason is back in his home town and trying to make money the only way he knows - in an illegal MMA fight. Bare knuckles. Hardly any rules. All he needs to do is... lose. 

The Rabid Mongrels Motorcycle Club bet against him, and they are set to make a killing, but when Jason spots his high school crush in the audience, he can’t bear to lose. All he wants is to have Hyde notice him. He gets more than he bargained for when Hyde turns out to be the president of the MC, now out for his blood. 

To survive, Jason will have to make a deal with the blond devil. No matter how manipulative and vicious Hyde can be, he is a dark wet dream come to life, and Jason can’t keep his hands to himself. Soon enough, the self-destructive lust he has for Hyde becomes a dangerous obsession that takes Jason to the most forgotten corners of his soul. 

POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

Themes: Outlaw motorcycle club, criminal activity, abuse, sexual orientation issues, second chances, enemies to lovers, first time, coming home, alternative family, blackmail

Genre: M/M dark erotic romance, suspense, drama

Length: ~34,000 words

WARNING: Adult content. Explicit gay sex, strong language, violence, mentions of past animal abuse, mentions of past child abuse. Reader discretion advised.

RATING: 3.75/ 5 stars

*** REVIEW ***

I rarely rate short novellas/stories more than 3 stars, because they always seem lacking in comparison to full length novels, but I was so tempted when it comes to Bare-Knuckle Love by K. A. Merikan. 

Dark, raw, thrilling, emotional & deliciously dirty.

Bare-Knuckle Love is not for those faint of heart, because despite the story's shortness (around 90 pages) it dealt with some heavy subjects, such as: cage fighting, other scenes of violence and a bit of humiliation kink, so if these things are out of your comfort zone I think that it's better for you to stay away from this freebie.

I didn't rate it with full 4 stars because:

~ it ended just when it became so good.

~ I wanted to see more of Hyde's emotional side and more emotional scenes between him and Jason.

You should definitely give it a try:

~ if you're a fan of dark & kinky mm romances

~ if you're a fan of biker ft. mm fighter romance

~ if you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers romances

My dirty mind says: Bring on the next one! ;)

xoxo,

Purple

Release Day: THE BLACK WOLF (In the Company of Killers, #5) By J. A. Redmerski

Hurray!!! WTHB is so excited because The Black Wolf (In the Company of Killers, #5) by J. A. Redmerski- one of my and Beatrix' most expected books of 2015 got released today. *fangirling* Highly recommend this series to every fan of dark, steamy, gripping and action-packed crime/ mysteries/ romances. This is a must read!

Genre: Adult Crime/Suspense/Mystery

Release Day: July 1, 2015

Buy The Book: Amazon


Synopsis:

Since devastating secrets were uncovered by Nora Kessler, Niklas Fleischer and Victor Faust have been divided as business partners and brothers. But ultimately Niklas is persuaded to lead a mission to Italy, and he sees it as an opportunity to set in motion forgiveness—or retribution—for his brother’s betrayal.

The mission: play the role of a wealthy German investor and kidnap a beautiful, notorious madam named Francesca Moretti. No stranger to these types of roles, Niklas is the best man for the job, but this time the risks will be much greater as he will not be doing it alone. Izabel Seyfried, still fresh out of a life of imprisonment and sex slavery, could be negatively affected by the things she will see in Moretti’s mansion, and Niklas must keep her in line so she does not blow their cover and get them killed.

But Niklas isn’t the only one who must play a role—Nora takes on the humiliating task of playing Niklas’s slave, and Izabel must play the role of his lover.

On one hand, Niklas couldn’t be enjoying himself more. On the other hand, the emotions that continue to rage inside of him may be too much for him to control, and it may be Niklas—not Izabel—who needs to be kept in line. He cannot forget what Victor has done, and this mission may just be the beginning of his downward spiral.

Can the blood bond that Niklas and Victor share as brothers be stronger than resentment? Or will vengeance dig the blade so deep that their bond be eternally severed?

~ Previous titles in the The Company of Killers:

KILLING SARAI (Book #1)

REVIVING IZABEL (Book #2)

THE SWAN AND THE JACKAL (Book #3)

SEEDS OF INIQUITY (Book #4)

About the Author:

J.A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children, two cats and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

Connect With The Author On:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Presented By

Release Day Blitz: “Shades of Treason” By Sandy Williams

Shades of Treason

(An Anomaly Novel, #1)

By Sandy Williams

Blurb: 

Ash would have given her life to save her teammates.

Instead, they gave their lives to save hers.

Lieutenant Ramie Ashdyn is an anomaly, a person whose genetic makeup makes her stronger and smarter than the average human. She’s pledged her life to protect the Coalition, an alliance of thirteen planetary systems, but when a top secret operation turns bloody, she’s charged with treason and the brutal executions of her teammates.

The Coalition needs the information Ash’s team stole on their last mission, so they send in Commander Rhys “Rest in Peace” Rykus to get it. He’s the man who’s responsible for turning Ash into an elite soldier... and he’s a man who isn’t, never was, and never will be in love with the woman he trained. Or so he tells himself.

Ash wants nothing more than to clear her name and be the woman her former instructor wants her to be, but the enemy who killed her teammates did more than frame her for treason and murder: they telepathically silenced her mind, preventing her from saying anything that might point to the truth about what happened.

Now Ash is trapped and set to be executed, the truth dying with her. Unless she can prove her innocence. But taking that path could destroy the Coalition she’s sworn to preserve and protect...

Available for purchase at 

Excerpt

Rykus’s boots stopped inches from her face. He stood there looming like a behemoth-class warship bearing down on a two-seater small-craft. He’d always had a talent for making his anomalies feel insignificant. Ash half expected him to shove her head into the dirt again. Instead, his gaze and the weight of his last command pressed her down as effectively as a sub-atmo fighter in a steep climb.

“Why didn’t you escape when you had the chance?” His hands closed around her wrists, maneuvering them together over her head.

“Mind being a bit more gentle, Rip?”

He looped and twisted the cord around her swollen and bruised skin, probably in a Caruthian lock-knot, which would be damn hard to break out of. The more she pulled against it, the tighter it would become.

He yanked her into a sitting position. The forest spun. She stared at Rykus’s chest until the world settled.

“Answer my question, Ashdyn.”

“Ashdyn?” She laughed. “Don’t get all formal on me, Rip.”

Her gaze rose from his chest to his eyes, and she cut off her laugh. His expression was as dark and cold as space, but there was a hint of heat in his gaze, of galaxies that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. Rykus had a gravitational pull as strong as any sun, and she couldn’t resist being pulled in by his flames.

“I should have escaped,” she said. “I made a mistake.” A huge mistake.

“Wrong answer.” He jerked her to her feet.

“What do you want me to say? Sir.”

“The truth.”

“That is the truth.”

Rykus still had himself under control but she didn’t. She was tired, frustrated, and pissed off at herself, at Rykus, at the whole Coalition. She’d bled for them all. She’d given up her free will to become a Caruth-trained anomaly, all so she could protect it. And they believed she was working against it now. Working with the Sariceans.

“Why did you stay?” Rykus demanded again.

She pulled her arm free from his grasp. “I fucking stayed because of you. Sir. Because of the goddamn loyalty training.”

Invading her space, he forced her to take a step back. “That training didn’t keep you from turning against the Coalition. It didn’t keep you from shooting your teammates and the Obsidian’s crew.”

Anger creased his face now. It creased Ash’s entire universe.

“Tell me how many people I killed,” she demanded. “Tell me!”

He opened his mouth to fling a number in her face, but caught himself. The skin around his eyes tightened then relaxed. In a voice much quieter than she’d just used, he said, “Brookins. My XO. You shot him on your way off the Obsidian.”

It took her a moment to figure out who he was talking about. She’d shot a total of four people during her escape. Only one of them was likely a fatal wound—the anomaly who’d very nearly prevented her escape.

“Well,” Ash said, feeling some of her independence, some of her brazenness return. “If your XO is dead, he wasn’t a very good anomaly.”

Her fail-safe stared, unmoving, as the wind picked up, carrying the scent of smoke and burning vegetation through the air. Her mental clock clicked to five, six seconds before the rage melted from Rykus’s shoulders. Slowly, he shook his head.

“Sometimes, Ash… Sometimes I wish I’d never met you.”

Ash let a smile spread across her face. “That implies you’re sometimes happy you met me.”

About The Author

Sandy Williams has lived and breathed books all her life. When she was a teen, she was always the first to finish her class assignments so that she could read as much as possible before the bell rang. Her grades didn't suffer (much), and she was able to enroll in Texas A&M University. She didn't sneak in novels there, but her college lecture notes are filled with snippets of stories. After she graduated, she decided to turn those snippets into novels.

Sandy writes books with high-octane action adventure infused with a strong romantic element. She is best known for The Shadow Reader novels, an urban fantasy romance series about a human who can both see and track the fae. When she’s not reading or corralling her twin boys, she enjoys playing EuroGames like Dominion, 7 Wonders, and Agricola.

You can find Sandy at 

         

 Presented By

ARC REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Strange Bedfellows by Cardeno C.

  Can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

 As the sole offspring of the Democratic United States president and his political operative wife, Trevor Moga was raised in an environment driven by the election cycle. During childhood, he fantasized about living in a made-for-television family, and as an adult, he rejected all things politics and built a highly successful career as far from his parents as possible.

 Newly elected congressman Ford Hollingsworth is Republican royalty. The grandson of a revered governor and son of a respected senator, he was bred to value faith, family, and the goal of seeing a Hollingsworth in the White House.

 When Trevor and Ford meet, sparks fly and a strong friendship is formed. But can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

 

Buy The Book On:

Amazon / iTunes / ARe / Smashwords / Kobo

*** REVIEW ***

Ever since I've become a mm romance fan a lot of mm readers recommended books by Cardeno C., so beside the intriguing synopsis that was one of the main reasons I read this book. If you read her biography, the first sentence says that she "...is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few "awwws" into a reader's day..." Now, after I had finished the book, I couldn't agree more with that description because this book was just like that.

I'm not crazy about politics nor about books with billionaire MCs, but I was intrigued to see how the author planned to make happen a romantic relationship between two opposite political sides- a Democratic and a Republican. Their political views aside, the main couple Trevor and Ford were also total opposites when it comes to their upbringing and personalities. Trevor was raised in a non-conventional family by parents who had an open marriage and who made their life all about politics whereas family always came second while Ford was raised in a Christian family who valued faith, family and hard work above all. 

Therefore Trevor grew up with aversion to all things which had to do with politics, while Ford was expected to follow his father's and grandfather's steps. Their upbringing, politics and personal values will be the main things that will raise the odds against their potential future. When it comes to their personalities- I liked Trevor better because he was a strong, self-confident and independent character. He was his own person who wasn't burdened by other people's opinion of his lifestyle, unlike Ford who was more the insecure and careful one and whose family had a big influence on him even after 37 years. Plus, Trevor was a dirty-talker and you all know that dirty-talkers are my Achilles' heel, lol.

In my opinion the author took more of a fairy-tale-alike approach to solving all the potential "obstacles" which came in the way of Ford's and Trevor's relationship. That was at the same time a positive and slightly negative thing for me. A positive  thing because the book was drama-free and negative also for the same reason because every problem solved shortly and with ease making the story to some degree anticlimatic.

That is why, as one of my friends said- I liked it and plan to read more books by this author, but I didn't love it. I would recommend it to mm readers who want a shorter, romantic, steamy, emotional and drama-free mm read.

RATING: 3/5 stars

EXCERPT

“Doesn’t matter,” he mumbled to himself as he turned on the shower. “The man’s a politician, which means elections count more than family.” And certainly more than a bar pickup, no matter how combustible their chemistry. 

He rubbed his palms over his eyes, sighed, and stepped under the spray. There was no reason for him to dwell on what’d happened. Even if Ford hadn’t recognized him or had chosen to stay the night, Trevor wouldn’t see him again after sunrise. Come morning, Ford would go back to pandering to his voters and hobnobbing with the movers and shakers in the Beltway, while Trevor would bounce between Manhattan, Silicon Valley, and anywhere else the latest technology companies seeking investors were located. After growing up with parents who viewed family as a prop and had lovers on the side, Trevor didn’t believe in relationships, and even if he did, a closeted politician wasn’t relationship material. 

“Hi.” 

The voice was so quiet Trevor barely heard it over the running water. He flipped around, wiped droplets from his eyes, and blinked in surprise when he saw Ford standing outside the glass shower door.

   

Cardeno C. - CC to friends - is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few "awwws" into a reader's day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno's stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.

Cardeno's Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, "You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day."

Connect With The Author On: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Cafe Risqué ~ Shared Blog

Pintrest | Google+ | Youtube

~ Winner's choice of ebook from author's backlist (excluding box sets or anthologies).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

presented by:

ARC REVIEW: Ruin & Rule by Pepper Winters

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks

Author's:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Genre: Erotic MC Romance

Expected publication date: July 7th 2015

Book summary:

"She is a woman divided. Her past, present, and future are as twisted as the lies she's lived for the past eight years. Desperate to get the truth, she must turn to the one man who may also be her greatest enemy . . .

He is the president of Pure Corruption MC. A heartless biker and retribution-deliverer. He accepts no rules, obeys no one, and lives only to reap revenge on those who wronged him. And now he has stolen her, body and soul.

Can a woman plagued by mystery fall in love with the man who refuses to face the truth? And can a man drenched in darkness forgo his quest for vengeance-and finally find redemption?"

MY RATING: 2.5/3 stars

Possible spoilers!

    SHORT?  I gave it a chance. Kept an open mind. It had potential, but in the end, it still disappointed me. Will I read sequel? Probably, because I want to find out what will happen next.

      First of all, I have to warn you that I have complicated relationship with Pepper Winters novels. There is something about her stories that get my attention, and I cannot resist to the temptation to read them. Not to mention all those pretty covers - Ruin & Rule might have the prettiest so far. My issues start somewhere around third chapter when I get annoyed by characters or story arc or writing. Ruin & Rule lasted longer than that. 

      What I liked? Until the chapter fifteen I truly believed that I would love it. Such an intriguing start! Reader finds out things gradually along with main female character, so there are no clear answers. You are confused, trying to figure out who is who, to make difference between enemies and those who could help out. Along with the MC you are figuring out rules of this crazy new world. And then there is Arthur "Kill" Killian. The president of Pure Corruption MC. Anti-hero. (With kick-ass tattoo! That's something I'd like very much to see!). Even writing was captivating. Yes, it gets melodramatic sometimes, but that first half of the story was so good.

      When did things start to go downhill? At chapter fifteen. The loooongest chapter. Where nothing actually happened. And everything was dragged. And all problems are solved with sex. Hot sex. Until they start to talk.

      What I didn't like?

• Flashbacks. I was seriously disturbed with those because how overly sexual and mature characters are considering that they are just kids (she is barely fourteen - but there are parts where she's eight). 
• Memory loss. Great idea, but at times felt a bit forced. 
• Convenient "situations".  Some things got resolved too easily, just when needed. Like she remembering bits about her past. Very specific bits, all of a sudden. 
• Biker gang. What biker gang? Unlike any other book of the genre, do not expect "club business" storyline. There isn't much, everything is about our main female character and Kill. Even when there is mention of what they do, it's just superficial. That is why I had a feeling like the world-building was lacking, there's no actual background story to the described events, and answers we do get in the end, aren't shown, but told. Just dropped in one chapter told from Kill's POV. After the lot of  I-can't-tell-yous. Which brings us to the next thing that bothered me.
• Melodramatic dragging of the story. It was fun to be in the dark at the beginning, but when you read for the hundredth time: "I will tell you everything, but not now. You have to trust me." and then they have sex, or read about her temper tantrums, you just get bored and start skimming. Second half seriously tested my patience. 
• Kill in the second half of the book. From the badass he became pussy-whipped idiot. Over the night. Just no. 

       Who will like Ruin & Rule? Most definitely everyone who liked Pepper Winters previous novels, especially Monsters in the Dark trilogy. Fans of dark, erotic stories.


Happy reading,

*Copy of the book provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

ARC REVIEW: Man On ( Black Jack Gentlemen, #1) By Liz Crowe

Genre:

MM Contemporary Romance/ Sports

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / B & N

Connect With The Author:

Goodreads / Website / Twitter

Synopsis On Goodreads:

Bad boy of European football, Nicolas Garza is about to hit American shores with a vengeance. Signed by the Detroit Black Jack Gentlemen as lynch pin for their expansion club, Nicco only half believes he’s making the right move. But with a past full of ghosts and rotten behavior chasing him from his homeland, he has no real choice.

Parker Rollings is a college soccer superstar, but his parents’ plans for their only son do not include professional athletics. When the Black Jacks approach him to finalize their roster, Parker leaps at the chance to keep playing, leaving behind medical school, stability and his first and only college sweetheart.

Nicco and Parker face off as bitter rivals for a coveted starting spot at midfield and are forced to channel their negative energy into something positive for the sake of the group—and themselves.

All eyes are on the fledgling team in its debut season. It’s crucial that the Black Jacks prove all the doubters wrong. They must make a good showing in the league and with new fans. But player drama, club dynamics, and misplaced priorities may tear it apart before it even begins.

RATING: 2.5/5 stars

*** REVIEW ***

Somehow, when it comes to arcs from Netgalley, I had more luck with mm romance reads than fm so far, but sadly, this book was one of the exceptions.

~ Why it didn't work out for me:

- I had mixed feelings about one of the protagonists- Nicolas Garza. In my opinion he behaved as a arrogant, uptight, spoiled brat/ man-whore / drama queen since the very beginning and even if he did have some redeeming moments later on, I couldn't warm up to him completely. In comparison to him Parker was more likable despite his insecurities. 

- The story was only around 140 pages long, but there was so much unnecessary "high school level" drama that got on my nerves.

- The book is written from three points of views: Nicco's, Parker's and Rafe's, who was their temporary coach. I really didn't understand through the whole story the importance of Rafe's POV. I think it was totally unnecessary and his marriage struggles which had nothing to do with the main couple only added to the drama. 

- Add to that the rushed and abrupt ending which left many questions and situations to our imagination. I thought I was missing pages. Up til' this point I was undecided whether to rate it 2.5 or 3 stars, but the anticlimatic ending with loopholes decided it for me.

There were some good moments in the story too, but for me they eventually became overshadowed by the reasons mentioned above. I'm sure that there will be readers who will enjoy it more than I did. Considering all the great mm romance books I've read so far, this is a 2.5 stars for me.

xoxo,

Purple