New Release Review: The Captain and the Prime Minister by Catherine Curzon & Eleanor Harkstead #Review #Giveaway

Title: The Captain and the Prime Minister
Authors: Catherine Curzon & Eleanor Harkstead
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Publication Date: March 3, 2020
Length: 224 pages 

Reviewed by Sammy


Synopsis

When a devoted prime minster has a second chance at romance, he discovers that love is love on Downing Street.
Captain Tom Southwell has swapped bullets for babies and works as a manny at one of the world's most famous addresses. Behind the doors of Downing Street, he cooks dinner, puts the children to bed and is the prime minister's best friend.
Alex Hart is the prime minister Great Britain's been dreaming of. He's dedicated, caring and has a conscience. He's also a widower with two small children. The last thing he can let himself do is fall in love with the manny who has held his family together.
When an old flame from Tom's past gets in touch, Tom's first instinct is to keep him at arm's length, but hell hath no fury like a yoga teacher scorned. As Alex fights to push a life-changing bill through Parliament, the tabloid vultures are circling. With rumors swirling about the prime minister and his gorgeous manny, every shark in Westminster senses blood.
Will Alex put love ahead of duty, or will the most important man in the country be the loneliest, too?

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Review

Tom promised his good friend Gill to watch over her husband, Alex, and twin infants—to take care of them after she died and slowly over the four years since her death Alex and the children had become his family. Yes, some may think going from the occupation of a military man to a manny a bit of an odd change in careers but Tom know just how much his background in mustering troops came in handy with the busy lives of his best friend, the Prime Minister of England and his offspring. Theirs was a well-oiled machine and Tom loved every minute he spent with them. The only down side was the ridiculous crush Tom couldn’t seem to shake over his very straight employer and friend. When a friendly offer of a neck rub turns strangely erotic and then extremely awkward, Tom is worried that he has ruined everything by giving in to his fantasies and kissing Alex. Little does he know that Alex hides a bit of a secret about himself and also sports a definite crush for his manny as well.
The writing duo of Eleanor Harkstead and Catherin Curzon have launched the sixth installment in their Captivating Captains series called The Captain and the Prime Minister. When Alex’s wife and Tom’s best friend dies of cancer she left behind a grieving husband and two tiny infants. Tom stepped in and pulled them all through the difficult years and now four years later he was more than just a manny he was part of the family. But Tom knew that his secret longing to be more than just a friend to Alex could never see the light of day—not only because it would cause scandal for the Prime Minister just as he was trying to pass a major reform bill but also because it could mean the end of their idyllic partnership and Tom losing everything he loved.
When the two men finally come to that crossroad it is shocking yet not unwanted on Alex’s part. He would need time to come to terms with the fact that he had always pushed away his bisexuality but Tom was more than willing to give him that if only it meant they might have a future together.
The Captain and the Prime Minister is that quintessential romance trope complete with an almost old world feel to the courtship that takes place between Tom and Alex. Some might find this novel a bit slow in terms of Alex coming to feel comfortable in another man’s arms but before you think this is a gay for you trope know that it is established early on that Alex did indeed dally with men prior to marrying Gill. But that being so far in the past, plus the fact that he hadn’t been intimate with anyone since his wife’s death, means Alex needs to go slow—and that makes for the loveliest of romances. There is a touch of angst when an ex gets involved and rakes up the muck but that is quickly resolved. In many ways this novel might read as a fairy tale to some—it certainly all falls in to place with many positive outcomes and very little hardship for Tom and Alex. But I think those looking for a good old-fashioned friends to lovers story will be quite pleased with this latest offering by this talented writing duo.

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New Release Review: The Dishevelled Duke by Catherine Curzon & Eleanor Harkstead #Review #Giveaway

Title: The Dishevelled Duke 
Series: A Little Bit Cupid
Authors: Catherine Curzon & Eleanor Harkstead
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Publication Date: February 11, 2020
Length: 58 pages

Reviewed by Sammy

Synopsis

From the A Little Bit Cupid collection
Will a photographer be swept off his feet by a duke who’s more dishevelled than dashing?
It’s Valentine’s Day and it’s Billy last shift at The Chelsea Bunn. His photography career never took off, so it’s time to leave London, parcel up the leftover heart-shaped cakes and head back home to Hampshire.
Rumpled Charlie and his two mischievous dogs are Billy’s favourite customers, so when Charlie turns up at closing time with a mysterious wrapped gift and the offer of a whirlwind trip on the London Eye, Billy can’t say no. But Charlie is keeping a secret that could turn Billy’s world happily upside down.
As the snow falls over London and the big wheel grinds to a halt, Billy discovers that wishes aren’t just for Christmas.

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Review

Billy tried his best. He’d come to London hoping his photography would catch the eye of someone who could sponsor him in the art world and feature him in their gallery. He worked hard by day in the bakery and hoped against all hope that somehow he could make it big. But the loss of a boyfriend and their flat and then no bites whatsoever on his work left Billy near penniless and having to face the fact that he had failed. Preparing to go back home to his parents on Valentine’s day was the worst thing imaginable only preempted by the fact that a favorite customer and his two dogs had failed to show up at the shop for the last two weeks. Billy was sure it was because of his shift change but still he missed good old Charlie and his two hounds. Seeing the man was his favorite part of the day—never mind that Billy has also been fighting off a bit of a crush for the older man.

Just as he closes for the night and prepares to journey to the train that would carry him home, Charlie arrives with a package in hand to wish Billy a happy valentines. It turns into a lark of a journey to see some of the London sights before Billy must board his train. What transpires atop the London eye will change Billy forever and force Charlie to divulge a secret that shocks Billy.

It is no secret that the writing team of Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead are among my top authors when it comes to whimsical romances that are humorous, endearing and delightful to read. Once again with their contribution to the series, A Little Bit Cupid Collection, the duo has created the sweetest of romances whose sole purpose is to make the reader feel good about life and second chances and love, in general. I so adored both Charlie and Billy—they were a match made in heaven and honestly, the more Charlie revealed about himself the more I fell in love with him. As far as Billy goes he was just a genuinely kind soul—one that looked beyond the age gap and saw Charlie for the vigorous and gentle man he was.

The Disheveled Duke is quirky, funny story that tugged at my heart strings and made me smile. I love how this team writes! Their stories are always happy ones and in a world where much is not right—a sweet piece of well-written fiction is just the antidote to chase away the blues.

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Release Day Review: The Captain and the Squire by Eleanor Harkstead and Catherine Curzon #Review #Giveaway

Title: The Captain and the Squire
Series: Captivating Captains #5
Authors: Eleanor Harkstead & Catherine Curzon
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Publication Date: January 14, 2020
Length: 271 pages 

Reviewed by Sammy

Synopsis

A sexy city boy and a country squire will set the countryside alight!

Tarquin Bough is a tweedy squire with an ambitious fiancée who controls his every move. He’s also the owner of the finest collection of saucy artefacts in the world. From Christine Keeler’s eyelash to the Virgin Queen’s dildo, they’re all safe in Tarquin’s care.

Christopher Hardacre is a city-slicker with the tighest jodhpurs and the most smackable bottom in London. He’s given up the ratrace for a country life as captain of the village rowing team. The only trouble is, he’s lost his money to a ruthless scam and Bough Bottoms is his last hope of a home.

But Chris hasn’t reckoned on his late uncle’s will. The house comes with a sitting porcine tenant and if Chris can’t look after his newly-acquired pet pig, he’ll lose his inheritance and his last chance at happiness.

When Tarquin sees Chris it’s lust at first sight, but dare he be honest about his feelings in a village where being gay is bound to be a hot topic? As soon as Chris and Tarquin get together, it’s the hottest summer this little corner of England has ever known.

With a scheming local hotshot out to turn the beloved pig into sausages, can the captain and the squire save everybody’s bacon?

Purchase Links

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Review

Tarquin Bough isn’t really sure how he’s become engaged to a woman that he is fairly certain hates him yet here he is and there’s not much he can really do about it. To add to her apparent disgust toward Tarq there is also the matter of the oracle—a porcine princess that Tarq has been caring for ever since the cheating curmudgeon next door passed away. But now, if the loud music and raucous party sounds through the fence row are an indication, apparently the new heir to the estate has arrived and Tarq is ready for the pig to go to its rightful owner. Too bad that their first meeting happens as Tarq leaves a piece of his trousers on the fence he so nimbly tried to leap, clutching a Victorian wooden dildo in one hand and ready to loathe the man no matter how gracious he may seem. After all the Bough’s have been feuding with the Hardacre’s since Tarq can remember and this new upstart nephew, Christopher, is probably cut from the same cloth as his mean-hearted uncle was.

Before either man can get to know each other the last will and testament regarding the Hardacre estate must be read and Tarq is required to be present. Unfortunately for both Tarq and Christopher the will has an interesting caveat in it regarding the pampered pig and its domicile. Christopher must woo over the pig and get it to live with him before the month is out or lose the estate to his uncle’s last girlfriend. Now the two men must find a way to work together in order to save the Hardacre estate from falling into the hands of the latest mysterious paramour of Chris’ late uncle. Along the way, Chris will sing show tunes to a pig, take her boating on the lake, manage to fall in love with Squire Bough next door and try to convince Tarq that he must somehow leave his fiancé and embrace a life free of the closet and full of kinky, sexy fun with him.

The writing duo of Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead has released book number five in their Captivating Captains series entitled The Captain and the Squire. Full of humor, a bit of kinky sex, a tiny bit of mystery and one very determined pig, this book is just pure fun from start to finish. Poor Tarquin has always been the guy who just goes along with whatever is expected of him—never really questioning the fact that being engaged to a woman who obviously has nothing but disgust for him is not really what he wants but much too afraid to go after what he does—namely the beautiful young man next door. When Chris challenges everything Tarq has managed to hide about himself over the years, including his sexuality and love for kink, Tar begins to blossom and for the first time starts to question just why he is going to marry someone he doesn’t love or even really like.

Watching these two together is really wonderful. Their encounters are full of sexy times, witty bantering and lots of the very best kind of friendship that grows quickly into something more. You really want Tarq and Chris to be together forever—they are perfect for each other and two of the nicest men who deserve the happiness that waits just outside their grasp. The story is just so easy to enjoy and I read it in one sitting—the pig absolutely killed me as did a few of the villagers who ended up encouraging Tarq to grab his happiness while he could.

The Captain and the Squire is another delightful chapter in the Captivating Captains series and I think one of the best of the series thus far.

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