ARC Review:Twelve Truths and a Lie by Christina Lee

TWELVE TRUTHS AND A LIE

Contemporary Romance

COVER DESIGN: Natasha Snow

RELEASE DATE: 9-19-16

Aurora Jones has it all—a job she loves as a child and family therapist, supportive friends, and a decent place to live. What she doesn’t have is much luck when it comes to dating men. And not only are her choices terrible, she also hasn’t been boyfriend free since she was a teenager. So she places herself on a sabbatical of sorts. No dating for twelve months.

Cameron Miller has had a crappy year. His girlfriend fell for his best friend and to ease the pain, he drowns his troubles in more booze and women than he can count. When his buddies finally slap some sense into him and urge him to focus on his new position as a special education teacher in an urban school district, he decides to get his act together.

Away from the prying eyes of their mutual friends, Cameron and Aurora agree to hang out once a week in their newly dubbed Chastity Club. Number of members? Two. It’s a chance to find solace, companionship, and something neither anticipated – a burgeoning attraction. But when Cameron invites Aurora to be his fake date at the reunion his ex-girlfriend and best friend will be attending, their passion ignites. What happens in Chastity Club stays in Chastity Club, right? Until they discover that a year of self-truths might actually lead them to true love.

 Buy Links

 Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Excerpt

“Well,” I explained, after swallowing a bite, “depends how, um, sexually frustrated you’ve been and—”

“Extremely,” she said without hesitation, and I nearly choked on the cheese sliding down my throat. “I mean, Richard doesn’t even—”

She smashed her hand over her mouth, looking positively mortified. “Shit, never mind.”

“Who’s Richard?” I asked, thoroughly confused, wondering if I’d missed something in the conversation.

“Oh, God,” she said. “Can you forget I even said that?”

“Not a chance,” I replied, knowing it would bug the shit out of me all night if she didn’t fess up. “Don’t be embarrassed, we’ve talked about plenty of things already…”

As she took deep breaths, I tried to match up the name Richard to one of her old boyfriends she might’ve mentioned. Or was she more mortified that I’d brought up the idea of being sexually frustrated?

“Look, I wasn’t trying to embarrass you,” I said, attempting to dislodge her hand from her face. “Guys talk about jacking off all the time, I don’t know if girls do, but—”

“Of course we do,” she finally huffed out, her eyes bulging. “Richard is the name of my vibrator.”

Oh fucking Christ, what a visual. My dick immediately tented against my zipper. In that moment, I was so grateful the tablecloth was covering me. After I got over the initial shock and stimulation of her bringing up her vibrator, I focused in on the fact that she had named it in the first place. Richard.

I couldn’t hold back a snort and that caused a chain reaction in Aurora, who began giggling and then full-on laughing. Her face was so beet red that when we made eye contact and I said, “Richard. As in dick?” she howled even louder, causing the people in the booth behind her to turn around and stare.

What I thought about Twelve Truths and a Lie

I love a good friends to lovers book.  Twelve Truths and a Lie is a well crafted romance involving two people who want to keep it in the friends zone but just can’t.  It’s about finding a soulmate and falling in love.

Through their “Chastity Club”, Cameron and Aurora find a connection of the mind.  I loved how they built the intimacy between them through their “club”.  It’s always a treat to see how an author finally gets them from friends to the lover zone.  Christina Lee does a nice job of getting them together using the tried and true “fake date” approach.

I liked this romance.  While there wasn’t anything incredibly new to the story, it was very well done and enjoyable.

ARC provided for review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Once upon a time, Christina Lee lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. She spent her days getting in cabs, shopping for photo shoots, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at her favorite hangouts.

Now she lives in the Midwest with her husband and son—her two favorite guys. She’s been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn't until she wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that she realized she could turn the fairytales inside her head into the reality of writing fiction.

She’s addicted to lip balm and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaLee

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Christina_Lee04

http://www.write-brained.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/594101567395032/
 

Review:The Hardest Fall by Christina Lee

The Hardest Fall

Roadmap to Your Heart, Book 3

M/M Romance

COVER DESIGN: Kanaxa
RELEASE DATE: 06-23-16

BLURB

Lee trades country ballads for show tunes in the next standalone book of her M/M series, Roadmap to Your Heart.After licking his wounds from a painful relationship, Tate Sullivan is ready to move back home. He picks up where he left off as drag queen extraordinaire Frieda Love in a West Village bar in New York City. He doesn’t expect to be drawn to the mysterious man with the dark eyes who shows up to every single performance—flirtatiously eyeing Tate one second and disappearing on him the next. Why mess around with a guy who is clearly giving him mixed signals?

Sebastian Clark is on a mission the first night he shows up at Ruby Redd’s. He doesn’t anticipate his plan being flipped on its head by the charismatic drag queen and even more so by the mesmerizing man beneath the makeup. But the more he learns about the vibrant and brash Tate Sullivan the more intrigued he becomes. So he pushes aside his guilt about why he sought out the bar in the first place in order to get to know the guy behind the stilettos.

They’re opposites on many levels, but as Tate spends time volunteering with Sebastian at the shelter, he begins to feel good about himself in ways he hadn’t before. For Sebastian, Tate represents a sense of fun and freedom that is completely fresh and invigorating. Before they know it, their easy companionship catches fire, and Sebastian is kissing a man for the first time, while Tate is opening his heart to new possibilities. But Sebastian is still keeping a secret, and Tate will have to decide if he can trust again, or if the betrayal he feels from Sebastian’s confession is too much to overcome. 

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks

What I thought about The Hardest Fall

If you've been following this series, The Hardest Fall features Tate from The Deepest Blue, the previous book in this series. He's Dean's flamboyant friend, and he's now living and working in NYC as Freida Love, drag queen.  One night he's drawn to one of the customers who he dubs "Dark Eyes."  Intrigued by this man who stares at him during his act, he approaches his mysterious fan.

Sebastian is in a tough spot.  He's supposed to be at Ruby Redd's to give Frieda Love a package from his recently deceased friend, who happened to be married and having an affair with Frieda.  Sebastian is shocked because he never saw his friend Alan in this way, but Sebastian's sense of honor has him seeking Frieda out.  Only one problem...Sebastian finds himself intrigued by Frieda and very attracted to Tate. 

There's a lot of questions in Sebastian's mind, especially since he hasn't been attracted to men that way before (or at least he thought).  But the more time Tate and Sebastian spend together, the deeper their connection and attraction becomes. It's really quite lovely how their relationship builds.  Tate is super-patient with Sebastian as he figures out what he wants. I liked the slower build to their relationship very much.

But Sebastian is also keeping a secret from Tate that threatens to ruin everything that they've been building.  I wasn't expecting everything that came with the telling of the secret, and I really loved how Sebastian saw that his love for Tate was so very different than the relationship Tate had with his former lover Alan.

There are some nice secondary characters to help the story along, and I loved the roommates and coworkers that helped these two men get together.  There was a lot of love in this book and it wasn't just between Tate and Sebastian.

I also appreciated and applauded the volunteerism theme in The Hardest Fall.  I loved how Sebastian opened up Tate's eyes here.  

Overall, I really loved this story. It works nicely as a standalone, but I would recommend reading the previous books in the series to enhance the story. The Hardest Fall had a ton of emotions on every page, but didn't drag things out.  Sebastian's journey of discovery was interesting as was Tate's comfort with who he was. So much to like in this.

ARC provided for review.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Once upon a time, Christina Lee lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. She spent her days getting in cabs, shopping for photo shoots, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at her favorite hangouts.

Now she lives in the Midwest with her husband and son—her two favorite guys. She’s been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn't until she wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that she realized she could turn the fairytales inside her head into the reality of writing fiction.

She’s addicted to lip balm and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaLee

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Christina_Lee04

Release Day Review: Touch the Sky by Christina Lee & Nyrae Dawn

Lucas Barnett and Gabriel Stewart didn’t have it easy as kids. They were only trying to deal with bad situations at home when they became lifelines for each other. Their pipe dream was to someday meet in LA, where Lucas would design skyscrapers, and Gabriel would learn to fly. But then Gabriel disappeared without so much as a goodbye, and Lucas got himself in trouble with the law.

Five years later, both men are at a loss when they run into each other at a Hollywood bar. Lucas is still angry, but it’s not as if Gabriel could control how his mind and body had betrayed him. Being found on the ledge of that bridge had changed everything.

The attraction is immediate, but it’s more than their inability to keep their hands off each other. Neither man expects the fierce connection pulling them together. Unfortunately, ignoring their problems doesn’t make them disappear. Gabriel’s internal struggles are serious…dangerous. And no matter how much Lucas wants it to be true, saving Gabriel won’t make up for not being able to save his mom. If they don’t find the strength to face their own demons before the darkness takes hold, they risk more than just losing each other forever. 

COVER DESIGN: Natasha Snow
PHOTOGRAPHY: Giovanni Dall’Orto
RELEASE DATE: March 28th, 2016

Buy Links

AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1MHjbEX

AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/25oGoY7

AMAZON AU: http://bit.ly/1SbDVGP

B&N: http://bit.ly/1ZBf8S5

iBook: http://apple.co/22rX0iC

 

EXCERPT

I grab a piece of pizza and we finish the whole box, while drinking soda and watching a horror flick on TV. With each minute that passes, Gabe gets closer to me. It’s not one of those lame-ass things you see in movies, where the distance keeps shrinking while they get the balls to make a move. I just think Gabe craves contact—skin and flesh and warmth. And even though I’m not typically like that, I suddenly want to give it to him. Or maybe I’m just a selfish bastard and I’m fooling myself because I really just crave him.

So I do it, blatantly just move closer. Our legs touch, jeans against jeans. Our arms though? That’s skin against skin and I think maybe I really do crave skin and flesh and warmth the same way he does. At least when it’s him, I do.

The movie ends, and out of the corner of my eye, I see his head turn. Feel his gaze on me.

I want to taste him.

Me taste him. I’ve felt his lips twice and both times were both Gabe’s doing. This time it’ll be mine. I turn to him, touch his cheek with my left hand, let his hair slide through my fingers and then grab on.

Then I’m leaning forward, my tongue at the seam of his lips. Gabe opens up for me and I thrust my tongue inside. The feel of him, the taste of him goes straight to my head—both my dick and the one on my shoulders.

He moans into my mouth as I push closer to him. Reading my body language, Gabe turns, lies down so that he’s on his back and I’m between his legs, leaning over him.

My dick aches. I feel his, hard and thick against my stomach as I kiss him deeper.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I say as my lips slide down his neck. I can’t believe I just said that either.

Gabe’s hand tightens in my hair and his hips move, as he rubs his erection against me.

“I can’t believe it either.” He’s breathless, his voice hoarse with lust. It rocks through me and I suddenly want nothing more than to see what he looks like when he comes.

What I thought about Touch The Sky
 
I was thrilled when I heard that two of my favorite m/m authors would be collaborating together on this story.

First of all, I've got to start with this gorgeous cover. It so perfectly captures the feel of this book. There are lots of dark emotions just beneath the surface of Touch the Sky, as it deals with important issues such as alcoholism and mental health.

Lucas and Gabriel started an online relationship years ago, but their individual problems prevented them from ever meeting until much later. They've never forgotten each other or their dreams. Now that they've made contact with each other, it's not as easy moving forward as they thought.

Touch The Sky is the story of Gabriel and Lucas finding each other and finding themselves. Gabriel's situation may be life-threatening and Lucas seems to be hanging by a thread most of the time, but the question is whether their feelings for each other will help them find their way. You can feel the love between these two and the connection they share is strong, but they do have Gabriel's serious mental health issue to deal with, and that is handled perfectly by these two authors.

There are some interesting secondary characters in Lucas's friend and co-worker, Conner and Gabriel's roommate Ezra too.

This is a beautifully told new adult m/m romance, between two characters that have much to overcome with a strong connection to help see them through it. Told in dual point of view, the reader gets to know both of these characters deeply and I loved that about it.

Recommended for readers of m/m new adult romance.
 

ARC provided for review.

Author Bios:

Nyrae Dawn

Nyrae Dawn can almost always be found with a book in her hand or an open document on her laptop. She couldn’t live without books—reading or writing them. Oh, and chocolate. She’s slightly addicted.

She gravitates toward character-driven stories. Whether reading or writing, she loves emotional journeys. It’s icing on the cake when she really feels something, but is able to laugh too. She’s a proud romantic, who has a soft spot for flawed characters, who make mistakes, but also have big hearts.

Whether she’s writing young adult, new adult, or adult you can always count on a healthy dose of romance from her books. She likes to tackle tough subjects, and believes everyone needs to see themselves in the stories they read.

Nyrae is living her very own happily ever after in California with her gorgeous husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two incredibly awesome kids.

http://www.nyraedawn.net/p/home.html

Christina Lee

Once upon a time, I lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. I spent my days shopping for photo shoots, getting into cabs, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at my favorite hangouts.

Now I live in the Midwest with my husband and son—my two favorite guys. I've been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn't until I wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that I realized I could turn the fairytales inside my head into the reality of writing fiction.

I write Adult, New Adult, and M/M Contemporary Romance. I'm addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. I believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

Find me on my Facebook Author Page
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaLee

Find me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/Christina_Lee04