Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: GOT ME HOPING by Casey Cox (Vet Shop Boys #1)

Got Me Hoping 

By Casey Cox

Vet Shop Boys, Book 1

It's just a one-night stand, they said. It'll be simple, no-strings fun, they said. They. Lied.

I'm done with love and being broken-hearted. The only dogs I want to deal with are the ones I treat in the veterinary clinic I work at.

But at thirty-four, having my first one-night stand can't hurt. Right? The rules are pretty simple.

1. Don't spend the night.
2. Don't see him again.
3. Don't share anything personal.
4. Don't fall in love with him.

But when Haze, the guy I spent a blazing hot night with and haven't been able to forget about, shows up as our new receptionist, the rules fly out the window.

There's no way one night could lead to anything more. So why has Haze got me hoping this might just last?

Got Me Hoping is book 1 in the Vet Shop Boys series and can be read as a stand-alone. Expect plenty of humor, found family, an adorable golden retriever, a foul-mouthed parrot, a whole new way of getting clean (as well as very, very dirty) and a heartwarming happily ever after!

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Excerpt

All my bravado from the bar last night is gone. All that's left are memories of an incredible night colliding with the bleary morning light of the day after. His eyes soften, and he leans in toward me right as I glance over at the table. Oh, sh*t. Noah was going to kiss me. I turn, inching my lips closer to his face just as he starts to move toward the kitchen. He backs up, but trips over his feet.

Not. Awkward. At. All.

"Plates," I say, slapping my hands against my thighs way too hard. "Let me help you get some plates." Yeah, because carrying two plates a few feet is definitely a two-man operation.

A few moments later, we start eating. I ended up carrying both plates and bringing the cutlery, too...so, that's a good thing? Man, I really suck at this. There's a reason why I never spend the night.

I haven't had many hookups since Daniel broke up with me. With other guys, it's always been sex followed by a quick goodbye. I never hung around afterward. One time I showered and watched half an episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but that's about it.

But for some reason with Noah, there's a part of me that doesn't want to leave. It makes no sense. We glance up at each other every so often while we eat, sharing a silent exchange that I can't explain.

The only sound in the kitchen is us chewing and Buddy breathing loudly at Noah's feet. I liked it a whole lot more when other sounds were filling the space around us. But I guess that's all in the past. Once we get through the nominee for Most Awkward Breakfast at the One-Night Stand Awards, that's all this will ever be.

A memory.

My heart sinks at the thought.

Carra's Review

Got Me Hoping was a wonderful, low-angst feel good story that left me feeling lighter after having read it.  It’s sweet without being overly so, and hot and sensual without being excessively erotic.  It was the perfect balance, and the kind of story I needed to act as a reset after an intense book just before it.

Noah and Haze are perfect together.  They are the cliché of two interlocking puzzle pieces but without it feeling stereotypical.  The chemistry they had together was exceptional, both physically and emotionally.  After that first night and then not seeing each other until Haze pops up at the vet office, everything from that point forward is relationship development and settling into their lives together while also getting to know more about the supporting characters.  

Speaking of those supporting characters—I found myself interested enough that I’ll definitely be picking up the rest of the series as it releases.  They each had their own well-formed personalities that drew me to them so that I want to see all of them with their own happily ever afters.

There are no huge drama moments for Noah and Haze, just plenty to leave me with a smile.  That has me giving Got Me Hoping 4.5 stars, and I’d absolutely recommend this to any M/M romance fan who is looking for something on the lighter side.  This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content (Noah and Haze are SO good together!).

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Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate Casey's New Release, we are giving readers the chance to win a $10 Amazon Voucher and an e-copies of Got Me Hoping!

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About the Author

I've been wanting to do this 'authoring' thing since forever. But this thing called 'life' kept getting in the way. And then this thing called 'turning 40' happened. Eep!

So I did what any responsible newcomer to middle-age-hood would do: I quit my day job, started drinking copious amounts of coffee, and reconnected with my life long passion--donuts, er, I mean writing.

So here I am. And there you are... Hello!

I live on the east coast of Australia, I'm the proud paw-rent of two of the most utterly adorable French Bulldogs, Ralphie and Lilly, and when I'm not writing, you'll most likely catch me down at the beach (I'm the one drinking Rosé and eating donuts while other people are doing healthy things like 'walking' and 'swimming').

Connect with Casey:

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Review & Excerpt: HIJACKED by Lucy Lennox & May Archer

 

Renowned cardiologist Carter Rogers is used to having things under control. His life, his prestigious reputation, his career, his future.

Hijacked, an all-new laugh-out-loud MM romantic comedy by Lucy Lennox & May Archer is available now!

Renowned cardiologist Carter Rogers is used to having things under control. His life, his prestigious reputation, his career, his future.

Things he can’t control this time around:

• His meddling grandfather 

• His annoying gamer cousin

• Buggy South American jungles

• Being the meat in a feuding cartel sandwich

• Getting kidnapped by a monologuing drug lord

•Falling for his very hot, very mouthy ex-Special Forces bodyguard 

In short, Carter’s peaceful, well-planned life has been… hijacked.

Download your copy today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon - Amazon Worldwide

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Excerpt

After two days as his bodyguard, I was ready to throttle my principal my own damn self. 

I was also covered in more sweat and filth than I’d been on my worst day ever in Afghanistan. 

The duchess, meanwhile, seemed as pristine as the moment we’d landed, of course—and unfairly f*cking gorgeous, not that that mattered. But then again, he hadn’t been the one schlepping all of the supplies on and off buses, up and down half-broken stairs, and into a stifling storage room at the back of the small medical building where we’d be spending the next month of our lives.

No, that privilege had been all mine ever since he’d brilliantly pulled the “grandfather card” on me. It was a card he’d been slapping down at least once an hour since we’d left Tennessee.

“Grandfather would be upset if I got a hernia.”

“Pretty sure my grandfather wouldn’t want me coming home after only a day because I strained my back hauling boxes around.”

“I would hate for you to get in trouble with your boss if I slipped and fell into that rocky ditch.”

“I wonder what my grandfather would think about a former Marine who was afraid of a little physical labor.”

That had been the straw that had broken the camel’s back, as I’m sure he’d intended. You didn’t throw down a challenge to someone’s service branch like that. It just wasn’t done.

Besides, hauling his sh*t kept my hands too busy to throttle the f*cker… or to kiss him. And that was becoming more and more necessary as this interminable day wore on. I had thought being a jerk to him at his grandfather’s house would have helped me keep my distance from him. It would be easier not to be tempted by the beautiful, successful man if he hated me.

But instead of being an asshole back to me, he was an enticing kind of passive-aggressive. He acted like he was sweet as pie while he pursed his lips in false disappointment for having to force me to do all the grunt work.

The doctor was diabolical. And it only made me want him more. I’d watched him at the gala. The adorable way he joked with the bartender and the kind manner he had with the locals were enough to attract my notice even before I’d discovered he was my principal on this job.

But he was off-limits, so I needed to shut my attraction to him down and shove it away if I wanted to stay on my boss’s good side.

As I re-entered the main room of the clinic, I heard Carter’s cultured voice speaking to Eriko, the man who’d welcomed us to the Doctors Across Continents facility in the rural town of Gelada. “No, no, getting here on our own was no problem! Mr. Riggs—oh, and please make sure you call him Mr. Riggs, because he really enjoys that—that man is never happier than when he’s useful. Carrying things is literally his favorite activity! Many a time I’ve tried to encourage him, ‘Mr. Riggs, please put down the box! That’s too heavy!’ but he simply refuses. ‘I’m enjoying myself too much, Dr. Rogers!’ he’ll say, and then he’ll pick up more boxes. So by all means, if you have heavy things to be moved, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Eriko murmured a reply I couldn’t hear over the gritting of my teeth, and Carter laughed lightly.

“Oh, no. He’s not really my manservant, per se. More like a man who serves as… my assistant. And of course he’ll be happy to help transport any patients who can’t get here on their own! I daresay he’d enjoy the challenge. A few more notches on his heavy-things-I’ve-carried belt! He’s good for the physical tasks, not so much the…” He glanced up at me innocently when my boots made a sound on the floor. “Oh, speaking of the devil. Mr. Riggs, I was just telling Eriko that you’d love to help retrieve any invalid patients who need help getting to the center. Isn’t that right?”

The look on his face begged for a solid love tap from my fist. But at the same time, the look in his eyes—teasing, intensely intelligent, just like he’d been at the bar that night at the Licking-Nuthatch Gala—made me want to tap… other parts of him. Parts that would land me in serious trouble with Champ or possibly on the unemployment line, if my distraction didn’t land us in danger first.

I could not afford to like this guy.

“I think it makes more sense to stay here and assist you, Doctor. Remember the problems you’ve been having with your…” I glanced at Eriko with a grimace. “Digestion? I’d hate to leave you alone in case it comes roaring back.”

Carter’s eyes narrowed the slightest bit. I’d made up the part about the digestion problems. 

Or, okay, I hadn’t made them up so much as transferred them from me to him.

“Yes, right,” he said, rather than correcting me. “You do like to clean the toilets as soon as I’m finished. Thank you for the reminder.” He turned back to Eriko. “Such a helpful boy. Don’t know what I’d do if he fell off the side of a cliff. Or whatever. Anyway, we should be ready to begin receiving patients at seven tomorrow morning. Hopefully we can prioritize the people who need to get to work.”

As Carter  listened to the local man, who at this point looked like a deer caught in confused headlights, I got the lay of the land. We were in a fairly large room, maybe twenty by thirty feet. The building was made out of cement blocks, which actually provided a little break from the heat of the day. Large industrial fans that looked like they were several generations older than Eriko blew from two corners of the room, creating some much-needed ventilation. Two windows on either end of the room were covered with thick iron bars for security, and there was a similar metal security door on the front and back of the building. They were currently propped open to keep the air moving. Several locals had already poked their heads in and asked if the clinic was open yet.

“The bedroom is just there,” Eriko said, gesturing to the other door at the back of the building. I glanced over at the small room, replaying his sentence in my mind until the word “bedroom” turned plural from wishful thinking. “There is a pallet on the floor for your helper.”

I tilted my head at him. Was he trolling me? 

Carter’s sparkling eyes suggested Eriko was being sincere. “Excellent! I’m sure Mr. Riggs will appreciate your kindness.”

Eriko looked very pleased. He informed Carter that someone from the community would be stopping by with our dinner and we were welcome to spend the rest of the evening setting up for tomorrow’s clinic.

“We are very grateful you are here. The people of Gelada have to travel very far to see a doctor. Many of them do not have money for the bus. When you come with your supplies and medicines… well, we are truly blessed.”

Carter’s face softened. Suddenly, I could see the doctor behind the snarky duchess. “It’s my pleasure. Thank you for having us.”

As soon as the local man was gone, closing the outer door and making sure Carter locked it from the inside, Carter’s smile disappeared.

“Aw. Someone looks like he’s having a grumpy day,” Carter remarked with fake sympathy as he passed me. “What’s wrong, Mr. Riggs? Not enough box carrying for you?”

“Just thinking that this pallet looks like it’s going to hurt your back.” I folded my arms over my chest. “Might consider hitting up the med cabinet before hitting the hay, Duchess.”

Carter didn’t even turn around and look at me. He simply said, “Duchesses don’t sleep on pallets, Mr. Riggs. This is well-known.”

Carra's Review

Since I enjoy the bodyguard trope and I’ve really enjoyed the previous books I’ve read by Lucy Lennox, I decided to give this co-written one a go.  The setup of the tough bodyguard with the sorta-snobby sorta-bratty rich guy that puts them at odds with each other did draw me in at the start.

Once things got going and Riggs and Carter were in South America, I was good with them butting heads while the tension between them built and eventually spilled over.  To me it felt like a mostly physical thing though, I wasn’t really sensing the emotional connection I was expecting.

The setup for the kidnapping was obvious and had me giving the story the side-eye, but I gave it a pass since it did get things to the more dangerous situation.  From there my suspension of disbelief had to kick into overdrive as the rest of the story became kind of over-the-top and one of the complications a bit too coincidental.

If you’re a fan of misadventures and exaggerated humor, Hijacked will be right up your alley and the epilogue promises more to come in future stories.  While this book is a spinoff from a prior series, it is not necessary to have read that to understand this one.  I’d recommend this book for readers 18+ for the adult language and sexual content.

Meet Lucy Lennox

Lucy Lennox is finally putting good use to that English Lit degree earned way back in the 1900s.

She stays up way too late each night reading M/M romance because she is a sucker for a good story.

Connect with Lucy

Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest - Website - Mailing List

Connect with May Archer

May is an M/M author who lives in Boston. She spends her days raising three incredibly sarcastic children, finding inventive ways to drive her husband crazy, planning beach vacations, avoiding the gym, reading M/M romance, and occasionally writing it.

Connect With May

Facebook - Instagram - Website

New Release: HIJACKED by Lucy Lennox & May Archer

Renowned cardiologist Carter Rogers is used to having things under control. His life, his prestigious reputation, his career, his future.

Hijacked, an all-new laugh-out-loud MM romantic comedy by Lucy Lennox & May Archer is available now!

Renowned cardiologist Carter Rogers is used to having things under control. His life, his prestigious reputation, his career, his future.
Things he can’t control this time around:

• His meddling grandfather
• His annoying gamer cousin
• Buggy South American jungles
• Being the meat in a feuding cartel sandwich
• Getting kidnapped by a monologuing drug lord
•Falling for his very hot, very mouthy ex-Special Forces bodyguard

In short, Carter’s peaceful, well-planned life has been… hijacked.

Download your copy today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon - Amazon Worldwide

Add to Goodreads

Meet Lucy Lennox

Lucy Lennox is finally putting good use to that English Lit degree earned way back in the 1900s.

She stays up way too late each night reading M/M romance because she is a sucker for a good story.

Connect with Lucy

Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest - Website - Mailing List

Connect with May Archer

May is an M/M author who lives in Boston. She spends her days raising three incredibly sarcastic children, finding inventive ways to drive her husband crazy, planning beach vacations, avoiding the gym, reading M/M romance, and occasionally writing it.

Connect With May:

Facebook - Instagram - Website