Hotshot by Lane Hayes Instagram Tour

The rookie superstar, the desperate cowboy, and a naughty proposition…

DENNY

The press calls me this year’s hot shot, the rookie who scores at will and conjures plays out of thin air. Truth is… I’m a PR nightmare. Seriously. Ask my agent.

My anxiety is off the charts. I can’t talk to the media without breaking into a cold sweat, but once I get through the season, I can regroup at home. Life is simpler in Vermont.

Well, not anymore. There’s a new cowboy in town. Literally, a cowboy. At least, Hank looks like one—he owns a horse, wears a hat, and did I mention he’s hot?

And get this… he has a proposition for me.

HANK

Proposition is a strong word. I prefer to call this a mutually beneficial arrangement. See, I could use Denny’s help with a family business venture, and though I was planning to offer cash, the jock has a sexier idea.

Not gonna lie, I’m interested.

This could be a fun distraction while I’m stuck in Elmwood. Nice enough place, however, the locals are wary of an outsider taking over the neighboring mill. Long story short… they don’t trust me. But they love their hometown hockey hero.

I get it.

I’ve never met anyone like Denny—skittish in street clothes and a feral beast with cunning instincts on the ice. He’s fascinating, sexy, smart, and—

Whoa! I’m not falling for the hotshot rookie. No way, no how, no chance…

Too late.

Hotshot is an M/M bisexual, age-gap, small town romance featuring a hotshot rookie, a sexy cowboy, and a proposition that changes everything.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of The Elmwood Stories!
For book one, You, Again, click HERE.
For book two, Next Season, click HERE.
For book three, Holiday Crush, click HERE.
For book four, Thin Ice, click HERE.

 

 

Book 5
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Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

“Let’s get this over with. What did you want?”

“Ouch. I can’t remember the last time anyone was happy to see me,” he groused without heat. “Except Steve the contractor. He likes me okay, but he’s being paid well. Our employees do well too, but sadly, they don’t like me at all.”

“I can’t help you with that. Sorry.”

Hank sipped his beer and shrugged. “Yes, you can. I’m extorting you, remember?”

“Oh… yeah.” I chuckled.

And fuck, I didn’t want to be amused. I didn’t want to like Hank at all, but it was hard not to appreciate his self-deprecating honesty. He emanated “nice guy” vibes with the right amount of edge. No wonder drunk me had gotten flirty with him. Fortunately, sober me knew he was more than I could handle.

Which was fine since Hank wasn’t interested anyway. He wanted my alleged star power, not me.

So why was I grinning like an idiot?

Fuck, I had a bad feeling my eyes were twinkling too. I had to rein that shit in, stat.

“So… let’s make a deal,” he said, thankfully unaware of my inner detour. “I need an Elmwood buddy. My dad gave me the all-clear to make my offer sexy, so… what’ll it be?”

I bugged my eyes out. “Sexy?”

“Yeah, something interesting. If it’s money, name your price. Tell me what you want in exchange for your time.”

You.

The word tripped to the tip of my tongue. I bit it back and swallowed it, clearing my throat to be sure it was gone.

“I just… want to make sure that whatever I blabbed while I was wasted off my ass stays between us.”

“Yeah, but I’ll do that for free. You can trust me.”

“I don’t know you,” I retorted.

“True,” he conceded, sipping his beer. “But you don’t really have a choice. I can’t prove that I won’t sell you out. It’s a trust thing. Let’s talk about the sexy angle, ’cause I need an Elmwood buddy like yesterday.”

“I can’t believe I’m asking this, but… what does an Elmwood buddy do?”

“He shows the new guy the ropes.” Hank leaned in. “Introduce me, give me tips on who’s who and what to avoid. I suck in Elmwood and I need a champion, a liaison… a friend. That can be you.”

I huffed in amusement, feeling strangely at ease. He was charming as fuck and I was not immune. “How can you suck in Elmwood? Everyone is cool there.”

He slumped on his stool. “I don’t know, but I’m even worse in Wood Hollow. I don’t get it. People in Denver like me just fine. Even you like me.”

“No, I like your hat.” I reached for his water and winked.

I fucking winked.

Me.

That was me flirting. Ugh. Bad, Denny. Bad.

I felt surprisingly relaxed with him. Like I had last weekend when I’d spilled my guts and… other things. The point was, I could talk to him without feeling immediately depleted, and that alone was a minor miracle.

Hank kicked my shin playfully. “Nah, you like me. You did last weekend, anyway.”

“I was drunk, and I’m still mortified. Go easy on me.” I took a swig of water as if I were knocking back whisky.

“I’ll try, but… you shook your dick at me, then fell buck-ass naked in my bed, so c’mon.”

My eyes had to be saucer-sized. “I shook my dick at you?”

He inclined his chin and winked in a touché move that made my cock swell against my zipper.

“A week later, I’m still thinking about it,” Hank drawled.

Whoa. Was he serious?

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fifth book in the series, and I would definitely recommend that you read them in order, as it will make much more sense of the set up in Elmwood – and why Hank is so unpopular, and why Denny is a local hero!

Hank is helping out his sick father by working at their newly purchased wood mill in the next town over to Elmwood. He has a challenge to improve the popularity of the Cunninghams and reassure the locals that they are not a huge and impersonal corporation about to destroy their town. His secret weapon is a friendship with Denny, local NHL rookie hero, assuming he can persuade Denny to engage.

This plan turns out to be a good one, when the two of them find a strong attraction and a hockey player who is interested in exploring his options as a bisexual man, and Hank could definitely help!

I really enjoyed the growth of their friendship as well as their burgeoning attraction and experimentation. It is fun watching what we can clearly see is the start of a meaningful relationship, even if they are slower on the uptake. Grams, of course, is seeing it all and there to support Denny when things get complicated.

It was great fun to see the couples from previous installments and to enjoy quite a lot of hockey action too!


Shannan – ☆☆☆☆
Hotshot is the fifth book in The Elmwood Stories series. It can be read as a standalone without issue.

Denny has a lot of baggage from his childhood. He suffers from anxiety and can't talk to the press at all. He's the rookie hotshot who has a promising career, but his anxiety may be his downfall. He's also very deep in the closet. He comes back to Elmwood as often as he can. It’s where he can relax the most. One night he drinks too much at the bar and accidentally ends up in the hotel room of the sexy cowboy, who is new in town. Nothing happened but Denny really wanted it to.

Hank is only in Elmwood for a short time. He has his own life and horse therapy business to get back to. He'll stay in Elmwood long enough to get his father’s mill up and running while his dad is recovering. The idea is to meet the town's hockey hero and have him do a commercial for the mill, letting the town know if their hero accepts them, they should too. But meeting a drunk Denny doesn't go the way Hank thought it would. When he proposes the commercial to Denny, Denny instantly says no, but after seeing sides of the man he doesn't think many people have, he thinks maybe they can help each other. Hank brings his horses to Elmwood to use as therapy to help Denny with his anxiety and to use as a cover story why they are spending so much time together. Denny can help Hank be better liked in the community and Hank can show Denny what being with a man is like.

I loved watching Denny and Hank's relationship grow. Their chemistry was explosive but the way they spent time together on the horses getting to really know each other on a deeper level was so addictive about this couple. I hope there is more to this series. I loved this little hockey town!


Angie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fifth book in the series. I have only read book four, which I really liked. This book was just as good. You could read it as a standalone, but we met Denny in book four when he was younger.

Denny is one of the many famous local hockey players. Hank's father bought the mill a few towns over. Elmwood is this little town that just seems amazing, and those townspeople will have your back and support you like crazy. Hank and Denny meet when Denny is drunk as can be. Hank offers Denny a proposition he hopefully won't refuse. Denny accepts and we get to see not only Denny testing out his bi side, but we see a friendship between him and Hank.

Elmwood residents aren't fond of Hank, but Denny introduces him to people and Hank charms them and they slowly begin to like him. We see characters from previous books and, of course, Denny's grams is there as sassy as ever. Love that woman.

Things, of course, get hot and heavy and go further than Denny and Hank expected and probably wanted. Watching their love build and grow and all the bumps along the was great. I cried when things looked bleak but soon my tears dried up and everything fell into place and our men get their happily ever after. Highly recommend this book.

 

 

 

LANE HAYES lives in sunny Southern California with her amazing husband, who thankfully doesn’t mind cooking, and their fabulous fox red Labrador, George, who’s pure mischief. Both provide oodles of inspiration for the low-angst, humorous books Lane loves to write.

She’s been telling stories about sexy, funny, sometimes geeky and quirky men who find love for a dozen years now and loving every minute. In her previous life, she sat at a desk and dealt with numbers, so yes… romance is much more satisfying!

Lane loves tea, travel, and chocolate… in any order. Add a book and she’s set!

Connect with Lane Hayes!

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Facebook Group: Lane's Lovers

 

 

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Hotshot (The Elmwood Stories #5) by Lane Hayes to read and review.

Queen of Dreams by Kit Rocha

Three lovers with unbridled hope, uncanny dreams, and ancient powers join forces against the greatest evil in the world in a scorching fantasy by the authors of Consort of Fire.

Ash waited three thousand years for a consort who could break the Betrayer’s chains. Instead of one lover, he found two: Sachi and Zanya—the primordial powers that embody creation and destruction, reborn as humans. Now, his ancient enemy has returned to threaten everything he loves.

In the wake of her dazzling manifestation, Zanya seethes with magic and restless energy. Her command of the Endless Void will be a potent weapon in the coming war. To harness it, she’ll need to embrace the darkness within—but the scars of the past are holding her back.

Sachi’s unprecedented connection to the Dream deepens, leading her beyond the veil of reality… and into the heart of the Betrayer’s stronghold. Torn from her lovers, Sachi must use all her wit and cunning to survive the Betrayer’s treacherous court. Because he doesn’t simply want her. He covets the slumbering power she possesses—and plans to take it for his own.

Even if it ends their world.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Bound to Fire and Steel series!
For book one, Consort of Fire, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
Buy Links

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Paperback (US)

Audiobook (US)
Narrated by Victoria Mei, Caitlin Elizabeth & Will Thorne
~ Also Available to Read & Listen with KindleUnlimited ~

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆☆
I absolutely LOVED Consort of Fire, book one in the Bound to Fire and Steel series, and they do need to be read in order as book two is a continuation from the first. I promise you, this series doesn't disappoint!

As Zanya finds herself, Sachi is left drifting and trying to find her purpose. The gods all have their own gifts and Zanya is trying to learn how to wield her power, often clumsily, but she's doing the best she can with what she has to work with. Ash is trying to keep the world together, avoiding any further confrontations with the Betrayer. To summarize, there is too much going on and something has to give!

I adore the growth that Zanya experiences, I find myself drawn to her and hoping everything finally "clicks." That's not to say she is more important than the other two, not at all. All three have a lot to overcome and are stronger together yet each have important roles to play.
Sachi really shines in this book (quite literally)! She is the embodiment of love and light; she is the perfect complement to Zanya's dark. When the time comes for Sachi to step up, she embraces the challenge with no fear!

Overall, I really enjoyed book two in the newest series by Kit Rocha (I love both books)! The story is unique, the characters are interesting, and the romance is different (and spicy). I don't want to say goodbye, I would really like to see how the court deals with the new, improved world!


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in this very engaging series, and you most definitely need to read them in order... or you will be pretty lost! If you read Consort of Fire a while ago, I think you will find that it all comes flooding back to you very quickly!

As Ash, Sachi, and Zanya somehow start to understand what they mean to each other and how their future might be, the women are also learning about their godly gifts. For Zanya, in particular, she needs to gain control of the immense power that she wields. Her lack of knowledge is causing mayhem and destruction – I loved how she is finally accepted for herself... even if she finds it very difficult to believe or trust it. Sachi is intent on finding a non-violent solution to the problems of The Betrayer still wanting to beat his brother Ash. Her world of Dreams is also one she is not entirely in control there yet. Ash and Zanya want to protect Sachi, yet their actions drive her into action.

This is a great adventure in another world, with at its heart the love of the three of them. The passion they unleash on each other is wonderfully hot and intense – giving them a chance to show how they feel even when they are not good at saying it. Very sensual and romantic amongst the madness going on around them

Already waiting for the next installment!

 

 

KIT ROCHA is the pseudonym for cowriting team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. After penning dozens of paranormal novels, novellas, and stories as Moira Rogers, they reinvented themselves by writing the nine-book multiple-award-winning—and extremely steamy—Beyond series, which became an instant cult favorite. They followed it up with two spin-off series, including the popular Mercenary Librarians trilogy published by Tor. Now they’re leaping into sexy epic fantasy with happily ever afters.

Their favorite stories are about messy worlds, strong women, and falling in love with the people who love you just the way you are. When they’re not writing, they can be found crafting handmade jewelry, caring too much about video games, or freaking out about their favorite books or TV shows, all of which are chronicled on their various social media accounts.

Connect with Kit Rocha!

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  Twitter  ~  TikTok  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

 

ARC provided by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided with a free copy of Queen of Dreams (Bound to Fire and Steel #2) by Kit Rocha to read and review.

Road to a Cowboy by Amy Aislin Release Blitz

Detour

Five years after the death of his spouse, Austin MacIsaac is ready to find love again—and he's got the perfect guy in mind: his sexy cowboy of a best friend, Cal Anderson. If only he can convince Cal to detour out of the friend zone.

Road work ahead

Cal has been in love with Austin for longer than he can remember. The man has been his rock through the ups and downs of messy family drama. But shaking up their friendship for something more could lead them down a bumpy and unsafe road.

Merge

Amid a backdrop of the Wyoming mountains and under a summer sky, can Austin and Cal merge their lives into one and let the road to romance lead to happily ever after?

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Windsor, Wyoming series!
For book one, Home for a Cowboy, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
Buy Links

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Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Kobo  ~  Smashwords
Paperback (US)

 

 

Austin’s heart did a sideways flip when Cal stopped next to him, his broad shoulders as intimidating as the Rockies to anyone who didn’t know him.

“Welcome back,” Cal said in a slow drawl that dragged along Austin’s senses. “How was Montana?”

“Beats me,” Austin said with a grin, keeping his eyes on the image on his camera’s display. “But Kootenai National Forest was gorgeous. You should see some of the shots I got. The night sky there is spectacular.”

“Doesn’t it look the same as everywhere else?”

Austin gave him the stink eye. “Don’t sass me, Calvin.”

Cal didn’t smile—his smiles were as rare as a sighting of Halley’s Comet—but his lips twitched.

“And no, it doesn’t look the same everywhere.”

“If you say so.” Cal looked off to the right. “What’s with the second camera?”

Austin jerked his gaze to where he’d set up an additional tripod several feet away. “That one’s recording so I can make a time-lapse video.”

Cal grunted.

His presence was nonintrusive as the sun sank and the stars began to emerge, yet Austin was always aware of him. He was as aware of Cal as he was of the location of the moon or the image in his camera’s viewfinder.

A few minutes later, shadows bathing the landscape, Austin began packing up his equipment under a sky quickly turning to dusk. The mountains had turned nearly invisible—when it got dark out here, it got dark—and Cal was almost a silhouette against the sky. Something about him standing silently with his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, gazing out into the distance, screamed of both contentment and loneliness, making Austin’s heart clench.

The first memory Austin had of Cal at Windsor Ranch was of him falling into a puddle near the corral on a rainy summer day when they’d been seven or eight. Now, as the foreman of that same ranch, Cal was basically running the place. The juxtaposition between kid-Cal, covered in rain and mud as he’d blinked up at Austin with big gray eyes as though wondering how he’d fallen into the puddle, and adult-Cal, tall, strong, coolly confident, and carrying the weight of the entire ranch on his shoulders, was sometimes jarring in that strange twist-of-fate kind of way.

Austin brought the camera up to his eyes, adjusted the settings, and snapped a photo, framing Cal in the right third of the shot while he gazed off to the left, making the viewer wonder what he was looking at. Austin would call it Cowboy Against the Night. He might even put it up for sale in his gallery instead of keeping it for himself.

Maybe.

Cal must’ve heard the shutter, because he turned with a raised eyebrow.

“Smile,” Austin said, aiming his camera at him again.

Cal did the exact opposite, making Austin laugh as he took the picture anyway.

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and I would say that you don't absolutely need to read book one, but it would give you some more context to the ranch and to the fun that these two men have together as the very best of friends.

Austin and Cal were at school together and both secretly crushed on each other – but family situations and the times they grew up in were not that conducive to admitting their attraction. Now years later, they are both single and probably deeply in love with each other. Yet they daren't admit it to each other because their friendship is too valuable to lose.

I really enjoyed being back in Windsor, and ranch life – and even more enjoyable, learning more about the photographic skills that Austin uses to earn his living. Delighted that they found their way to each other... and that Cal finally sorted out his relationship with his mother.

I am already looking forward to seeing who gets their chance at love and happiness in Wyoming!


Angie – ☆☆☆
This author is apparently not a good fit for me. I read the first book in the series and didn't like it. I had high hopes for this one; you can only go up, right? This book was only marginally better. Austin and Cal were both great, I just didn't connect with them. There was too much distraction from other things and honestly it was slow burn... I mean really, really slow. When Austin and Cal finally got it together, it just didn't have enough oomph for me. It was just meh. I am sure others will enjoy this book and series, but it just wasn't for me.

 

 

AMY AISLIN has lived with her head in the clouds since she first picked up a book as a child, and being fluent in two languages means she’s read a lot of books! She first picked up a pen on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class had to stay inside for recess. Tales of treasure hunts with her classmates eventually morphed into love stories between men, and she’s been writing ever since. She writes evenings and weekends—or whenever she isn’t at her full-time day job saving the planet at Canada’s largest environmental non-profit.

An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram, or sign up for her infrequent NEWSLETTER.

Connect with Amy Aislin!

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Facebook Group: Amy Aislin's Readers

 

 

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Road to a Cowboy (Windsor, Wyoming #2) by Amy Aislin to read and review.

Phoenix Rising by Valerie Ullmer Release Blitz

Phoenix Aalto had everything he wanted in life.

His own bakery, close friends, and his plants. There was nothing more he could ask for after escaping the life his father wanted for him. Or that’s the lie he told himself each time the two men of his dreams walked into his bakery, looking every bit a happy couple. He wasn’t delusional enough to believe it was more than a one-sided attraction, but it didn’t stop him from daydreaming of something more.

Luka Kavka lived with his best friend, and they ran a successful landscaping business together. He’d come out during college, but like his friend, no one lasted more than a date. But a routine meeting in an out of way bakery with a real estate developer changed his fate.

Burton Horváth loved life. Working with his best friend while living with him was everything he thought needed.

When he spotted Phoenix behind the counter, everything he knew about his life changed. The younger man wasn’t his first crush on a man. If he were honest with himself, that honor would go to Luka. But he was the one who shook up his viewpoint at thirty-one years old and made him want a change.

Luka and Burton agreed they would ease into letting Phoenix know they were interested, which included months of daily visits. But change for all three men came when Luka charged in, giving Luka and Burton the opening they needed.

But as they navigate their newfound relationship, will the obstacles from Phoenix’s father allow them to find their happiness?

Phoenix Rising is an M/M/M romance with two best friends who fall in love with the same man. Includes a bisexual awakening, best-friends-to-lovers, a wonderful support system of friends and family, two adorable dogs, hot sexy times, and a definite HEA.

 

 

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

Get it together, Phoenix!

“Don’t touch him.”

My mouth dropped open as breathing became difficult. A shiver of pleasure fluttered over my body at the sound of his deep, commanding voice.

A scant ‘sorry’ was all I heard, since I couldn’t take my eyes off the giant of a man, even when I noted movement in my peripheral and the sound of my poor, old-fashioned shopkeeper’s bell being abused.

“Woo! That was one of the… nope, the hottest thing I’ve witnessed in ages. For a second there, I wondered if you were going to rip his arms off, big guy, all because he dared to grab our Phoenix here,” Arthur said as he fanned himself.

“It’s Luka.”

There was a pulse of desire in my lower stomach, and I stifled a gasp when my cock swelled underneath my jeans. Grateful I had the area covered with an apron.

I wanted to join my friend in fanning myself because the temperature climbed in the minute since Luka stepped in to help me.

“And I’m Burton. It’s nice to meet you, Phoenix.” The blond adonis held out his hand.

Reason fled as the eagerness of the situation presented to me overrode self-preservation. I placed my hand in Burton’s stronger, calloused one and sucked on my bottom lip as the tingle from his touch radiated up my arm and spread throughout. Images of me splayed out on a bed as Burton teased me with his warm hands while Luka’s voice washed over me until I erupted in an intense... Fuck!

Okay! Not nice to fantasize about two men who were a couple standing right in front of me.

“It’s also nice to meet you, Burton. Luka.”

“I’ve never seen you blush that shade of peach before, honey. I’m gonna call Jude and tell him.”

Leave it up to my best friend to embarrass me.

“It’s lovely,” Luka said as he ran the back of his finger down my cheek before he cupped my face.

In that moment, I considered the possibility of my entire body igniting into flames, all from Luka’s tiny gesture that, for the first time in my life, didn’t make me recoil. In a weak moment, I wanted to know the touch of the man cupping my cheek and burrowed into his hand.

Then I remembered he wasn’t available and leaned away.

“Sorry, I should’ve asked you before I touched you,” Luka said.

I shook my head back and forth before I found the words, “No, it’s okay. You can. I’m not used to it.”

“What about me? Can I touch you?” Burton asked.

My eyes widened, and I nodded, staring at the bewitching man, who was even more stunning up close. “If… if you want to?”

Arthur chuckled. “Give it up for Phoenix, ladies and gentlemen. He attracts two specimens of male perfection without a clue they’re flirting with him.”

He mumbled as he moved around the counter to clean the tables, leaving me alone with the two gorgeous men. Or at least I believed no one was around. There was no dragging my attention away from them.

“Uh…” I sounded daft as I looked back and forth between the two, confusion swamping me because I was a mess; the decorated apron with green vines and leaves along with depictions of pastries and the logo of my shop, Phoenix Rising, had chocolate stains and other food items I couldn’t identify. My hair stood up in all directions, and I’m pretty sure my fingers were sticky with frosting.

As my synapses fired back up, I swallowed around the dryness in my throat and said, “Just ignore him. He’s still in the honeymoon phase, despite being married for years, and sees romance everywhere.”

Until this conversation, I hadn’t spoken more than a word or two to either of these men. But now they were in front of me, both holding expressions of faint amusement as they stared at me, and I felt faint. And in order to cover my ineptitude in social situations, out came the verbal onslaught.

“Is it hot in here? It’s hot, right? I mean… um, what were we talking about? Oh, right? My deluded best friend thinks, well, stupid things that are out of the realm of possibility because whatever he’s imagining doesn’t happen in real life and as far as I can tell, I’m awake and working. Are you two together? Shit, I did not mean for that to escape my mouth because nosy much, Phoenix? It’s not my business. Over the past several months, I couldn’t miss observing that you two make an exquisite couple. And on that note, I’ll stop talking now,” ending on a groan.

Burton glanced at Luka, who kept his eyes on me the entire time, and beamed at the taller man.

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆☆
Overall, I liked this book. It was kind of insta-love-ish. Luka and Burton (aka B) have been best friends since childhood, had messed around in college, and now own a business and live together. Phoenix owns a bakery and thinks Luka and B are a couple and lusts after them each time they visit his bakery.

This book is filled with lots and lots of dirty talk and sexy times. The only angst is from Phoenix’s father. I loved all three main characters, and I also loved Arthur, who is besties with Phoenix.

At times, the story seemed to jump or skip and then the characters were mixed up a few times but I'm going to assume that's because I was reading a pre-release copy. I did enjoy the book and read it within two nights.

 

 

Valerie writes romances.

VALERIE ULLMER resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband. While she had been interested in writing a romance novel for years, it wasn’t until she wrote her first book that she really became hooked, and now she can’t stop. She has notebooks full of ideas, and she plans to write most of them in the years to come.

When she’s not writing or learning about the craft of writing, she can be found surfing the internet way too much, watching Investigation Discovery and thinking that her neighbors are up to no good, and finding new ways to get her husband to laugh.

Connect with Valerie Ullmer!

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Phoenix Rising by Valerie Ullmer to read and review.

Twincerely Yours by Eden Finley Instagram Tour

EMMETT

My twin brother and I have gotten ourselves into a lot of messes growing up. We would constantly switch places to escape consequences while protecting each other at every cost.

But sleeping with Ben’s professor is a whole new level of mess, because there’s something Jonah doesn’t know. He might have been Ben’s professor last semester, but the person he was lecturing wasn’t Ben. It was me.

JONAH

From the moment I meet Emmett, I know he looks familiar but I can’t pinpoint where from. It’s not until I see his twin brother in the quad that I put two and two together.

Dating the sibling of one of my ex-students isn’t a huge problem for me, but I can’t help thinking the twins are hiding something.

The more time I spend with Emmett, the more I fall for him, but as my insecurity grows, so does my worry that I’m being played.

When my heart and my gut tell me two different things, I don’t know which to trust. My gut tells me to cut and run, but my heart won’t let me. Even though I’ve been telling myself to hold back, it’s too late. I’m already in too deep.

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the Franklin U 2 series!
For book one, The Hookup Mix-Up, click HERE.
For book three, Batting Style, click HERE.
For book four, Level Up, click HERE.
For book five, Full Service, click HERE.
For book six, Tongue Tied, click HERE.

 

 

Book 8
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Paperback (US)  ~  Illustrated Cover Paperback (US)

Audiobook (Author’s Website)
Narrated by Tim Paige
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Twincerely Yours is the eighth installment in the Franklin U 2 series. While I've read all of the installments in the original Franklin U series, I have not read any others in the FU2 series. I was able to read the novel as a standalone with little to no confusion, out of series order.

Note: The twins, Ben and Emmett, were first introduced in the CU Hockey series by Eden Finley and Saxon James. Line Mates & Study Dates and Puck Drills & Quick Thrills (CU Hockey books four and five) where their brothers, Asher and Westly, narrated, and who are cameoed heavily in this novel.

I devoured Twincerely Yours in one sitting, and it just ignited my appetite to reread the CU series, FU series, and tackle the FU2 series anew. Adorable and engaging, I enjoyed every single word, thoroughly entertained, sparking all the feel-good emotions within me.

Identical twins, Emmett and Ben share mirrored learning disabilities. Emmett struggles with dyslexia, whereas Ben struggles with dyscalculia, which is similar to dyslexia but with numbers. This part of the story truly resonated with me as someone who has similar issues.

Emmett is sweet, compassionate, self-sacrificing, and endlessly giving. He's humorous and good-natured with a go with the flow vibe. As part of an identical twin pairing, Emmett struggles with codependency on his twin. Since I hadn't read Ben's novel yet, I did struggle with liking Ben because I had to keep reminding myself that Emmett was voluntarily being selfless, none of it asked by Ben.

Emmett is helping Ben with his statistics class, where he briefly meets Professor Jonah, when the twins decide to no longer switch and take each other's classes. Emmett is currently pretending to be Ben 24/7 after his expulsion from another local college.

Jonah is a solid guy, a first-year professor struggling with who he wants to be as a teacher. He's kind and compassionate, but has a black and white world view, a view that Emmett upends entirely.

Emmett is struggling to hide his great love of hockey from his twin, spending his hours coaching youngsters at the local rink. Uncle Jonah is picking up the slack left by his nephew's deadbeat daddy, volunteering to take the little to all sorts of extracurriculars until one sticks, and he's hoping hockey won't. Hockey sticks for the tyke just as strongly as the coach does for Jonah.

An instant connection, a spark of recognition and lust, ignites into a realistic friendship and enduring love story loaded with delicious angst. While Emmett is not Jonah's student, and there is only a four-year age difference between the two, this simmers beneath the surface waiting to be exposed.

A delightful read, I thoroughly enjoyed every page. All the characters were lovely to read. Humorous. Realistic. Adorable. Endearing. From start to finish, I never wanted the story to end. Now I will have the pleasure of starting at the beginning with the CU series again, working my way through all of the Franklin U stories.


Shannan – ☆☆☆☆☆
Twincerely Yours is the eighth installment in the Franklin U 2 series. Franklin U 2 is a multi-author series that can be read in any order without issue.

Emmett and Benny Dalton are the chaos twins. They made their first appearance in the CU series in West and Asher's (their brothers) books. Emmett and Benny have long known the act of swapping roles when the other didn't want to do something. Emmett feels he has dyslexia and Ben struggles with dyscalculia; both were overlooked when they were children and now feel it's too late to come clean with their secrets. They have been helping each other for their entire school careers. They became experts at pretending to be the other. So when Emmett was asked to leave his college (by something no fault of his own), of course he was going to help his brother with his math at FU. Emmett was incredibly attracted to his statics professor. When Benny drops the class, Emmett is almost sad to not see Jonah any longer. The twins were best friends, but while Benny found his happily ever after, Emmett was losing himself always portraying himself as Benny. When he was finally noticed for himself, he jumps at the chance to just let go and be himself for a while – even if it's with his brother’s professor. He knows he can't pursue anything, just one night, but will one night be enough for Emmett?

Jonah sort of fell into being a professor. He's not sure if it’s something he'll do forever but he's giving it his all as his first teaching job. Jonah and his nephew are close, and Jonah takes him to hockey (his new obsession) practice. Jonah notices the new coach and he seems familiar, but he can’t quite place him. When Dalton says he can only give him one night, Jonah doesn't understand why but does it anyway.

I loved finally getting the chaos twins’ book. I loved everything about it. Emmett and Jonah have so much chemistry and work so hard to make it work between them. The CU series by Eden Finley and Saxon James is one of my favorites and to get more of West and Asher makes me so happy.


Angie – ☆☆☆
I wanted to love this book. I love twins and I couldn't wait for this book. I am not sure if a series written by different authors for each book is for me. I felt this book was more about Emmett and Ben instead of Emmett and Jonah. I wanted more of Emmett and Jonah. I couldn't understand how Emmett was so taken with Jonah with only a few interactions. I found myself skimming the book at times because it wasn't holding my attention. I am glad Emmett and Jonah were finally able to get their happily ever after, but this was a miss for me. I'm sure others will love it and be sad it's the end of the series.

 

 

 

EDEN FINLEY is an Amazon bestselling author who writes steamy contemporary romances that are full of snark and light-hearted fluff.

She doesn't take anything too seriously and lives to create an escape from real life for her readers. The ideas always begin with a wackadoodle premise, and she does her best to turn them into romances with heart.

With a short attention span that rivals her son's, she writes multiple different pairings: MM, MMF, and MF.

She's also an Australian girl and apologises for her Australianisms that sometimes don't make sense to anyone else.

Connect with Eden Finley!

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Facebook Group: Absolutely Eden

 

 

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Twincerely Yours (Franklin U 2 #8) by Eden Finley to read and review.