March Top Reads #Giveaway

The end of a month brings new and exciting reads!!! March was full of INCREDIBLE books and I was like a kid on Halloween! I couldn't narrow it down to my 5 fav's of the month so I have 7. For those new to this, here's how it works.

I list my top reads of the month with their blurbs, my review, and their buy links. Then at the end YOU have a chance to win ANY of the ones I post!!! So exciting! The publication date of the books do not matter, just that I read them this month. So, just keep that in mind.

Here are my March Top Reads!

Brandon Mills versus the V-Card by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock

Smart, shy Prescott sophomore Brandon Mills is working hard to overcome his troubled past and be normal. With the help of his friends Mark and Deacon, and his brothers at Phi Sigma Kappa, he’s slowly coming out of his shell. But when he accidentally drenches a freshman in orange soda, he faces something he’s not ready for: a boy crushing on him.

Alex Kekoa pledges Phi Sig because it has everything he wants: a house full of nerds who won’t tease him for being smart, a dog, and Brandon Mills. Brandon is just the type of guy Alex needs to help fulfill his college ambition: losing his virginity. Except Alex doesn’t know that Brandon can’t stand to touch or be touched.

When Alex and Brandon are drafted onto the Phi Sig Academic Challenge team, their mutual attraction grows. If there’s anyone who can help Brandon discover it feels good to touch and kiss, maybe it’s klutzy Alex with his cute glasses and his dinosaur obsession. But as the competition--and their relationship--heats up, Alex’s determination not to die a virgin clashes with Brandon’s vow of lifelong celibacy, forcing them to examine what’s truly important to each of them about love.

My Review:
I just absolutely LOVED this book! I laughed so hard I cried!!! Brandon, of course, has a story. A sad, heartbreaking story and it takes a klutzy, nerdy, and honestly, adorable guy named Alex to make Brandon see the light. This was an awesome sequel to this series and I can't wait to read more by these 2 amazing authors!  

Buy Links:
AMAZON 
B&N 
LooseID 


The Anatomy of Perception by AJ Rose

In the beginning, there was wreckage. Dane Perry’s mother was dead, and the father who always said he’d amount to nothing blamed him. Dane swore he’d become something. He would be someone.

In the middle, there was escape. Rebuilding his life from the ashes of his mother’s memory, Dane found success as a respected surgeon, and love in the form of Craig Dahl, a talented artist who became his everything. But there was also darkness, lies, and a crumbling foundation just waiting for the ground to shift.

In the end, there was a spectacular fall, illusions shattered, and for Dane, nothing more to lose. He was broken, damaged, and left with fierce demons. But from the bottom, the only way left is up. Dane renewed friendships and salvaged his career. The only thing he cannot replace is Craig. But Dane has a plan. Brick by brick, his foundation is rebuilt, and all he needs is for Craig to listen one last time.

In the beginning again, there’s hope and tatters of love. Can Dane repair the damage with Craig? Can he rescue the only thing he amounted to that ever truly mattered?

This book contains vivid descriptions of symptoms of PTSD and events that can cause anxiety. Reader discretion advised.  
 
My Review:
Just breathe! That's what I kept telling myself throughout this amazing and emotional story. Then I found myself saying it to Dane and Craig. The Anatomy of Perception is a plunge into the many shades of true love. True love isn't all flowers, candy, hugs, and kisses. Sometimes it's cruel. Sometimes between the hearts and hugs there is lies and regret. There's pain, always pain. Not always for you, more so for those who you love so deeply. Reading Dane and Craig's story was like being impaled with a knife of misfortune only to be embraced with something much stronger than the evils of the world.

This is a story about strength. It's a story for anyone who's had to climb up from rock bottom. Superheros don't always wear capes. Sometimes they wield a scalpel or a paintbrush. There are forces on this earth that are beyond our control. You can't count on every day being perfect but you can choose who you can count on to get through the unknown.

I love this story so much that I cry just writing this review. AJ Rose has a knack for just getting it right. She understands life, she understands love in all it's forms and because of that she translates it so very well.

This is a must read. A must own!

Buy Links:
AMAZON 
B&N 

After School Activities by Dirk Hunter

Two guys insist on complicating Dylan O’Connor’s life: one, his bully, and the other, his best friend.

It started out simple enough. Step one, outsmart Adam with wit and flair, goad him into doing something stupid, and land him in detention. Step two, play video games with Kai all night and laugh about it. Go to bed. Repeat tomorrow. Only, Adam and Kai are about to change the rules on him.

First, Adam's bullying turns suddenly violent, leaving Dylan to wonder if his bully really needs a friend. Then, Kai makes an unexpected move Dylan has only imagined in his most secret fantasies. Only he'd never dreamed it might come at a price.

While Adam opens up, coming closer to revealing a secret he’s kept his entire life, Kai pulls away even as they get closer than ever.

With everything he thought he understood turned upside down, Dylan must decide what he really wants from the men in his life—before inaction loses him the very relationships he's always relied on.

No pressure, Dylan. You got this. It's just love. How hard could it be?

My Review:
I have a whole lotta love for this book!!!! WOW! Dirk Hunter had me laughing SO hard my sides hurt. Dylan is witty, smart, and openly gay.... the ONLY gay boy in high school... or so he thinks. What a ride this was. A true enemies to lovers story that tops the charts in my book! I couldn't put it down and was sad when it was over. Adam, the bully, isn't all he seems and watching him evolve throughout this book felt like a honor! I highly recommend this book and I look forward to more work from this amazing author.

Buy Links
AMAZON 
B&N 
Dreamspinner Press 


Curious by R.G. Alexander

Are you Curious?

Jeremy Porter is. Though the bisexual comic book artist has known Owen Finn for most of his life—long enough to know that he is terminally straight—he can’t help but imagine what things would be like if he weren’t.

Owen is far from vanilla—as a dominant in the local fetish community, he sees as much action as Jeremy does. Lately even more.

Since Jeremy isn’t into collars and Owen isn’t into men, it seems like his fantasies will remain just that forever…until one night when Owen gets curious.



My Review:
Oh this was a great book! So much fun and SO HOT!!! R.G. Alexander balanced this book at perfectly. Sure there was a lot of sex but she worked it so brilliantly into the story. The plot was weaved in there just right! This is the first R.G. Alexander book I've ever read and it makes me wonder what all her books are like! If you are looking for a hot, fun, butterflies in your belly, read. This is what you want!

Buy Links:
AMAZON 
B&N 

Losing Control by Riley Hart

On the surface, Ben seems to have it all: money, influence, good looks. He smiles and jokes in all the right places, but it’s all a façade. Inside he’s a wreck, and it’s only getting worse. With his Congressman father using Ben’s recent kidnapping for his own political agenda, and Ben still struggling to get over the only guy he’s ever loved, he feels like he’s losing his grip on reality and he’s quickly spiraling out of control.

Then he meets Dante, an enigma of a man with as much self-hatred as Ben has. In Dante, Ben finds what he didn’t know he needed: Dante’s control, his power, is the only thing that clears the fog in Ben’s brain. For the first time in his life, Ben has a lover who just might need Ben as much as Ben needs him. When they’re together, the demons from their pasts don’t lurk so heavily on their shoulders.

But Dante can’t fix him. Not when a memory from Ben’s past is haunting him in ways he doesn’t understand, waiting for him to put together the missing pieces in his head…and what he discovers just might have the power to break him for good.

Warning: light BDSM themes and mentions of abuse.

My Review
This has been a marvelous series. I was so thrilled that Riley gave Ben his story. Of all the characters in this series Ben is or was the most shattered. Even Dante's own demons don't match Ben's. This book was one hell of a journey with a climactic outcome. Riley brings all the characters together in this amazing story. We get to see Ben's whole life out in the open and I warn you, your heart will break a million times before any peace will come. Losing Control is crushing, soul aching, dark, gritty, stunning, hot, steamy, powerful, and compelling. A must read!!!

Buy Links:
AMAZON 
B&N 


Misfits by Garrett Leigh

Restaurant owner Tom Fearnes has loved his partner Cass for as long as he can remember, but their work often keeps them apart. When he meets a striking young man named Jake on the vibrant streets of Camden Town, their heady first encounter takes an unexpected turn.

Jake Thompson can hardly believe his luck when he wakes up in Tom’s bed. Tom is gorgeous, kind, and . . . taken. Tom’s explanation of his open relationship leaves Jake cold, but Tom is too tempting, and when hard times force Jake to accept Tom’s helping hand, he finds himself between two men who’ve lost their way.

Cass Pearson is a troubled soul. He loves Tom with all he has, but some days it feels like he hasn’t much to give. Jake seems like the perfect solution. Cass risks everything to push Jake and Tom together, but Jake resists, wary, until the darkness of Cass’s past comes to call. Then Jake finds himself the last man standing, and it’s time to dig deep and shine a light for the men he’s grown to love.  
 
  My Review:
Tom, Cass, and Jake... what a trio. It's no secret I love menage. It's one of my all time favorite things to read. I have my reasons why, and it's not what you might think. This book did a fabulous job on the mental and emotional front of the whole menage relationship. Tom is such a pillar, a strength that holds up the weary, the broken. Cass is shattered, always on the brink of destruction. And Jake, he's so very lost, but he's also the one that lifts the fog. That gives Cass and Tom the missing piece to their puzzle. They make sense together. They are like one perfect circle. I loved Misfits and as a picky menage reader I give this 5 stars. I'd give it more if I could. 

Buy Links:
AMAZON 
B&N 

 Defined by Deceit by A.E. Via

Life isn't always fair, and that’s something that Llewellyn Gardner knows about first hand. His life was on the fast track until one night of extreme passion changed everything. Now eight years later, he’s still living with the aftershocks of that night. Everywhere he turns or runs, there’s another reminder. What the hell do you do when you try to drown your demons only to find out they can swim?

Shane Smith, Jr. owner of Smith Construction, could see the emotional turmoil within his new employee — it’s why he hired him. There was something about the gorgeous, misunderstood man with the overly expressive eyes that came to their small town with a past no one was willing to overlook. Shane could see the good in Llewellyn, and those eyes of his were a clear window to his soul. Shane wasn't going to let the man live a future of solitude because his past had been plagued with deceit.

Llewellyn wasn’t sure what to think about Shane. After years of protecting himself from being tricked twice, he was now faced with worry again. What would happen to him if Shane didn’t believe his truth, and walked away? Llewellyn wasn’t sure he'd be able to survive being left alone. Again.  

My Review:
I was already an A.E. Via fan before I read Defined by Deceit. Now, if at all possible, I am an even bigger one. This was such a creative idea that she really hit out of the park. Llew just.... omg.... I don't even know where to begin with him. Talk about a person inches away from having all his dreams just to have it ripped away, lit on fire, and pummeled to the ground OVER A SINGLE LIE! A.E. Via wrote a story about a genuinely great man having nothing but bad luck. Through the hell Llew goes through he does find a guardian angel in the most unlikely of places... prison of course! But, what was so interesting about this story is that I never for ONCE thought about people like Llew and the type of crime he's accused of, and forced to live with. Then came Shane. So, THAT'S what an angel looks like. Llew finds love in so many places. Yes, he paid an unfortunate price and lost SO much. But in the end, through tears, I read a finality that was breathtaking. This is an incredible story. Hot, in the way only A.E. can write. A plot that is sculpted perfectly. And of course absolutely and completely entertaining!

Buy Links:
AMAZON 
B&N 

Giveaway: One lucky reader will get a chance to win one of these top reads. Just enter the rafflecopter below. Contest will run until April 12th. Winner will be notified via email (Check your spam) Any of these ebooks can be gifted to you either through Amazon or B&N you get to choose. Good luck to you all and thank you to these wonderful authors for sharing their talent with us! Be sure to check out ALL of these books. You won't be sorry!



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Max and the Prince (Bodyguards Inc #3) by RJ Scott #Excerpt #Giveaway

       Max and The Prince – Bodyguards Inc, book 3

       Book 1 – Bodyguard To A Sex God

      Book 2 – The Ex Factor

Bodyguard Max Connery is used to being mistaken for being younger than he is.

Being carded every time he buys a beer is usual. Even though he's just turned twenty eight and has two tours in Afghanistan as a pilot under his belt.

When a threat is made on the life of a prince attending University in the UK, Max is the perfect choice to blend in with students and to keep Prince Lucien safe. Even if it means joining the swim team to be by his side.

But, when death visits the University, abruptly this job is a long way past keeping the prince happy and safe. Instead Max has to keep Lucien alive.

Buy Links

http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/max-and-the-prince.html

Unedited Excerpt

“I’m only an hour away,” Max assured him as they joined the traffic heading towards Oxford.

“It’s fine.”

“We should take the time for you to go over everything again. I might not look like I’m listening but I will be.” He indicated and moved to the right lane to overtake a horse trailer then back in to the left lane all while he talked.

“Everything?”

“Every little detail from the time you decided to drink and before that if you think it helps. I want to know all the characters.”

“You sound like it’s a play.”

Max shot him a look, his serious sapphire blue gaze focused on Lucien for a split second before he focused back on the road. “It’s like a play I guess. The more you know the players then the easier it is to identify the bad guy.”

“When do I get to hear about your play?” Lucien asked. He was teasing, but also intrigued by the journey Max had taken to end up being Lucien’s bodyguard.

“I’m here. For you. That’s all you need to know.” He didn’t look at Lucien as he said it. “Now eyes front and start from the drinking.”

Lucien sighed noisily. He didn’t want to go back there, to the point where his entire life had crumbled with grief. He was desperate to avoid confronting the decisions he had made then. Not coming out to his family in such a dramatic way, that had actually been a good thing. His mom had just turned round and suggested that it was all well and good being like that in private but that is where it should stay. His dad had agreed stiffly. No, the decision to bury his grief in whiskey, or vodka, or whatever else he had to hand was one he regretted and was more than a little embarrassed to share with this put together guy who had managed to take Teddy to his knees.

“Okay, so the drinking. Guess that’s where I need to start.”

“Was it your decision to drink?”

Temper snatched his breath. “What kind of a question is that?” The way it was worded implied he didn’t know his own mind. Then he realized what he was thinking and just how stupid he sounded in his own head.

“A reasonable one,” Max said. “Did someone encourage you to drink? Were you led astray, was there someone who wanted you to commit some kind of indiscretion? Did you have a boyfriend? A wannabe lover? A friend?”

Temper subsided as quick as it rose and Lucien shook his head. “I apologize.”

“And you can stop doing that.”

“What?”

“Apologizing.”

“Sorry. I mean... Okay…” Settling himself back in the car and attempting to relax he closed his eyes briefly. He could do this. He hadn’t had a boyfriend. Edward was his first and actually his last. One heated night of sex and that was it. I may as well be a virgin. “So,” he began carefully. “There was no boyfriend, or wannabe lover as you put it. I hadn’t exactly come out to anyone, hell I’d barely come out to myself. Seb was ill for a long time and I was close to him, I even had a tutor so I didn’t have to go to boarding school. I think my parents liked that there was someone for Seb as it definitely wasn’t going to be them.” He winced as he said it. One didn’t speak badly about one’s parents. One was respectful.

“You’re not close? As a family?”

“No. Yes.” He sighed. “Not really. What about you?” He glanced sideways to see the faint tightening of Max’s jaw.

“We’re not talking about me,” he said.

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.”

“Sorr—jeez…”

Lucien felt the heat rise in his face. This was going to be one hell of a long car journey.

About RJ

RJ Scott has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies. She was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.

As an avid reader herself, she can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, her first real true love will always be the world of romance where she takes cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and writes dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men.

With over seventy titles to her name and counting, she is the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway. She is also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.

Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.

rj@rjscott.co.uk

www.rjscott.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/Rjscott_author

www.facebook.com/author.rjscott

www.librarything.com/author/scottrj

www.tumblr.com/blog/rjscott  (some NSFW (not safe for work) photos)

www.pinterest.com/rjscottauthor/

Competition to win $15 Amazon/Are gift card, and 2 further prizes of RJ Scott e-books – closes 11 April at 00:01 GMT (London)

 

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