Release Day Blitz: Love Letters by Anyta Sunday

Feisty. Nerdy. Sexy. Secretive.

Greenville has them all.

A small town with big hearts, Greenville awakens at the mercy of Millionaire Row, the wealthy neighborhood across the tracks from Poplar Low.

Bad-tempered boys meet cheeky lovers.

Colliding worlds spark a fire of emotion. Heat rages. Hearts mend. Love is lost. And found.

Love Letters are playful, sexy, contemporary M/M stories that can be read as standalones.

Welcome to Greenville. Come for the sexy boys. Stay for the HEA.

Admiring Ash (Love Letters, #1)
by Anyta Sunday
Self-published
Release day: July 31st, 2018
Length: 222 pages
Buy links

A is for Ash Heartford.
Adorable, strong, and independent.
Abandoned by his parents and attached to only one person - his little sister.
Attracted to River, the sultry man who saunters onto his doorstep with startling news.
Always yearning for more River, yet afraid to let him in. 

Should he play it safe, or claim his legacy and risk losing his heart? 

A is for Admiring Ash.

Tropes: slow burn, virgin, one true love, happily ever after, related but not, hurt/comfort, forbidden love.

Themes: Sudden inheritance, broken family, insta-dad

 Admiring Ash Teaser:

Who was this River? What was he doing here, unless . . .

Ash narrowed his eyes. Attractive and charming. Hadn’t his sister mentioned she was crushing on a local college guy? “Oh, fuck me. You’ve knocked up my sister, haven’t you?”

All playfulness evaporated as Ash catalogued River from head to toe. Would Ash be spending the next twenty years raising a kid that resembled this man? Would that kid grow up—like all the Heartfords—addicted to love? Raising fatherless children? Obsessed with falling for men, believing, every time that this one was the one?

He’d hoped he and Danielle would kick the tradition. 

He almost punched the stunningly sculpted man in the mouth.  

Begging Ben (Love Letters, #2)
by Anyta Sunday
Self-published
Release day: July 31st, 2018
Length: 220 pages
Buy links

B is for Ben Spengler.Brilliant. Bashful. Burned.Brimming with desire for his BFF Landon, who is beyond compare.But they aren't the same Ben and Landon anymore. Not after what Landon did. And didn't do.Bitter about his unrequited love.Bound by a night of drunken promises.

Will the chemistry between them change, or will Ben break first? 

B is for Begging Ben.

Tropes: Pretend boyfriend, friends to lovers, virgin, brother-like, jealousyThemes: Science, geek, alcohol induced oblivion

 Begging Ben Teaser:

“What do you want from a real marriage?”

Ben paused, clawing back the “you” desperately trying to escape him. Not Landon. He was over that. “I want to have someone who supports me, and vice versa. I want conversations and shared interests. I want common goals, my husband and I, a team. Us against the world. I want to be so close to him that I can guess what he is thinking. I want a man who sees I have failures and flaws but loves me anyway. Who has a fantastic sense of humor and finds joy laughing at the silly things. And . . . .”

“And?”

Ben couldn’t hold Landon’s deeply curious gaze. “I want to be his first choice. Not a backup when the guy he really wants doesn’t want him back.”

The silence that followed felt thick and taut, and Ben struggled to breathe.

Landon sat back with a determined stare toward the road. He licked his bottom lip and his hand rested on the wheel, thumb tapping. “You deserve all that, Ben. That and more.”

Challenging Chance (Love Letters, #3)
by Anyta Sunday
Self-published
Release day: July 31st, 2018
Length: 182 pages
Buy links

C is for Chance Roosevelt-Sutton.Chiseled jaw. Smug attitude. Wild ways.Chained to his ego - or so everyone thinks. Except his personal assistant, Brook. He knows better.Chance is challenged to make his father happy for once, but he needs Brook's help.Choosing honesty is too risky, so instead they choose secrecy.Choked by their pasts, they dream of a better life... andCharm each other into submission.

Will their pasts ruin what they have, or will they grow together?

C is for Challenging Chance. 

Tropes: Alpha male, millionaire bad boy, athlete, help/comfortThemes: Basketball, coming out

Challenging Chance Teaser:

Clenching the folder tightly against his chest, Brook kicked up a half smile. “I know you are a playboy, and charmingly faulted,” he said. “Didn’t think you’d be sexist too.”

Chance slung the towel around his neck, stretching it taut by pulling the ends. “There you have it,” he said. “I’m all those things.”

He sounded cocky, but the follow-up swallow and downward glance had Brook pausing. The glimpse of vulnerability quickly vanished as Chance strode off the court.

Brook hustled after him, matching his long stride easily since Chance was only a hair taller.

“I can do the job as good as anyone,” he said. “I’ll be at your beck and call, whenever you need me. Most importantly, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Chance abruptly stopped and whisked around. “What do you mean you’ll keep your mouth shut?”

“Public intoxication, public indecency, driver’s license revoked two years ago for accumulating too many fines. None of it is my business. I’ll help you navigate whatever paperwork comes with it, of course. But outside you and me? My lips are sealed.”

He would never blurt Chance’s mistakes in a crowded café. Though he’d been grateful to overhear the ex-PA, he didn’t condone being unprofessional and blabbing about an employer’s affairs.

Everyone made mistakes. They didn’t need those mistakes defining them.

Author bio

Heart-stopping slow burn.

Anyta Sunday is a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. She loves to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of her favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

Anyta writes a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy. Her books have been translated into German, Italian, French, and Thai.

Member of Romance Writers of America.

Connect with Anyta: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
To receive a free e-book, sign up for Anyta’s newsletter here!

ARC Review: Admiring Ash by Anyta Sunday

Admiring Ash (Love Letters, #1)
by Anyta Sunday
Self-published
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, romance

A is for Ash Heartford.
Adorable, strong, and independent.
Abandoned by his parents and attached to only one person - his little sister.
Attracted to River, the sultry man who saunters onto his doorstep with startling news.
Always yearning for more River, yet afraid to let him in. 

Should he play it safe, or claim his legacy and risk losing his heart? 

A is for Admiring Ash.

It shouldn't be a surprise at this point that I love Anyta Sunday's books. I was over the moon when I heard there was going to be a long book series based on alphabet - and I'm very happy to say that all my excitement wasn't for nothing. Admiring Ash is brilliant and captivating, and a perfect start for the series. This far, I've read all of the three, and yes, the books can be read as standalone's, but I do recommend reading them in the order (for example, Begging Ben features both Ash and River from Admiring Ash). Anyway, back to the wonder that's Admiring Ash.

The blurb tells it all: Ash is adorable and he's fiercely independent as he spends all his time working in order to support his younger sister and himself. Ash's responsible and loyal, and just overall the most adorable cinnamon roll who needs pampering and protecting. It was impossible not to root for Ash, and hope that his situation gets better. He does get surprising news from River, which will change his life no matter what he decides to do. I admired Ash, but River's also likable. River's privileged in many ways but he acknowledges it and he's all around a solid guy. The whole situation is beautifully crafted, and the chemistry between Ash and River is unbelievable!

There's plenty of banter; I loved Ash and River's first meeting, because of all the banter and hilariousness of the moment. Besides banter, there's everything a story needs; dynamic characters and relationships, hurt and comfort, a little bit forbidden love, family issues and coming to terms with various things. In short, Admiring Ash is a captivating and beautiful story. I couldn't put it down as I kept turning the pages and hoping that it would never end. What a start for a series!

I highly recommend Admiring Ash for it is a truly stunning story.

5 of 5 stars.

Add on Goodreads

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Book Tour + Giveaway: Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne

Imperial Stout (Trouble Brewing, #1)
by Layla Reyne
Published by Carina Press
Release day: July 23rd, 2018
Length: 272 pages
LGBT, romance, suspense

Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout, the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series.

It's a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic's star witness had just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father's shady past is catching up with him and the hot new spacial agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink. 

Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic's witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.

Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew's suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he's willing to go - and how far into his own dark past he's willing to dive - to get everyone out alive.

Get your copy!
Amazon
Carina Press

I reviewed an ARC of Imperial Stout earlier today, and here you can check out what I had to say about it!

Excerpt:

Nic was silent a long minute, the building tension heavy in the small space. “This is why you’re not supposed to get involved with colleagues.”

Finally, an opening. Cam closed the distance between them, winding his arms around Nic and hugging him from behind. Body warm, despite the cool night, Cam wanted to get even closer to it. They might both get burned, but he was done watching the fire from a distance, holding himself back from the heat.

“Technically, we’re not,” he said.

“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

“If it wins the argument with you, yes.”

Nic chuckled, hanging his head, and Cam skirted his nose and lips along the nape of his neck. Nic’s quiet laughter died on a breathy gasp.

About Layla Reyne:

Author Layla Reyne was raised in North Carolina and now calls San Francisco home. She enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart pounding romance. When she’s not writing stories to excite her readers, she downloads too many books, watches too much television, and cooks too much food with her scientist husband, much to the delight of their smushed-face, leftover-loving dogs. Layla is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. She was a 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.

Connect with Layla Reyne: Twitter | Instagram | FB Page | FB Group | Newsletter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon | BookBub

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne

Imperial Stout (Trouble Brewing, #1)
by Layla Reyne
Published by Carina Press
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, romance, suspense

Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout, the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series.

It's a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic's star witness had just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father's shady past is catching up with him and the hot new spacial agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink. 

Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic's witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.

Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew's suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he's willing to go - and how far into his own dark past he's willing to dive - to get everyone out alive.

Imperial Stout is great read, if you're after an action packed suspense novel with a dash of romance. There's plenty of action and twists, people going undercover, suspicions of who to trust, and dangerous situations arises from every corner. The dashes of romance isn't bad either, because Nic and Cam have chemistry, and a will-they-won't-they situation going on. However, there were a few things that hindered my reading experience.

The thing is, I think this is better suited for people who have first read Agents Irish and Whiskey series, from which this is a spin-off. I haven't, which is probably why I felt like I was thrown into the deep end without a lifeline. There's already formed relationships - including between the main characters - which are not explained in Imperial Stout, or only briefly mentioned. It took some time to figure out who is related to who and to get a feeling what kind of relationship each character has with one other. For me, it took a lot of energy and that mixed up with a beginning full of action and lots of specific jargon and initials, which was hard to keep up with, mostly because everything I know about FBI or American legal system is from TV shows and movies. It was pretty exhausting. I did catch up (and I think I have figured out the relationships and friendships), but I still feel like this one is for those who have read the previous series, or then it needs a bit more explanation on page to make sure new readers aren't totally confused.

That besides, I enjoyed Imperial Stout. It was a bit more suspense than I expected it be based on teasers I've seen, but that wasn't a bad thing. I liked both Nic and Cam, because both of them are determined, stubborn, and loyal. There's also this conflict Nic is having because of his estranged father and his past, which it kept in the dark, and I kept turning the page because I yearned to know all the secrets. As this is the first in the series, not everything is revealed and I want to pick up the next one to find out more.

Imperial Stout is a solid read, and I think for those who are familiar with the previous series and characters, it's a great one. For those people, I highly recommend it. For me, well, I'll continue with the series and I'm thinking of picking up Agents Irish and Whiskey series, too. I'm giving Imperial Stout three stars instead of four stars just because I was so confused in the beginning and it took some time to get on board with everything.

3 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Dewey's 24 Hour Summer Readathon Wrap Up

Here's my TBR post for the readathon, just if you want to see how much I didn't read and how I deviated from any TBR I set for myself.

Yeah, this time around the readathon didn't go as I planned. I volunteered on Friday and I was exhausted when I got home, so I didn't do any reading when the readathon started. Instead I slept a proper good nights sleep with around 8 hours. And Saturday, well, I was a hella distracted by many things (mainly Twitter, Youtube, and phone) so I only read 343 pages total during the readathon. It could have been better, but it also could have been worse, so I take it. Especially since I had fun during it as the people who run the readathon and other participants are so enthusiastic and friendly over Twitter.

Anyway. I finished one book, started another and read two comics and here they are:

Closing survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

It must have been around 9th hour of the readathon when I woke up, and it was pretty daunting as I felt like lazing in the bed watching movies all day instead of reading. Luckily coffee exists and I managed to get out of that slump!

2. Tell us ALLL the books you read!

I started with Pride and Modern Prejudice (a modern M/M twist on Austen's Pride and Prejudice), because I was already 36% into it. I loved reading it, although it took me most of the readathon to do so because I kept being distracted. After finishing that, I read seventh and eighth issues of Fence comic for something quick (and because I've been dying to read them!). Rest of the readathon I spend reading Imperial Stout and I got around half way mark before the time was up.

3. Which books would you recommend to other Read-a-thoners?

I continue recommending Rick Riordan's and V.E. Schwab's books because I can flew through them even though I'm a pretty slow reader. Also, just anything that you love and gets you excited so that inspires you to read more.

4. How did you feel about this first-ever Reverse Readathon? Should we do it again?

I loved it! Dewey's is my favourite readathon and it happens only twice a year so I'm always up to more. I'd say definitely do Reverse again!

5. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? Would you be interested in volunteering to help organize and prep in October?

I'll participate as long as it's possible to do so around my schedule. I might not be able to participate in October, because it's usually time when I'm drowned in university assignments but we'll see how tight my schedule is this year.

Stacking the Shelves (78)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and is all about sharing the book you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
I just can't resist all the books, whether in a bookstore or review copies on Netgalley.
Purchased

  

  

For Review

  

Dewey's 24 Hour Summer Readathon TBR

I've participated on the classic Dewey's 24 hour readathon now twice on April. I love the readathon - the short burst of reading, freedom to read without challenges, and the community which is encouraging. I'm so happy that they're decided to run a summer readathon, which is called Reverse Readathon. More info and sign ups are on Dewey's site.

The important part is that the readathon will run from Friday 27th July at 8pm (Eastern Starndard time) to Saturday 28th April at 8pm. The start and end time of the readathon depend on which time zone you live, and you can check yours from the website.

In UK time zone the start is 1am on Saturday and then it ends 1am on Sunday.

Besides this TBR post, I'll do a wrap up on Sunday when the readathon is over.

I usually read something between five hundred to six hundred pages during 24 hour readathons. Thus, I'll keep my TBR pile short and only include those books I need to finish/read before the end of this week or next week. I've a few review books I need to read and then I'm attending an event for Christina Henry and V.E. Schwab next week, so I want to read few of their books I haven't already before that. Anyway, here's what I'm hoping to read:

Regular updates during readathons are not my strong suit, but I'm trying to get better at it. So if you want to follow my reading progress, you're more than welcome to check out my twitter page - and hopefully you'll say hello and join the readathon! :)

Review: Bargaining with the Devil by L.J. Hayward

Bargaining with the Devil (Death and the Devil, #1.4)
by L.J. Hayward
Self-published
LGBT, romance, thriller

Meta-State spy Jack Reardon believes it's all been taken care of. He has his verbal agreement with his boss to "keep Blade happy," and Jack is more than willing to do his best in that regard. He also has his bargain with Ethan, to keep seeing each other. Small victories, interspersed with exploding bombs, smashed cars and miffed co-workers, all while consorting with an international assassin. 

Contract killer Ethan Blade values his security, and Jack's the first time he's found that with another person. Wiring a warehouse or outback shelter for safety, no problem. Keeping safe a prickly ex-soldier-turned-spy who's a magnet for trouble, not so easy. Instead of faceless, nameless jobs, he's poking his fingers into Jack's cases - a car bomb gone awry, a Hen party gone wild - much to Jack's mounting dismay.

They have a deal; neither one of the can seem to stick to it. It's Jack versus Ethan as the two men learn to navigate their ever-evolving not-a-relationship without losing the benefit of the bargain.

Bargaining with the Devil consists of three short stories/novellas, taking place after Coda and Ethan and Jack's deal to keep seeing each other when it's convenient for them. Of course, nothing runs smoothly when it's Ethan, Jack, and their complex world.

Once again, I was captivated and enthralled by Hayward's writing, Jack's mindset and the relationship between him and Ethan. It's complicated, that's what Jack keeps saying that's what it is, and I love it. Jack works for the government and Ethan's international assassin so nothing is simple between them. The tension is real, but so is their desire for each other. More than that, all three short stories brought something new to the table; Ethan's issues with security, boundaries of their complicated relationship, and Jack's problems with intimacy. I love how complex Jack is and how he keeps telling himself lies. Ethan's just adorable! Deadly, but adorable.

Bargaining with the Devil is stunning, and I highly recommend picking it up - or if you haven't, start the series with Where the Death Meets the Devil. 

5 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

Review: Taboo For You by Anyta Sunday

Taboo For You
by Anyta Sunday
Self-published
LGBT, contemporary, romance

Sam’s freaking out. He’s 30 in three weeks. And what has he done in his twenties? It’s pretty simple math: nothing exciting at all. But hey, he has three weeks right? Maybe that’s just enough time to tick his way through a 20s Must Do List . . .

Luke’s freaking screwed. He’s come out to his family, and his friends. Except there’s a certain someone who doesn’t know yet: his neighbor of 7 years. Who also happens to be his best friend. Who Luke needs to tell the truth, but he just . . . can’t . . . seem to . . .

Jeremy’s freaking over-the-moon. It’s the countdown to his 15th birthday, and his goal is simple. No matter what, he’s going to spend heaps of time with saucy Suzy. But first he needs to get his over-protective, no-girlfriend-'cause-you’ll-get-her-pregnant parents off his back. And what better way than pretending he’s gay?

Sam, Luke, and Jeremy. Three guys who have a lot of history together, and a lot of future too— 

—well, if they can sort out their issues, that is.

I actually read Taboo For You twice last year, but I have struggled to write a review. I love the story, characters, and it never fails to captivate me; in fact, just writing this, I want to pick it up again and read it again.

Taboo For You is classic Anyta Sunday book with oh so slow burn and clueless boys. Sam's anxious about his upcoming thirtieth birthday and wants to do some reckless things he never got to do, because he became a father at the age of fifteen. His son, Jeremy, is anxious too, but to spend time with Suzy without his overprotective parents breathing down his neck. And Luke, the likable, reliable Luke who's been there for both of them for seven years, just wants to make sure that Sam gets to experience all the things he yearns for. I have to say, because I've seen comments about it, but there isn't a threesome and the taboo in the title doesn't actually refer to anything that's really a taboo. There's a quote that explains it perfectly that I like:

"But it is... taboo, you know? No one really talks about it - it's sort of an off-limits subject. You can never know what someone's reaction is going to be, and that makes it hard for people to talk about and for guys to come out, you know?"

And yes, it's referring to coming out and being gay.

I love Taboo For You, because it's a captivating story about family and friendship. How it's never too late to experience new things and find love you were too oblivious to see before. I love it, simply because it's a sweet, funny romance that never fails to make me grin and smile. Sam and Luke are adorable!

Absolutely brilliant and cute romance, and I wholeheartedly recommend it!

5 of 5 stars.

Add on Goodreads

Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne

Imperial Stout (Trouble Brewing, #1)
by Layla Reyne
Published by Carina Press
Release date: July 23rd, 2018
Length: 272 pages
LGBT, romance, suspense

Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout, the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series. 

It’s a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic’s star witness has just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father’s shady past is catching up with him and the hot new special agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink. 

Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic’s witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.

Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew’s suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he’s willing to go—and how far into his own dark past he’s willing to dive—to get everyone out alive.

Get your copy

Amazon

Carina Press

Teaser Excerpt:

“Boston, there are cameras in this hallway.” It wasn’t so much a warning as barely restrained desire, Nic’s voice low and gravelly.

“How much do you really care right now?”

Nic’s gaze strayed to his mouth, and Cam had all the answer he needed. He clasped one side of Nic’s freshly shaven jaw and angled the other man’s face so he could devour him. The muted whimper from the back of Nic’s throat made Cam even hungrier.

He moved to rid the inches between them, to slake his hunger with Nic’s mouth, only to have the distance spring back into reality, the holding room door banging open.

At first, instinct startled them apart.

Then shock kept them that way.

About Layla Reyne:

Author Layla Reyne was raised in North Carolina and now calls San Francisco home. She enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart pounding romance. When she’s not writing stories to excite her readers, she downloads too many books, watches too much television, and cooks too much food with her scientist husband, much to the delight of their smushed-face, leftover-loving dogs. Layla is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. She was a 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.

Connect with Layla Reyne: Twitter | Instagram | FB Page | FB Group | Newsletter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon | BookBub

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: Lucky Cowboy by Liz Borino

Lucky Cowboy (Ace Cowboys, #1)
by Liz Borino
Published by NineStar Press
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, romance

Childhood friends and lost loves.

A former horse trainer turned stockbroker, Ryder Christensen planned to spend the rest of his life with Sal - the man he had grown up and fallen in love with. But nowadays, Ryder only had two things in that make him happy: his daughter, and his poker-playing. One night, he comes home to find his daughter dead. Then the loan sharks come knocking.

Back to square one...

Salvatore Lewis had spend the last six years running his late parents' ranch in Tryon, North Carolina. Between work on the ranch and helping his brother recover from an accident, Sal had almost gotten his old boyfriend out of his head. So, the last thing he needs is Ryder strolling back into his life. Sal Tries to stay away, he really does. But the magnetism between the two men is undeniable.

Danger closes in...

Within a month, Ryder's taking care of Sal's horses, and the ranch-owner can't believe they're getting a second slot at happiness together. But there's more to Ryder's sudden return than he's letting on. As Ryder and Sal's relationship blossoms, Ryder's past in New York comes back to demand more than he has to give. Will Ryder be able to protect his new life from the threat that destroyed his old one?

I like cowboys, and when it's M/M cowboys I get super excited (I mean, Brokeback Mountain is one of my favourite movies of all time.) I started Lucky Cowboy excited to dive into the world of cowboys and ranchers, only to be disappointed.

Lucky Cowboy has potential, but it failed to live up to it. It's difficult to say where it went wrong; writing, editing, or both. It's just a hot mess, because the story tries to go in three different directions without deciding what it is: a romance, a mystery, or a cowboy story. It's a little bit of all, but it felt flat because the characters are extremely one dimensional and nothing is really explained properly. The mystery wasn't engaging and there wasn't much chemistry or tension between Ryder and Sal - mostly because they get back together almost as soon as Ryder returns to Tryon. Everything happened so fast: Ryder buried his daughter and moved to Tryon within ten days of the daughter's death and less than two weeks after that, he was back together with Sal. What bothered me a lot was how Ryder didn't seem to grieve the loss of his daughter at all. His addiction to gambling was also a pretty vague, and it never felt like he truly struggled with it.

Another thing that bothered me was how emotionally distant everything was. I could tell you everything that happened to Ryder, but I couldn't tell how he felt. It was superficial and on top of that, Ryder's character (or anyone else's) was never deepened. I didn't learn who Ryder was or what he liked. Sal was a little bit more fleshed out, but not by much. In short, everyone were one dimensional, which made it hard to care for anyone or what happened to them.

What sealed it all was very abrupt ending that didn't give any closure as it ended in the middle of action, and explained nothing what had been happening. I feel overly critical right now, because the premise had promise and Lucky Cowboy had a lot of potential. I just feel like it wasn't executed well and ended up being a mix of a lot of things, which were either never deepened or explained.

A quick read with a potential, but that's all Lucky Cowboy was for me in the end.

2 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

Thank you, NineStar Press, for giving me a chance to read and review Lucky Cowboy!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

24 in 48 Readathon Sign Up & TBR

I'm so late with the sign up and TBR post (again) but here we go, I'm participating on 24 in 48 readathon! The official website has a tons of information, but the basics are easy: read for twenty-four hours during forty-eight hour period, which means this weekend (21st July to 22nd July). The official time is from 12.01am Saturday morning to 11.59pm Sunday night in Eastern time. However, since I live in Scotland and my time zone is GTM, and honestly figuring out starting times gives me a headache, I've decided to opp for starting at midnight on GTM time. I'll have whole Saturday and Sunday for reading, but I'll just start few hours earlier than the official one and finishing up a few hours earlier.

I'm in a situation where I have a large pile of books I want to read (some are re-reads) as soon as possible, but I can't decide what to read next. So this TBR will be large and I know I'm not going to read everything in it - it's just to give both you and me some sense what I'm hoping to read.

And some books I'd like to revisit

Cover Reveal: Pisces Hooks Taurus by Anyta Sunday

FINALLY! Anyta Sunday has shared a title and gorgeous cover of the next Signs of Love book! As a huge fan of the series, I'm super happy to share this with you!

Pisces Hooks Taurus (Signs of Love, #4)

by Anyta Sunday

Self-published

Release date: October 2018

Lenght: 69,000 words / 285 pages

Teaser: Does love at first sight exist? Find out in Signs of Love 4, an opposites attract romantic comedy featuring an unapologetic romantic and a broken realist. More wit, banter and bad puns - and even more heart-stopping slow burn!

Author bio

Heart-stopping slow burn.

Anyta Sunday is a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. She loves to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of her favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

Anyta writes a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy. Her books have been translated into German, Italian and French. 

Member of Romance Writers of America.

Connect with Anyta: Website | Twitter | Facebook | To receive a free e-book, sign up for Anyta’s newsletter here!

And that's not all! Signs of Love #2, Scorpio Hates Virgo, is free for July 11th 2018!

Scorpio Hates Virgo (Signs of Love, #2)

by Anyta Sunday

Self-published

Original release day: September 1st 2017

New Adult, LGBT, contemporary, romance

This year is all about healing the heart, Scorpio. It’s time to leave negative attitudes and stoic facades at the door and let others see the real, more vulnerable you.

Percy Freedman is not grieving. Absolutely not, take that back at once. No, he’s entirely sure that selling his dead aunt’s home and leaving the neighbors he’s known for years is the sane thing to do. Who in their right mind would keep the house that smells like all the hugs he’ll never have again? 

Nobody, that’s who.

Well, except his cul-de-sac neighbors. They all seem to think some paint and new furniture will clean the emotional slate. They all want him to stay.

Even his old nemesis, Callaghan Glover.
Especially his old nemesis, Callaghan Glover.

Lured into a game of Sherlock Gnomes, Percy finds himself hanging out with his neighbors more than might be considered healthy. Along with juggling new and surprising verbal grenades from Cal, and his burgeoning friendship with Gnomber9, Percy is starting to wonder if selling might have been the grief talking after all . . .

That’s right, Scorpio. With a little patience, heartbreak might be a thing of the past . . .

“Scorpio Hates Virgo” contains sarcasm, sexual content, a slightly sappy HEA, and an unhealthy obsession with dinosaurs. It can be read as a standalone.

Get free your copy;
Amazon UK

Excerpt:

Cal rocked up to his Jeep all business-casual, in form-fitting jeans, polished leather shoes and matching brown satchel, and a dark jacket that covered a beige T-shirt.

“You got a meeting or something?” Percy asked, slipping his sunglasses on.

Cal opened the passenger door and looked at him over the roof. “No.”

Sunlight did very striking things to Cal’s hair. Made it look positively copper. Not as red as his cheeks were getting, though.

A cheerful cry startled Percy and he ripped his gaze away from Cal. Crystal was waving at them from her opened kitchen window.

“Good morning,” she called.

After another restless night, he could hardly call it good, but . . . “Morning.”

She leaned further out the window, her dressing gown gaping a little too much down the front. “Are you out for the day?”

“A couple of hours. Taking Callaghan here to work, then nipping past the Home Depot.” To get the home ready to market, he needed to spruce up the place. Paint the living room and bathroom, put in a new vanity, replace the door handles of the kitchen cupboards, change the faucets and showerhead and put in a new toilet seat.

“You at the Home Depot?” Cal murmured. “Sure you’d even know what to buy?”

Percy gestured for him to get in the car. “High time I get you to work.”

As he slipped into the driver’s seat, Crystal called out after them. “Good to see water and earth spending time together!”

Over his sunglasses that had slipped down his nose, Percy looked at Cal. “See, this is why we’ll always be nemeses.”

Cal hitched his brow, and Percy turned the ignition and peeled out from the curb.

“Together we’re mud.”