Today, I’m hosting author M. Tasia and her latest series release The Boys of Brighton, a m/m contemporary romance. I’m also reviewing book one Gabe and book three Rick’s Bear. Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.
Welcome to Brighton, Texas. Where anyone can find a home.
The stories are standalone but set in the same town.
Genre/s: Contemporary MM Romance
Overall Heat Rating for the series: 4 flames
Check out the series on Goodreads
Series Buy Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | Kobo| Boroughs Publishing Group
BOYS OF BRIGHTON
1 Gabe
2 Sam’s Soldiers
3 Rick’s Bear
4 Jesse
5 Coop
6 Travis
7 Grady
8 Vincent
9 Shadow
10 Holidays
****
Book Title: Gabe
Length: 41 410 words
Release Date: September 8, 2016
Trope/s: Hurt/comfort
Themes: Trust and hope
UNQUENCHABLE
Blurb: Gabe Mason is a fifth-generation firefighter unable to move forward with his life after a devastating betrayal two years earlier. Graphic designer Johnny Jeffrey relocated to Brighton, Texas, to flee persecution and fear, and to begin living again on his own terms. The two meet amidst fire and smoke, and soon Johnny is in Gabe’s arms, right where he should be. The connection is palpable, undeniable, and hot, and healing from the past is within reach of both men. And yet, the office-building blaze that brought them together is only the beginning of their struggles. Not family, not faith, not a lunatic’s rage. It took a fire to bring Gabe and Johnny together. Nothing will tear them apart.
Purchase at: Amazon | Kobo | Smashwords
The books gets down to action right away. There’s a fire. Johnny is trapped inside the building with his two co-workers. He thinks of himself as not a hero because he’s full of fear. Great set-up for his character arc.
Gabe is a fifth-generation firefighter who saves Johnny. I really liked Gabe. He’s a take-charge, kind guy who is looking to settle down after his last relationship blew up in his face.
For those who aren’t into insta-love, this book won’t be for you. But for those of you who are, then this is the perfect read. Yes, there are some quibbles with the recovery from burns and smoke inhalation that Johnny suffered. And as a former volunteer firefighter, noticing the person you’re rescuing is very highly unlikely. Still, I let myself toss aside reality so I could get lost in the book, and it worked.
I do have a quibble with the amount of characters popping into the story. I felt like the author should have concentrated solely on Johnny and Gabe because these two had a lot of ground to cover. The same with the ex Chris making an appearance. But because the main characters are so likeable, I was able to look past this.
Johnny’s character arc could have been the main focus of the story because he had a lot going on in his personal life and his recovery.
Still, it’s a cute read of two strangers coming together after surviving something terrifying. I recommend you give the story a try. The author is a strong writer.
****
Book Title: Sam’s Soldiers
Length: 40 560 words
Release Date: December 29, 2016
Trope/s: Revenge/Salvation
Themes: Forgiveness
Three Men. One Duty. Love.
Blurb: Emergency room nurse Samuel Mason is offered a ménage relationship with two ex-military men and discovers a love more dangerous—and more exquisite—than he anticipated.
Welcome back to Brighton, Texas. Where any man can find home.
THE POWER OF THREE
As an emergency room nurse at Brighton General, Samuel Mason spends most of his days caring for the sick and injured, and his nights alone. Until now.
Jack “ Spider” Forrester and Dante Snow have arrived. Retired from the Army, they provide protection to those in need. They’ve come to Brighton to guard Sam’s cousin from a dire threat, but it’s Sam’s world they turn inside out. Jack wears his heart on his sleeve but is no pushover, and Dante is scarred from a past he’d sooner forget. They two are partners in all things, from the bedroom to the office to the street, and they want Sam to join them…for as long as they’re in town. But there is danger ahead, and not just from the type of men these skilled, muscled heroes have sworn to take down. The danger of falling in love.
Purchase at: Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group
****
Book Title: Rick’s Bear
Length: 40 060 words
Release Date: March 3, 2017
Trope/s: Opposites attract, hurt/comfort
Themes: Themes: Family and strength
Some things are better in person.
Blurb: Welcome back to Brighton, Texas. Where any man can find home.
A DEN OF THEIR OWN
Clem “Bear” Mitchell owns the only diner in Brighton and prefers to be left alone. After growing up in—and barely escaping—one of the toughest motorcycle gangs out of Chicago, he just wants peace. Librarian Rick Johansson is the same. Due to his anxiety, he has always lived on the outskirts of society, finding it far safer to stay in the stacks. But no man is an island, and when the two are thrust together by dangerous events playing out around them, they see that life is better together. The tattooed, bear of a biker and the quiet, unassuming librarian will soon show the residents of Brighton that the local bookworm can teach an old bear new tricks.
Purchase at: Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group
I never read about a “bear” before, so when the opportunity to read and review this book, I jumped at the chance. Just like the first book I reviewed for the Boys of Brighton series, Gabe, Rick’s Bear gets down to action right away.
Rick is a man who suffers from social anxiety and panic attacks because of something from his past. Bear also has his past sitting in the background. Are they an unlikely pairing? Yes. Bear’s a biker and Rick’s a shy, quiet librarian. And it makes for a great opposites attract trope.
I loved how their first date turned out, and Bear’s way of handling it, and Rick’s hopeful expectations after the date. Even better was Bear’s sister getting in on the match-making. She was a wonderful character.
Like the previous book, there is insta-love, and the relationship moves fast. And like the previous book, there are sub-plots that aren’t necessary. I would have preferred if the author had focused solely on Rick and Bear because the novel is short.
Still, this is a nice read. Rick has a great character arc, and that’s what always attracts me to romance novels–the arcs of the two main characters.
I recommend you give Rick’s Bear a try. It’s a sweet, wonderful beach read.
****
Book Title: Jesse
Length: 40 810 words
Release Date: June 2, 2017
Trope/s: Second chances at love, secret past
Themes: Themes: Moving on from the past
If you can’t stand the heat…
Blurb: HEATING UP
Royce Evans has worked as a paramedic in Brighton since graduating college. After the accident, though, his life seemed over. His husband died. Then he met Jesse. Handsome, brave, loving—the short-order cook is everything Royce desires. Everything he’d thought forever gone. Now Jesse’s tan, muscled body has brought him back to life, and nothing is going to shut that down. Not his own fears of heartbreak. Not Jesse’s past, or the fact that he ran from it. And definitely not Jesse’s crazy violent family, the Redemption Squad.
Purchase at: Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group | Kobo
****
Book Title: Coop
Length: 41 430 words
Release Date: September 5, 2017
Trope/s: Hurt/comfort
Themes: Themes: Changes, strength, forgiveness
At All Costs…
Blurb: CATCH ME WHEN I FALL
King of the one-night stand, Coop Stenson knows his warped upbringing and chosen profession with the Sentinels, a private security team, has conditioned him to avoid romantic attachments. Yet when accident-prone Matthew Whitton literally falls into his life, one thing is abundantly clear: Matt deserves more than a man-slut.
Matthew’s love is overpowering, and just as Coop is ready to take the plunge, having fought its inevitable pull for as long as he could, an old nemesis targets the partners of the Sentinels. So keeping Matt safe is about more than just another job or set of logistics. It’s about the rest of his life.
Purchase at: Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group | Kobo | Apple | B&N
****
Book Title: Travis
Length: 44 450 words
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Trope/s: Hurt/comfort
Themes: Themes: Overcoming fear, trust
To Protect and Serve.
Blurb: BEAUTY…
After living on the streets and in his car, Travis has found a home in Brighton, Texas. His job as a cook at the local diner pays enough for him to afford a small apartment, and, for the first time in years, he’s able to feed his passion, buying a few art supplies so he can sketch. He’s safe, and, oddly enough, feels accepted in this small town. And, for reasons he cannot fathom, Bo Mason, a gorgeous cop, seems interested. While flattered, Travis knows if his secrets are revealed, Bo won’t want to have a damn thing to do with the likes of Travis Boone.
IS MORE THAN SKIN DEEP
From the moment he saw the new blue-eyed cook at Brighton’s diner, Bo Mason fell. Hard. And while getting close to Travis Boone has been like gentling a terrified animal, Bo knows there’s a special person hiding behind those small smiles and closely guarded secrets. Slowly, Bo starts to peel back the layers cocooning Travis and learns the heart of an angel beats inside the most beautiful man Bo has ever known.
Purchae at: Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group | Kobo
Travis cleaned his cup, made his bed, showered, and headed downstairs to the diner. The dining room was dark, the solo light from the kitchen spilling out into the area, casting a dim glow. He loved this time of day. Everything was fresh and new; anything was possible. Since the diner faced east, he’d soon be graced with a beautiful sunrise filled with reds and yellows. Someday, he would capture that sight on a canvas.
He turned from the window and headed for the kitchen. He’d get a tray of biscuits on before he started the coffee, knowing he’d have company soon enough. Since he’d decided to come back to his apartment from the hospital, Bo had been showing up every morning before the diner opened to have coffee with Travis. Then throughout the day into the evening, Bo would stop by until Travis was done with work.
If he were honest with himself, he looked forward to their time together. And that was all he could allow. Nothing closer and certainly nothing more. Aside from the hospital staff and physical therapists at the rehab facility, no one willingly had or would ever touch him.
Within twenty minutes, Travis had a tray of biscuits ready for the oven. He set the timer and went to turn on the coffee when he heard a knock on the front door. Bo.
“Just a minute,” Travis yelled as he poured the remaining water into the coffee makers and headed for the door.
He rounded the booths and saw Bo’s police cruiser in the parking lot, and the man’s large body filling the front door’s frame. Bo stood there smiling wide as if he had good reason. Travis felt his body heat up, and he knew he was blushing.
Life had made him tough; he was a loner, and he didn’t blush, dammit. But the sight of Bo turned Travis’s brain into tapioca pudding. Quickly, he unlocked the door and let in the man of his dreams. He could look but never touch.
“Good morning.” Bo’s deep voice resonated throughout Travis’s body like a caress.
He reminded himself to remain unaffected; he could never allow himself to slip. “Good morning, Bo. I just put the coffee on. It should be ready any minute.”
“Great. Will you be joining me this morning?” Bo’s brown eyes were so warm and inviting.
Travis had already put on the biscuits, so he had a few minutes to spare. But should he? Bo being a cop meant he could read people well.
“A couple minutes is all I’m asking for, promise.”
Oh, what the hell, why not? “Okay, I’ll get the coffee.”
Bo sat his large body on a stool at the counter. With only the light from the kitchen illuminating the area, this familiar scene felt almost intimate. Travis’s hands shook slightly with equal parts excitement and trepidation. Though there could be nothing physical between them, maybe they could be friends. That way he wouldn’t lose Bo completely once the man realized Travis was a lost cause and Bo moved onto someone who could be what he needed.
Carefully, Travis added sugar and cream to Bo’s coffee, and then walked to the opposite side of the counter across from Bo, making sure a physical barrier remained between them. Bo smiled when Travis returned with his black coffee, and if Bo noticed Travis was keeping his distance, the cop gave no indication.
“How was your night? More nightmares?” Bo cradled the coffee mug between his large hands.
Travis had tried to keep his nightmares to himself, but Bo had seen the effects they had on him in the hospital, so there was no use in pretending they didn’t exist.
“It wasn’t so bad. Only one last night.” Travis played off how shaken he’d been and attempted a smile.
Bo reached over and took Travis’s hand, holding it gently. Travis froze, unable to pull his hand away. The big man’s warmth moved up Travis’s arm, and excitement filled his body. Bo reached into his pocket and pulled something out before placing it into Travis’s open palm.
“I want you to have this.” Bo removed his hand, leaving a shiny, black cell phone behind. “Please accept it.”
Travis never had enough extra money to buy a cell phone—a roof over his head and food in his stomach took precedence over any creature comforts. He looked at the phone’s shiny screen and its sleek body and had no clue what to do with it.
Of course, he knew there was a button to turn it on, but that was as far as his knowledge base went.
“I…I’ve never…I can’t take this.”
“Yes, you can. I bought it for you.”
“But why?” Travis asked, truly confused. Travis could have sworn Bo’s cheeks pinked. Why would he be embarrassed? I’m the one who doesn’t know how to use the damn thing.
“You should have one for safety in case you need help, or if you just want to talk to someone. I programmed my number into it, but you can add as many people as you like. Here is your new phone number.”
Bo handed Travis a slip of paper then took the phone from his hand and said, “I’ll show you how it works,” saving him the embarrassment of admitting he was clueless.
He figured Bo must have noticed Travis didn’t have much by way of possessions, particularly a phone. Bo spent the next ten minutes explaining all the features. The only things that registered with Travis were how to text and make a call. He had no idea what he’d use the Bluetooth for. There was even a little picture of Bo on the screen Travis could push if he wanted to call him.
Bo smiled wide, handed the phone back to Travis then stood while placing his money for the coffee on the counter. “I’ll drop in later today for lunch.”
“But I didn’t say I’d take it,” Travis called out as Bo headed for the door.
“Try it out. See if you like it,” Bo replied. “Have a good day.”
The door swung shut, and he was gone. Travis stood at the counter for a few minutes, trying to figure out what to do with the phone.
In the end, he shoved it into his pocket before returning to the kitchen.
****
Book Title: Grady
Length: 43 650 words
Release Date: March 1, 2018
Trope/s: Forbidden Love
Themes: Themes: Loss, forgiveness
Blurb: WATCH OUT FOR
After coming out, Grady Reynolds is disowned by his family, and is forced to leave his job in the Dallas PD. Becoming an officer in the small town of Brighton, Grady has to start over while feeling adrift and alone. When he meets firefighter Ben Mason, life takes a sudden, happy turn until Ben tells Grady they have to keep their relationship on the DL. After months of loving a man who thinks of him as no more than a booty call, Grady has had enough and wants out.
THE WRECKING BALL
Ben Mason loves Grady Reynolds like crazy. But Ben can’t tell his lover how he feels. He can’t acknowledge him in public. He can’t claim him as his own. Ben wants to tell Grady the truth, but the danger in that is deadly, and Ben won’t risk it. But peril and menace find Grady anyway, and Ben’s lies and deception come crashing down around him. Just when he thinks he’s lost everything, he learns that a love as deep as theirs can survive anything.
Purchase at: Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group | Kobo | Apple | B&N
****
Book Title: Vincent
Length: 44 690 words
Release Date: July 17, 2018
Trope/s: Bodyguard
Themes: Themes: Never give up, rebirth
Only the strong survive.
Blurb: ONLY THE STRONG
When he moved to Brighton, novelist Tristan Michaels was thrilled to leave his past behind. Trauma and danger had shattered his world and almost ruined his life. When everything finally seems to be settling down, he becomes embroiled in his best friend’s drama, which leads to more danger and…Vincent. And while love at first sight had been the stuff of Tristan’s books, when he meets Vincent fantasy became reality.
SURVIVE
Vincent Greyson has spent his life fighting for what’s right, first as a Navy Seal, and now as a member of the elite team known as the Sentinels. When he meets Tristan Michaels, Vincent knows his heart will always belong to this magnetic, special man. But love and patience is tested when horrible fates keep befalling Tristan, and Vincent vows that he’d do anything for his love, even leave the Sentinels.
Purchase at: Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group | Kobo | Apple | B&N
****
Book Title: Shadow
Length: 41 560 words
Release Date: October 25, 2018
Trope/s: Bodyguard, rescuer
Themes: Themes: Betrayal/forgiveness
The most difficult thing to do is face the truth.
Blurb: THE MOST DIFFICULT THING TO DO…
Imagine knowing your family hates you and has no problem sending you away to be abused – to die alone. Randy Reynolds was living that reality until he was saved by a man called Shadow. What Randy learned about himself and the people who were supposed to love him was nothing short of horrific. What he found with the Sentinels and Shadow was everything miraculous.
IS FACE THE TRUTH
Jake Kennedy’s past haunts him. Ghosts drove him into the shadows until he became Shadow. Unseen and not really there, he lived his life without any connections but for the Sentinels, the team that saved him from oblivion. Then a mission changed his life and forced him to shed the shroud that kept his heart from feeling. Now, for Randy Reynolds, Jake will come out of the shadows, he’ll be present and whole instead of the man who had kept himself hidden for twenty years.
Purchase at: Amazon | Kobo | Apple | B&N
****
Book Title: The Holidays
Length: 39 960 words
Release Date: November 29, 2018
Trope/s: Celebration, update on couples
Themes: Themes: Looking forward to the future
Tis The Season
Blurb: Some had waited years to find “the one,” while others had given up on love and had closed themselves off from feeling anything. But each of these men have found the person that makes them whole, gives them hope and strength to face whatever life throws at them, and to show them what love really means. Welcome to the holidays in Brighton, Texas. Sit down and stay a spell. We invite you to soak up the joy of the season with your favorite lovers.
Buy Links
Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group | Kobo | Apple | B&N
****
M. Tasia, is a romance author who lives in Ontario, Canada. Michelle is a dedicated people watcher, lover of romance novels, 80’s rock, and happy endings. Who grew up with a love of reading. She’s a firm believer that everyone deserves to have love, excitement and crazy hot romance in their lives. Love should be celebrated and shared.
Find M. Tasia: Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter sign-up | Instagram
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Maggie Blackbird 