Book Review: The Boyfriend Game by Stella Starling

The Boyfriend Game

Author: Stella Starling
Series: #BOYFRIENDSBYBLOVED, book 1
Publisher: ? (July 24, 2018)
Kindle edition, 302 pages (Kindle Unlimited)
Goodreads     |     Amazon

Summary
Fake boyfriends for a week? Yes, please. 

Carter Olson never expected he’d get a chance to date his older brother’s best friend, Rip Taylor.
Wished for it? Yes.
Fantasized about it? Possibly too much.
But ever thought it would actually happen? Not in a million years, since Rip is straight. But even if it’s just to try and win a gay game show, having Rip for a boyfriend—even a temporary/pretend one—is still the best thing to happen to Carter in... well, ever.
Especially because Rip’s so good at it.
Amazingly good, actually.
So good that Carter starts to hope that maybe it won’t have to end once the show’s over…

If there are two things Rip Taylor lives for, they’re having fun and being there for his friends, so a trip to Vegas to help surprise his best friend’s girlfriend with a big, flashy proposal sounds awesome. And even more fun? His bestie's plan to try and win some prize money for the wedding by signing the two of them up as contestants on the The Boyfriend Game.
The game show is sponsored by the gay dating app bLoved, and Rip is all in. He may be straight, but he's never been narrow, and when circumstances (a.k.a. a best friend who can't hold his tequila) mean that little Carter Olson gets roped into being Rip's fake boyfriend instead, that’s almost better… because who wouldn’t be able to be a convincing boyfriend to Carter?
After all, Carter’s hella sweet.
Kind of adorable, actually.
And really, really easy to get into character with…

Winning The Boyfriend Game? Rip and Carter have it in the bag.

The Boyfriend Game is a gay romance novel of approximately 75,000 words that contains some confusion about tops and bottoms, a straight guy who realizes he isn’t, an ice cube that melts much too fast, and the kind of luck that can only be found in Vegas. Every Stella Starling romance takes place in the same interconnected, contemporary world. The Boyfriend Game is a standalone book with cameos from other Stella Starling stories, a #boyfriendsbybLoved spinoff that takes place around the time of the epilogue from Ready For Love (Book One of the Semper Fi series). 

Book Review: Mistletoe Kisses by Marnie Blue

Mistletoe Kisses

Author: Marnie Blue
Publisher: Entangled: Lovestruck (October 22, 2018)
Kindle edition, 150 pages
Goodreads     |     Amazon

Summary
For Officer Justin Weaver, Christmas is the most hideous time of the year. To improve his “holiday cheer,” he’s been put on Officer Kringle duty, collecting toys for the Ho-Ho-Patrol.

It’s a week in holiday hell.

Worse, it comes with an elf—his little sister’s gorgeous best friend—but Lilly Maddox isn’t so little anymore. And as an annoyingly festive reporter looking to make her mark, she’s there to document his every move.

Justin’s always had a thing for Lilly, but he refuses to go there with her. Ever. Not after watching what his mom went through as a cop’s wife. But now that they’re trapped in his squad car, avoiding her just got a lot more complicated…

Book Review: Always You by Denise Grover Swank

Always You

Author: Denise Grover Swank
Series: Bachelor Brotherhood, book 3
Publisher: Forever (November 28, 2017)
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Amazon  Goodreads

Summary
First love is better the second time around.

Matt Osborn had no idea coaching his five-year-old nephew's soccer team would get him so much attention from the mothers-attention he doesn't want now that he's given up on love and having a family of his own. Yep, Matt's the last of his bachelor buddies, and plans on staying that way. That is, until he finds himself face-to-face with the woman who broke his heart.

Single mom Anna paused her life in England to help her father recover from an illness. She can't afford complications, and too-hot-for-his-own-good Matt Osborn-her almost former fiancé-is definitely a complication. He's a reminder of what might have been-or should have been. That irresistible pull between them isn't over. Not even close. But if she's not careful, she'll break both their hearts . . . again.

Book Review: It Takes Two by Jenny Holiday

It Takes Two

Author: Jenny Holiday
Series: Bridesmaids Behaving Badly, book 2
Publisher: Forever
Publishing Date: June 26, 2018
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Amazon  Goodreads

Summary

All's fair in love and war

Wendy Liu should be delighted to be her best friend's maid of honor. But after years spent avoiding the bride's brother - aka the boy who once broke her heart - she's now trapped with him during an endless amount of wedding festivities. Luckily she's had time to perfect her poker face, and engaging Noah Denning in a little friendly competition might just prove that she's over him for good...

Noah Denning is determined to make his little sister's wedding memorable. But it seems Wendy is trying to outdo him at every turn. Challenging each other was always something he and Wendy did right, so when she proposes they compete to see who can throw the best bachelor or bachelorette party in Sin City, Noah takes the bait - and ups the stakes. Because this time around, he wants Wendy for keeps. And when you're fighting for love, all bets are off.

Book Review: Game of Hearts (Fandom Hearts #3) by Cathy Yardley

 

Rating: 5 Stars

 
Published January 30th 2018 by RYW Publishing
Summary: Kyla Summers has been offered the opportunity of a lifetime to get her cosplay business off the ground, and only one thing stands in her way. She needs someone to take over the auto shop, and there’s only one person she can think of to call…

Jericho Salomon hasn’t been back in his home town since he joined a biker gang and rode off nine years ago. When his best friend’s kid sister calls begging for help, he knows that he owes the family a debt and he intends to pay. This is easier said than done once he finds that the kid is all grown up…

She needs a pair of skillful hands. He needs to keep his hands off. When sparks begin to fly, can they keep things strictly business, or will their hearts get hopelessly tangled? No more games, it’s time to play for keeps.
(from Goodreads)

Review: Gah. I love the Fandom Hearts series so much, and this latest installment is my favorite yet.

Kyla is so badass, and I love that she's amazing with fixing cars and with making costumes. She's strong, feisty, a total geek, and would do anything for her friends and family. I want to be friends with Kyla so badly, haha. I also love a good book about a body positive plus sized character, so it's great to see Kyla embrace her curves and not be trying to change herself to fit some image of whay society or the media or whatever tells us we need to be.

Jericho is also amazing, and I love his story. Plus, who doesn't love a hot biker guy who gets into Game of Thrones thinking Ned Stark is the main character and going to win in the end? Mwahaha!! Oh, my sweet summer child...

This is the 3rd book in the Fandom Hearts series but cam definitely be read as a stand alone with minimal spoilers for the first 2 books. That being said, definitely read the other books in the series too because they're awesome!

Book Review: Not Just For Christmas by Annabelle Jacobs

Because it's only a week until Christmas, and I am on a Christmas themed books kick, you can expect to see some frenzied Christmas themed book postings here in the coming week, haha. :) Hopefully I'll have a guest post for you tomorrow as well! Stay tuned!

Book Review: Not Just For Christmas by Annabelle Jacobs

Rating: 4 Stars

Published November 28th 2017
Summary: Ben has Christmas, cats, and mistletoe on his side…. Jason doesn’t stand a chance

For Ben Slater, moving back to Bristol means being closer to his family, living with his best mate, and volunteering at the local animal shelter. But there’s also Jason, his best mate’s eldest brother. Ben’s had a crush on Jason for as long as he can remember, but the eleven-year age gap has always seemed insurmountable.

Jason Armitage works as a vet at his uncle’s practice. He owns a cute cottage on the outskirts of the city, and a loving dog. The one thing missing is someone to share it all with. His brother’s best friend seems a bad choice, but Jason can’t help taking a second look. Ben’s changed a lot since Jason last saw him; both in appearance and attitude. Gone is the shy young boy, replaced with a confident, twenty-four-year-old man.

In the run up to Christmas, the festive period gives Ben the ideal opportunity to show Jason what he has to offer. But concerns for his brother’s feelings hold Jason back. If they have any chance of making this work, Ben must convince Jason that he’s old enough to know what he wants, and Jason needs to believe that a relationship with his brother’s best friend won’t ruin their friendship.
(from Goodreads)

Review: Who doesn't love a book about Christmas, cats, and hot British men? Sign me up!

In this slow burn MM romance, Ben has had a crush on his best friend Liam's older brother Jason forever, but Jason is 11 years older - an age gap that's insurmountable (and kind of icky) when Ben is 16, but not quite so huge when he's 24 (making Jason 35). There's an extra little kink in the works because Liam is bi, and when someone asks Jason if Ben and Liam are a couple he's not 100% sure, but does know it makes him uncomfortable to think about them together.

Jason's a vet and has the cutest dog and Ben's an animal person volunteering at the animal shelter while he's between jobs. Ben's job he gets is socializing the cats. Man, who doesn't love a big, strong, hot guy playing with fuzzy little kitties? Me-ow. And when Ben and Liam are witness to a cat getting struck by a car, they of course race the cat over to Jason's vet practice. I'm not even THERE and this cat has stolen my heart! This book has all the tags: slow burn, best friend's sibling, May-December romance, friends to lovers, childhood crush to lovers, Christmas romance… It's definitely more sweet (but does have its steamy moments!)

I did knock off half a star for some weird bits that I think were errors not caught in editing, but perhaps they were just Briticisms?

BEWARE: This novella may make you want to rush out to your local animal rescue and adopt a cat. You have been warned.