Waiting on Wednesday #51

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's cannot-wait book is:

Trick Roller by Cordelia Kingsbridge!

Trick Roller (Seven of Spades, #2)

by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Published by Riptide Publishing

Expected publication: January 29th 2018

LGBT, contemporary, mystery, thriller, romance

It’s the height of summer in Las Vegas. Everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead—except Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo—and it’s back to business as usual. For Levi, that means investigating a suspicious overdose at the Mirage that looks like the work of a high-class call girl, while Dominic pursues a tough internship with a local private investigator. The one bright spot for both of them is their blossoming relationship.

But things aren’t so simple. Soon Levi is sucked into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, even as his obsession with the Seven of Spades intensifies. Dominic knows that Levi isn’t crazy. He knows the Seven of Spades is still out there, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But Dominic has his own demons to battle, and he may be fighting a losing war.

One thing is certain: the Seven of Spades holds all the cards. It won’t be long before they show their hand.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Meant To Read In 2017 But Didn't Get To

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week participating bloggers can create lists of topic given by the host, and share them with others!

Both of these are on top of my TBR, but the year ended before I had time to pick either one up.

All of these have been on my TBR since YALC 2017, but I didn't have chance to read them.

I have a enormous pile of classics I own and want to read, and these were on my TBR for 2017, but sadly I read none of these.

 

I meant to read at least one of Adam Silvera's books, especially since I loved his villain short story in Because You Love To Hate Me. I'll try to read both of these in 2018!

ARC Review: Relay by Layla Reyne

Relay (Changing Lanes, #1)
by Layla Reyne
Published by Riptide Publishing
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, sports, romance

Captain is not a title Alejandro “Alex” Cantu takes lightly. Elected by his teammates to helm the US Men’s Swim Team, he proudly accepts the role, despite juggling endless training, team administrative work, and helping out on the family farm. And despite his ex-lover, Dane Ellis—swimming’s biggest star—also making the Olympic Team.

Dane has been a pawn in his celebrity parents’ empire from crib to pool, flashing his camera-ready smile on demand and staying deeply in the closet. Only once did he drop the act—the summer he fell in love with Alex. Ten years later, Dane longs to cut his parents’ strings, drop his too-bright smile, and beg Alex for another chance.

Alex, though, isn’t ready to forgive and forget, and Dane is a distraction he doesn’t need on his team, until an injury forces Alex to accept Dane as his medley relay anchor. Working together, their passion reignites. When Dane’s parents threaten reprisal and Alex is accused of doping, the two must risk everything to prove Alex’s innocence, to love one another, and to win back their spots on the team, together.

Relay is intense and captivating story, that left me yearning for more; I need the sequel.

The whole medley relay team is hungry for the coveted Olympic gold, since four years ago they went home with silver, because Dane was injured and had to miss it, and Bas's some personal drama. They are hungry for victory and everything is intense because of the high adrenaline - and it doesn't help that one member of the medley relay team, Mo, gets injured in practice and Dane replaces him, which Alex doesn't like at all because he's still hurt from a decade ago when Dane broke his heart. Still, they have to learn to let it go and work as a team if they want to win the Olympics.

Relay is a journey of growth, forgiving and forgetting, for Alex and Dane. To reach unity withing the US Olympic swim team, Alex has to forgive Dane for breaking his heart ten years ago, when after an intense summer of romance, Dane decided to stay in closet and left Alex. And Dane has to stand up against his controlling parents, who disturb the swim team with constant publicity stunts. I loved the tension and feelings, and I rallied for Alex, who has always taken so much as his responsibility - the captaincy of the men's swim team, as representative of both Hispanic and LGBT communities, and providing for his family, especially since his mother's cancer has come back. I also loved the romance and how Alex and Dane respected each other, even when their feelings were hurt and when they 'hated' each other.

Relay is character driven story, and it had the perfect cast for it. I loved Alex and Dane, both together and separate, and the other team members, especially Bas and Jacob (and I can't wait for their story in Medley!) The only people I couldn't stand were Dane's controlling and bigoted parents, Reverend Ellis and Mrs Ellis. Relay is also complicated and taking sides is extremely hard, which is why it was such captivating and perfect story.

I highly recommend Relay, because of how captivating and intense it is. There's drama and there's competitive swimming and character growth. It's simply a book, that I couldn't put down.

4 of 5 stars.

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Thank you, Riptide Publishing, for giving me a chance to read and review Relay!

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

Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: Relay by Layla Reyne

Relay (Changing Lanes, #1)
by Layla Reyne
Published by Riptide Publishing
Release day: January 8th, 2018
M/M contemporary sports romance

Captain is not a title Alejandro “Alex” Cantu takes lightly. Elected by his teammates to helm the US Men’s Swim Team, he proudly accepts the role, despite juggling endless training, team administrative work, and helping out on the family farm. And despite his ex-lover, Dane Ellis—swimming’s biggest star—also making the Olympic Team.

Dane has been a pawn in his celebrity parents’ empire from crib to pool, flashing his camera-ready smile on demand and staying deeply in the closet. Only once did he drop the act—the summer he fell in love with Alex. Ten years later, Dane longs to cut his parents’ strings, drop his too-bright smile, and beg Alex for another chance.

Alex, though, isn’t ready to forgive and forget, and Dane is a distraction he doesn’t need on his team, until an injury forces Alex to accept Dane as his medley relay anchor. Working together, their passion reignites. When Dane’s parents threaten reprisal and Alex is accused of doping, the two must risk everything to prove Alex’s innocence, to love one another, and to win back their spots on the team, together.

Get your copy!

Publisher

Amazon UK

Excerpt:

“How’s it going in there?”

Dane opened the stall door, eyes downcast as he tried to straighten out his shirt. “There are a lot of snaps.”

Alex inhaled sharply, and before Dane could wrap his head around that sound, around the blush streaking those high cheekbones, Alex had already moved on. To standing right in front of him. “You’re supposed to leave the shirt open.”

Dane lifted his hands, and Alex batted them away. He grabbed the uneven shirttails and ripped the buttons apart, the staccato snaps mirroring Dane’s stuttering heartbeat. Alex’s grip on the chambray lingered, as did his presence in Dane’s space, and with each heaving breath, each whiff of cologne tinged with chlorine, a pore-deep scent no swimmer could shake, Dane’s paper-thin resolved shredded.

Author bio

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.

Connect with Layla: Author Site | Twitter | FB | FB Group | Pinterest | Tumblr | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter

Giveaway!

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Stacking the Shelves (70)

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

  

Book Blitz: Gemini Rules Capricorn by Anyta Sunday

Gemini Rules Capricorn (Signs of Love, #3.5)
by Anyta Sunday
Self-published
LGBT, contemporary, romance, novella
Release date: January 1st, 2018

Rules. Lloyd loves to make them. Wesley loves to break them.What happens when their roles are reversed?Find out in this rule-bending romp! 

* ~ * ~ * 

Gemini Rules Capricorn is a 4000 word sexy short story. 

* ~ * ~ * 

A special message from Anyta Sunday: Thank you for all your love and support. To give back, I’m donating all net proceeds from “Gemini Rules Capricorn” between January 1st and January 31st 2018 to Human Rights Campaign. And I’ll match those proceeds up to $500! From February 1st, “Gemini Rules Capricorn” will be available as a free download from my website.

Get your copy from Amazon!

Teaser:

“What did we say about breaking my back?”

“That the sex would be worth it.”

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!

Review: Gemini Rules Capricorn by Anyta Sunday

Gemini Rules Capricorn (Signs of Love, #3.5)
by Anyta Sunday
Self-published
LGBT, contemporary, romance, novella

Rules. Lloyd loves to make them. Wesley loves to break them.
What happens when their roles are reversed?
Find out in this rule-bending romp!

I loved Gemini Keeps Capricorn, it was brilliant and captivating, and Wesley and Lloyd are so cute and hot together. It wasn't a surprise I dived into their short story as soon as it was published. My only complain is the shortness of the story - I wanted more. After a full length novel and this short story, I still haven't had enough of them!

Gemini Rules Capricorn is stunning; it's steamy, funny, and pure joy. Wesley and Lloyd are playful, witty, and so adorably in love with each other. So this is full of emotions, both tender and steamy. Basically, I loved this to pieces.

This was perfect read to start the new year, that's for sure!

5 of 5 stars

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Bookish Goals for 2018

I don't really do resolutions when the year changes, but I like doing these bookish goals posts and trying to achieve them (at least partly).

First of all, I want to read at least 60 books.

This has been my goal for the last few years, and last year I managed to surpass it by reading 70 books. However, I'll start fourth year in university next autumn, and it'll be the hardest year with dissertation so I don't want to set too high reading goal.

I also want to read more classics.

This is a repeat from the last few years, too. Last year I failed totally, because I didn't finish any classics, despite being in the middle of few. I'll try to do better this year, because I really want to read Ancient classics such as Illiad, The Aenead, and The Golden Ass. I also want to read more Jane Austen, and finally finish Jane Eyre.

For this blog, I want to write more reviews.

In 2017, some months were great and I wrote a lot of reviews. Then again, some months were disasters and I didn't wrote a single review. I have a list of reviews of books I read in 2017 and 2016 that I need to write/finish writing, and I'd like to do so this year. That should be possible if I manage to be consisted with reviews posted.

I want to finish Nightrunner series.
I read Luck In The Shadows by Lynn Flewelling and fell in love. Since then I read three of the sequels and short story collection. I'm in the middle of fifth book and then there's the last two books, and I want to read all of them in 2018. Overall, I've been into finishing series lately, and Nightrunner is one of my all time favourites so I definitely want to finish it (and then probably re-read, because I won't be ready to let go of the world).

Lastly, I want to re-read old favourites.

I'm bad at re-reading. I re-read one book last year, and while I loved reading the story again, I didn't re-read more. Still, I want to read more favourites, and some are way due a re-read, like some of Harry Potter books, The Song of Achilles, and Pride and Prejudice.

That's all of my bookish goals for 2018. Do you have any bookish goals for the next year?

Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week participating bloggers can create lists of topic given by the host, and share them with others!

I read plenty of new-to-me authors in 2017, and here's ten authors whose books I loved.

Anyta Sunday - She became fast one of my favourite M/M romance authors, and I read 8 books from her in 2017; she was my most read author of the year. I highly recommend Signs of Love series for everyone, and the standalones, Taboo For You & True Colors.

Lynn Flewelling - Once I read Luck In The Shadows, I was hooked. Flewelling's writing is so good and her fantasy world so vivid that I just can't help but love and adore it.

Cale Dietrich - His debut, The Love Interest, is a brilliant book, and I'm anxiously waiting for his next book.

Cordelia Kingsbridge - Kill Game left me yearning for more, and I cannot wait for the sequel. Absolutely brilliant crime mystery/thriller with M/M romance.

Zaya Feli - Stag's Run and Endurance are good, captivating fantasy novels with bisexual main character. Feli is definitely someone, whose work I'll check out in the future.

Elyse Springer - I fell in love with Heels Over Head, which was the reason I spend hours watching old Olympic diving games, so Springer deserves to be on my list.

JL Merrow - I read two books from different series and I liked both. In fact, I'm waiting for the next installment of The Plumber's Mate series, because I loved the first one so much. Merrow's authentic settings and on point accents etc. are what makes her books so real.

Austin Chant - Peter Darling is the best retelling of Peter Pan with a twist that I've read, so Chant had to be part of my list.

Max Porter - Grief is the Thing with Feathers was one of the only literary fiction books that I read in 2017. It was impressive one, and I liked the metaphors and the poems and the feels. Great debut from Porter.

Wrapping the Month: December

What's greater way to start new month than taking a look at previous one?

December was both busy and relaxing; first half was essays and exams, and second half was travelling, shopping, and spending time with family. I didn't blog and write reviews as much as I hoped, but I wanted to spend some time with family without distractions. I still hosted book blitzes and tours, and wrote some reviews, so the month wasn't too bad.

What's better, I read 70 books in 2017. It's the highest amount of books per year that I've ever read, so I'm delighted about it. I can only hope next year will be as good!

Besides of these books, I got plenty of ebooks, both review copies and from Amazon sale at the end of the year.

December's reviews:

Kill Game (5 stars)
Grief is the Thing with Feathers (4 stars)
Briefs (4 stars)
Gemini Keeps Capricorn (5 stars)
The Blood of Olympus (5 stars)
Pressure Head (4 stars)

I read six books and I'm super happy about that, because that meant I read 70 books throughout the year. Anyway, here they are;

 

  

Hopefully January proves to be a good start for the year and I get plenty of reading and blogging done. Luckily university won't start until the end of the month, so there should be time for a head start for the year!

Hugs,

Henna