Title: Cold Feet
Author: Jay Northcote
Genre: MM Romance
Goodreads

My Rating:

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Blurb

Best friends snowed in together. When the heat rises, will they get cold feet?

Getting snowed in at a remote cottage in Wales with someone he’d fancied for ages isn’t exactly how Sam expected to spend Christmas. His feelings for Ryan are pointless. Ryan’s straight—or so he thought.

Until now, Ryan’s kept his feelings for Sam buried. Why ruin a friendship over what might only be gay experimentation? Playing it cool seems safer, until a cold snap makes sharing body heat vital. In their Welsh safe haven, anything seems possible.

As Ryan’s reserve melts away, Sam wants more than stolen kisses under the mistletoe. But a sudden thaw means making decisions. They could face the New Year together—unless one of them gets cold feet.
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My Review

Sam, the openly gay ubergeek redhead is secretly in love with his best friend, Ryan, the hunky rugby player, who has been questioning his sexuality ever since Sam came out. A geek and a jock, secret crush, another GFY/OFY story – how cliché, you’d think. Well, Northcote dares to say it aloud.

He was the ultimate gay cliché, secretly and hopelessly in love with his straight best friend.

Yes, we’ve read it all before: best friends, suppressed feelings, forced together in an isolated place, in unusual circumstances.

But the execution of the story is supercute and heartwarming, so delectable! The portrayal of Sam and Ryan’s feelings and trepidation is excellent, the plot, the characters’ background and the secondary characters are great and not overdone.

Overall, Cold Feet is a sweet holiday story. Recommended!

Title: Cut & Run
Series: Cut & Run #1
Author: Abigail Roux & Madeleine Urban
Genre: Contemporary / MM Romantic Suspense
Goodreads

My Rating:

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Blurb

A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case.

Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He’s cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he’s paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it’s hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliche: total opposites, good cop-bad cop, the odd couple. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer.

Practically before their special assignment starts, the murderer strikes again this time at them. Now on the run, trying to track down a man who has focused on killing his pursuers, Grady and Garrett will have to figure out how to work together before they become two more notches in the murderer’s knife.
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My Review

I hate adding books to my everyone-liked-but-me shelf, believe me. It was my second try to read it actually: it couldn’t engage me for the first time, and I thought I just was not in the mood, so I put it aside. For the second time, it was still boring. But I didn’t give up and tried to find those amazing qualities the positive reviews mention. Sadly, with no avail.

Both Ty and Zane irritated me, and the jumping viewpoint made them indistinguishable.

The continuous banter tired me, the suspense bored me to death, I felt the chemistry forced.

Romance – what romance?

Poor writing, full of repetitions: heads were cocked 31 times, eyebrows were raised 40 times, eyebrows climbed in surprise twice!, heads were tilted 25 times, and eyes were narrowed 47 times. And there was a glorious moment when two of these were in the same sentence:

“Wait wait, let me guess,” Ty said as he held out his hand toward Zane. “Psychology major with a…,” he narrowed his eyes and cocked his head, “political science minor,” he guessed.

Yes, I love statistics.

Anyway, it was a disappointment. I have no interest in the following books.

Title: Dare You To
Series: Wild Side #0.5
Author: Riley Hart
Genre: MM Romance
Goodreads

My Rating:

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Blurb

Austin Thompson spends most of his spare time reading or logging in extra hours at the LGBTQ youth center where he works. His only standing “night out,” if you can call it that, is his weekly movie night with his best friend, Dare Nichols. Between work and Dare, it’s hard to find time for much else, so when he does actually try to date, it ends in disaster.

Dare thrives on living life on the wild side—surfing, mountain biking, sky diving. If it’s extreme, he’s game. Between sports and spending his evenings at his West Hollywood bar, Dare never sees a dull moment. Still, with all that excitement, most of his favorite times are when he’s tucked away in Austin’s apartment. Probably because he’s the only best friend Dare’s ever had.

Then the kiss happens and the men realize they don’t want to stop there. As they explore this new adventure in their relationship, Austin realizes the excitement he’s been looking for has been right there all along, and and Dare has to decide if he can conquer his only fear by risking his heart.

Previously published in the anthology, IT WAS ALWAYS YOU.
Also a prequel of sorts to the Wild Side series.
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My Review

Dare You To is a sweet friends-to-lovers / opposites-attract love story.

Austin and Dare are best friends for six years now, though they are very different. Austin is steady and predictable, Dare is intense and spontaneous. Austin works as a youth counselor at an LGBT center, and looking for a relationship. Dare is the owner of a bar, and does only hook-ups.

Still, they accept, respect and admire the other just the way they are, and they always enjoy each other’s company.

“I’m boring.”
Dare went tense. His pulse shot through the roof. “Did that motherfucker tell you that?”

But one night, a kiss changes their friendship. They discover something new and exciting, not only in their relationship, but in themselves too.

“I think I just need something new. To test myself, to step out of my shell. I want to test what it’s like to color outside the lines.”

Romantic and fun story. Highly recommended!