Release Blitz: Redeem (Under My Skin Series #4) by Christina Lee (Excerpt+Review+Giveaway)

Redeem

Under My Skin Series, Book 4

Christina Lee

M/M Romance

Release Date: 02.28.19

Cover artist: Kanaxa 

BLURB 

Successful financial analyst Michael Walsh leads a picture-perfect life that anyone would envy—unless they caught a glimpse beneath the surface. Haunted by failed relationships and self-doubt, Michael harbors a soul-deep loneliness that no number of casual hookups can fulfill. So why can’t he stop thinking about his New Year’s fling with a man whose quiet desperation matches his own?

Barista Stewart Jenkins has an abysmal track record with relationships, and no matter how hard he tries to keep things tightly under wraps, his life is spinning out of control. His hookup with the gorgeous Michael was only supposed to be sex—hot, dirty, and uncomplicated—but that small taste leaves him desperate for more. 

Every no-strings encounter that follows between Michael and Stewart peels away more layers, blurring the lines between them, until they’re left with a raw tenderness and acceptance they’re both urgently craving. A relationship absolutely wouldn’t work on paper; they come from drastically different lives and are plagued by inexcusable sins. All that vulnerability is sure to reveal old wounds, and forgiveness seems so far out of reach unless they can find a way around their fears on the road to redemption. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43883032-redeem

Book Review ~ Beautiful Dreamer by Christina Lee

Book Review ~ Beautiful Dreamer by Christina Lee

Amazon link (KU): https://amzn.to/2RBf6eP

Universal link: mybook.to/BeautifulDreamer

BLURB: 

Garrett Coleman spent most of his adolescence crushing on Finn Sweeney—until that Ultimate Dream Guy image got obliterated during senior year. Garrett’s since gone out of his way to avoid the sexy ginger, instead throwing his energy behind his dance career while supporting his mother through her cancer diagnosis.

Finn Sweeney used to think of Garrett as just his kid brother’s best friend, but after an intense exchange at a high school party, things got a little…weird. Despite that, when their two families decide to get together for the holidays for the first time in years, Finn can’t say no. But he’s fully prepared for this to be awkward as hell.

When Finn and Garrett lay eyes on each other for the first time in their adult lives, all bets are off. Finn is completely captivated by Garrett and getting to know the man he’s become is now his top priority. Playing catch-up with Finn makes Garrett truly see him beyond the childhood fantasy he’s held onto all these years. Finn is real and vulnerable…and hot as hell.

Garrett and Finn can’t seem to keep their hands off each other, so they decide to bury the hatchet between them for the remainder of the visit.

After all, it’s only a holiday fling.

Until it becomes something more.
 

Release Review: First Light (Heartsville Series #2) by Christina Lee & Felice Stevens

New Release Review: First Light (Heartsville Series #2) by Christina Lee & Felice Stevens

Buy Link: Amazon


Blurb:

Two years after the death of his wife, Aubrey Hendricks is still weighed down by grief. He can’t focus on anything beyond working at the family farm, First Light. At the urging of a friend, he takes a step toward resuming a normal life and reopens the bakery his wife once ran. He places a Help Wanted ad in the local paper, and to his surprise, an applicant shows up the next day.

When Oliver Hansen gets a second chance at life, he grasps it with both hands. Leaving his stressful life in New York, he plans to enjoy the simpler things. Driving to Heartsville in the Pocono Mountains to thank his heart donor’s widower is a top priority. But the brusque man with the melancholy eyes strikes a chord in Oliver. So when Aubrey mistakenly believes he’s there to apply for the bakery job…Oliver takes him up on the offer.

As Oliver busies himself with the grand reopening, he and Aubrey establish a tentative friendship, which soon shifts to blazing attraction. Oliver falls hard for him, yet he can’t help but wonder if Aubrey’s feelings are an attempt to maintain a connection to the wife he’s still mourning. And Aubrey is unsure if Oliver will tire of the slow pace in Heartsville and go running back to the city he loves. The two must successfully navigate the stormy waters of grief, doubt, and their very different lifestyles, or they risk losing both their hearts—again.

Release Blitz ~ Of Sunlight and Stardust by Riley Hart & Christina Lee (Reviews + Excerpt + Giveaway)

Release Blitz ~ Of Sunlight and Stardust by Riley Hart & Christina Lee (Reviews + Excerpt + Giveaway)

OF SUNLIGHT AND STARDUST

RILEY HART & CHRISTINA LEE

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 09.21.18

Cover Design: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art

Cover Image: Strangeland Photography

Blurb

After the death of his wife, Tanner Rowe takes a step toward making her dream come true and buys the house with the dilapidated barn she’d been inexplicably drawn to in the picturesque Upper Peninsula. But after a year, he still can’t get past his grief long enough to make the repairs he’d promised.

Recently out of prison, Cole Lachlan has little to his name. Homeless, broke, and without many options as a felon, Cole heads to Red Bluff with hopes of a second chance. There, he meets Tanner, whose loneliness mirrors his own and soon, Cole is trading room and board for rebuilding the burned-out barn on Tanner’s property that hasn’t been touched in seventy years.

Turns out, the barn holds a lot more secrets than either of them could have imagined. After unearthing a hidden journal from 1948, Cole and Tanner spend their evenings poring through the pages and reading about a young man pining after his best friend. As they delve deeper into this forbidden affair from the past, the more Cole and Tanner’s own relationship shifts—from acquaintance to friend…to undeniable attraction.

But as they begin to deal with the newness of falling in love amid Cole’s past and Tanner’s loss, they also become more determined to unravel the mystery of the young lovers who’ve captured their hearts, the rumors about the fire, and what really happened that fateful night.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41579410-of-sunlight-and-stardust

Release Day Blitz: Love You Louder by Christina Lee (Review + Excerpt)

Release Day Blitz: Love You Louder by Christina Lee (Review + Excerpt)

LOVE ME LOUDER

CHRISTINA LEE

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 06.29.18

COVER DESIGN: X-Potion Designs

PHOTOGRAPHER: Eric David Battershell

COVER MODEL: Ryan Harmon

SYNOPSIS

Noah Dixon is damaged goods. After an accident leaves him physically scarred and emotionally vulnerable, dating isn’t in the cards, so he throws himself head-first into his retail job. When he’s obligated to attend his best friend’s engagement party on Fire Island, it dawns on him he’s about to spend yet another weekend feeling totally invisible and alone among a swarm of gorgeous men.

That’s when the idea of an escort comes in.

After Will Crossen was forced to put his theater major on hold in favor of two jobs to tackle his ailing mother’s hospital bills, he tells himself becoming an escort isn’t that big of a deal. It’s just another form of acting, right? He doesn’t expect his newest customer to be the cheery, overconfident sales associate he avoids like the plague at his day job. Talk about awkward.

But what happens on Fire Island stays on Fire Island…especially when a smoldering attraction sparks into flames. Will doesn’t feel so alone anymore, and for the first time, Noah realizes someone is seeing him behind all the scars. But between their jobs, Will’s massive familial responsibilities, and Noah’s vulnerabilities, they don’t stand a chance unless they find a way to let love speak louder than their demons.

Book Review: RECLAIM (Under My Skin #3) by Christina Lee

Book Review: RECLAIM (Under My Skin #3) by Christina Lee

Cover artist: KANAXA
Series: Under My Skin #3

BLURB:

Ever since high school, Elijah and Kamnan have always had each other’s backs. So when Kam suffers a freak accident and is laid up for a few weeks, it’s only natural that Elijah steps in to help him through his recuperation.

But the occasional meet-up to throw back a few drinks is different from being cooped up together in Kam’s condo day in and day out. In fact, the more time they spend together, the more Elijah sees Kam in a totally different light—one that surprises and scares him. After a tender moment turns into a passionate exchange, Kam chalks it up to the building tension of the routine they’ve fallen into.

As Kam regains his independence, the real world begins to encroach on the sanctuary they’ve built for themselves. Everything is different now, more intimate, and time apart feels empty. But Elijah’s still getting over a bad breakup, and Kam has his own plate full of responsibilities—like his Spin Cycle business and joint custody of his five-year-old daughter. A relationship is the last thing either of them is prepared for; will trying anyway end in heartbreak, or will resisting be the wedge that tears their friendship apart?

Release Blitz: Ever After by Riley Hart & Christina Lee (Review + Excerpt)

EVER AFTER

A GAY FAIRYTALE

RILEY HART & CHRISTINA LEE 

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 02.28.18

COVER DESIGN: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art

Blurb:

As next in line for the Evergreen crown, Prince Merrick Davendall’s future involves ruling, marriage, and producing an heir of his own. But he’s long been tormented by desires that are far from princely. Especially when the beautiful Cassius is promoted to be his new valet, and Merrick is struck by a longing like never before—a longing to know him far beyond royal and servant.

After his father’s passing, Cassius Havendale’s sole duty is to provide for his family. A promotion to serve a pampered prince is something he endures only for their sake. Surely Prince Merrick has no understanding of true suffering of the common people, nor could he possibly understand what it’s like to desperately desire something he cannot have.

Except the prince is not at all what Cassius imagined. Kind, humorous, and caring to those in need, he also shares Cassius’ affinity for the arts. In fact, Merrick understands his deepest vulnerabilities in a most remarkable way.

As their affection deepens, the underlying tension between them becomes unbearable and they’re unable to ignore it any longer. But when the queen prepares a lavish ball with all the eligible ladies in the land in attendance, Merrick must fulfill his obligations to his country, and Cassius has the needs of his family to consider. They’ve long known their stolen moments would have to come to an end, but are they ready to give up one another and the idea of a happily-ever-after?

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2EesPFd

Release Day Blitz: Last Call by Christina Lee & Felice Stevens (Review + Giveaway)

LAST CALL

M/M/M ROMANCE

CHRISTINA LEE & FELICE STEVENS

RELEASE DATE: 11.29.17

COVER DESIGN: Reese Dante

BLURB

Quinn Monahan and Grayson Page have been friends since high school. Despite their differences, they’ve been there for each other through thick and thin. Opening Last Call together, a bar tucked away in the small town of Heartsville, PA seemed a natural progression—even if it makes it harder to live with the secret longing they’ve always had for each other.

Hoping to score an easy buck and a place to sleep, unemployed circus roadie Emery Woods chooses Last Call to run a few bets and enjoy a decent beer before moving on. When he finds himself stranded, the unexpected kindness Quinn and Gray show him leads to temporary work and a couch to lay his head. Sensing unresolved history between Quinn and Gray, he squashes his immediate draw to the men, opting to avoid trouble. But as days turn into weeks, denying the attraction is easier said than done.

When the men finally give in to the simmering sexual tension, it quickly develops into more than a way to pass the lonely nights. And as they begin to lean on each other for emotional support, it becomes nearly impossible to think of one man without the other two. But while Quinn and Gray are afraid to cross the line of friendship between them, Emery fears once they do, he’ll quickly be cast aside. A real family is finally within their grasp, but unless the men can learn to trust each other, they just might miss their hearts’ last call home.

Release Day Blitz: Reawaken by Christina Lee (Review + Giveaway)

REAWAKEN

UNDER MY SKIN SERIES, BOOK 2

CHRISTINA LEE

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 11.02.17

                       

Cover Designer: KANAXA

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2gtg143

BLURB

Losing his adoring husband shattered Tristan Rogers world. For the past few years, he’s been going through the motions, running their dog grooming business while hiding the loneliness he feels down to his bones. When he witnesses an ugly breakup between a pretentious customer and his boyfriend, Tristan can’t help but intervene. Something about the unassuming younger man calls to him, and he can’t help wondering if he’s experienced some heartache of his own.

Life took a tragic turn for Jonas “West” Hollis as a teen, and he’s felt indebted to his overbearing lover ever since. Tristan’s kindness draws him from the start, but with his dreams finally in reach, West can’t risk getting close to someone else. Not now that he can live his life and stand on his own merit.

From innocent texts to companionable rides on Tristan’s boat, what starts as an unexpected friendship between the men sparks into undeniable attraction. Neither are ready for anything deeper than a couple of passionate nights wrapped in each other’s arms but their connection becomes too intense for either to ignore. If Tristan and West want to heal their broken hearts, they’ll need a considerable amount of trust and courage—not only in themselves but also each other.

Release Day Blitz ~ Living Out Loud by Nyrae Dawn & Christina Lee (Review)

Release Day Blitz ~ Living Out Loud by Nyrae Dawn & Christina Lee (Review)

LIVING OUT LOUD

NYRAE DAWN & CHRISTINA LEE

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 09.08.17

COVER DESIGN:

X-Potion Designs

https://www.facebook.com/xpotions/

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY:

Wander Aguiar Photography

https://www.facebook.com/WANDER.AGUIAR.PHOTOGRAPHY/

COVER MODEL: Brook

BLURB

Ben Emerson has lived by his minister father’s rules most of his life. Born into an ultra-conservative church community, he’s finally brave enough to break free and move to San Francisco. Distancing himself certainly helps create a new mindset, but living as an openly gay man takes some getting used to. When he reaches out to Xavier, a childhood friend who lives in the city, Ben isn’t sure how he’ll respond given their thorny history. Ben hopes the familiar connection will help him right some wrongs as well as provide the solace he’s been craving.

Xavier Ramos is who he is, and he doesn’t give a damn what anyone thinks. Whether it’s eyeliner, nail polish, tattoos or his love of hooking up, he uses his body as a form of self-expression but doesn’t let anyone get too close. When Ben reenters his life, Xavier helps him experience the city and feel comfortable in his own skin. Seeing the world through Ben’s eyes, he begins to wonder if he’s also not living as freely as he thought.

In the Spotlight with Bayou Book Junkie ~ Christina Lee (Giveaway)

We want to thank Christina Lee for agreeing to be our July's Author of the Month. We loved having her here and we all hope you all Junkies found some great new reads among her fantastic books! 

Hi Christina Lee and welcome to Bayou Book Junkie. Christina writes contemporary MF romance (New Adult and Adult), contemporary MM romance, and collaborates with Riley Hart on a NA MM series, Free Fall. Her latest solo effort, Regret (Under My Skin book 1, published 25 June 2017), was a sweet friends-to enemies-to lovers tale, and yay, there’s more to come! Rumour also has it that she’s just finished another book in the Free Fall series, though so far, we can’t find mention of a release date or a title (but rest assured, we will be keeping our eyes peeled!). She’s had a variety of careers and is now happily settled with her son and hubby in the Midwest.

BBJ: So Christina, we know that among other things you’ve been a wardrobe stylist, teacher and social worker, please tell us all about yourself and how you found yourself in the world of writing.

Christina: Hi there! Yes, I’ve had many different career experiences as a social worker, a special education teacher, a hand-stamped jewelry designer, and a wardrobe stylist in NYC. But it wasn’t until I got a part-time job writing a shopping column for a local newspaper that I decided to try my hand at fiction. The first book I wrote was a YA romance in 2008 and I’ve written many different age categories/genres since then (young adult, new adult, adult, LGBTQ) but always under the romance umbrella, because everyone under the rainbow deserves a happily-ever-after. ;-)

AotM: Chase the Sun and Paint the Stars by Christina Lee & Nyrae Dawn (Reviews+Giveaway)

Chase The Sun by Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn

Book: Chase The Sun
Series: Free Fall #2
Authors: Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn
Release Date: September 7, 2016
Pages: 222
GoodReads ~ Amazon


Blurb:

Jamie Tolland has only ever known his small Oregon town. Same job, same friends, same gay bar. He feels obligated to stay, especially as his mother’s illness progresses. But when a situation presents itself in the form of a vintage sports car, he jumps on the chance to not only repair it, but also drive it to its new owner in LA.

Conner Murphy left Oregon years ago to make his life in West Hollywood. Like his unconventional parents, he’s always been a free spirit, never settling on one job or girl for too long. When he inherits his late uncle’s classic Chevelle, he’s more than happy to let his childhood friend Jamie help.

Jamie and Conner are as different as night and day. Even after years of living apart, they still have a blast together—but now it’s mixed with an undeniable spark of attraction. Before they know it, they can’t keep their hands off each other. For Conner it’s all new and exciting, but Jamie isn’t the type of guy who takes this sort of intimacy lightly.

Conner soon realizes that Jamie quenches something deep inside of him that no one has before, but he doesn’t know how to handle a real relationship. As Jamie’s time in LA comes to an end, and the more they struggle to get on the same page about their feelings, the more Jamie realizes that trying to tie Conner down is as futile as capturing the sun.

AotM: Touch the Sky by Christina Lee & Nyrae Dawn (Reviews + Giveaway)

Touch the Sky

Free Fall, Book 1

Christina Lee & Nyrae Dawn

New Adult M/M Romance

COVER DESIGN: Natasha Snow

PHOTOGRAPHY: Giovanni Dall’Orto

RELEASE DATE: 03.28.16

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

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

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

BLURB

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.

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29145268-touch-the-sky

AotM: Regret by Christina Lee (Reviews+Giveaway)

REGRET

CHRISTINA LEE

M/M ROMANCE

                        

COVER DESIGN: KANAXA

BLURB

When Brian “Brin” Schubert’s condo floods, he takes his co-worker up on the offer to stay on his crappy futon for a while. The last thing he expects is for his friend’s roommate to be the one guy he despises the most. The same guy who stomped on his heart senior year of high school. And by the looks of the girl on his arm, the same man who’s still deep inside the closet.

Nicholas Dell never predicted that eleven years later, one of his greatest regrets would show up on his doorstep down on his luck. Nick has made some terrible mistakes—story of his life—and he’s been paying for them ever since. And if the guilt and shame aren’t enough, his first crush had to turn into one of the sexiest men he’s ever laid eyes on.

Nick and Brin have weeks to steer clear of each other. Weeks to avoid strangling each other. But when stubbornness leads to skyrocketing sexual tension, hate-sex doesn’t seem like such an awful way to work through their frustration. Except hate is a powerful emotion, especially when it’s turned inward. And in Nick’s case he’s been drowning in a sea of self-loathing for so long, he can’t see his way out.

As Brin reconnects with Nick, his perception of what really happened in their past begins to change. He’s finally ready to forgive him and take a second chance on the one guy who stirs him like no other. But Nick’s demons are complicated, heart-wrenching…demanding. So devastating, he might never allow himself true happiness—even with the one man who’s always owned his heart.

AotM: The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee (Review+Giveaway)

BLURB: 

Billie Montgomery was always known as the sick kid with the therapy dog. Dylan Bowden never had two nickels to rub together, let alone a true home to call his own. The two have been best friends since high school. They’re always there for each other, so when Billie opens his own bakery called Montgomery’s Sweets no one supports him better than Dylan.

The business is a success, and Billie figures he’s got everything he needs. Everything except the guy he’s been saving himself for, no matter how often Dylan tells him it’s time to move on. After a night out turns into a sexy exchange between the best friends, they pretend like nothing happened. Besides, Billie’s still holding a torch for somebody else, and Dylan has always been a considerable flirt.

When Billie’s first love unexpectedly breezes through town and life throws him a pretty rough curve ball, will Billie seek solace in the one man he’s pining for, or the only guy who’s ever protected his heart?

Please note: This novella was once part of the It Was Always You charity anthology, which is no longer for sale. The story takes place a few years after The Hardest Fall. Billie first appeared in The Deepest Blue as Callum's brother. This is an adult romance intended for an 18+ audience.

AotM: The Hardest Fall by Christina Lee (Reviews+Giveaway)

The Hardest Fall by Christina Lee

Roadmap to Your Heart Series, Book 3

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.