JXR's Review: Bromantasy

Bromantasy by Maire Roche

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons (May 26th, 2026)

Genre: Fantasy Romance (Queer)

 

Two heroes. One brain cell.

BROMANTASY is a cozy, queer fantasy about the mortifying ordeal of being known by your totally platonic best friend and the epic quest that might force you to confront the truth.

This deluxe limited first run edition will feature beautifully designed colored edges—while supplies last!

Fellas, is it gay to kiss your bff while on a quest through the forest you’re unqualified for?

Juniper O'Reilly is good at only two things: demolishing a pint of mead and finding the perfect skincare routine. Everything else—taking care of the farm, bartering for goods, any sort of manual labor—falls to Juniper’s best friend, the absurdly capable, endlessly patient Mo Elmthorn.

But when Juniper accidentally volunteers them both for a quest to kill a fearsome monster, he knows he’s finally gotten in over his head. Juniper hates camping, he hates the dark, and there’s no way all these foraged mushrooms are going to sit well in his stomach. One thing he doesn’t hate? How good Mo’s thighs look in his questing pants—he doesn’t have time to think about that, though, with a monster to hunt and their futures on the line.

But monsters come in all shapes and sizes. When Juniper and Mo realize that the terrifying beast they’ve sworn to kill is just a scared little girl torn from her family, they’re off to find not only the true villain of the story, but maybe even a happy ending.

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Kindle | Bookshop | NOOK | Kobo

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JXR's Review:

Sarah's Review: Pregnant by the Playboy

Pregnant by the Playboy by Jackie Lau
Publisher: Jackie Lau Books (May 26, 2020)
Series: Fong Brothers, 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/F)

Dual 1st POV

I’ve got a pretty great life, if I do say so myself. I made a fortune when I sold my tech start-up, and I’ve spent the years since partying, drinking, and inviting a parade of women into my bed.

I should be happy, but I feel an annoying lack of fulfillment, and there’s no way I’m going back to the work I did before.

At a friend’s party, I meet Marissa. We have hot sex against the door and agree to spend the weekend together. Just one weekend. I never expect to see her again.

Except now she’s pregnant with my baby…and I think this is the solution to all my problems. This is what will bring meaning to my life. I’m going to be a devoted father and husband.

Marissa—whose last name I still don’t know—wants me to be involved, though she rejects my marriage proposal. But before the baby arrives, I’m going to prove to her that I can be something other than a playboy.

And the rare times I set my mind to something, I don’t fail…

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads! | Find the Series

Reviews for Lau's books:

• A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day
• A Match Made for Thanksgiving 
• A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year
• A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas
• He's Not My Boyfriend
• Not Another Family Wedding
• One Bed for Christmas
• The Ultimate Pi Day Party 

Sarah's Review:

Melinda's Review: Forbidden Promises

Forbidden Promises by Synithia Williams
Publisher: HQN Books (February 25, 2020)
Series: Jackson Falls, 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/F)

What do you do when you want the one person you can never have?

Get in and get out. That was India Robidoux’s plan for this family visit. But when her brother needs her help with his high-profile political campaign, India has no choice but to stay and face the one man she’s been running from for years—Travis, her sister’s ex-husband. One hot summer night when Travis was still free, they celebrated her birthday with whiskey and an unforgettable kiss. The memory is as strong as ever—and so are the feelings she’s tried so hard to forget.

Travis Strickland owes everything to the Robidoux family. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for them—his divorce could never change that. Still, he has one regret. Impulsive and passionate, India always understood him better than anyone else. And the longer they work together on the campaign, the more torn he is. Coming between her and her sister is out of the question. But how can he let love pass him by a second time?

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
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Content Warnings: miscarriage off page, alcoholism, gun violence, cheating (not main couple)

Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Review: House Rules

House Rules by Ruby Lang
Publisher: Carina Press (February 10, 2020)
Series: Uptown, 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/F)

ROOMMATE WANTED to share a gorgeous sun-filled apartment in Central Harlem. Must love cats. No ex-husbands or wives need apply.

Seventeen years ago, different dreams pulled Simon Mizrahi and Lana Kuo apart. But when Lana takes a position as a chef back in Manhattan, her apartment search puts her right in her ex-husband’s path. Music teacher Simon is also hunting for a new place to live, and when Lana proposes they be platonic roomies, well…it’s not the worst idea he’s ever heard.

A sunny uptown two-bedroom sounds far more appealing than the cramped, noisy space where he’s currently struggling to work. Still, Simon has seen firsthand that Lana’s a flight risk, so he agrees on a trial basis.

Three months. With strict boundaries.

Living together again feels wonderfully nostalgic, but when the ex-couple’s lingering feelings rise to the surface, the rules go out the window.

Of course, chemistry was never their problem. But while Simon’s career feels back on solid footing, Lana is still sorting out what she wants. With their trial period soon coming to an end, they’ll have to decide if their living arrangement was merely a sexy trip down memory lane or a reunion meant to last.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
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Reviews for Lang's books:

• Acute Reaction
• Open House
• Playing House

Melinda's Review:

Pat's Review: Pan

Remember, this is a Royal Pick for the month! Check back on January 31st when the monthly giveaway opens!

Pan by Gina L. Maxwell
Publisher: Gina L. Maxwell (January 22nd, 2019)
Series: Neverland, 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Dual 1st POV

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Gina L. Maxwell, comes a brand new series with a fresh twist on an old classic.

Once upon a time, in Neverland, North Carolina--I fell in love.

I was twelve when Peter first climbed up to my balcony.
Thirteen when I sneaked out to see him at the School for Lost Boys.
Seventeen when his touch made me fly,
And eighteen when his words made me cry.

We were magnetic, drawn to each other from that very first night, and what I thought would be forever. But when it came time for me to leave, he wouldn't come with, so I left town with a map for my future and a shattered heart.

Ten years later, I've returned to Neverland, hoping to find a man in place of the boy.

Peter was partially right, growing up is no fun. After quitting my fancy career that sucked the magic out of life, I'm now organizing the fundraiser of the year. In a move that could make or break the event and my new company, I've hired Peter, master mechanic and owner of LB Automotive, to help me pull this off--trusting him to rebuild a classic car for the auction that could help hundreds of foster kids in need.

I thought I was prepared, but the boy who refused to leave is now a man hell-bent on getting me to stay, and as sparks fly between us, that undeniable fire flares back to life, deeper and hotter than ever.

But that ripped body doesn't mean Peter's matured enough to make us or this event work, and not everyone in Neverland is happy about my return.

Not every wound heals.
Not every heart can be fixed.
Not every boy grows up.

And after all this time, the love we found might be lost to us again...this time, forever.

*Pan is an adult contemporary romance retelling of Peter Pan, complete with Wendy, Hook, Tink, and all the Lost Boys as sexy mechanics. There are no fantasy elements in this world, other than the "magic" that happens between the sheets. ;) 

Where to Buy*:

Kindle -- KU Title

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads!

Reviews for Maxwell's books:

• Fighting for Irish 
• Hot for the Fireman 
• Sweet Victory 
• Tempting Her Best Friend

Pat's Review:

Jen's Reviews: On the Edge of Scandal and Fire on the Ice

Today Jen has a double dose of Tamsen Parker for you. Both of these books came out on the 6th, so we figured we'd throw the reviews together, too.

Remember, since FIRE ON THE ICE is a Royal Pick, come back on February 22nd for a chance to win an ecopy of your own!

On the Edge of Scandal by Tamsen Parker
Publisher: Swerve (February 6, 2018)
Series: Snow and Ice Games, 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance -- Sports

Bronwyn Perry is the star of the US women’s hockey team, and she and her boyfriend Brody Hill have been hockey royalty since they’ve been in high school. Brody unexpectedly fails to make the men’s team but still comes to Denver to support his girl at the Snow and Ice Games. Or so Bronwyn thinks.

Ash Levenson is the coach of the women’s SIG hockey team. His primary responsibility is to keep his team happy, healthy, and primed to win. Though he’s close in age to his players, he’s been doing this for a while and mostly, it’s easy to keep his eyes on the puck. He’s always been able to discard any crush he might have on any of the women he’s coached…until Bronwyn.

When Bronwyn and Brody’s romance comes to a very public and very ugly end, Ash has to get his star player’s head back in the game and ready to dominate on the rink. Which may mean spending a little time off the ice… 

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads! | Find the Series

Reviews for Parker's Books:

• Seduction on the Slopes

Jen's Review:

[Jen's Review]: "Hardcore"

I'm excited to introduce a new reviewer to the blog -- Jen! Find out a bit more about Jen, and where to find her online, after her review. :)

Hardcore by Dakota Gray
Publisher: Dakota Gray (January 24, 2017)
Series: Filth, 3
Genre: Contemporary Erotica

I am an Alexander. Our last name is an institution in legal circles. You're raised to be an apex predator in the courtroom and outside of it. Being weak or losing at anything is not an option.

To paint the picture, most fathers sit their sons down to have “the talk” about what it means to be a man in the world. My father handed me a proverbial rusty knife, and said, “Cut out anything but ambition and loyalty.”

Don't confuse these statements as woe-is-me. I made myself in my father's image for many years. Didn't matter if I liked the man who looked back.

I'm just giving you the facts.

So when Kennedy Mclane caught sight of this ruthless man after we had sex, she ran. I had a rare moment of...chivalry? Humanity? I don't know. I decided to be the good guy, and ignore the fact we feel unfinished. Or the way she looks at me. Or that she gets jealous.

She didn't want me to slip into my predator skin and do my own version of the wild hunt. It stayed that way for three years until she climbed back into my bed. Whether she's ready for me this time or not is a moot point. I've been more than fair and patient.

She's probably going to hate me by the end of all this.

I don't care.

The game has begun and I never lose. I cut that part out of me.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads! | Find the Series

Jen's Review: