Seeking Solace by Ari McKay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

This book is about leaving your past behind and embracing what the future holds.

Paul Mercer is next in line to inherit the Triton family business of cruise ships. Paul has never been on a cruise, so his father sets him up on a two week business opportunity aboard the Poseidon’s Pearl, where he is somewhat undercover, using a false last name. He's trying to get a read on the staff hospitality and needs, but when he sees bartender Devin Walker, he can't help mix business with pleasure.

I enjoyed the easy relationship between Paul and Devin. Paul had been burned in the past when an accident claimed his leg. Living with a prosthetic had been difficult to manage and his ex had wanted no part in his recovery. But Devin wanted Paul to enjoy life to the fullest and find happiness anywhere he could. He really changed Paul's outlook and it was fun to read the change in Paul.

While I thought the story was fun, it was somewhat slow for me. I loved that the relationship between the two was the main focus, but I guess I was waiting for more action or adventure to take place.

This was a good, fun, low angst read with plenty of good times and a HEA.

*Arc provided in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted on http://gaybook.reviews/*

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Bad Habit by K.A. Mitchell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the best kind of angsty, rough, tortured romance you can read.

The MC’s were tough, hard driven, tattooed and angry. Angry at each other, angry at the world, angry at fate. And it translated into pure desire and lust.

Scott and Liam survived foster care together and promised each other a life together when they aged out. Plans changed when Liam had to take care of his drug addicted mom and disappeared.
Years later, they reunited and fell in love again and were on their way to making it work. Scott was working two jobs and Liam was in school to become a doctor. When he came home and found Scott with pills, he left.

Six years later they are both different people. Scott is still stuck in a rut and Liam has seen hell and lost a leg there but he’s on a journey of self discovery and he’s got a new boyfriend. The possibility of finding each other again and making it work seems like a lost cause this time around, but the love between them is palpable.

Scott’s character was angsty and tough and I wasn’t sure I was going to like him, to be fair, but he ended up being my favorite. He was repentant and had a heart of gold and loved like no other. His dry wit had me laughing so many times.

“Liam rubbed the back of Scott’s neck. ‘You’re going to hate me saying this, but this is how I know we’re going to make it this time.’
Scott pulled away. ‘Why, because I drove you to Delaware to eat a Tastykake in my car?’
‘Exactly.’”

Bad Habit was a really great dark love story with an HEA and is a perfect addition to K.A. Mitchell’s Bad in Baltimore series.

*Arc given in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted on https://gaybook.reviews/*

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Night Moves by Kat Cassidy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really quick read, but it was fun. Basically 90% of the story takes place over a 24 hour period with some flashbacks injected here and there.

The story begins with Peter Bauer, the son of Nick Bauer who heads a chop shop and other shady businesses. Peter steals a boss Cobra, which has started his day of horrors. This action leads him through the gamut of emotions and finally ends with him in jail, looking to serve a 6 month sentence.

There is a lot going on in the short story, but it's all action packed and full of depth and I'm super excited to read the next book in the series.

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Oceans Apart by J.K. Hogan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm blown away by how much I enjoyed reading this. It was such a good, wholesome adventure.

Leo Takahashi is bored with his mundane life in San Francisco and drives his beater BMW across the country. His destination is pretty much any beach town in North Carolina. When he's 90 minutes from the ocean his car breaks down. He's officially worried about being obviously gay and stuck on the side of the road in a rural farm town until he is greeted by Sellars Hodge, local closeted Farm Boy.

OMG was Sellars so freaking SWEET!! From the first time he saw Leo he was smitten and he tripped over his words, he blushed, he stared, he gaped like a fish. It was amazing. And Leo fed right into it. By the time there was anything between them I was dying for it. This is exactly the kind of slow burn heat that's wonderful to read.

Leo was a very toppy top and he'd been burned in the past because of it. As a sometimes makeup wearing petite man, he was put in the box of a sub enough to be wary of a giant like Sellars, but he soon realized they were a match when Sellars melted at his dominance. It was fun to read about a romance that varied from the norm, but was super sweet.

There was plenty of story line to keep the plot going as Sellars had to make a lot of decisions about his life and his future. I really enjoyed the backing that he had from his sisters and his mom. They stood up to his father countless times and didn't put up with his close-minded ways. It was truly refreshing to read about such a close family that stood by the youngest and accepted him over and over again.

Overall, this story had everything you could want. The MC's were from totally different backgrounds and classes and meshed so well. There was low angst, high heat, slow burn, family values, and an overabundance of love.

I'd definitely recommend this sweet story of love to everyone.

*Arc provided in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted on http://gaybook.reviews/ *

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Advent Adventure by Karrie Roman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very cute story about the holiday events that transpire between couple Jack and Will. Jack is a touch OCD about his Christmas tree and will can't help but use that to his advantage. The laughter continues throughout the month where they each try to shop for each other while keeping their gifts a surprise for the big reveal on Christmas day.

I always love a holiday add on book. You just get a quick glimpse into a couple that you fell in love with and get to see them interact one more time during a very special, loving season. This one was great. The writing was just as you would expect from Karrie Roman. Lighthearted and fun, this was a treat!

*Arc given in exchange for an honest review*

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A Fated Bond by T.L. West
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5 Stars.

Joseph Roth is a member of the Rockfort Paranormal Department. He is sent to crime scenes post police to find clues to paranormal activity. When he's the only one who is able to identify vampire involvement, things turn rather peculiar for him.

The writing was meh. It was simple and I couldn't get over the use of 'Oh, no!' in every scene dealing with possible death.

There were plenty of gratuitous sex scenes that had nothing to do with the MC's nor the story, which was super weird.

Then at 75% the chapter starts with '4 days before...' and there is a totally different set of characters that make up the rest of the story. Not sure what to even make of this.

The end was just....there? Apparently there will be further books in this series but I'm not even sure what happened in this one to be honest.

*Arc provided in exchange for an honest review*

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Touch of Love by Nicky James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Remarkable.

I’m truly in awe at the words and insight and love I just read.

I love a MC with a disorder or some kind of tragic barrier to life to conquer and this had it in spades.

Ireland Hayes has a phobia of touch. He can’t touch or be touched, especially by men. When his girlfriend of two years can’t handle it anymore, he’s forced to move out.

Raven is knocked over by how attractive Ireland is when he shows up to move his things to his new apartment. He can’t understand why this guy is so blatantly disgusted by him when he’s been nothing but helpful.

There are so many issues standing in the way and I don’t know that anyone could ever be as patient, kind and loving as Raven but he was perfect. I loved that he still seemed human and got upset. He wasn’t perfect but he was perfect for Ireland.

”When I had nothing left to give, I fell back on my heels and fought to catch my breath. Our eyes locked, and for a moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, Raven could be the one person who wouldn’t give up on me.”

The story was truly humbling and the narrative was eye opening. I loved every word. Hope is alive and well.

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