Thursday, July 23, 2015

Three's Company by NR Walker

Summary:
When looking for someone to help heal his broken heart, Wilson Curtis never dreamed he'd find two someones.

Love isn't always conventional.

After being publicly outted and his restaurant business in tatters, instead of vacationing with his lover, Wilson Curtis goes to Key West alone. He meets Simon and Adam and is soon invited into their bed for some holiday fun.

But once isn't enough, and the offer is extended for the remainder of his stay. As they get to know each other, in and out of the bedroom, sparks fly and ten days is all it takes to change their lives.

When it comes time for Wil to leave, with outside tensions closing in and time running out, tempers flare and emotions fray. Beneath the misunderstandings and lack of communication, is the realization these three men aren't ready to say goodbye.


Holy Cow!!! Awesome read, tons of hot sexy time, lots of love, loads of wit, and heartfelt revelations. This book has it all. When I first started reading it, I could see how it would end and I expected just flirty fun summer fling to get us there. It gives us so much more. I don't do spoilers, as most of you know, but let me just say this: if you're looking for some light but naughty summer reading or a real heart tugging romance, you'll want to check this out because it fits both qualifications. It is a M/M/M story which isn't for everyone but I think that part is pretty self-explanatory from the summary. I don't usually do a heat level here but let's just say if you're reading it on an e-reader or your laptop, you'll want to make sure your insurance is up to date because it will fry your device and if you are reading a paperback copy then you better have a bucket of water handy to squelch the flames.  This was recommended to me by friends whose opinions I truly respect and once again they delivered. Now I am recommending it to you.

RATING: 


The foyer of the hotel was beautiful. The furniture matched the dark hardwood floors and beams, white walls and the cathedral ceiling. It reminded me of pictures I’d seen in brochures for Tahiti, not really what I’d expected from a hotel in Key West.

Not that I’d really known what to expect. I’d never left Alabama before. My first vacation out of state was supposed to have been for two—a romantic two weeks, secluded, private and intimate. With a resigned sigh, I dropped my bags at the reception desk.

The man who looked up at me was tall with short, black, spiky hair, sky-blue eyes and a beautiful, full-lipped but professional smile. His name tag declared him to be Simon.

“Hello, I’m Wilson Curtis,” I told him. “I have a reservation.”

“Ah, yes,” he said, typing on his keyboard. “Curtis and Mackey. We’ve been expecting you.”

I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “Actually, it’s just Curtis. The Mackey half isn’t coming.”

I tried to look like it didn’t bother me, like it was my choice to be here solo, but my faltering smile must have given me away. Simon stared at me for a long, uncomfortable second before seeming to remember his professional position. He handed me a key and said, “I’ll show you to your room.”

I’d chosen the smaller, more personal hotel for the privacy. There were only twelve rooms in all—that would have ensured we’d be left alone and not be under the prying eyes of too many others. Not that it mattered…not anymore. It was a gay-friendly hotel too, where we could have just been ourselves, without judgment, without fear.

Not that that mattered anymore either.

After walking out from behind the desk, Simon collected the bag from the floor near my feet. There was a smile in his eyes as he led me out through the foyer into a courtyard by the pool. “You’re in room seven,” he said, leading the way. There were small bungalow-style rooms off the pool, but the entire area opened out onto the sand and the Gulf of Mexico.

Simon smiled at my distraction at the view. “Restaurant is open noon ‘til two for lunch, from six ‘til ten for dinner. The bar is open from lunch ‘til late.” He waved his hand toward the poolside bar with a thatched roof.

He unlocked the door to my room, walked in and put my bag on the bed. The room was decked out in white, with dark floors, and the only color was the lime-green painting above the bed—the huge, king-sized bed.

It was beautiful.

Simon cleared his throat to get my attention. His dark hair, pale skin and blue eyes made for an interesting combination. There was absolutely no doubt he was a good-looking guy. “Not all our guests come here with a partner,” he said, somewhat diplomatically. “So please feel free to take a look around, and this afternoon, if you find yourself at the bar, you might find others who are…looking for company.”

I blinked at his blatant assumption. “Uh…”

“Enjoy your stay,” Simon added professionally. “And if you need anything, be sure to let me know. If I’m not here, any of the staff will help.” And with another smile, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

I sat on the bed and took a deep breath. This wasn’t what it was supposed to be like. It wasn’t the vacation I’d planned, but when Rod had told me he wouldn’t be coming with me, I’d had two choices. I could either stay in Dalton, Alabama, and face an entire town full of people who had their homophobic pitchforks at the ready, or I could come to Key West and take the vacation by myself.

So that was just what I’d done.

Leaving my business in the trusted hands of my best friend Callie, I’d packed my bag, boarded a plane in Birmingham and sat next to an empty seat the entire way to Key West, Florida, for a two-week vacation.

By myself.

I had no intention of spending the two weeks wallowing in self-pity. What was the point? Rod had made himself clear. We were through. And the more I thought about it, the more I wondered whether there had ever been an us at all.

So I unpacked my things and set off to have a look around.

The hotel opened directly onto the beach, so it seemed the logical place to start. I kicked off my shoes, hit the sand in bare feet and walked.

It was cathartic. The ocean, even without waves, still had an ebb and flow, a rhythm to it—it was cleansing. The blue sky looked better over the blue of the Gulf. I don’t know why, but life looked better when viewed over the blue of the ocean.

It looked…simpler.

After I’d walked for long enough, feeling the hot sand and cool water on my feet, I found myself, just as Simon had suggested, sitting at the bar.

I waited until the bartender had finished serving the two guys before me. Nothing here seemed urgent. The bartender had a mop of unruly blond hair, a square jaw, sun-kissed skin, blue-green eyes and a contagious smile.

“Adam,” he introduced himself.

I smiled back at him and returned the courtesy. “Wilson Curtis.”

“What can I get you, Wil?”

Wil. There was only one other person who called me that. “Just a soda, thanks.”

He raised an eyebrow—I think my non-alcoholic drink choice threw him—but he served me with a smile. He joked that he didn’t think boys with a Southern accent like mine drank just soda. I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed. I soon learned Adam always smiled. He had an honest face. His smile made me smile.

He was quick to greet other guys, serving them cocktails and easy conversation, but always came back to me. Whether he was taking pity on me because I was there alone, or he was just excellent at his job, I didn’t know.

Over the next two days, I took in the sights of Key West during the day, went for walks along the beach in the afternoon and sat at the bar and talked to Adam at night. Simon joined us when he finished his shift each night and slid straight into the conversation. We discussed all sorts of things, from current affairs to movies, music and sports, but the conversations between us were fun and flirty.

The first time Simon walked behind the bar and kissed Adam, I almost died of heart failure. They were boyfriends, apparently. Adam chuckled at my reaction. I’d never seen guys kiss in front of me before and I’d almost choked on my drink.

Simon was more standoffish than Adam, but he wasn’t snobby. He was just quieter than the always-smiling, make-me-laugh Adam. They were an interesting couple, not that I was any kind of expert on gay couples, but it was easy to tell they adored each other. There was always a quick kiss, a touch on the arm, a smile. It was something I’d never experienced, and I envied them that. It really was beautiful to watch.

Author Bio:
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance.
She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.

She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don't let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She's been writing ever since...


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EMAIL: nrwalker2103@gmail.com



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Stolen Hearts by Andrea R Cooper

Title: Stolen Hearts
Author: Andrea R Cooper
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: February 12, 2015
Summary:
Crystal has spent her entire life training to be a thief in order to find evidence against the man who had her parents murdered. In her pursuit of justice she's had to give up her identity, her name, and any chance at love. When Crystal is forced on a blind date with the cop who is investigating her, she plays a dangerous game of hearts that could land her in a prison cell.

Kade is in search of a new life, after losing his partner. He's taken a new job, in a new city, and met a new girl. In order to keep his fresh start, he will have to catch an elusive thief targeting one of the largest corporations in the country. Desperate to forget the failures of his past, Kade has no intention of failing.

But secrets can’t be hidden forever.


Crystal shimmied down the drainpipe with her trophies tucked inside her backpack and computer files loaded onto her USB, hung around her neck disguised as a locket. This was too easy. Not like the Warren job where the COO kept changing the menu and supervised their catering to ensure they had followed the strict rules of kashrut.

She landed on the concrete with a thump, then removed her mask. Usually she worked at night when the catering gig didn’t provide the necessary cover, but she had a date this evening.

A blind date.

Her sister’s fiancée had called earlier that day to let them know his cousin from Texas would join them for dinner and would Crystal come along? As far as Crystal was concerned, it was the closest thing she’d come to as a real date in a long time. She’d take it.

Thankfully, her catering appointment with Westridge canceled yesterday. While she enjoyed cooking, it was only a cover for her and her sister’s illegal activities. What she excelled at was computers, but having a career in that field, now, would be too suspicious. Her IT skills far exceeded a Level One Help Desk worker. She despised working for Westridge, the man who had her mother killed and her dad thrown into jail, but catering was the easiest way into her target’s homes without suspicion. And she refused to pose as a cleaning lady and scrub their filth.

Years ago, Dad found what he thought was a series of accounting errors. For his honesty trying to help Westridge correct the problem, he was thrown in jail to rot. Westridge and his company framed her dad for embezzlement and sharing confidential information with preferred suppliers to obtain favors. Now she and her sister were halfway toward exonerating him and exposing Westridge and his corporate crimes. To see the look on Joshua Westridge’s face when he was convicted would make all her and her sister’s sacrifices worth it.

Thunder boomed as she weaved through alleys, stinking of rotting food and urine. She barely made it to her car before thunder rumbled.

Crystal checked the time on the dashboard, almost seven. No time to waste. Paul and his cousin, Kade, were picking up her and her sister at seven-thirty. Her car hummed to life as she stashed her backpack behind her seat. The stolen cash, including a recently purchased blood diamond necklace, lay inside. Hopefully the money and necklace would throw off Westridge’s Sales Manager to the fact that computer information had been the real prize. And hopefully, they wouldn’t discover the truth until it was too late. For now, another piece of the puzzle to exonerate their dad and lock Westridge away lay on her chest inside her locket.

She whipped into traffic and hit the wipers as fat drops of rain slapped against the windshield. Great. Ahead, a red light flickered as taxis and cars lined up behind it. She debated taking Ninth, but decided against it. Construction was still ongoing and traffic would be worse than this.

Maybe squeezing in a job before dinner wasn’t such a great idea.





Author Bio:
Andrea has always created characters and stories. But it wasn't until she was in her late twenties that she started writing novels.

What happened that ignited the writing flame in her fingers? Divorced, and disillusioned by love songs and stories. They exaggerate. She thought. Love and Romance are not like that in the real world. Then she met her husband and realized, yes love and romance are exactly like the songs and stories say. She is now a happy wife, and a mom to three kids (two boys and a girl).

Andrea writes paranormal and historical romance. When not writing or reading, one may find Andrea dancing in Zumba.

She believes in the power of change and counting each moment as a blessing. But most importantly, she believes in love.


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Stolen Hearts

Son of Dragons

The Garnet Dagger

Cursed

Viking Flame

The Barter

Viking Fire


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The Edge of Springwood by Jennifer Brown

Series: Edge of Springwood
Author: Jennifer Brown
Genre: Mystery

Twisted Revenge #1
Summary:
The Barnes family has seen tragedy, but nothing can prepare them for what they are about to face.

Tragedy forced Jacob Barnes to step in at the age of 22, and raise his younger brother and sister. Years later, as the Barnes family is finally on the verge of recovery the past comes back to haunt them.

It's election time in Springwood, and Jacob is a candidate for Mayor. Having proved himself as a successful business man, Jacob feels he is ready to take on Springwood and tackle the city's many issues. Little does he know the extent of the issues he is about to face.

When it becomes apparent someone is out to sabotage Jacob's campaign, Jacob begins to realize the past is far from behind him and his family. Two murders reveal dark secrets in the Barnes family, as they come to terms with a harsh reality.

Burned by Deceit #2
Summary:
Christmas has arrived in Springwood...and so has a killer, bent on revenge.

The Barnes family is still reeling from recent events, as they try to spend a normal holiday together, but fate has different plans for them.

As the holiday season kicks off, Mayor Jacob Barnes is in the middle of planning the annual Christmas Festival, while his brother Justin, and sister Jocelyn prepare to spend the holiday with their love interests—until one of them is found dead. 

As Jocelyn's trial looms closer she struggles with haunting memories of a questionable past, and worries of an uncertain future. Matters get more complicated when a mysterious stranger enters the scene with a special interest in Jocelyn.

As New Year’s Eve arrives, everyone prepares to ring in the new year, no one having any clue exactly what it may bring, except for one person who has a plan to make sure those who crossed him get burned.

Dark Connections #3
Summary:
Everyone has secrets...some are just darker than others.

Dr. Brent Parker is well known for his success rate with patients, and once he gets wind of Jocelyn Barnes's story he extends an invitation to her to appear on his reality show, Dr. Brent. As the Barnes prepare for their lives to be even more publicized with the arrival of the Dr. Brentcrew, jury selection begins in Jocelyn's trial.

When a dead body found in Mercy Park draws a visit from the Barnes' long estranged Aunt Liz, and their cousin Danielle, matters get complicated. As Jocelyn welcomes reconnecting with her cousin, other memories resurface that lead to devastating results. 

As dark secrets are revealed, twisted links to the past arise and taunt the Barnes family as they deal with yet another deadly reality.




Twisted Revenge #1

Burning by Deceit #2

Author Bio:
Jennifer Brown lives in Springfield Ohio, and has written since third grade. She was taught to read at an early age and fell in love with books, mainly mysteries. Her love of books grew, and in the summer before she started high school she wrote her longest story, halfway filling an old school notebook. In high school she started to enter writing contests, and in her junior and senior years joined the Herald staff becoming entertainment editor over her high school newspaper.

After graduating, with a few writing contest awards under her belt she attended college a year later, and was urged by her English instructor to join the college paper. She did, writing a few reviews of restaraunts and movies, as well as writing a review of her first Alanis Morissette concert. A few years later she was asked to take the position of entertainment editor.

At 38,  Jennifer has written several stories and has many more in store for readers.  When she is not writing she likes reading, working on computer graphics, editing photos, listening to music, and brainstorming for new ideas!


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Twisted Revenge #1

Burned by Deceit #2

Dark Connections #3

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