Best Wrong Thing by Colette Davison Release Blitz

How can something that feels so right be wrong?

What do you do when your dad tells you he’s married the woman he had an affair with? Go out and get drunk.

At least, that’s my plan until the cute guy behind the bar chats me up. One thing leads to another, and we end up in bed together, only for me to discover he’s the last person on earth I should be fooling around with.

The problem? I can’t keep away, even though I know I should.

The more time I spend with Archer, the deeper I fall for him.

But when everyone around us will judge us for being together, can I be brave enough to admit he’s the best wrong thing to ever happen to me?

Best Wrong Thing is a one-night-stand-to-lovers forbidden romance, with an age-gap relationship, a strained holiday, and parents behaving badly.

 

 

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

“I guess your sorrows aren’t that bad,” Archer says once the rush dies.

“Why?”

He nods at my beer, which is three-quarters full. I’m doing a piss-poor job of getting drunk. “You haven’t drowned them yet.”

“Maybe I’m debating other ways to forget my woes.” Shut up.

He rests his forearms on the counter. “Oh?”

I shake my head. “Forget I said anything.”

“What if I don’t want to forget you said anything?”

Is he flirting with me? Am I flirting with him?

“What if I want to help cheer you up?”

Oh, fuck. I lean forward. “How would you do that?”

He chuckles. “You tell me. Have a think and let me know. I need to serve a customer.” He walks backwards towards the waiting customer, gives me a wink, and turns to give the woman his undivided attention.

I fan myself. Would he be flirting with me if he cared I’m older than him?

As he serves customers with an easy smile and brisk conversation, I trace shapes in the condensation on the glass. I’m no longer interested in drinking myself into oblivion. Besides, by this point, my beer is probably so warm it’s unpalatable.

“And here we are again.” He grabs a cloth and wipes the spotless counter.

I smile. “I haven’t moved. You’re the one who keeps coming and going.”

“Right? Work is such a bore.”

“You don’t enjoy it.”

“Oh, I love it. I get to meet lots of interesting people. Sometimes I even get to meet handsome men.”

My pulse spikes.

He walks his fingers over the bar and taps it beside my resting hand. “You were going to think of ways I could help cheer you up tonight. Have you come up with anything?”

“We could get out of here when you finish work.” I’m really doing this. I’m hitting on a barman. And why not? He can always say no.

“For sex?”

His question is so casual my brain stutters.

“It’s a good distraction.” He grazes his fingers over mine.

“You want to have sex with me?” Smooth, Jacob. Smooth. It’s been a while since I’ve chatted up anyone. Hook-up apps get rid of the need for it.

His smile pops dimples in his cheeks. “Definitely.”

I undo the top button of my shirt. “Aren’t I—?”

“What?”

“Too old?”

He laughs. “How old are you?”

I open my mouth.

He holds his hand up, palm facing me. “Let me guess. Thirty-two?”

“Close.”

“Higher or lower?”

“Higher.”

“Not much higher. Thirty-four.”

I point my finger at the ceiling.

“Thirty-five?” He raises his brows.

“Yes.”

“That’s a good age. Thirty-five is mature and experienced. Men get better with age.”

My pulse races. “Like red wine?”

He hums. “Exactly like red wine.”

I tug my collar away from my neck. Has it got hot in here?

“I get off in an hour.”

“So early?”

“I’ve been on shift since midday when the bar opened. Do me a favour.”

“What?”

“Don’t finish your drinks. I don’t sleep with drunk guys.”

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆☆
This book was full of dirty talk and steamy times. But it also had heart and dealt with things we all might go through. Our parents getting divorced after 40 years because one spouse cheated. That's hard, even on adult children. We see this with Jacob and his parents. His dad was banging his co-worker, and his mom walked in on it. Finding out his dad secretly wed the gal was a tough pill to swallow.

What starts out as a crappy night soon gets better. Meeting Archer the hot bartender and then going home with him instead of a hangover is even better. Archer and Jacob together are amazeballs. Archer has a mouth on him, so dirty! Things went so good Archer asked Jacob to stay, which he did even though he was worried about their age difference. Well, if Jacob only knew that was the least of his worries.

The night turns to crap again and Jacob leaves and Archer has no idea why. We all find out why and then we see the two of them try to get through things. It's tough when these two are so drawn towards each other. Jacob is always worried about what others think of him, especially his dad, who has always been hard on him.

Things slowly get better. There is a lot of secrecy, and we all know that can't last forever. Jacob's friend from his younger years tries to talk some sense into him. A random guy tries to give Archer advice. But it finally takes someone hitting on Archer in front of Jacob for him to pull his head out of his butt and take a stand. It happens very late in the book, which made me mad. This could have been a five star for me, but waiting soooo long into the book just made me want to scream. I do love how things went down with Jacob's dad. He was a total douche. Jacob and Archer got their happily ever after and we also see both of their moms finally happy too.

 

 

COLETTE DAVISON’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Connect with Colette Davison!

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  Twitter  ~  TikTok  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Colette Davison's Cosy Corner

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Best Wrong Thing by Colette Davison to read and review.

The Substitute by Kristen Proby Release Blitz

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes a new age-gap, workplace romance set in her beloved Single in Seattle series!

Derek Langley can’t keep an assistant to save his life. He’s grumpy, demanding, and sometimes mean, which mirrors his reputation in court. Derek doesn’t have time to coddle an employee, so when the temp agency informs him their next placement will be the last, he knows he’s doomed.

Maya Sterling is excited to move to Seattle. She wants to be closer to her siblings and her new friends, and a position with a temp agency fits the bill for her new life in the city. She doesn’t plan on walking in and finding a sexy British grouch for a boss, but his gruff nature doesn’t really bother her. In fact, she’s attracted to his rough-around-the-edges nature.

They quickly realize the attraction is mutual and steam up the office. But Maya’s position with Derek is temporary, and she knows she must maintain a professional distance to preserve her sanity.

Will they be able to resist each other? Or does fate have other plans?

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Single in Seattle series!
For book one, The Secret, click HERE.
For book two, The Scandal, click HERE.
For book three, The Score, click HERE.
For book four, The Setup, click HERE.
For book five, The Stand-In, click HERE.

 

 

Book 5.5
Buy Links

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

 

 

“So, why does Gray think your boss is a jerk?” Liv asks me as we walk into the department store.

“I don’t think he’s a jerk, but I’ve only known him for a week.”

Sidney scowls at me. “Why would Gray think that, then?”

“I guess Derek has a reputation for being hard to work for.” I shrug and hold up a navy-blue dress, but Stella takes it out of my hands and puts it back on the rack.

“That’s for someone in their sixties,” she informs me, shaking her head.

“Thanks. Anyway, I admit Derek can be abrupt and short, but he doesn’t bother me. At least not so far.”

I glance over at Liv, who’s watching me.

“What?”

“I’m telling you, you like him,” she says, narrowing her eyes.

“Look—”

“He doesn’t just not bother you. You’re hot for him.”

“Is he attractive?” Sidney asks, reaching for her phone. “Hell, I’ll google him. What’s his name?”

“Derek Langley,” I reply and bite my lip. This is fun. And a little nerve-racking. “He’s British. So, he does have a sexy accent.”

“Oh,” Sid says, turning the phone so the others can see. “Yeah, he’s fucking attractive.”

“Hot,” Stella agrees. “Dang, Maya, you should go for it. Wait, is he married?”

“He doesn’t wear a ring.” I consider that, tapping my finger on my chin. “Of course, not everyone does. I don’t think he’s married.”

“I can’t find any evidence of a wife,” Sidney says, tapping on her phone some more. “Unless it’s recent.”

“He’s my boss,” I reply, shaking my head. “Sure, there’s some chemistry there, but I work for him. I don’t think that’s ethical.”

I’ve caught him looking at my lips several times, and when we stand close together, he shoves his hands in his pockets as if he’s restraining himself to keep from touching me.

But maybe that’s all just in my head.

“You said yourself it’s only a thirty-day assignment,” Liv says, waving me off. “I say take those thirty days and have fun with them.”

“We’re going straight to the lingerie department,” Stella decides.

“You guys.” I laugh but don’t stop them from pulling me to the intimates section, where they choose lots of lacy, silky, beautiful things for me to try. “What if I’m being silly, and he wants no part in anything sexy with me?”

“Number one, he’d be stupid,” Sid says. “And number two, if he’s not interested, someone else will be.”

“You have a point. Okay, let’s do this.”

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is book 5.5 in the Single in Seattle series, and also another 1001 Dark Nights in the series; it is fun to get these short novellas to give us a quick fix between longer reads – and this is one is fun and frenetic.

The unexpected chemistry between the grumpy, rude lawyer, Derek, and the calm, unfazed Maya burns the pages. Of course things will not run smoothy because he is not really able to process what is happening to his very nature now that he has met her – and Maya is so wonderfully unflappable, and so in tune with her own needs, that we are treated to a whirlwind of a romance.

It is great to catch up with previous couples, two of which, of course, involve Maya's siblings, and the epilogue is really delicious and funny!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

This is a super quick, cute story about Derek and Maya.

Maya is coming home after spending some time in Europe and once she realizes that no matter what her parents say, they want her to move to Seattle and follow her heart; she goes to Seattle. Maya is still figuring out what she truly wants from her life, so she goes through a temp agency to find a job.

Derek is known for being a grump. He has a difficult time keeping help because of his brusque demeanor and sometimes downright mean words. He knows it's something he should work on, but he just can't seem to find the time.

When Maya walks into Derek's office, there is instant chemistry. These two have to figure out how to work together while keeping each other at a pleasant friendship distance. Despite their attraction, both know that mixing business and pleasure can lead to disasters.

Will Maya thaw Derek's icy demeanor or will she throw in the towel and find another way? This is a super quick read that will have you smiling.

 

 

 

KRISTEN PROBY is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over seventy published titles. She debuted in 2012, captivating fans with spicy contemporary romance about families and friends with plenty of swoony love. She also writes paranormal romance and suggests you keep the lights on while reading them.

When not under deadline, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband and their fur babies, riding her bike, relaxing with embroidery, trying her hand at painting, and, of course, enjoying her beautiful home in the mountains of Montana.

Connect with Kristen Proby!

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  TikTok  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Proby's Peeps

 

 

For more information about the 1,001 Dark Nights releases, follow them at:

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  TikTok  ~  Website & Newsletter Sign-Up

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Substitute (Single in Seattle #5.5) by Kristen Proby 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

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
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!

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Amy Aislin's Readers

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Hosted by

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!

Newsletter  ~  Goodreads

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Hosted by

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

A Little More Forgiveness by Pauley J. Ray Release Blitz

Three angry men, two loveable dogs and one isolated cabin.
What could possibly go wrong?

Gabriel Sanchez is a man running away from his past, unaware it’s about to catch up to him. Stuck in an isolated cabin with two strangers is the last thing he planned. One guy, a bear of a man shouldering intolerable emotional pain, Gabe instinctively wants to soothe. The other, kinder, gentler, and just wishing to be seen, Gabe desperately wants to show him how visible he is. However, the harder he tries to keep both at bay, the more they fight and the closer they get until his heart begins to desire things he’s promised himself it can never have again.

Leo Taylor has yearned for approval his whole life, and as the lawyer negotiating the sale of a run-down cabin and its land, this time he may just earn it. But, trying to keep the peace between a cocky New Yorker and the grumpiest man alive is slowly taking its toll. During their confinement, secrets are uncovered that will force Leo to make a tough choice. Close the sale and gain the approval he craves, or follow his heart and fight for the men for whom he’s falling head over heels.

Mitchell Houghton is drowning in grief and guilt following the death of his wife four years ago. Then, along comes a lawyer with an outsider who claims to own 50 percent of his home, his land. After years of self-imposed isolation, Mitch is now trapped with them both in his small cabin. Determined to make their lives a misery, he almost succeeds, until their unwanted interaction and attention makes him remember the man he used to be—the one he thought lost forever—giving him another chance at a happiness he’s not sure he deserves.

Author’s Note: This is book three of a four-book series. It does not end on a cliffhanger. Each book concentrates on a different main character from the four owners of a successful construction company. Successive books will include spoilers from the previous ones if the books are not read in order.

 

 

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Kobo
Paperback (US)  ~  NineStar Press

 

 

“I’m a determined man, Mr. Houghton.”

“Or a foolish one.”

I shrugged, not prepared to admit I was beginning to agree with him.

“Time after time, you were told no, but unlike any decent man, any honorable man, you didn’t leave me alone and walk away, did you?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “No, instead, you went behind my back and began pressuring my brother to sell, recognizing he’d be the more gullible of us, the weaker of the two.”

I frowned at his answer. Obviously, there was far more bad blood between them than I’d originally suspected.

Not my problem.

“And you think it’s me who’s foolish.” I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m here today because you requested this meeting. You. You were the one who’d finally decided to sell.” I lifted my shoulders. “Don’t kid yourself into believing I’m the bad guy in this scenario. It’s pretty obvious as soon as you received our offer and caught sight of all those zero’s, you had a very rapid change of heart.”

“A momentary lapse in judgment,” he snapped at me.

“Whatever.” I balled my hands into fists in my pants trying to remain relaxed, knowing my next admission wasn’t going to be well received. “Oh, and by the way. To be clear, your brother came to us, not the other way around.”

“No.” His sharp rebuttal sounded almost painful.

I shrugged again. “Believe what you want, but I’m telling the truth. Until Jared Houghton offered up his fifty percent, I’d given up on the purchase, had decided you weren’t worth the time and effort to continue pursuing.”

Something flashed in his eyes at my comment but was gone too quick for me to decipher. “There are other cabins, other land”—removing my hands from my pockets, I spread my arms to indicate the shabby interior—“in much better condition.”

He moved off the jamb and was in my face before I had chance to blink, his voice low and threatening. “Be very careful what you say in my home, Mr. Sanchez.” He said my name like my presence left a bad taste in his mouth. “You’re a guest here, and you better remember that—and your manners.”

I took in a few deep breaths, wanting to calm down and ensure I didn’t say something inappropriate. I hated being threatened. Watching Mason after his attack, how he’d get jumpy and scared at the slightest hint of raised voices or aggression from others, I’d done everything in my power to help him work through his trauma. To the point I automatically placed myself in front of him whenever he got anxious, protecting him from anyone getting too close. So Mitchell trying his intimidation act on with me in the hopes I’d cower meekly? Well, I couldn’t help myself.

“Ah, but that’s not quite true anymore, is it?” My blood pumped hard in my veins, rapidly heading south, making me hard. I wouldn’t say I was enjoying our sparring match, but the male aggression filling the air, raising our body temperature, and releasing delicious-smelling pheromones of sweat and musk pushed all my buttons.

I glanced around the room with its worn couch, scuffed oak furniture, and thick log walls, thinking if renovated, the place would look amazing. “I’m not really here as a guest, am I? I own fifty percent, remember? So this place is as much mine as yours.”

I didn’t see the punch coming until it connected with my gut, winding me as it knocked the air from my lungs in a loud whoosh, doubling me over as pain ripped through my abdomen. The next thing I knew, I was grabbed by the collar of my expensive silk shirt and the back of my leather belt and heaved up as if I weighed nothing. He dragged me around the couch to the front door, which, typically, opened as we got there, to a horrified Leo.

Mitchell pushed past him, me firmly in his grip, my struggling useless against his power and strength as he swung me back, and then let gravity pull me speedily forward before releasing me, sending me flying across the porch to land in the snow and frozen dirt at the bottom of the steps in front of the cabin.

“My house,” he roared. “My home. Mine.” Then he slammed the door firmly behind him, leaving me there on my ass and out in the cold.

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series, but I feel it can be read as a standalone. I haven't read any of the previous books.

Gabe, Mitch, and Leo are all so different. Each man has baggage; while they do share some things right away, they don't share everything right away. The chemistry is off the charts... hubba hubba. There was angst – how could there not be with all that baggage they each have? I thought the book was a little too long and at times, I just wanted to tie things up for goodness’ sake! Once we get to the end, it was worth it, and these three men got the happily ever after they deserve.

 

 

PAULEY J. RAY writes contemporary M/M romantic fiction. His books contain sexy yet complicated and flawed characters searching for their own happily ever after.

When not writing, he can’t wait to get outdoors, and with his husband, go hiking, camping, and travel everywhere they can, as often as they can.

With his husband’s job taking them all over the world, he now gets to write all day, every day, and he's never happier than when sat at his laptop creating new stories about gorgeous and sexy men.

Except when there's coffee... ooh and chocolate... yes, he's way happier when there's coffee and chocolate!

Connect with Pauley J. Ray!

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of A Little More Forgiveness (Hot Property #3) by Pauley J. Ray to read and review.