BiblioJunkies: mm romance

Showing posts with label mm romance. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick

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THEIR LOVE STORY CAPTIVATED THE WORLD…THE CROWN PRINCE AND THAT GUY FROM NEW YORK

When a lonely American event planner starts dating the gay Prince of Wales, a royal uproar ensues: is it true love or the ultimate meme? Find out in this hilarious romantic comedy.

After having his heart trampled on by his cheating ex, Carter Ogden is afraid love just isn’t in the cards for him. He still holds out hope in a tiny corner of his heart, but even in his wildest dreams he never thought he’d meet the Crown Prince of England, much less do a lot more with him. Yes, growing up he’d fantasized about the handsome, openly gay Prince Edgar, but who hadn’t? When they meet by chance at an event Carter’s boss is organizing, Carter’s sure he imagined all that sizzling chemistry. Or was it mutual?

This unlikely but meant-to-be romance sets off media fireworks on both sides of the Atlantic. With everyone having an opinion on their relationship and the intense pressure of being constantly in the spotlight, Carter finds ferocious obstacles to his Happily Ever After, including the tenacious disapproval of the Queen of England. Carter and Prince Edgar fight for a happy ending to equal their glorious international beginning. It’s a match made on Valentine’s Day and in tabloid heaven.

Source: ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Playing the Palace is a fun rom-com that's sorely needed by anyone who's craving shenanigans and absurdity. Believe me, anything than can go wrong, will go wrong is the modus operandi here.

Carter's still smarting a little bit after his breakup (even though it happened a while ago). Every so often he still yearns for his ex. But his ridiculously fun job as an event planner leads him to the most unexpected meeting of his life - face-to-face with the dashing and handsome Prince Edgar of England. I swear this is the cutest of meet-cutes that one can ever encounter! Sparks flying. The guys being bashful. That instant I-get-you-already connection. It was all I could do not to squeal in excitement for them. And then they do start hanging out together and while it's fun, it's also just nonsensical.

As much as I enjoyed many parts of the story such as when Carter and Edgar get emotionally intimate and honest with each other, I felt like everything else happening around them was just too much. When something's going just right, it inevitably gets derailed by something else and it's usually because of some absurd thing, reason or person. Carter and Edgar are so normal and chill compared to everyone else in their lives and this includes their families. All other characters aside from these two are so extreme in personalities and mannerisms and that felt overdone to me. I also began to feel that Carter was turned into some ineffectual, haphazard influence for comedy's sake and that just didn't feel right. All the successive oopses just snowballed and became an utter mess.

The plus side of Playing the Palace is that it's a joy to read someone of Edgar's pedigree and high-profile position be accepted by the public. He still has to walk a fine line knowing that there are some out there who find fault with his sexuality and lifestyle, but it seems less harrowing at this point in his life as he's figured out how he wants to lead his life.

Circle back to the start, you want the ridiculous, the absurd, and laugh at physical comedy, this is the rom-com for you!

~ Bel

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick

We're excited to feature Playing the Palace, the newest release from Paul Rudnick. We have a special excerpt, too. You're just going to swoon all over this meet-cute between the Prince Edgar and Carter!

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Excerpt

Edgar had a bit of that abashed schoolboy look, but the years were lending him a man’s seriousness. When he smiled, all this fell away, and he became pure joy, maybe because he didn’t do it that often, and he surprised himself. His smile had a recklessness to it, which was why he held it in check. I’d made him smile, which was maybe the sexiest thing ever.
“Your Highness?” I asked, and as I was saying it, I felt like a cartoon mouse dressed as a footman in a Disney animated classic.

“Yes?” he said, as I climbed the stairs and approached him.

“May I?” I asked, reaching toward his head. “You look great, and even more adorable than in those pictures where you’re feeding a tiger cub at the London Zoo, which made the entire world go ‘Awww’ and then donate to Save the Tigers. But you’ve got a flyaway—you know, a few strands of hair that might catch the light and mess up the video. So if I could just . . .”

I reached out and adjusted his naturally wavy, reddish brown hair, and while trying to stay professional, I thought, “I’m touching Prince Edgar’s hair and it feels like cashmere and he’s got a few freckles across the bridge of his nose and eyelashes for days and Carter, do not even look at his lips or you’ll be arrested.”

“There. Much better. Media-ready.”

As I said this, Prince Edgar was reaching toward my own hair, and I flinched.

“I’m so sorry. I was just . . . you have very nice hair as well. But I had no right, I don’t know what came over me . . .”

Our eyes locked and I couldn’t breathe and I wanted to die because my life was peaking, but on the other hand I couldn’t wait to see what might happen next.

My phone pinged; I’d meant to silence it and now I was shoving my hand in my pocket to find it, which never looks graceful, but as I yanked the phone free, it rang.

“Please, take it, it might be critical,” Edgar said, with genuine kindness.

It was my sister, Abby, who’s about to get married and calls me thirty-eight times a day for monogrammed water bottle consultations and meltdown management, which I usually love doing, only now I told her, “Abbs? I can’t talk, can I call you in just a bit?”

“But I just texted you,” Abby insisted, “and you didn’t text me back and I’m having an epic gift bag issue—”

“Which we will totally discuss and examine in depth,” I assured her, “but right now—”

Edgar was smiling at me, which almost made me drop my phone as Abby yelled, “WHAT? What are you doing that’s so important you can’t help me choose between miniature foil-wrapped chocolate champagne bottles and Lucite boxes of breath mints in my signature colors—”

“I’m . . . I’m . . .” I sputtered, “I’m at work. I love you and I think you should go with both the bottles and the mints and think about temporary tattoos of the bride’s and groom’s faces but I have to go. I’m sorry!”

I hung up and told Edgar, “My sister.”

“Ah. I know the dilemma. I have a brother.”

Oh my God. Oh my God. He wasn’t politely excusing himself or summoning a security guard. In fact, he kept going, asking, “Is it just the two of you?”

“Yes. And I adore her, but sometimes she’s, you know, a lot.”

“As is my brother.”

“Can I tell you something?” I said, my event-savvy instincts returning. “The way you’re talking to me right now, it’s so easy and appealing, and that’s how you should give your speech. In fact, let’s not call it a speech at all. Just make it a conversation, and pretend the audience is just a batch of friends, hanging out in your . . . castle. And remember to smile. Because your smile, oh my God . . .”

“What?” Prince Edgar asked. “What about my smile? I think it comes across as mechanical, like I’m pretending to be attentive and fulfill my duties while really I’m just activating a royal reflex or downloading my official mindless smile function. I hate my smile.”

He hates his smile? Is he out of his mind? If I could smile like that, I’d spend all day looking in the mirror, smiling and sending myself selfies and begging for a date.

About the Author

Source: Goodreads

Paul M. Rudnick is an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. His plays include I Hate Hamlet, Jeffrey, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla and The New Century. He also wrote for Premiere magazine under the pseudonym Libby Gelman-Waxner. He is openly gay.

(Source: Goodreads bio)

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

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Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every way

Luc O'Donnell is tangentially--and reluctantly--famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship...and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that's when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don't ever want to let them go.

Source: ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

I've been sort of done with the whole "fake relationship" trope. That is until I found out Alexis Hall was releasing Boyfriend Material and well, you know how you tend to make exceptions for authors you like/trust? I made that exception here and let me tell you, I am IN LOVE with Boyfriend Material!!

via GIPHY

Boyfriend Material's charm has everything to do with Hall's writing. I honestly love the way he writes and phrases things and emotions and moments. Oftentimes they're amusing anecdotes and other times they're absolute gems of clarity. In Luc and Oliver, I also saw a little bit of me. Who hasn't gone through that insecure feeling that they're not worthy of love and attention? When that kindness is directed at Luc and Oliver, it's almost an alien-like feeling. Luc has learned to be super protective about himself and is highly cynical of new friendships or attention because he's been a magnet for the gossip rags. Thanks to the antics of his famous parents, and especially his neglectful father, Luc's been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. When that spotlight threatens his job he has to find a way to clean up his image. The problem is solved somewhat when his best friend hooks him up with Oliver, a lawyer whose pedigree and refined mannerisms are the exact opposite of Luc's. But since they both could use some help with their love life, they go for it - fake dating to appease Luc's employer and Oliver's family.

What makes this story standout for me aside from the writing is how Luc and Oliver's characters are developed. Relationship-averse Luc almost self-sabotages their arrangement a few times but it's Oliver who redirects with kindness and reassurance. In fact, I was so blown away by how he helped Luc through his more neurotic moments that I might have gotten a little jealous of Luc. Then when the table is turned and Luc is the one providing all the support and encouragement to Oliver ... it's just remarkable how much growth took place for him to even venture outside of his comfort zone to be a friend to Oliver in return.

I've been anxious lately about a number of things so I savoured every single second I had reading Boyfriend Material. It was an entirely delightful escape that gave me several moments of laugh out loud joy. I appreciated Luc's self-deprecating humour, I loved Oliver's dry retorts to Luc's silliness. They balanced each other so well and I definitely liked how their relationship gradually deepened. I also enjoyed all the quirky side characters. They just own their quirkiness. I giggled through any scene where Luc interacted with his somewhat dimwitted co-workers because they were so far out there it was hard not to love them.

It's truly intimidating to write a review after reading something so perfect so I hope it's sufficient to say that Boyfriend Material is one of my favourites of 2020. Top 5, for sure! It was also educational because it taught me what 'versimilitude' is 😉 And I do believe that this will be a comfort read for me, one I revisit for its amusing and enigmatic personalities, and its happily ever after!

~ Bel

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Undone By You Spotlight & Giveaway

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USA TODAY bestselling author Kate Meader brings her signature “steamy sex scenes, colorful characters, and riveting dialogue” (RT Book Reviews) to this novella in the Chicago Rebels series, following the general manager of the Rebels as he scores with one of his players off the ice.

Dante Moretti has just landed his dream job: GM of the Chicago Rebels. And screw the haters who think there should be an asterisk next to his name because he’s the first out managing executive in pro hockey. He’s earned the right to be here and nothing will topple him off that perch—especially not an incredibly inconvenient attraction to his star defenseman, Cade “Alamo” Burnett. Cade has always been careful to keep his own desires on the down low, but his hot Italian boss proves to be a temptation he can’t resist. Sure, they both have so much to lose, but no one will ever know...

As Dante and Cade’s taboo affair heats up off the ice and their relationship gets more and more intense, they’ll have to decide: is love worth risking their careers? Or is this romance destined to be forever benched?

Note: this is a long-ish novella of approximately 40,000 words set in the Chicago Rebels world.

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review

Praise

“Meader (Irresistible You; So over You) is a writer not to be overlooked…

An intense, sexy romance balanced with a message about presumptions.”

- Library Journal

Review

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If there's one thing Cade and I have in common it's that neither one of us can resist a hot Italian in a suit. Except Cade is the lucky guy (jerk, I mean...what? ... he's a sweetheart) who gets to have that fantasy come true in this tension-filled and steamy romance set in the world of high testosterone and homophobia.

If you've been reading along in the Chicago Rebels Series, you'll already know the backstory but quick synopsis for those who are new: the Rebels are owned by three half-sisters who inherited it from their misogynistic and furiously ambitious father who stipulated in his will that if the team did not have a successful season then they would lose ownership of it. Some are all for the idea of three women owners, some are indifference and the remainder are hostile and rooting for them to fail. Dante is hired on, impressed by the organization and its leadership. He also knows a thing or two about shaking things up as the first openly gay hockey player. Being older and wiser has its benefits and he ignores the naysayers, proving that his knowledge and experience are the perfect fit for a team that needs to win. Cade hasn't come out of the closet yet but his attraction to Dante has him making some careless decisions about his own personal safety.

This is where I completely lost it for Dante. Rather than taking advantage of the inexperienced Cade and just going for it, he's more mentor-like at the beginning. He's been where Cade has been and understands the perils of being gay in the sports world. He also knows how much one can lose in their private life from coming out. The fact that he's older lends the story maturity and a contrast to Cade's eager-eyed, puppy dog swooning. He's also sensual in the way he speaks, moves and behaves. But even this gorgeous man can't resist Cade's genuine soul and good looks. These two together are on fire and I wanted more of them.

The great mystery of my life is how many sports romances I read, particularly hockey yet I don't watch the sport. I don't think it's diminished any joy I find in reading them but it does strike me as funny. I love how Kate Meader builds on this tension here then levels it cautiously because there is that potential for so much pain should things go south when there's so much at stake. I also loved all the little gaps she fills in that were brief mentions in the previous books. It's nice to be able to put particular scenes together from different angles now that I have the additional POVs. Undone By You is a quick, happy read with plenty of emotion, sexiness and laughs. My heart swelled with this one and so far it's my favourite of the series. The image of Dante in a suit certainly helps ;)

~ Bel

Are you ready for an excerpt from Undone By You?

(Psst ... this is the scene that sealed it for me!)

Cade turned and almost dropped the frame.

Apparently, Dante had been working on more than just dish-clearing and dessert prep in the kitchen. A wardrobe change had occurred, and man oh man, were the results spectacular. The addition of a tie, vest, and jacket meant Dante was now dressed in a hot-shit suit.

I repeat. Dante Moretti is dressed in a hot-shit suit.

“You guys close?”

“We were. He died nine years ago.”

Nine years ago, around the time Dante came out publicly. The death of his grandfather was related to his decision somehow.

Dante placed a half-drunk glass of wine on a side table, shot his cuffs, and picked up his wine again. For the length of a long sip, he never took his eyes off Cade.

Cade couldn’t speak. Watching Dante watch him had evicted all rational thought.

“There’s cannoli in the kitchen,” the chef murmured, “but it needs time to get to the perfect eating temperature.”

Cannoli? Who the hell cares about cannoli when every freakin’ one of Cade’s fantasies was standing before him? “You changed.”

“You like when I wear a suit, don’t you?”

Cade nodded, his tongue too thick to respond. Dazed, he started at Dante’s shiny shoes and worked up slowly. Having seen the man’s thighs in the gym, Cade was hard-pressed to decide whether those bare, hairy pillars of temptation were better than the winter wool-covered tree trunks he saw now.

Cade took his time moving up, needing to savor every moment. Trim hips, narrow waist, and a thickening—under his very eyes—bulge in the crotch of his suit pants. The three buttons of his vest were done up, a slight disc-shaped lump in the pocket. It held an old-fashioned watch on a chain, the links of which draped at the side.

This crazy detail would have pronounced anyone else a pretentious asshole, but not Dante. It was elegance and style and placed the man in a league above. A dark blue tie matched Dante’s eyes. His broad shoulders filled out the jacket perfectly. There wasn’t a single thing Cade would change except . . .

Abandon. Cade planned to change Dante’s cool expression to one of utter and complete abandon.

Dante set the wineglass down and walked over, stopping a foot from Cade. His gaze dipped to Cade’s mouth, heated promise building in his eyes with each passing second. Another step, and he took the photo out of Cade’s hands and set it back on the mantel.

One thumb rubbed over Cade’s cheekbone. Just that one stroke, unbelievably sensual, and Cade was a mess.

Can’t breathe. Can’t . . . breathe. Can’t—

Cade managed to suck in a breath and on exhaling, Dante leaned in and licked the corner of his mouth. Oh, sweet Jesus. Some weird, garbled sound came out of him. But whatever it was made Dante smile, and then his lips moved over Cade’s slowly, building a fire, stealing all sense. Breaking Cade down to a cellular level. His hand found anchor at Cade’s nape, a gloriously possessive gesture, and Cade knew in that moment he’d give this man anything, anything, he wanted.

Not even last night’s win in New York could compare to the pulse spike when Dante’s lips took control. His tongue slipped in and licked inside, all sweet, dirty promise, blasting the fantasy to fragments and hurling it beyond Cade’s admittedly very active imagination. If this was what the kiss was like, how the hell was he going to survive the sex?

And hello, it looked like sex was back on the menu.

About Kate Meader

Originally from Ireland, Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Harlequins thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron, a fire hose, or a hockey stick, and she's there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines (and heroes) who can match their men quip for quip. Visit her at KateMeader.com.

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