Beneath the Willow Tree by Abby Burrus ~ Review

Beneath the Willow Tree by Abby Burrus ~ Review

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.

Three Reasons You Should Read This Christian Fiction:

  1. Beneath the Willow Tree by Anny Burrus is a quick and insightful read that really demonstrates trust and grace.
  2. The fantasy world and characters do not detract from the message, but it is also told in a way that non-Christians would enjoy as a quick fantasy read.
  3. The physical representation of hate and fear they way to remove and overcome this was well thought out and very tangible.

About Beneath the Willow Tree by Abby Burrus

Title: Beneath the Willow Tree
Author: Abby Burrus
Genre: Christian Fantasy

Beneath the Willow Tree by Abby Burrus

A man without a Mark? Impossible.

At least, that’s what Nova thought until she met him.

Her world is painful, her only solace a lone willow tree on the bank of a lake that she goes and sits under at the end of the day. Trust is a word to be laughed at and mocked, not encouraged or actually done. The Mark has made it that way.

But then, she meets a man without a Mark. And he says he can do the impossible, the unheard of, what she has longed for. He says he can free her. But in order for him to do it, she must trust him, something she is sure she cannot do.

Beneath the Willow Tree is a standalone Christian fantasy short story, but can be read and enjoyed by non-Christians.

My review of Beneath the Willow Tree:

Beneath the Willow Tree by Abby Burrus was a quick, thoughtful, and entertaining short story. I enjoy short stories since they are great for a quick start to finish in an hour or less type of book. However, I think this one could have used a little more length. I wanted to know more about the land and how the marks appeared. I think that as a fantasy reader, I expect a little more world-building and details to my stories, but as an inspirational or Christian reader, I don’t always expect that. Beneath the Willow Tree straddles those worlds for me so I keep going back and forth on whether or not I wanted to be longer.

I really enjoyed how the message is obvious, but not preachy. (I really dislike preachy books.) There is no missing it, but it’s woven in as such an integral part of the story that you just absorb it along with all the rest and it just fits very well.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Pick up your copy today!

Amazon

Big Bad Beast by Grace Goodwin ~ Excerpt

Big Bad Beast by Grace Goodwin ~ Excerpt

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.

About Big Bad Beast by Grace Goodwin

Title: Big Bad Beast
Author: Grace Goodwin
Series: Interstellar Brides Program: The Beasts, #4
Genre: Paranormal/Sci-fi Romance

Big Bad Beast by Grace Goodwin

An Atlan Warlord in hiding.

In pain.

In danger of succumbing to a horrible fever.

Only one woman can save him.

One.

All he has to do is find her before he becomes a Big Bad Beast

Excerpt from Big Bad Beast

© 2022
Grace Goodwin

Warlord Maxus:

I leaned forward and lifted a hand to her cheek. I needed to touch her. It was a compulsion. Necessary.

Moving slowly, I ran my thumb along her cheekbone, down to her jaw. Her skin was softer than a flower petal. The softest thing I’d ever touched. “Please. I wish to thank you. I give my word of honor as a Warlord, you are safe with me.”

“A warlord? What is that, exactly? Where are you from? I can’t place your accent.”

I fumbled through my sex-crazed mind for the name of a country on Earth that might work to ease her suspicions. I’d studied her native language, the planet’s geography and cultures. Their history, as much as I could take of it. Warlord? I was an idiot. “South Africa.”

She raised one eyebrow and tilted her head to one side. “You’re a long way from home, soldier.”

“You have no idea.”

She grinned as she wrapped her fingers around my wrist and gently lowered my hand away from her face. “You can buy me a beer and a piece of pizza. The pizza place is two blocks from here.”

“I accept.”

“You asked me, remember?”

It was my turn to grin. “That is not how I will remember our first date.”

“It isn’t a date.” There went that eyebrow again, as if she were scolding me. My fierce, fearless female. My cock jumped in my shorts and I placed an arm across my lap to hide the evidence of my need for her. I was big, everywhere. The last thing I wanted to do was frighten her.

“You are correct.” This was not a date. This was a claiming. After tonight, she would never be alone again. She was mine.

Pick Up Your Copy Today

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple

About Grace Goodwin

Grace Goodwin is a USA Today and international bestselling author of Sci-Fi and Paranormal romance with nearly one million books sold. Grace’s titles are available worldwide in multiple languages in ebook, print and audio formats. Two best friends, one left-brained, the other right-brained, make up the award-winning writing duo that is Grace Goodwin. They are both mothers, escape room enthusiasts, avid readers and intrepid defenders of their preferred beverages. (There may or may not be an ongoing tea vs. coffee war occurring during their daily communications.) Grace loves to hear from readers.

Grace Goodwin

Connect with Grace Goodwin Online

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Deceptive Knight by Sienna Snow ~ Excerpt

Deceptive Knight by Sienna Snow ~ Excerpt

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.

About Deceptive Knight by Sienna Snow

Title: Deceptive Knight
Author: Sienna Snow
Series: Street Kings #4
Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance

Deceptive Knight by Sienna Snow

You will never see me coming.

Deceptive Knight, an all-new standalone, dark romance full of twists and turns from USA Today bestselling author Sienna Snow is available now!

I am a liar, a deceiver, a devil in the dark.

I will hunt you, steal your secrets, and use them against you.

You will never see me coming.

Then I met my match.

She cut out my heart, left me bleeding, without a backward glance.

But, she made one mistake…she stepped back into my world, trying to run from her past.

She’s mine, and she will soon learn there is no escape when fate says she belongs to me.

Excerpt from Deceptive Knight

© 2022
Sienna Snow

London, Eight Months Ago

Reyhan

“If you get caught with this, you’re on your own,” Cora Hass said in German to her former boss, Rex Busch, as he approached her near a corner shop on the outskirts of Brixton.

I’d followed her for over an hour without her suspecting or noticing. This screamed that the exhaustion from running had finally taken its toll.

            Well, fortunately for me, I’d finally captured my prey.

            Cora Hass, or should I say Lillian “Lilly” Lennox, would end the day knowing fate had placed her in the path of the very man she should hope she never met again.

            Why she’d picked this area of London for the drop-off surprised me. There had to be a reason. No one without backup would dare venture into this neighborhood.

            Hell, my team had eyes on me right now.

            “I know the drill,” Rex responded, taking the gift box from her and opening the container. “And how the business works.”

            She adjusted the hat over her ears and studied his appearance, and I couldn’t help but smirk at the disgust on her face. She should have warned him to dress a little more casually for the drop-off.

            If they were in Berlin, he could have passed himself off like any other well-to-do man in his late thirties. But in this neighborhood, he stood out like a sore thumb.

            Lilly, Lilly, Lilly. You should know better than to work with dumbasses.

            Then again, said dumbass probably thought he was the cream of the crop when it came to the spy game.

            Fucker had no idea we’d watched him for years and waited. Or maybe that was her plan—she wanted people to notice him. Make him stand out. Let the locals see he was an intruder in their midst.

            She, on the other hand, fit right in. She wore well-used, nondescript clothes, slightly on the dirty side, with her formerly blond hair covered in a large cap. And if I wasn’t mistaken, a pair of black or brown contacts. In this area, being recognized was a bad thing.

            “I want to make sure you understand that all consequences are on your shoulders.”

            “Understood.” He studied the device wrapped in cotton, nodded, and smiled. “Amazing how such an inconspicuous thing can cause so much chaos.”

            “That’s the story of my life.”

            “Sometimes, a little chaos is just what the doctor ordered.” T  his man was so full of shit. He hated Lilly on a good day. The sheer fact he was meeting with her today said he was beyond desperate.

            And from the flattening of Lilly’s lips, she was well aware of it but would go along with the charade until the payment hit her account.

            Busch had a knack for underestimating her intelligence. One day, he’d regret it. Then again, he’d left the comfort and security of his office at the BND in Germany to meet with Lilly.

            He had no idea how much trouble he’d just landed in by crossing international borders.

            God, I couldn’t wait to get him into an interrogation room.

            The second this drop ended, my team waited to collect the asshole.

            “Flattery will get you everywhere.” She lifted her wrist and tapped the display on her watch. “Invoice sent.”

            He pulled out his phone and typed something. “Payment transferred.”

            A few seconds later, an alert appeared on her watch screen. She promptly typed in a code and inclined her head. “Device activated. As always, it’s nice doing business with you.”

            As she shifted to pass him in the direction of the London Underground, he said, “I could give you ten times more work if you returned to Berlin.”

            “I don’t need the work,” she responded and then added with a tinge of bitterness, “Besides, I can never go back. You made sure of this. Did you forget I have a target on my head? Or that you tried to kill me?”

            “What if I said I have the means to clear your record as a way to apologize?”

            “The last thing I would do is believe a word you have to say, Rex Busch.”

            “You need to listen to my full offer.”

            She cocked her head to the side, giving him a look of such disdain that Busch would have no doubt about her feelings toward him. “I don’t need to do anything.”

            “Why did you come today?”

            “Because I love to see desperation on a man’s face. It soothes the senses. I may need to bottle it.”

            Busch grabbed her arm in what looked to be a painful hold. “You’re a bitch, Cora Hass.”

            “Yes, I am. But you’re the one who contacted me through back channels that could get you in a lot of trouble, handed me money from a fund that shouldn’t exist, and then flew to another country to procure my product. I’m the bitch you thought was disposable and now need in order to keep your illegal world of information trade going.”

            Oh, Lilly, you do know how to hit a man in the balls, especially Rex Busch. His weakness was his ego. The last thing he wanted was a reminder that he was as much a criminal as she was.                         Actually, even more so.             Was Lilly even aware her former boss was also a sex trafficker? I highly doubted it. Men like him kept those kinds of things hidden away, especially from women like her.

Pick Up Your Copy Today

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple

About Sienna Snow

Inspired by her years working in corporate America, Sienna loves to serve up stories woven around confident and successful women who know what they want and how to get it, both in – and out – of the bedroom.

Her heroines are fresh, well-educated, and often find love and romance through atypical circumstances.  Sienna treats her readers to enticing slices of hot romance infused with empowerment and indulgent satisfaction.

Sienna loves the life of travel and adventure.  She plans to visit even the farthest corners of the world and delight in experiencing the variety of cultures along the way. When she isn’t writing or traveling, Sienna is working on her “happily ever after” with her husband and children.

Connect with Sienna Snow Online

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean ~ Review

Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean ~ Review

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.

Three Reasons You Should Read This Sweet Western Romance:

  1. Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean is a mutual arrangement between a man and a woman that paves the way to quite a love story (I know, scandalous).
  2. I loved how Arabella went out and found a way to get what she wanted (or thought she wanted), and I love that she had a friend that supported her through the whole thing.
  3. Silas, Duke of Whittsley, is a hoot, and I loved just about everything about him. A great mix of traditional and buck the system, I’ll do what I want vibes.

About Ten Rules for Marrying a Dule by Michelle McLean

Title: Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke
Author: Michelle McLean
Genre: Historical Romance

Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean

Bookish Arabella Bromley never gave a fig for society’s rules—until her sister ran off with a man below her station. Now Arabella is desperate to restore her family’s ruined reputation to favor amongst the ton. She’ll have to marry quickly and well. But in order to carry off her plan, Arabella needs a duke… and she has just the rakish fellow in mind.

The Duke of Whittsley has an ungentlemanly tendency to disregard the rules. Unfortunately, a sense of mischief doesn’t excuse a high-ranking noble from family duty—especially where it concerns producing a son. And that’s where he can’t quite resist Arabella’s distinctly outrageous plan: if he saves her family, she’ll give him an heir.

Now the deal’s been struck. They have one year to achieve their goals and ten iron-clad rules to keep them on track. Like long, scorching kisses and ensuring they’re both exquisitely satisfied. And the only thing that could ruin their plan is the one thing they never planned on: love.

My review of Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke:

I absolutely loved Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean. It had the forward-thinking heroine that bucks tradition to find a happy life. It had the rogue-ish gentleman that’s really kind at heart (and also a rich duke, which doesn’t hurt). There were good and supportive friends and family, as well as a bit of a grumpy grandfather to even it out.

Arabella’s scheme to find a husband and save the family name is to marry a man that doesn’t want a wife. It may sound backward, but her logic is sound, and she does a very good job of explaining it to Silas. Such a good job that he actually agrees to her scheme. But they have to lay some ground rules first. And here is where things get really interesting.

These rules for their marriage are amazing and hilarious, and somehow quite appropriate. And watching them hash out the rules, especially the ones regarding more intimate moments, was very well done. It gave such a great look into their personalities. I really did fall in love with both of them right then and there.

Now rules are made to be broken, bent, and rewritten, and this couple quickly realizes their rules weren’t as perfect as they first thought. And then they just might go and actually fall in love with each other! Their insecurities about how they feel and how the other feels about them were just enough to make you root for them without becoming tedious.

I really hope Michelle McLean decides to write about a younger sister or friend or someone else in this family so I can check back in with Arabella and Silas, or else I will miss them very much.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Pick up your copy today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple

Onyx Sanctuary by M.F. Adele & T.L. Adele ~ Review

Onyx Sanctuary by M.F. Adele & T.L. Adele ~ Review

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.

About Onyx Sanctuary by M.F. Adele & T.L. Adele

Title: Onyx Sanctuary
Author: M.F. Adele & T.L. Adele
Series: The Chronicles of a Toy Monster #1
Genre: Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance

Onyx Sanctuary by M.F. Adele & T.L. Adele

What do a fake client, an attempted abduction, and a decade of secrets have in common?

Apparently everything.

I don’t remember the shadow realm, but the land recognizes me as someone it once knew.

The lost heir, worshipped and adored… She’s painted on the sides of buildings like some demonic vigilante waiting to accost you in the nearest alleyway.

What I don’t know is that she is me.

Badass bounty hunter.
Mostly fearless.
Pint-size terror.
Full-size train wreck.

I’m surrounded by an onyx cloak; from the demons I befriended in my sanctuary to the creatures I grew up with inside the castle walls. Now, even the strangers who desperately need me bring a cloud of darkness to aid in my fight.

The men in my life are spine-chilling monsters, but I might be the worst one of all.

Excerpt from Onyx Sanctuary

© 2022
M.F. Adele and T.L. Adele

We drifted through the crowd, working our way to the entrance. Hestos bumped me with his elbow, nodding upward.

“Does the pull intensify when you see her?”

I followed his line of vision to see Tezni grinning, his arm wrapped around a petite woman with navy hair that shone more than the searchlights. The mate bond slammed against my chest, possessiveness overtaking me before I could think it through.

Hestos shoulder-checked me, power crackling in his voice, “Don’t. Tez would never hurt Ebony. And he has no intention of crossing the line with our mate. I know you feel the bond, but you’re not the only one. Control yourself. You’re frothing at the mouth right now; you look fucking rabid.”

“I don’t like him touching her.”

“What are you going to do when I touch her?”

“Nothing,” I hissed. “We’ve known we would share a mate for years. I’ve had time to adjust to the ideas of—”

“What if she has another mate?”

I jerked my head back, glaring at the smirk on his face. “We’ve never run into anyone else who—” I growled to myself. “I didn’t think that far ahead.”

“Be rational, Zolren. We might not be her only mates. She could be in there with a boyfriend or a girlfriend who isn’t her mate. She could have a mate and think that’s the only one. Or she can feel this pull right now and not comprehend what it is. Just because we’ve had time to learn and understand, it doesn’t mean she has. Keep that in mind.”

“You’re supposed to be the rational one,” I griped. “I’m reckless and fueled by emotions, diving headfirst into the fray without a care. That’s what I do. Then you come in and shave my ass.”

Hestos shoved me. “I hate it when you do that.”

“Do what?” I blinked innocently, exaggerating the flutter of my lashes.

“Say something stupid while I’m trying to be serious.” He breathed deeply, searching for his patience. “I’m asking you to care about her feelings. Don’t get all hissy and push her away before she even tells us her name.” “But I already know her name, Hes. And so do you.” I squeezed his shoulder as we approached the front security, keeping my voice quiet, my lips nearly touching his ear. “She’s the painted warrior, the lost heir, the Shadow Queen. That’s Onyx Costa, Hes. If you thought we were going to stay out of this war, you’re sorely mistaken.”

Pick Up Your Copy Today

Amazon

About M.F. Adele

M.F. Adele resides in the outskirts of the Rocket City in Alabama. She lives in her overactive imagination, often fueled by caffeine and no sleep. When she isn’t writing, M.F. is outdoors with her family, obsessing over spicy margaritas and cigars, or reading books by her favorite authors.

If you’re looking for M.F. Adele, you can find her on social media in her group:

M.F. Adele’s Hellacious Hybrids.

M.F. loves to interact with her readers, hear character theories, and share embarrassing stories.

M.F. Adele

Connect with M.F. Adele Online

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

Enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Love & Other Forbidden Things by Lyndsey Gallagher ~ Excerpt

Love & Other Forbidden Things by Lyndsey Gallagher ~ Excerpt

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.

About Love & Other Forbidden Things by Lyndsey Gallagher

Title: Love & Other Forbidden Things
Author: Lyndsey Gallagher
Series: The Professional Players Series #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Love & Other Forbidden Things by

Amy Harrington is struggling to readjust to life at home in Ireland after the cosmopolitan buzz of London. Sick of being the only singleton on the shelf, she longs to find the right man, but the second any potential candidate realises who her famous rugby playing brother is, they spend more time worshipping him than her.

Irish rugby player Ollie Quinn is newly single and ready to mingle. When he meets a brunette in the players’ lounge, he promises to show her Ireland can be every bit as exciting as London, before realising she’s Eddie Harrington’s little sister. Despite the explosive chemistry between them, it’s one promise he can’t keep – everyone knows messing with your friend’s sister is forbidden.

When Amy lands her dream job, physiotherapist to the rugby team, the two are forced to face the growing chemistry between them. Injuries on the pitch seem minimal compared to what Eddie might do if he discovers their dalliances.

Is it simply the temptation of tasting forbidden fruit?
Or will forbidden turn into forever?

Perfect romantic reading for fans of Lyssa Kay Adams, Tessa Bailey and Sally Thorne.

Excerpt from Love & Other Forbidden Things

© 2022
Lyndsey Gallagher

‘I’ll show you everything I know.’ His wink is weighted with promise. I slap his arm in a flirtatious feminine fashion that I had no idea I was capable of.

‘If only.’ I don’t even try to deny my attraction to him.

‘You want it, you know you do.’ It’s become our mantra.

‘I never denied it. But what I want, and what I can have are two entirely different things. As you very well know.’ I arch my eyebrows at him and take the kettlebell he offers.

‘I could give you another workout. One which I guarantee will have all of your muscles trembling.’ He stands a foot behind me, both of us watching ourselves in the immaculately polished glass. Strong hands grip my waist, angling my bottom backwards, just inches in front of his groin. I freeze as he traces the length of my spine. His hands settle gently on both my shoulders, before encouraging my body to drop downwards.

‘Squat,’ he whispers seductively in my ear.

The way his darkening eyes focus intently on my figure, exuding a hunger that no food could satisfy, sends my thighs bending and my ass dropping into the slowest, lowest squat of my life. The Lycra covering my backside slides against the soft cotton covering his front. Rising upwards again, I inch further back to brush against him a little harder. His eyes finally leave my body, locking into mine in the mirror – the heat from our stare could melt Antarctica in seconds.

When I reach a fully standing position again, his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard. His deep raspy breath tickles my ear as he whispers, ‘Again.’

Pick Up Your Copy Today

Amazon

About Lyndsey Gallagher

Lyndsey Gallagher is the kindle bestselling author of six contemporary romance novels, with many more on the way! An unashamed romantic, forever in search of the next happy ever after, her debut novel The Seven Year Itch was inspired by the weekend she met her husband. Lyndsey lives in the West of Ireland overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. She enjoys long walks, deep talks and the occasional G & T!

Lyndsey Gallagher

Connect with Lyndsey Gallagher Online

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card or an ebook copy of Love & Other Forbidden Things!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Acts of Confession by N.T. Anderson ~ Spotlight

Acts of Confession by N.T. Anderson ~ Spotlight

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.

About Acts of Confession by N.T. Anderson

Title: Acts of Confession
Author: N.T. Anderson
Series: The Acts Series #1
Genre: Erotic Romance

Acts of Confession by N.T. Anderson

A year ago, I took the opportunity to spend one night with the mysteriously sexy man I had been dreaming about for two decades. When reality beckoned the next morning, I walked away from him and resumed my life, carrying my broken heart with me.

Now, the one thing I never expected to see has happened, and I am about to reenter the timeless world of Jack Perry. Where his fame impresses no one, least of all himself. Where days and nights become blurry, and clocks cease to exist. A place where passion and lust will land me on the doorstep of an explosive confession.

Above all else, this is the moment when the door to my closure will be kicked wide open. This time, will I stay?

Pick Up Your Copy Today

Amazon

About N.T. Anderson

NT Anderson has lived in multiple countries and states and is currently hunkered down in the Endless Mountain Region of the Northeast US. Her chosen professional path was restaurant management and hospitality services until 2009 when she turned her passion for writing into a career as a content creator. In 2019, she took it several steps farther by diving into the world of fiction.

Nikki can usually be found keeping odd hours, spending time with family and friends, talking to the characters in her head via candlelight, and plotting her next adventure. Several furbabies keep her on her toes, including two spoiled dogs, a pudgy cat, and a feisty horse.

She fancies herself to be a pirate, especially on Saturday nights when she breaks out the rum.

Connect with N.T. Anderson Online

Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Betray by Montana Fyre ~ Spotlight

Betray by Montana Fyre ~ Spotlight

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.

About Betray by Montana Fyre

Title: Betray
Author: Montana Fyre
Series: Forest Falls #4
Genre: Contemporary New Adult Romance

Betray by Montana Fyre

She loves him. He loves her not.

Is there a moment from your past that you regret so deeply that it keeps you up at night?

I had one.

At the time, I thought I had done the right thing. I didn’t think I could offer Tucker what he needed, and when I broke his heart, all it served to do was break my own as well.

Almost two years had passed since my best friend was torn from my life, and I was finally starting to live again. When history almost repeated itself, it all came crashing down and I found myself in Tucker’s arms again.

The problem is, the only man I had ever loved hated me, but with each day that we fought our feelings, we were drawn back to one another. After all I had done to hurt him in the past, would Tucker ever be able to forgive me and accept the love that had been dormant since the day I broke our hearts?

Pick Up Your Copy Today

Amazon

Connect with Montana Fyre Online

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

In Step by Jay Hogan ~ Excerpt

In Step by Jay Hogan ~ Excerpt

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.

About In Step by Jay Hogan

Title: In Step
Author: Jay Hogan
Series: Painted Bay #3
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

In Step by Jay Hogan

Karma. You reap what you sow, and KANE MARTIN isn’t looking for forgiveness. But the arrival of ABE TYLER in Painted Bay has Kane dreaming of the impossible. The sexy, silver fox choreographer is determined to pull Kane out from the shadows, but Abe’s career isn’t about to shift to Painted Bay, and Kane’s life is in neat little boxes for a reason.

A past he isn’t proud of.
A family he’s walked away from.
A job he doesn’t deserve.
A secret he’s ashamed of.

But life’s dance can make for unexpected partners, and learning to trust and keep up with the footwork is the name of the game.

Two steps forward, one step back.
It takes two to tango.

Trigger Warning: Contains references to past abuse and bullying. 

Excerpt from InStep

© 2022
Jay Hogan

Apart from the rain clearing, nothing had gone right on the mussel farm all day, and everyone was in a foul mood by the time we docked at six, in the dark and much later than usual. We’d let Martha know not to hang around, and the entire wharf was cloaked in evening shadow apart from a glow in Morgan and Judah’s boathouse and another in the studio out back.

Were Judah and Abe still working? I knew Morgan didn’t like Judah pushing himself too hard. Then again, it was none of my business.

We cleaned up and left Patrick talking furtively on his cell while the three of us, and Mack, headed toward Leroy’s SUV, still bitching about the pissy day.

“Is Patrick seeing someone?” I glanced back. “He’s been very close-mouthed about his social life lately. And he’s been on his phone a ton.”

Leroy snorted. “Wasn’t aware he ever had a social life.” He caught the rugby bag Fox threw his way from the SUV.

“Didn’t think you guys had training on a Friday?”

“We normally don’t,” Leroy grumbled. “But our beloved coach has decided we need to win this bloody game tomorrow afternoon against Russell United, and we apparently sucked big hairy donkey balls at Wednesday’s run on the paddock. Like another lot of drills is gonna somehow raise our standard of ball handling from pitifully woeful to hands of steel. If there isn’t a beer in this after we’re done, I’m gonna be fucking ropeable.”

Fox chuckled and pulled Leroy into a kiss. “You’re such a big softy.”

“Idiot.” Leroy wriggled free but failed to hide his lopsided grin.

“Do you need me to take Mack home?”

The dog cocked her head at her name and Fox opened the rear door, waving her in. “Nah, she likes to run with the team. Tires her out.” He headed for the passenger seat, buckled up, and then pinned me with a look. “And here’s a novel idea. Since Patrick only needs you tomorrow morning, maybe you could actually leave the bedsit for once and go have some fun.”

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”

Fox rolled his eyes and I waved them off. So, I didn’t have a life. There was nothing new about that. I threw my bag over my shoulder and set off up the hill, my attention drawn to the glow in the studio and the upbeat music leaking through the fire door, which had been propped open with a chair.

The closer I got, the slower my steps, until I found myself at a complete stop about ten metres from the open door. I glanced around but I was alone. Beyond the studio lay Madden land and the hill up to the homestead. Judah’s boathouse, the wharf and Painted Bay were out of sight to my right, at the front. And behind me, the road was flanked by a steep, bush-covered bluff up to the township perched on top of the hill.

Feeling like a spy in some low-budget movie, I detoured down the small bank and picked my way across the sodden grass to the open fire door, the muffled thuds of feet hitting the floor growing louder by the second. The studio floor sat about thigh height, and I dropped my bag on the damp ground and sneaked my head through the opening.

The room was about twenty by thirty metres, big enough for Judah’s kids to comfortably move around with their wheelchairs and canes and other equipment that might be necessary, but tonight there was only one person using the space. Abe. And I was instantly spellbound.

His body flew across the room in a whirlwind of turns and leaps in sync with the rhythmic bass so loud it rattled my spine and thundered in my chest. Big band music—horns and saxophone, and double bass and piano, and drums. Memories crashed through my head and almost took my knees from under me—my mother dancing in our kitchen, my tiny hands in hers, spinning and laughing, dipping me, spoon in one hand like a mic as she crooned words that never seemed important at the time. The music was everything. How had I forgotten that?

A word popped out at me. Swing. This was swing music.

I startled as Abe landed a jump close to where I was hiding, so close I could pick out the small holes in those soft-as-butter leggings. The thin material outlining every fibre of muscle in his thick thighs and the bunched muscles of his arse, his cock nestled soft and large in his groin. The waistband rolled low on his flat stomach tight with ridged abs over a steel core lightly dusted with hair. The cut-off T-shirt wet with sweat and clinging to his toned chest and budded nipples.

Holy fucking hell.

I barely contained a yelp, ducking back into the shadows until the sound of his feet fell into the distance and I risked another look. Perspiration coursed down his face, his dark hair threaded with silver pulled into a topknot that bobbed with every leap and turn, eyes closed like he was dancing by feel, led around the space by some invisible force. And I stood transfixed, my ridiculous dick thickening in my jeans like the traitorous fucker that it was.

And still Abe danced, sliding past the open door where I crouched watching, his voice low with the music, singing, stray words catching in my ears, arms wide, then high, then circling into a spin. Around and around until he suddenly stopped, dancing on the spot, tap, shuffle. Whatever the fuck it was called. His body dipping and rocking to the beat, a wide smile on his face.

And then he was off again, and I lost myself in the pure, raw joy of his energy, pretty sure of only one thing: that I’d never felt anything close to whatever Abe was feeling in that moment—the energy of life rippling through him, power and hope and emotion. I’d never felt that, not even close. There was a magic to it, and heat and lust and wonder. A hunger I’d never allowed myself to feel ripped open in my heart. In that moment, Abe was alive to his core, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that felt like.

Pick Up Your Copy Today

Amazon

About Jay Hogan

Heart, humour and keeping it real.

Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year.

She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She’s travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor. Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel

Jay Hogan

Connect with Jay Hogan Online

Website | Amazon

Enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith ~ Spotlight

The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith ~ Spotlight

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.

About The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith

Title: The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses
Author: K.N. Smith
Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy

The Urban Boys: Discover of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith

Welcome or unwelcome. Fate has arrived.

“A captivating and poetic tale of mystery, fantasy, and reality tied together by action!” 5-stars, Lars Jackson, Amazon Customer

A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that forever change the world. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind. With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, will the boys be able to defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late? Get prepared for the twisting and grinding of this award-winning, action-adventure story — an edge-of-your-seat narrative for young and mature readers alike.

Pick Up Your Copy Today

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple

About K.N. Smith

K.N. Smith, winner of the “Best of” in the category of “Outstanding Young Adult Novel” at the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards, is an author, screenwriter, and passionate advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. She inspires people of all ages to reach their highest potential in their creative, educational, and life pursuits. Visit K.N. Smith at www.knsmith.com.

K.N. Smith

Connect with K.N. Smith Online

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

Enter to win one of two $100 Visa cards!

a Rafflecopter giveaway