Blackmailer's Delight

Title: Blackmailer's Delight

Author: David Lawrence

Publisher: Broadbound Publishing LLC

Release Date: February 12, 2024

Genre(s): M/M Historical Romance

Page Count: 325

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

In the midst of the French Revolution, the English "Revolt of the Housewives" erupted in 1795, whereby the mostly female rioters redistributed food stores to those in need, after one of England's coldest winters, setting fair prices for the food and paying the proceeds back to the original owners. I love how the women strived to give all involved a good outcome, and in a sense, this reflects the overall tone of David Lawrence's book. 

Throughout the course of Blackmailer's Delight, we find, yup, blackmailers, some perfectly horrid characters, miscommunications and misunderstands galore, and situations where there seems to be no good outcome. And at first, the tone of the writing - for me personally - was a bit much to really digest. There's a certain formal tone and a huge amount of descriptions that bogs down the story and many of the actions and events in the book are told after the fact, or recalled as a memory, resulting in a lack of immediacy. 

But once the plot is fully in swing, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it all. Daniel Thornton goes to Grantham to care for his ailing uncle, declaring that he wished to find the goodness in the world. Yet when confronted with Luke Morley "this young man I've joked with, caroused with, argued with, f@cked with, and tried to emotionally blackmail. Everything, it seems, except to speak to properly.") he believes the absolute worst of him, and yet believes most of what his ex Clarence tells him. 

Clarence starts out as a simply horrid character who I was eager to write off, and yet Daniel manages to find a good resolution to their former relationship. He manages to circumvent the supposed blackmail plan for his marriage to Luke's sister, and the solution is really a stroke of genius all the way around. The secondary characters are well-developed and fleshed out and as the book come to an end, there is a world of possibilities for all the characters. 4 stars.

I received an ARC from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Curio

Title: Curio

Author: CS Poe

Publisher: Emporium Press

Release Date: February 5, 2024

Genre(s): M/M Contemporary Romance

Page Count: 60

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

Llewellyn Cooper (Lew) and his aunt Julia ("Remember the summer you took up performance art in the park and destroyed all your panties in front of picnicking families?" "It was art, Lew. I was making a statement.") run the Curio Cabinet in NYC's West Village and have lately been fascinated by Professor Bow Tie (Henry), a natty dresser (albeit with thick thighs and a lumberjack beard) who sorts endlessly through old photos in their shop, occasionally buying a photo or two.

Julia insists Henry and Lew would make a great couple. And even after a somewhat fraught first date ("I started to giggle. And not in a cute way either - but in a hysterical way that'd have had a nineteenth-century woman locked away."), Lew and Henry find they are, indeed, a good fit. 

This novella packs in a lot - quirky well-developed characters, an Easter egg (or two?), and the start of what looks to be an interesting relationship. Toss in a robbery, a WWI-era mystery, a steamy sex scene (and, yes, this all fits nicely into this 60-page novella) and you have a thoroughly enjoyable story that I personally loved. 5 stars.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Cross My Candy Heart

Title: Cross My Candy Heart

Author: A.C. Thomas

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: February 6, 2024

Genre(s): M/M Contemporary Romance, Valentine's Day

Page Count: 95

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

This novella answers the question: "How do you let someone know you're totally crushing on them when dressed as a slightly mangy teddy bear or in a duck costume with candy-striped tights and big webby feet?" 

After his latest bad relationship with a truly horrid ex, Justin is working three jobs to get his head anywhere close to above water. And as an employee of "Season's Greetings," he delivers singing telegrams. AND his latest one is a doozy - Adam Hubert (who I picture as James Garner with a heavier brow and a scowl) is definitely not feeling the Valentine love with this anonymous embarrassing delivery. And to make it worse, Adam is his daily 7:15 am "extra-large Americano with a double shot of espresso" order / crush at the coffee shop where Justin also works. 

What follows is a sweet story of two guys who find they may not be perfect, but they are perfect for each other. But along the way, each man spends far too much time bemoaning their unworthiness - way, way too much time, IMHO - plus the requisite miscommunication and some angst. But no worries - a very improbable resolution to who is sending Adam these singing telegrams (plus a pretty darn steamy sex scene) makes for a very satisfying HEA. 4 stars. 

I received an ARC from IndiGo Marketing and Design in exchange for an honest review.

The [Fake] Dating Game

Title: The [Fake] Dating Game

Author: Timothy Janovsky

Publisher: Afterglow Books by Harlequin

Release Date: January 23, 2024

Genre(s): M/M Contemporary Romance

Page Count: 245

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

Timothy Janovsky is a "new" author to me, so I started this book with absolutely no expectations. And I ending up loving the book; sometimes in much the same way a parent loves their child but doesn't adore everything they do. 

So, great start and a great hook. Holden James and his beloved mother watched Madcap Market, a zany reality show that pit teams against each other in winning a $100,000 prize. Holden dreams of getting on the show as a homage to his mom who passed 6 years ago. Asking his long-term boyfriend Buckley to join him on the show doesn't end up well and they end up breaking up in an epic scene in a crowded restaurant where a nearby diner who is an agent says "Are you two filming test footage for a reality series? Because, if so, this stuff is really juicy. This is my card ..." 

Traveling alone and checking into a decrepit LA hotel with a Tower of Terror vibe and a room that smells like farts, Holden meets Leo Min, the muscly temp concierge with an attitude and then the fun begins. The two team up to get on Madcap Market and win the $100K by pretending to be boyfriends. Their attraction is sizzling and at times involves a vegetable "you could theoretically slice up for a salad." 

I like how these two men are so dissimilar yet somehow there's something that works so well between the two. There is an unexpected joy to this relationship that starts out fake and works its way to the cusp of something more. Until, they start filming the show and ....Holden's ex-boyfriend Buckley appears on the show as a contestant, with a nasty plan for vengeance. 

 Aargh. The entire flow of the book changes, the fun stops and serious times are ahead. I resented this 180, but stay with it, because the book goes deep and it's worth the angst as Holden finally deals with his mom's death and he and Leo come to the HFN they really deserve. A very strong 4 stars.

I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

One Night in Hartwood

Title: One Night in Hartwood

Author: Emma Denny

Publisher: Mills & Boon

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Genre(s): M/M Historical

Page Count: 352

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

Set in 1360 England, a wedding has been arranged and brothers Ash and Rafe are escorting their sister Lily to her nuptials. However, the groom William de Foucart disappears before the wedding occurs, and and as he is returning home, Rafe comes upon a man in the forest, Penn. Over the first part of the book, as the two begin traveling together they learn to depend on one another, while fighting their growing feelings for one another. 

Remember the TV series House and Dr. House's credo: "Everyone lies"?  Because Penn is lying, Rafe is lying, and things are not as they seem. Penn and Rafe are richly drawn characters and the author does a very good job of showing rather than telling how these two very different men navigate their feelings. However, the first 1/3 of the book involves Rafe and Penn in the forest, huddling together for warmth on the cold nights due to several unlikely plot devices that force them together. At over 350 pages, the book seems a bit bloated at times. 

Otherwise, the plot held my interest throughout the book and the secondary characters are nicely fleshed out, although the big problem with the Earl Marcus de Foucart ends up being much ado about nothing. This is the author's debut novel and the book has good bones, plus Rafe's brother Ash has an intriguing past, and I hope the author continues this series to include his story. 3.5 stars. 

I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.