Thursday, April 14, 2022

Series Spotlight: THE DENVER DIARIES by Rain Carrington - Includes Excerpt & Giveaway!

The Denver Diaries Series

by Rain Carrington 

(Books 1 - 7)

In The Denver Diaries we follow Lonnie and Travis from Apishipa Creek to Denver, where they live and run the BDSM club, Chaps. In Denver we meet new characters, searching for, and sometimes finding, love...leather style. Like any relationship, the love between a Dom and his sub(s) is bumpy. Nothing comes easy for these men, but with good friends and big hearts, even a bound man can feel free, and a dominant man can fall to his knees. Come and meet the men of Denver and see why the Mile High City makes men fly....

The books are better read in order, but SOME can be read as standalones

Overall Heat Rating for the series: 5 flames 

Come and meet the men of Denver and see why the Mile High City makes men fly....

BOOK DETAILS

BOOK 1

Book Title: Second Chances

Length: 1013 pages

Release Date: May 13, 2016

Genres: Contemporary M/M/M Romance, BDSM, Erotica

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, D/s, Daddy/boys

Themes: Second Chance, forgiveness

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Link - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Blurb 

Come and meet the men of Denver and see why the Mile High City makes men fly....

Brian Lauder is a psychologist who’s dealing with his own demons of the mind. He lost the love of his life and was gutted. Having rebuilt his life, along with a new man that he keeps at arm’s-length, he was never more surprised in his life then when his former love knocks on his door one rainy night.

Morgan Cherik thought Brian was holding him back, and it took him walking away from his love and Dom to realize how much Brian meant to him. Knocking on that door was the hardest thing he’d ever do, but he knows it’s the only way to begin to try to get back what was most important to him.

Nicholas (Pez) Perez didn’t mean to fall in love with his client, Brian. It was a twice-a-week date, exploring their mutual love of BDSM. He did, however, and seeing Brian contemplating taking back his old partner sends Pez on a freefall of despair.

Can Brian dare to be the dominant to two men who need him, almost as much as he needs them? Can two men that hate one another, but love the same man, ever find something in the other worth loving?

In the words of an older and wiser Dom who has two submissives of his own, “Each couple in the relationship must have a strong love. It’s a triangle. Brain and Morgan, Morgan and Pez, and Pez and Brian being the corners; if they all aren’t strong, then the triangle itself isn’t strong. It’ll buckle.”

Trigger Warning: BDSM, Humiliation, Hurt/Comfort, rent boy, and sexual situations.

BOOK 2

Book Title: Maybe

Length: 496 pages

Release Date: May 21, 2016

Genre/s: M/M Contemporary BDSM Romance

Trope/s: D/s, BDSM

Themes: Hurt/comfort, Erotica

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Link - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Blurb 

Sebastian Blacksnake comes into the lives of the men from Denver unexpectedly. The last friend of a dying man that is related to Lonnie Lane, Sebastian is left with nowhere to go, so Lonnie and Travis bring him to Denver to join their ever-expanding community of kinky friends.

Beast, Chaps’ head of security, takes one look at the younger man and knows Sebastian could be the man he’s been waiting for. The problem is, Sebastian wants nothing to do with relationships. Loving being free and single is his thing, but Beast is someone that isn’t easily forgotten.

Sebastian doesn’t understand Beast’s style of kink, but when he finds out, will it be the final piece in the puzzle that could bring them both happiness?

Trigger Warning: BDSM, sexual situations, and lots of HEAT!

BOOK 3

Book Title:  Pink Saddles

Length:  471 pages

Release Date: August 3,2016

Genre: MM Contemporary BDSM Romance

Themes: Hurt/comfort, BDSM therapy

It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Link - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Blurb 

Come back to Denver in this new book in the Denver Diaries Collection and find that words aren’t always needed to express an undying love…

Xen lives his life never speaking a word, but that doesn’t mean he’s silent. With his art, he speaks, sings and sometimes screams. Walls are his favorite canvas, sharing his dreams and his secrets, if only someone would care to look hard enough, they would know why he abandoned his own voice.

Texas native, Memphis, is a perfectionist, likes things simple and in order. Xen is neither, but from the first time he saw the submissive in the leather club, Chaps, there was something about the tattooed, pierced man that riveted him to his core.

As he learns more about Xen’s past with the help of new friend, Dr. Brian Lauder, Memphis knows without a doubt that he can never let Xen go, figurative and literally. He builds a cage for Xen in the barn and has no idea what impact it could make on Xen, leading to more questions than answers until a gift from a friend helps him to tell his story with no more fear.

Beast is having a hard time with his six submissives. Communication is important, he knows, but sometimes the things he hears breaks his heart. Just as he is relieved to find out he’s not losing one, another starts to pull away. Is P.J. in love with another man, one he can’t have?

Come back to Denver in this new book in the Denver Diaries Collection and find that words aren’t always needed to express an undying love…

Warning: Contains scene of BDSM

BOOK 4

Book Title: Lies Men Tell

Length:  251 pages

Release Date: March 20, 2017

Genre: MM Contemporary BDSM Romance

It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads 

Buy Link - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Blurb 

Friendships are tested, and trust is strained as the men of Chaps seek to once again find love and companionship in the great city of Denver. Come say hello and wish them well on their journey to find love.

Since his terrible breakup with his live-in lover years before, Clay Hollis has shied away from anything resembling a relationship. One night stands and scenes at the club, Chaps, are all he could commit to. His friends, the other former members of the lonely hearts club, were finding love, but he was still alone. Thinking he may never find anyone he could not only love, but trust as well, he ignores the pang in his heart for the one man who’d caught more than his eye in a long time.

Michael Duncan, AKA Mack Irons, is a former porn star, now set to be behind the camera, shooting for a new subsidiary owned by his longtime friend. Directing and producing Beast’s six submissives was enough of a challenge, but trying to get the attention of the beautiful bartender was an even bigger one. Every time he started to get close to Clay, the man fled like Mack had the plague.

When their mutual friends pulled a dirty trick on them, forcing them to confront the feelings they shared, Mack knew this could be his chance to show Clay that he wasn’t like the rest. What he didn’t count on, though, was Clay’s lingering doubts, or his own.

When they come close to splitting apart, another old friend steps in to help, and Mack must push aside all his pride and fear to put trust in the man that found it so hard to believe himself. Can he do it, or face leaving the beautiful man he’d fallen in love with? Can Clay ever trust again, or will his uncertainties get in the way of the love they could have together?

Brett Lincoln loved his best friend, Bennett. They were like brothers, and he hated the thought of losing him. Bennett’s lover and Dom, the formidable Beast, didn’t like him a bit, and didn’t hide it well. They had a shared secret that Brett knew could tear apart his friendship with Bennett. When the animosity comes to an explosive peak, Brett must tell his best friend his most guarded secrets, hoping he’ll understand.

BOOK 5

Book Title: Protect Me

Length: 470 pages

Release Date: April 27, 2017

Genre: MM Contemporary BDSM Romance 

Themes: Prison romance, mystery, danger

It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads 

Buy Link - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Blurb 

Come Back to Denver, and find that not all bound men are willing, and not all prisons have walls.

Convicted for a crime he didn’t commit; Brett Lincoln leaves his friends behind and heads to prison. Scared but wary, he takes each moment to assess the dangers that seem to be lurking around every corner.

From the first day, he was stalked and taunted by the bulls, a group of rapists out to make him their next victim. Brian Lauder works in the same prison, and tries to help, but when word gets out about Brett’s former lifestyle and membership in the leather and fetish club, Chaps, and that Brian is a member there as well, Brian’s help makes things worse.

Spencer, a former prison guard and current security at Chaps, is recruited by Brian to take a job at the prison and keep an extra set of eyes on Brett. What they all learn about the inner workings of the place terrify them more for the young man.

A mysterious black car pulls up to Spencer in the prison parking lot, and then waits at Brian’s home. They soon discover that not only is Brett’s life on the line, but their own, if they allow anything to happen to him.

Callahan O’Malley is a huge man of few words. He’s given a wide berth on the block, and no one can tell Brett why. When Brett is almost raped, he comes out of the infirmary terrified and when he sees that the bulls aren’t finished with him, he runs to Callahan and begs him, “Protect me!”

What starts as protection turns into something else. Callahan forces him to eat, to work out and teaches him to defend himself. Brett gets feelings for him, but Callahan won’t allow it. Then, the unthinkable happens, and Brett must again face the prison alone. Now, though, he has the skills and the pain behind them to protect himself.

Once he gets out, he realizes the fight isn’t over as he must face the world, which seems as ruthless as the prison ever did.

BOOK 6

Book Title: Lights & Shadows

Length: 577 Pages

Release Date: August 6, 2018

Genre: MMM Contemporary BDSM Romance 

Trope: Menage

Themes: Prison love, hurt/comfort

It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Link - Available in Kindle Unlimited

 Blurb 

Pulling himself up from his addiction, Tony Belame was on top of the world. His business was growing, successful, and his relationship was everything he could want. When he’d met Kegan Kelly, they both thought they’d have some fun and move on, but a year later, each was still longing for the other.

Another year of distance, phone calls and short trips to see one another, was over, as Kegan was home from his tour. Everything seemed perfect, but one thing was missing. Over the two years, they’d discovered they were both not only into the leather lifestyle but were both submissives. They needed a Dom.

Vincent Devereaux had been hurt in the past, so he wasn’t taking any chances with his heart again, even if that meant he spied on potential partners before he made a move toward them. His friend warned him people wouldn’t see it as Vincent being cautious, they’d see it as stalking.

When Vincent saw Tony, he knew he wanted him immediately. The more he learned about the man, the more he knew he had to have him in his life. Finding out Tony was involved with Kegan didn’t stop the yearning, as he discovered that Kegan was every bit as desirable.

When Kegan and Tony find out what he’d done to have them, will they run, or will he run from the man he’d become?

BOOK 7

Book Title: Last Chances: No One Will Ever Love You

Length:  797 Pages

Release Date: August 25, 2018

Genre: MMM Contemporary BDSM Romance 

Trope: Menage

Themes: Prison love, hurt/comfort, recovery from abuse, abuse on page

It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Link - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Blurb 

With sexy moments from each couple/poly, heartbreaking farewells and new beginnings, come one more time to Denver, to love leather style.

There’s a difference.

There’s a difference between abuse and consensual play. There is no safeword in abusive situations. There is no trust.

Lucas Maes is being abused. He’s stayed with his abuser out of fear.

A Dominant man is driven by the servitude of his submissive, but an abuser is driven by the fear he instills in those he abuses.

There is a difference.

The final book of the Denver Diaries Collection is about to take you on an emotional roller coaster, the likes of which you’ve never received from Rain Carrington.

Lucas is taken in by the men of Chaps, and they see he is desperate for help but doesn’t know how to ask. Tony started by giving him a job. Xen and P.J. befriend him, but it is Ferris and Isaac who fall in love.

Not one person is afraid to pitch in all they can to help the abused man, and he finally makes his escape, running for his life.

Rooney Jones doesn’t let go easily. He enlists a group of armed and dangerous men to help to try to get Lucas back. When they can’t find him, they get the next best things. The people Lucas cares about the most.

As five men are taken, the others use all their skills and connections, including those that will bend and break laws to find them. Will they get to them in time? Will Lucas ever forgive himself? What does the future hold for the men of Denver?

In this seventh and final book of the Denver Diaries, we visit with all the men of the previous books, as well as many from other series who lend a hand. We say goodbye to Chaps when it’s sold to new owners, leaving Lonnie and Travis free to enjoy their growing family in Apishipa Creek, where they’ve returned to live.

This is a journey of discovering. Abuse leaves a shell, and often those abused don’t know who they truly are inside if and when they get free. Friends and family can help, lend support, but Lucas knows it’s up to him to discover who he truly is, under the scars.

With sexy moments from each couple/poly, heartbreaking farewells and new beginnings, come one more time to Denver, to love leather style.

Trigger warning: Abuse, violence, sex between consenting adults, mentions of rape, trafficking, kidnapping and sex with multiple partners. Mature audience only.

Excerpt

Maybe, Denver Diaries book 2

The movie paused, and Eddie whispered, “The movie is a comedy, so the tears are from something else. Maybe if you talk about it, it will help.”

“I can’t. I look really bad in this story.”

Eddie sighed and turned to face him fully. “Did I ever tell you how I ended up in the sub house?”

“No.”

“Well, I answered a personal ad online for a Dom. I agreed to meet him at his house the first time and he was no Dom. He wanted a guy to use and abuse. I was there three days before I could escape. When I did, I didn’t come out of my apartment for two months. I lost my job, lost my apartment, and then I stayed with a friend until I heard about the sub house. Brian Lauder helped me get through some of it, Travis called the cops on the guy, who was still putting ads up for other men. He got caught and went to jail. It was not my best story.”

Sebastian was shocked to his core. “I’m so sorry!”

“I’m not saying it was my fault it happened, I blamed myself enough, but I shouldn’t have gone there before meeting him. It was careless, but we all are sometimes.”

Unable to look at him, he stared at his hands as he said, “Well, the guy I was with is probably the best guy ever. He’s sweet, gorgeous, and he has everything anyone could want in a guy.”

“He dumped you after you f*cked?”

Sebastian chuckled dryly. “No. I dumped him. I left while he was sleeping. Left a note like a f*ckin’ coward.”

Eddie’s head was shaking. “I don’t get it. Little d*ck?”

“No…huge. Biggest I have ever seen and definitely the biggest I ever had.”

“Okay, let me get this straight. You like him. He’s nice, sweet, has a big d*ck. What did he do wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just not ready to settle down. I’m only nineteen. I can’t be tied down to one guy and waste how many years before I get dumped and get my heart broken, or worse, cheat on him because I never got to play around. If I ever hurt him, it would kill me. Plus, he’s into that leather stuff like you and everyone else around this f*cking town.”

Eddie scooted over and put his arm around Sebastian’s shoulders. “You probably already did hurt him.”

Sebastian knew that. “Not as much as I would have.”

About the Author  

I love writing. It's been my dream for many years, and in October of 2013, when my first book went live on Amazon, that dream came true.

Writing love stories that are centered on flawed but lovable characters is my passion. Finding love between people isn't easy, nor should it be. Even in a book, there have to be obstacles for the story to feel real.

I am a mother of three amazing people, and three adorable fur babies. I live in Colorado but love many other places besides my home. One state in particular is New Mexico, the state where I was born has always held a place in my heart.

People and places make my stories what they are. Each character I've written is a part of me in some way. Each place I write is as well. Adventures come in many ways, and each of my stories has taken me on an adventure that I treasure.

Come with me on my adventures and fall in love with my characters, as I have. I promise, you will love the ride.

Author Links

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Page 

Instagram | BookBub | Queeromance 

Goodreads  |  MeWe | Newsletter Sign-up

Giveaway!

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win 

one of three complete series sets (all 7 books in the Denver Diaries)

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022

New Release-Review & Excerpt: YOURS, EVERLASTING by Beth Bolden (Enchanted Folklore #2) - Includes Giveaway!

Yours, Everlasting

by Beth Bolden

Cover Artist: Sleepy Fox Studio

Release Date: April 6, 2022

Genre: Fantasy M/M Romance

Tropes: Opposites attract, road trip romance, secret admirer

Themes: Good versus evil, staying true to one’s self, redemption

Length: 92 000 words

Heat Rating:  4 flames      

It is not a standalone story. It is book 2 in the Enchanted Folklore series and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |   Amazon UK

Blurb

Evrard . . .Rhys . . .Evander . . .

Evander has gone by many names in the last thousand years. He’s lived almost as many lives, using his immortality and his unique shapeshifting abilities to become anyone and anything. His goal was simple: to eradicate the malevolent magic threatening all humankind.

After finally succeeding, Evander feels he’s earned a justifiable and peaceful retirement. But the past never stays buried, and he discovers that it’s been watching him . . .

Marcos, the Guardian of War, has waited, he’s observed, he’s admired, and he’s yearned. But now it’s time for him to step into the light and let Evander see him for who he truly is.

But fate is fickle, destinies aren’t set in stone, and as much as Marcos hopes Evander might be his, it will be the fight of his life to not only win Evander’s heart, but to defeat the evil that once again raises its sinister head.


Excerpt

Marcos knew he would not tire easily, but Rhys—Evander, that was Evander under that unassuming exterior, a marvel that would never fail to astonish him—undoubtedly would.

After watching him for hundreds of years, both keeping near to him, and also keeping his distance, Marcos was still not sure how reduced his power was.

Marcos knew he’d retained some of the magic he’d possessed before, but unlike when he’d been the Guardian of Secrets, now, he was clearly more particular about how and when he used it.

“We should stop for a rest,” Marcos said, after they’d been walking all night and partway into the day, almost without pause.

They’d stopped once, to fill their waterskins at a cold, bubbling stream. They’d long since left Beaulieu behind, and they had not even passed through a single village. Out of choice, Marcos had assumed, but it still surprised him that Evander kept to the disguise of Rhys.

Surely now that Marcos had revealed himself, Evander would let the shape of unassuming, gruff Rhys melt away until he finally was himself again.

Except not once, as far as Marcos knew, had Evander taken his normal shape since he’d been banished.

But now, now that he was with Marcos again, surely the subterfuge was unnecessary.

Rhys glared at him. Even after all these hundreds of years, watching Evander be someone else, he was not used to seeing Evander stare out at him through someone else’s face. “Do you need to stop?” he asked.

“No, of course I do not,” Marcos said. “I am a Guardian, I could walk all the way up the North Mountain without stopping. But . . .”

“But I am no longer a Guardian,” Rhys interrupted him. “Your point is clear.”

But even if it was clear, Rhys was obviously annoyed that Marcos had brought it up.

He doesn’t trust you, he thinks you’re to blame, which isn’t all that surprising, and now he thinks you’re patronizing him.

It was not the most auspicious beginning, but Marcos still held out hope that maybe they could forge a partnership, even after all this time had passed.

He just had to stop himself from saying the wrong thing and angering Evander—he is Rhys, Marcos reminded himself—even more.

So far, he had not managed even that.

Rhys stopped when the sun reached its zenith in the sky, finding a shady grouping of trees, with a large fallen log they could rest next to.

“Is this sufficient?” There was still a bite to Rhys’ words.

“Perfectly sufficient,” Marcos said, taking care to make sure there was no additional inflection to his words that would anger Rhys further. He certainly was not going to be stupid enough to remind the ex-Guardian that he did not need to rest at all.

Rhys settled down against the log. He looked tired. Perhaps if he changed forms, back to Evander, he might find additional strength. Maintaining a different form could be a strain on his power reserves.

Marcos would have suggested it but the silence that had fallen between them, and Rhys’ defensiveness every time he made even the simplest suggestion, kept him quiet.

He waited until Rhys closed his eyes, and then shut his own, sure that Rhys, who was obviously exhausted, would fall asleep quickly.

But a moment later, Rhys spoke up. “You did not mean to reveal yourself to me.”

Marcos had never been as accomplished a liar as Evander had been. He’d never needed to be. Fighting was often straightforward, with little need for deception, and he’d never gotten into the practice of telling falsehoods well.

He could lie, but it was unlikely Rhys would believe him, and the chances of Rhys being even angrier at the lie were considerable.

“No,” he said carefully. “No, I did not mean to reveal myself.”

Rhys looked like Rhys, and not anything like Evander, not like . . . not like the Guardian he’d known for so many years . . . but Marcos’ heart beat faster anyway when he opened his eyes and Rhys was staring at him—like he was trying to figure Marcos out, still.


Carra's Review

After reading the first book in this series, Yours, Forever After, and knowing just how eccentric and snobbish Evrard the unicorn could be, my interest was definitely piqued to see how the author would frame his story so I wouldn’t want to wring his neck part of the way through.  But there is SO much more to Evrard…Rhys…Evander…than you’d ever expect.  There is a lot of complexity to his character, and it was very clear early on how and why he presented the personality of Evrard the way he did.


That complexity is what warmed me up to him, and really drew me in.  Once the identity of Marcos is revealed, I was almost giddy with the prospect of two characters with so much depth leading this story.  Add in the returning main characters of Gray and Rory from book one in supporting roles, and I was in character heaven.  


Evander (for that is truly who he is deep down inside) may seem like he couldn’t come to truly care for Marcos—which at first made me feel so much for Marcos thinking he would never really get a happy ending and be left unfulfilled.  Thanks goodness Evander does go through enough self-realization and ongoing character development to eventually enlighten himself…I might have ended up in a snit otherwise.


There’s adventure, there’s magic, there’s no rushing the relationship (especially for Marcos, poor guy).  There’s also the requisite baddies you’d expect in a fantasy adventure, though I wouldn’t have minded some more clashes between them and our heroes—and yes, I would call them both heroes here.


Yours, Everlasting is another wonderful story in the Enchanted Folklore world, and was a 4.5-star read for me.  To get the most enjoyment from this book I would recommend reading the series in order—it is particularly helpful to see Evander as Evrard in book one, and to get Gray and Rory’s backstory.  As for Evander and Marcos, their story is meant for readers 18+ mostly for the sexual content.

About the Author 

A lifelong Pacific Northwester, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published twenty-three novels and seven novellas.

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |   BookBub

Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up

Giveaway!

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a $20 Amazon gift card

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Thursday, April 7, 2022

New Release-Review & Excerpt: NEVER HAVE I EVAN by DJ Jamison (Games We Play #1) - Includes Giveaway!

Never Have I Evan

by DJ Jamison

Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood

Release Date: April 7, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Experienced/inexperienced, jock/geek, bi-awakening, virgin, small town

Themes: Pursuing your dreams, building a new future, moving on from your past. 

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length: approx. 95 000 words

It’s book 1 of the Games We Play series. There’s a prequel available through the Your Book Boyfriend’s Boyfriend giveaway on Prolific Works

The book does not end on a cliffhanger. It’s a HEA!

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Blurb

Never Have I Ev... Wait, what was the question again?

What happens when an ill-advised party game makes it obvious I've still got my V-card?

Embarrassment. A lot of embarrassment.

Especially when the sexy, older guy at the party who witnessed the whole thing turns out to be someone I have to see every week. Not to mention my best friend's cousin. 

He's not only straight, but way out of my league.

It's going to be so awkward for both of us.

Or awesome...if his protective nature and flirty attempts to teach me how to date lead to the kind of tutoring that lives in my fantasies. But how likely is that to happen? I'm not known as the sweet, naive one among my friends for nothing.

I'm probably imagining those looks he throws my way. Probably projecting my own want onto his expression.

But...what if I'm not?

Never Have I Evan features an inexperienced, shy tech geek, an assistant football coach who oozes confidence, a town full of quirky, nosy residents, and sexual awakening and discovery themes!

Excerpt

“Linc was moving fast. His hands were all over you.”

I flushed, remembering the uncomfortable feeling of Linc pressing close. I’d ordered myself to relax, to try to enjoy the attention.

“Isn’t finding a guy who actually wants to be close to me the point?” I said before I could properly filter my thoughts. The words came out strangely accusatory.

Dawson didn’t flinch from my words though. He grew even more intense. “No. The idea was for you to flirt a little and get comfortable with seeing yourself as someone worthy of attention.”

“Okay…”

“You are, Ev. You deserve someone who will appreciate everything about you, from your intelligence to your sweet blushes. Not just your…”

“What?”

His voice came out in a whisper. “Your amazing ass.”

My face heated as I laughed. “What?”

Dawson took a second to gather his thoughts. “I kind of pushed you into this, when you think about it. I didn’t mean to, but… All that teasing about learning to flirt, and me playing wingman. Maybe…”

“Maybe what?”

He spoke slowly, the words seemingly pulled from somewhere deep inside. “Maybe I was too invested in your sex life.”

My heart skipped. Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

“Why would you be?”

“I don’t know.” He hesitated, then added, “Say the word and we can leave this idea behind. You don’t need to lose your virginity. Who cares as long as you’re happy? If or when you want sex, it’ll happen.”

“But I do want sex!”

I clapped my hand over my mouth, realizing my voice had risen.

Dawson raised an eyebrow. “With Linc?”

I dropped my hand, sighing. “Not really.”

He nodded. “What about with me?”

My breath caught. I stared at him, unable to speak, my brain stuck on his words, sure I’d misheard him. “Sorry?”

“Do you want to have sex with me?”

I licked my lips, suddenly nervous. “Why would you ask me that? You’re not…into men.”

“Not normally,” he said. “But the thing is, I can’t stop thinking about what happened the other night.”

“Your body reacted to stimulus, that’s all. It was embarrassing and awkward, but—”

“It wasn’t just that. I mean, thanks for giving me an easy out, but no. I keep thinking about you, specifically. You and me, and…all the things I could show you.”

Heat washed through me. For once, it wasn’t embarrassment, but something headier. Did Dawson want me?

“I must be dreaming,” I murmured.

“I don’t want there to be any confusion,” he said. “I’ve never been into guys before, and I don’t know why this is different. My last relationship ended horribly, and I’m not sure I can ever date again, can ever have someone trust and rely on me that way. But, uh, we could…explore things. Together.”

“Sex things?” I said, needing to clarify.

Despite the tense tone of the conversation up to this point, Dawson suddenly smiled at me. There was a predatory gleam in his eye. “Yeah, Ev. Sex things.”

I expelled a big breath, my head spinning. It was a lot to process. I’d been so certain Dawson was entirely out of reach—especially after Bonergate. But instead of freaking over his reaction and trying to stay away from me, he wanted to pull me closer. To explore his sexuality with me.

It was probably a terrible idea, right? What if he ended up hating it? What if I fell in love with him while it was just sexual release to him?

But as Dawson Woods, the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen in real life, offered himself to me, I knew I’d never say no. Dawson checked all my boxes. Even if it was only physical, it would be incredible to experience it with him. And unlike Linc, or any of those guys on apps, I knew him. I trusted him.

“Okay,” I said, knowing I might never get a chance like this again. “Yeah.”

If there was emotional fallout, I’d deal with it later.

“Yeah?”

Some sense of preservation made me say, “But you’ve got to kiss me first. I’ve never been properly kissed, and—”

I want to be sure you’re not turned off by it.

Dawson’s mouth came down on mine before I could finish my sentence.


Carra's Review

This story has a few different tropes I enjoy - nerd/jock, bi/pan-awakening, first time, small town romance…all done with some sweet characters in an “experienced teacher” way.  Sweet doesn’t mean there’s not heat though, so you’ll still find plenty of sexy times in this story.  There’s even a touch of family drama; nothing crazy, just enough to add a little more depth to the story.  Oh, and let’s not forget throwing an ex in there just to add a smidgen of extra angst.


I really liked both main characters, Dawson and Evan, and thought they matched quite well.  This is a classic “I’m not into guys but this one is different” tale with Dawson becoming protective of and falling into a teacher-like role to Evan.  Subject?  Flirting…and more.  Though the “more” actually turns into them teaching each other.


Is this a type of story you’ve heard before?  Maybe so, but It’s still a truly enjoyable read and includes a strong cast of supporting characters, and several of them you’ll want to read their stories as well.  Overall Never Have I Evan was a solid 4-star read for me, and I would recommend this to any M/M romance fan.  This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.

About the Author

DJ Jamison writes romances about everyday life and extraordinary love featuring a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual. DJ grew up in the Midwest in a working-class family, and those influences can be found in her writing through characters coping with real-life problems: money troubles, workplace drama, family conflicts and, of course, falling in love. DJ spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before chasing her first dream to write fiction. She spent a lifetime reading before that and continues to avidly devour her fellow authors’ books each night. She lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, one snake, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.

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