Tag: sharingthebooklove

  • Wood & Wonders by Duckie Mack

    🪵NEW RELEASE🪵
    Wood & Wonders
    Heartcraft Market Book 5
    By Duckie Mack

    𝐶𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑎𝑘?

    ❤️ Queer Romance
    ❤️ Forced Proximity
    ❤️ Only One Bed
    ❤️ Age Gap (45/27)
    ❤️ Widow + Popstar

    𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐝 & 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐗 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

    🔗READ TODAY ⬎
    https://mybook. to/woodandwonders

  • Eight Second Magic by WM Kirkland

     

    Title: Eight Second Magic

    Author: WM Kirkland

    Publisher: Changeling Press

    Release Date: March 14, 2025

    Cover Art: Marteeka Karland

    Genres: New Releases, Paranormal, Romance, Wildest West

    Themes: Gay, Magic, Sorcery, and Witchcraft, Multiple Partners /Polyamory, Sports Romance, Vampires, Werewolves & Wolf Shifters

    Series: Cowboy Matchmaker (#1)

    Book Length: Novella

    Page Count: 89

    Add to Goodreads

    Synopsis

    When vampire Beau Hollings falls into rodeo clown Leon Lavoie’s arms as he comes off a bull, he’s more than grateful for the save. Sparks fly when Beau meets the sexy vampire clown after the event for drinks, and a night of passion makes the night complete. But what should have been a one-night stand turns into something more when Leon reveals that they were matched by Cowboy Magic, a dating service for paranormal rodeo performers. Wolf shifter Rhody Tallwood, one of the famous Tallwood brothers of bronc riding fame, put in a request with Cowboy Magic, then forgot — until he’s told to watch the bull riding. Now he’s got to juggle not one, but two vampire mates, as well as his brothers’ displeasure, because the three of them together are magic, and each of them wants their relationship to last a lot longer than eight seconds. TRIGGER WARNING: Rodeo Clown, may be a trigger for those with clown phobia. Adult language and situations. AUTHOR’S NOTE: Each book in the Cowboy Magic series contains stories of queer cowboy/cowgirl/cowthey love across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

    Excerpt

    Eight Second Magic (Cowboy Matchmaker 1) WM Kirkland All rights reserved. Copyright ©2025 WM Kirkland Beau didn’t think he had unreasonable requirements — at least six feet tall, familiar with bull riding and the danger that came with it, understands the life of a traveling cowboy — but as he hit send on the preferences form at Cowboy Matchmaker, he thought he was asking for a trip to the moon or something. Though depending on how good the cowboy was at giving a blow job, it might feel as if he’d gone into orbit. He grinned at his mental joke, then quickly sobered. He hadn’t had so much as a quick hand job in the men’s room for a very long time. He’d been focusing on his career and watching his bank account get fatter. It was nice to skyrocket in the standings. It was even better to know he would have a nest egg for when he was ready to hang up his bullrope. At some point he’d have to leave because even though people knew about vampires, the fact he aged more slowly still creeped most of them out. Guess that would be another requirement — not icky about vampires. He checked his ride time. The rodeo would be starting soon, and he wanted to find a good place to watch before the bull riding closed out the event. Grabbing his travel mug, he drained the last of its contents before heading out. He made it to the arena just as the first event, bareback riding, was starting, and found a spot behind the chutes to watch. He waved at the bull riders passing by to go scope out their rides and see what they were up against. He already knew. He’d drawn Smoke Demon, a big, dark gray bull that few cowboys could stay on for the required eight seconds. He could, though. He knew it, and tonight would be his night to add to his winnings and his legend. The cowboy in the arena spurred in rhythm with the bronc’s big bucks, the two of them as pretty as a postcard. His white hat tumbled off about three jumps in, and his long, dark ponytail fanned out behind him like a horse’s tail. Dirk was good, one of the best, and a good friend. The crowd cheered and hollered as the buzzer sounded, and the pick-up men helped Dirk off the big chestnut paint bronc. When his score hit the board, the arena erupted even louder. Beau drank it in, thinking the crowd would cheer just as loudly for him, too. He watched the rest of the bareback and saddle bronc riding, then as the first roping events started, he went back to the locker room to begin his preparations for tonight’s ride. He wove through the workers behind the chutes, giving some nods of hello to men busy moving stock to and from the pens and those working the chute. He reached the locker room, surprised to find it lightly populated, and went to his trunk where he kept his chaps and bullrope. He sat on the bench, trying to focus on the visualization exercises he did before his ride, but he couldn’t stop thinking about that Cowboy Matchmaker application he’d submitted. After paying and filling out the form, all he had to do was wait and see who he’d be connected with and just how well and how fast they’d hit things off. Word of the service had spread through the cowboys, with most of them calling it magic. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in magic. He was a vampire, and he knew magic existed. It was just, well, cowboys like him didn’t get a happily ever after, and even the mortal, completely non-paranormal cowboys had rough relationships with the stress and danger of the road. A vampire? Who rode bulls? After living for a few hundred years, he loved the adrenaline. He also knew he’d have to move on in a decade or so. He could only claim a great skincare regimen for so long. Beau removed his hat and raked his fingers through his long sandy-brown hair, cut just shaggy enough to give him a rakish look. “Worried about your ride tonight?” a familiar voice asked as he walked into the locker room. Beau replaced his hat and put on a big grin. “I’ve ridden worse. Who’d you draw?” he asked to deflect the conversation from him. Brand Bennings had chased his place at the top of the standings for the past few years, and the younger vampire was always trying to give him a hard time. “Spit Stain.” He rolled his eyes. “He’s so predictable. One hop out of the chute, then spin to the left. Yawn. I’ll have to be perfect to get a good score tonight.” “Stay on your rope. Sometimes he’ll go to the right and dump you in the well.” They might be competitors, but Brand had to ride well for them to be in close contention, which was exactly what the fans wanted. “Right-O.” He gave a two-fingered salute at the tan brim of his cowboy hat, then went to his trunk. Beau returned to his visualizing the ride. He knew Smoke Demon’s moves, had watched countless videos of him after the draw. The trick to staying on was to expect the unexpected, because Smoke Demon didn’t have a single way of going. He could do this. He moved to his stretches, and by the time barrel racing started, he exchanged his cowboy hat for his helmet and was ready to ride. He went behind the chutes with the rest of the riders, giving a nod to Brand as he passed him on the bleachers. Beau would be riding fifth, so when the barrels were removed from the arena and the spotlights dimmed, he was ready and already getting stationed behind the chutes where the first three bulls were being guided into place. Normally he’d ignore the announcer’s hype. He knew the sport was rough and dangerous, that he was epitomizing the essence of the cowboy, especially since he’d been part of the Wild West when it was truly wild. Smoke Demon went into the chute, and it was showtime. Upon reaching the chute, he climbed down, straddling the gate while he adjusted the bullrope. When he was ready and the arena cleared of the last rider, he settled on Smoke Demon’s back. He fastened his bullrope, and though he’d done this a thousand times, he wasn’t sure if it was like strapping himself to a rocket or a fifteen-hundred-pound rattlesnake. One wrong move and it’d hurt like hell at the very least. He was immune to a lot, but a horn through the chest wasn’t one of them. Out of habit, he reached to press down his cowboy hat, his hands encountering his helmet instead, and gave the nod. The gate swung open and Smoke Demon exploded. He jumped from the gate, hitting the ground with his front feet solidly in the dirt and his hind feet up over his ass. A long thread of snot whipped from the bull’s nose to slap across the toe of Beau’s boot with the remainder hitting the ground. Beau ignored it, because just as the hind feet landed, the bull bucked again — another leap and snort and all Beau’s focus remained on his center of gravity locking with the bull’s. One more jump, then the bull settled down to turn to the right, into his hand. He didn’t get cocky, didn’t think he had the ride. Instead, he rode each spin, each jump as it came, and when Smoke Demon whirled out of the spin, reversing like a cat pouncing on its prey, he rode with the bull. He’d never been one to count the seconds. He didn’t even try to view the board, but surely he’d ridden eight seconds by now. He dimly registered the bullfighters staying in position in case he needed help. One, dressed all in black, a mop of curly blond hair poking from beneath his black cowboy hat, gave him a thumbs-upas the bull twisted and spun. More jumps, more bucks — how the hell could so much beef be so athletic? Then the whistle blew. Beau yanked on the bullrope. It didn’t budge. Fuck. He yanked again as the pressure on his hands tightened, his fingers swelling from the loss of circulation. The bullfighter in black was there. “I got you,” he yelled over the crowd’s gasp as they realized what was happening. “Relax your hand.” Relax his hand? He was trying to cling to a pile of angry fucking hamburger. He also knew the bullfighter was right. “I got you. Look into my eyes,” the bullfighter said again, and something about his voice, a bit of compulsion, captivated Beau, mesmerized him, and his hand relaxed. The bull jumped.

    Purchase

    Books2Read | Changeling Press

    Meet the Author

    WM Kirkland loves the smell of the forest after a thunderstorm and listening to the pounding of hooves as the horses come to the fence for attention. A pen name for a prolific author, WM focuses on writing stories of steamy queer love between shifters, magical creatures, cowboys, and the occasional time-traveling gladiator. They’re proud to have been telling tales for the past two decades and hope for many more.

    Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | Website

    Giveaway

    One lucky winner will receive a $10.00 Changeling Press Gift Code! a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js Blog Button 2
  • Specimen by C Quince

    Title: Specimen

    Series: PRISM Agents, Book One

    Author: C. Quince

    Publisher: NineStar Press

    Release Date: 03/11/2025

    Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

    Pairing: Male/Male

    Length: 105100

    Genre: Science Fiction, MM romance, sci-fi, interracial/intercultural, former military, spies, secret agents, aliens, vampires, covert missions, cosy mystery, paranormal, paranormal sleuthing, sci-fi fantasy, action, British humour

    Add to Goodreads

    Description

    David Cortez, a decorated US Marine, is now on the run from his own government after escaping a top-secret CIA lab when an experimental medical procedure turned sour. While lying low in Mexico, an assassin sent from British Intelligence tracks him down. However, Sonny from MI6, a British-Iranian with a cockney accent, offers David a choice: join his team, or be killed. David chooses to work with Sonny, not only because he wants his life back, but because he feels a kinship with the man. They’re also both in the unique position of being the only living test subjects with alien DNA in their blood. Could that explain the strong attraction between them?

    Excerpt

    Specimen C. Quince © 2025 All Rights Reserved Tijuana, Mexico David was being followed. He couldn’t see who the tail was; every time David paused to do a little window shopping on the street and check his six in the window’s reflection, the tail managed to hide. Whoever they were, they were good at slipping by undetected. David wasn’t sure who it was. Agency, probably, or another US-based shadowy government division. He should’ve picked Venezuela to lie low, but Mexico was his home, his heritage. He had lingered here longer than he should; he knew that, but he’d been so careful, using different names and cash only. He’d grown a beard to blend in and kept moving from place to place, never settling. David had been looking over his shoulder for six months. Now it seemed the bastards had finally caught up to him. The sun was low in the sky, turning the clouds pink and orange. Vendors in the busy street were out in full force, providing good cover. David calmly made his way down the street, not letting on that he knew he was being followed—but if his tail was worth their salt, they’d know that he knew. If his tail was a US Government agency like David suspected they were, they wanted one of two things: One, they wanted to keep tabs on him. Two, they wanted to bring him in. The latter would involve kidnap in some form or other; then they’d transport him to a black site—a soundproofed lab where nobody would hear him scream. David should know. He’d been through that scenario once, and once was enough. If they thought he would come in quietly after what they’d done to him, they had another thing coming. In the early evening hubbub of Tijuana, David led his tail down side streets and off the beaten path. He knew this town like the back of his hand, and it gave him the advantage. On an ill-lit street, popular with gang members from the local cartel, a neon bar sign flickered on and off over an open doorway. David ducked in there. Immediately inside the door was a set of steps descending into darkness. David hurried down. At the bottom of the stairs, another open doorway awaited him. David knew the bar; it was small, gloomy, lit only by neon, and it was popular with drug dealers. Today it was busy enough, with music playing loud, and David was able to slip in without attracting attention. He planned to lie in wait and watch who came through the door after him, so he situated himself at the far end of the bar, facing the entrance. He ordered a light beer. The bartender opened a bottle and stuck a wedge of lime in the top before handing it over. David took the beer but didn’t drink yet. His eyes were trained on the doorway. Nobody had followed him in, which meant they were hanging back. If the shoe had been on the other foot and David was the one doing the tailing, he wouldn’t have run straight into the unknown either. That meant this tail wasn’t a local, much as he’d suspected. David leaned on the bar more casually and poked the lime wedge down into the bottle so he could take a sip of beer. He happened to catch his own reflection in the mirror behind the bar. Illuminated by red neon light, David’s tan skin looked darker than it usually did. He’d grown his hair out to ear length, the colour a mid-brown shade kissed by the sun. His full beard was a darker shade of brown. He looked like a local. It was ironic; he’d spent his youth in California trying to look less Mexican, trying to fit in with the White kids in his grade. He’d lightened his hair with frosted tips for a while there—hair in the early ’00s…not great. David was half Mexican on his father’s side. His mother was Caucasian American from San Diego. Now David had fled the US, he wanted to look more Mexican. He had felt shielded by his disguise so far, but maybe it was time for a new disguise. A new location. Still no one had come through the door. That was nearly five minutes, a lifetime in surveillance work. David was about to cut and run, when a figure appeared at the entrance. For a moment David tensed, but he soon saw that this figure was tiny. A short Mexican woman, and likely not his tail. She was the first of a group of local youths entering the bar. Two women, three men. David relaxed some. These were Mexican kids. He could tell by looking at them; their dark hair, their complexions, and their clothes. The shoes gave it away: slides and sandals weren’t exactly standard surveillance footwear. These were civilians. As the lively group came further into the bar to order their drinks, David noticed that one pair of feet among them had on black boots. Bingo. That was his tail, the man at the back of the group. Likely he had waited for a group to enter the bar and tacked himself on. Clever.

    Purchase

    NineStar Press | Books2Read

    Meet the Author

    Quince is a MENA-British author who lives in England, enjoys sci-fi and fantasy, history, and Halloween.

    Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bluesky

    Giveaway

    One lucky winner will receive a $50.00 NineStar Press Gift Code! a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js Blog Button 2
  • Renegade Audiobook by Patricia Logan

    Audio Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:
    Renegade By Patricia Logan

    Trackers, Book 2

    Though Raven Mathis and Miguel Huerta have recently opened their new recovery business, mimicking things they used to do on their own, things haven’t been going so well. They’re getting accustomed to working as partners, but business is slow. Some things have gone right. They’ve settled down in Nana’s house and are deeply in love. When they get a call asking if they can help recover a valuable pigeon’s blood ruby, they jump at the chance, even though they’re told they should probably carry guns.

    When the man Miguel left for dead in the desert long ago unexpectedly shows up at their first meeting with their new client, the request that they come armed, suddenly becomes a harsh reality. Miguel is in total disbelief, suddenly faced with a ghost who might be out for blood, and when a dark stranger suddenly shows up with more threats, things start spiraling out of control. Miguel hates the fact that Raven is in terrible danger, but he can’t understand how his former lover is involved.

    Figuring out how to navigate Miguel’s past may prove harder to overcome than they realize but they’re sustained by their love for each other. The rush to figure out why operatives are targeting them becomes a necessity, and though Miguel hates it, he realizes he may just have to rely on a few new colleagues to help.

    He knows one thing though…killing the man he’d once been in love with, might be the only way to save Raven.

    Book Links


    Excerpt:

    I ran down the stairs and stopped to take a deep breath before pushing through the door into the bright sunlight. It was nearly three, having spent hours discussing everything we’d talked about. I pulled out my phone when I got to my truck. I was glad for the shade I’d parked in. It was February, but it was a warm day, and my air conditioning wasn’t that great in the old truck. As I looked down at the phone, keys in hand, I suddenly felt all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

    A second before I could react to pull my gun, I was body slammed front first into the driver’s side door. My keys dropped to the pavement. Steely arms closed around my midsection, but I reacted without thinking, slamming my head back as my training kicked in. I heard a sickening crunch as the back of my head caught my attacker in the face. The pain in my skull was jarring and I shook my head as I heard the curse.

    “Trigg! Motherfucker! Stop!”

    I stilled instantly, hearing the voice I hadn’t heard in eleven years. I pushed back, feeling the person separate from my body, and turned. Standing a few feet away from me, looking stunned in a tattered ballcap, blood dripping from his broken nose, stood John Sutter, watery green eyes streaming, as he tried to stem the blood sliding down his face.

    “God damn you, Trigg,” he gasped. “That fuckin’ hurt.”

    Enter the Giveaway:

    a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

    Catch up on Book 1: Nightcrawler

    Trackers, Book 1

    I’ve always been a sucker for a guy with muscles and a handsome face. If that makes me sound shallow, maybe I am. I’ve never had a real relationship, unless you consider the guys in my Marine Corps Recon unit. I had a great relationship with those guys. Yeah, yeah, I know we’re splitting hairs. These days, long after my retirement from active duty, the only kind of relationships I really do now are with fictional characters.
    I love to read, and in fact lately, I’ve been frequenting the pages of my favorite blog, Bestreads, to escape my real-life job, one I’m not very well suited for. One reviewer on there—Nightcrawler—absolutely slays me. He always makes me laugh, steering me clear of some of the worst trash out there when I’m not trying to earn money as a bounty hunter. Maybe someday the right man will come along, and he won’t simply be a book boyfriend.
    Someday.
    Lately, I can’t get intrigued by any of the guys I’ve met in bars. Hookups are becoming less and less interesting for me. I’m a reader and of late, I’m also a half decent reviewer. I work exclusively for a blog called Bestreads, working under the name of Nightcrawler and I’m not ashamed to admit, I try to make them funny. In my line of work as a recovery agent for a big insurance company, I’m finding my off hours much more pleasurable.
    I think about my next review and my next blog post all the time. Whenever I put up a funny two-star review, I dream of the guy who might be at home reading it, but pretty sure the kind of man who reads me, is probably living in his mother’s basement. Still, I’m a romantic at heart. Someday I might just run into him in one of my stories.
    Someday.

    Book Links



    About the Author

    International bestselling author Patricia Logan, resides in Los Angeles, California. The author of over 75 books and nearly 65 audios including several #1 bestselling gay romances, lives in a small house with a large family. She loves to write about male heroes and the men who love them. Found families are a particular theme throughout her books. She likes to think that she infuses a wide variety of life’s experiences in every book and please trust her when she says all her books come packed with emotion and unbridled humor.

    When she’s not writing her next law enforcement mystery, her next paranormal, or her next BDSM romance, she’s watching her grandchildren grow up way too soon and raising kids who make her proud every day. One of her favorite tasks is coaxing nose kisses from cats who insist on flopping on her keyboard while she types. Married to a wonderful man for nearly 40 years, she counts herself lucky to be surrounded by people who love her and give her stories to tell every day.

    Pick up your favorite Patricia Logan Book from Amazon

    Check out her Audio titles at Audible.com

    Email her at patricialogan.author@yahoo.com. She loves to hear from readers more than anything and will respond to all emails.

  • Alfie – Part 2 – Cara Dee

    Alfie: Part 2 by Cara Dee

    Genre: MM Mafia Romance
    Series: Standalone duet from The Irish of Philly Universe
    Release Day: Friday, February 21st, 2025

    I woke up broken, and I went to bed broken. I’d made a decision that made it impossible for us to get another chance, and yet that was all I wanted.

    Find the duet on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited: https://readerlinks.com/l/4600591
    Add to your TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222374601-alfie

    MM Romance | Part 2 of 2 | Second Chances | Irish Mafia | Family | Hurt/Comfort | Age Gap | Revenge
    When two broken hearts have reached their limits, it’s time for a mobster to play dirty in order to let the healing begin. Don’t worry, Alfie has a plan.

     

    That very second, the moment West said those words…I almost shattered. Again. I’d put myself out there. I’d begged him for a second chance. I’d told him I’d give up everything for him and our kids—but he’d shot me down. And now, when I let him know that I was changing my last name back to O’Dwyer, he had the balls to say his name suited me better. He stood there in front of me, trying to act like his eyes weren’t burning with unshed tears, and admitted that he didn’t know how to let me go.

    Not long after, I nearly broke into a million pieces again, when Dad called and said that Mom was in the hospital. That she’d been assaulted.

    No words could describe the rage that flooded me, and I couldn’t hide it from West either.

    He was about to find out just how far the Sons of Munster would go to avenge their own.

     

    —————-

     

    Alfie belongs in the Irish of Philly universe by Cara Dee. However, Alfie and West’s story has been written so it can be enjoyed to its full extent as a stand-alone.




    Excerpt

    West Scott

    We automatically snuck around the corner of the house, where we’d have more privacy. If Trip came out, we’d hear him and have time to hide the evidence.

    It wasn’t our first rodeo.

    “Colby mentioned you look like shit lately.”

    I frowned. “Pardon?”

    “Not in those words. He said you’re tired.”

    Well, thanks a lot.

    I swallowed uncomfortably and pretended to find the hedges interesting. They needed trimming soon.

    “Are you okay?” he asked.

    Fuck, not that question.

    No, I wasn’t fucking okay, and it wasn’t okay that he looked to be okay.

    The pressure on my chest increased, and I took a quick pull from the smoke.

    “It’s been a lot at work before my vacation,” I said. That wasn’t too much of a lie.

    “Oh, right. You’re off for five weeks now.” He exhaled some smoke. “Any plans?”

    I shook my head and peered down at his wrist. I wanted to give him the watch.

    Would he find me utterly insane? I had no real reason, aside from missing him. Missing the days we sometimes surprised each other with little gifts, missing the days he casually adjusted my tie for me, missing the days of closeness and intimacy.

    I just plain missed him.

    “Would, uh…” I cleared my throat. “Would you accept a gift from me?”

    “Huh?” He looked over at me.

    “Or is it too weird?” I wasn’t sure. “I saw something after a meeting in the city last week, and I—” I stopped short, my heart rate picking up, and I handed him my smoke. “I’ll be right back.”

    I rounded the corner again and walked briskly toward the guest room’s terrace door. I’d left the box on the bed—

    “Yeah, it’s kinda weird!” I heard Alfie holler.

    Right, but it was too late now. I was committed. I needed his reaction to it, because a gift like that would evoke his unfiltered honesty. That was what I was after. My initial sentiment about the gift was genuine. I’d simply wanted him to have it. But now, I…I couldn’t cope without something changing the status quo, and I was too chickenshit to do it myself.

    I’d brought this misery upon myself. I’d left his house. I’d set boundaries. Respectable boundaries, in my opinion. Boundaries my mind was set to keep, whereas my heart wanted to flush them down the toilet.

    I grabbed the box on the bed and walked out again.

    I was an idiot. More than that, I was selfish and disrespectful and downright heartless, because this would undoubtedly trigger anger too. Rightfully so. He’d view it as my toying with his emotions.

    Deep down, what I really wanted was for him to save me from myself.

    Alfie waited for me around the corner, and he extended the smoke to me.

    “Here,” I said. “I saw it in a store, wanted you to have it, ordered it, and…so, here.”

    He had suspicion and weariness written all over him as he accepted the box. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what it was. I hadn’t gift-wrapped it, so the brand was embossed on the surface, and—

    “Vacheron…” He trailed off and shifted where he stood. “Are you fucking kidding me, West?” There was no heat to his question, only exhaustion.

    I took a quick drag from the smoke, unable to speak.

    “You don’t just see this kind of watch in a store,” he told me, lifting the lid. “You find it online and order it, usually for a CEO in the private sector who’s retiring after fifty years of making everyone rich.”

    He trapped his smoke between his lips and picked up the leather pouch the watch came in, and he detached the strap.

    “I did see it in a store,” I said. “In a catalogue picture they had on display.”

    He rolled his eyes but said nothing.

    I stubbed out my smoke and stashed it in the tailpiece of the drainpipe for later.

    My nerves were officially shot, and if I spoke, emotional nonsense would fly out. I wasn’t much of a crier, but I’d reached my fucking limit for what I could handle. My stomach felt tight and unsettled, I couldn’t escape the pressure on my chest, and my eyes burned.

    Alfie swallowed as he saw the watch, and without thinking, he dropped the smoke and put it out under his shoe.

    Say something.

    “No, you know what?” he said without looking away from the watch. “This is the kind of gift a wife gives a random cabana boy to piss off her cheating husband.”

    His comment did something to the air around us, deflating it somehow, and it sucked the words out of me before I could think twice.

    “That’s specific. But a cabana boy wouldn’t care about something so classy.”

    “It’s probably the cheating husband’s favorite brand.” Alfie didn’t miss a beat, and he glanced up at me. “Who’re you tryna piss off, West?”

    Wait, what?

    “Nobody.” I frowned.

    “Try again.” He pinned me with an intense stare I wasn’t sure I’d ever received before. “You don’t give someone a sixty-grand watch for nothin’. Are you fucking with me? I can think of one gift you’d give your ex-husband, and it’s a Father’s Day present from the kids.”

    The fact that he was in the right ballpark of what that watch cost put me on edge for some reason. I hadn’t expected him to expose me to that degree, and it threw me off.

    “Happy early Father’s Day, then,” I replied stiffly.

    “Quite the fuckin’ upgrade from the perfectly acceptable mug you had them give me in June,” he snapped. “I guess I’ll tell them to choose something other than a tie for you next year? Maybe a yacht would be more appropriate? You have a birthday comin’ up too. You want a house in the Hamptons?”

    I gnashed my teeth. “If it bothers you so much, I’ll return it—”

    “Fuck no! You gave it to me—it’s mine.” As he spoke, irritated and ever so unpredictable, he removed his old watch. “It’s mine. Put it on me. Fuck me, it’s breathtaking—but you’re off your damn rocker, West. Tell me why you gave me this.”

    Roll with the punches, roll with the punches, roll with the punches.

    “I wanted you to have it.” I got to touch him again, even if it was only his wrist.

    “Bullshit. We’ve been over this. Is this platinum?”

    I had to take a calming breath and slow things down. When Alfie grew heated and started thinking out loud, it was too easy to get swept away by his ranty monologue.

    “It is. And I did want you to have it,” I insisted. “But yes, I anticipated a signature Alfie Scott reaction to go with it.” I pretended to struggle with the double clasp of the watch, just so I could brush my fingertips over the ink around his wrists.

    Since the first time I’d seen his inked body, I’d discovered numerous designs I wanted to ask him about. I’d spotted our children’s birthdates, of course. Ireland, Puerto Rico, and Italy were heavily represented in the artwork. But so was I, which meant he’d chosen to eternalize memories from our years together even when he’d been trying to recover from our divorce.

    I remembered the restaurant I’d taken him to for our first date, and it couldn’t be a coincidence he had the street sign for that address inked right there on his arm.

    “O’Dwyer,” he said quietly.

    No.

    I swallowed hard. That was a gut punch. Nausea crawled up my throat.

    “You changed it back?” I finished fastening the watch and had to withdraw my hands.

    He studied his watch and brushed his thumb over the crown. “Not yet, but it’s on my list for next week.”

    Fuck.

    “Scott suits you better.” I had absolutely no right to say that.

    He chuckled and peered up at me with the biggest fuck-you smile I’d ever seen.

    “If it wasn’t for this watch, this is where I woulda told you to go fuck yourself,” he said. “Don’t do this to me, West. Just don’t. It’s cruel.”

    I knew it was, and I felt like the biggest piece of shit on earth.

    I was desperate, though. I woke up broken, and I went to bed broken. I’d made a decision that made it impossible for us to get another chance, and yet that was all I wanted.

    I had to clear my throat as more emotions threatened to surface, and I didn’t know how to be honest with him without losing my composure.

    Fuck composure.

    “I…I don’t know how to let you go,” I managed to get out. He immediately clenched his jaw and looked away. “I can’t even fake it anymore, Alfie. I can’t sleep, I have little to no appetite, and I—”

    About Cara

    I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. 

    There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. 

    Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

    I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

    Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

    I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write. 

    Find Cara on social media here:https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

  • Solan by Becca Seymour – Cover Reveal

    Fated Mates Different Worlds… Literally Aussie Cowboy x Fire Monster Rescue Romance “Mine” Vibes Arnie Fixation
    A
    uthor: Becca Seymour
    Book: Solan
    Release Date: March 13, 2025
    Series: Monsters & Mates #1
    Genre: MM Monster Romance
    Cover Designer: Booksmith Design

     
    Getting a boner for the monster who saved us shouldn’t make sense in any universe. But here we are.

    When a piece of Earth gets ripped into a monstrous new world, I barely have time to panic before I’m fighting for my life—and for Jamie’s. Terrafeara isn’t just dangerous; it’s a nightmare brought to life, where humans like us are hunted, enslaved, or worse.

    Then there’s Solan. A beast of a warrior with horns I want to ride, fangs I want to lick, and a body built for war—and for wrecking me. He swears he’ll protect me, but his idea of protection comes with possessive touches, growled promises, and a claim I’m not sure I can resist.

    But I don’t have time for this. I have a kid to keep safe. And with monsters, mercenaries, and power-hungry rulers after us, staying alive is hard enough. The only way to survive is to trust Solan, trust the rebels, and trust this connection between us that’s stronger than fear.

    Because in a world designed to break us, maybe love is the sharpest weapon of all.
     
  • The Last Guy on Earth – Sarina Bowen

    The Last Guy On Earth (Hockey Guys, #3)The Last Guy On Earth by Sarina Bowen
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    This is a a grumpy / grumpy .. coach / player …second chance romance read.

    Jethro and Clay’s story is one of young love, mistakes, healing, family and sports

    it’s well written with all the feels about loving someone at the wrong time and wrong place but getting a chance to work it out !

    View all my reviews
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  • The Fly-Half by Charlie Novak

    THE FLY-HALF

    Charlie Novak

    Release Date: February 13 

    Meet Charlie Novak:

    Charlie lives in England with her husband and two cheeky dogs. She spends most of her days wrangling other people’s words in her day job and then trying to force her own onto the page in the evening.

    She loves cute stories with a healthy dollop of fluff, plenty of delicious sex, and happily ever afters — because the world needs more of them. 

    Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with baking, Dungeons and Dragons, reading and many other nerdy pursuits. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…

    Connect with Charlie Novak:

    https://charlienovak.com/

    Blurb:

    Wanted: A Way To Control My Jealousy So I Don’t Get Sin-Binned

    When my best friend goes on a date with a mutual acquaintance, I’m supposed to be happy for him, not so angry I want to start screaming. 

    Devon and I have been close ever since we were children, but I’ve never been possessive of him. Until now. 

    Seeing him with another man makes me want him in ways I’d never imagined wanting anyone before, and now all I can think about is having him in my arms. My jealousy is starting to get the better of me, both on and off the rugby pitch, and I can’t stop losing control. And Devon has noticed. 

    Maybe it’s time I come clean and tell him just how much I want him. 

    And hope he wants me too. 

    Buy Link:

    http://mybook.to/theflyhalf

    Available in KU

  • Royal Scoundrel by Saxon James

    Royal Scoundrel Book Cover

    ROYAL SCOUNDREL

    Frat Wars – Book Four

    by Saxon James

    Release Blitz

    Release Date: February 12, 2025

    Cover Design: Story Styling Cover Designs

    Genre: M/M College Romance Standalone Novella
    Trope: Opposites attract, you’re mine


    Synopsis

    DASH

    Archibald Levine the third is a pain in my ass. Rich, cocky and the closest thing to a prince that our school has.

    I hate everything about his entitled attitude and the stupid Kappa crown he wears.

    I also hate the gigantic crush I have on the guy.

    One night, backed up by the courage of tequila, my mouth gets away from me and I offer him the one thing he can’t stop thinking about.

    Me.

    On my knees.

    Because Archibald Levine also has a secret, and one kiss between us seals his fate.

    The fling between us can never go anywhere, not with his powerful and homophobic father, but we don’t let it stop us from indulging at every opportunity that we get.

    I also don’t let it stop me from falling stupidly in love with the guy.

    He’s always made it clear he can never come out and I know we’re destined for destruction.

    After all, happily ever after doesn’t exist between a prince and a scoundrel.


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    Purchase Link

    Amazon Universal ~ https://geni.us/RoyalScoundrelPL


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    $25 Amazon Gift Card

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    Other Titles Within this Series

    King of Thieves Book Cover

    FRAT WARS: KING OF THIEVES

    Frat Wars – Book One 

    PURCHASE

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    FRAT WARS: MASTER OF MAYHEM

    Frat Wars – Book Two

    PURCHASE

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    FRAT WARS: PRESIDENTIAL CHAOS

    Frat Wars – Book Three

    PURCHASE


    About the Author

    Saxon James unapologetically writes happy endings for LGBT+ characters.

    While not writing, SM is a readaholic and Netflix addict who regularly lives on a sustainable diet of chocolate and coffee.

    Member of SCBWI.


    Connect with Saxon

    Website: https://saxonjamesauthor.com/

    Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/3BNVADV

    Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2QSVCmS

    Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/36slT1W

    Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2SYfPKU

    Twitter: https://bit.ly/3IabmeL

    Instagram: https://bit.ly/33m1XPb

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    Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2ZXjp9C

    Bookbub Author Page: https://bit.ly/3fKt5MC


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