Book Blitz + Giveaway: Private Charter by N.R. Walker

Private Charter
by N.R. Walker
Publication date: August 24th 2018
Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Stuart Jenner’s job is high stress, high stakes, and everything he’s strived for. So why, when the apex of his career is within reach, does he stumble? At his doctor’s insistence, he books a privately chartered yacht to sail around the Whitsundays for two weeks of sun, surf, and sex. When his friend-with-benefits bails on him at the last minute, Stuart decides to go alone. 

Foster Knight left the rat race behind six years ago, bought a yacht, and now calls the Great Barrier Reef his home. Sailing tourists around tropical waters is all in a day’s work, and he’s never been happier. When his next client arrives alone, the two-week charter will be the most private job he’s ever had. 

Foster can see how stressed and exhausted Stuart is, and he promises him extensive rest and relaxation. Stuart slowly realises his original plan for two weeks of sun, surf, and sex might not be lost yet. Confined to a yacht, isolated by aqua-coloured oceans and the sweltering sun, Stuart and Foster are about to find out just how hot the tropics can get.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

While he ducked downstairs to grab his things, I dropped anchor and pulled over the sun visor. Stuart came back up, vest gone, towel draped over his arm, and the bottle of sunscreen in his hand. He held it out to me. “Would you mind?”

I took it and rolled my eyes. “It’s not exactly a hardship.”

He chuckled and turned around, giving me his back. I applied sunscreen, covering his back and the nape of his neck, rubbing his shoulders, and even giving him a little massage. “You’re not so tense today,” I said.

“Imagine how relaxed you could get me,” he said, his voice low. I dug my thumbs into the knot of his shoulders, intending it as a jab to what he said, but he moaned instead. “Jesus, your hands…”

I dropped them and took a small step back. “You’re done.”

He turned to face me, his imploring gaze full of mischief. “Would you mind terribly doing my front? I’d hate to get sunscreen on your yacht.”

I stared at him. And Jesus, he was being serious.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He looked around the cockpit. “I know. That’s why I asked. I’d hate to get sunscreen on your seat or your ladder when I hold on.”

I fought a smile. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh, I know.” He sighed dramatically. “Well, if you won’t do it for me, could you watch me do it and point out any parts I miss? I’d hate to get sunburnt.” He dropped his towel onto the seat and made a show of pouring sunscreen onto his palm. How could he make that sexual? God, it may as well be honey, or lube, or any-fucking-thing I’d like to lick off him.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, then he rubbed it all over his chest, his abs, down below his navel… and his eyes never left mine. His tongue peeked out at the corner of his mouth, and he stretched his neck and rubbed one hand over his throat while his other hand slipped just under his Speedos. It made me look at the bulge barely concealed by his swimmers. “Did I get everywhere, Foster?”

I swallowed hard and forced myself to make eye contact. “You were pretty thorough, yeah.”

One corner of his mouth rose in a sexy-as-hell smirk. “I’ve been told that before.”

My nostrils flared. “You don’t play fair.”

He shook his head slowly. “I’m not playing.”

Fuck.

Sure, it was summer, and sure it was the tropics, but that had nothing to do with the sweat that beaded all over my body. I let out a shaky breath and reached up to a line of sunscreen he’d missed under his eye and smeared it with the pad of my thumb. I wanted to slide my thumb across his lip. I wanted to slip it into his mouth, let him suck on it…

“Join me,” he whispered. “You know you want to.”

I knew exactly where we’d end up if we got into the water together. “I was going to make a start on an early lunch,” I replied. There was no conviction in my voice, and he knew it.

He leaned in and whispered in my ear. “I’m not hungry for food.” Then he turned, collected his towel, which he dropped near the ladder, and dived into the water.

I all but collapsed onto the seat, taking in deep breaths. I wiped my forehead, my face, and felt my heart hammering in my chest. Jesus, Lord have mercy, he was going to kill me.

I shouldn’t encourage this. I should have told him when this whole playful flirting thing started that it was a no-go. I had rules in place for a reason. I had a business, a reputation.

I also had a hard-on that wasn’t going away any time soon.

I had urges and desires that I hadn’t wanted to act on with anyone else. Then Stuart Fucking Jenner boarded my yacht and everything went to hell.

I should go down to the galley and prepare some lunch. I should turn on the TV for a distraction, or read a book, or go into my bathroom and take care of my aching dick, thinking about anything but him.

Him in the water, just a few metres away. Him, with the come-fuck-me eyes, who wants me to join him—and not just join him in the water. Him, with the scorching hot body who’s offering himself to me.
Him, yes him.

I should not want him. I should not want this. And most of all, I should not get into the water with him. I knew how it would end. I would dive into the water with him, and he’d swim over to me with that devastating smile, and he’d reach out for me and I’d pull him close. He’d wrap his legs around me and I’d tread water, holding us both up, and he’d crush his mouth to mine. I’d finally get to taste him, to have that gorgeous pink tongue of his in my mouth, and then we’d bring it on board. On the deck, on the cockpit seat, down in the cabin, on the floor, on the table, in his bed, in mine.

“Fuck.”

I stood up, pulled my shirt over my head, took two long strides, and dived headfirst into the water.

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... 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bout of Books 23 Wrap Up

Bout of Books 23 was a week long readathon that finished yesterday. My sign up post offers more information about the readathon itself. This one is just to wrap up what I read and how much I read.

Overall I read 1,073 pages, which I'm satisfied with considering that first two days I was travelling with a friend and then sick with cold. I read something every day, but didn't hit a stride until the weekend, which is why I read less than I might have liked. Anyway, I'm happy because I started and finished three books and got in the middle of two others - that's way better than my usual reading week!

Here's the numbers for pages I read per day

Day 1; 41 pages

Day 2; 56 pages

Day 3; 94 pages

Day 4; 150 pages

Day 5; 163 pages

Day 6; 260 pages

Day 7; 310 pages

And here's the books I read

On my Kindle I read To See the Sun and Undue Influence.

I read the following from beginning to end during the readathon: To See the Sun, Undue Influence and City of Ghosts.

I started three books: Pride and Prejudice (90 pages) and Pyrate's Boy (175 pages).

Stacking the Shelves (80)

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!
Purchased

 

For Review

 

The Ultimate Book Tag

This is an old tag, but I have never done it and I was bit by a tag bug recently, so here I am with an old tag that I wanted to do. I saw this done by Jeann @ Happy Indulgence. I'm not sure who started it, but that's where I found it.

1. Do you get sick while reading in a car?

Aye, I suffer from travelling sickness in cars and busses. I'm okay on train and on airplane though (which is why I prefer trains over busses).

2. Which author's writing style is completely unique to you and why?
I loved Sally Green's Half Life trilogy for various reasons, but one of the aspects that captivated me was Green's writing style, which I felt was really unique.

3. Harry Potter series or the Twilight saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer.

You can't be serious. It's not a competition, because nothing beats Harry Potter.

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is in it (besides books)?

Not unless I go to the library. Although, I still have either a book or kindle with me when I commute and travel.

5.  Do you smell you books?

Aye, sometimes, but only when I'm alone.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?

I don't mind illustrations, but most of the books I read are without.

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn't quality writing?

There's plenty of options, most from my teenager years when YA started to rise. I remember it being a case of read what you can get your hands on (I lived in Finland at that point so the options were even more limited), and I liked a lot of stuff that I know realize isn't quality writing. The Twilight saga and Hush Hush saga by Becca Fitzpatrick being the most prominent in my case. Although, I have to say that I never finished either series as I had grown out of them by the time the last book came out.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
I don't know about funny, but most bookish stories from my childhood are about begging my parents and relatives to read a bedtime story for me (and when they tried to skip parts, correct them because of course I knew The Lion King word by word), or when I learned to read, reading with a flashlight under my blanket when I should have been asleep.

9. What is the tiniest book on your shelf?
Most likely one of the Little Black Penguin Classics, which are around fifty pages long and small sized.

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?

Definitely The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas with 1276 pages.

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?

Aye. I used to write a lot but the last few years not so much. I do plan on writing more in the future as I'm trying get back to the habit right now.

12. When did you get into reading?

I've always been into reading, first it was my parents reading bedtime stories (I refused to go to sleep without one) and when I learned to read, well, I've devoured books ever since. I vividly remember that I was on second grade (around eight years old) when I read first novel on my own.

13. What is your favourite classic book?

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, I've loved it since I read it a decade ago for the first time. Now I own multiple copies and have re-read it many times. I love the flawed characters, complicated relationships, betrayal, and vengeance spanning through generations and decades.

14. In school what was your best subject?

Hands down history, which shouldn't be a surprise since I went to university to study it further. Although I was good at arts and Finnish, too.

15. If you were given a book as present that you had read before and hated, what would you do?

I would still be thankful for the present (especially since I almost never get books as present even though they're all I want), but I would most likely give it to a friend or donate to a charity.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?

I'm not a big fan recommending books by comparing them to successful sagas.

17. What is a bad habit you always do while blogging?

I've blogged for years and I still haven't learned to schedule posts. I usually write a post and then publish it. I do have a planner with plans, but because I don't write them beforehand and schedule, I often end up not posting anything on days when I'm busy, tired, or feeling lazy.

18. What is your favourite word?

One of my favourite words is in Finnish - ruostesuoja (it means a protection against rust).

19. Are you a nerd, dork or dweeb? Or all of the above?

I'm actually neither. My sister calls me a nerd from time to time, but I really don't fit into that definition as I dabble in a lot of interests without being an expert in any.

20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?

Vampires, because I find them fascinating. I've never been able to understand fairies, so I don't really read lore or books based on them.

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?

This is hard, because I prefer neither. I guess I have to go with shapeshifters because I find them more interesting than angels.

22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?

Oh, give me werewolves over spirits any day. I'm not really into spirits or ghosts or anything like that. I prefer wolves.

23. Zombies or Vampires? Why?

Vampires, although it would be basically anything but zombies. Zombies creep me out in a bad way. I avoid them like plague.

24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?

This is easy; I hate love triangles and when forbidden love is done well, it's heartbreaking and so beautiful.

25. And finally: Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
I like both, although I do gravitate a little bit more towards action-packed with romance. And it's worth noting that I only read full on romance books that are LGBT pairings while I do read action-packed with love scenes that has straight pairings.

Book Blitz + Giveaway: The Royal Order of Fighting Dragons by Dan Elish

The Royal Order of Fighting Dragons
by Dan Elish
Published by Vesuvian Books
Publication date: August 7th 2018
Middle Grade, Urban Fantasy

Born To Fight? 

Ike Rupert Hollingsberry is haunted by the past because complete strangers won’t let him forget when his famous father died on the set of The Fighting Dragons, a cult favorite that still has people talking.
But when he’s attacked by a large locust, like the one that killed his dad, Ike is helped by the geekiest nerd of all, Elmira Hand. 

Killing the giant locust was only the beginning of the surprises in store for Ike as he is whisked away from New York City to an isolated Florida compound to assume his role as the next in line to lead the Royal Order of the Fighting Dragons—that are NOT supposed to exist—and learns his dad’s death was a cover-up for a far greater purpose… 

********** 

“… destined to be a kid-pleasing classic. Readers will be captivated as Ike is drawn into the mysterious and dangerous world … I dare any fan of Harry Potter, Roald Dahl, Wonder Woman, Superman—any rollicking adventure story—to pick up The Royal Order of Fighting Dragons and not get hooked.

~Deborah Heiligman, Award-winning author of Vincent and Theo

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

EXCERPT:

Ike was dying. With school about to start he’d never have the chance to tell Diego and Kashvi what was going on now. Why hadn’t he called last night?

“Well,” Mr. Changar said, “looks like it’s time to say goodbye.”

Ike looked toward the gate. In keeping with Branford tradition, Headmistress Bergman, a trim elderly woman, had come out to greet the students as they entered the school. He sighed.

“Yep,” he said. “That’s how it looks.”

He shook his head, deeply annoyed but unable to say anything. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kashvi give her father a quick hug.

But then as Mr. Changar let his daughter go, he squinted into the distance. “Well, well,” he said. “That’s certainly interesting.”

“What?” Kashvi said.

Mr. Changar pointed down 89^th Street.

“That.”

Ike turned and looked. On the far horizon, over the Hudson River, was a large black dot. It was interesting—also strange.

“What is it?” Ike asked.

“Don’t know,” Kashvi said.

Diego brushed his hair out of the way and squinted. “It’s a black dot,” he said. “What’s the big deal? Nothing to worry about.”

Ike wasn’t so sure. To his alarm, the dot was picking up speed and growing larger and larger by the second. It wasn’t making enough noise to be a helicopter and it didn’t look wide enough to be a plane.

But whatever it was, it was certainly something. In fact, the dot was coming so fast now most everyone else in the vicinity had noticed it, too.

“Yo,” someone cried, “is that a giant dirt ball?”

“No, it’s a tornado.”

“In New York? Not a chance.”

Ike didn’t think so either. It wasn’t tall or thin enough to be a tornado. But as the dot grew bigger, he did notice two longish spires curling off its top. And the closer the dot came, the taller the spires grew until Ike suddenly knew what they were.

“Antennae,” he whispered with a shiver.

What else could they be? Worse, it wasn’t long before Ike noticed the dot had a mouth. And atop its back was a barely discernable blur, the rapid fluttering of two powerful wings. Then all the disparate elements—the antennae, the mouth, and wings—seemed to meld together, revealing its unquestionable identity.

“It’s a bug,” Ike cried. “A locust.”

“Is it real?” Diego asked.

A day earlier, Ike would’ve said the bug was a giant robot or a clever special effect. But that was a day earlier.

“I think so,” Ike said.

“Who cares if it’s real?” a parent yelled. “It’s bigger than a subway car.”

“Cripes,” somebody else said. “We’ve gotta move.”

With the locust two blocks away, the sidewalk exploded into a cacophony of terrified shrieks and shouts as parents and kids alike ran for it, scattering lunchboxes and knapsacks as they went.

“Come on,” Diego said, tearing for the street. “We’re out of here.”

But Ike was frozen with equal parts terror and disbelief. The bug was a block away, thundering ten feet over the sidewalk as though it had been shot out of a cannon. And now that it was closer, Ike could finally make out its body in more detail—its four small front legs and two giant back ones. Its scaly, light green skin and, worst of all, its eyes. Two giant black circles, one on each side of its head—focused directly on him.

“Ike?” Diego called from behind a parked car. “Come on. Hide.”

Ike wheeled around, looking frantically up and down the sidewalk. Hide? Suddenly, there wasn’t enough time. The school door was too far away and the cars were all locked. With the raging bug seconds away, Ike knew there was only one thing that could save him …

His father’s sword.

Author Bio

Dan Elish is the author of nine novels, including The School for the Insanely Gifted, BORN TOO SHORT: The Confessions of an Eighth-Grade Basket Case, an International Reading Association Students’ Choice Award Recipient (Simon & Schuster), the book for the Broadway musical13, slated to be a movie by CBS Films, and The Worldwide Dessert Contest, which was recently optioned for TV. In addition, Dan is a writer of TV shows like PBS’s Cyberchase.
Dan has received fellowships and scholarships to the Bread Loaf and Sewanee Writers’ Conferences and is represented by Matt Bialer at Greenburger Associates. He lives in New York with his wife and children.

Website / Goodreads

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Pride and Modern Prejudice by A.J. Michaels

Pride and Modern Prejudice
by A.J. Michaels
Published by Dreamspinner Press
LGBT, contemporary, romance, retelling

What happens when Jane Austen's immortal characters are thrust into 21st century Pennsylvania, with an all-male twist?

Liam Bennet has always been a good judge of character, but when William Darcy is thrown into his social circle, everything spins out of control. Darcy is proud, cold, arrogant - and strangely captivating. When Liam's brother and Darcy's business partner start seeing each other, Liam cannot avoid this enigmatic businessman. But does he want to?

As Liam struggles to find his identity in college and acknowledge his feelings, he must deal with the fortunes of his four brothers, his gossiping mother, and the possibility of a large inheritance that could save his family from financial ruin. Emotions come to a boil when George Wickham, a world-weary musician, stumbles into town and ignites a feud with Darcy. He threatens to expose a long-hidden past, and Liam must decide for himself who William Darcy really is and what he really wants.

I love Pride and Prejudice and it seems I'm a fan of modern M/M retellings of it as I have now read few and liked them. Pride and Modern Prejudice is great retelling that stays true to the original and there isn't a lot that's changed, except the modernization and main setting in the USA (don't worry, there'll still be travelling to England and visiting Pemberley!) There are some twists to the story - and not just the male cast - that just made it surprising enough and captivating. For example, I really enjoyed how Georgiana had bigger and more surprising role in the story. There's also interesting take on Liam's grandfather's inheritance, which is promised to go to his first grandson who marries, and oh boy it's an interesting to see how everyone reacts to that. Still, some things remained same such as Collins being unbearable, which was very comforting.

I do think that part of Pride and Prejudice's charm is the setting and time period, which is absent on these modern retellings. However, I think Michaels managed to create such a strong connection to the characters - mainly to Liam Bennet - that I didn't find the story lacking despite the change of setting and time period. It was fascinating to see William Darcy and Charlie Bingley as business partners of a social media company and Liam and Charlotte as college students whereas Jamie had recently graduated from college and just starting his career. Even more fascinating and captivating was to follow Liam and Darcy's developing relationship. There's chemistry and it kept me turning the page faster and faster.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and it kept me captivated until the very end. My only complain about the story is how the sex scene took the fade to black and ignored the very next day route. I don't know whether the author just didn't want to include it or if it was done as a nod to the original, but it felt a little frustrating on a modernized story after a long slow burn romance. I love slow burn and I'm not completely mad of the exclusion of the sex scene, which is why it won't have an effect for my rating. I just want to mention it as the only disappointing aspect of the story.

I highly recommend Pride and Modern Prejudice for all those who love Pride and Prejudice and want to see a M/M twist on it. Or even if you have never read the original, I'd still recommend to pick this one up - who knows, maybe it might spark you to pick up the classic!

5 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

Bout of Books 23 Read-A-Thon Sign Up

I've participated Bout of Books three times now, and I really like how relaxed and fun the readathon is. It's one of my favourite readathons to participate in, and I don't want to miss it this time, even when I know I won't be reading much (if any) on Monday and Tuesday. I have a friend coming over and we'll be travelling all around Scotland so I'll start the readathon after my friend leaves - which will be around Wednesday. I should still get a lot of reading done between Wednesday and Sunday, so count me in!

If you haven't heard about this readathon, here's what it's about:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 20th and runs through Sunday, August 26th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 23 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

As always, my TBR is not set in stone and it's just mainly to indicate what books I'd like to read. There's a bunch of books even if it might be impossible for me to read all of them. Anyway, here we go;

Review: The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

The Smoke Thieves (The Smoke Thieves, #1)
by Sally Green
Published by Penguin
Young Adult, fantasy

A princess, a traitor, a hunter and a thief. Four teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Four nations destined for conflict.

In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a loveless political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town. And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell.

As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our four heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war. Who will rise and who will fall? And who will claims the ultimate prize?

It's been a while since I read a YA fantasy with multiple point of views and after reading The Smoke Thieves, I don't know why I don't read it more often. I loved all the intrigue, change of perspective (and most of the time, country/nation) and waiting to see how it'll all tie together in the end - or will it do that at all. It made the world more alive to see it through different eyes and to learn more about the four countries/nations through the eyes of natives there. Princess Catherine's perspective offered court life and responsibilities, while March was a servant so his chapters gave insight to the another end of the social spectrum. Then there was Edyon, who was son of a merchant and a bastard, which caused social stigma for him, and young Tash who was a thief. One of Catherine's guards, Ambrose, also got some chapters from his point of view, which also drove the plot forward.

Of all the perspectives and characters, Tash was only one I couldn't stand at all; with everyone else, there was something I could identify with and understand their motives. Tash was just annoying, spending all her time jabbering about new boots, and her chapters didn't seem to drive the plot forward. I liked everyone else's chapters, but I must say that Edyon and March were my favourites. March's grumpy and guarded while Edyon was bubbly and outgoing, and that contrast was everything.

It's difficult to say much, because I don't want to spoil anything. The Smoke Thieves was a clever mix of character and plot driven story. I enjoyed the whole book thoroughly, because I liked connecting the dots and trying to guess what might happen next. There's a map on the book, which I consulted a lot, because I love to see where everything is and where the characters are going. 

I highly recommend The Smoke Thieves, because of how captivating beginning for the series it is. I yearn to learn more, especially since there was a lot happening by the end of the book. Also, I just need to know that Edyon and March are going to make it!

5 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

ARC Review: Challenging Chance by Anyta Sunday

Challenging Chance (Love Letters, #3)
by Anyta Sunday
Self-published
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, romance

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... and 

Charm each other into submission.

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

C is for Challenging Chance. 

I have to be honest: after Admiring Ash and Begging Ben, I wasn't sure how I felt about reading a book about Chance Roosevelt-Sutton, when he had been egoistical and mean towards Landon. Only reason why I gave him, and this book, a chance was because it's written by Anyta Sunday and I love her books. Oh boy, was I proven wrong to be hesitant to start Challenging Chance. In fact, it might just be my favourite in this series.

Challenging Chance is about redeeming a bad boy, but it's also so much more as it offers insight why Chance behaves the way he does. I truly felt for him: the lonely boy, who wanted to be accepted by his father and brother, and who didn't have real friends because his teammates only tolerated him as he paid for everything. It might not excuse his behaviour towards Landon, whom he had a short relationship with but ignored afterwards, because he wasn't ready to face his sexuality. Still, it explains why Chance is so deep in the closet that he doesn't even want a male personal assistant.

Challenging Chance is great, because it made me like and root for a character I previously disliked. Not only that, I liked Brook. He had made some really big mistakes previously, but he was trying to be better, he actually bothered to learn who Chance was without judgement, and his grandma was the best. Grandma (Patricia) was a total hoot! Supportive and a matchmaker ordinary with witty commentary. She's a star.

And of course, there was plenty of chemistry between Chance and Brook. Lots of will-they-won't-they and anticipation to see what happens; will Chance embrace who he is, or will he choose to live in denial just to please his father? My only complain about Challenging Chance is that it didn't have enough basketball in it, and it could have been a bit longer.

5 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

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

Cover Reveal: Toxic by Lydia Kang

ARC Review: Begging Ben by Anyta Sunday

Begging Ben (Love Letters, #2)
by Anyta Sunday
Self-published
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, romance

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.

Begging Ben was a fun read with a healthy dash of angst. It's friends to lovers, although it is not so straightforward as Ben has been in love with Landon for years while Landon has been exploring relationships and pining for another guy, who doesn't return Landon's feelings. In fact, Landon is obsessed with Chance Roosevelt-Sutton, and he forgets something that was very important to Ben, which leads Ben to put the friendship on hold, because he can't take it anymore and wants to get over his feelings for Landon. There's angst and complications, but it's also fun because Ben and Landon are science geeks and their chemistry puns are awesome (even though I'm not familiar with science and chemistry beyond mandatory school classes). It only gets more complicated after drunken Las Vegas wedding (which Ben doesn't even recall) and Landon wanting Ben back as best friend.

I'm all for angst, pining and unrequited feelings, as much as I like happy endings. I also like friends to lovers stories when there's a lot of personal history involved, because it's hard and scary in case your friend doesn't return the feelings. However, I must say that while I enjoyed Begging Ben a lot, I liked the first in the series, Admiring Ash, more. I think it is mostly because of the drunken Vegas wedding, which is not my favourite tropes. The beginning of the book was also a little bit jumpy, skipping months between chapters; it took me a bit time to get the story right and connect what was happening and when. It gets better after the first chapters and then it's a smooth ride.

Ben and Landon's friendship and relationship, and their struggles with it, is captivating. There's also plenty of other characters mixing in: Ben's mother and his cousin Chris, who's recently become a single father for a newborn. It's very family centric, which I do love, and River and Ash are featured too! And I have to mention how much I squealed when Ben read Fence comic by C.S. Pacat! He definitely has a great taste in comics.

Overall, Begging Ben is a fun read with tropes and plenty of angst. For me, it wasn't as great as previous book in the series but it was good one nevertheless. I admire Anyta Sunday's writing, and I'm not going to stop reading and recommending her books.

4 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

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

Stacking the Shelves (79)

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!
Purchased

For Review